Pneumatic pulse counting device

Claim 2

Fluid pressure control apparatus comprising: a. a pair of reservoirs, b. means operable to control charging of one of said reservoirs to a first chosen pressure, c. means operable to establish a first communication between said one reservoir and the other of said reservoirs and a second communication between said other reservoir and atmosphere while said first communication is closed, and d. fluid pressure operated valve means subject opposingly to a constant chosen fluid pressure that is less than said first chosen pressure and a variable fluid pressure, and operable, while said constant chosen fluid pressure exceeds said variable fluid pressure, to establish one communication, and, while said variable fluid pressure exceeds said constant chosen fluid pressure, to establish another communication, said variable fluid pressure being dependent upon the pressure in one of said reservoirs.

Claim 3

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized by a first feed valve device operable to deliver fluid at said first chosen pressure, and a second feed valve device operable to deliver fluid at said constant chosen fluid pressure that is less than said first chosen pressure.

Claim 4

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said means operable to control charging of one of said reservoirs comprises: a. a feed valve device operable to deliver fluid at a Constant pressure to said one reservoir, and b. manually operable means interposed between said feed valve device and said one reservoir for selectively establishing or cutting off flow between said feed valve device and said one reservoir.

Claim 5

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said means operable to control charging of one of said reservoirs comprises: a. a feed valve device operable to deliver fluid at a constant pressure to said one reservoir, and b. fluid pressure operable means interposed between said feed valve device and said one reservoir for selectively cutting off or establishing flow of fluid under pressure between said feed valve device and said one reservoir accordingly as fluid under pressure is supplied thereto or released therefrom.

Claim 6

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said means operable to establish communication between said reservoirs comprises: a. a valve operable from a first position in which it establishes said second communication to a second position in which it establishes said first communication, b. means biasing said valve to its said first position, and c. fluid pressure operated means for operating said valve against the yielding resistance of said biasing means from its said first position to its said second position.

Claim 7

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said means operable to establish a first communication between said one reservoir and the other of said reservoirs and a second communication between said other reservoir and atmosphere while said first communication is closed, comprises: a. fluid pressure operable means interposed between said reservoirs for selectively cutting off or establishing said first communication accordingly as fluid under pressure is released therefrom or supplied thereto, and b. manually operable means interposed between said other reservoir and atmosphere for establishing said second communication between said other reservoir and atmosphere independently of said fluid pressure operable means.

Claim 8

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said means operable to control charging of one of said reservoirs comprises: a. a feed valve device operable to deliver fluid at said first chosen pressure to said one reservoir, and b. fluid pressure operable means interposed between said feed valve device and said one reservoir for selectively cutting off or establishing flow of fluid under pressure between said feed valve device and said one reservoir accordingly as fluid under pressure is supplied thereto or released therefrom, and said means operable to establish said first communication between said one and said other reservoirs comprises: c. fluid pressure operable means interposed between said reservoirs for selectively cutting off or establishing said first communication accordingly as fluid under pressure is released therefrom or supplied thereto.

Claim 9

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that the volume of said other reservoir exceeds that of said one reservoir.

Claim 10

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said fluid pressure operated valve means is subject opposingly to aid constant chosen fluid pressure and the pressure in said other reservoir.

Claim 11

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said means operable to establish said first and second communications comprises means responsive to the supply of fluid under pressure thereto to cause the establishment of said first communication and responsive to the release of fluid under pressure therefrom to cause the establishment of said second communication.

Claim 12

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 2, further characterized in that said first feed valve deviCe delivers fluid at said first chosen pressure to said one reservoir, and said second feed valve device delivers fluid at said constant chosen pressure that is less than said first chosen pressure to said fluid pressure operated valve means, said fluid pressure operated valve means being subject to the pressure in said one reservoir and thereby operable accordingly as the pressure in said one reservoir exceeds that or is less than the pressure delivered to said fluid pressure operated valve means by said second feed valve device.

Claim 13

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 4, further characterized by means providing for an unrestricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operable means and a restricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure therefrom.

Claim 14

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 4, further characterized by manually operable means for controlling the flow of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure operable means.

Claim 15

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 6, further characterized by means providing for a restricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operable means and an unrestricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure operable means.

Claim 16

Fluid pressure control apparatus, as recited in claim 7, further characterized by: a. means providing for an unrestricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operable means interposed between said feed valve device and said one reservoir, b. means providing for a restricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure operable means, c. means providing for a restricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operable means interposed between said reservoirs, and d. means providing for an unrestricted rate of flow of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure operable means interposed between said reservoirs.

Claim 17

Apparatus for controlling the starting of an internal combustion engine having a fluid pressure operated starting means responsive to the supply of fluid under pressure thereto to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to cause the application of turning effort to said engine and to the release of fluid under pressure therefrom to effect the release of fluid under pressure to cause the termination of said application of turning effort, said apparatus comprising the combination of: a. a first fluid pressure operated valve means having a control chamber and being responsive to the venting of fluid under pressure from said control chamber to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to the fluid pressure operated starting means and responsive to the supply of fluid under pressure to said control chamber to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said starting means. b. a pair of double check valve devices each having a pair of inlets and an outlet, said outlet of one of said double check valve devices being connected to said control chamber, one of said inlets being connected to the outlet of the other of said double check valve devices, and the other of said inlets being subject to a fluid pressure provided in response to the engine running independently of said engine starting means, c. a pair of reservoirs, d. means operable to effect charging of one of said reservoirs to a first chosen pressure, e. means operable to trap fluid under pressure in said one reservoir, f. first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means operable in response to the supply of fluid under pressure thereto to close a communication between the other of said pair of reservoirs and atmosphere and establish a communication between said reservoirs to effect a chosen reduction in the pressure of the fluid trapped in said one reservoir, g. a third reservoir, h. a second spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means subject to thE pressure in said third reservoir and operable in response to the pressure in said third reservoir establishing a force in excess of the force established by the spring bias to effect the supply of fluid under pressure simultaneously to said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means and, via one inlet of said other double check valve device and said one double check valve device, to said first fluid pressure oerated valve means, i. second fluid pressure operated valve means subject opposingly to a constant chosen fluid pressure that is less than said first chosen pressure and the pressure in said one reservoir, and operable in response to the reduction of the pressure in said one reservoir to a value less than said constant chosen fluid pressure to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to the other inlet of said other double check valve device, j. a third spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means operable by the fluid under pressure supplied by said first fluid pressure operated valve means to the fluid pressure operated starting means to control the supply of fluid under pressure to and from said third reservoir, and k. means so controlling the supply of fluid under pressure to and from said third reservoir as to provide that said third spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means effects the release of fluid under pressure from said third reservoir to cause said second spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means to release fluid under pressure from said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means and said one inlet of said other double check valve device only subsequent to successive operations of said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means to reduce the pressure of the fluid trapped in said one reservoir to said value less than said constant chosen fluid pressure to cause said second fluid pressure operated valve means to operate to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to the other inlet of said other double check valve device and thence via said one double check valve device to said control chamber of said first fluid pressure operated valve means to cause operation thereof to simultaneously release fluid under pressure from the fluid pressure operated starting means and said third spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means thereby causing operation of the starting means to terminate said application of turning effort to said engine and release of fluid under pressure from said third reservoir to atmosphere to cause said second spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means to operate to release fluid under pressure from said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means and said one inlet of said other double check valve device.

Claim 18

Apparatus for controlling the starting of an internal combustion engine having a fluid pressure operated starting means responsive to the supply of fluid under pressure thereto to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to cause the application of turning effort to said engine and to the release of fluid under pressure therefrom to effect the release of fluid under pressure to cause the termination of said application of turning effort, said apparatus comprising the combination of: a. a first fluid pressure operated valve means having a control chamber and being responsive to the venting of fluid under pressure from said control chamber to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to the fluid pressure operated starting means and responsive to the supply of fluid under pressure to said control chamber to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said starting means. b. a pair of double check valve devices each having a pair of inlets and an outlet, said outlet of one of said double check valve devices being connected to said control chamber, one of said inlets being connected to the outlet of the other of said double check valve devices, and the other of said inlets being subject to a fluid pressure provided in response to the engine running independently of said engine starting means, c. a pair of reservoirs, d. means operable to effect charging of one of said reservoirs to a first chosen pressure, e. means operable to trap fluid under pressure in said one reservoir, f. first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means operable in response to the supply of fluid under pressure thereto to close a communication between the other of said pair of reservoirs and atmosphere and establish a communication between said reservoirs to effect a chosen reduction in the pressure of the fluid trapped in said one reservoir, g. a third reservoir, h. a second spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means subject to thE pressure in said third reservoir and operable in response to the pressure in said third reservoir establishing a force in excess of the force established by the spring bias to effect the supply of fluid under pressure simultaneously to said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means and, via one inlet of said other double check valve device and said one double check valve device, to said first fluid pressure oerated valve means, i. second fluid pressure operated valve means subject opposingly to a constant chosen fluid pressure that is less than said first chosen pressure and the pressure in said one reservoir, and operable in response to the reduction of the pressure in said one reservoir to a value less than said constant chosen fluid pressure to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to the other inlet of said other double check valve device, j. a third spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means operable by the fluid under pressure supplied by said first fluid pressure operated valve means to the fluid pressure operated starting means to control the supply of fluid under pressure to and from said third reservoir, and k. means so controlling the supply of fluid under pressure to and from said third reservoir as to provide that said third spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means effects the release of fluid under pressure from said third reservoir to cause said second spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means to release fluid under pressure from said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means and said one inlet of said other double check valve device only subsequent to successive operations of said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means to reduce the pressure of the fluid trapped in said one reservoir to said value less than said constant chosen fluid pressure to cause said second fluid pressure operated valve means to operate to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to the other inlet of said other double check valve device and thence via said one double check valve device to said control chamber of said first fluid pressure operated valve means to cause operation thereof to simultaneously release fluid under pressure from the fluid pressure operated starting means and said third spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means thereby causing operation of the starting means to terminate said application of turning effort to said engine and release of fluid under pressure from said third reservoir to atmosphere to cause said second spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means to operate to release fluid under pressure from said first spring-biased fluid pressure operated valve means and said one inlet of said other double check valve device.

Claim 19

Apparatus for controlling the starting of an internal combustion engine, as recited in claim 16, further characterized in that said means operable to trap fluid under pressure in said one reservoir comprises: a. fluid pressure operated cut-off valve means, interposed between said one reservoir and said means operable to control charging of said one reservoir to said first chosen pressure, and b. manually operable means for effecting the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure operated cut-off valve means.

Claim 20

Apparatus for controlling the starting of an internal combustion engine, as recited in claim 16, further characterized by means for providing the supply of fluid under pressure to said third reservoir at one rate and the release of fluid under pressure therefrom at a different rate.

Claim 21

Apparatus for controlling the starting of an internal combustion engine, as recited in claim 16, further characterized by a first feed valve device for providing said first chosen pressure, and by a second feed valve device for providing said constant chosen fluid pressure that is less than said first chosen pressure.

Claim 22

Apparatus for controlling the starting of an internal cOmbustion engine, as recited in claim 18, further characterized in that said means for providing the supply of fluid under pressure to said third reservoir at said one rate comprises a choke and a check valve interposed between said choke and said third reservoir and opening in the direction of said third reservoir, and said means for providing for the release of fluid under pressure from said third reservoir at said different rate comprises a second choke connected in parallel relation to said first check valve, and a second check valve connected in parallel relation to said first choke and opening in the direction away from said third reservoir.