Hydraulic systems for chain tighteners and the like

Claim 1

IN A HYDRAULIC SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION, COMPRISING: HYDRAULIC JACK MEANS, COMPRISING, A JACK CYLINDER, A PISTON SLIDABLE THEREIN, AND AN ELONGATED PORTION OF A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE LATTER PISTON FIXED TO AND EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF THROUGH AND BEYOND SAID JACK CYLINDER TO PROVIDE THE LATTER ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID LATTER PISTON WITH AN ANNULUS END AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LATTER PISTON WITH A PISTON HEAD END; HYDRAULIC INTENSIFIER MEANS, COMPRISING, AN INTENSIFIER CYLINDER, A PISTON SLIDABLE THEREIN AND AN ELONGATED PORTION OF A SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID PISTON FIXED TO AND EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF THROUGH AND BEYOND SAID INTENSIFIER CYLINDER TO DEFINE AN ANNULUS END OF SAID CYLINDER ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID PISTON, SAID INTENSIFIER CYLINDER HAVING A PISTON HEAD END ON THE SIDE OF PISTON OPPOSITE FROM SAID ANNULUS END, AND SAID CONNECTING CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ANNULUS END OF SAID INTENSIFIER CYLINDER; CONNECTING CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN AN INTERCONNECTING SAID INTENSIFIER MEANS WITH SAID JACK MEANS, SAID CONNECTING CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ANNULUS END OF SAID JACK CYLINDER, SAID INTENSIFIER MEANS HAVING CHARGING AND DISCHARGING STROKES AND DELIVERING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID HYDRAULIC JACK MEANS DURING SAID DISCHARGEING STROKES WHILE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL FLUID DURING SAID CHARGING STROKES; NON-RETURN VALVE MEANS IN SAID CONNECTING CONDUIT MEANS PREVENTING FLUID FROM FLOWING FROM SAID JACK MEANS BACK TO SAID INTENSIFIER MEANS; SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INTENSIFIER MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID THERETO; SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS HAVING A DISCHARGE PORTION COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PISTON HEAD END OF SAID CYLINDER AND A CHARGING PORTION COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ANNULUS END OF SAID CYLINDER; VALVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THROUGH THE LATTER FLUID TO SAID INTENSIFIER MEANS FOR REPEATEDLY ACTUATING THE LATTER TO CARRY OUT SAID CHARGING AND DISCHARGING STROKES THEREOF, UNTIL A GIVEN PRESSURE HAS BUILT UP IN SAID JACK MEANS, SAID VALVE MEANS HAVING A CHARGING POSITION DIRECTING FLUID THROUGH SAID CHARGING PORTION OF SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS INTO SAID ANNULUS END OF SAID CYLINDER AND A DISCHARGING POSITION DIRECTING FLUID THROUGH SAID DISCHARGING PORTION OF SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS INTO SAID PISTON HEAD END OF SAID CYLINDER; A SECOND NON-RETURN VALVE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CHARGING PORTION OF SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS FOR ADMITTING FLUID THROUGH THE LATTER INTO SAID ANNULUS END OF SAID INTENSIFIER CYLINDER WHILE PREVENTING FLUID FROM FLOWING BACK THROUGH SAID CHARGING PORTION OF SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS TO SAID VALVE MEANS; AND A PAIR OF CONNECTING MEANS DISPOSED AT THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HYDRAULIC JACK MEANS AND RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID PISTON HEAD END OF SAID JACK CYLINDER THEREOF AND WITH SAID ELONGATED PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID PISTON THEREOF FOR CONNECTING SAID HYDRAULIC JACK MEANS BETWEEN A PAIR OF ELEMENTS WHICH ARE TO BE PULLED TOWARD EACH OTHER.