Hydraulic control system

Claim 2

A hydraulic control system for delivering a pressurized hydraulic fluid to a user (1) and comprising: pump means (4,5) for supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to a fluid supply line (7), a user line (7A) operatively connected to said user (1), adjustable throttle valve means (8) connected between said fluid supply line and said user line for controlling the flow of the hydraulic fluid from said pump means to said user, pressure difference balance means (17) including a reference input line (31), a return flow line (13), and an output control line (15), for selectively connecting said reference input line or said return flow line to said output control line in response to the pressure difference in said fluid supply line and said user line, and control valve means (9) disposed in said fluid supply line between said pump means and said throttle valve means and operatively connected to said output control line of said pressure difference balance means for selectively exhausting a portion of the fluid in said fluid supply line in response to the fluid pressure in said output control line.

Claim 3

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said control valve means comprises a housing having an inlet opening communicating with said fluid supply line and an outlet opening communicating with said return flow line (13), a piston (10) slideably mounted in said housing for movement between a closed position closing communication between said inlet opening and said outlet opening, and an open position permitting communication therebetween, and a control chamber (14) in said housing on one side of said piston and operatively connected to said output control line (15) of said pressure difference balance means such that the pressure in said output control line acts to bias said piston into a position between said closed position and said open position.

Claim 4

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 2 wherein said control valve means further comprises spring biasing means (12) mounted on the other side of said piston and such that said spring biasing means and the pressure of the fluid in said fluid supply line act to bias said piston toward said open position, and the pressure in said control chamber (14) acts to bias said piston toward said closed position.

Claim 5

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 3 wherein said pressure difference balance means comprises a cylinder slideably mounting a balance piston (18) therein, and with said reference input line (31), said return flow line (13), and said output control line (15) each communicating with said cylinder.

Claim 6

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 4 wherein said pressure differential balance means further comprises a line (33) connecting one end (19) of said cylinder to said fluid supply line for biasing said balance piston to a position so as to interconnect said output control line and said return flow line, and a user pressure line (34) connected to the opposite end (20) of said cylinder and adapted for biasing the balance piston to a position so as to interconnect said reference input line (31) and said output control line.

Claim 7

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 5 wherein said control system further comprises two-way valve means (32) for connecting said reference input line (31) to either said fluid supply line (7) or said user pressure line (34) in accordance with which line is at the higher pressure.

Claim 8

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 6 wherein said throttle valve means includes duct means (42) for selectively connecting said user line (7A) to said user pressure line (34).

Claim 9

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 7 wherein said pressure difference balance means further comprises means for selectively positioning said balance piston at either a first zero position wherein the reference input line (31) communicates with said output control line (15), or at a second zero position wherein said output control line is either closed or in communication with said return flow line (13).

Claim 10

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for selectively positioning said balance piston includes springs (22, 23) supporting said piston at respective ends of said cylinder, and means for selectively altering the tension of one of said springs.

Claim 11

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 9 wherein said pressure difference balance means further includes a stop (57) for limiting movement of said balance piston in a direction toward said first zero position.

Claim 12

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 10 wherein said means for selectively positioning said balance piston comprises an abutment piston (25) coaxially mounted in said cylinder adjacent one end of said balance piston, with a spring (23) interposed therebetween, and means (30) for selectively moving said abutment piston in a direction toward said balance piston and so as to move said balance piston toward said second zero position.

Claim 13

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 11 wherein said means for selectively positioning said balance piston further comprises means (29,56) for accurately adjusting the end positions of the movement of said abutment piston.

Claim 14

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 6 wherein said throttle valve means comprises a valve housing having an inlet communicating with said fluid supply line and defining an annular seat (40), an outlet communicating with said user line, and a metering piston (36) slideably mounted in said valve housing so as to selectively move axially into engagement with said seat to close communication between said inlet and said outlet.

Claim 15

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 13 wherein said metering piston (36) comprises a cylindrical front extension (37) adapted to extend through said annular seat (40) in the closed position, and said front extension includes an annular groove (41) therein which is located on the supply side of said seat in the closed position, and wherein said throttle valve means further includes a pilot duct (42) extending through said metering piston to a rear annular groove (36) on said metering piston and then to said user pressure line (34).

Claim 16

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 14 wherein said metering piston of said throttle valve means further includes a rear cylindrical shoulder (44) which is larger than said cylindrical front extension (37) to define a rear pressure chamber (48) between said rear shoulder and the end of said valve housing, and wherein a pilot duct (46) communicates between said user line and said rear pressure chamber (48), with said pilot duct (46) including a throttle (47).

Claim 17

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 15 wherein said pilot duct (46) extends through said metering piston.

Claim 18

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 15 wherein said throttle valve means further includes a line (53) communicating between said rear chamber (48) and said return flow line (13) via a control valve (51) and a flow regulator (50).

Claim 19

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 17 wherein said line (53) further communicates with said reference input line (31) via a one-way valve (55) which precludes flow in a direction toward said line (31) and a second flow regulator (49) which permits a flow rate greater than that of said first mentioned flow regulator (50).

Claim 20

A hydraulic control system for delivering a pressurized hydraulic fluid to a user (1) and comprising: pump means (4,5) for supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to a fluid supply line (7), a user line (7A) operatively connected to said user (1), adjustable throttle valve means (8) connected between said fluid supply line and said user line for controlling the flow of the hydraulic fluid from said pump means to said user, pressure difference balance means (17) including a reference input line (31), a return flow line (13), and an output control line (15), for selectively connecting said reference input line or said return flow line to said output control line in response to the pressure difference in said fluid supply line and said user line, and wherein said return flow line is connected to a storage tank (6), with said storage tank being operatively connected to said pump means for supplying hydraulic fluid thereto, means (32, 42) for selectively connecting said reference input line to either said supply line or said user line, and control valve means (9) disposed in said fluid supply line between said pump means and said throttle valve means and operatively connected to said output control line of said pressure difference balance means for selectively exhausting a portion of the fluid in said fluid supply line in response to the fluid pressure in said output control line.

Claim 21

A hydraulic control system for delivering a pressurized hydraulic fluid to a user (1) and comprising: pump means (4,5) for supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to a fluid supply line (7), a user line (7A) operatively connected to said user (1), adjustable throttle valve means (8) connected between said fluid supply line and said user line for controlling the flow of the hydraulic fluid from said pump means to said user, pressure difference balance means (17) including a reference input line (31), a return flow line (13), and an output control line (15), for selectively connecting said reference input line or said return flow line to said output control line in response to the pressure difference in said fluid supply line and said user line, and wherein said return flow line is connected to a storage tank (6), with said storage tank being operatively connected to said pump means for supplying hydraulic fluid thereto, means (32, 42) for selectively connecting said reference input line to either said supply line or said user line, and control valve means (9) disposed in said fluid supply line between said pump means and said throttle valve means and operatively connected to said output control line of said pressure difference balance means for selectively exhausting a portion of the fluid in said fluid supply line in response to the fluid pressure in said output control line.

Claim 22

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 19 wherein said control valve means includes an outlet communicating with said return flow line (13), such that the portion of the fluid which is exhausted from said fluid supply line passes into said return flow line passes into said return flow line and to said storage tank (6).

Claim 23

The hydraulic control system as defined in claim 20 wherein said pressure difference balance means comprises a cylinder slideably mounting a balance piston (18) therein, and means for selectively positioning said balance piston at either a first zero position wherein said reference input line (31) communicates with said output control line (15) or at a second zero position wherein said output control line is either closed or in communication with said return flow line (13).