Adjustable, metered, directional flow control arrangements

Claim 1

A directional flow control arrangement for selectively operating a first fluid motor in two directions at a controlled speed and supplying overflow to a separate second fluid motor load circuit comprising a directional control valve means (10, 11, 12) having an inlet means (19) and an outlet means (44) a parallel high pressure passage (60) and first (15) and second (16) motor ports for connection to the opposite sides of said first fluid operated motor, said directional control valve including a movable valve member (12) having annular grooves and axial bores cooperating to provide a restricted inlet flow passage therethrough for passing input pressure fluid to one of said motor ports (15, 16) and return flow passage (21, 21a-c; 22, 22a-e) for passing return fluid from the other of said motor ports, to an adjacent exhaust chamber (13, 14) a pair of flow control valves (31, 41) connected to the inlet (19) of said directional control valve (10) one having an inlet (30) connected to a source of pressure fluid for said first fluid motor through the inlet (19) for said directional control valve, an outlet port (34) continously connected to both the inlet (30) of the said one (31) and to the inlet (40) of the other flow control valve (41), a parallel flow outlet port (37) connected to said parallel passage (60), valve member (33) in said one valve (31) between said inlet port (30) and said parallel outlet port (37) to control the fluid flow from said inlet (30) to said parallel flow outlet port (37), pressure responsive means (35, 36) for operating said valve member 33 in response to the fluid pressure drop across said inlet flow passage through said directional control valve, pressure sensing means (23-28, 36, 46, 47) acting on said valve member to control the division of flow from said inlet port (30) to said outlet ports (37, 44), said other flow regulating valve (41) having an inlet (40) connected to said source of inlet pressure (19) around said one flow control valve (31) and an excess flow outlet port (44) connected to said separate load circuit (50), a valve member (43) in said other valve (41) between said inlet (19) and said excess flow outlet ports (44) and pressure responsive means (45, 46) for operating said valve means in response to fluid pressure drop across said inlet passage (19) through said directional control valve means.