REGENERATION VALVE

A valve comprising a housing having an elongated chamber therein and first, second and third passages intersecting the chamber for connecting the chamber to corresponding valve ports. A generally hollow cylindrical flow controlling member is biased by a spring in a position normally closing the third passage from the chamber, and a generally hollow cylindrical flow responsive member is biased in the chamber axially adjacent and normally abutting the flow controlling member. The flow controlling member and the flow responsive member together define a flow path between the first and second passages, and the flow responsive member is provided with a restricted passage which defines a constriction in the flow path. In an illustrative application, the second and third passages of the valve are connected to the piston and rod ends, respectively, of an hydraulic cylinder, and fluid is supplied to and exhausted from the valve in a direction and at a rate determined by a conventional directional control valve. The valve of the present invention functions to provide a direct flow path from the piston to the rod end of the hydraulic cylinder when the rate of fluid flow, as controlled externally by the direction control valve, reaches a predetermined magnitude.