Fluid flow divider valve

Claim 1

A fluid flow divider valve comprising a valve body having a cylindrically-shaped bore defined by a cylindrical wall extending in said body, said body having a fluid inlet opening therein and having two fluid outlet openings in fluid-flow communication with said bore and extending to intersect said cylindrical wall, a one-piece cylindrically-shaped spool snugly disposed in said bore and being axially shiftable along the longitudinal axis of said bore and across said body fluid outlet openings whereby alternate axial shifting of said spool respectively alternately opens and reduces said body fluid outlet openings to the flow of fluid through said body fluid outlet openings, said body fluid outlet openings being located at axially opposite ends of said spool and within the axial extent of said spool when said spool is axially shifted toward either of said body fluid outlet openings, an end length of at least one of the axially opposite ends of said spool having its outer circumference in fluid-tight relation with said cylindrical wall which is contiguous to the respective one of the said body fluid outlet openings when said spool is axially shifted toward its said one end, said spool having a fluid passageway always in fluid-flow communication with said body fluid inlet opening and extending intermediate of said body fluid inlet opening and said one of the said body fluid outlet openings and extending to said end length on said spool and into fluidflow communication with said one of the said body fluid outlet openings, and said spool end length having a fluid by-pass passageway therein and in fluid-flow communication with the first said fluid passageway and extending exteriorly of said spool to flow communicate with said one of said body fluid outlet openings when said spool is axially shifted toward said one of the said body fluid outlet openings and thereby by-pass fluid from said body fluid inlet opening to said one of the said body fluid outlet openings.