Pressure compensated multifunction control valve

Claim 2

A multifunction valve arrangement for selectively controlling the operation of at least one of a plurality of fluid operated devices comprising: a source of pressurized fluid; a flow control valve having a bore, an inlet port, an outlet port, a plurality of motor supply ports and a plurality of motor return ports corresponding in number to said motor supply ports intersecting said bore, said flow control valve having a control member rotatably and axially slidably mounted within said bore in a sealing relation thereto, said control member being rotatable to selectively connect said inlet port to a selected motor supply port and said outlet port to a corresponding motor return port and being axially slidable to control the extent of flow between said inlet port and said selected motor supply port by providing an infinitely variable flow restriction orifice therebetween; and a pressure compensating valve arranged in series relationship between said source of pressurized fluid and said inlet port to regulate the flow of fluid to said inlet port in accordance with the rotational and axial setting of said control member, said pressure compensating valve comprising: a cylinder; an axially spaced inlet chamber connected to said source of pressurized fluid, an outlet chamber connected to said inlet port, a bypass chamber and pressure-sensing chamber connected to said selected motor supply port intersecting said cylinder; and a valve piston slidably mounted within said cylinder, said valve piston sealingly engaging said cylinder and being biased in one direction by fluid pressure in said inlet chamber and biased in the other direction by fluid pressure in said pressure-sensing chamber and by a spring, said spring biasing said piston into a position whereat said piston blocks fluid communication between said inlet chamber, outlet chamber and bypass chamber.

Claim 3

A directional valve arrangement for selectively operating a plurality of fluid motors comprising: a flow control valve having a valve body providing a bore for receiving a control member, said valve body having first and second inlet ports communicating with said bore, first and second groups of circumferentially spaced motor ports communicating with said bore at respective locations spaced axially from the inlet ports, and first and second return passages communicating with said bore at locations spaced axially from the respective inlet ports and the respective groups of motor ports; and a control member sealingly engaging said bore and rotatable and slidable longitudinally therein; said control member having first and second axially spaced internal longitudinal passages therein, said control member having a first pair of axially spaced flow ports communicating with the first internal passage and registrable selectively with a selected motor port of the first group in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, one of said flow ports in the control member registering with the first return passage when the other of said flow ports registers with a motor port of the first group, said control member having a first group of circumferentially spaced inlet ports communicating with said first internal passage and registrable selectively with said first inlet port in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, the longitudinal spacing between said first group of inlet ports in the control member and said one flow port in the control member corresponding to the longitudinal spacing between said first group of motor ports in the valve body and said first inlet port in the valve body, said control member having a second pair of axially spaced flow ports communicating with said second internal passage and registrable selectively with a selected motor port of the second group in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, one flow port of said second pair in the control member registering with said second return passage in the valve body when the other flow port of said second pair in the control member registers with a motor port of the second group, said control member having a second group of circumferentially spaced inlet ports communicating with said second internal passage and registrable selectively with said second inlet port in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, the longitudinal spacing between said second group of inlet ports in the control member and said one flow port of the second pair in the control member corresponding to the longitudinal spacing between said second group of motor ports in the valve body and said second inlet port in the valve body; said control member, when one of the inlet ports of its first group thereof registers with said first inlet port in the valve body, passing inlet flow through its first internal passage to the selected fluid motor and passing return flow from said motor through its second internal passage to said second return passage; said control member, when one of the inlet ports of its second group thereof registers with said second inlet port in the valve body, passing inlet flow through its second internal passage to the selected motor and passing return flow from said motor through its first internal passage to said first return passage; pressure-compensating valve means connected upstream of said inlet ports in the valve body and operable to regulate the inlet flow thereto; and valve means connected between said internal passages in the control member and said pressure-compensating valve means and operable to cause the pressure-compensating valve means to operate in response to the inlet flow to the selected motor.

Claim 4

A directional valve arrangement for selectively operating a plurality of fluid motors comprising: a flow control valve having a valve body providing a bore for receiving a control member, said valve body having first and second inlet ports communicating with said bore, first and second groups of circumferentially spaced motor ports communicating with said bore at respective locations spaced axially from the inlet ports, and first and second return passages communicating with said bore at locations spaced axially from the respective inlet ports and the respective groups of motor ports; and a control member sealingly engaging said bore and rotatable and slidable longitudinally therein; said control member having first and second axially spaced internal longitudinal passages therein, said control member having a first pair of axially spaced flow ports communicating with the first internal passage and registrable selectively with a selected motor port of the first group in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, one of said flow ports in the control member registering with the first return passage when the other of said flow ports registers with a motor port of the first group, said control member having a first group of circumferentially spaced inlet ports communicating with said first internal passage and registrable selectively with said first inlet port in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, the longitudinal spacing between said first group of inlet ports in the control member and said one flow port in the control member corresponding to the longitudinal spacing between said first group of motor ports in the valve body and said first inlet port in the valve body, said control member having a second pair of axially spaced flow ports communicating with said second internal passage and registrable selectively with a selected motor port of the second group in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, one flow port of said second pair in the control member registering with said second return passage in the valve body when the other flow port of said second pair in the control member registers with a motor port of the second group, said control member having a second group of circumferentially spaced inlet ports communicating with said second internal passage and registrable selectively with said second inlet port in the valve body, depending upon the longitudinal and rotational setting of the control member, the longitudinal spacing between said second group of inlet ports in the control member and said one flow port of the second pair in the control member corresponding to the longitudinal spacing between said second group of motor ports in the valve body and said second inlet port in the valve body; said control member, when one of the inlet ports of its first group thereof registers with said first inlet port in the valve body, passing inlet flow through its first internal passage to the selected fluid motor and passing return flow from said motor through its second internal passage to said second return passage; said control member, when one of the inlet ports of its second group thereof registers with said second inlet port in the valve body, passing inlet flow through its second internal passage to the selected motor and passing return flow from said motor through its first internal passage to said first return passage; pressure-compensating valve means connected upstream of said inlet ports in the valve body and operable to regulate the inlet flow thereto; and valve means connected between said internal passages in the control member and said pressure-compensating valve means and operable to cause the pressure-compensating valve means to operate in response to the inlet flow to the selected motor.

Claim 5

A valve arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said pressure-compensating valve means has an inlet port, a bypass outlet port, and a controlled flow outlet port connected in series between the inlet port of the pressure-compensating valve means and said inlet ports in the valve body of the flow control valve, a piston slidably disposed between said inlet and outlet Ports of the pressure-compensating valve means and controlling the flow from said last-mentioned inlet port to both of said outlet ports, spring means biasing said piston to a position blocking said inlet port from both said controlled flow outlet port and said bypass outlet port, and said piston having oppositely facing surfaces thereon which are exposed respectively to the hydraulic fluid pressures at said inlet port of the pressure-compensating valve means and at the internal control member passage which is conducting the inlet flow to the selected fluid motor and being positioned in accordance with the differential between said pressures to control the division of hydraulic fluid flow between said inlet and outlet ports of the pressure-compensating valve means.

Claim 6

A valve arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said piston is movable in response to an increasing differential between said pressures: first, to progressively open said bypass outlet port to said inlet port of the pressure-compensating valve means; and thereafter, to progressively close said controlled flow outlet port.