Rotary control valve

Claim 2

A rotary control valve having a body and a valve member with opposing generally planar contacting surfaces, means mounting the valve member for rotation about a central axis normal to said surfaces, a plurality of ports in said body opening to said surface thereof including a pressure port concentric with said axis, an annular space around the periphery of said valve body, a return port connecting with said annular space, a pair of control ports, said valve member having a first fluid passage groove opening to the body surface and extending through and with ends equidistant from said central axis to connect said pressure port with one or the other of said control ports, a pressure chamber in said valve member having a pressure responsive area, a reaction member in said pressure chamber, a passage connecting said groove and said pressure chamber whereby fluid pressure acting against the reaction member and the pressure responsive area urges the valve member toward said body surface, and said valve member having a second fluid passage groove to connect one of said control ports to the annular space and to the return port.

Claim 3

A rotary control valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said second fluid passage groove includes a groove opening to the body surface and extending parallel to said first-mentioned groove and at both ends extending to the annular space around the perimeter of said valve member.

Claim 4

A rotary control valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said pressure chamber has a spring therein for urging said valve member toward said body surface.

Claim 5

A rotary control valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve member has two rotative positions to connect the inlet port to one or the other of the control ports.

Claim 6

A rotary directional valve operable at high pressure comprising, a valve body and a cover defining a space enclosing a generally planar surface of said body, a valve member positioned within said space for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface contactiNg said surface of the valve body, said valve member having a peripheral annular wall at the side opposite said planar surface defining a chamber, a reaction member positioned in said chamber and being supported by said cover, spring means in said chamber acting between said reaction member and said valve member for urging the planar surfaces into contact, a plurality of ports opening to said valve body surface including an inlet port concentric with said axis, a return port at a distance from said inlet port and at a location beyond the perimeter of the valve member and a pair of control ports positioned one to either side of the inlet port, a first straight groove at the surface of said valve member extending through said axis and extending equal distances toward but short of the periphery of the valve member, a passage in said valve member placing said chamber in fluid communication with the first groove, said chamber having a face with an area slightly larger than the area of said first groove whereby a pressure force acting on said face increases as inlet fluid pressure increases and combines with said spring means to urge said generally planar surfaces together, and a second groove in the surface of said valve member spaced from the first groove and extending to the periphery of the valve member into communication with said return port beyond said perimeter of the valve member.

Claim 7

A rotary directional valve operable at high pressure comprising, a valve body and a cover defining a space enclosing a generally planar surface of said body, a valve member positioned within said space for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface contactiNg said surface of the valve body, said valve member having a peripheral annular wall at the side opposite said planar surface defining a chamber, a reaction member positioned in said chamber and being supported by said cover, spring means in said chamber acting between said reaction member and said valve member for urging the planar surfaces into contact, a plurality of ports opening to said valve body surface including an inlet port concentric with said axis, a return port at a distance from said inlet port and at a location beyond the perimeter of the valve member and a pair of control ports positioned one to either side of the inlet port, a first straight groove at the surface of said valve member extending through said axis and extending equal distances toward but short of the periphery of the valve member, a passage in said valve member placing said chamber in fluid communication with the first groove, said chamber having a face with an area slightly larger than the area of said first groove whereby a pressure force acting on said face increases as inlet fluid pressure increases and combines with said spring means to urge said generally planar surfaces together, and a second groove in the surface of said valve member spaced from the first groove and extending to the periphery of the valve member into communication with said return port beyond said perimeter of the valve member.

Claim 8

A rotary directional valve as defined in claim 5, wherein said valve member has two rotative positions and said two control ports are positioned to have one control port in communication with the second groove and the other control port in communication with the first groove in both positions of the valve member.

Claim 9

A rotary directional valve operable at high pressure comprising, a valve body and a cover defining a space enclosing a generally planar surface of said body, a valve member positioned within said space for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface contacting said surface of the valve body, said valve member having a chamber with spring means therein urging the surfaces into contact, a plurality of ports opening to said valve body surface including an inlet port concentric with said axis, a return port at a distance from said inlet port and at a location beyond the perimeter of the valve member and a pair of control ports positioned one to either side of the inlet port, a first groove at the surface of said valve member extending through said axis and extending equal distances toward but short of the periphery of the valve member, a second groove parallel to the first groove and extending to the periphery of the valve member, said valve member has three rotative positions and with the control ports positioned to have one or both thereof in communication with the second groove in all three rotative positions, and an additional return port in said valve body, said first groove always communicating with the inlet port and with either a control port or the additional return port in the three rotative positions of the valve member.

Claim 10

A rotary directional valve operable at high pressure comprising, a valve body and a cover defining a space enclosing a generally planar surface of said body, a valve member positioned within said space for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface contacting said surface of the valve body, said valve member having a chamber with spring means therein urging the surfaces into contact, a plurality of ports opening to said valve body surface including an inlet port concentric with said axis, a return port at a distance from said inlet port and at a location beyond the perimeter of the valve member and a pair of control ports positioned one to either side of the inlet port, a first groove at the surface of said valve member extending through said axis and extending equal distances toward but short of the periphery of the valve member, a second groove parallel to the first groove and extending to the periphery of the valve member, said valve member has three rotative positions and with the control ports positioned to have one or both thereof in communication with the second groove in all three rotative positions, and an additional return port in said valve body, said first groove always communicating with the inlet port and with either a control port or the additional return port in the three rotative positions of the valve member.

Claim 11

A rotary directional valve as defined in claim 5 including means extending through said cover for rotating said valve member.

Claim 12

A rotary directional valve operable at high pressure comprising, a valve body and a cover defining a space enclosing a generally planar surface of said body, a valve member positioned within said space for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface contacting said surface of the valve body, said valve member having a chamber with spring means therein urging the surfaces into contact, a plurality of ports opening to said valve body surface including an inlet port concentric with said axis, a return port at a distance from said inlet port and at a location beyond the perimeter of the valve member and a pair of control ports positioned one to either side of the inlet port, a first groove at the surface of said valve member extending through said axis and extending equal distances towaRd but short of the periphery of the valve member, a passage in said valve member placing said chamber in communication with the inlet port, a reaction member in said chamber supported by said cover, said chamber having a wall with an area greater than the area of said first groove whereby a force urges said generally planar surfaces together, means extending through said cover for rotating said valve member, said means includes a collar rotatable on said cover, an elongate slot in said cover covered by said collar, and a handle fastened to said collar and with a pin extending through said slot and loosely fitted in said valve member.

Claim 13

A rotary directional valve operable at high pressure comprising, a valve body and a cover defining a space enclosing a generally planar surface of said body, a valve member positioned within said space for rotation about an axis and having a generally planar surface contacting said surface of the valve body, said valve member having a chamber with spring means therein urging the surfaces into contact, a plurality of ports opening to said valve body surface including an inlet port concentric with said axis, a return port at a distance from said inlet port and at a location beyond the perimeter of the valve member and a pair of control ports positioned one to either side of the inlet port, a first groove at the surface of said valve member extending through said axis and extending equal distances towaRd but short of the periphery of the valve member, a passage in said valve member placing said chamber in communication with the inlet port, a reaction member in said chamber supported by said cover, said chamber having a wall with an area greater than the area of said first groove whereby a force urges said generally planar surfaces together, means extending through said cover for rotating said valve member, said means includes a collar rotatable on said cover, an elongate slot in said cover covered by said collar, and a handle fastened to said collar and with a pin extending through said slot and loosely fitted in said valve member.

Claim 14

A rotary control valve having a body and a valve member with opposing generally planar contacting surfaces, means mounting the valve member for rotation about a central axis normal to said surfaces, a plurality of ports in said body opening to said surface thereof including a pressure port concentric with said axis, a return port and a pair of control ports, said valve member having a first fluid passage means extending through and with ends equidistant from said central axis to connect said pressure port with one or the other of said control ports, said valve member having second fluid passage means to connect a control port to the return port, said valve body having a second return port, and said valve member having three rotative positions with two of said positions connecting the inlet port to one or the other of said control ports and the third position connects the inlet port to the second return port.

Claim 15

A rotary control valve having a body and a valve member with opposing generally planar contacting surfaces, means mounting the valve member for rotation about a central axis normal to said surfaces, a plurality of ports in said body opening to said surface thereof including a pressure port concentric with said axis, a return port and a pair of control ports, said valve member having a first fluid passage means extending through and with ends equidistant from said central axis to connect said pressure port with one or the other of said control ports, said valve member having second fluid passage means to connect a control port to the return port, said valve body having a second return port, and said valve member having three rotative positions with two of said positions connecting the inlet port to one or the other of said control ports and the third position connects the inlet port to the second return port.