Abstract: A valve assembly is provided for use with a hydraulic mine roof support, the assembly having uni-directional control means 49 interconnecting first and second pressure sectors of the valve assembly, and further control means 20 embodied in the first pressure sector which further control means is arranged for activation by fluid pressure in the first pressure sector to allow pressure fluid to flow from the second pressure sector to the first pressure sector until the fluid in the first pressure sector is equal to or exceeds the fluid pressure in the second pressure sector.

Abstract: A valve device is provided for use in a pressurized hydraulic fluid path, for example the hydraulic path of a hydraulic leg of a mine roof support which is required to yield under two different sets of conditions. The valve device has a port 15 for connection to the pressurized hydraulic fluid path, a bleed valve 25 being arranged to permit hydraulic fluid to bleed from the path at a first rate when the pressure in the path exceeds the first limit, for example to permit the hydraulic leg to collapse at a very slow rate, for example as a mine roof converges. There is also a dump valve 20 arranged to permit hydraulic fluid to flow from the path at a second greater rate, for example if a rock burst occurs. Although the dump valve 20 reacts to high pressure surges of fluid, it does not react to low pressure surges because a non-return valve device 30 traps on one side of the dump valve hydraulic fluid which is at a pressure in the region of the first limit.

Abstract: A positive displacement pump system has two delivery passages communicating under the control of a valve with a main discharge passage and/or an overspill duct. The valve is constituted by a valve member slidably mounted in a valve bore and the valve member has lands and intermediate recesses controlling communication between the delivery passages and the overspill duct. The pressures upstream and downstream of a discharge orifice in the discharge passage are applied to the valve member in opposition to each other, increase of the pressure drop tending to move the valve member to increase the amount of fluid passed to the overspill duct. To overcome the known tendency for a valve member to be subjected by the hydraulic forces to a large closing force when the valve is open to only a small extent, the valve is designed to provide for a relatively large opening force at least when the valve is commencing to open.

Abstract: A positive displacement pump system has first and second delivery passages for the pumped fluid and a main discharge passage. A control valve operating in dependence on the pressure drop across an orifice in the discharge passage diverts through overspill porting a proportion of the flow through the second delivery passage, the remainder added to the flow from the first delivery passage and passed to the discharge passage. The control valve also regulates the by-passing of a proportion of the flow from the first delivery passage to the overspill porting. As the said pressure drop increases, the control valve first increases the proportion of the flow from the second delivery passage diverted to the overspill porting and, as the pressure drop increases further, then commences to by-pass fluid from the first delivery passage to the overspill port, the quantity by-passed increasing with increase of said pressure drop.

Abstract: A positive displacement pump system provides first and second delivery 11, 12 passages of which the first passage 11 communicates with a main discharge passage 15 containing a discharge orifice 17. The second delivery passage 12 opens to a valve bore and is in permanently open communication with the first delivery passage through an axial passage 29 in a valve member 20 slidably mounted in the valve bore. Lifting of the valve member with increasing pressure drop across the orifice 17 places the first delivery passage in communication with an overspill port 14. The pressure at the upstream and downstream sides of the orifice are applied against the lower end and the upper end 28 of the valve member so that the valve operates to maintain the pressure difference constant. The pressure difference between passage 29 and that applied against the upper end 28 of the valve member is therefore also substantially constant, so that leakage from passage 29 past the upper end 28 is constant.