Flow control valve with a non-rising stem

A fluid flow control valve having an upstream port and a downstream port interconnected by a single flow path. An adjustable fluid flow control valve is mounted in said flow path for providing a meter out action on pressurized fluid flowing through said flow path from said downstream port to said upstream port. The fluid flow control valve has a non-rising stem. A check valve is mounted in said flow path in parallel with said fluid flow control valve and operative to allow a free flow of fluid when fluid flows from the upstream port to the downstream port.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates generally to a flow control valve, and more 
particularly, to a flow control valve which provides the functions of a 
free flow of fluid in one direction, and a metered flow of fluid in the 
other direction, and with a non-rising stem for adjusting the metering 
function of the valve. The flow control valve is adapted for many uses, 
as, for example, to provide a metered flow of fluid to the atmosphere, to 
a fluid motor or the like, or it can be used as a reversing valve whereby 
a free flow of fluid is allowed in one direction and a metered flow of 
fluid is provided in the other direction. 
BACKGROUND ART 
It is known in the valve art to provide flow control valves which provide a 
metered flow of fluid in one direction, and a free flow of fluid in the 
other direction. Examples of such prior art flow control valves are shown 
and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 29,292; 2,501,483; 3,376,792; 
3,400,735; 3,621,867; 4,147,179; 4,177,840; 4,195,,552 and 4,182,360. 
Because of the complexity of the structural arrangements of the prior art 
flow control valves shown and described in the aforecited patents, extra 
space must be provided for installation and operation of the same. Said 
prior art flow control valves require axially movable adjustment stems for 
adjusting the flow control structures in said valves, and extra space or 
room must be provided for such adjusting actions. The requirement of extra 
space for adjusting the prior art flow control structures is a 
disadvantage since in many instances, the amount of space available for 
installing and operating a flow control valve is limited. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a flow control valve is provided 
which can be installed in any fluid pressure line that is conducting fluid 
under pressure to or from a fluid cylinder, or the like. The flow control 
valve includes an adjustable flow control valve for providing a metered 
flow of fluid in one direction, and a free flow of fluid in the other 
direction. The flow control valve also includes a check valve mounted in 
parallel with the flow control valve and movable to a closed position when 
fluid is flowing through the valve in said one direction to permit said 
metered flow of fluid, and movable to an open position when fluid is 
flowing through the valve in the said other direction to allow said free 
flow of fluid through the valve. 
The flow control valve includes a flow control valve element and a 
non-rising stem for adjusting the position of the flow control valve 
element. The non-rising stem is constructed and arranged for rotatable 
engagement with the flow control valve element for adjusting the same, but 
it does not move axially during the adjusting operation. The non-rising 
stem structure provides a flow control valve which is more compact than 
the prior art flow control valves, and it may be incorporated as part of a 
machine tool, or other machinery in areas where the space for mounting 
such a valve is at a minimum.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4, the 
numeral 10 generally designates a first illustrative embodiment of a flow 
control valve with a non-rising stem, made in accordance with the 
principles of the present invention. The valve 10 includes a valve body 
11, and a bottom cover plate 12 which is secured to the body 11 by a 
plurality of suitable machine screws 13. A suitable bottom plate gasket 14 
is disposed between the bottom of the valve body 11 and the bottom cover 
plate 12. 
The valve 10 is provided with a first threaded port 18 which communicates 
with an inwardly extended upper passageway 19 that is formed 
longitudinally in the valve body 11. A first circular orifice, or valve 
seat 20, is formed through a dividing wall 17, and it communicates the 
upper passageway 19 with a lower passageway 21. The lower passageway 21 
communicates through openings 22, on either side of a supporting member 
23, with a passagewaay 24 that communicates with a second threaded port 
25. If the first port 18 is connected to a source of pressurized fluid, it 
may be called an upstream, a supply, or inlet port, and the second port 25 
may be called a downstream or outlet port. It will be understood that line 
pressure may also be introduced through the second port 25 to reverse the 
functions of the first port 18 and the second port 25. The upper 
passageway 19 also communicates with a lower passageway 21 through a 
second circular orifice 28 which has a tapered valve seat 29 formed around 
the lower edge thereof. 
The valve 10 includes a flow control valve assembly, generally indicated by 
the numeral 32, and a check valve assembly, generally indicated by the 
numeral 33. The flow control valve assembly 32 includes a flow control 
valve element, generally indicated by the numeral 36 which is adjustable 
by a metering stem, generally indicated by the numeral 37. 
The flow control valve element 36 includes a body portion 38 that has a 
conical side surface. An integral, laterally extended peripheral flange 35 
is formed around the lower end of the valve element body 38 and it is 
provided with six flat surfaces 39 which are formed on planes parallel to 
the longitudinal axis of the flow control valve 32. As shown in FIG. 4, 
three of the flat surfaces 39 are adapted to slide on mating flat guide or 
bearing surfaces 40, 41 and 42 which are formed in the valve body 11 in 
the lower passageway 21. The flow control valve element 36 includes a 
lower axial tubular shaft 35 (FIG. 2) which is integral with the valve 
element body 38 and which is provided with a threaded bore 46 that extends 
upwardly into the body 38. The flow control valve element 36 includes an 
upper, tubular axial shaft 48 which has its lower end integral with the 
upper end of the valve element body 38 and which is provided with an 
unthreaded bore 49 that is larger than the diameter of threaded bore 46. 
The bore 49 extends through the tubular shaft 48 and into the upper end of 
the valve element body 38, and into communication with the inner end of 
the threaded bore 46. 
The adjustable flow control valve stem 37 includes a stem shaft having a 
threaded lower end 47 which is integral with an intermediate non-threaded 
portion 50. The threaded lower end shaft portion 47 is extended through 
the unthreaded bore 49 in the valve element shaft 48 and into threaded 
engagement with the threaded bore 46. A suitable O-ring seal 51 is mounted 
on a peripheral groove around the lower end of the intermediate stem shaft 
portion 50, and it sealingly engages the sides of the unthreaded bore 49 
in the valve element shaft 48. The flow control valve stem 37 further 
includes a stem head 58 which is integral with the upper end of the stem 
central shaft portion 50 and which is provided with a pair of axially 
spaced apart, radially extended, annular flanges 54. The flanges 54 form a 
groove in which is operatively mounted an O-ring seal 56 that sealingly 
engages a bore 57 which has its inner end communicating with the upper 
passageway 19. The outer end of the valve stem head 58 is rotatably 
mounted in a bore 59 which communicates at its outer end with the 
atmosphere, and at its inner end with the outer end of the larger bore 57. 
A cross slot 60 is formed in the outer end of the valve stem head 58 for 
the reception of a screw driver, or other tool for rotating the valve stem 
37 for adjusting the position of the flow control valve element, 36. 
The numeral 61 designates the top end surface of the valve body 11 in FIGS. 
1 and 2. The numeral 64 designates an arrow which is formed in the valve 
body top end surface 61, and which indicates the directions for adjusting 
the valve stem 37 for increasing or decreasing the flow of fluid past the 
flow control valve 32. The numeral 65, in FIG. 2, indicates by broken 
lines an adjusted position of the flow control valve element 36 when it is 
in an open position removed from the fully closed position shown in full 
lines in FIG. 2. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the check valve 33 includes a cylindrical head portion 
66 which has an integral, radially extended upper annular flange 69 on the 
lower end of which is integrally formed a central cylindrical valve body 
67. A lower annular, radially extended flange 68 is integrally formed on 
the lower end of the valve body 67, and it has an outer diameter equal to 
the diameter of the flange 69. An annular groove 70 is formed around the 
periphery of the check valve head 66, above the upper flange 69, and an 
O-ring 71 is operatively mounted therein, which is normally adapted to be 
seated on the check valve seat 29 when the check valve 33 is in the closed 
position shown in FIG. 2. A longitudinally extended, axial bore 72 is 
formed through the valve body 67 and it extends inwardly from the lower 
end of the lower flange 68, and into the check valve head 66. A light 
spring 73 is operatively mounted in the bore 72, with its upper end 
abutting the inner end of the bore 72 and its lower end seated against the 
bottom cover plate 12. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the numeral 75 generally designates indicia which is 
formed in the valve body top end surface 61 to show the direction of 
controlled flow of fluid through the valve 10 and the direction of free 
flow of fluid through the valve 10. 
In use, assuming the valve 10 has the port 18 connected to a source of 
pressurized fluid the line pressure will flow into the port 18 and into 
the passageway 19. The flow control valve 32 would have been adjusted so 
that the flow control valve element 36 is moved downwardly to an open 
position, such as the broken line position indicated by the numeral 65 in 
FIG. 2. The pressurized fluid flows through the upper passageway 19 and 
the check valve 33 opens to permit a free flow of pressurized fluid 
through the circular orifice 28 and into the lower passageway 21 and 
thence through the passages 22 and 24, and out through the port 25. It 
will be understood, that the main fluid flow between the upper passageway 
19 and the lower passageway 21 would be through the check valve orifice 
28, but there would be a minimum amount of flow, in the last described 
direction, past the flow control valve element 36. When the flow of fluid 
through the valve 10 is reversed, the check valve 33 closes to block the 
flow path through orifice 28 and force the fluid past the metering flow 
control valve element 36. In the reverse direction, the fluid enters the 
port 25 and passes through the passageways 24, 22 and 21, and it is 
metered past the partially opened valve element 36 and into the upper 
passageway 19, and out the port 18. 
It will be seen that by inserting a screw driver or other tool in the slot 
60 in the valve stem head 58, the valve stem 37 may be rotated in a 
desired direction to turn the lower threaded end thereof in the threaded 
bore 46 of the valve element 36, so as to move the valve element 36 
upwardly or downwardly to a desired adjusted metering position relative to 
the valve seat in the circular opening 20. The valve stem 37 does not move 
axially since it is restrained against movement outwardly of the valve 
body 11 because of the shoulder formed between the bore 59 and the larger 
diameter bore 57, and the upper flange 54 abutting the same, during a 
rotating movement of the valve stem 37. The valve element 36 is restrained 
against rotation because of the flat surfaces 39 being slidably mounted on 
the complementary parallel guide or bearing surfaces 40, 41 and 42. It 
will be seen that the overall height of the valve 10 does not change size 
when the position of the flow control element 36 is adjusted, due to the 
last described novel structure. The non-rising valve stem structure of the 
valve 10 permits the valve 10 to be employed in many areas on a machine 
tool where the prior art flow control valves would require more room 
because of the outward axial movement of their valve stems during an 
adjusting operation of the flow control structure. 
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention, and the 
parts thereof which are the same as the parts of the first embodiment of 
FIGS. 1 through 7 have been marked by the same reference numerals followed 
by the small letter "a". The valve 10a in FIGS. 8 and 9 employs the same 
valve body, check valve and flow control valve as used in the first 
embodiment. The valve 10a varies from the valve 10 of the first embodiment 
of FIGS. 1 through 7 in that the head 58a of the valve stem 37a is 
provided with an integral, axial, outwardly extended, reduced diameter 
extension portion 79 which is threaded and extends beyond the upper 
surface 61a of the valve body 11a. The threaded valve stem extension 79 is 
provided with a suitable lock nut 78 which is employed for locking the 
rotatable valve stem 37a in a desired adjusted position. However, it will 
be seen that the stem 37a is a non-rising stem since it can be rotated 
either clockwise or counter-clockwise as in the first embodiment, for 
adjusting the metering position of the associated valve element, without 
increasing the overall length of the valve stem 37a and the distance to 
which it extends above the upper end surface 11a of the valve 10a. 
FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 illustrate a third embodiment of the invention, and the 
parts of this embodiment which are the same as those of the embodiment of 
FIGS. 1 through 7 have been marked with the same reference numerals 
followed by the small letter "b". The valve 10b employs the same valve 
body, check valve and flow control valve as used in the first embodiment. 
The third embodiment of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 is provided with a valve stem 
structure that extends a distance above the upper end 61b of the valve 
body 11b so as to provide a structure for releasably mounting the valve 
10b in a mounting panel 88. The valve stem structure shown in FIGS. 10 and 
11 is a non-rising stem structure in accordance with the invention. 
As shown in FIG. 11, the non-rising valve stem 37b is provided with an 
integral, axial extension 89 which extends axially above the upper end 
surface 61b of the valve body 11b, and it extends through an integral 
tubular shaft 83 which is integral at its lower end with the valve body 
11b. The valve stem extension 89 extends through a bore 82 formed through 
the tubular shaft 83. A mounting nut 85 is threadably mounted on the 
threaded periphery 84 of the tubular shaft 83. The tubular shaft 83 is 
adapted to be extended through a suitable opening 86 in a mounting panel 
88 and be secured in place on the panel 88 by the mounting nut 85. 
As shown in FIG. 11, the valve stem extension 89 extends outwardly beyond 
the mounting nut 85, and the outer end portion thereof has formed thereon 
external splines 90 which are adapted to receive mating internal splines 
91 that are formed in the tubular wall 92 of a flow control adjusting 
knob, generally indicated by the numeral 87. The upper end wall of the 
knob 87 is indicated by the numeral 93, and it has an opening 
therethrough, through which is extended a suitable retainer screw 94. The 
retainer screw 94 has its threaded shaft threadably mounted in a threaded 
bore 95 in the valve stem extension 89 for releasably securing the 
adjusting knob 87 in position on the valve stem extension 89. It will be 
seen that the valve stem 37b may be adjusted by means of the adjusting 
knob 87, in a desired direction, so as to move the associated flow control 
valve element either upwardly or downwardly, as desired, without 
increasing the overall length, or extension outwardly of the valve body 
11b, of the valve stem 37b. As shown in FIG. 10, the outer periphery of 
the adjusting knob 87 is knurled to provide a good grip for manually 
turning the knob 87. The knob 87 may be made from any suitable material, 
as for example, a plastic material. 
FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the invention, and 
the parts of this embodiment which are the same as the parts of the first 
embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 7 have been marked with the same reference 
numerals followed by the small letter "c". The valve 10c employs the same 
valve body, check valve and flow control valve as used in the first 
embodiment. The fourth embodiment of FIGS. 13 through 15 illustrates a 
non-rising stem structure made in accordance with the principles of the 
present invention, and it includes a turn counter mechanism for indicating 
the number of turns of the valve stem 37c. In the fourth embodiment of 
FIGS. 13 through 15, the valve stem 37c is provided with an axial, 
outwardly extended portion 98 which has external spline teeth 99 formed 
around the periphery of the outer end thereof that mate with internal 
spline teeth 100 formed in the inner side of the cylindrical wall portion 
101 of a flow control adjusting knob, generally indicated by the numeral 
97. The top end wall of the adjusting knob 97 is designated by the numeral 
102. As shown in FIG. 14, the adjusting knob 97 is operatively retained on 
the valve stem extension 98 by the spline teeth 99 and 100, and a retainer 
screw 103. The retainer screw 103 extends through a suitable bore formed 
through the knob upper end wall 102, and into threaded engagement with a 
threaded bore 104 that is formed in the upper end of the valve stem 
extension 98. The adjusting knob 97 may be made from any suitable 
material, as from a suitable plastic. 
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, an indicator pointer 120 is integrally formed 
on the knob upper end wall 102. As shown in FIG. 13, the periphery of the 
adjusting knob 97 is knurled to provide for a good grip for manually 
turning the knob 97. 
As shown in FIG. 14, the adjusting knob 97 has a radially extended 
peripheral flange 108 integrally formed on the lower end thereof. The 
flange 108 has formed thereon a radially outward extended single gear 
tooth 109. As illustrated in FIG. 15, the gear tooth 109 on the flange 108 
is adapted to engage the teeth 107 formed on a turn counter wheel 110 for 
indicating the number of turns made by the knob 97. As shown in FIG. 14, 
the turn counter wheel 110 has an axial bore 111 for rotatably mounting 
the wheel 110 on a shaft 112 which is integrally formed on the inner side 
of a rectangular cover, generally indicated by the numeral 113. The cover 
113 is secured in position on the top end surface 61c of the valve body 
11c by a suitable retainer screw 114. As shown in FIG. 14, one end of the 
cover 113 is provided with a right angle flange 115 which is adapted to be 
seated in a transverse slot 119. The adjusting knob 97 extends through an 
opening 122 in the cover 113. 
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the turn counter wheel 110 is provided on its 
outer face with a plurality of turn indicating numbers 116 which extend 
over a range of from zero to any desired number, in accordance with the 
structure of the valve 10c. As shown in FIG. 13, the turn indicator 
numbers 116 are visible to an operator of the valve 10c through an opening 
117 which is formed through the top end wall 118 of the cover 113. As 
shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of indicator numbers 121 are integrally 
formed on the upper side of the cover upper end wall 118, and they extend 
from the numbers zero to ten, and they are disposed in equally spaced 
apart positions peripherally around the adjusting knob 97 to indicate 
tenths of a complete turn of the knob 97. When the knob 97 is turned, the 
indicator pointer 120 on the top end thereof points to the fraction or 
tenth of a turn made by the knob 97. 
It will be understood that when the adjusting knob 97 is rotated in either 
direction, as viewed in FIG. 13, that the gear tooth 109 will engage one 
of the spaces between the teeth 107 on the counter wheel 110, and move the 
counter wheel 110. If the knob 97 is rotated for one complete revolution, 
from the closed position of the associated valve element in the positive 
or counterclockwise direction, the numeral 1 will appear in the opening 
117, as viewed in FIG. 13. It will be seen that the counter wheel 110 thus 
counts each individual complete rotation of the valve stem 37c, and that 
the numbers 121 on the top end of the cover wall indicate the 1/10 
fractional portions of one complete turn of the valve stem 38c. The turn 
indicator structure of the embodiment of FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 permits the 
user of the valve 10c to make precise repeated settings of the valve 
element of that embodiment. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION 
The flow control valve of the present invention is adapted for use in 
industrial applications for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid to a 
fluid controlled apparatus, where fluid flow control is required in one 
direction of fluid flow and a free flow of fluid is required in the other 
direction of fluid flow. An example is the use of the valve for 
controlling the operation of a fluid cylinder.