US3811458A

US3811458A - Pneumatic pulse diverters

Info

Publication number: US3811458A
Application number: US00301515A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Kuhnelt
Original assignee: Hoerbiger Ventilwerke GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Hoerbiger Ventilwerke GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1971-10-29
Filing date: 1972-10-27
Publication date: 1974-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-21
Also published as: CA958964A; FR2158318A1; DE2251882A1; IT970039B; CH541083A; ES408053A1

Abstract

A pulse diverter for directing pneumatic pulses from an inlet alternately to a pair of outlets, the diverter including a piston which at the appearance of each pulse is moved from one terminal position to another to establish a flow path between the inlet and one of the outlets while a control member blocks communication between the inlet and the other outlet and at the termination of each pulse, a drive connection is established between the piston and the control element to move the control element into a position blocking communication between the inlet and the first outlet so that the next pulse will be transmitted to said other outlet after the piston is moved to establish communication between the inlet and said other outlet.

Description

United States Patent Kuhnelt 1451 May 21,1974

[54] PNEUMATIC PULSE DIVERTERS 228,183 11/1958 Australia 137/119 [75] Inventor: Herbert F. Kuhnelt, Vienna IV.,

Ausma Primary Examiner-Robert G. Nilson Assigneez Hoerbiger vemnwerke Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Aktiengesellschaft, Vienna, Austria Watson 7 i [22] Filed: Oct. 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 301,515 [57] ABSTRACT I A pulse diverter for directing pneumatic pulses from [3O] Appl'cat'on Pnomy Data an inlet alternately to a pair of outlets, the diverter in- Oct. 29, 1971 Austria 9341/71 eluding a piston which at the appearance of each pulse is moved from one terminal position to another to es- [52] US. Cl 137/106, 91/433, 91/446, tablish a flow path between the inlet and one of the I 1 19 outlets while a control member blocks communication Int. between the inlet and the other utlet and at the ter- Field of Search mination of each pulse, a drive connection is estab- 137/624. 14, 625.1 1, 625.13; lished between the piston and the control element to 91/420, 468,40,433,446 Q move the control element into a position blocking communication between the inlet and the first outlet [56] References C ted so that the next pulse will be transmitted to said other UNITED STATES PATENTS outlet after the piston is moved to establish communi- 2,893,4l6 7/1959 Hegstad l37/624.14 x cation between the inlet and Said other Outlet- 3,722,525 3/1973 Epple 137/106 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 4 C 4 Draw"; 1,235,456 6/1971 Great Britain 137/119 I I5 5 2 I4 8 7 v 1 l 1 l' 10 1 e 9 f\ l \k 1 PNEUMATIC PULSE DIVERTERS This invention relates to pneumatic pulse diverters having a housing with an inlet and two outlets and means whereby pulses fed to the inlet are transmitted alternately to the two outlets.

It is frequently required in pneumatic control systems to transmit pressure pulses coming from a single source alternately to two seperate devices whereby from a single line, through a simple switch valve, controlled for example by a push-button, two different functions can be controlled, such as the switching on and off ofa tool. Use is made of this arrangement for example in the remote control of pneumatically operated doors of railway carriages and autobuses and in other cylinder control systems in which pistons are to be moved in sequence in opposite directions. Hitherto several control valves were connected together to form switch circuits having the desired function. These switch circuits are comparatively expensive, and require several pieces of apparatus of differing construction.

The present invention provides a pneumatic pulse diverter comprising a housing having an inlet and two outlets, a control chamber in communication with the inlet, flow paths leading from the control chamber to the respective outlets, a control member mounted in said chamber for movement between a pair of terminal positions in which the control member blocks one'or other of said flow paths respecively, a cylinder formed in said housing, a piston in said cylinder having a driving connection with said control member whereby the appearance of each of a series of successive pneumatic pulses at the inlet effects movement of the piston to establish connection between the inlet and one or other of said outlets through the respective flow path whilst the control member blocks the other flow path and the release of each pulse causes the driving connection to be established between the piston and the control member to move the control member from one terminal position to the other alternately to block the respective flow paths whereby the successive pulses appearing at the inlet are transmitted alternately to the respective outlets.

The control chamber may be formed as a radially enlarged portion of the cylinder with the control member comprising a disc mounted displaceably on the piston. The disc can be drivingly connected to the piston by springs acting on the disc in opposite directions which springs are supported on the piston. In this arrangement the flow paths from the control chamber to the outlets pass through the cylinder.

Alternatively the control chamber can be separate from the cylinder and can be in communication with the cylinder by channels forming part of the respective flow paths and controlled by the control member, the channels opening into the cylinder at opposite ends of the piston. With this type of construction it is advisable for the piston and/or the control member to consist at least partly of magnetic and/or magnetizable material. The drive connection between piston and control member then takes place by the magnetic transfer of force. It is also possible for this magnetic transfer of force to be used with control chambers that are formed as sections of the cylinder so that it is not necessary to have the abovementioned springs to transmit the force.

The piston can be a double piston with two opposed sections and a rod connecting the sections, the outlets being formed in the cylinder on opposite sides of the control chamber. In order to extend the function of the pulse diverter, the opposed sections of the piston can be sealed against the cylinder at least in the end positions of the piston, and can control vent openings which lead from the said cylinder. The pulse diverter thereby simultaneously withthe reversing of the pulses from one output to the other, also effects a venting of the output line not in use.

A pulse diverter'according to the invention can be further amplified by providing at least at one end of the piston a pneumatic, electric or magnetic adjusting drive, such as an adjusting piston or an electromagnet,

acting on the main piston, and by the actuation of which the main piston is adjustable into a predetermined end position. By means of the adjusting drive, the piston itself is brought into a preferred output position by means of an extinguishing pulse so that the first pulse arriving each time at -a determined output is transmitted further. By this arrangement the pulse diverter becomes a full value binary counting, stage with extinguishing signal imput which is useful as a'counting mechanism in the dual system; and several pulse diverters can 'be connected in tandem. v

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings FIGS. 1 and 2 show one form of pulse diverter according to the invention in axial cross-section and in two different positions, and Y F IGS. 3 and 4 are cross sections through two further forms of pulse diverter.

The pulse diverters shown consist of a housing I having a pulse input 2 and two pulse outputs 3'and 4. In the housing there is a control chamber 5 with a control member .6 and a cylinder 7 with a piston 8. The input 2 opens into the control chamber 5 and the

outputs

3 and 4 lead from the cylinder.

Vent openings

9 and 10 are provided leading from the cylinder 7.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 the control chamber 5 is formed as a radially enlarged sec tion of the cylinder 7 and the control member 6-consists of a disc of soft material such as seali ngmaterial,

for example made of hard rubber or plastics. The piston 8 is adouble piston, having two opposed sections or

end pieces

11 and 12, which are sealed against the cylinder 7 by O-rings, and are connected by a rod 13. The disc-shaped control member 6 rests on the piston rod 13 and is displaceable in relation to thepiston rod, by two

springs

14 and 15 which are arranged concentrically on the piston rod 13 and are supported on the

end pieces

11 and 12, the control member 6 thus being in positive connection with the piston 8.

The position shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to a rest position in the pressureless state. The control member 6 and the piston 8 are in their left end positions in' which the piston 8 is held by the friction of the sealing rings and the control member 6 by the force of the spring 14 which is thereby tensioned slightly. A pulse fed to the input 2 holds the control member 6 in the present end position and displaces the piston 8 to'the opposite end position shown in FIG. 2. The end piece 11 thereby frees the output 3 so that a flow path is established between the input 2 and output 3 via the control chamber 5 and the cylinder 7. The left-hand half of the cylinder 7 and with it the output 4 remain closed from the control chamber 5 because the pulsepresses the control member 6 sealingly on to the left-hand wall of the control chamber 5. The first control pulse thus passes to the output 3.

When the pulse terminates and the control chamber is relieved of pressure from the input 2, the control member 6 is displaced from the left to the right-hand end position by the spring which in the position shown in FIG. 2 is tensioned, whereby the right half of the cylinder bore 7 is sealed off. The next pulse which is fed through the input 2 therefore impinges on the left-hand end pieces 12 of the piston 8, moves this back into the end position shown in FIG. 1 and frees the flow path between the control chamber 5 and the output 4.

At the same time the output 3 is connected to the vent channel 9 and vents, as shown in FIG. 1. On the cessation of the second pulse the control member 6 again reaches the left-hand end position by the, now tensioned spring 14 so that the apparatus is now in readiness for diverting the next pulse to the output 3. The pulses fed through the input 2 are thus alternately transmitted to the two

outputs

3 and 4.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 3 the control chamber 5 is separate from the cylinder 7 and the control member 6 consists of a disc of magentizable material, for example soft iron, which may be covered on its sealing surfaces with a sealing material. The

end pieces

11 and 12 of the piston 8 are made either entirely of magnetic material or a permanent magnet is inserted in the

end pieces

11, 12. The housing consists of non-magnetizable materialfA magnetic transmission of force is thus achieved between the control member 6 and the piston 8. The flow paths between the control chamber 5 and the two

outputs

3 and 4 are formed by channels [6 and 17 which extend laterally from the control chamber 5, are controlled by the control member 6 and at the two ends of the piston open into the cylinder bore 7 which completes the flow paths.

The position shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the pressureless state. When a pressure pulse is fed to the input, the pulse passes through the channel 16 and reaches the right-hand end of the piston 8, displacing the piston into the left end position. Simultaneously the pressure pulse presses the control member 6 on to the inlet of the channel 17. The pulse is thereby transmitted to the output 3. Simultaneously the output 4 is vented through the vent channel 10, since the end piece 12 of the piston 8 is located in the left-hand end position. When the pulse ceases, the control member 6 which is then relieved of pressure is moved into its right end position through magnetic force exerted on it by the end piece 11 of the piston 8, as a result of which member 6 closes offthe channel 16 and opens the input to the channel 17. The next pressure pulse therefore passes through the channel 17 and reaches the left side of piston 8, displacing the latter to the right so that the flow path from the control chamber 5 to the output 4 is opened.

The embodiment according to FIG. 4 corresponds substantially to the structure according to FIGS. 1 and 2. The end pieces ll and 12 of the piston 8 are sealed off only in their end positions by O-rings l8 and 19 inserted into the housing I and have

tubular continuations

20 and 21 which abut sealingly against the discshaped control member 6. As a result of this it is not necessary to have a sealed arrangement of the control member 6 on the piston rod 13. The functioning of the pulse diverter corresponds to what was described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, this embodiment is provided with a return to zero formed by an adjusting drive 22 mounted on the end of the housing 1. The adjusting drive consists of an adjusting piston 24 displaceable against a return spring 23, which adjusting piston acts on one end of the piston 8 and to which an extinguishing pulse can be fed through an input 25. The pulse diverter can thus be brought into the desired output position at any time by the feeding of an extinguishing pulse. In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 the pulse diverter is brought to the left output position in which the pressure pulse first fed through the input 2 each time can be transmitted to the output 3. The pulse changer according to FIG. 4 thus forms a full value binary counting stage with extinguishing signal input. If necessary, the adjusting drive 22 can also be provided on the left end of the housing 1 or both ends can be equipped with an adjusting drive so that the pulse changer can be positively brought into each of its two end positions.

Within the scope of the invention further constructions and alterations to the embodiment shown are possible. In particular, with a control chamber 5 connected to the cylinder bore 7 according to FIGS. 1 and 2, a positive connection can be produced between the piston 8 and the control member 6 by magnetic transmission of force. The control chamber can be provided eccentrically to the cylinder bore 7 in the housing 1 and the control member 6 can be arranged pivotably instead of displaceably, in which case apositive drive connection with the piston can be effected either with springs or through the magnetic transmission of force.

I claim:

I. A pneumatic pulse diverter comprising a housing having an inlet and two outlets, a control chamber in communication with the inlet, flow paths leading from the control chamber to the respective outlets, a control member comprising a disc mounted in said chamber for movement between a pair of terminalpositions in which the control member blocks one or other of said flow paths respectively, a cylinder formed in said housing, the control chamber being formed as a radially enlarged section of the cylinder, a piston in said cylinder on which said disc is displa'ceably mounted and with which said disc is drivingly connected by opposed springs acting between the disc and the piston, whereby the presence of each of a series of successive pneumatic pulses at the inlet effects movement of the piston to establish a connection between the inlet and one or other of said outlets through the respective flow path while the control member blocks the other flow path, and the release of each pulse causes the driving connection to be established between the piston and the control member to move the control member from one terminal position to the other alternately to block the respective flow paths, whereby successive pulses appearing at the inlet are transmitted alternately to the respective outlets.

2. A pulse diverter according to claim 1 wherein the piston has two opposed sections operating in opposed cylinder sections respectively and a rod connecting the piston sections, and the outputs communicate with the respective opposed sections of the cylinder.

3. A pulse diverter according to claim 2, wherein the opposed sections of the piston are sealed at least in the terminal positions of the piston against the cylinder and 6 v the opposed piston sections control the communication least at one end of the piston'there is provided one of between the outlets and vent openings formed in the cylinder.

a pneumatic, electric and magnetic adjusting drive for altering the stroke of the piston. 4. A pulse diverter according to claim' I, wherein at

Claims

1. A pneumatic pulse diverter comprising a housing having an inlet and two outlets, a control chamber in communication with the inlet, flow paths leading from the control chamber to the respective outlets, a control member comprising a disc mounted in said chamber for movement between a pair of terminal positions in which the control member blocks one or other of said flow paths respectively, a cylinder formed in said housing, the control chamber being formed as a radially enlarged section of the cylinder, a piston in said cylinder on which said disc is displaceably mounted and with which said disc is drivingly connected by opposed springs acting between the disc and the piston, whereby the presence of each of a series of successive pneumatic pulses at the inlet effects movement of the piston to establish a connection between the inlet and one or other of said outlets through the respective flow path while the control member blocks the other flow path, and the release of each pulse causes the driving connection to be established between the piston and the control member to move the control member from one terminal position to the other alternately to block the respective flow paths, whereby successive pulses appearing at the inlet are transmitted alternately to the respective outlets.

3. A pulse diverter according to claim 2, wherein the opposed sections of the piston are sealed at least in the terminal positions of the piston against the cylinder and the opposed piston sections control the communication between the outlets and vent openings formed in the cylinder.

4. A pulse diverter according to claim 1, wherein at least at one end of the piston there is provided one of a pneumatic, electric and magnetic adjusting drive for altering the stroke of the piston.