Patent ID: 6966329

Claim:
A proportional, pilot-operated flow control valve comprising: a housing, the housing having a chamber and at least one port communicating with the chamber; a cage supported by the housing, the cage having a plurality of cross holes, the cage having an open end, the cage having a stop; a hollow compensating spool slidably disposed within the cage, the spool having a shoulder; a hollow metering guide member slidably disposed within the compensating spool; a regulating spool slidably disposed within the guide member, the regulating spool having a plurality of metering cross holes; a dampening guide slidably disposed inside the compensating spool to define a dampening chamber between the shoulder of the spool and the dampening guide, the dampening guide having a shoulder; a compensating spring disposed inside the dampening chamber and arranged to urge the dampening guide to engage the metering guide and to urge the compensating spool to engage the stop of the cage; a regulating spring disposed inside the regulating spool, the regulating spring being engaged with the cage and urging the regulating spool to abut the shoulder of the dampening guide; and a cartridge, the cartridge having a pilot valve assembly and an adaptor, the adaptor mounted to the cage, the pilot valve assembly mounted to the adaptor, the pilot valve assembly including an actuator.