Water control valve

Claim 1

A valve for controlling flow of water between hot and cold water supply pipes and first and second outlet pipes, comprising; a valve body having a generally spheroidal cavity therein, having inlet ports for connection to said hot and cold water supply pipes and outlet ports for connection to said first and second outlet pipes further formed therein, the centerlines of said inlet ports being disposed at a first angle to one another, the centerlines of said outlet ports being disposed at a second angle to one another in a first plane, and said first plane making a third angle with respect to a second plane containing the centerlines of said inlet ports; a spheroidal valve ball, said ball fitting within said cavity in said valve body and having first and second inlet passages formed therein, the centerlines of said inlet passages formed being in a plane including the centerlines of said inlet ports in said valve body, and at a fourth angle to one another different from the first angle between said inlet ports in said valve body, and joining one another substantially at a point located at the center of said ball, said ball further having an outlet passage formed therein, the centerline of said outlet passage lying in the first plane including the center lines of the outlet ports in said valve body, meeting those of said inlet passages at their junction, and extending therefrom to the surface of said ball; and a control member connected to said ball and adapted to rotate said ball about first and second axes, whereby said inlet passages in said ball are controllably registrable with said inlet ports in said valve body, and said outlet passage in said ball is controllably registrable with said outlet ports in said valve body; and wherein said outlet ports in said valve body are of equal or greater area than the outlet passage in said ball.