Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
360 words
In a control system; a passage having different fluid flows, a normal fluid flow at normal flow rates slowly variable through a large range of flow rates during long periods of time and at times an operating flow rapidly varied by a value smaller than said range of flow rates from any of said normal flow rates in said large range of flow rates to a higher operating flow rate existing only for a short operating period of time flowing from a source to an operated device line; flow responsive means operatively connected to said passage, having signal control means operatively connected to and controlled by the flow responsive means, responsive to said operating flow throughout said range of flow rates to provide an operating control signal indicating the presence of operating flow and unresponsive to said normal flow throughout said range of flow rates to provide an inoperating control signal indicating the absence of operating flow; automatic flow response varying means operatively connected to said flow responsive means and being unresponsive to said rapidly varied operating flow and responsive to only said slowly variable normal flow at all rates in said range of flow rates existing for a long period of time, longer than said short operating period of time, to control said flow responsive means when said flow responsive means is providing said inoperative control signal to prevent response of said flow responsive means to said slowly varied normal flow throughout said range of flow rates to continue to provide said inoperating control signal and to provide response to said rapidly varied operating flow from any normal flow rate by a value smaller than said range of flow rates throughout said range of flow rates to provide said operating control signal, and said control system including a plurality of fluid operated motors each functioning in response to operating flow to initiate operation and in response to said normal flow to maintain operation, a source of fluid under pressure supplying said passage and selector valve mEans selectively connecting said passage to each of said motors to be operated by said operating flow and maintained operated by said normal flow.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
360 words
In a control system; a passage having different fluid flows, a normal fluid flow at normal flow rates slowly variable through a large range of flow rates during long periods of time and at times an operating flow rapidly varied by a value smaller than said range of flow rates from any of said normal flow rates in said large range of flow rates to a higher operating flow rate existing only for a short operating period of time flowing from a source to an operated device line; flow responsive means operatively connected to said passage, having signal control means operatively connected to and controlled by the flow responsive means, responsive to said operating flow throughout said range of flow rates to provide an operating control signal indicating the presence of operating flow and unresponsive to said normal flow throughout said range of flow rates to provide an inoperating control signal indicating the absence of operating flow; automatic flow response varying means operatively connected to said flow responsive means and being unresponsive to said rapidly varied operating flow and responsive to only said slowly variable normal flow at all rates in said range of flow rates existing for a long period of time, longer than said short operating period of time, to control said flow responsive means when said flow responsive means is providing said inoperative control signal to prevent response of said flow responsive means to said slowly varied normal flow throughout said range of flow rates to continue to provide said inoperating control signal and to provide response to said rapidly varied operating flow from any normal flow rate by a value smaller than said range of flow rates throughout said range of flow rates to provide said operating control signal, and said control system including a plurality of fluid operated motors each functioning in response to operating flow to initiate operation and in response to said normal flow to maintain operation, a source of fluid under pressure supplying said passage and selector valve mEans selectively connecting said passage to each of said motors to be operated by said operating flow and maintained operated by said normal flow.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
156 words
In a fluid control system; actuator means actuated in response to a signal; a source of fluid under pressure; fluid motor means operable on the supply of fluid thereto to initiate and maintain operation, a flow passage connected to said source and valve means connecting said flow passage to said fluid motor means to initiate and maintain operation of said fluid motor means and having maintaining flow through said flow passage having a low rate of change to maintain operation of selected fluid motor means and operating flow having a high rate of change to initiate operation of selected fluid motor means and flow responsive means operative only in response to said operating flow having a high rate of change to initiate operation to provide said signal to actuate said actuator means and inoperative in response to the maintaining flow rate to maintain operation having a low rate of change but the same flow rate magnitude.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
156 words
In a fluid control system; actuator means actuated in response to a signal; a source of fluid under pressure; fluid motor means operable on the supply of fluid thereto to initiate and maintain operation, a flow passage connected to said source and valve means connecting said flow passage to said fluid motor means to initiate and maintain operation of said fluid motor means and having maintaining flow through said flow passage having a low rate of change to maintain operation of selected fluid motor means and operating flow having a high rate of change to initiate operation of selected fluid motor means and flow responsive means operative only in response to said operating flow having a high rate of change to initiate operation to provide said signal to actuate said actuator means and inoperative in response to the maintaining flow rate to maintain operation having a low rate of change but the same flow rate magnitude.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
The invention defined in claim 2 and said operating flow existing only for a short period of time and said maintaining flow existing for longer periods of time and said flow responsive means including control means responsive to flow existing for said longer periods of time to increase the value of the flow required for said flow responsive means to provide said signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
The invention defined in claim 2 and said operating flow existing only for a short period of time and said maintaining flow existing for longer periods of time and said flow responsive means including means providing a pressure differential increasing at a high rate in proportion to increasing operating flow and increasing at a low rate in proportion to maintaining flow and providing said signal at a predetermined differential pressure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
198 words
In a fluid control system; actuator means actuated in response to a signal; a source of fluid under pressure; motor system means having a plurality of selectively operable fluid motor means each operable on the supply of fluid thereto to initiate and maintain operation, a flow passage connected to said source; selector valve means connecting said flow passage selectively to said fluid motor means to selectively initiate and maintain operation of selected fluid motor means and having maintaining flow through said flow passage having a low rate of change to maintain operation of selected fluid motor means and operating flow having a high rate of change and existing only for a short period of time to initiate operation of selected fluid motor means and flow responsive means tripping in response to a pre-set flow rate of said operating flow having a high rate of change to initiate operation existing only for said short period of time to provide said signal to actuate said actuator means and operative in response to increasing maintaining flow existing for a longer period of time to increase said pre-set flow rate to prevent tripping in response to maintaining flow of the same magnitude.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
198 words
In a fluid control system; actuator means actuated in response to a signal; a source of fluid under pressure; motor system means having a plurality of selectively operable fluid motor means each operable on the supply of fluid thereto to initiate and maintain operation, a flow passage connected to said source; selector valve means connecting said flow passage selectively to said fluid motor means to selectively initiate and maintain operation of selected fluid motor means and having maintaining flow through said flow passage having a low rate of change to maintain operation of selected fluid motor means and operating flow having a high rate of change and existing only for a short period of time to initiate operation of selected fluid motor means and flow responsive means tripping in response to a pre-set flow rate of said operating flow having a high rate of change to initiate operation existing only for said short period of time to provide said signal to actuate said actuator means and operative in response to increasing maintaining flow existing for a longer period of time to increase said pre-set flow rate to prevent tripping in response to maintaining flow of the same magnitude.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
The invention defined in claim 5 and said flow responsive means having a pre-set restriction means providing a differential pressure signal at said pre-set flow rate and being operative in response to increasing maintaining flow to increase the size of said pre-set restriction to provide said differential pressure at a higher flow rate to prevent tripping in response to increasing maintaining flow.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The invention defined in claim 5 and said flow responsive means having a pre-set force biasing means providing increased biasing force with increasing maintaining flow existing for longer periods of time to increase the operating flow required to provide said signal with increasing maintaining flow.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
310 words
A method of controlling a system having a plurality of fluid motors selectively operable and having continued leakage make-up fluid flow at a flow rate to maintain each selected drive varying with a small rate of change increasing over a large range of flow rate values and operative throughout said range of make-up fluid flow rate values in response to shift change flow having a larger rate of increase in fluid flow rate and a smaller change in value of fluid flow rate, than said range of flow rate values of make-up flow, during an initial portion of a short shift change period and flow continuing at a high rate in a completing portion of said shift change period to establish another selected drive; the method of distinguishing between leakage flow and shift change flow of the same or greater value to provide a signal, the control step of providing an output signal in response to said smaller increase in flow rate value at said larger rate of change in the rate of flow in said initial portion of said shift change period and maintaining said output signal during the completing portion of said short shift change period, the step of providing a control modifying signal in response to said small rate of change in the rate of make-up flow during leakage flow throughout said range of make-up fluid flow values but being unresponsive to a change in the rate of flow existing only for said short shift change period, to modify the response of the first control step to flow to be unresponsive to changes in leakage flow rate having the same and greater values than said changes in flow rate during said initial portion of said shift change period so changes in leakage flow rate do not provide an output signal throughout said range of flow rate values.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
310 words
A method of controlling a system having a plurality of fluid motors selectively operable and having continued leakage make-up fluid flow at a flow rate to maintain each selected drive varying with a small rate of change increasing over a large range of flow rate values and operative throughout said range of make-up fluid flow rate values in response to shift change flow having a larger rate of increase in fluid flow rate and a smaller change in value of fluid flow rate, than said range of flow rate values of make-up flow, during an initial portion of a short shift change period and flow continuing at a high rate in a completing portion of said shift change period to establish another selected drive; the method of distinguishing between leakage flow and shift change flow of the same or greater value to provide a signal, the control step of providing an output signal in response to said smaller increase in flow rate value at said larger rate of change in the rate of flow in said initial portion of said shift change period and maintaining said output signal during the completing portion of said short shift change period, the step of providing a control modifying signal in response to said small rate of change in the rate of make-up flow during leakage flow throughout said range of make-up fluid flow values but being unresponsive to a change in the rate of flow existing only for said short shift change period, to modify the response of the first control step to flow to be unresponsive to changes in leakage flow rate having the same and greater values than said changes in flow rate during said initial portion of said shift change period so changes in leakage flow rate do not provide an output signal throughout said range of flow rate values.