Pressure feedback system

Claim 2

In combination with a pair of fluid-pressure-operated devices, a system for actuating said pair of fluid pressure operated devices including fluid-conducting circuit means connecting both of said devices to both a source of fluid under pressure and to tank, a selector valve connected in said circuit means to include the selective admission of pressurized fluid from the source, via said circuit means, into one of said devices and the admission of fluid from the other of said devices, via said circuit means, to tank, a first modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to said one device, a first accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said first modulator in series with said first accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator and said first modulator, a second modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to the other of said devices, a second accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said second accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said second modulator in series with said second accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said second accumulator and said second modulator, each of said modulators including means for bleeding off a portion of the pressurized fluid passing through the said modulator during actuation of its respective device, with each of one of said expansible chambers of said accumulators being charged by said portion of the pressurized fluid and gradually increasing the pressure for actuating its respective device, each of said accumulators also alternately being resettable to a rest position by said pressurized fluid, wherein the improvement comprises the addition of further fluidconducting circuit means for directly connecting the circuit means passing fluid through said first and second modulators with the other of said expansible chambers of said second and first accumulators, respectively, so as to permit concomitant charging of the accumulator associated with one of said devices while resetting the accumulator associated with the opposite one of said devices to rest position by means of said pressurized fluid.

Claim 3

In combination with a pair of fluid-pressure-operated devices, a system for actuating said pair of fluid pressure operated devices including fluid-conducting circuit means connecting both of said devices to both a source of fluid under pressure and to tank, a selector valve connected in said circuit means to include the selective admission of pressurized fluid from the source into one of said devices and the admission of fluid from the other of said devices to tank, a first modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to said one device, a first accumulator inclUding pressure responsive means dividing said accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said first modulator in series with said first accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator and said first modulator, a second modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to the other of said devices, a second accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said second accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said second modulator in series with said second accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said chambers of said second accumulator and said second modulator, each of said modulators including a variable volume chamber for receiving said pressurized fluid, each of said pressure responsive means of said accumulators including piston means, with said accumulators being charged in said one of the expansible chambers thereof from said pressurized fluid in the respective ones of said modulator variable volume chambers thereby fully displacing said piston means in a first direction and gradually increasing the pressure for actuating their respective devices, wherein the improvement comprises: a. a first fluid-conducting connection of said first modulator with the other of said expansible chambers of said second accumulator; and b. a second fluid-conducting connection of said second modulator with the other of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator, said first and second connections being made in a manner to permit said pressurized fluid to fully displace said piston means in the accumulator associated with the opposite one of said devices in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, thereby resetting to a rest position the accumulator associated with the opposite one of said devices concomitantly to charging the accumulator associated with the respective one of said devices and vise versa.

Claim 4

In combination with a pair of fluid-pressure-operated devices, a system for actuating said pair of fluid pressure operated devices including fluid-conducting circuit means connecting both of said devices to both a source of fluid under pressure and to tank, a selector valve connected in said circuit means to include the selective admission of pressurized fluid from the source into one of said devices and the admission of fluid from the other of said devices to tank, a first modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to said one device, a first accumulator inclUding pressure responsive means dividing said accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said first modulator in series with said first accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator and said first modulator, a second modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to the other of said devices, a second accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said second accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said second modulator in series with said second accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said chambers of said second accumulator and said second modulator, each of said modulators including a variable volume chamber for receiving said pressurized fluid, each of said pressure responsive means of said accumulators including piston means, with said accumulators being charged in said one of the expansible chambers thereof from said pressurized fluid in the respective ones of said modulator variable volume chambers thereby fully displacing said piston means in a first direction and gradually increasing the pressure for actuating their respective devices, wherein the improvement comprises: a. a first fluid-conducting connection of said first modulator with the other of said expansible chambers of said second accumulator; and b. a second fluid-conducting connection of said second modulator with the other of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator, said first and second connections being made in a manner to permit said pressurized fluid to fully displace said piston means in the accumulator associated with the opposite one of said devices in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, thereby resetting to a rest position the accumulator associated with the opposite one of said devices concomitantly to charging the accumulator associated with the respective one of said devices and vise versa.

Claim 5

In combination with a pair of fluid-pressure-operated devices, a system for actuating said pair of fluid pressure operated devices including fluid-conducting circuit means connected to both of said devices and having connections to both a source of fluid under pressure and to tank, a selector valve connected in said circuit means to include selective admission of pressurized fluid from the source into one of said devices, and the admission of fluid from the other of said devices to tank, a first modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to said one device, a first accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said first modulator in series with said first accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator and said first modulator, a second modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to the other of said devices, a second accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said second accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said second modulator in series with said second accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said second accumulator and said second modulator, each of said modulators including means for bleeding off a portion of the pressurized fluid passing through the said modulator during actuation of its respective device, each of said modulators further including a variable volume chamber for receiving said pressurized fluid, each of said accumulators being alternately chargeable to a charged position and resettable to a rest position by oppositely axially displacing the pressure responsive means thereof, via said pressurized fluid, with each of said accumulators being charged in said one of the expansible chambers thereof from said pressurized fluid in the associated one of said modulator variable volume chambers, and gradually increasing the pressure for actuating its respective device, wherein the improveMent comprises the addition of fluid-conducting pressure feedback means connecting said first and second modulators with the other of said expansible chambers of said second and first accumulators, respectively, to permit concomitant resetting, by means of said pressurized fluid, of the accumulator of the said device connected to tank.

Claim 6

In combination with a pair of fluid-pressure-operated devices, a system for actuating said pair of fluid pressure operated devices including fluid-conducting circuit means connected to both of said devices and having connections to both a source of fluid under pressure and to tank, a selector valve connected in said circuit means to include selective admission of pressurized fluid from the source into one of said devices, and the admission of fluid from the other of said devices to tank, a first modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to said one device, a first accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said first modulator in series with said first accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator and said first modulator, a second modulator in said circuit means controlling fluid to the other of said devices, a second accumulator including pressure responsive means dividing said second accumulator into two expansible chambers, means connecting said second modulator in series with said second accumulator and providing fluid communication between one of said expansible chambers of said second accumulator and said second modulator, each of said modulators including means for bleeding off a portion of the pressurized fluid passing through the said modulator during actuation of its respective device, each of said modulators further including a variable volume chamber for receiving said pressurized fluid, each of said accumulators being alternately chargeable to a charged position and resettable to a rest position by oppositely axially displacing the pressure responsive means thereof, via said pressurized fluid, with each of said accumulators being charged in said one of the expansible chambers thereof from said pressurized fluid in the associated one of said modulator variable volume chambers, and gradually increasing the pressure for actuating its respective device, wherein the improveMent comprises the addition of fluid-conducting pressure feedback means connecting said first and second modulators with the other of said expansible chambers of said second and first accumulators, respectively, to permit concomitant resetting, by means of said pressurized fluid, of the accumulator of the said device connected to tank.

Claim 7

The improved system of claim 1 wherein said further circuit means includes a. a first pressure feedback conduit directly connecting said first modulator with the other of said expansible chambers of said second accumulator; and b. a second pressure feedback conduit directly connecting said second modulator with the other of said expansible chambers of said first accumulator.

Claim 8

The improved system of claim 4 wherein each of said first and second modulators further includes a variable volume chamber for receiving said pressurized fluid, with said first modulator variable volume chamber being in fluid communication with said first pressure feedback conduit and said second modulator variable volume chamber being in fluid communication with said second pressure feedback conduit.

Claim 9

The improved system of claim 5 wherein the pressure responsive means of each of said first and second accumulators includes piston means, with said accumulators being alternately charged from pressurized fluid in the respective ones of the said modulator variable volume chambers thereby fully displacing said piston means in a first direction and gradually increasing the pressure for actuation of their respective devices, said first and second pressure feedback conduits being connected to said second and first accumulators respectively, so as to permit displacement of the piston means in the accumulator associated with the device opposite to said device being actuated in a second direction and opposite to said first direction of the piston in the accumulator associated with the device being actuated, thereby resetting the accumulator associated with the device opposite to the device being actuated while concomitantly charging the accumulator associated with the device being actuated.