US1848923A

US1848923A - Hydraulic booster mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1848923A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1932-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1949-03-08

Description

.1.A o. ALMEN HYDRAULIC "BOOSTER MECHANISM- Filed Dec. 3l, 1928 lidar. 8, 1932 UNITED @STATES PATENT OFFICE v J' 0R17 ALME'N, 0F ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL MOTORS RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATTON'-, 0F DELAWARE HYDRAULIC Boos'rEn MECHANISM Application led December 31, 1928. Serial No. 329,621.

VThis invention'relates to a steering mechanism and has been' designed more particularly for the actuationby power of the steery ing wheelsof vehicles. Its use in other relations will, nevertheless, be obvious.

An objectof the invention is to provide fluid pressurem means to eiiect the steering. As av further object, the invention aims to so relate the conventional steering wheel to the novel huid pressure means that the rotation of the steering wheel may render the iiuid pressure means active. Another object is to so arrange themechanism that the power means shall continue active only so long as -the steering wheel is being turned. Other objects such as etliciency, and simplicity in construction, .will be understood from a reading of the following description.

nthe drawings accompanying this description:

liigure 1 is a side elevation of the novel mechanism associated. with a side frame inember of .the vehicle chassis.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the power cylinder.

iif'fferring by reference characters to the drawings, numeral 3 is the usual steering wheel carried by a steering post 5. This steering post 5 is rotatably mounted in a.

bracket 7 securely fastened as by fastening 'means at 9. The post 5 is provided with a worm 13 engaging the teeth of a sector 15 rotatably mounted about a rock shaft 17 jour nailed in the bracket. At an opposite end of the bracket there is journalled a rock shaft 19 having arms 21 and 23 secured thereto.' Secured to shaft 17 is an arm Q5 and a linlr27 connects arms 21 and S25. The sector 15 eX- teni below the shaft 17 having the form of a Luvnward-ly directed arm 29. Between arm and arm 23 mounted the fluidpressure & ier r31, the cylinder' being connected to Iin'aciret by `fastening means 33. A tuiiston rod 34 projects through Athe in* .l head 35 of the cylinder 31 and is contedio artic A. tubular valve rod 86 through the removable head 37 at.- "i to the cylinder by fastening means 39 a ed 'tc arm The sector is itops projecting in spaced The power'cylinde'r 31 conta1ns a, hollow( pistonl represented by numerall 45. This piston is formed by a barrel 47 with c nd iianges 49 and 51. Flange 51 is tapered to form a valve seat 53 and is provided .with an axial opening 55. Fastening means 57 serve to secure tovflange 51 a piston header closure 59. This closure has a recess 61 and a conduit registering with opening 55.`v The conduit extends toward the removable head;

37 and terminates in an axial bore v.65.provided in the stem portion of the iston closure. This extended end of the piston head or closure passes through the removable head 37 and surrounds the valve rod 36 mentioned above. The closure also has an opening 60 alfording communication between the recess 61 and the adjacent end of the cylinder. `At the other en d of the piston there is an annular valve seat 67 and a'closure head 69 the seat 67 and the head 69 being held in place by bolts 70. The'closure 69 is formed withv a recess munication between recess 71 and the end of the cylinder. Beyond the .recessed portion of the head, itis reduced in diameter to form the hollow piston rod 34 referred to above, which piston rod extends through the cylinder head 35 and is connected to arm 23. Within the hollow piston there are opposed valves 75 and 77. These valves are seated against valve seats 67 and 53. They are normally held so seated by a common spring 79. These valves are provided with angularly related faces as shown to engage the valve seats and, also, to engage other valve-members as explained below. The valvesare also provided with recesses for a purpose to Vbe described.

The valve rod 36 is tubular at each end, but between the tubular ends it is solid as shown '71 and with an. opening 73 affording coml 5 valve rod has a threaded stem 83 for the at-l tachment of apipe to be connected to the hi h pressure side of a fluid pressure pump. t the other side of the intermediate closure 82, the other tubular part is in communication 10 by means of openings 87 with the recesses 80 of the valves.- The valve rod has secured thereto, or integral therewith, valves 89 and 91. The valves 89 and 91 are so spaced that when the valves 75 and 77 engage their seats carried by the piston they also engage the valves carried b the valve rod, as well shown by Figure 2. T e Valve rod is arranged to reciprocate through the tubular portions of both piston end closures. It terminates short of the' outer attached end of the piston rod 34. The tubular opening of the piston rod 34 is in free communication with the tubular valve rod as shown in the drawings. The piston rod 311 has also a threaded stem 95 for the attachment of a pipe to be connected to the low pressure side of the pump.- Since the pump vention, and since any iuid pressure pump may be used, it has not been thought necessary to illustrate such a pump in connection with the invention. The operation of the device is as follows: The drawings 'show the parts at rest, as when the vehicle is moving straight ahead. When it is desired to turn, for the pur ose of steering the' hand wheel 3 is rotate as usual. In so turning the wheel the worm 13 rotates the freely mounted sector and its arm 29. The arm 29 moves the valve rod 36 either inwardly or outwardly depending upon the direction of rotation oi wheel 3. If the rotation is such as to thrust the valve rod inwardly, the valve 89 pushes valve 77 oli' its seat. Fluid under pressure from the pum is then free to flow into opening 83, throng the hollow valve rod, through conduit 63 into the hollow piston 45, out between valve 77 and its seat 53, through the recess 61 and out through opening into the adjacent cyl- 50 inder end. This pressure is then effective to move the piston to the left (Figure 2). At-

the same' time, valve .'member 91 has been I moved to the left of the valve 75, which con- .tinues to seat on valve seat 67 Fluid in the 55- adjacent end of the cylinder may then pass through opening 73, recess? 1, between valve 91 and valve 75 into recess 8O and through opening 87 out through bthe tubular end of '.-the valve rod and the piston rod, returning 5 to the pump by passage 95. No resistance is,

does not constitute a part of the inhicle in an obvious manner. If therotation of wheel 3 is stop ed, the valve rod 36 also ceases to move an the pressure of the fluid 4 of the cylinder. At the same time, the presf sure at the right of the piston is relieved by the openinr of the valve 89 from its seat on valve 77. he fluid at the ri ht of theoylinder escapes from recessSO t rough opening 87 and out through the power piston rod as before.

In the event that the fluid pressure .eans fails, the movement of the sect'or is effective to apply the steering gear by manual effort solely through the engagement of stops 41 with the arm 25.

I claim:

1. A fluid pressure device comprising a cylinder, a hollow piston having opposed valve seats, means to conduct fluid under pressure to the space within said piston and between said valve seats, said piston being recipro- 'Cable within said cylinder, a. piston rod connected to said piston and projected through one end of the cylinder, connections from said rod whereby movement of said piston may perform work, a Valve rod reciprocable through the opposite end of said cylinder and also reciprocable through said piston, valves rigid with said rod, valves within said piston and seating against said rod valves and movable thereby, and also seated against the piston valve seats, yielding means between said last-named valves, whereby reciprocation of said valve rod in either direction opens a valve to permit the fluid under pressure to Uit pass from within the piston to one end of 'the cylinder and whereby said movement opens another valve to permit the relief of pressure sin the other end of the cylinder.

2. 'In combination, a Acylinder with closed ends, a hollow piston reciprocable therein, a tubular piston rod rigid with the piston and reciprocable through one end of the cylinders, connectionsfrom said rod .whereby movement oli-said piston i may'perform work, a valve rod-having tubular ends and an intermediate solid portion,- said valve rodbeing reciprocable through the other end of the cylinder, through the hollow piston and vslidably guided within the piston rod, connections whereby the tubularv portions of the valve rodvmay beconnected respectively to a l I high pressure and a low pressure side of a source of fluid pressure,means comprlsing a conduit whereby the high pressure tube of the valve rod is in communication withl the interior of the hollow piston, opposed valves in-said pistons, said valves surrounding and capable of movement by said valve rod to admit fluid pressure from Within said piston i to one of the cylinder ends and to simultaneously permit the escape of fluid pressure from the other side.

3. In a power operating mechanism, a rock shaft, an arm rigid therewith for performing work, a second arm rigid with said shaft, a parallel shaft, oppositely directed arms on ature.

said parallel shaft, a link connecting the secv ond arm of the iirst shaft with one of the arms of the parallel shaft, a power cylinder fixed in position, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod extending therefrom and connected to the other arm of the parallel shaft, a valve rod reciprocable in said power c linder to renderl said-'power cylinder operab e upon the rock shaft in either direction of reciprocation, a sector rotatable on said rock shaft, manually operable means operably connected to rotate said sector, and a connection from said sector to said valve rod whereby the actuation of said manually operable means renders the power cylinder operative in either direction of rotation of said manually operable means.

4. Power operating mechanism comprising parallel shafts, a rigid arm on the irst one of said shafts, means whereby rotation of said first shaft performs work, a lever rotatably mounted on said-first shaft, manually operable means to rotate said lever, a lever fixed to said second shaft, link connection between said lixed lever and the fixed arm on the first shaft whereby the .rotation of the second shaft rotates the rstshaft, power operated mechanism, connections therefrom to both said xed lever and said rotatable lever,

' valve mechanism associated with said power operated mechanism, one of said connections operable upon said valve mechanism whereby the power operated mechanism `rotates said fixed lever.

v5. The invention defined by claim 4, together with means to limit the rotary movement of said manually f operable means relative to said first mentioned shaft.

6. Power mechanism comprising parallel shafts, a rigid arm mounted on a first one of said shafts, means whereby rotation of said first shaftmay perform work, a lever rotatably mounted on saidfirst shaft, manually operable means to rotate said last-mentioned lever, a lever fixed to the second shaft, linkconnecting means between an arm of the lever xed to the second shaft and the rigid arm on the first shaft whereby rotation of the second shaft rotates the first shaft, power operated mechanism., connections therefrom to a second arm of the lever fixed to the second shaft and to the rotatable lever on the first shaft, valve mechanism associated with said power operated mechanism, one of said l flats 1