Patent ID: 7189033

Claim:
A thrust sensing valve assembly, comprising: a housing including an input port and an output port and further having a mounting portion adapted to be coupled to a manufacturing tool; a supply member adapted to be coupled to a source of a pressurized medium and operatively coupled to the housing to provide a flow of the pressurized medium into the input port of the housing; and an elongated body operatively coupled to the housing and moveable along an axis between a first position corresponding to a first pressure output from the housing and a second position corresponding to a second pressure output from the housing, the elongated body being biased into the first position, and being moveable into the second position in the presence of a thrust force on the mounting portion, wherein the supply member includes a supply gland concentrically disposed about at least a portion of the housing, the housing being further adapted to translate along a longitudinal axis through the supply gland.