Patent ID: 6915730

Claim:
In a hydraulic directional control valve having a valve body with a slidably positioned valve spool, a first work port, a second work port, a first return port, and a second return port, wherein the first work port and the first return port are fluidly connected by a second passageway on the valve spool when the valve spool is in a float position, wherein second work port and the second return port are fluidly connected by a first passageway on the valve spool when the valve spool is in the float position, and wherein the first work port and second work port are fluidly connected when the valve spool is in the float position, the improvement to the hydraulic directional control valve comprising: the first passageway on the valve spool being sized such that the flow of hydraulic fluid through the second work port is discouraged, and that flow between the second work port and the first work port is encouraged, when the valve spool is in the float position.