Valve means

Claim 2

A valve which includes an electro-magnetic means having a control part which is movable throughout a range of operational movement, means for creating an applied signal, said control part being movable upon variation of said applied signal; damping means effective in operation of the valve to damp vibrational movement of said control part to a relatively small proportion of the range of operational movement of said control part; resilient means to which is applicable motion of said control part for translating said motion into an output force, the value of which force varies with such motion; and a valve closure member movable throughout a range of operational movement thereof relative to a valve seat variably to throttle escape of fluid from the valve seat, and to which member the said resilient means applies said output force to act against the force exerted on the closure member in opposition thereto by the pressure of the escaping fluid, the range of operational movement of the valve closure member being relatively small as compared to the range of operational movement of said control part.

Claim 3

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electro-magnetic means comprises a fixed magnet and a co-operating electro-magnetic coil which constitutes said control part of the first means, and wherein the applied signal constitutes an electric-signal to energise the electro-magnetic coil.

Claim 4

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient means comprises a compression spring located between said control part and the valve closure member.

Claim 5

A value as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve closure element is a ball.

Claim 6

A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve has a fluid-pressure input port, a fluid-pressure output port and an exhaust port, the input port being connected to a source of fluid-pressure and the exhaust port being the valve seat.

Claim 7

A valve which includes a first means having a control part which is movable throughout a range of operational movement, means for creating an applied signal, said control part being movable upon variation of said applied signal; damping means effective in operation of the valve to damp vibrational movement of said control part to a relatively small proportion of the range of operational movement of said control part; resilient means to which is applicable motion of said control part for translating said motion into an output force, the value of which force varies with such motion; and a valve closure member located at one end of a leaf-spring cautilever-mounted by its opposite end, said valve closure member being movable throughout a range of operational movement thereof relative to a valve seat variably to throttle escape of fluid from the valve seat, said resilient means comprising a compression spring located between the said control part and the valve closure member and applying said output force to the valve closure member to act against the force exerted on the closure member in opposition thereto by the pressure of the escaping fluid, the range of operational movement of the valve closure member being relatively small as compared to the range of operational movement of said control part.

Claim 8

A valve which includes a first means having a control part which is movable throughout a range of operational movement, means for creating an applied signal, said control part being movable upon variation of said applied signal; damping means effective in operation of the valve to damp vibrational movement of said control part to a relatively small proportion of the range of operational movement of said control part; resilient means to which is applicable motion of said control part for translating said motion into an output force, the value of which force varies with such motion; and a valve closure member located at one end of a leaf-spring cautilever-mounted by its opposite end, said valve closure member being movable throughout a range of operational movement thereof relative to a valve seat variably to throttle escape of fluid from the valve seat, said resilient means comprising a compression spring located between the said control part and the valve closure member and applying said output force to the valve closure member to act against the force exerted on the closure member in opposition thereto by the pressure of the escaping fluid, the range of operational movement of the valve closure member being relatively small as compared to the range of operational movement of said control part.

Claim 9

A valve as claimed in claim 6, wherein one end of the compression spring abuts said control part of the first means and the opposite end abuts said one end of the leaf-spring.

Claim 10

A valve which includes a first means having a control part which is movable throughout a range of operational movement, means for creating an applied signal, said control part being movable upon variation of said applied signal; damping means effective in operation of the valve to damp vibrational movement of said control part to a relatively small proportion of the range of operational movement of said control part, said damping means being a piston and cylinder arrangement, transference of fluid from one side of the piston to the other side being throttled; resilient means to which is applicable motion of said control part for translating said motion into an output force, the value of which force varies with such motion; and a valve closure member movable throughout a range of operational movement thereof relative to a valve seat variably to throttle escape of fluid from the valve seat, and to which member the same resilient means applies said output force to act against the force exerted on the closure member in opposition thereto by the prssure of the escaping fluid, the range of operational movement of the valve closure member being relatively small as compared to the range of operational movement of said control part.

Claim 11

A valve which includes a first means having a control part which is movable throughout a range of operational movement, means for creating an applied signal, said control part being movable upon variation of said applied signal; damping means effective in operation of the valve to damp vibrational movement of said control part to a relatively small proportion of the range of operational movement of said control part, said damping means being a piston and cylinder arrangement, transference of fluid from one side of the piston to the other side being throttled; resilient means to which is applicable motion of said control part for translating said motion into an output force, the value of which force varies with such motion; and a valve closure member movable throughout a range of operational movement thereof relative to a valve seat variably to throttle escape of fluid from the valve seat, and to which member the same resilient means applies said output force to act against the force exerted on the closure member in opposition thereto by the prssure of the escaping fluid, the range of operational movement of the valve closure member being relatively small as compared to the range of operational movement of said control part.

Claim 12

A valve means as claimed in claim 8, wherein the throttling is effected by Restricted clearance between the piston and the internal wall of the cylinder.

Claim 13

A valve as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first means is an electro-magnetic means and wherein the coil is wound on the cylinder and the piston is a pole-piece of the permanent magnet.

Claim 14

A valve as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cylinder is open at one end and is movable to a position outside its range of operational movement to seat on a seal which closes said one end of the cylinder.