Control valve

Claim 2

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, proportioning valve means movable in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure communication between said inlet and outlet ports, said proportioning valve means including first and second opposed effective areas subjected to said fluid pressure to establish supplied and reduced applied fluid pressures respectively with said first and second areas, said first area being predeterminately greater than said second area, said proportioning valve means being generally operable in response to the supplied fluid pressure less than a first predetermined value to effect the application through said housing of the reduced applied fluid pressure in a first predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure and also in response to The supplied fluid pressure in excess of the first predetermined value and less than a second predetermined value predeterminately greater than the first predetermined value to effect the reduced applied fluid pressure in a second predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure, resiliently urged means connected in caged relation with said proportioning means for concerted and relative movement therewith in said housing and subjected to the reduced applied fluid pressure, said resiliently urged means being concertedly movable with said proportioning means when the reduced applied fluid pressure acting thereon is in the first predetermined ratio and being movable relative to said proportioning valve means to apply thereto the inherent force of said resiliently urged means when the reduced applied fluid pressure acting thereon is in the second predetermined ratio, and abutment means on said housing for engagement with said resiliently urged means to limit the relative movement thereof, said proportioning valve means being responsive to supplied fluid pressure in excess of the second predetermined value to overcome the inherent force of said resiliently urged means acting on said proportioning value means and blend the supplied and applied fluid pressures when said resiliently urged means is engaged with said abutment means.

Claim 3

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising a third effective area on said resiliently urged means subjected to the reduced applied fluid pressure and additive to said second area.

Claim 4

A control valve according to claim 2, wherein said third area is predeterminately greater than either of said first and second areas.

Claim 5

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising a third effective area on said resiliently urged means for subjection to the reduced applied fluid pressure, said third area being additive to said second area, the reduced applied fluid pressure in the second predetermined ratio acting on said third area to urge said resiliently urged means from its connection in caged relation with said proportioning valve means toward engagement with said abutment means wherein the inherent force of said resiliently urged means is applied to said proportioning valve means.

Claim 6

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising an effective area on said resiliently urged means subjected to the reduced applied fluid pressure, the reduced applied fluid pressure in the second predetermined ratio acting on said area urging said resiliently urged means from its connection in caged relation with said proportioning valve means toward engagement with said abutment means to apply the inherent force of said resiliently urged means onto said proportioning valve means to oppose the proportioning operation thereof.

Claim 7

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising other abutment means on said proportioning valve means, said resiliently urged means being normally urged toward engagement with said other abutment means defining the connection in caged relation with said proportioning valve means.

Claim 8

A control valve according to claim 6, wherein said resiliently urged means includes piston means concentric with said proportioning valve means, said area being on said piston means, and spring means engaged between said proportioning valve means and piston means urging said piston means toward engagement with said other abutment means.

Claim 9

A control valve according to claim 4, wherein said proportioning valve means includes piston means movable in said housing and concentric with said resiliently urged means, other abutment means on said piston means for engagement with said resiliently urged means, the inherent force of said resiliently urged means normally urging it toward engagement with said other abutment means defining the connection in caged relation with said piston means, said first and second areas being on said piston means.

Claim 10

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising resilient means engaged with said proportioning Valve means and concertedly urging said proportioning valve means and resiliently urged means toward a position in said housing blending the supplied and applied fluid pressures until the magnitudes thereof attain another predetermined value predeterminately less than said first predetermined value, said proportioning valve means being thereafter responsive to supplied fluid pressures between said other and first predetermined values and between said first and second predetermined values to perform its proportioning operation.

Claim 11

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, piston means movable in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports including valve means for controlling pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports, said piston means being responsive to fluid pressure at said inlet port less than a predetermined value to actuate said valve means and establish fluid pressure at said outlet port in a predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port and said piston means also being responsive to fluid pressure at said inlet port less than another predetermined value predeterminately greater than said first named predetermined value to actuate said valve means and establish fluid pressure at said outlet port in another predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port, other piston means concentric with said first named piston means for concerted and relative movement therewith in said housing and subjected only to the fluid pressure at said outlet port, first abutment means on said first named piston means for engagement with said other piston means, resilient means connected in caged relation between said first named and other piston means and urging said other piston means toward engagement with said first abutment means, said other piston means being concertedly movable with said first named piston means when the fluid pressure acting thereon at said outlet port is in the first named predetermined ratio and being movable in response to fluid pressure at said outlet port in the other predetermined ratio relative to said first named piston means against said resilient means toward a position disengaged from said first abutment means to apply to said first named piston means the force of said resilient means, and second abutment means on said housing for engagement with said other piston means to limit the relative movement thereof, said first named piston means being responsive to fluid pressure in excess of the second predetermined value acting thereon at said inlet port to overcome the resilient means force applied thereto and actuate said valve means toward an open position blending the supplied and applied fluid pressures when said other piston means is engaged with said second abutment means.

Claim 12

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, piston means movable in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports including valve means for controlling pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports, said piston means being responsive to fluid pressure at said inlet port less than a predetermined value to actuate said valve means and establish fluid pressure at said outlet port in a predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port and said piston means also being responsive to fluid pressure at said inlet port less than another predetermined value predeterminately greater than said first named predetermined value to actuate said valve means and establish fluid pressure at said outlet port in another predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port, other piston means concentric with said first named piston means for concerted and relative movement therewith in said housing and subjected only to the fluid pressure at said outlet port, first abutment means on said first named piston means for engagement with said other piston means, resilient means connected in caged relation between said first named and other piston means and urging said other piston means toward engagement with said first abutment means, said other piston means being concertedly movable with said first named piston means when the fluid pressure acting thereon at said outlet port is in the first named predetermined ratio and being movable in response to fluid pressure at said outlet port in the other predetermined ratio relative to said first named piston means against said resilient means toward a position disengaged from said first abutment means to apply to said first named piston means the force of said resilient means, and second abutment means on said housing for engagement with said other piston means to limit the relative movement thereof, said first named piston means being responsive to fluid pressure in excess of the second predetermined value acting thereon at said inlet port to overcome the resilient means force applied thereto and actuate said valve means toward an open position blending the supplied and applied fluid pressures when said other piston means is engaged with said second abutment means.

Claim 13

A control valve according to claim 10, comprising first and second opposed effective areas on said first named piston means respectively subjected to the fluid pressures at said inlet and outlet ports, said first area being predeterminately greater than said second area, and a third effective area on said other piston means subjected to the fluid pressure at said outlet port, said third area being additive to said second area when said other piston means is engaged with said first abutment means and being responsive to the fluid pressure at said outlet port in the other predetermined ratio to urge said other piston means toward its position disengaged from said first abutment means.

Claim 14

A control valve according to claim 10, comprising other resilient means engaged between said housing and said first named piston means, said first named piston means being responsive to the force exerted thereon of said other resilient means to actuate said valve means toward its open position blending the supplied and applied fluid pressures until the magnitudes thereof attain a third predetermined value predeterminately less than the first named predetermined value.

Claim 15

A control valve comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet therein, a differential piston movable in said housing having a larger surface presented to said inlet and a smaller surface presented to said outlet, a passage through said differential piston communicating said inlet and outlet, a valve positioned to control said passage, another piston concentrically arranged with said differential piston for concerted and relative movement therewith in said housing, an abutment on said differential piston for engagement with said other piston, a spring connected in caged relation between said differential and other pistons urging said other piston toward engagement with said abutment for concerted movement with said differential piston, said differential piston being movable to a passage opening position concertedly with said other piston in response to fluid pressure delivered to said inlet between first and second predetermined values to establish a reduced fluid pressure at said outlet in a first predetermined ratio and also being movable to its passage opening position relative to said other piston in response to fluid pressure delivered to said inlet in excess of the second predetermined value and less than a third predetermined value to establish the reduced fluid pressure at said outlet in a second predetermined ratio, another surface on said other piston presented only to said outlet and additive to said smaller surface when said other piston is engaged with said abutment, the fluid pressure at said outlet in the second predetermined ratio acting on said other surface to urge said other piston from engagement with said abutment against said spring to exert the force thereof against said differential piston upon its movement relative to said other piston.

Claim 16

A control valve comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet therein, a differential piston movable in said housing having a larger surface presented to said inlet and a smaller surface presented to said outlet, a passage through said differential piston communicating said inlet and outlet, a valve positioned to control said passage, another piston concentrically arranged with said differential piston for concerted and relative movement therewith in said housing, an abutment on said differential piston for engagement with said other piston, a spring connected in caged relation between said differential and other pistons urging said other piston toward engagement with said abutment for concerted movement with said differential piston, said differential piston being movable to a passage opening position concertedly with said other piston in response to fluid pressure delivered to said inlet between first and second predetermined values to establish a reduced fluid pressure at said outlet in a first predetermined ratio and also being movable to its passage opening position relative to said other piston in response to fluid pressure delivered to said inlet in excess of the second predetermined value and less than a third predetermined value to establish the reduced fluid pressure at said outlet in a second predetermined ratio, another surface on said other piston presented only to said outlet and additive to said smaller surface when said other piston is engaged with said abutment, the fluid pressure at said outlet in the second predetermined ratio acting on said other surface to urge said other piston from engagement with said abutment against said spring to exert the force thereof against said differential piston upon its movement relative to said other piston.

Claim 17

A control valve according to claim 13, comprising another spring engaged with said differential piston and urging said differential piston toward its passage opening position to blend the fluid pressure at said outlet with that delivered to said inlet when the magnitude of the first predetermined value is greater than zero.

Claim 18

A control valve according to claim 13, comprising another abutment on said housing for engagement with said other piston to limit the movement thereof in response to the fluid pressure at said outlet in the second predetermined ratio acting on said other surface, said differential piston being movable to its passage opening position against the force of said spring in response to fluid pressure delivered to said inlet in excess of the third predetermined value to thereafter blend the fluid pressures at said inlet and outlet when said other piston is engaged with said other abutment.

Claim 19

A control valve having a housing for providing fluid communication between an inlet port, an outlet port and an exhaust port therein, and having control elements within said housing for effecting control over said fluid communication, comprising: proportioning valve means movable in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied thereto, said proportioning valve means including an input area to be subjected to said fluid pressure at the inlet port for establishing an input force to act on said proportioning valve. said proportioning valve means further including an output area less than said input area and opposed thereto to be subjected to fluid pressure at the outlet port for establishing an output force to act on said proportioning valve; resiliently urged means movably mounted in said housing and concentrically mounted about an outer peripheral surface of said proportioning means and providing an output area to be subjected to fluid pressure at the outlet port for establishing an additive output force with said output force established by said pressure acting on said proportioning valve output area, said resiliently urged means output area and said proportioning valve output area being concertedly greater than said proportioning valve input area; and abutment means on said housing for engagement with said resiliently urged means to limit the movement thereof.

Claim 20

A control valve having a housing for providing fluid communication between an inlet port, an outlet port and an exhaust port therein, and having control elements within said housing for effecting control over said fluid communication, comprising: proportioning valve means movable in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied thereto, said proportioning valve means including an input area to be subjected to said fluid pressure at the inlet port for establishing an input force to act on said proportioning valve. said proportioning valve means further including an output area less than said input area and opposed thereto to be subjected to fluid pressure at the outlet port for establishing an output force to act on said proportioning valve; resiliently urged means movably mounted in said housing and concentrically mounted about an outer peripheral surface of said proportioning means and providing an output area to be subjected to fluid pressure at the outlet port for establishing an additive output force with said output force established by said pressure acting on said proportioning valve output area, said resiliently urged means output area and said proportioning valve output area being concertedly greater than said proportioning valve input area; and abutment means on said housing for engagement with said resiliently urged means to limit the movement thereof.