Patents Assigned to Vickers, Incorporated
  • Patent number: 4615358
    Abstract: A solenoid-operated pilot valve for a two stage hydraulic device comprises a spool (4) slidably mounted in a housing for movement in opposite directions from a normal null position in order to deliver fluid under pressure to the second stage (2) of the device to actuate the latter in one direction or an opposite direction from a normal null position, the spool (4) being formed with two passageways (27,28) each extending internally of the spool (4) between one end face (15) of the latter and the periphery of the spool, and the pilot valve further comprising two spool control devices (13), at least one of which is a solenoid, associated with respective ends of the spool and in normal operation seating against the end faces (15) of the spool so as to close the passageways against fluid flow therethrough, but becoming unseated in the event of an interruption in the electrical input to the solenoid, whereby both ends of the second stage are at a common pressure so as quickly to relieve the pressure in the second s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: John A. G. Hammond, Andrew C. Morley
  • Patent number: 4611527
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system comprising a hydraulic actuator having opposed openings adapted to alternately function as inlets and outlets for moving the element of the actuator in opposite directions, a pump for supplying fluid to said actuator, a pilot operated meter-in valve to which the fluid form the pump is supplied for controlling the direction of movement of the actuator, and pilot operated meter-out valves associated with each opening of the actuator for controlling the flow out of said actuator. The pressure of fluid being supplied to the actuator by the meter-in valve is sensed and caused to produce a force opposing the movement of the meter-out valve controlling flow from the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert H. Breeden
  • Patent number: 4611529
    Abstract: A fluid pressure energy translating device comprising a housing defining a cavity and a drive shaft having a portion thereof rotatably mounted in the housing and extending into the cavity. The cavity has an open end remote from the drive shaft and a valve block closes the open end of the housing. A removable rotating group cartridge is positioned in the cavity between the valve block and drivingly engaged with the shaft. The cartridge comprises a valve plate engaging the valve block and an angle block, a rotatable cylinder barrel interposed between said valve plate and said angle block in abutment with the valve plate and in driving relation with the drive shaft. The cylinder barrel has a plurality of piston cylinders, each of which has a port for communicating the cylinders with a face of the valve plate, a piston in each cylinder, shoes connected to the pistons and engaging an inclined surface on the angle block. The valve plate and angle block are interconnected to form a removable cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter A. Stricker, John J. Schweitzer
  • Patent number: 4611528
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system comprising a hydraulic actuator having opposed openings adapted to alternately function as inlets and outlets for moving the element of the actuator in opposite directions and a variable displacement pump with loading sensing control for supplying fluid to said actuator. A pilot pressure operated meter-in valve is provided to which the fluid from the pump is supplied and pilot pressure is applied to the meter-in valve for controlling the direction and displacement of movement of the meter-in valve and the direction and velocity of the actuator. A pair of lines extends from the meter-in valve to the respective openings of the actuator and a pilot pressure operated meter-out valve is associated with each line of the actuator for controlling the flow out of the actuator when that line to the actuator does not have pressure from from the pump applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Vinod K. Nanda, Henry D. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4612489
    Abstract: An electrohydraulic servo control system responsive to a load acceleration or velocity command input signal wherein the input command signal is integrated and compared with position feedback from the valve actuator and load to obtain an error signal which controls the actuator. The velocity command input may be multiplied by an exponential factor to compensate for system following error. Another modification contemplates resetting of command signals to compensate for following error and to eliminate dead time upon change of direction of the load by the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Rajamouli Gunda
  • Patent number: 4598626
    Abstract: A hydraulic system in which a pilot operated hydraulic four-way main valve (11) controls the direction and rate of fluid flow to a hydraulic load (13), includes a flow sensor (15) which is capable of operating bidirectionally and may therefore be located in one of the service lines (25, 26) from the main valve (11) to the load (13). The main components of the flow sensor are a variable or fixed aperture flow sensing orifice (52, 53), and a pressure transducer (18) to which the pressure differential developed across the orifice is applied and which converts the pressure differential into an electric negative feedback signal. This electric feedback signal is compared in an electronic circuit (17) with a demand signal, and a corresponding command signal sets the pilot valve (12) which controls the main valve (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Ronald B. Walters, John A. G. Hammond
  • Patent number: 4581699
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic servo control system which has N dynamic state variables and includes a servo actuator adapted to variably position a load mass. An actuator control system includes sensors coupled to the actuator for providing indications of X measured state variables, such as actuator position and/or velocity, and a digital observer responsive to the X measured actuator variables for estimating the remaining N-X variables at the actuator such as velocity and/or acceleration. Signals indicative of measured and estimated state variables are fed to a comparator together with a state command signal, for obtaining a difference or error signal to provide a control input to the actuator. The observer electronics include digital computation means suitably programmed to estimate N state variables as solutions to N linear equations for N unknowns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Arthur H. Delmege, Yehia El-Ibiary, Melvin A. Rode, Lael B. Taplin
  • Patent number: 4573366
    Abstract: A power take-off device comprising a housing having spaced walls, an input shaft rotatably mounted in a first set of aligned openings in the walls, and an output shaft rotatably mounted in a second set of aligned openings in the walls. A pair of gears is interposed between the walls and rotatably mounted on the input shaft. The housing having an opening through which said one gear extends for engagement with a power source. A third gear is fixed on the output shaft and meshes with the teeth on the other gear. The first and second gears have annular gear portions and an annular clutch member having teeth engage a gear portion of one of the first and second gears to a position wherein said internal teeth engage the gear portions of both first and second gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Reed H. Kennard
  • Patent number: 4573365
    Abstract: A power take-off device comprising a housing having spaced walls, an input shaft rotatably mounted in a first set of aligned openings in the walls, and an output shaft rotatably mounted in a second set of aligned openings in the walls. A pair of gears is interposed between the walls and rotatably mounted on the input shaft. The housing having an opening through which said one gear extends for engagement with a power source. A third gear is fixed on the output shaft and meshes with the teeth on the other gear. The first and second gears have annular gear portions and an annular clutch member having teeth engage a gear portion of one of the first and second gears to a position wherein said internal teeth engage the gear portions of both first and second gears. The clutch member is moved by a mechanical shift mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Reed H. Kennard, Lewis R. Miller
  • Patent number: 4569272
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system comprising a hydraulic actuator having opposed openings adapted to alternately function as inlets and outlets for moving the element of the actuator in opposite directions, a pump for supplying fluid to said actuator, pilot operated meter-in valve to which the fluid from the pump is supplied for controlling the direction of movement of the actuator, and pilot operated meter-out valve associated with at least one opening of the actuator for controlling the flow out of said actuator. The pressure of fluid being supplied to the actuator by the meter-in valve means is sensed and caused to produce a force opposing the movement of the meter-in valve means by the pilot pressure and also applied to a device for controlling an overhauling load resulting in a smooth and accurate control of the movement of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Henry D. Taylor, Vinod K. Nanda
  • Patent number: 4563939
    Abstract: A hydrostatic or pneumatic drive for driving a mass to be accelerated and decelerated, such as in a die casting or injection moulding machine, has a controllable valve arrangement which is operable to vary the fluid flow rate therethrough. The fluid flow rate is controlled by a reference value control generator operable to produce a ramp having superimposed thereon further control pulses. Such control pulses are a positive control pulse at the beginning of the rising slope and at the end of the falling slope of the ramp and a negative control pulse at the end of the rising slope and at the beginning of the falling slope of the ramp. Each control pulse has a volume which corresponds to a so-called compression volume factor which reflects the compressibility of the fluid used in the drive and also of the elasticity of ducts which expand by fluid pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1986
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Ronald Siegrist
  • Patent number: 4537029
    Abstract: An electrohydraulic control system which includes first and second electrically controlled fully variable hydraulic pumps adapted to be driven by the vehicle engine. In the specific embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the first pump is coupled to the steering and braking control valves, and the second pump is coupled to the bucket and hoist control valves. An electrically controlled poppet valve selectively interconnects the respective pump outputs. Operator-responsive controllers, namely a bucket/hoist joy-stick controller, a vehicle propulsion controller and a steering controller, provide associated electrical signals as respective functions of operator demand. Electrically operated valves control application of hydraulic fluid to the bucket and hoist drive mechanisms, and pressure and position sensors are connected to such valves and actuating mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1985
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajamouli Gunda, Michael R. McCarty, Melvin A. Rode
  • Patent number: 4519572
    Abstract: A valve device, especially for die casting machines. The device comprises a control drive and a control member which is arranged between the control drive and the valve cone, and which converts the rotary movement of the control drive into an axial stroke movement. The object of the invention is to provide a quick acting valve device with which the adjustable limited opening of the valve cone can, with the aid of small manual or motor forces, be effected with structurally simple means in a space saving device housing in the direct drive. For this purpose, the control member which serves to adjust the opening limitation of the valve cone is a threaded sleeve which engages in a thread of the valve housing. Every time the working surfaces of the valve cone are acted upon by pressure, different hydraulic pressures are exerted upon the oppositely located end faces of the threaded sleeve for releasing the sides of the threads of the sleeve from the sides of the threads of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1985
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Hans-Jurgen Muller, Hans-Gebhard Krines
  • Patent number: 4505654
    Abstract: A fluid pressure energy translating device of the sliding vane type comprising a cam ring including an internal contour, a rotor having a plurality of vanes rotatable therewith and slidable relative thereto in slots in the rotor with one end of each vane engaging the internal contour. The rotor and internal contour cooperate to define one or more pumping chambers between the periphery of the rotor and the cam contour through which the vanes pass carrying fluid from an inlet port to an outlet port. At least one cheek plate is associated with the body and rotor. Two pressure chambers are formed for each vane and each vane has two surfaces, one in each chamber, both being effective under pressure in the respective chambers to urge the vanes into engagement with the cam. A generally annular internal feed passage is formed entirely within the rotor and communicates with one set of the pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1985
    Assignee: Vickers Incorporated
    Inventors: Laurence C. Dean, Jr., Louis J. Cardinale
  • Patent number: 4502708
    Abstract: A stabilizing system for a wheeled vehicle having a movable mass on the vehicle, an actuator mounted on the vehicle connected to the mass for moving the mass, a sensor mounted on the vehicle for sensing movement of the vehicle about an axis to be stabilized, and a controller responsive to the sensor for controlling the actuator to cause movement of the movable mass in the same direction about the axis to be stabilized as the direction which the sensor is sensing movement of the vehicle and, in turn, the mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1985
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Lael B. Taplin
  • Patent number: 4502109
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic servo control system which includes a servo actuator adapted to variably position a load mass, and an actuator control system which includes a sensor coupled to the actuator for providing an indication of measured actuator position and a digital observer responsive to measured actuator position for estimating velocity and acceleration at the actuator. Signals indicative of measured actuator position, estimated velocity and estimated acceleration are fed to a comparator, together with a position command signal, for obtaining a difference or error signal to provide a control input to the actuator. The observer electronics includes digital computation means suitably programmed to estimate position, velocity and acceleration as solutions to three linear equations with three unknowns. Equation constants, which are functions of actuator and driven mass physical characteristics, are entered through operator-adjustable resistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1985
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Arthur H. Delmege, Yehia M. El-Ibiary, Melvin A. Rode, Lael B. Taplin
  • Patent number: 4501291
    Abstract: Relief valve arrangement comprising a pressure limiting relief valve, the pressure setting thereof can be switched by an auxiliary piston between two or more ranges so that the control pressure, which is obtained by a pilot valve, can be within a region, which can be controlled accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1985
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Ronald Siegrist
  • Patent number: 4498370
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for synchronizing telescoping sections of a crane boom comprising a fixed section and second, third and fourth sections that can be extended and retracted, hydraulic cylinders between the sections for extending and retracting the adjacent sections relative to one another and a control valve for each cylinder. Cables are provided between the sections such that a non-uniformity in movement of the sections causes a change in displacement of the cables which is sensed by position sensing devices to provide a hydraulic pilot signal for modifying flow of hydraulic fluid to the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1985
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert H. Breeden, Henry D. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4480527
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system comprising a hydraulic actuator having opposed openings adapted to alternately function as inlets and outlets for moving the element of the actuator in opposite directions and a variable displacement pump with loading sensing control for supplying fluid to said actuator. A pair of meter-in valves are provided to which the fluid from the pump is supplied and a pilot controller alternately supplies fluid at pilot pressure to a meter-in valve for controlling the displacement of movement of the meter-in valve and the direction and velocity of the actuator. Alternately pilot pressure from the pilot controller is applied simultaneously to both of the meter-in valves in conjunction with the venting of one of two load drop check valves to provide a regenerative mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1984
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Kurt R. Lonnemo
  • Patent number: 4480438
    Abstract: A hydraulic system comprising a reversible variable displacement pump, a hydraulic servo motor for controlling the direction and amount of displacement of the pump, a fluid motor connected in parallel to the pump and adapted to be driven by the pump, a pilot operated directional valve for controlling the position and direction of the servo motor system, and a valve for sensing the displacement of said pump and applying a force to the directional valve opposite to the force of the pilot pressure for moving the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1984
    Assignee: Vickers, Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert H. Breeden