Fail safe bypass for a skid control system

Claim 1

In a skid control system for preventing the skidding of a wheel of a vehicle having a fluid pressure actuating wheel brake, an operator controlled source of fluid pressure for actuating said wheel brake, conduit means providing fluid communication between said source and said wheel brake, and modulator means interposed between said source of fluid pressure and said wheel brake for restricting the communication between said source and said wheel brake in response to an incipient skid condition, said modulator means comprising a housing defining a fluid inlet in communication with said source and a fluid outlet in communication with said wheel brake, a passage connecting said fluid inlet with said fluid outlet, said passage having a restricted portion defining a valve seat, a bypass valve element supported within said passage and having a valving portion adapted to cooperate with said valve seat, said bypass valve element being movable in said passage from a normal position in which said valve portion contacts said valve seat and prevents communication of said fluid inlet with said fluid outlet through said passage and a fail safe position in which said valve portion is free of said valve seat and opens communication from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet through said passage, a fluid inlet port in said bypass valve element, a fluid outlet port in said bypass valve element, passage means extending through said bypass valve element from said fluid inlet port to said fluid outlet port, said fluid inlet port being in fluid communication with said fluid inlet when said bypass valve element is in its normal position, said fluid outlet port being in communication with said fluid outlet, a skid control valve seat defined by said bypass valve element in said bypass valve passage means, a skid control valve supported by said bypass valve element and movable between a skid control position in engagement with said skid control valve seat for preventing fluid communication from said fluid inlet port to said fluid outlet port to a normal position wherein fluid communication is permitted through said fluid inlet port to said fluid outlet port, actuating means engageable when in a normal position with each of said bypass valve element and said skid control valve for holding said valves in their respective normal positions, means for moving said actuating means from its normal position to a skid control position in which said skid control valve is free of engagement with said actuating means and is movable from its normal position to its skid control position, said bypass valve element having an area exposed to the pressure in said passage for holding said bypass valve element in its normal position when fluid pressure is exerted in said passage and said actuating means is in its skid control position and is not engaging said bypass valve element, and spring means acting upon said bypass valve element for moving said bypass valve element from its normal position to its fail safe position for permitting fluid communication from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet in the event of failure of said actuating means to be retained in its normal position.