Reciprocable valve with rolling bearings

Claim 1

A control valve comprising: a body having an elongated chamber closed at its ends, an elongated slide longitudinally shiftably disposed in said chamber, ports providing inlet and outlet passage means in said body, said slide having longitudinally spaced ports providing passage means for conducting fluid between said ports, sealing means interposed between said body and said slide and including tubular seals circumscribing certain of said ports, one of said body and said slide having a flat face through which certain of said ports open, each of said seals having a flat end face engageable with the first-mentioned flat face for controlling the flow of fluid between said passage means through said slide, each of said seals also having its other end face exposed to pressure in its port to apply a force to the seal urging its flat end face into engagement with the first-mentioned flat face, said body having elongated bearing surfaces extending longitudinally in said chamber and opposed to said slide and located in planes normal to the direction of application of force to said slide by said seals, bearing means interposed between saiD bearing surfaces and said slide, said bearing means being laterally spaced at opposite sides of said ports of said body and said slide for holding said slide against cocking in said chamber into binding engagement with said body under the influence of the force applied to said seals about an axis extending longitudinally of said chamber and about an axis extending transversely of said chamber, and operating means for shifting said slide in said chamber to establish and interrupt fluid flow through said passage means, said bearing means comprising rolling bearings carried at opposite ends of said slide.