US2750464A - Control device for the pneumatic switching means of circuit breakers with section switches in electrical lines - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1956 A VIBOUD 2,750,464

CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE PNEUMATIC SWITCHING MEANS OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH SECTION SWITCHES IN ELECTRICAL LINES Filed March 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fi I 57 56 Inventor Albert VIBOUD B 14.5w MMM Attorney June 12, 1956 VlBOUD CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE PNEUMATIC SWITCHING MEANS OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH SECTION SWITCHES IN ELECTRICAL LINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1952 Inventor Albert VI BOU D y Admi WMM(* CONTRUL DEVICE FGR THE PNEUIVIATEC SWITCHTNG MEANS OF CIRCUIT BREAK- ERS WITH SECTION SWITCHES IN ELEC- TRIQAL LWES Albert Viboud, Grenoble, France, assignor to Etahiissements Merlin & Gerin, Socit Anonyme, Grenoble, France, a corporation of France Application March 18, 1952, Serial No. 277,326 Claims priority, application France April 4, 1951 8 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-82) The invention is concerned with a control device for distributing the compressed air or other pressure fluid to the mechanism which actuates the control valve for the supply of pressure medium to the current interrupting means and to the mechanism which actuates the in sulating section switch of a pneumatic circuit breaker.

In high voltage lines, the pneumatic circuit breakers which interrupt the current are provided with section switches which, as soon as the arc produced at the interruption of the current has been extinguished, open and thus separate and insulate the adjoining line section and thus secure a definite interruption of the circuit and separation of the line.

More particularly the invention is concerned with the control of both circuit breaker and section switch, operated by means of compressed air, such that the cycles of operation of the switches, particularly the switching oif of the same, are initiated by a single operation of a starting mechanism. The section switch will then be opened in predetermined spaced timing after the opening of the circuit breaker and all switching operations of the circuit breaker and of the section switch will be carrier through each in proper sequence of the various phases of the operation cycles. Both switches, as to the flow of the actuating pressure fluid, are switched 01f independently of each other but positively coupled with regard to the sequence in time of the various phases of the switching operations.

When the circuit breaker is opened, the time during which the arc is blown out generally does not exceed a half-period of the alternating net current since the extinction of the arc will generally be achieved at the first passage of the current through zero. The blow out valve thus could be closed after a half-cycle.

On the other hand, the opening of the section insulating switch obviously requires a greater length of time in view of the considerable length of the path which the movable contact member is to travel and which path is the longer the higher the voltage is for which the apparatus is designed.

Should thus a single valve be employed for the supply of compressed air to both circuit breaker and section switch, it would be necessary, in order to ensure the complete opening of the section switch, to maintain this single control valve in open position during the whole length of time required for the operation of the section switch. Since, anyhow, both circuit breaker and section switch are to be supplied with the pressure medium from the same source, the conditions for the proper working and cooperation of both are difiicult to reconcile. If the control valve is kept open all the time needed for the completion of the course of the section switch operation, a considerable quantity of the pressure medium will unnecessarily blow ofi at the circuit breaker after this circuit breaker has completed its function and thus this pressure medium will be lost and wasted. Accordingly, in such a case, the source for the pressure medium must be designed for a size larger than would be needed for a circuit breaker ice with which such loss after the circuit breaker has opened could be avoided. A device of this type thus is uneconomical.

Should, on the other hand, the control valve be closed immediately after the circuit breaker has opened and interrupted the circuit, the section switch could only continue and complete its movement through the inertia of its moving parts. Such a solution of the problem however has the drawback that a proper functioning of the section switch cannot be ensured. Some unknown factor might intervene, for instance friction might have increased while, during a longer period of time, the section switch had not been actuated so that the inertia of the moving parts of the section switch would no longer sufiice to complete the course of operation of the section switch, that is, to open completely.

It is thus an object of the invention to avoid these difficulties by providing a control and distributing device which makes possible for the switching means of the circuit breaker and those of the section switch, both operated by pressure fluid from the same source, to complete, independently of each other, their cycles of operation.

If in this specification and in the claims the term pressure fluid operated switching means is employed, this term is to comprise any means or mechanisms which, operated, driven, fed, controlled, or regulated by the pressure fluid, serve for, or assist in, the interruption of the current in the circuit breaker and the blowing out or the extinction of the arc, or the disconnecting of the section switch, or both.

The control and distributing device of the invention thus includes a valve mechanism hereinafter called distributor. A supply conduit connects the distributor directly with the source of pressure fluid. The admittance of pressure fluid to this supply conduit is under control of a mechanism, hereinafter designated as starting or release mechanism provided with a valve in the supply conduit. This valve is to be actuated for the opening of the circuit breaker by an electromagnet under the command of a signal given by hand or from the electric current, for instance on occurrence of a certain overload current. When, on command of such a signal, the valve of the release or starting mechanism opens, pressure fluid will be admitted to the distributor. Under the action of the compressed air, the distributor valve will first direct the flow of compressed air to the driving member which effects the opening and closing of a valve hereinafter named control valve" which controls the supply of pressure fluid to the switching means of the circuit breaker. After a predetermined period of time, dependent upon the working characteristics of the circuit breaker, the distributor valve will then cut off the supply of compressed air to the driving member of the control valve and set this member again under atmospheric pressure and thus close the control valve.

In further development of the invention, particularly for this actuation of the control valve for the circuit breaker and for rendering the operation of the section switch conditioned on that of the circuit breaker in predetermined spaced timing thereafter, the control device further includes a timing slide valve controlled by and itself controlling the distributor valve so that timing slide valve and distributor valve are both under mutual control, interdependent upon each other, as will be set forth in detail hereinafter.

The driving member for the control valve is actuated and controlled by this timing slide valve such that a predetermined period of time passes between the admission of the pressure fluid for actuating the driving member and the exhaust of the pressure fluid. This period of time is so determined that the control valve is held open just sufiiciently long to admit into the supply line of the circuit breaker the quantity of compressed air or other pressure fluid which is necessary for the blowing out of the arc, or for the pneumatic opening of'the switch contacts, or both.

Together with the exhausting from the timing slide valve of the compressed air which had served for the actuation of the driving member of the control valve or together with the closing of this valve, the distributor also controls the supply of the pressure fluid to the driving means, driving cylinder, which opens pneumatically the contacts of the section insulating switch.

By varying the size of the exhaust outlet, such as by throttling the passage therethrough, the length of time may be regulated during which the pressure fluid. which had actuated the driving member of the control valve, is exhausted from the timing valve. The velocity with which the control valve is closed again may thus be controlled.

Supplying of compressed air to the distributor may be terminated by tie-energizing the release valve mechanism, for instance by de-exciting the coil of the release electrovalve by means of an end contact which cuts olf the energizing current of the relay as soon as the section switch has fully opened its contacts and reached its open end position. The distributor valve is no longer supplied with compressed air. Under the action of a return mechanism the distributor valve will now return into its initial rest position for the next release operation.

The sequence of the three operations just described, opening of the control valve, closing of the control valve by exhausting the pressure fluid from its driving member, and opening of the section switch, in the proper se quence and with predetermined spaced timing may be ensured by the provision of this distributor as a slide piston valve.

The novel mode of distribution of the compressed air or other pressure fluid and of the control of the operation of the switching means through the control device of the invention presents various advantages.

The compressed air for the actuation of the section switch is no longer derived from the current of compressed air which feeds the switching means of the circuit breaker but is derived directly from the source or reservoir of the compressed air. The supply of compressed air to, and the operation of, the driving motor for the opening of the section switch contacts thus are independent of the movement of the control valve for the supply of compressed air to the circuit breaker. The actuating compressed air is supplied to the switching means of the section switch when the control relay has released the quantity of compressed air necessitated for the blowing out or other pneumatic switching operation, or both, of the circuit breaker. Finally, the closing of the control valve is made independent of the energy supplied to the release mechanism of the control device, or its controlling electro-valvc, since following the exhausting of the compressed air which operates the driving member of the control relay, which takes place automatically, the control valve will close again independently of the electro-valve.

For further illustration of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and which are to be understood explieative of the inventionbut not limitative of its scope.

The drawings thus are to show an embodiment of my invention but not to limit the scope of my invention through or to the particularities of the example selected for illustration. Other embodiments incorporating the principle underlying my invention are feasible without departing from the spirit and ambit of my appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional view of an embodiment of the control device of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagram of the device together with the cooperating pneumatic and electric circuits and circuit breaker and section switch controlled thereby;

Fig. 3 illustrates schematically the pneumatic organization of the circuit breaker of Fig. 2, all details not concerned with the invention being omitted.

In the drawings, a source or reservoir of the pressure fluid, as a rule compressed air, is designated by 11. This source is to supply the pressure medium to the supply lines leading to the switching means of the circuit breaker and of the section switch under the control of the device of the invention. This control device comprises the three aforesaid component mechanisms, release mechanism, distributor and timing valve. 12 is the supply line connecting the source 11 of pressure fluid with the switch ing means of a circuit breaker, generally and schematically indicated at 13 in Figs. 2 and 3. Supply line 12 is under the control of a control valve 14, normally held with its disc 15 against its seat 16 by the pressure of the compressed air or other fluid in the vessel 11. This valve thus serves as circuit breaker control valve since it controls the actuation of the switching means of this circuit breaker. The stem 17 of the circuit breaker control valve, or shortly control valve, 14 is passed through the lower cover 21 of the cylinder 22 of a slide piston valve, generally designated by 20. The upper end of stem 17 is secured to the piston 23 of this slide valve, herein, for reasons which will appear hereinafter, called timing slide valve or short timing valve.

The head 24 of the timing slide valve cylinder is traversed by a fluid admission duct 25 and a fluid exhaust duct 26. In the cylinder wall there is provided a side port 27, opening into a conduit 23, and spaced apart from the upper end of the cylinder space a distance within the stroke of piston 23.

Mounted on the head 24 of the timing valve 20 is the distributor likewise in the form of a piston slide valve. Within the cylinder 30 of the distributor valve, the distributor piston 31 is urged into its rest position, in the drawing towards the right, against the head 40 of the cylinder 30 by means of a spring 32 housed within the cylinder and bearing with its one end against the piston and with the other end against the cylinder head 33. Cylinder head 33 is provided with a ventilation opening 34 so that air may escape from the cylinder when the-piston is displaced towards this head against the action of the spring, and vice versa.

The movement of piston 31 controls three ports 35, 36, and 38, respectively opening into ducts 25, 26 and conduit 28. Diametrally opposite the port 35 leading into the admission duct 25 there is arranged in the cylinder wall 30 an admission port 41 opening into a supply conduit 42 which is to admit compressed air from the source or reservoir 11 under the control of the release mechanism 56, 62, 63, 64, 65, which will be described later on. An exhaust outlet 43 is arranged in the wall of cylinder 30 diametrally opposite the port 36 of the exhaust duct 26. The passage through the exhaust outlet may be regulated by a register 44 with variable opening 45.

The slide body 31 of the distributor is provided with an annular throat 46 by means of which, in the rest position of the slide body or piston, admission conduit 42 communicates with admission duct 25 and through this duct with the cylinder space above the piston 23 the timing valve. In the other end position of piston 31, u11nular throat 46 registers with duct 26 and outlet 43. The cylinder space above piston 23 will thus be exhausted through duct 26, port 36, annular throat 46, outlet 43 and register opening 45.

Slide body 31 is further traversed by a center channel 49 of elbow .form, one, the axial branch 50 of this channel ending opposite an opening 51 of cylinder head 40 into which leads the supply line 52 which is to supply compressed air to the switching means of the section insulating switch, diagrammatically indicated at 53 in Fig. 2. The other, radial branch 54 of the center channel opens, in the rest position of piston 31, opposite port 38 which leads through conduit 28 to the side port 27 of the timing valve cylinder 22. The axial branch 50 of the center channel is further provided with an intermediate port 55 ending in the circumferential surface of the slide body, near the throat and between throat of the slide body and its end face with the opening of the axial channel.

The supply of the pressure fluid to the distributor and, through the throat 46 of its piston 31 to the timing valve, and therefore to the switching means of the circuit breaker and of the section switch, thus is under the control of the release mechanism; the supply to the circuit breaker indirectly through the actuation of the control valve through the intermediary of the distributor and the timing valve, and the supply of the pressure fiuid to the section switch directly but controlled by the interplay of distributor and timing valve.

The release mechanism comprises a master valve, gen erally designated by 56, with valve chamber 57, valve disc 58, valve stem 59 and valve seat 60. The valve chamber 57 freely communicates through a conduit 61 with the reservoir 11, thus is permanently under the pressure of the reservoir. The valve stem 59 is secured to a plunger 62 movable in a tube 63, the free, in the drawing left hand, end of which forms the valve seat 60. Tube 63 is in open communication with the supply tube 42 of the distributor. The plunger 62 is actuated by an electro-magnet 64.

The figures show all the movable parts in their rest position when both circuit breaker 13 and section switch 53 are closed. In order to open circuit breaker 13 and thereon, when the circuit breaker has opened, the section switch 53, the electromagnet 64 will be excited from an electrical control network, indicated at 67, Fig. 2, for instance by hand by closing a press button contact 68, or through command from the main network which is to be switched 011?, thus for instance by a current transformer 69 actuating a relay 70. The coil of a relay 71 will thus be energized and the working contacts 72 of this relay will close the energizing circuit of electromagnet 64. Re lay '71 will also close its holding contacts 73 and thus hold itself energized over the closed end contacts 74 of the movable switch member 66 of section switch 53.

The armature 65 of electromagnet 64 will now push plunger 62 inwards and lift valve disc 58 from its seat 60 against the pressure of the compressed air and will thus admit compressed air from reservoir 11 over line 61, valve chamber 57, and tube 63 to supply conduit 42 and through port 41, throat 46, port 35 and admission duct 25, to the cylinder space above piston 23. Since the diameter of this piston is larger than that of the disc of valve 14, this valve will be opened and compressed air will be admitted to supply line 12.

The compressed air now actuates the switching means of the circuit breaker such as shown at 13 in Figs. 2 and 3. This showing as well as that of the section switch and of the electrical control circuit with its relays is solely for the purpose of better illustrating the invention and explaining further the character of the operation cycles of the pneumatic circuits and the proper spaced timing of these cycles. The type of these circuit breakers and section switches does not form part of the subject matter of this invention, neither does any specific type of such interruptors or of their pneumatic actuating means, nor any specific type of starting means, such as the electromagnet which sets into operation the control and distributing means of the invention.

Thus, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the pressure fluid supplied through supply line 12 will displace the pistons 79, 80, and thus separate the contacts 81, 82, from each other, and from the nozzle contacts 83, 84. The compressed air will then pass through the nozzle contacts, thus blow out the arc and escape through the valve still open. This delayed action valve 85 will then be closed by the compressed air against the action of the spring of valve 85.

The contacts of the circuit breaker will now be held in their open position until subsequently the contacts are to be closed again through any appropriate means. this purpose, the pressure in the contact chamber may be released, for instance by actuating the valves 87, 88, whereupon the spring urged pistons will return the contacts 81, 82, to their closed position.

Returning now to the operation of the timing valve, piston 23 on its travel will reach and pass the side port 27 and thus admit compressed air from the cylinder space above piston 23 through port 27, conduit 28, port 38, into center channel 49 of the distributor piston. Compressed air will now be admitted through supply line 52 leading to the switch mechanism of the section switch.

The compressed air which enters the center channel 49 before it has time to actuate the switching mechanism of section switch 53, will displace the slide body 31 of the distributor through the pressure difference at both ends of the body, towards the left, and thus will bring part of port 55 and of supply conduit 42 into juxtaposition. Compressed air will now flow from reservoir 11 through conduit 61, valve chamber 57, tube 63, supply conduit 42, port 55, channel 50, into the space which has been opened between the right hand side of the slide body 31 and the head 40 of the distributor cylinder 36. The slide body is now rapidly moved to the left into the position where the throat 46 registers with the exhaust duct 26 and the exhaust outlet 43 while port 55 still registers with supply conduit 42.

The supply of compressed air to the cylinder space above piston 23 is thus cut off and this space connected with the outside atmosphere while the compressed air is still admitted to supply line 52 directly from supply conduit 42. The pressure on valve disc 14 will now prevail and piston 23 will be returned to its original rest position and valve 14 be closed.

By means of the register 44 provided at the exhaust outlet 43 and thus by more or less throttling the passage of the exhaust medium the velocity may be regulated with which piston 23 returns into its rest position and thus the length of time during which valve 14 is open.

The compressed air admitted to supply line 52 will now actuate the switching means of the section switch 53 for instance by means of driving cylinder 90, gearing 91, and rack 32, and withdraw the contact piece 66 from a cooperating contact at the outside of circuit breaker 13 and thus separate from the circuit breaker 13 the line section 93 joining the section switch. As soon as the section switch has been opened completely, it de-energizes by means of its end contact 74 the holding circuit of relay coil 71: network 67, coil 71, end contact 74, working contacts 73 of relay 71, and network 67. The working contacts 72 of relay 71 are thus opened and electro-valve 64 de-energized. At the same time the movable member 66 of the section switch causes the closing of a shunt contact 75, for instance by means of a looped rod 77 which throws over the throw-over switch 75, or by means of any other delayed action relay, so that, after contacts 72 of relay 71 had thus been opened and electro-valve 64 been de-energized, branch circuit 76 is bridged by switch 75 until later on the section switch is closed again, by conventional or convenient means, here not described, and the advancing contact member 66 will first allow contact 74 to close under the action of its spring and will then throw over and open the shunting switch 75 by means of the looped rod 77.

Through the de-energizing of electro-valve 64, the pres '7 sure of the compressed air on valve disc 58 will prevail and close valve 56. Admission of pressure medium is thus cut oil from the distributor.

Through disposition of the various conduits, ducts, and their ports, relatively to one another, the proper predetermined sequence and course of the various phases of the working cycles of the two, circuit breaker and section switch, will be ensured. Thus, the distance a between the orifices or ports 35 and 36 is so chosen that the space of cylinder 22 above piston 23 communicates with the outer atmosphere only then when the admission of the com pressed air into this space had been cut off completely by piston 31. In other words the dimension n is greater than the dimension [2, the width of the throat 46 or of the ports 35 and 44-. On the other hand, the dimension 0, the distance between throat 46 and port 55 is smaller than the dimension d, that is the width of port 3% and that of channel 54. Compressed air will thus be admitted to the driving cylinder 90 of the section switch 53 before port 33 has been closed by the slide body 31.

Furthermore, the side port 27 is spaced apart from the upper end of cylinder 22 or from the upper surface of piston 23 in its initial rest position so that port 27 will be uncovered by the passing piston 23 and compressed air will be admitted from the upper cylinder space through port 27, conduit 28, elbow channel 43 into supply line 52, only after valve 14 had been opened fully and a sufficient quantity of compressed air had been supplied to the switching means of the circuit breaker through supply line 12 for effecting the opening of the circuit breaker. Only then will the slide body 31 enter into action. In other terms, the operation for opening the section switch contacts will be started only after the opening of the circuit breaker had been completed. Circuit breaker and section switch thus are released in precisely spaced timing achieved through the appropriate spacing of the side port 27 of the timing valve cylinder 21 from the initial rest position of the timing valve piston 23.

As soon as the current is interrupted through the opening of the circuit breaker, control valve 14 and section switch 53 complete their cycles of operation independently of each other The control valve closes after a delay predetermined by the location of the side port 27 and the size of the exhaust opening 45, which ever the length of time may be for the completion of the operative cycle of the section switch.

011 the other hand, the driving cylinder of the section switch is fed directly from the source or reservoir of compressed air and this compressed air need no longer pass the control valve for the circuit breaker in order to reach the section switch. The total of the quantity of compressed air needed for the interruption of the current by the circuit breaker and for the disconnection of the line by means of the section switch is thus limited strictly to the minimum.

I claim:

1. Control device for actuating in an electrical line by means of a pressure fluid the switching means of a circuit breaker for interrupting the current of the line and the switching means of a section switch for separating the line from the circuit breaker; said device including a source of pressure fluid, pressure fluid supply lines connecting said source of pressure fluid to said circuit breaker and to said switch section separately, a control valve disposed between said source of pressure fluid and the supply line to said circuit breaker and adapted to control the passage of the pressure fluid therebetween; said device further including control organs inserted between said source of pressure fluid and each of said supply lines, said control organs including a distributor valve inserted between said source of pressure fluid and said supply line to the section switch, said control organs further including timing means associated with said distributor valve and with said control valve, said timing means including mechanism for operating said control valve thereby; distributing channels being disposed in said distributor valve and passages for pressure fluid in said timing means and ducts interconnecting the same; thereby, on admittance of pressure fluid to said distributor valve, starting from the rest position thereof, to control automatically, in predetermined spaced timing, the opening of the control valve and thus the setting in of the opening cycle of the switching means of the circuit breaker; and, on displacement of the piston of said distributor valve, the connecting of said source to the supply line of the switching means of the section switch and thus the starting of its opening cycle; thereon, on further displacement of said piston of the distributor valve and indepedently of the opening cycle of the section switch, the closing of said control valve; and, when the release mechanism had been switched ofl, the disconnecting of said supply line of the section switch from said source.

2. Control device for actuating in an electrical line by means of a pressure fluid the switching means of a circuit breaker for interrupting the current of the line and the switching means of a section switch for separating and insulating an adjoining line from the circuit breaker, said device including a source of pressure fluid, pressure fluid supply lines connecting said source of pressure fluid to said circuit breaker and to said section switch separately; said device including a control valve disposed and adapted for control of the passage of the pressure fluid from said source into the supply line leading to the circuit breaker; a distributor valve disposed at the head of the supply line leading to said section switch, a supply conduit for said pressure fluid disposed between said source and said distributor valve, control means for controlling the admittance of the pressure fluid to said supply conduit, a timing valve associated with the distributor valve and the control valve, thereby, on actuation of said control means, first to open the control valve for supplying pressure fluid to the circuit breaker and thereon in predetermined spaced timing to start the closing operation of the control valve; conduit means being disposed at said distributor valve and said timing valve and relatively to the rest positions of their respective pistons so as to be controlled by the motion of said pistons and to admit pressure fluid to the supply line of the section switch in predetermined spaced timing after, on admittance of the pressure fluid to said supply conduit and said distributor valve, the motion of the piston of the timing valve had set in and thus the opening cycle of the circuit breaker had been started, thereby to allow the circuit breaker fully to open before the opening cycle of the section switch is started; and, thereon, on motion of the piston of the distributor valve, to initiate the closing operation of said control valve and the completion of the switching off cycle of the section switch, independently of each other.

3. Fluid control mechanism for controlling the supply of pressure fluid from a source thereof to a first supply line and in spaced timing thereafter to a second supply line; said mechanism including a control valve disposed between said source of pressure fluid and said first supply line for controlling by means of said control valve the supply of pressure fluid to said first supply line, a distributor valve disposed at the head of the second supply line for controlling the supply of pressure fluid thereto; a supply conduit for said pressure fluid disposed between said source and said distributor valve, means for controlling the admittance of the pressure fluid to said sup ply conduit; a timing valve having its piston connected to the movable member of said control valve for operating the same; distributing channels disposed in said distributor valve and passages for pressure fluid connecting said timing valve to said distributing valve; thereby, on admittance of pressure fluid to the supply conduit and with both said distributor valve and said timing valve in their rest positions, first to admit pressure fluid from the supply conduit through the distributor to said timing 1 walve for opening through the displacement of the piston thereof said control valve, thereon, in spaced timing thereafter, on completion of the movement of the piston of said timing valve and thus termination of the supply cycle of the first supply line, to start the movement of the piston of the distributor valve toward a second position and the cycle of supply to the second supply line, While closing, through the displacement of the distributor valve piston, the supply of pressure fluid to the timing valve, and starting the exhausting of the same and the closing the control valve.

4. Fluid control device for controlling the supply of pressure fluid from a source thereof to a first supply line and in timed spacing thereafter to a second supply line, said mechanism including a control valve disposed and adapted for control of the passage of the pressure fluid from said source to the first supply line, a distributor valve disposed at the head of the second supply line, a supply conduit for said pressure fluid disposed between said source and said distributor valve, means including a re lease mechanism for controlling the admittance of the pressure fluid to said supply conduit, a timing valve associated with the distributor valve and the control valve; thereby, on admittance of the pressure fluid to said supply line and distributor valve, first to open the control valve for supplying pressure fluid to the first supply line and thereon, in predetermined spaced timing, to start the closing operation of the control valve; conduit means being disposed between said distributor valve and said timing valve and relatively to the rest positions of their respective pistons so as to be controlled by the motion of said pistons and to admit pressure fiuid to the second supply line in predetermined spaced timing after the admission of the pressure fluid to said supply conduit and distributor valve and the motion of the piston of the timing valve had set in, and thus the cycle of supply of pressure fluid to the first supply line had been started; thereby to allow completion of this cycle before the cycle of supply to the second supply line is started; and, thereon, on motion of the piston of the distributor valve, to initiate the closing operation of the control valve and the completion of the cycle of fluid supply to the second supply line.

5. Control device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said timing valve comprises a cylinder and a slide piston displaceable therein; a rod connecting said piston and the disc of said control valve, a fluid admission duct and a fluid exhaust duct being provided in the head of the cylinder, the wall of the cylinder having a side port in spaced relationship to said head and at a distance therefrom within the extent of the stroke of the piston; said distributor valve having an exhaust port and a further fluid conducting means for bringing, on admittance of pressure fluid to said supply conduit, said fluid admission duct of the timing valve into communication with said supply conduit of the distributor valve thereby to displace the piston of said timing valve and actuate thereby and open the control valve of said first supply line, said distributor valve including control means for controlling said fluid conducting means of the distributor valve for bringing in predetermined spaced timing said exhaust port into communication with said exhaust duct, for thus exhausting the cylinder and allowing the piston to be returned into its rest position under the prevailing pressure of said source on said control valve, and the control valve to close; said device further including fluid conducting means connecting said side port with said distributor valve, said control means of the distributor valve being further adapted for bringing said side port into communication with said distributor valve when the piston on its forward travel has passed said side port, and for thus starting operation of said distributor valve and causing the setting in of the cycle of supply to the second supply line.

6. Control device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said distributor valve comprises a cylinder, a slide body movable therein, a spring urging one end face of the slide body, said distributor valve cylinder having an admission port opening into said supply conduit and an exhaust port, and diametrally thereto ports respectively opening into the admission duct and the exhaust duct of the timing valve, further a port and conduit means communicating with the side port of the timing valve cylinder; said slide body having a throat disposed and adapted so as to bring, in the spring urged rest position of the slide body, said admission port and the port opening into said admission duct into communication, thereby, on admittance of pressure fluid to said supply conduit, to start movement of the timing valve piston and opening of the control valve; said throat being further disposed and adapted, on displacement of the distributor valve piston into its other end position by means of said fluid conducting and controlling means connecting the side port and the distributor valve, to bring said exhaust port and exhaust duct into communication, thereby to exhaust said timing valve cylinder and cause the return of the timing valve piston and closing of the control valve.

7. Control device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said slide body of the distributor valve has a center channel of elbow form with an axial branch and radial branch, the axial branch having an opening in the end face of the slide body opposite to that urged by the spring, the cylinder head facing this opening having a port leading into the second supply line; said radial branch opening at the circumferential surface of the slide body, the cylinder having a port, disposed so as to be in the rest position of the slide body, opposite said branch opening, a conduit connecting this port with the side port of the timing valve cylinder, such that, when the slide body is in its spring urged rest position, the center channel by means of its radial branch communicates with the side port, and, when the piston of the timing valve on its travel has passed the side port, pressure fluid is admitted through said center channel to the second supply line and to the end face of the slide body at which the center channel opens, said pressure fluid then causing displacement of the slide body against the action of the spring; the center channel further having an intermediate port opening at the circumferential surface of the slide body and disposed at a short distance from said throat and between the throat and the end face of the slide body where the center channel opens, so as, when the slide body has started its motion and the supply conduit and the admission duct still communicate through said throat, to admit pressure fluid from the supply conduit into the center channel and into the second supply line, thereby to start and continue the cycle of the supply of pressure fluid to the second supply line and displacement of the slide body into its other end position until, under control of the release mechanism, the supply of pressure fluid is cut off whereupon the slide body is returned by the spring into its rest position.

8. Control device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for controlling the admittance of pressure fluid to the supply conduit comprise a master valve, conduit means connecting said master valve with the source of pressure fluid and with the distributor valve, and further mechanism for actuating said master valve thereby to control passage of the pressure fluid to the distributor valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,450,628 Boisseau et al. Oct. 5, 1948 2,521,460 Jansson Sept. 5, 1950 2,523,572 Jansson Sept. 26, 1950

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