Abstract: A fluid valve for use within a valve fixture such as a kitchen faucet, lavatory faucet or shower/tub control includes a body and a seal support positioned within the body and connected thereto. The seal support has an inlet and an outlet and the body has a discharge which is in alignment with the seal support outlet. There is an annular space defined between an interior wall of the body and an exterior wall of the seal support with there being a piston movable within this annular space and being in substantial contact with the interior wall of the body and the exterior wall of the seal support. The piston has an opening movable into alignment with the body discharge and the seal support outlet to provide a water passage from the seal support inlet to the discharge. There is a valve closing seal extending peripherally about the seal support outlet and in contact with the interior of the piston.

Abstract: A hot and cold water mixing valve has a sleeve formed and adapted to fit within a valve fixture such as a kitchen faucet, lavatory faucet or shower/tub control. There is a stem which is positioned within the sleeve and rotatable and reciprocal relative thereto to control discharge through the mixing valve. The sleeve has hot and cold water inlet ports and an outlet. The stem includes a piston directing flow from the sleeve inlets to the sleeve outlet. The stem also includes a stem driver formed and adapted to have an operating handle mounted thereon with the stem driver being connected to the piston by a thin rod whose diameter is substantially less than the piston outer diameter. The stem is pressure unbalanced, with the amount of unbalance being determined by the cross sectional area of the thin rod. A non-movable seal member is positioned within the sleeve with the thin rod passing through the seal member.

Abstract: A hot and cold water mixing valve includes a sleeve formed and adapted to fit within a valve fixture such as a kitchen faucet, lavatory faucet or shower/tub control. There is a rotatable and reciprocal stem within the sleeve. The handle for the mixing valve includes a cap attached to the stem and a lever connected to the sleeve. There is an opening in the cap, with the lever extending through the cap opening and into engagement with the sleeve. A removable locating key is positioned within the cap and interlocked with both the lever and the cap.

Abstract: A valve for mixing hot and cold water includes a body having hot and cold water inlets and an outlet. A rotatable non-reciprocal valve member is positioned within the body to control the mixture of hot and cold water at the body outlet. There are seal means positioned to form a seal between the body and the valve member at the inlets.

Abstract: A vertically adjustable faucet spout includes a base formed and adapted to seat upon a sink top, escutcheon plate or the like including a downwardly-extending guide sleeve. A vertically movable post is slidably mounted in the base and sleeve for movement relative thereto. A flexible water supply conduit is connected to the post at the lower end thereof to supply water to the assembly. A spout is positioned on the upper end of the post and is seated upon the base when the post is in the fully lowered position. The spout is rotatably movable, as a unit, and is vertically adjustable. The exterior of the post has recess means thereon and there is retaining means on the base to cooperate with the recess means to position the post, and spout in a vertically raised position relative to the base. The spout is pressure balanced whereby back pressure therein caused by flow control devices on the spout will not cause undesired vertical movement thereof.

Abstract: A valve includes a sleeve having a water inlet and a water outlet. There is a stem movable within the sleeve to control the flow of water from the inlet to the outlet. A pressure member is positioned within the sleeve and coaxially arranged with the stem. The pressure member is fixed relative to the sleeve and is within the path of flow from the sleeve inlet to the sleeve outlet. A fixed seal is positioned between the stem and the pressure member and a seal of equal diameter, is carried by the stem and is in sealing engagement with the sleeve. The above described seals balance the stem.

Abstract: A fluid valve includes a sleeve having inlet and outlet ports and a stem movable within the sleeve. The stem has inlet and outlet port means with the outlet port means being movable into register with the sleeve outlet port. A fixed seal member is positioned on the sleeve, out of the path of flow through the stem to the sleeve, with the stem outlet port being closed by the seal member when the valve is in a closed position.

Abstract: A mixing valve includes a sleeve with axially spaced inlet and outlet ports and a valve member movable within the sleeve to control flow from the inlet to the outlet. There is a seal at the inlet port, which seal extends through the sleeve and into contact with the valve member. The valve member has a first portion adjacent the inlet port to control flow of the fluid therethrough and a second portion adjacent the outlet port to similarly control flow of fluid therethrough. The first and second valve member portions are spaced apart a distance such that movement of the valve member toward a closing position causes the second portion to close the oulet port before the first portion closes the inlet port thereby reducing pressure on said seal means at closure of said inlet port.

Abstract: A valve structure for use in a two handle faucet environment includes a sleeve and a valve member positioned within the sleeve and rotatable therein. The sleeve has an inlet and an outlet and a path of flow therebetween. The valve member has an opening which is used to connect the inlet and outlet and thus form a part of the path of flow. An annular seal member is fixed on the valve member and spaced from the opening, which seal member is used to close off communication between the inlet and outlet. At no time is the path of flow through the seal member, thus preventing any excessive pressures being applied to the seal.

Abstract: A self-cleaning valve includes a fixed valve member having inlet means, a movable valve member positioned adjacent the fixed valve member and having an inlet port movable into register with said inlet means, and seal means carried by the fixed valve member and in sealing engagement with the movable valve member. A shear member is positioned on the opposite side of the movable valve member from the seal means and is in intimate contact with the movable valve member. Movement of the movable valve member to control the flow of fluid passing from the inlet means to the inlet port causes the inlet port to slidingly move adjacent and between the shear member and the fixed valve member to remove or break up foreign material held by the inlet port.

Abstract: An automatic pressure responsive shower head includes an outer housing and a body member positioned within the housing and attached thereto. The body member has a water discharge at one end and is connected to a swivel member at the other end. There are water passage means within the body member between the swivel member and the body member water discharge. A water pressure responsive control member is positioned within the body member and is effective to control the flow of water through the body member water passage.

Abstract: A shower-tub diverter valve has a housing with a diverter chamber and a water inlet and shower and tub outlets in communication with the chamber. A diverter formed of a stem and a loosely attached cylindrical member are reciprocal in the chamber between a position providing communication between the inlet and the tub outlet, and a second position in which the diverter cylindrical member blocks said communication. The diverter cylindrical member is in substantial sealing relation with the tub outlet when in the blocking position. The cylindrical portion of the diverter is movable relative to the stem and the diverter chamber includes guide means for use in aligning the diverter cylindrical portion as it moves between the described positions.

Abstract: A valve includes generally cylindrical sleeve means and a valve member reciprocally mounted within it. There is an inlet and an outlet in the sleeve means with movement of the valve member controlling the flow of water between said inlet and outlet. A flexible sleeve is positioned within the sleeve means and between the inlet and outlet. The flexible sleeve and valve member have cooperating surfaces forming a closure between the inlet and outlet.

Abstract: An anti-siphon spray head has a housing and a chamber within the housing. An inlet and a plurality of spray openings communicate with the chamber. There is a flexible sleeve positioned within the chamber which masks the inlet to form an anti-siphon closure therewith. A movable valve member positioned within the chamber and within the flexible sleeve controls the flow of water from the inlet to the spray openings. There are means on the valve member which are in sealing contact with the flexible sleeve when the valve member is in a closed position.

Abstract: A flow control device that maintains a constant flow rate and is arranged to produce a regulated, aerated stream on the discharge side.

Abstract: An adjustable shower head has a pivotal attachment of the body of the shower head to a conventional swivel or ball member which includes a releasable retainer interlocked to the shower head in a tamperproof manner. At the discharge end of the shower head there is a removable spray forming member and means for creating water pressure behind the spray forming member to maintain it in an appropriate spray forming position.