Control valve

Claim 2

A control valve comprising a housing, an inlet port, an outlet port modulating means movable in said housing and defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough between said inlet and outlet ports, and a chamber, said modulating means being generally operable to perform modulating operations on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage to effect the application therethrough of a reduced fluid pressure under preselected conditions, and other modulating means movable in said first named modulating means between said flow passage and said chamber, said other modulating means being generally operable to perform modulating operations on the supplied fluid pressure in said flow passage to establish another reduced fluid pressure in said chamber acting on said first named modulating means to assist the modulating operation thereof under other preselected conditions.

Claim 3

A control valve comprising a housing, an inlet port, an outlet port, proportioning valve means defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough between said inlet and outlet ports, and a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage under preselected conditions, said proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of a proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said flow passage under preselected conditions, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said flow passage and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for performing proportioning operations on the supplied fluid pressure under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said passage means into said chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof.

Claim 4

A control valve comprising a housing, an inlet port, an outlet port, proportioning valve means defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough between said inlet and outlet ports, and a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage under preselected conditions, said proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of a proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said flow passage under preselected conditions, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said flow passage and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for performing proportioning operations on the supplied fluid pressure under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said passage means into said chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof.

Claim 5

A control valve according to claim 2, comprising first and second opposed effective areas on said first named proportioning valve means respectively subjected to the supplied And first named applied fluid pressure, said first area being predeterminately less than said second area.

Claim 6

A control valve according to claim 2, wherein said first named proportioning valve means includes an effective area in said chamber and subjected to the other applied fluid pressure to establish a force assisting the proportioning operation of said first named proportioning valve means.

Claim 7

A control valve comprising a housing, proportioning valve means defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough and a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage under preselected conditions, said proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of a proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said flow passage under preselected conditions, passage means in said poportioning valve means between said flow passage and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for performing proportioning operations on the supplied fluid pressure under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said passage means into said chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof, first and second opposed effective areas on said first named proportioning valve means respectively subjected to the supplied and first named applied fluid pressures, said first area being predeterminately less than said second area, and said first named proportioning valve means including a third effective area additive to said first area and subjected to the other applied fluid pessure in said chamber.

Claim 8

A control valve comprising a housing, proportioning valve means defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough and a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage under preselected conditions, said proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of a proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said flow passage under preselected conditions, passage means in said poportioning valve means between said flow passage and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for performing proportioning operations on the supplied fluid pressure under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said passage means into said chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof, first and second opposed effective areas on said first named proportioning valve means respectively subjected to the supplied and first named applied fluid pressures, said first area being predeterminately less than said second area, and said first named proportioning valve means including a third effective area additive to said first area and subjected to the other applied fluid pessure in said chamber.

Claim 9

A control valve according to claim 5, wherein said third area is substantially equal to the difference between said first and second areas.

Claim 10

A control valve comprising a housing, proportioning valve means defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough and a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage under preselected conditions, said proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of a proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said flow passage under preselected conditions, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said flow passage and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for performing proportioning operations on the supplied fluid pressure under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said passage means into said chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof, said first named proportioning valve means includes resiliently urged means movable in said housing and defining therewith said flow passage and chamber, said resiliently urged means being initially movable in response to the supplied and first named applied fluid pressure of a first predetermined value toward an isolating position in said housing isolating the supplied and first named applied fluid pressures and said resiliently urged means being thereafter further movable in response to its own force and increases in the supplied fluid pressure in excess of the first predetermined value and a second predetermined value predeterminately greater than said first predetermined value acting thereon toward a metering position establishing the first namEd applied fluid pressure in first and second predetermined ratios with the supplied fluid pressure in excess of the first and second predetermined values, respectively, said passage means being in said resiliently urged means, said other proportioning valve means including other resiliently urged means movable in said passage means, said other resiliently urged means being movable against its own force in response to the supplied fluid pressure acting thereon between the second predetermined value and a third predetermined value predeterminately greater than the second predetermined value toward a metering position in said other passage establishing the other applied fluid pressure in said chamber in another predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the second and third predetermined values to assist the proportioning operation of said first named resiliently urged means, and said first named and other resiliently urged means being respectively movable toward open flow passage and open passage means positions to blend the supplied fluid pressure and first named and other applied fluid pressures when the supplied fluid pressure exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 11

A control valve comprising a housing, proportioning valve means defining with said housing a pressure fluid flow passage therethrough and a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure supplied to said flow passage under preselected conditions, said proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of a proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said flow passage under preselected conditions, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said flow passage and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for performing proportioning operations on the supplied fluid pressure under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means being operable generally in response to the supplied fluid pressure to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure through said passage means into said chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof, said first named proportioning valve means includes resiliently urged means movable in said housing and defining therewith said flow passage and chamber, said resiliently urged means being initially movable in response to the supplied and first named applied fluid pressure of a first predetermined value toward an isolating position in said housing isolating the supplied and first named applied fluid pressures and said resiliently urged means being thereafter further movable in response to its own force and increases in the supplied fluid pressure in excess of the first predetermined value and a second predetermined value predeterminately greater than said first predetermined value acting thereon toward a metering position establishing the first namEd applied fluid pressure in first and second predetermined ratios with the supplied fluid pressure in excess of the first and second predetermined values, respectively, said passage means being in said resiliently urged means, said other proportioning valve means including other resiliently urged means movable in said passage means, said other resiliently urged means being movable against its own force in response to the supplied fluid pressure acting thereon between the second predetermined value and a third predetermined value predeterminately greater than the second predetermined value toward a metering position in said other passage establishing the other applied fluid pressure in said chamber in another predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the second and third predetermined values to assist the proportioning operation of said first named resiliently urged means, and said first named and other resiliently urged means being respectively movable toward open flow passage and open passage means positions to blend the supplied fluid pressure and first named and other applied fluid pressures when the supplied fluid pressure exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 12

A control valve according to claim 7, wherein said first named resiliently urged means includes piston means movable in said housing and defining therewith said flow passage and said chamber, first and second opposed effective areas on said piston means respectively subjected to the supplied and first named applied fluid pressures, and resilient means urging said piston means toward its open flow passage position, said piston means being initially movable against said resilient means toward its isolating position in response to the supplied and first named applied fluid pressures of the first predetermined value respectively acting on said first and second opposed areas and being thereafter further movable in response to the supplied fluid pressure in excess of the first and second predetermined values acting on said first area and assisted by said resilient means toward its metering position establishing the first named applied fluid pressure acting on said second area in the first and second predetermined ratios with the supplied fluid pressure in excess of the first and second predetermined values, respectively, and a third effective area on said piston means in said chamber additive to said first area and subjected to the other applied fluid pressure in said chamber to assist the proportioning operation of said piston means.

Claim 13

A control valve according to claim 7, comprising a valve seat on said piston means about said flow passage, and valve means movable in said piston means for engagement with said valve seat, said valve seat being disengaged from said valve means in the open flow passage and metering positions of said piston means and being engaged with said valve seat in the isolating position of said piston means, respectively.

Claim 14

A control valve according to claim 7, wherein said other resiliently urged means includes piston means movable in said passage means, resilient means engaged between said piston means and said first named resiliently urged means, first and second opposed effective areas on said piston means respectively subjected to the supplied and other applied fluid pressures, said piston means being movable toward its metering position in said passage means against said resilient means in response to said supplied fluid pressure between the second and third predetermined values acting on said first area to establish the other applied fluid pressure in said chamber acting on said second area in the other predetermined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the second and third predetermined values, and said piston means being further movable toward its open passage means position against said resilient means when the supplied fluid pressure acting on said first area exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 15

A control valve according to claim 10, comprising a valve seat on said first named resiliently urged means about said passage means, and valve means on said piston means for engagement with said valve seat, said resilient means urging said valve means into engagement with said valve seat isolating said flow passage and chamber when the supplied fluid pressure is less than the second predetermined value and said valve means being disengaged from said valve seat upon the movement of said piston means toward its respective metering and open passage means positions.

Claim 16

A control valve according to claim 9, wherein said other resiliently urged means includes other piston means movable in said passage means, another valve seat on said first named piston means about said passage means, other valve means on said other piston means, other resilient means engaged with said other piston means urging said other valve means toward a position engaged with said other valve seat and closing said passage means, fourth and fifth opposed effective areas on said other piston means respectively subjected to the supplied and other applied fluid pressures, said other piston means being movable toward its metering position in said passage means against said other resilient means disengaging said other valve means from said other valve seat in response to the supplied fluid pressure between said second and third determined values acting on said fourth area to establish the other applied fluid pressure in said chamber acting on said fifth area in the other predetemined ratio with the supplied fluid pressure between the second and third predetermined values and also acting on said third area to assist the proportioning operation of said first named piston means, and said other piston means also being further movable toward its open passage means position against said other resilient means and the other applied fluid pressure acting on said fifth area disengaging said other valve means from said other valve seat when the supplied fluid pressure acting on said fourth area exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 17

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, a differential piston movable in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports and defining with said housing a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber, said piston having a smaller effective area presented to said inlet port and a larger effective area presented to said outlet port, a passage through said piston communicating said inlet and outlet ports, a valve positioned to control said passage, resilient means urging said piston toward passage open position, another passage in said piston communicating said inlet port and chamber, another valve positioned to control said other passage, said other valve being operable generally to establish metered pressure fluid communication between said inlet port and chamber under preselected conditions, and said piston including another effective area presented to said chamber and additive to said smaller area.

Claim 18

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, a differential piston movable in said housing between said inlet and outlet ports and defining with said housing a separate expansible fluid pressure chamber, said piston having a smaller effective area presented to said inlet port and a larger effective area presented to said outlet port, a passage through said piston communicating said inlet and outlet ports, a valve positioned to control said passage, resilient means urging said piston toward passage open position, another passage in said piston communicating said inlet port and chamber, another valve positioned to control said other passage, said other valve being operable generally to establish metered pressure fluid communication between said inlet port and chamber under preselected conditions, and said piston including another effective area presented to said chamber and additive to said smaller area.

Claim 19

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, proportioning valve means movable in said housing for controlling pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports and defining with said housing an expansible fluid pressure chamber, said proportioning valve means being movable in response to fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of first and second predetermined values acting thereon toward a metering position in said housing establishing a metered reduced fluid pressure at said outlet port in first and second predetermined ratios with the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the first and second predetermined values, respectively, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said inlet port and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for controlling pressure fluid communication therethrough between said inlet port and said chamber, said other proportioning valve means being movablE in response to fluid pressure at said inlet port between the second predetermined value and a third predetermined value acting thereon toward a metering position in said passage means establishing another metered reduced fluid pressure in said chamber in another predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port between the second and third values, and an effective area on said first named proportioning value means in said chamber and subjected to the other metered fluid pressure therein to assist the metering actuation of said first named proportioning valve means when the supplied fluid pressures acting thereon is between the first and second predetermined values, said first named and other proportioning valve means being movable toward open pressure fluid communication positions between said inlet and outlet ports and between said inlet port and chamber when the fluid pressure at said inlet port acting thereon exceeds the third predetermined value, respectively.

Claim 20

A control valve comprising a housing having inlet and outlet ports therein, proportioning valve means movable in said housing for controlling pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports and defining with said housing an expansible fluid pressure chamber, said proportioning valve means being movable in response to fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of first and second predetermined values acting thereon toward a metering position in said housing establishing a metered reduced fluid pressure at said outlet port in first and second predetermined ratios with the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the first and second predetermined values, respectively, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said inlet port and said chamber, and other proportioning valve means movable in said passage means for controlling pressure fluid communication therethrough between said inlet port and said chamber, said other proportioning valve means being movablE in response to fluid pressure at said inlet port between the second predetermined value and a third predetermined value acting thereon toward a metering position in said passage means establishing another metered reduced fluid pressure in said chamber in another predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port between the second and third values, and an effective area on said first named proportioning value means in said chamber and subjected to the other metered fluid pressure therein to assist the metering actuation of said first named proportioning valve means when the supplied fluid pressures acting thereon is between the first and second predetermined values, said first named and other proportioning valve means being movable toward open pressure fluid communication positions between said inlet and outlet ports and between said inlet port and chamber when the fluid pressure at said inlet port acting thereon exceeds the third predetermined value, respectively.

Claim 21

A control valve according to claim 14, comprising opposed second and third effective areas on said first named pressure valve means respectively subjected to the fluid pressures at said inlet and outlet ports, said second area being predeterminately less than said third area and additive to said first named area.

Claim 22

A control valve according to claim 15, wherein said first named area is equal to the difference between said second and third areas.

Claim 23

A control valve acording to claim 14, wherein said first named proportioning valve means includes resiliently urged means, said resiliently urged means being movable against its own force in response to the fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet ports of the first predetermined value acting thereon toward an isolating position in said housing interrupting pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports and being thereafter further movable toward its metering position in response to the fluid pressure acting thereon at said inlet port in excess of the first and second predetermined values assisted by the force of said resiliently urged means to effect metered pressure fluid communication between said inlet and outlet ports and establish the reduced fluid pressure at said outlet port in the first and second predetermined ratios with the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the first and second predetermined values, respectively, and said resiliently urged means also being movable toward its open pressure fluid communication position in said housing when the fluid pressure acting thereon at said inlet port exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 24

A control valve according to claim 14, wherein said other proportioning valve means includes resiliently urged means movable in said passage means, said resiliently urged means being movable against its own force in response to fluid pressure acting thereon at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values toward its metering position in said passage means to establish the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber in the other predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values, and said resiliently urged means being further movable against its own force toward its open pressure fluid communication position in said passage means when the fluid pressure acting thereon at said inlet port exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 25

A control valve according to claim 17, wherein said passage means is in said resiliently urged means, said other proportioning valve means including other resiliently urged means movable in said passage means, said other resiliently urged means being movable against its own force toward its metering position in said passage means in response to fluid pressure acting thereon at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values to establish the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber in the other predetermined ratio with that at said inlet port between the second and third preDetermined values, and said other resiliently urged means also being further movable against its own force toward its open pressure fluid communication position in said passage means when the fluid pressure acting thereon at said inlet port exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 26

A control valve according to claim 17, wherein said first named resiliently urged means includes piston means movable between said inlet and outlet ports in said housing and defining therewith said chamber, said passage means being in said piston means and said area being on said piston means within said chamber, resilient means engaged with said piston means, and second and third opposed areas on said piston means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure at the inlet and outlet ports, said second area being smaller than said third area and additive to said first named area, said piston means being initially movable toward its isolating position against said resilient means in response to the fluid pressure at said inlet and outlet port of the first predetermined value respectively acting on said second and third areas and being thereafter further movable toward its metering position in response to the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the first and second predetermined values acting on said second area and assisted by said resilient means establishing the first named reduced fluid pressure at said outlet port acting on said third area in the first and second predetermined ratios with the fluid pressure at said inlet port in excess of the first and second predetermined values, respectively, and said piston means also being movable toward its open pressure fluid communication position when the fluid pressure at said inlet port acting on said second area exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 27

A control valve according to claim 20, comprising a valve seat on said piston means between said inlet and outlet ports, and valve means movable in said piston means for engagement with said valve seat, said valve seat being disengaged from said valve means in the open pressure fluid communication position and the metering position of said piston means and being engaged with said valve means in the isolating position of said piston means.

Claim 28

A control valve according to claim 18, wherein said resiliently urged means includes piston means movable in said passage means, resilient means engaged between said piston means and said first named proportioning valve means, and a pair of opposed differential areas on said piston means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure at said inlet port and the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber, said piston means being movable toward its metering position against said resilient means in response to the fluid pressure at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values acting on one of said opposed areas to establish the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber in the other predetermined ratio acting on the other of said opposed areas, and said piston means being further movable toward its open pressure fluid communication position against said resilient means and the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber acting on said other opposed area when the fluid pressure at said inlet port acting on said one opposed area exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 29

A control valve according to claim 22, comprising a valve seat on said first named proportioning valve means about said passage means, and said piston means including valve means for engagement with said valve seat, said resilient means normally urging said piston means in a direction to engage said valve means with said valve seat interrupting pressure fluid cmmunication between said inlet port and said chamber and said valve means being disengaged from said valve seat when said piston means is in its metering and open pressure fluid communication positions, respectively.

Claim 30

A control valve according to claim 21, comprising another valve seat on said first named piston means about said passage means, said other proportioning valve means including other piston means movable in said passage means, other resilient means engaged between said first named and other piston means, fourth and fifth opposed differential areas on said other piston means respectively subjected to the fluid pressure at said inlet port and the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber, said fourth area being predeterminately greater than said fifth area, and other valve means on said other piston means for engagement with said other valve seat, said other piston means being movable toward its metering position against said resilient means in response to the fluid pressure at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values acting on said fourth area to disengage said valve means from said valve seat and establish the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber acting on said fifth area in the other predetermined ratio with the fluid pressure at said inlet port between the second and third predetermined values, and said other piston means also being further movable toward its open pressure fluid communication position against said resilient means and the other reduced fluid pressure in said chamber acting on said fifth area and disengaging said other valve means from said other valve seat when the fluid pressure at said inlet port acting on said fourth area exceeds the third predetermined value.

Claim 31

A control valve comprising a housing, an inlet port, an outlet port, a pressure fluid flow passage between said inlet and outlet ports, proportioning valve means defining with said housing three expansible fluid pressure chambers and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure between two of said chambers under preselected conditions, said flow passage including said two chambers, said proportioing valve means being operable generally in response to fuid pressure in one of said two chambers to effect the application of a proportionally reduced opposed fluid pressure to the other of said two chambers, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said flow passage and the third of said three chambers, and other proportioning valve means movable in said first named proportioning valve means for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure between said one of said two chambers and said third chamber under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means bieng generally operable in response to fluid pressure in said one of said two chambers to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure to said third chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof.

Claim 32

A control valve comprising a housing, an inlet port, an outlet port, a pressure fluid flow passage between said inlet and outlet ports, proportioning valve means defining with said housing three expansible fluid pressure chambers and movable in said housing for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure between two of said chambers under preselected conditions, said flow passage including said two chambers, said proportioing valve means being operable generally in response to fuid pressure in one of said two chambers to effect the application of a proportionally reduced opposed fluid pressure to the other of said two chambers, passage means in said proportioning valve means between said flow passage and the third of said three chambers, and other proportioning valve means movable in said first named proportioning valve means for performing proportioning operations on fluid pressure between said one of said two chambers and said third chamber under other preselected conditions, said other proportioning valve means bieng generally operable in response to fluid pressure in said one of said two chambers to effect the application of another proportionally reduced applied fluid pressure to said third chamber acting on said first named proportioning valve means to assist the proportioning operation thereof.