Danfoss A/s

Ivar Rasmussen

Poul H Pedersen

Johannes V Baatrup

Poul H Holm-Pedersen

Hydraulic steering mechanism is extended through an aperture in an end wall in a housing that has a pressure chamber, the steering mechanism including a slide rotatable with the steering column. An axial bearing is mounted by the end wall for rotatably mounting the steering mechanism while the aperture axially opposite end portion mounts a sealing ring between the housing and the steering mechanism. Axially between the sealing ring and the bearing there is a pressure reduction ring providing an annular gap with the slide for throttling the flow of fluid from the pressure chamber to a fluid collecting chamber that at least in part is defined by the pressure reduction and sealing rings. Fluid can flow from the collecting chamber through a housing outlet. The pressure reduction ring has an enlarged diameter flange for sealingly engaging the end wall and being clamped between the wall and the axial bearing. Increased pressure in the pressure chamber results in the flow of fluid through the gap increasing to automatically increase the pressure drop created by the throttle effect of the pressure reduction ring and thereby keeping the load on the sealing ring small.

Hydraulic steering unit

The invention relates to a multi-groove and spline connection between a gear and cardan shaft of a rotary piston machine with an internal axis, wherein external toothing at the head of the cardan shaft engages internal toothing of the gear and an axial abutment co-operates with the end face of the head. The abutment is such that it is only contactable by the teeth of the head of the cardan shaft.

Multi-groove and spline connection between gear shaft of a rotary piston

The invention relates to a hydrostatic power steering unit of the type having a gerotor gear set forming a metering motor and a valve unit for routing pressurized fluid from an inlet port selectively via expansible chambers of the gerotor gear set to either one of two motor ports while connecting the other one of the motor ports to an outlet port. The housing of the valve unit, which has inner and outer rotary sleeve members, is arranged adjacent the gerotor gear set. A cardan shaft connects the outer sleeve member to the gerotor star member, a gear head connected to the adjacent end of the outer sleeve is disposed internally of the inner sleeve member. Supply and drain ports and motor ports connectable to an external servomotor are provided in a cover plate which is fastened to the gerotor gear set on the side thereof opposite from the valve unit. Some of the axial bores in the gerotor ring gear normally used as bolt holes are used as passages for connecting the supply port and the motor ports to the interior of the valve unit on the other side of the gerotor.

Control device for hydrostatic steering means

The invention relates to a coupling for making a connection secured against relative rotational and axial displacement between a hub member and a shaft member. The shaft and hub members have engaging keys and grooves at the internal and external circumferences thereof. The hub member has a circumferential groove undercutting the keys thereof and an insert member having the same key and groove configuration as the shaft member is disposed therein. The insert member is circumferentially offset relative to the hub member so that the respective keys and grooves thereof are out of alignment. The keys of the insert and hub members are then in axially abutting engagement with the insert member serving as an anchor so that a screw connection between the shaft and the insert members allows the shaft and hub members to be drawn towards each other to form a firm and secure connection.

Coupling for connecting a hub and shaft

The invention relates to a vehicle steering control device of the type having a housing, inner and outer rotary slide members disposed in a bore of the housing and forming a reversing switch. The housing has inlet and outlet ports and two motor ports. Four axially adjacent spaced grooves being in the interface between the bore of the housing and the outer rotary slide member with the first and fourth grooves being connected to the inlet and outlet ports and second and third grooves being connected to the two motor ports. A steering shaft is connectable to the inner rotary slide member and a measuring motor which, on actuation of the control device, is connected to the inlet port to cause the outer rotary slide member to follow the inner rotary slide member. The leakage of pressurized fluid from one annular groove to another can cause erratic operation because the fluid in the motor passages linked by the second or third grooves is a definite, precise metered quantity because it is supplied by the metering motor. To impede the short circuiting of pressurized fluid from one annular groove to another, auxiliary annular grooves containing unmetered pressurized fluid are provided adjacent to the second and third grooves to impede the flow of pressurized fluid into or out of these grooves.

Growing community of inventors

Sonderborg, Denmark

Ivar Rasmussen