Multi-port distribution valve with gear driven rotary distribution cylinders

A fluid distribution apparatus with a housing having an inlet port for receiving fluid under pressure and also having a plurality of outlet ports through which the received fluid is sequentially expelled under pressure, the fluid distribution apparatus comprising in combination:

• (a) a rotary impeller having a first gear attached rigidly thereto and rotating in response to fluid from the inlet port;
• (b) a gear reduction assembly connected to a rotary base and rotating the rotary base in geared-down relationship to the impeller in response to rotation of the impeller;
• (c) a first gear rotating in response to rotation of the rotary base;
• (d) a plurality of outlet port valves in the interior chamber each including
• i. a hollow stationary cylinder having an open top and a bottom opening into a respective one of the outlet ports, the stationary cylinder having in its cylindrical wall a fluid inlet opening,
• ii. a hollow rotary cylinder rotatably disposed in the stationary cylinder, the rotary cylinder having in its cylindrical wall a fluid inlet opening that is alignable with the fluid inlet opening of the stationary cylinder so that a corresponding outlet port is open when the fluid inlet openings of the stationary cylinder and the rotary cylinder overlap and is closed when those fluid inlet openings do not overlap, a top of each rotary cylinder being closed and a bottom thereto being open,
• iii. a plurality of drive gears attached to the rotary cylinders, respectively, and engaging the first gear to rotate the rotary cylinders in response to rotation of said impeller as fluid flows through the inlet port so that at all times one or two of the outlet port valves are sufficiently open that the flow of fluid through the fluid distribution apparatus is substantially unimpeded as the outlet port valves open and close and fluid pressure drop across the fluid distribution apparatus is small.

A method of distributing fluid under pressure by using a fluid distribution apparatus with an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) rotating an impeller in response to flow of the fluid through the inlet port;
• (b) rotating a rotary member in geared-down relationship to the impeller in response to the rotation of the impeller;
• (c) operating a plurality of outlet port valves associated with the plurality of outlet ports, respectively, by rotating a plurality of rotary cylinders in response to rotation of the rotary member, each rotary cylinder being disposed in a corresponding hollow stationary cylinder, each stationary cylinder having in its cylindrical wall a first fluid opening and also having in one end a second fluid opening, each rotary cylinder having in its cylindrical wall a first fluid opening alignable with the first fluid opening of the corresponding stationary cylinder, each rotary cylinder also having in one end a second fluid opening aligned with the second fluid opening in the corresponding rotary cylinder, each rotary cylinder also having a fluid passage between its first and second fluid openings, the rotary cylinders being rotated so that at all times one or two of the outlet port valves are sufficiently open that flow of the fluid through the fluid distribution apparatus is substantially unimpeded as the outlet port valves open and close and fluid pressure drop across the fluid distribution apparatus is small.