Pneumatic switching valve for body lifting and lowering systems for vehicles with pneumatic suspension

A pneumatic directional control valve (1) for systems for raising and lowering the vehicle body of air-suspended vehicles is provided with a control device having a mechanical operating element (33) for the positions raise, lower, travel and stop. In a housing (2), for at least one air suspension circuit, an inlet valve (11), an outlet valve (12) and a check valve (13), each in poppet design, are provided. A spring arrangement for returning the operating element (33) to the stop position after release is provided. By applying compressed air to a control piston (6), the directional control valve (1) can be transferred from the stop position to the travel position, while the control piston (6) by rotating switches the directional control valve (1) from the stop position to the raise or lower position. The control piston (6) has cam surfaces (8, 9, 10) for actuating the valve bodies (24) of the inlet valve (11), the outlet valve (12) and the check valve (13). The spring arrangement for returning the operating element (33) from the raise or lower positions to the stop position is at the same time formed by the closing springs (27) of the inlet valve (11) and the outlet valve (12).