Adjustable valve assembly

A valve assembly for providing fluid flow at varying rate in accordance with the input pressure of fluid to the valve assembly comprising:

• a body having a fluid passageway therethrough including first and second ports,
• engageable first and second valve elements movably disposed in said fluid passageway between said ports,
• a first biasing means disposed in said body for yieldably biasing said first valve element into engagement with said second valve element,
• a second biasing means disposed in said body for yieldably biasing said second valve element into engagement with said first valve element,
• an abutment means disposed in said body engageable by said first and second valve elements for restricting the movement of each of said valve elements toward the other under the influence of said biasing means,
• said first valve having a main fluid passageway therethrough intercommunicating said first port and said second valve element when said valve elements are disposed in engagement,
• said second valve element having a primary fluid passageway therethrough intercommunicating said main fluid passageway of said first valve element and said second port when said valve elements are disposed in engagement,
• said second valve element having at least one secondary fluid passageway intercommunicating said first valve element and said second port whereby fluid flow at relatively high rates of flow occurs through said primary fluid passageway and said secondary fluid passageway and said main fluid passageway when the input pressure is above a predetermined value with flow being restricted at a lower rate to the primary fluid passageway and the main fluid passageway when the input pressure is below a predetermined value and
• an externally operable adjustment means for selectively varying the force with which said first and second biasing means, respectively, urge said first and second valve elements into engagement,
• said externally operable adjustment means comprising a first externally operable adjustment means for selectively varying the position of the outer end of said first biasing means along the longitudinal axis of said body and a second externally operable adjustment means for selectively varying the position of the outer end of said second biasing means along the longitudinal axis of said body,
• said first biasing means having opposing ends both positioned between said first and second ports,
• said second biasing means having opposing ends both positioned between said first and second ports
• said first externally operable adjustment means having an outer end disposed outside said first and second ports and an inner end disposed between said first and second ports and
• said second externally operable adjustment means having an outer end disposed outside said first and second ports and an inner end disposed between said first and second ports.