Valve assembly for high-pressure pumps

Claim 1

In a hydraulic system having a source of pumping energy, a surge vessel communicating with the discharge line of the system, and a valve assembly for directing the fluid flow wherein the improvement resides in the valve assembly comprising: (a) a housing including passage means communicating with the source of the pumping energy, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet; (b) a suction valve disposed in said passage means and communicating with the inlet of said housing; (c) a discharge valve disposed in said passage means and communicating with the outlet of said housing; (d) a distribution section disposed in said passage means between said suction valve and said discharge valve, and providing communication between the source of pumping energy and said suction valve and said discharge valve; said suction valve and said discharge valve and said distribution section cooperating to define a free space within the interior of said housing; and (e) means for effecting communication between the free space defined by said suction valve and said discharge valve and said distribution section, and the interior of said housing and the outlet of the surge vessel, whereby the pressure acting on said suction valve and said discharge valve within the interior of said housing is regulated by pressure downstream of the surge vessel.