Caterpillar Tractor Co.

James L Schmitt

Kenneth F Golan

Hugh C Morris

Charles N Goloff

David S Ohaver

Sidney J Audifferd, Jr

Francis M Curley

Adjustable golf putter

A selector valve (10) for providing a plurality of fluid signals has a plurality of signal ports (17-22) and a pair of drain ports (23,24) opening into a bore (14) of a body (11) and are angularly spaced one from another in a plane normal to the axis of the bore (14). A spool (12) is reciprocatable within the bore (14) between a plurality of positions. At each position at least one of a plurality of radial passages (48-57) in the spool (12) communicates an inlet passage (25) with a manifold (41), another of the radial passages communicates the manifold (41) with one of the signal ports (17-22) and one or more of a plurality of arcuate pockets (60-68) in the spool (12) communicate the other signal ports (17-22) with the drain ports (23,24). By angularly spacing the signal ports (17-22) and positioning the radial passages (48-57) in the spool (12 ) for selective communication with the signal ports (17-22) at the various positions on the spool (12), a plurality of signals can be obtained with a relatively short travel distance of the spool (12).

Selector valve

The invention is concerned with improvement in a vehicle supported winch which comprises a supported rotatable drum for receiving and releasing a cable, a drive train for selectively transmitting rotary motion to said drum having clutching apparatus and breaking apparatus, a pump serving as a source of pressurized fluid and valves communicating the pump for selectively controlling application of the pressurized fluid to the clutch apparatus and the brake apparatus. The improvement comprises an accumulator communicating with the pump for storing the pressurized fluid produced by the pump when it functions and for supplying the pressurized fluid when function of the pump is retarded. A transmission is driven by an engine of the vehicle and drivingly connected to drive the drive train to selectively transmit rotary motion to the drum. A pump drive apparatus drivingly connects the pump to be driven by the transmission of the vehicle. Functioning of the pump is retarded as the transmission stalls. When functioning of the transmission is retarded the accumulator supplies the necessary pressurized fluid.

Vehicle supported winch

A hydraulically operated winch of the type adapted for logging or towing operations and having a rotatable winch drum about which a cable or line is entrained, a normally disengaged clutch being hydraulically operable to provide a coupling between a power input member and a winch drum drive shaft, a normally engaged friction brake normally securing the winch drum drive shaft against rotation while being hydraulically disengagable and a normally engaged clutch providing a selective coupling between the winch drum drive shaft and the winch drum. A modulating control valve for the winch includes a valve body having an inlet chamber in communication with a source of fluid under pressure, a single regulating spool in the valve being operable to selectively communicate fluid under pressure from the inlet chamber with respective actuating chambers for the brake and the two clutches, the valve also including a modulating valve responsive to the positioning of the regulating spool for modulating fluid pressure in the inlet chamber.

Modulation control valve for hydraulically operated winch

A control valve pressurizes an outlet conduit when a variable fluid pressure signal rises above a first predetermined level and depressurizes the outlet conduit when the variable signal subsequently drops below a second level that is lower than the first level, the valve further functioning to maintain the outlet conduit unpressurized without regard to the variable fluid pressure signal level in the absence of a second fluid pressure signal. The control valve automatically controls a fluid pressure operated lock-up clutch of a torque converter in a vehicle transmission system. The variable fluid pressure signal source may be a governor producing a pressure proportional to vehicle speed while the second fluid pressure signal source is one or more of the transmission drive conditioning devices. The control valve then functions to engage the lock-up clutch to eliminate fluid drive from the vehicle power path at higher vehicle speeds while at higher gear settings but maintains the fluid drive, regardless of vehicle speed, when the transmission is at one or more of the lower speed settings. These control functions are accomplished with a simplified and economical spool valve construction which exhibits a reliable and pronounced hysteresis or snap action to avoid undesirable oscillations in switching the torque converter in and out of the vehicle drive line.

Control valve for a torque converter lock-up clutch or the like

A control system for a drive train having an engine-driven power input member and auxiliary equipment associated therewith, a power output member, a hydraulically-operated slippable clutch coupling the power input member and power output member, the control system including a control valve operable in a first fluid flow condition to provide a maximum predetermined pressure level for fully engaging the clutch and a second fluid flow condition to provide an adjusted pressure level lower than the predetermined pressure level for partially engaging the clutch, and an override valve for selectively establishing either the first or second fluid flow conditions of the control valve and providing convenient changeover between the two power apportioning conditions of operation.

Growing community of inventors

Washington, IL, United States of America

James L Schmitt