Control valve

Claim 2

A control valve comprising a housing, modulating means defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough and movable in said housing for performing modulating operation on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage under preselected conditions, said modulating means being generally operable in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application through said flow passage of an applied fluid pressure in a predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure, passage means in said modulating means connected in parallel flow relation with said floW passage, metering means movable in said passage means for performing metering operations on the supplied fluid pressure between one and other predetermined values thereof subsequent to the modulating operation of said modulating means, said metering means including stem means defining with said modulating means an atmospheric chamber therein, and a pair of opposed differential areas on said metering means respectively subjected to the supplied and applied fluid pressures, said metering means being movable in response to the supplied fluid pressure between the one and other predetermined values acting on one of said areas toward a metering position in said passage means effecting a metered increase in the applied fluid pressure acting on the other of said areas in another predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the one and other predetermined values, and said metering means also being thereafter further movable in response to supplied fluid pressure in excess of the other predetermined value acting on said one area toward an open position in said passage means to blend the supplied and applied fluid pressures.

Claim 3

A control valve according to claim 1, wherein said one area is predeterminately greater than said other area.

Claim 4

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising a valve seat on said modulating means about said passage means, said metering means being normally engaged with said valve seat to close said passage means and being disengaged from said valve seat upon movement toward its metering position.

Claim 5

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising abutment means on said metering means for engagement with said modulating means to define the open position of said metering means in said passage means.

Claim 6

A control valve according to claim 1, comprising a valve seat on said modulating means about said passage means, said metering means including a valve portion integral with said stem portion for sealing engagement with said valve seat, said one and other opposed areas being on said valve portion, and spring means engaged between said valve portion and modulating means urging said valve portion toward engagement with said valve seat, said valve portion being movable against said spring means and disengaged from said valve seat upon the respective movement of said metering means toward its metering and open positions.

Claim 7

A control valve according to claim 1, wherein said modulating means includes piston means movable in said housing and defining therewith said flow passage, a valve member on said piston means, a seating member disposed in said housing about said flow passage for engagement with said valve member, and spring means engaged with said piston means urging said valve member toward an inoperative position disengaged from said seating member, said piston means being initially movable against said spring means in response to supplied and applied fluid pressures of a third predetermined value predeterminately less than the one predetermined value acting thereon toward an isolating position in said flow passage engaging said valve member with said seating member to isolate the supplied fluid pressure from the applied fluid pressure and said piston means also being thereafter further movable in response to increases in the supplied fluid pressure between said third and one predetermined values acting thereon and assisted by said spring means toward a modulating position in said flow passage disengaging said valve member from said seating member to effect the application through said flow passage of the applied fluid pressure in the first named predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the third and one predetermined values.

Claim 8

A control valve according to claim 6, comprising a valve seat on said piston means about said passage means, said metering means including another valve member integral with said stem portion for sealing engagement with said valve seat, said stem portion defining with said piston means saId atmospheric chamber, and other spring means engaged with said metering means urging said other valve member toward engagement with said valve seat to normally interrupt pressure fluid communication through said passage means between the supplied and applied fluid pressures, said other valve member being disengaged from said valve seat upon the movement of said metering means against said spring means toward the metering and open positions of said metering means.

Claim 9

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, a first valve seat in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports, piston means movable in said housing including first valve means for engagement with said first valve seat, first spring means engaged with said piston means and opposing movement of said first valve member toward engagement with said first valve seat, first and second opposed areas on piston means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet ports, said piston means being initially movable against said first spring means in response to fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet ports of a first predetermined value respectively acting on said first and second opposed areas toward a position in said housing engaging said first valve means with said first valve seat to isolate the fluid pressure at said inlet port from that at said outlet port and said piston means also being thereafter further movable in response to increases in the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the first predetermined value and less than a predeterminately greater second predetermined value acting on said first area and assisted by the force of said first spring means toward a metering position in said housing disengaging said first valve means from said first valve seat to establish metered pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports and increase the fluid pressure at said outlet port acting on said second area in a first predetermined ratio with the fluid pressure at said inlet port between the first and second predetermined values, passage means in said piston means and connected between said inlet and outlet ports, a second valve seat on said piston means about said passage means, second valve means movable in said piston means for engagement with said second valve seat, a stem portion on said second valve means movable in said piston means and defining therewith an atmospheric chamber, opposed third and fourth areas on said second valve means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet ports, and second spring means engaged between said second valve means and said piston means urging said second valve means into engagement with said second valve seat to close said passage means and interrupt pressure fluid communication therethrough between said inlet and outlet ports, said second valve means being movable against said second spring means in response to increases in the fluid pressure in excess of the second predetermined value and less than a predeterminately greater third predetermined value acting on said third area toward a metering position in said passage means disengaged from said second valve seat to establish metered pressure fluid communication through said passage means between said inlet and outlet ports and increase the fluid pressure at said outlet port acting on said fourth area in a second predetermined ration with the fluid pressure at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values and different than the first predetermined ratio, and abutment means on said piston means for engagement with said stem portion, said second valve means also being further movable against said second spring means and the fluid pressure at said outlet port acting on said fourth area in response to increases in the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the third predetermined value acting on said third area toward an open position in said passage means disengaged from said second valve sEat and urging said stem into engagement with said abutment means to blend the fluid pressures at said inlet and outlet ports.

Claim 10

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, a first valve seat in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports, piston means movable in said housing including first valve means for engagement with said first valve seat, first spring means engaged with said piston means and opposing movement of said first valve member toward engagement with said first valve seat, first and second opposed areas on piston means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet ports, said piston means being initially movable against said first spring means in response to fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet ports of a first predetermined value respectively acting on said first and second opposed areas toward a position in said housing engaging said first valve means with said first valve seat to isolate the fluid pressure at said inlet port from that at said outlet port and said piston means also being thereafter further movable in response to increases in the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the first predetermined value and less than a predeterminately greater second predetermined value acting on said first area and assisted by the force of said first spring means toward a metering position in said housing disengaging said first valve means from said first valve seat to establish metered pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports and increase the fluid pressure at said outlet port acting on said second area in a first predetermined ratio with the fluid pressure at said inlet port between the first and second predetermined values, passage means in said piston means and connected between said inlet and outlet ports, a second valve seat on said piston means about said passage means, second valve means movable in said piston means for engagement with said second valve seat, a stem portion on said second valve means movable in said piston means and defining therewith an atmospheric chamber, opposed third and fourth areas on said second valve means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet ports, and second spring means engaged between said second valve means and said piston means urging said second valve means into engagement with said second valve seat to close said passage means and interrupt pressure fluid communication therethrough between said inlet and outlet ports, said second valve means being movable against said second spring means in response to increases in the fluid pressure in excess of the second predetermined value and less than a predeterminately greater third predetermined value acting on said third area toward a metering position in said passage means disengaged from said second valve seat to establish metered pressure fluid communication through said passage means between said inlet and outlet ports and increase the fluid pressure at said outlet port acting on said fourth area in a second predetermined ration with the fluid pressure at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values and different than the first predetermined ratio, and abutment means on said piston means for engagement with said stem portion, said second valve means also being further movable against said second spring means and the fluid pressure at said outlet port acting on said fourth area in response to increases in the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the third predetermined value acting on said third area toward an open position in said passage means disengaged from said second valve sEat and urging said stem into engagement with said abutment means to blend the fluid pressures at said inlet and outlet ports.

Claim 11

A control valve comprising a housing, modulating means defining with said housing opposed inlet and outlet chambers and movable in said housing for performing modulating operations on fluid pressure between said inlet and outlet chambers, said modulating means being operable generally in response to supplied fluid pressure between first and second predetermined values to establish fluid pressure in said outlet chamber in a first predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the first and second predetermined values, passage means in said modulating means connected between said inlet and outlet chambers, metering means defining with said modulating means an atmospheric chamber therein and movable in said passage means for performing metering operations on fluid pressure in said passage means between said inlet and outlet chambers, and a pair of opposed differential areas on said metering means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure in said inlet and outlet chambers, said metering means movable in response to fluid pressure in said inlet chamber between said second predetermined value and a third predetermined value predeterminately greater than said second predetermined value acting on one of said areas toward a metering position in said passage means effecting a metered increase in the fluid pressure in said outlet chamber acting on the other of said areas in a second predetermined ratio with the fluid pressure between the second and third predetermined values in said inlet chamber and different than the first predetermined ratio, and said metering means also being further movable in response to fluid pressure in said inlet chamber in excess of the third predetermined value acting on said one area toward an open position in said passage means to blend the fluid pressures in said inlet and outlet chambers.

Claim 12

A control valve comprising a housing, modulating means defining with said housing opposed inlet and outlet chambers and movable in said housing for performing modulating operations on fluid pressure between said inlet and outlet chambers, said modulating means being operable generally in response to supplied fluid pressure between first and second predetermined values to establish fluid pressure in said outlet chamber in a first predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the first and second predetermined values, passage means in said modulating means connected between said inlet and outlet chambers, metering means defining with said modulating means an atmospheric chamber therein and movable in said passage means for performing metering operations on fluid pressure in said passage means between said inlet and outlet chambers, and a pair of opposed differential areas on said metering means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure in said inlet and outlet chambers, said metering means movable in response to fluid pressure in said inlet chamber between said second predetermined value and a third predetermined value predeterminately greater than said second predetermined value acting on one of said areas toward a metering position in said passage means effecting a metered increase in the fluid pressure in said outlet chamber acting on the other of said areas in a second predetermined ratio with the fluid pressure between the second and third predetermined values in said inlet chamber and different than the first predetermined ratio, and said metering means also being further movable in response to fluid pressure in said inlet chamber in excess of the third predetermined value acting on said one area toward an open position in said passage means to blend the fluid pressures in said inlet and outlet chambers.