Height control valve with spring return actuator

In a valve-shaft actuator wherein a spring return housing is rotatably mounted to an actuator shaft through a lateral bore, the housing having an axial bore perpendicular to the lateral bore;

• a spring cup reciprocably guided in the axial bore and biased in contact with the actuator shaft;
• means on the actuator shaft in registry with the axial bore of the spring retainer housing and on the bottom of the spring cup to provide resilient movement of the spring cup within the axial bore of the spring return housing and torque to the actuator shaft about the axis thereof upon rotation of the spring return housing with respect to the actuator shaft, the improvement which comprises:
• said spring cup having two axially spaced cylindrical exterior surfaces of essentially zero draft angle and of slightly different diameter;
• an axial bore also having two axially spaced cylindrical surfaces of essentially zero draft angle and of slightly different diameter separated by a cylindrical area of slightly tapering diameter, said axial-bore cylindrical surfaces being in registry with the spring cup cylindrical surfaces and the registering cylindrical surfaces of the spring cup and axial bore having dimensions of close correspondence to ensure a snug fit of the spring cup within the axial bore.

A leveling valve for an air spring suspension comprising a damping-chamber;

• an air control chamber having an internal cavity defined by cavity walls;
• an actuator controlled spring return housing having mutually perpendicular lateral and axial bores;
• and actuator shaft extending into the damping-chamber, the air control chamber and the lateral bore in the spring return housing;
• said spring return housing being rotatably mounted to the actuator shaft;
• a spring cup reciprocably guided in the axial bore and biased in contact with the actuator shaft;
• means on the actuator shaft in registry with the axial bore of the spring return housing and on the bottom of the spring cup to provide resilient movement of the spring cup within the axial bore of the spring return housing and to torque to the actuator shaft about the axis thereof upon rotation of the spring return housing with respect to the actuator shaft;
• an actuator mounted on the actuator shaft and extending into the internal cavity of the air control chamber in close proximity to the cavity walls;
• the improvement which comprises;
• a thin lubricating shim made of a single sheet of TEFLON-coated fiberglass cloth positioned between the said actuator and the cavity walls of the air control chamber to provide close tolerances between the actuator and the cavity walls and to further provide for lubrication between the actuator and the cavity walls.