GB2074251A - Fluid-pressure apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid-pressure circuit member comprising a plate 10 having a plurality of grooves 11 to 18 opening in one plane 19 of the plate and having a plurality of grooves 20 to 24, 28, 29, 31, 33 opening in another plane 34 of the plate. At least a part of each of at least some of those grooves opening in the plane 19 are inclined at an angle to, and cross, grooves opening in the plane 34 so that, by drilling holes 36 to 43 in the plate at appropriate points, at each of which points a groove opening in the plane 19 crosses over a groove opening in the plane 34, any desired arrangement of inter-connection between grooves opening in the plane 19 and grooves opening in the plane 34 can be obtained. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fluid-pressure apparatus This invention relates to fluid-pressure apparatus and, in particular, to a fluid-pressure circuit assembly comprising a pair of body members, each of which has a flat surface and one of which, at least, has ports, and sandwiched therebetween a fluid-pressure circuit member.

Each port in a body member is connected with a respective passage in the body member to permit the port to be connected to a respective fluid pressure component. Hitherto the fluid-pressure circuit member has, for example, been provided with slots, each slot connecting a selected port in one body member with a selected port in the other body member. Each slot has formed with part of the surface of one body member and part of the surface of the other body member, a fluid flow passage along which fluid can flow, in a direction parallel to the two surfaces, from the selected port in one body member to the selected port in the other body member.

Each slot is surrounded by narrow bands of sealing material, one on one surface of the circuit member and another on the other surface of the circuit member, their purpose being to prevent fluid flowing in one slot leaking into fluid flowing in another slot. A most suitable method of applying the sealing material, because of the complex pattern of slots, is by screen-printing.

Such a fluid-pressure circuit member can only be used for one arrangement of fluid flow between the ports of one body member and the ports of the other body member. Consequently, if it becomes necessary to use the fluid-circuit assembly with a different arrangement of fluid flow between the ports of one body member and the ports of the other body member, it is necessary to replace the fluid-pressure circuit member which has slots suitable for the first arrangement of fluid flow by a -different fluid-pressure circuit member which has slots suitable foir the different arrangement of fluid flow.

Thus, when a pair of body members are intended for use with any one of a number of different fluid flow arrangements, according to the use to which the assembly may be put in practice, it is necessary to have a number of fluid-pressure circuit members, the arrangement of the slots and the sealing material of one member being different from the arrangement of the slots and the sealing material of the others.

Such fluid-pressure circuit members are expensive to make and it is necessary for each circuit member to undergo a development test before it can be used. For that reason it is expensive for a user of such circuit members to hold in stock a number of different such circuit members. If, on the other hand, the user chooses not to hold a stock of different circuit members, but to order them as he requires them, some time must elapse between placing his order and receiving a circuit member which has been proved to be suitable for its intended use.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved fluid-pressure circuit member.

According to this invention a fluid-pressure circuit member comprises a plate having a plurality of grooves opening in one plane thereof and having a plurality of grooves opening in another plane thereof, at least some of these grooves opening in said one plane being inclined, each at least in part, at an angle to, and crossing, grooves opening in said other plane so that, by drilling holes in the plate at appropriate points, at each of which points a groove opening in said one plane crosses over a groove opening in said other plane, any desired arrangement of interconnection between grooves opening in said one plane and grooves opening in said other plane can be obtained.

The said plate may comprise a single module in which case said one plane is coincident with one face of the plate and said other plane is coincident with the opposite face of the plate.

Alternatively the said plate may comprise three modules, which are each of plate-like appearance and securable together, and two of which sandwich the third between them, in which case said one plane is coincident with that face of one outer module which is in contact with a face of the inner module and said other plane is coincident with that face of the other outer module which is in contact with the other face of the inner module.

Here said holes are so drilled as to pass through said inner module and further holes through at least one of said outer modules.

The invention also provides a fluid-pressure circuit assembly comprising a pair of body members, at least one of which has ports, and a fluid-pressure circuit member as set forth in the next-but-two preceding paragraph.

The invention further provides a hydraulic circuit assembly, which has a plurality of flow paths, comprising a pair of body members, a plurality of ports in at least one of the body members, a fluid-pressure circuit member, sandwiched between the body members, a first plurality of grooves opening in one plane of said circuit member, a second plurality of grooves, some at least in part inclined at an angle to first said grooves, opening in another plane of said circuit member, a plurality of holes at least partway through the circuit member, each interconnecting a selected respective groove opening in said one plane with a selected respective groove opening in said other plane, and clamping means which clamp together the two body members and said circuit member so that two ports may be connected together by a flow path formed at least by a selected groove opening in said one plane, a hole and a selected groove opening in said other plane.

Sealing material may be provided around said grooves, and may for example be deposited there by a screen-printing process. However, the nature of the arrangement of the grooves of a fluidpressure circuit member in accordance with the invention also readily allows the sealing material to be applied to the surface or surfaces of the circuit member by methods which show cost savings over screen-printing, for example by moulding methods.

In order to provide for different fluid flow arrangements between a pair of body members with ports, it is only necessary to have fluid pressure circuit members which are all the same, so far as the arrangement of grooves and any surrounding sealing material are concerned, and differ only in the points at which said holes are drilled in the fluid-pressure circuit member. This can readily be done when a fluid-pressure circuit member with a particular arrangement of flow paths is required.

Two ways of carrying out the invention are described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate two specific embodiments, in which, Figure 1 is a plan view of a fluid-pressure circuit member in accordance with the first embodiment, Figure 2 is an underside view of the circuit member shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an exploded view in perspective of two exemplary body members and the fluidpressure circuit member of Figures 1 and 2 disposed between them, Figure 4 is an exploded view in perspective of a fluid-pressure circuit member, in accordance with the second embodiment, comprising three modules securable together, Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view of a part of the fluid-pressure circuit member shown in Figure 4 when assembled between two body members, and, Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrow VI on Figure 4.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the fluidpressure circuit member shown is in the form of a plate 10 having eight parallel grooves 11-18 open along their lengths in the plane of the face 1 9 of the plate as shown in Figure 1. The plate also has fourteen parallel grooves 20-33 opening along their lengths in the plane of the opposite face 34 of the plate as shown in Figure 2.

Twelve holes, as at 35, for the passage of clamping means comprising bolts (not shown) are provided near the edges of the plate 10.

In this embodiment all of the grooves opening in the plane of the face 1 9 are thus set at rightangles to all of the grooves opening in the plane of the face 34. Holes 36-43 are drilled at appropriate points in the plate 10, at each of which points a groove opening in the plane of the face 1 9 crosses over beneath a groove opening in the plane of the other face 34. In this way any desired arrangement of inter-connection between grooves opening in the plane of the face 19 and grooves opening in the plane of the face 34 can be obtained and in this embodiment the desired arrangement is obtained by drilling the holes 36-43 in the precise positions shown.

The body members shown in Figure 3 comprise a pilot control manifold 44 and a main manifold 45 between which the plate 10 is sandwiched, the assembly of manifolds and plate being held in sealed unit assembly by the bolts (not shown) above referred to. Three pilot-operated valve modules 46, 47 and 48 are mounted on one side of the main manifold 45 and three pilot-operated valve modules 49, 50 and 51 are mounted on the other side thereof. For each valve module to function in its fluid-pressure-operated system, it must receive one or other of two hydraulic pilot control signals which determines its manner of controlling operation. Such pilot control signals are derived from the pilot control manifold 44 and in this embodiment are eight in number, passing from the manifold 44 through ports at 52-59 shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.The signals are indicated by the eight arrows 60 shown in Figure 3 leaving the pilot control manifold. The ports 52-59 respectively register with the iower ends of the grooves 11-18 opening in the plane of the face 19 of plate 10.

Taking each pilot flow path in turn, the groove 20 is open to ports 61 and 62 in the main manifold 45 which are respectively in communication with the valve modules 46 and 49.

Thus these two modules receive the same pilot signal which is derived from the port 56 and which passes to them by way of the groove 1 5, the hole 40 and groove 20.

The groove 22 is open to ports 63 and 64 which are also respectively in communication with modules 46 and 49 and which conduct an alternative pilot signal thereto derived from the pilot port 57 and which passes to them by way of the groove 16, hole 41 and groove 22.

The groove 23 is open only to port 65 which is in communication with the valve module 47, the pilot signal here being derived from the port 53 and passing to the module by way of a groove 12, hole 37 and groove 23.

The groove 24 is open only to port 66 which is in communication with the valve module 50, the pilot signal here being derived from the port 58 and passing to the module by way of groove 17, hole 42 and groove 24.

The remaining ports 67 to 72, associated with the modules 47,48 and 50, 51 in the manner indicated by the dotted lines leading therefrom, are connected by way of the appropriate grooves and holes in the plate 10 to receive pilot control signals from the manifold 44. The ports 67, 68 respectively receive their pilot control signals from the ports 52, 59 while the ports 69, 70 receive their pilot control signals from the port 54, and the ports 71, 72 receive their pilot control signals from the port 55.

As in part shown in the drawings at 73, 74, a sealing material, for example, an epoxy resin, is provided around the grooves 11-18 and 20-33. Such sealing material is either deposited on the plate by a screen-printing process or can be formed on the components by a suitable .moulding process.

Thus the plate 10 described above, and as drilled at 36-43, suits the particular pilot control signal requirements of the valve modules 46-51 and their associated systems. However, if it is required to produce a different controlling effect in the systems associated with the valve modules, this will necessitate a change in the manner the available pilot control signals are applied to those modules. Accordingly a plate 10 having the same arrangement of grooves in the face, but with a revised pattern of drilled holes 36-43 to suit the different control requirements, is therefore substituted for the original plate in the assembly.

In this way a number of basic plates 10 can be held in store and any one of them be suitably drilled in any new desired pattern to meet new operational requirements.

With reference now to the second embodiment of the invention show in Figures 4-6 of the accompanying drawings, instead of a fluidpressure circuit member or plate being formed in one piece with grooves in the outer surfaces interconnected by a pattern of drilled holes, the fluid-pressure circuit member or plate shown at 81 comprises three modules 82, 83, 84 sealingly securable together, the module 83 being sandwiched between modules 82 and 84 when assembled between the pilot control manifold 85 and the main manifold 86.Here the module 83 has a desired pattern of holes 87 drilled through it and these holes register with respective grooves 88 which open in the plane af the face 89 of the module 82 adjacent one face 90 of the module 83 and register with respective grooves 91 which open in the plane of the face 92 of the module 84 adjacent the other face 93 of the module 83. The points at which the holes 87 are drilled each align with a respective point at which a respective groove 88 opens in the face 89 and crosses over a respective groove 91 opening in the face 92.

The outer face 94 of the module 82 has portions, one of which is shown at 95, which respectively open to the grooves 88 and which respectively register with the pilot control signal ports, one of which is shown at 96, in the pilot control manifold 85. Ports 97 are also provided in the outer face 98 of the module 84 which respectively open from the grooves 91 and respectively register with ports as at 99 in the adjacent face of the main manifold 86 which are respectively in communication with the valve modules carried by the main manifold.

Thus in this embodiment the modules 82 and 84 are common to the assembly and only the module 83 is required to be replaced by another module with a new pattern of drilled holes 87 therethrough to meet new operational requirements of alternative systems associated with the valve modules.

The form of the grooves 88, 91 in the modules 82, 84 is different from that of the plate 10 of the first embodiment in that instead of grooves on one side being all parallel and set at right-angles to parallel grooves on the other side, certain of the grooves 88, 91 themselves turn through a rightangle for example as shown in Figure 6. However at positions where grooves 88 and 91 cross over, one beneath the other, they are nevertheless inclined at an angle to each other. In the detail shown in Figure 6 that angle is a right-angle but the invention is in no way limited to a right-angle, since in other embodiments the grooves may be so arranged that other desired angles of inclination may apply at positions of cross-over.

In yet other embodiments of the invention the grooves opening in any one particular plane need not be parallel and the paths they follow may be such as to be universal to other ranges of installations. Also, unlike the grooves shown in Figures 1 and 2, in other embodiments the grooves opening in each plane may not be of substantially the same length but may be of quite different lengths to suit particular installations.

Further, grooves opening in a particular plane may follow curved paths, parallel or non-parallel, or alternatively may follow irregularly-shaped paths, all as necessary to suit particular applications.

The present invention has particular application to mining control systems where compact control valve equipment is required in association with hydraulic control systems for remote control of self-advancing mine roof supports.

Although in the embodiment above described with reference to the drawings the flow routes described are concerned only with the application of control signals to valve modules, such embodiments may also with advantage include further grooves, holes and porting establishing flow routes for pressure supply, return to reservoir and other controlling functions.

Claims (12)

1. A fluid-pressure circuit member comprising a plate having a plurality of grooves opening in one plane thereof and having a plurality of grooves opening in another plane thereof, at least some of those grooves opening in said one plane being inclined, each at least in part, at an angle to, and crossing, grooves opening in said other plane so that, by drilling holes in the plate at appropriate points, at each of which points a groove opening in said one plane crosses over a groove opening in said other plane, any desired arrangement of interconnection between grooves opening in said one plane and grooves opening in said other plane can be obtained.

2. A member as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said plate comprises a single module in which said one plane is coincident with one face of the plate and said other plane is coincident with the opposite face of the plate.

3. A member as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said plate comprises three modules, which are each of plate-like appearance and securable together, and two of which sandwich the third between them, in which said one plane is coincident with that face of one outer module which is in contact with a face of the inner module and said other plane is coincident with that face of said other outer module which is in contact with the other face of said inner module.

4. A member as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said holes are so drilled as to pass through said inner module and further holes through at least one of said outer modules.

5. A fluid-pressure circuit assembly comprising a pair of body members, at least one of which has ports, and a fluid-pressure circuit member as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4.

6. A hydraulic circuit assembly, having a plurality of flow paths, comprising a pair of body members, a plurality of ports in at least one of the body members, a fluid-pressure circuit member, sandwiched between the body members, a first plurality of grooves opening in one plane of said circuit member, a second plurality of grooves, some at least in part inclined at an angle to first said grooves, opening in another plane of said circuit member, a plurality of holes at least partway through the circuit member, each interconnecting a selected respective groove opening in said one plane with a selected respective groove opening in said other plane, and clamping means which clamp together the two body members and said circuit member so that two ports may be connected together by a flow path formed at least by a selected groove opening in said one plane, a hole and a selected groove opening in said other plane.

7. A member as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein sealing material is provided around said grooves.

8. A member as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said sealing material is deposited on said member by a screen-printing process.

9. A member as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said sealing material is applied to said member by a moulding process.

10. A fluid-pressure circuit member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

1 A fluid-pressure circuit member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A fluid-pressure circuit assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

1 3. A fluid-pressure circuit assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.