Modular, pneumatically operated control valve

A modular, actuated valve, comprising a head plate 1 mounted on a housing plate 2 which is mounted on a base plate 6, said plates being sealed and held together by fixing elements the head plate having a bore which forms a pneumatic space;

• a piston disposed within said pneumatic space, and dividing said pneumatic space into an upper pneumatic space 32 and a lower pneumatic space 33, an upper fluid pressure line 26 connected to said upper pneumatic space 32 and a lower fluid pressure line 27 connected to said lower pneumatic space, a valve spindle 31 attached to said piston, a closing plate 4 having a bore for passage of said spindle and closing said lower pneumatic space 33 and a spindle seal 13 to seal the lower pneumatic space relative to the spindle 31;
• an inner centering plate 5 having an upper side and a lower side, the upper side being seated in said closing plate 4 and the lower side being seated in said housing plate 2, said inner centering plate 5 having a bore for passage of said spindle 31, a spindle seal 16 and a radial bore 34 communicating with said bore for passage of said spindle 31, a peripheral grove 35 on the periphery of said inner centering plate 5, said peripheral grove 35 communicating with said radial bore 34 and with a radial housing bore 30 passing through said housing plate 2, said spindle passing along the bores in said closing plate 4 and centering plate 5 to a flow passage defined by an inlet bore 28 through said base plate 6 and an outlet bore 29 through said housing plate 2 communicating with each other;
• a primary bore in said base plate 6 for receiving a valve seat 7, a valve seat 7 disposed within said primary bore and having an upper central bore 36 for receiving a freely movable closing body 25 and an adjoining further bore 37 through which said upper central bore 36 communicates with said inlet 28, with a sealing area 38 between said upper central bore 36 and said further bore 37, adapted to be sealed off by said freely movable closing body 25, said spindle 31 being movable towards and against said freely moving body 25 to force it against said sealing area 38 thereby closing said further bore 37, and thus said fluid passage, or away from said freely movable body thereby freeing said freely movable body to move off of said sealing area 38 to open said fluid passage.