Operating lever for hydraulic control valve

Claim 1

ACTUATING MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE VALVE SPOOL OF A HYDRAULIC CONTROL VALVE ENDWISE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM A PREDETERMINED NEUTRAL POSITION OF THE SPOOL, COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR FORWARD PORTION THAT DEFINES A FORWARDLY FACING OPENING AT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSING, WHICH OPENING IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN END PORTION OF THE VALVE SPOOL OF A HYDRAULIC CONTROL VALVE, AND HAVING A REAR PORTION WHICH HAS HOLES OPENING TO OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF AND DISPOSED ON A COMMON TRANSVERSE AXIS; (B) MEANS ON THE FRONT OF THE HOUSING PROVIDING FOR ATTACHMENT THEREOF TO THE BODY OF A HYDRAULIC CONTROL VALVE; (C) AN OPERATING LEVER HAVING AN END PORTION DISPOSED WHOLLY TO ONE SIDE OF THE HOUSING AT ITS REAR; (D) MEANS ON SAID END PORTION OF THE OPERATING LEVER DEFINING A HUB WHICH SERVES TO MOUNT THE LEVER ON THE HOUSING FOR BACK AND FORTH ROCKING MOTION ABOUT AN AXIS FIXED WITH RESPECT TO THE HOUSING, SAID HUB EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID PORTION OF THE LEVER THROUGH SAID HOLES AND CONTINUOUSLY ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING, AND COMPRISING (1) A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY CONTIGUOUS HUB MEMBERS THAT ARE RELATIVELY MOVABLE AXIALLY AND ROTATIVELY, (2) HUB RETAINING MEANS ON THE AXIALLY ENDMOST HUB MEMBERS OVERLYING THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HOUSING TO NORMALLY PREVENT AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE HUB FROM THE HOUSING, SAID HUB MEMBERS SERVING AS SPACER MEANS TO PREVENT BINDING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE HUB RETAINING MEANS AND THE SIDES OF THE HOUSING, (3) CYLINDRICAL BEARING MEANS ON SAID HUB MEMBERS ROTATABLY JOURNALED IN SAID HOLES TO SUPPORT THE LEVER FOR ROCKING MOTION ABOUT THEIR COMMON AXIS, (4) AND A SINGLE SCREW THREADED FASTENING ELEMENT, COAXIALLY OF THE HUB, TO DETACHABLY MAINTAIN THE HUB IN PLACE ON THE LEVER AND AGAINST AXIAL DISPLACEMENT FROM THE HOUSING, SAID FASTENING ELEMENT RELEASABLY HOLDING THE HUB MEMBERS AGAINST RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT OUT OF CONTIGUOUS RELATION; (E) A LINK IN THE HOUSING HAVING A FRONT PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY TOWARD SAID OPENING AND ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO AN END PORTION OF THE VALVE SPOOL OF A HYDRAULIC CONTROL VALVE, AND HAVING ITS REAR END CONNECTED ECCENTRICALLY TO ONE OF SAID HUB MEMBERS AT A LOCATION THEREON SUCH THAT THE REAR OF THE LINK IS CARRIED EITHER FORWARDLY OR REARWARDLY OF THE HUB AXIS TO MOVE THE LINK LENGTHWISE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM A NORMAL POSITION IN CONSEQUENCE OF ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID ONE HUB MEMBER IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS; (F) AND DRIVE MEANS ON SAID HUB MEMBERS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID LINK CONNECTED HUB MEMBER WITH THE LEVER WITH THE LATTER IN ANY ONE OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ANGULAR POSITIONS OF ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE TO THE LINK CONNECTED HUB MEMBER, SAID DRIVE MEANS BEING MAINTAINED OPERATIVE AS LONG AS SAID HUB MEMBERS ARE HELD IN AXIALLY CONTIGUOUS RELATION BUT BEING RENDERED INOPERATIVE IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE AXIAL SEPARATION OF THE HUB MEMBERS PERMITTED WHEN THE SINGLE FASTENING ELEMENT IS LOOSENED, TO ENABLE ROTATIONAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE LEVER RELATIVE TO THE LINK CONNECTED HUB MEMBER WITHOUT REMOVAL OF THE HUB FROM THE HOUSING AND WITHOUT DISTURBING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE LINK AND ITS HUB MEMBERS OR THE ECCENTRICITY OF SAID CONNECTION RELATIVE TO THE HUB AXIS.