Sequence and direction valve

Claim 2

A valve assembly for controlling fluid input and exhaust for an actuator comprising: a directional valve means having a valve member responsive to a directional signal, a sequence valve means including a spool member axially shiftable in a housing and a centering means connected to said spool for biasing the spool to a center position in said housing, said centering means enabling axial displacement of said spool member from said center position in response to a feedback signal generated by the displacement of the output movement of the actuator, manifold means establishing communication between the directional valve means and the sequence valve means, one of the valve means having means for connecting to said one valve means a fluid supply and a fluid exhaust, the other of said valve means having means to receive a pair of passageway means from the actuator whereby the directional valve means controls the direction of movement of the actuator and said sequence valve means throttles the flow of fluid through the actuator to reduce the speed of the actuator near the end of the desired displacement and to stop the flow of fluid at the point of the desired displacement.

Claim 3

A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein the directional valve means is a spool valve having a spool valve member slidable in a spool housing, and positioning means for positive displacing said spool valve means in said spool housing in response to a directional signal.

Claim 4

A valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein said positioning means include means for converting rotational movement into linear movement to axially displace the spool member in response to the direction signal.

Claim 5

A valve assembly according to claim 3 wherein said positioning means includes a cam member mounted for rotation in said housing of the directional valve means and a follower mounted on said spool member, said follower shifting said spool member in response to the angular movement of the cam members.

Claim 6

A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said centering means includes a rod connected to said spool member of said sequence valve means, housing means disposed adjacent said rod, abutment means attached To said rod and axially movable relative to said housing means and resilient means biasing said abutment means to a predetermined position.

Claim 7

A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said directional valve means includes a spool member shiftable in a spool housing having a port means for connection to a pressure fluid source and at least a pair of exhaust port means for connection to the exhaust means, one of the exhaust port means including valve means responsive to fluid pressure in a passageway of the actuator to vary the back pressure at said one exhaust port to limit the velocity of the actuator in one direction.

Claim 8

A valve assembly according to claim 6 wherein said valve means of said one exhaust port means is a valve member cooperable with an orifice of the exhaust means, means biasing said valve means to a position opening said orifice and means supplying pressure of said one passage on said valve member to urge said valve member to a position closing said orifice whereby predetermined pressure increase in the fluid in the one passageway displaced said valve member to restrict the flow through said orifice creating a back pressure in the exhaust flow through said valve assembly.

Claim 9

A valve assembly for controlling fluid input and exhaust for an actuator and for controlling a fluid actuated brake means comprising directional valve means responsive to a directional signal for controlling the direction of output movement of the actuator, sequence valve means responsive to displacement of the output movement of the actuator for controlling the speed of the actuator and manifold means having a plurality of passageways for establishing communication between the directional valve means and sequence valve means, said directional valve means being a spool valve having a pair of supply port means for connection to a fluid supply means of pressurized fluid and an exhaust port for connection to a fluid exhaust means, said sequence valve means being a spool valve having a pair of port means for connection to a pair of passageways extending to the actuator and a third port means for connection to a fluid actuated brake means, each of said spool valves having axially spaced lands coacting together for interconnecting the supply port means and exhaust port means to the third port means of the sequence valve means so that the fluid actuated brake means is disengaged when the actuator is energized and engaged at the end of the output movement of the actuator, whereby a directional signal received by the directional valve means controls the direction of output movement of the actuator and said sequence valve means throttles the flow of fluid through the actuator near the end of the desired displacement to reduce the speed of the actuator and stops the flow of fluid through the actuator at the point of the desired displacement.

Claim 10

A valve assembly for controlling fluid input and exhaust for an actuator and for controlling a fluid actuated brake means comprising directional valve means responsive to a directional signal for controlling the direction of output movement of the actuator, sequence valve means responsive to displacement of the output movement of the actuator for controlling the speed of the actuator and manifold means having a plurality of passageways for establishing communication between the directional valve means and sequence valve means, said directional valve means being a spool valve having a pair of supply port means for connection to a fluid supply means of pressurized fluid and an exhaust port for connection to a fluid exhaust means, said sequence valve means being a spool valve having a pair of port means for connection to a pair of passageways extending to the actuator and a third port means for connection to a fluid actuated brake means, each of said spool valves having axially spaced lands coacting together for interconnecting the supply port means and exhaust port means to the third port means of the sequence valve means so that the fluid actuated brake means is disengaged when the actuator is energized and engaged at the end of the output movement of the actuator, whereby a directional signal received by the directional valve means controls the direction of output movement of the actuator and said sequence valve means throttles the flow of fluid through the actuator near the end of the desired displacement to reduce the speed of the actuator and stops the flow of fluid through the actuator at the point of the desired displacement.

Claim 11

A valve assembly for controlling the flow of a pressurized fluid through an actuator and the exhaust therefrom, comprising a manifold having a plurality of fluid passages, a first spool valve having a first housing having a plurality of ports with a port in communication with each of said passages of the manifold, an exhaust port in communication with a fluid exhaust and a supply port in communication with a supply of fluid under pressure, a first spool member axially displaceable in said first housing for preventing and enabling fluid flow between said exhaust and supply ports and predetermined ports in response to the axial position of said first spool member, a second spool valve having a second housing having a plurality of ports with a port in communication with each of said passages of the manifold and a pair of port means for receiving conduits to an actuator, a second spool member axially displaceable in said second housing for preventing and enabling fluid flow between said passages and said pair or port means in response to the axial position of said second spool member, positioning means for axially shifting said first valve spool member To a predetermined axial position in response to a direction signal, and means for axially shifting the second spool member to predetermined axial positions in response to a feedback signal for the linear displacement of the actuator, said last mentioned means including centering means for biasing the second spool member to a center position in said second housing, said centering means enabling axial displacement of said second spool member from the center position in response to a feedback signal generated by the linear displacement of the actuator, whereby the first spool valve controls the direction of flow of fluid in the conduits of the actuator and said second spool valve throttles and stops the flow in response to the linear displacement of the actuator approaching and reaching a predetermined point.

Claim 12

A valve assembly for controlling the flow of a pressurized fluid through an actuator and the exhaust therefrom, comprising a manifold having a plurality of fluid passages, a first spool valve having a first housing having a plurality of ports with a port in communication with each of said passages of the manifold, an exhaust port in communication with a fluid exhaust and a supply port in communication with a supply of fluid under pressure, a first spool member axially displaceable in said first housing for preventing and enabling fluid flow between said exhaust and supply ports and predetermined ports in response to the axial position of said first spool member, a second spool valve having a second housing having a plurality of ports with a port in communication with each of said passages of the manifold and a pair of port means for receiving conduits to an actuator, a second spool member axially displaceable in said second housing for preventing and enabling fluid flow between said passages and said pair or port means in response to the axial position of said second spool member, positioning means for axially shifting said first valve spool member To a predetermined axial position in response to a direction signal, and means for axially shifting the second spool member to predetermined axial positions in response to a feedback signal for the linear displacement of the actuator, said last mentioned means including centering means for biasing the second spool member to a center position in said second housing, said centering means enabling axial displacement of said second spool member from the center position in response to a feedback signal generated by the linear displacement of the actuator, whereby the first spool valve controls the direction of flow of fluid in the conduits of the actuator and said second spool valve throttles and stops the flow in response to the linear displacement of the actuator approaching and reaching a predetermined point.