Magnetically operated valve with spider armature

Claim 1

A magnetically operated valve comprising, body structure presenting a chamber and first and second passages leading to opposed, spaced apart first and second ports entering said chamber, a spider positioned between said first and second ports, said spider including a central magnetically responsive disklike armature with opposite transverse faces for engaging the first and second ports respectively, said spider also including a plurality of springs angularly spaced around said armature and radially supporting the armature so that it can be displaced axially, said springs outwardly being connected to mounting means at a position offset axially from said first port, such that said springs are stressed both axially and radially and one face of said armature is normally pressed and biased against said first port by the stressing of said springs, the opposite face thereof normally being spaced from said second port, so that said armature thereby restricts flow through the first port and leaves said second port open, the stressing of the springs which radially support the armature being the sole force which biases the armature against said first port, and an electric coil having a core magnetically responsive to energization of said coil, said core positioned to act magnetically on said armature to draw it away from said first port against the bias of said springs and toward the second port so that said armature restricts the second port and the first port is opened.