Directional control valve and method of making

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the control valve has a manifold removably connected to the valve body and further including the step of constructing the multiplicity of pilot fluid control passages at least in part in the manifold.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the control valve includes a cover plate removably connected to the valve body and further including the step of constructing the multiplicity of pilot fluid control passages at least in part in the cover plate.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 further including the step of mounting each pilot valve on the exterior of the valve body.

Claim 6

A directional control valve including a valve body, at least two bores formed in the valve body, each of the bores having an inlet passage and an outlet passage for pressurized operating fluid, a seat located in one of the passages of each bore, a poppet mounted in each bore for movement toward and away from its seat and having means to engage the seat in fluid-sealing relationship, each of the poppets having a head portion, a cover plate removably connected to the valve body to provide access to the poppets, a multiplicity of pilot fluid control passages to provide a choice of flow directions to the poppets, at least one pilot valve with a certain spool function for selectively directing the flow of pilot fluid between a source and the head portion of the poppets, and a porting pattern for the multiplicity of passages selected and coordinated to the spool function of the pilot valve so that a multiplicity of functions of the control valve may be acquired by the use of at least one pilot valve fluid to certain of the ports which are unblocked and the blocking of certain of the other ports in the pattern.

Claim 7

A directional control valve including a valve body, at least two bores formed in the valve body, each of the bores having an inlet passage and an outlet passage for pressurized operating fluid, a seat located in one of the passages of each bore, a poppet mounted in each bore for movement toward and away from its seat and having means to engage the seat in fluid-sealing relationship, each of the poppets having a head portion, a cover plate removably connected to the valve body to provide access to the poppets, a multiplicity of pilot fluid control passages to provide a choice of flow directions to the poppets, at least one pilot valve with a certain spool function for selectively directing the flow of pilot fluid between a source and the head portion of the poppets, and a porting pattern for the multiplicity of passages selected and coordinated to the spool function of the pilot valve so that a multiplicity of functions of the control valve may be acquired by the use of at least one pilot valve fluid to certain of the ports which are unblocked and the blocking of certain of the other ports in the pattern.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 5 further characterized by and including a manifold removably connected to the valve body, at least a portion of the pilot fluid control passages being in the manifold.

Claim 9

The structure of claim 5 further characterized in that at least a portion of the pilot fluid control passages is in the cover plate.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 5 further characterized in that each pilot valve is removably connected to the valve body.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 5 further charactErized in that a subplate is removably connected to the valve body, the inlet and outlet passages for pressurized operating fluid having connections in the subplate.

Claim 12

The structure of claim 5 further characterized in that the porting pattern for the multiplicity of passages is in one wall of the valve body.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 5 further characterized by and including means for selectively limiting the amount of opening of each poppet.

Claim 14

The structure of claim 5 further characterized by and including a subplate connected to the valve body and containing passages for pressurized operating fluid, each of the seats being tubular in shape and located in the outlet passage of each bore, each seat having one end surface facing the poppet and engageable thereby and the opposite end in contact with the subplate and held in position thereby.

Claim 15

The structure of claim 5 further characterized in that each poppet has a replaceable annular disc carried thereby to engage its seat, the disc being removably held in the poppet by a removable plug which extends beyond the annular disc so that, when the poppet is seated, the plug extends into the tubular seat, the extreme portion of the plug being tapered so as to gradually change the rate of flow of operating fluid through the valve as the poppet is opened and closed.

Claim 16

A directional control valve including a valve body, at least two bores formed in the valve body, each of the bores having an inlet passage and outlet passage formed in the valve body to carry pressurized operating fluid, a seat located in one of the passages of each bore, a poppet mounted in each bore for movement toward and away from its seat and having means to engage the seat in a fluid-sealing relationship, each of the poppets having a head portion, a cover plate removably connected to the valve body to provide access to the poppets, a multiplicity of pilot fluid control passages to supply pilot fluid to the poppets, at least one pilot valve for selectively directing the flow of pilot fluid to and from the poppets, a subplate removably connected to the valve body, inlet and outlet passages in the subplate to carry pressurized operating fluid to and from the poppet, the valve body with the poppets, cover plate, pilot fluid control passages and pilot valve being mounted on and removable from the subplate so that connections to and from the source and device to be actuated will not interfere with dismantling of the other parts of the control valve.

Claim 17

A directional control valve including a valve body, at least two bores formed in the valve body, each of the bores having an inlet passage and outlet passage formed in the valve body to carry pressurized operating fluid, a seat located in one of the passages of each bore, a poppet mounted in each bore for movement toward and away from its seat and having means to engage the seat in a fluid-sealing relationship, each of the poppets having a head portion, a cover plate removably connected to the valve body to provide access to the poppets, a multiplicity of pilot fluid control passages to supply pilot fluid to the poppets, at least one pilot valve for selectively directing the flow of pilot fluid to and from the poppets, a subplate removably connected to the valve body, inlet and outlet passages in the subplate to carry pressurized operating fluid to and from the poppet, the valve body with the poppets, cover plate, pilot fluid control passages and pilot valve being mounted on and removable from the subplate so that connections to and from the source and device to be actuated will not interfere with dismantling of the other parts of the control valve.

Claim 18

A directional control valve including a valve body having a plurality of poppets adapted to control the flow of pressurized operating fluid between a source of pressurized operating fluid, a device to be operated by the pressurized operating fluid and a reservoir for the operating fluid with the poppets being closed by pressurized pilot fluid and opened upon the release of said pilot fluid by the operating fluid, a pilot valve for controlling the flow of pressurized pilot fluid between a source of pressurized pilot fluid, a reservoir for the pilot fluid and the valve body poppets, a manifold removably connected to said valve body and said pilot valve and having passages formed therein which are adapted to carry pressurized pilot fluid, and a cover plate removably connected to said valve body and having passages formed therein which are adapted to carry pressurized pilot fluid during at least part of its travel from the manifold and to the valve body poppets.

Claim 19

A directional control valve including a valve body having a plurality of poppets adapted to control the flow of pressurized operating fluid between a source of pressurized operating fluid, a device to be operated by the pressurized operating fluid and a reservoir for the operating fluid with the poppets being closed by pressurized pilot fluid and opened upon the release of said pilot fluid by the operating fluid, a pilot valve for controlling the flow of pressurized pilot fluid between a source of pressurized pilot fluid, a reservoir for the pilot fluid and the valve body poppets, a manifold removably connected to said valve body and said pilot valve and having passages formed therein which are adapted to carry pressurized pilot fluid, and a cover plate removably connected to said valve body and having passages formed therein which are adapted to carry pressurized pilot fluid during at least part of its travel from the manifold and to the valve body poppets.

Claim 20

In a directional control valve including a valve body, a bore formed in the valve body, inlet and outlet passages formed in the valve body to carry pressurized operating fluid to the bore, a seat in one of the passages, a poppet mounted in the bore for movement toward and away from the seat, an annular disc of a material having resilient characteristics on the lower end of the poppet adapted to engage the seat, and a nose portion on the poppet within the disc and projecting beyond it and contoured to progressively restrict the flow so That as the poppet moves toward and away from engagement with the seat, the nose portion causes maximum fluid velocity between the nose portion and the passage rather than between the disc and the seat so as to minimize the corrosive effect of the high velocity fluid on the disc.

Claim 21

In a directional control valve including a valve body, a bore formed in the valve body, inlet and outlet passages formed in the valve body to carry pressurized operating fluid to the bore, a seat in one of the passages, a poppet mounted in the bore for movement toward and away from the seat, an annular disc of a material having resilient characteristics on the lower end of the poppet adapted to engage the seat, and a nose portion on the poppet within the disc and projecting beyond it and contoured to progressively restrict the flow so That as the poppet moves toward and away from engagement with the seat, the nose portion causes maximum fluid velocity between the nose portion and the passage rather than between the disc and the seat so as to minimize the corrosive effect of the high velocity fluid on the disc.

Claim 22

In a directional control valve including a valve body, a bore formed in the valve body, inlet and outlet passages formed in the valve body to carry pressurized operating fluid to the bore, a seat in one of the passages, a poppet mounted in the bore for movement toward and away from the seat with a head portion at one end, a plunger projecting into the bore and engageable with the head portion of the poppet, when it rises, and means for externally adjusting the plunger so that the maximum amount of lift of the poppet off of its seat may be adjusted thereby controlling the rate of flow between the poppet and its seat.

Claim 23

In a directional control valve including a valve body, a bore formed in the valve body, inlet and outlet passages formed in the valve body to carry pressurized operating fluid to the bore, a seat in one of the passages, a poppet mounted in the bore for movement toward and away from the seat with a head portion at one end, a plunger projecting into the bore and engageable with the head portion of the poppet, when it rises, and means for externally adjusting the plunger so that the maximum amount of lift of the poppet off of its seat may be adjusted thereby controlling the rate of flow between the poppet and its seat.