US2523521A

US2523521A - Control device for plural fluid motor operation

Info

Publication number: US2523521A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alex S Ritter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-12-26
Filing date: 1947-12-26
Publication date: 1950-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1967-09-26

Description

Sept. 26, 1950 A. s. RITTER 2,523,521

CONTROL DEVICE FOR PLURAL FLUID MOTOR OPERATION' Filed Dec. 26, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fi .2; v J8 e7 33 57 55 2 if 24 27 4s I611 36 Z O INVENTOR. ALEX .S, R/TTER ATTORNEY Sept. 26, 1950 A. s. RITTER 2,523,521

CONTROL DEVICE FOR PLURAL FLUID MOTOR OPERATION Filed Dec. 26, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 38 3 JNVENTOR.

ALEX s. R/TTEI? BY r o 1 l 86 A r TOR/V5 Y Patented Sept. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL DEVICE FOR PLURAL FLUID MOTOR OPERATION Alex S. Hitter, San Rafael, Calif. Application December 26, 1947, Serial No. 793,987

- Claims. 1

This invention relates to a hydraulic control device or hydraulic switch.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic control device in the nature of a hydraulic'switch which is capable of selectively directing flow or'pressure to selected lines, maintaining the other lines closed with safety and ease of operation.

The features of my invention are:

The provision of a rotary drum type hydraulic switch which, with its cross passages, opens only one avenue of escape or passage for the fluid at one time into a system and maintains the other lines inactive; the provision of a manipulating and actuating mechanism which prevents the application of pressure to the system unless the system is operatively connected to a selected line; the automatic safety of the system through said mechanism which prevents the pressure to break the lines; the selective adaptation of the hydraulic control device for use as an outlet flow control from tanks or the like, and in other adaption as a control for hydraulically operated power devices; and the adaptability of the device for a series of controls in multiple units,

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description reference is had to the accompanying drawings for the illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the application of my device in a system' for two hydraulic cylinders.

Fig. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view of the device adapted as an outlet control for gasoline or oil tanks and the like.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of the device with'a multiple series of passages through its drum working through a multiple series of outlets on the cylinder.

Fig. 4 is an illustrative embodiment of the device in combination with a tire removing tool and it two hydraulic cylinders.

Fig. 5 is a side view partly in section, of the manual actuating or control element for the device.

In my device a cylinder 6 'has a bottom 1 at one 2 end thereof. The other end of the cylinder is covered by a top plate 8 suitably secured in place and provided with a central bearing hub 9. Inside of the cylinder 6 is a rotatable or rotor drum I I which is also cylindrical and fits in the inner periphery of the cylinder I5. From the rotor drum I I extends a central shaft I2 through suitable packing glands I3 in the bearing hub,9 wherebythe rotor drum II may be turned about its axis in the cylinder 6.

A system of passages is provided in the rotor drum II. The periphery of the cylinder 6 is also provided with a system of ports arranged at suitable angles to be aligned with the respective passages in the rotor drum I I according to selectively adjusted positions of the latter. In the illustrative embodiment of my invention herein, I provide a diametrical passage Ill and a pair of substantially arcuate passages I5 and i6 spaced on each side from said diametrical passage, the ends I'I, I8, I9 and 2| of which latter are substantially at 45 with respect to the diametrical passage I4. Around the periphery of the cylinder 6 are arranged eight equally

spaced ports

22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 21, 28 and 29. The object generally is to rotate the rotor drum II in such a manner that its passages in use at the particular operation align with suitable ports, and the ports of the cylinder are connected into a conduit system whereby all pressure or flow can be thus switched according to the adjusted angle or position of the rotor drum II. I The switching system herein described can be extended to furnish control to a comparatively large number of units to be controlled. An illustration of such extension is shown in Fig.3, wherein the cylinder is provided with two sets of ports spaced from one another wherein the ports in set A are offset with respect to the ports in set B so that the ports of the first set A are approximately .in line with the middle of the distance between the ports of the second set E. The drum in that instance is furnished with another set of passages in the same manner as the first set heretofore described except that the passages are in spaced planes and are also offset 22 with respect to the previous passages. In such a unita different control adjustment can be accomplished for each 22 angle turn of the rotor drum II in the cylinder 6.

Another feature of my invention is that no pressure or flow can be put through the passages and into the system of conduits connected to the ports of the cylinder, unless and until the rotor.

is switched to a position of exact alignment with one of the systems connected to the cylinder. This is accomplished by an actuating element such as the actuating lever 3I which is pivoted on a base 32 and is connected by a link 33 to an actuating lever 34 for actuating the fluid flow or pump pressure to any of the systems upon the movement of the lever 3| from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 to the position shown in broken lines in the same figure. However, the end lever 3| could not be moved into this system operating position unless the adjusting element of the fluid switch is adjusted to an alignment to one of the systems connected to the oil switch. In the present ilustration on the end of the drum shaft |2 is an adjusting disc 36 in the periphery of which are a plurality of slits 31. Each slit 3'! is of sufficient width to accommodate therein the hand lever 3| in the lowered position. The slits 3! are cut into the disc 36 at such angles and circumferential spacing that when one of the slits 3'! is aligned with the hand lever 3|, then one of the passages in the drum I is suitably aligned with a selected set of ports on the cylinder 6 and thus connected to selected conduits for operation. The disc 36 has markings thereon adjacent to each slit 3'! to indicate the connection when the particular slit 3! is aligned with the hand lever 3|.

For selection, the operator turns the disc 36 in order to bring the properly marked slit 31 into aligned position with the hand lever 3| and then pulls the lever 3| into the aligned slit to render the system operative through the selected passages of the drum as heretofore described. In order to vary the operation, the lever 3| is lifted out of the slit 3'! and another slit 3! is aligned with the hand lever 3| and the actuation is repeated in this second selected position. A spring 38 is provided to pull the hand lever 3| back into inoperative position so that when the operator releases the hand lever 3|, it automatically disengages from the disc 36 and shuts off further operation of the device. This renders the operation safe and prevents continuing motion while the operator is away from the machine. The

spring 38 is secured on the casing 4| and to the' lever 34 for pulling the lever 34 into inoperative position and thereby pushing the hand lever 3| out of the slit 3?.

As an illustration of the operation of the fluid switch herein described in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the use of my fluid switch is shown in connection with two hydraulic plungers utilized in the tire removing device, which is described in detail in my copending application, Serial No. 642,323, filed January 19, 1946. The tire removing device denoted in its entirety by the reference numeral 46 has a frame 41 on the top of which is a hydraulic cylinder 48, in which works a piston, the rod 49 of which carries a suitable mechanism 56 for pushing a tire off a rim. The rim is supported on a post 5|, which post in turn is mounted on a carriage 52 on the bottom of said frame 41 and is movable in and out so as to carry the rim into and out of the machine. This carriage 52 is operated by another hydraulic plunger device 53. My hydraulic switch and device are mounted on the frame 41 at one side in an out'of the way position as indicated by the position of the disc 36 at one side of the machine in Fig. 4. A hydraulic pressure conduit is connected to the cylinder 48 and to the cylinder 53 for the respective operations. The disc 36 is marked at the respective slits In and Up and Down and Out respectively to indicate the movement of the post 5| inwardly to operative position, the movement of the pushing device upwardly and away from the tire, the movement of the carriage and post 5| outwardly from the machine, and the downward movement of the pushing device 52. The operation in these various positions will be better understood upon the examination of the system connected to the cylinders as illustrated by the diagram in Fig. 1.

When the unit is used for the purpose of operating and controlling hydraulic plungers, the central passage i4 is plugged at least at one end, as indicated by the plug 54, so as to render the diametric passage l4 inoperative and limit the operation to the angular passages l5 and I6. In the vertical cylinder 48 works the piston 56. As shown in Fig. 1, the port 51 on the top of the vertical cylinder 48 is connected by a pipe 58 to the drum cylinder port 24. The bottom port 59 of this vertical cylinder 48 is connected by a pipe 6| to the drum cylinder port 28 which is diametrically opposite, namely 180 from the first drum cylinder port 24. The horizontal port carrying hydraulic cylinder 53 has its top port 62 connected by a pipe 63 to the drum cylinder port 2'! which is about 45 in clockwise direction from the drum cylinder port 28. The bottom port 64 of the horizontal cylinder '53 is connected by a pipe 66 to the drum cylinder port 23 which is diametrically opposite the previous drum cylinder port 21.

Drum cylinder ports

25 and 26 at the top of the drum cylinder, are alternate ports located between the top connection port 24 for the vertical cylinder 48 and the top connection port 2'! for the horizontal cylinder 53. These alternate power or

pressure ports

25 and 26 are connected by

pipes

61 and 68 respectively to a pressure delivery pipe or conduit 69 which has a pressure gauge 1| connected thereinto to indicate the pressure on the lines. This pressure line 69 is connected to the outlet passage 12 of a gear pump l3 in the pump casing 4|. The low pressure drum cylinder ports 22 and 29 are located between the bottom ports 23 and 28 respectively for the working

cylinders

53 and 48.

Pipes

16 and 11 connect together to a reservoir 18 which in turn is connected by a pipe 7 9 to the intake passage 8| of said gear pump 13. Between the reservoir 18 and the pressure line 69 is interconnected a pre-adjusted relief valve 82 as a safety measure to bypass extreme dangerous pressure. The gear pump 73 is suitably driven, for instance, as illustrated in Fig. 4, by an electric motor 10 and transmission 15.

The gear pump 13 pumps the fluid from the intake passage 8| into the outlet passage 12. Between these passages BI and 12 is a transverse bypass passage 83 which bypass passage is obstructed at the intake passage 12 by a gate valve 84. This gate valve 84 is pivoted on a fulcrum shaft 86 which extends outwardly and is keyed to the end of the lever 34, heretofore described, so that when the lever 34 is pulled upwardly the gate valve 84 is moved downwardly to uncover the bypass passage 83 and block the pressure or intake passage 12. Thus when the hand lever 3| is out of the disc 36, the gear pump 13 circulates through its own bypass 83 and recirculates the I fluid without delivering pressure to the pressure line 69. Whenever the proper alignment'of a slit 3'! of the disc 36 is accomplished and the hand lever 3| is pulled down and held down in the slit 3?, the link 33 is pushed down and the lever 34 is also turned down, lifting the gate valve 84 up into the position shown in Fig. 1, blocking the bypass 8| and opening the pressure passage 12, so that the pump 13 delivers the fluid under pressure to the pressure line 69.

Thus in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 when the disc 36 is in the Up position and the end of the lever 3| is held in the Up slit 31, the fluid under pressure passes from the pump to the pressure line 69, then into the alternate pressure intake 68 and to port 26 and then through passage I5 and the outlet port 28 and pipe 6| to the bottom port 590i the vertical cylinder 48 so as to exert pressure on the piston 56 and lift the piston rod 49 and the device 50 thereon upwardly. As soon as the hand lever 3| is released. and pulled up by its spring, the gate valve 84 in the pump is closed and the pump circulates within itself, without any action on the system. Then if the disc 35 is turned to a position where the next slot marked In is in alignment with the hand lever 3i, and the hand lever 3| is pulled into this In slit 31, then the position of the passages I5 and I6 having been shifted 45 in clockwise direction, the alternate intake port 25 is connected to the outlet port 2! and the bottom line 63 connects the pressure to the bottom 62 of the horizontal cylinder 53 and moves the piston therein inwardly. If the disc 36 is rotated another 45 in clockwise direction, and aligns the Down slit 31 with the'hand lever 3!, then the connection is between the alternate intake port 26 of the pressure line to the alternate outlet port 24, and through the pipe 58 to the top of the vertical cylinder 48 to apply pressure for thedown movement, while the bottom port 59 and its pipe 6| are connected through the port 28 and passage I6 to the bypass port 22.

Another 45 turn brings the Out slit 31 of the disc 35 in alignment with the hand lever 3|, and brings the passage I5 into connection between the alternate intake port 25 and delivery port 23 so as to connect pressure to the bottom line 66 and the bottom port 64 of the horizontal cylinder 53. The other passage I5 at this time connects the intake port 21 to the bypass port 29 for bypassing from the top of the cylinder 53 back to the reservoir I8. The alignments are accurate because otherwise the hand lever 3i could not be moved down and the bypass gate valve 84 could not be closed and pressure would not build up in the line 59. Therefore complete safety and facility of operation is provided with easy selection and manipulation.

The form shown in Fig. 2 illustrates an arrangement for another use of the. hydraulic switch herein described. In this instance, the arcuate passages I5 and I6 are plugged by plugs 9| so that the only passage in operation is the unplugged diametrical central passage I4. In this instance,

pipes

92, 93, 94 and 99 connect respectively to

ports

24, 25, 25 and 21 of the drum cylinder 6. These pipes are connected, for

instance, to four gasoline or oil tanks in the usual gasoline delivery truck or the like. The other four

ports

23, 22, 29 and 28 respectively are connected by four

short pipes

91, 98, 99 and II respectively to an arcuate chest I02 and to an outlet spout I93. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the intake pipe 95 is connected to the horizontal passage I4 and drains the, tank or container connected to the pipe 96. In order to connect the outlet to any one of the other tanks, the drum I I is rotated, for instance, in a clockwise direction and at each 45 turn it will connect to a different pipe which then drains into the corresponding short pipes and to the outlet at the bottom. In the event of a series of sets of ports as shown in Fig. 3, a similar system of piping would be arranged on the second row of ports but ofiset 22%? from the system heretofore described so that at each 22 turn of the drum 6 a different container is connected to an outlet for draining. This allows a quick selection for draining any selected tank; for instance, in a delivery gas truck, where at the present time, complicated valve systems have to be used for the closing and opening of the various tanks.

The device herein described is very easily converted from the actuation of hydraulic plungers as herein described for various purposes where hydraulic plungers may be used. It is adapted to be used with two or more hydraulic plungers according to the need for multiple control. The device is quickly adjustable to selected combinations of positions and is observable and safe. The device can be converted from its use as a hydraulic plunger control to a control for the dischargingof multiple tanks or containers, by

simply plugging the arcuate passages of the 1. A fluid flow control device, comprising a cylindrical casing, a drum rotatable in the cas ing, a plurality of transverse passages in said drum having their openings on the periphery of said drum, a plurality of ports leading from said cy1inder,'said openings of said passages and said ports on said cylinder being substantially equally spaced circumferentially for elective alignment of said passages with said ports according to the relative angular position of said drum and said cylinder, and a system of conduits being connected to said ports for conducting the flow through selected drum passages, a fluid pump connected to certain conduits 0f said system for conveying fluid under pressure, other conduits of said system being connected to the intake of said fluid pump for return flow, a bypass circuit to bypass said fluid under pressure from said pump, a normally open valve adapted to close said bypass circuit, and the remaining ports and conduits being connected to devices operable by said fluid pressure, an adjusting element extended from the drum for adjusting the position of the drum, means on said element to indicate the position of alignment of the respective passages of said drum with respect to the ports of said cylinder, and an actuator member connected to said valve being movable for permitting a buildup of pressure by said pump through said conduit system, said actuator element and said indicator means coacting to allow actuating movement of said member only when said indicating elements indicate an aligned position of said drum passages with respect to ports corresponding to said indication.

2. In a fluid control device of the character described, a cylinder, a plurality of ports on said cylinder being spaced circumferentially substantially at 45 apart, a pair of transverse passages on each half of said drum, the opening of each of said passages being apart from the ends of the other passage, two pairs of diametrically opposite ports being connected to the intakes of hydraulically actuated devices, and the two other diametrically opposite pairs of ports being connected to a fluid pressure circulating system, an adjusting member for adjusting and'indicating members on said element for indicating the position of alignment of said drum passages with a set of said ports, a control mechanism for said pressure circulating device normally bypassing said pressure from said system Of passages, said mechanism including an actuating element, said actuating element coacting with said indicating means for actuation onl when said indicating means are in a position corresponding to an alignment of said drum passages with a set of ports.

3. In a fluid control device of the character described, a cylinder, a plurality of ports on aid cylinder being spaced circumferentially substantially at 45 apart, a pair of transverse passages on each half of said drum, the openings of each of said passages being 96 apart from the ends of the other passage, two pairs of diametrically opposite parts being connected to the intakes of hydraulically actuated devices, and the two other diametrically opposite pairs of ports being connected to a fluid pressure circulating system, an adjusting member for adjusting and indicating members on said element for indicating the position of alignment of said drum passages with a set of said parts, a control mechanism for said pressure circulating device normally bypassing said pressure from said system of passages, said mechanism including a handle lever, said indicating member being engageable by said handle lever only in respective selected aligned drum positions.

4. A fluid flow control device, comprising a cylindrical casing, a drum rotatable in the easing, a plurality of transverse passages in said drum having their openings on the periphery of said drum, a plurality of ports leading from said cylinder, said openings of said passage and said ports on said cylinder being substantially equally spaced circumferentially for selective alignment of said passages with said ports according to the relative angular position of said drum and said cylinder, and a system of conduits being connected to said ports for conducting the flow through selected drum passages, a fluid pump connected to certain conduits of said system for conveying fluid under pressure, other conduits of said system being connected to the intake of said fluid pump for return flow, and the remaining ports and conduits being connected to devices operable by said fluid pressure, said pump having an intake and an outlet, connected into said conduit system, bypass means to bypass pump pressure for said system and to circulate the fluid within the pump, a mechanism for releasing said bypass means at will, and opening the pump outlet to said conduit system, and an actuating element for said mechanism being operable only when the passages of said drum are aligned with selected ports of said system.

5. A fluid flow control device, comprising a cylindrical casing, a drum rotatable in the easing, a plurality of transverse passages in said drum having their openings on the periphery of said drum, a plurality of ports leading from said cylinder, said openings of said passages and said ports on said cylinder being substantially equally spaced 'circumferentially for selective alignment Of said passages with said ports according to the relative angular position of said drum and said cylinder, an adjusting disc for turning said drum relatively to said cylinder, said disc having circumferential slits spaced apart at the same circumferential angle as the position of said operating ports, a normall open pump bypass passage to bypass the fluid flow, a bypass valve adapted to close said bypass passage and to direct fluid flow under pressure to said cylinder, and a valve operating element abutting against the periphery of said disc except when one of said slits is aligned therewith and operating said bypass valve to close said passage when said element is depressed into said aligned slit.

ALEX s. RITTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,538,167 Chappell et al May 19, 1925 1,580,318 Nordenskjold Apr. 13, 1926 1,968,422 Proctor et a1 July 31, 1934 2,042,186 Peterson May 26, 1936 2,085,688 Schuchman et a1. June 29, 1937 2,111,134 Allin Mar. 15, 1938 2,165,096 Frechette July 4, 1939 2,182,459 Vickers Dec. 5, 1939 2,313,438 Hoelscher Mar. 9, 1943