Drive system

Claim 2

A drive system comprising: driven means; motor means; fluid actuated clutch means selectively actuable to drivingly connect said motor means to said driven means; and control means for controlling the actuation of said clutch means, said control means including pressure relief fluid control valve means; and drive means operatively connected to control actuation of said valve means, said drive means being operative to progressively move said valve means from a first position to a second position at a first predetermined rate and to move said valve means from said second position to a third position at a second predetermined rate, said valve means being operative to progressively increase actuating pressure to said clutch means whereby said driven means may be accelerated at a first rate during movement of said valve means at said first predetermined rate and at a second rate during movement of said valve means at said second predetermined rate.

Claim 3

A drive system as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said first and third positions is a fully open position and the other is a fully closed position.

Claim 4

A drive system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said drive system includes a means for supplying pressure actuating fluid to said clutch means and said pressure relief fluid control valve means is connected to said supply means and is operative to selectively enable said actuating fluid to bypass said clutch means.

Claim 5

A drive system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said control valve means is operative to allow said fluid to bypass said clutch means when in said fully open position.

Claim 6

A drive system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pressure relief fluid control valve means includes a valve member rotatably movably disposed within a housing, said valve member having a cam surface provided thereon operative to control fluid flow through said valve means.

Claim 7

A drive system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said valve member includes a pair of axially spaced bearing journals provided thereon, said cam surface being positioned substantially centrally between said bearing journals.

Claim 8

A drive system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said valve housing has a pair of spaced fluid outlets, each of said outlet openings being positioned between one of said bearing journals and said cam surface whereby axially directed forces exerted on said valve member by fluid flow therethrough are substantially balanced.

Claim 9

A drive system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said housing has an inlet opening positioned in radial alignment with said cam surface and said cam surface includes a first portion having a notch positionable in radial alignment with said inlet opening so as to allow substantially unrestricted fluid flow through said valve means.

Claim 10

A drive system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cam surface includes a second portion having a substantially constant rate of rise.

Claim 11

A drive system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes valve motor means drivingly connected to said valve means and associated control circuitry for selectively energizing said valve motor means.

Claim 12

A drive system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said valve motor means is a reversible stepping motor.

Claim 13

A drive system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said first predetermined rate is less than said second predetermined rate.

Claim 14

A drive system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said second position corresponds to a predetermined actuating fluid pressure being applied to said clutch unit.

Claim 15

A drive system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said drive means includes pressure sensing means for sensing said actuating fluid pressure applied to said clutch means.

Claim 16

A drive system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said control circuitry includes forward drive circuit means for driving said valve means from said first position to said third position and reverse drive means for driving said valve means from said third position to said first position.

Claim 17

A drive system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said control circuitry means includes safety override means operative to actuate said reverse drive means whereby actuating fluid pressure to said clutch means is decreased in response to a sensed abnormal condition.

Claim 18

A drive system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said abnormal condition corresponds to non-rotation of the output shaft of said clutch means.

Claim 19

A drive system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said abnormal condition corresponds to a sensed speed of rotation of the output shaft of said clutch means less than a predetermined speed.

Claim 20

A drive system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises an overland conveyor system and said drive system includes a plurality of motor means positioned in spaced relationship along said conveyor system, a plurality of fluid actuated clutch means for drivingly connecting each of said motor means to said conveyor system, and control means for controlling actuation of said clutch means for each of said plurality of clutch means.

Claim 21

A drive system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said control circuitry is operative to progressively actuate each of said valve means at a predetermined rate whereby each of said clutch means will be successively actuated.

Claim 22

A drive system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said drive means is a stepping motor and said control circuitry comprises: first circuit means connected to said stepping motor for driving said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in a first direction; second circuit means connected to said stepping motor for driving said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in the second direction; resetting circuit means operative to drive said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in one of said first and second directions upon energization of said control means; low speed circuit means operative to control said first circuit means so as to drive said stepping motor through a portion of said predetermined number of steps in another of said first and second directions at a low speed whereby said valve means will operate to gradually apply actuating pressure to said clutch means so as to slowly accelerate said driven means; and high speed circuit means also operative to control said first circuit means so as to drive said stepping motor in said another direction and through the remaining portion of said predetermined number of steps at a higher speed whereby said valve means will operate to increase said actuating pressure applied to said clutch, said high speed circuit means being actuated in response to a predetermined sensed condition being achieved within said clutch.

Claim 23

In a drive system including driven means, motor means, fluid actuated clutch means operative to selectively drivingly connect said motor means to said driven means, valve means for selectively applying actuating fluid pressure to said clutch means and control means for controlling operation of said valve means, said control means comprising: a stepping motor operative to drive said valve means through a predetermined number of steps so as to move said valve means between open and closed positions; first circuit means connected to said stepping motor for driving said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in a first direction; second circuit means connected to said stepping motor for driving said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in the second direction; resetting circuit means operative to drive said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in one of said first and second directions upon energization of said control means; low speed circuit means operative to control said first circuit means so as to drive said stepping motor through a portion of said predetermined number of steps in another of said first and second directions at a low speed whereby said valve means will operate to gradually apply actuating pressure to said clutch means so as to slowly accelerate said driven means; and high speed circuit means also operative to control said first circuit means so as to drive said stepping motor in said another direction and through the remaining portion of said predetermined number of steps at a higher speed whereby said valve means will operate to increase said actuating pressure applied to said clutch, said high speed circuit means being actuated in response to a predetermined sensed condition being achieved within said clutch.

Claim 24

In a drive system including driven means, motor means, fluid actuated clutch means operative to selectively drivingly connect said motor means to said driven means, valve means for selectively applying actuating fluid pressure to said clutch means and control means for controlling operation of said valve means, said control means comprising: a stepping motor operative to drive said valve means through a predetermined number of steps so as to move said valve means between open and closed positions; first circuit means connected to said stepping motor for driving said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in a first direction; second circuit means connected to said stepping motor for driving said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in the second direction; resetting circuit means operative to drive said stepping motor through said predetermined number of steps in one of said first and second directions upon energization of said control means; low speed circuit means operative to control said first circuit means so as to drive said stepping motor through a portion of said predetermined number of steps in another of said first and second directions at a low speed whereby said valve means will operate to gradually apply actuating pressure to said clutch means so as to slowly accelerate said driven means; and high speed circuit means also operative to control said first circuit means so as to drive said stepping motor in said another direction and through the remaining portion of said predetermined number of steps at a higher speed whereby said valve means will operate to increase said actuating pressure applied to said clutch, said high speed circuit means being actuated in response to a predetermined sensed condition being achieved within said clutch.

Claim 25

A drive system as set forth in claim 22 wherein said control means further includes safety override means operative to actuate one of said first and second circuit means whereby said stepping motor may operate to drive said valve means into one of said open or closed positions in response to a sensed abnormal condition.

Claim 26

A drive system as set forth in claim 23 wherein said control means includes speed sensing means operative to sense the speed of rotation of an output shaft of said clutch means.

Claim 27

A drive system as set forth in claim 24 wherein said sensed abnormal condition corresponds to non-rotation of said output shaft.

Claim 28

A drive system as set forth in claim 24 wherein said sensed condition corresponds to a speed of rotation of said output shaft less than a predetermined speed.

Claim 29

A drive system as set forth in claim 22 further comprising pressure sensing means operative to sense the pressure of said actuating fluid being applied to said clutch means, said pressure sensing means being operative to actuate said high speed circuit means in response to a sensed predetermined pressure.