Control for mobile construction machine

Claim 2

In combination, a mobile construction machine, pressure responsive pneumatic circuitry including inlet means and outlet means for controlling the functions of said machine, and a handball for producing a variable pressure signal, said handball comprising: a. a body including an axial bore extending therethrough, b. said body also including an inlet port, an exhaust port, and a signal port communicating with said axial bore, said signal port being connected to the inlet means of said pneumatic circuitry, c. normally unactuated trigger means mounted at one end of said axial bore, d. a plug having an axial passageway therethrough secured within the end of the axial bore in the handball opposite to said trigger means, e. an annular valve seat being defined at the inner end of said plug, f. plunger means mounted for axial movement within said bore between unactuated and fully actuated positions, said plunger means located in proximity to said trigger means, g. supply means connected to said inlet port for delivering pressurized fluid thereto, h. normally opened valve means situated within said axial bore for metering the flow of fluid passing between said inlet port and said exhaust port, said valve means including a first washer operatively connected to said plunger means for axial movement relative to said valve seat, i. said trigger means, when actuated, moving said plunger means and said first washer toward said valve seat to produce a modulated pressure signal at said signal port that is fed to the inlet means of said pneumatic circuitry, Said signal being proportional to the extent of movement of said plunger means.

Claim 3

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said plunger means within said handball includes a cylindrical plunger and said valves means includes, spacer means disposed in operative relationship to said plunger, and means interconnecting the plunger and the spacer means so that they move in concert with one another.

Claim 4

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said plunger has a lower end of reduced dimension, and said means interconnecting the plunger and the spacer means comprises a second washer retained upon the lower end of said plunger and resting upon said spacer means, and a control spring rests upon said second washer and encircles the lower end of said plunger.

Claim 5

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said spacer means includes a pin adjustably secured thereto and extending away from said spacer means.

Claim 6

A handball as defined in claim 4 wherein said spacer means comprises a body member having a top wall, a bottom wall, an annular wall joining the top and bottom walls, a cavity formed in the top wall and extending downwardly toward the bottom wall, and an opening in the bottom wall extending upwardly toward said cavity, said pin being adjustably inserted into said opening in said body member.

Claim 7

A handball as defined in claim 1 wherein a recess is formed in the body member of the handball and said trigger means extend thereinto, pin means extend across said recess to mount said trigger means for pivotal movement, and a knee on said trigger means is disposed in proximity to, and in alignment with, the upper end of said plunger means.

Claim 8

In combination, a mobile construction machine, pressure responsive pneumatic circuitry including inlet means and outlet means for controlling the functions of said machine, and a handball for producing a variable pressure signal, said handball comprising: a. a body including an axial bore extending therethrough, b. said body also including an inlet port, an exhaust port, and a signal port communicating with said axial bore, said signal port being connected to the inlet means of said pneumatic circuitry, c. normally unactuated trigger means mounted at one end of said axial bore, d. plug means secured within the end of the axial bore opposite to said trigger means, said plug means having an axial passage for establishing communication between said bore and said inlet port, e. normally closed check valves located within said axial passageway for blocking such communication, f. plunger means mounted for axial movement within said bore, said plunger means located in proximity to said trigger means, g. said plunger means including a cylindrical plunger, spacer means disposed in operative relationship to said plunger, and means interconnecting the plunger and the spacer means so that they move in concert with one another, h. said spacer means includes a pin adjustably secured thereto and extending away from said spacer means into contact with said check valve means, i. supply means connected to said inlet port for delivering pressurized fluid thereto, j. normally opened valve means situated within said axial bore for metering the flow of fluid passing between said inlet port and said exhaust port. k. said trigger means, when actuated, moving said plunger means to close said valve means and produce a pressure signal at said signal port that is fed to the inlet means of said pneumatic circuitry.

Claim 9

In combination, a mobile construction machine, pressure responsive pneumatic circuitry including inlet means and outlet means for controlling the functions of said machine, and a handball for producing a variable pressure signal, said handball comprising: a. a body including an axial bore extending therethrough, b. said body also including an inlet port, an exhaust port, and a signal port communicating with said axial bore, said signal port being connected to the inlet means of said pneumatic circuitry, c. normally unactuated trigger means mounted at one end of said axial bore, d. plug means secured within the end of the axial bore opposite to said trigger means, said plug means having an axial passage for establishing communication between said bore and said inlet port, e. normally closed check valves located within said axial passageway for blocking such communication, f. plunger means mounted for axial movement within said bore, said plunger means located in proximity to said trigger means, g. said plunger means including a cylindrical plunger, spacer means disposed in operative relationship to said plunger, and means interconnecting the plunger and the spacer means so that they move in concert with one another, h. said spacer means includes a pin adjustably secured thereto and extending away from said spacer means into contact with said check valve means, i. supply means connected to said inlet port for delivering pressurized fluid thereto, j. normally opened valve means situated within said axial bore for metering the flow of fluid passing between said inlet port and said exhaust port. k. said trigger means, when actuated, moving said plunger means to close said valve means and produce a pressure signal at said signal port that is fed to the inlet means of said pneumatic circuitry.

Claim 10

A pneumatic control for controlling functions of a mobile construction machine, said control comprising: a. a body including an axial bore extending therethrough, b. said body also including an inlet port, an exhaust port and a signal port communicating with said axial bore, c. manually actuatable plunger means mounted for axial movement within said bore between unactuated aNd fully actuated positions, d. supply means connected to said inlet port for delivering fluid under pressure thereto, e. valve means in said bore for substantially closing said inlet port from said exhaust and signal ports when said plunger means is in said unactuated position, f. valve actuating means located in said bore, g. resilient means connecting said plunger to said valve actuating means for permitting concurrent movement of said plunger and valve actuating means to open said valve means and permitting relative movement of said plunger with respect to said valve actuating means when said valve means has been opened, h. pressure modulating means including a sealing element mounted on said valve actuating means for concurrent movement therewith into contact with an annular seat in said bore to increasingly restrict flow from said inlet to said exhaust ports as said plunger is moved from its unactuated toward its fully actuated position, thus increasing the pressure at said signal port proportionally with the extent of movement of said plunger.

Claim 11

A pneumatic control for controlling functions of a mobile construction machine, said control comprising: a. a body including an axial bore extending therethrough, b. said body also including an inlet port, an exhaust port and a signal port communicating with said axial bore, c. manually actuatable plunger means mounted for axial movement within said bore between unactuated aNd fully actuated positions, d. supply means connected to said inlet port for delivering fluid under pressure thereto, e. valve means in said bore for substantially closing said inlet port from said exhaust and signal ports when said plunger means is in said unactuated position, f. valve actuating means located in said bore, g. resilient means connecting said plunger to said valve actuating means for permitting concurrent movement of said plunger and valve actuating means to open said valve means and permitting relative movement of said plunger with respect to said valve actuating means when said valve means has been opened, h. pressure modulating means including a sealing element mounted on said valve actuating means for concurrent movement therewith into contact with an annular seat in said bore to increasingly restrict flow from said inlet to said exhaust ports as said plunger is moved from its unactuated toward its fully actuated position, thus increasing the pressure at said signal port proportionally with the extent of movement of said plunger.

Claim 12

A pneumatic control for controlling functions of a mobile construction machine, said control comprising: a. a body including an axial bore extending therethrough, b. said body also including an inlet port, an exhaust port and a signal port communicating with said axial bore, c. manually actuatable plunger means mounted for axial movement within said bore between unactuated and fully actuated positions, d. supply means connected to said inlet port for delivering fluid under pressure thereto, e. valve means in said bore for substantially closing said inlet port from said exhaust and signal ports when said plunger means is in said unactuated position, f. valve actuating means located in said bore and being connected to said plunger means for concurrent movement of said plunger and said valve actuating means to open said valve means, upon actuation of said plunger means, and g. pressure modulating means including a sealing element mounted on said valve actuating means for concurrent movement therewith into contact with an annular seat in said bore to increasingly restrict flow from said inlet to said exhaust ports as said plunger is moved from its unactuated position toward its fully actuated position, thus increasing the pressure at said signal port proportionally with the extent of movement of said plunger.

Claim 13

A pneumatic control for controlling functions of a mobile construction machine, said control comprising: a. a body including an axial bore extending therethrough, b. said body also including an inlet port, an exhaust port and a signal port communicating with said axial bore, c. manually actuatable plunger means mounted for axial movement within said bore between unactuated and fully actuated positions, d. supply means connected to said inlet port for delivering fluid under pressure thereto, e. valve means in said bore for substantially closing said inlet port from said exhaust and signal ports when said plunger means is in said unactuated position, f. valve actuating means located in said bore and being connected to said plunger means for concurrent movement of said plunger and said valve actuating means to open said valve means, upon actuation of said plunger means, and g. pressure modulating means including a sealing element mounted on said valve actuating means for concurrent movement therewith into contact with an annular seat in said bore to increasingly restrict flow from said inlet to said exhaust ports as said plunger is moved from its unactuated position toward its fully actuated position, thus increasing the pressure at said signal port proportionally with the extent of movement of said plunger.