Imi-barient, Inc.

Hydra-power Systems, Inc.

Richard A Gabellini

William C Ottemann

Lynn A Stuart

The hydraulic piston cylinder assembly which operates the governor of a turbine which powers a hydropower generator has a servo valve capable of flowing only a portion of its flow requirements during normal low power fluctuation conditions of the turbine's operation. During high power fluctuation conditions of the turbine's operation, such as during start-up, hydraulic fluid also flows to and from the piston and cylinder assemblies through high flow pressure and return conduits that bypass the servo valve. Control of fluid flow in the high flow conduits is accomplished by a proportional throttling valve located in the high flow return line. The servo valve and proportional throttling valve together have a flow capacity which is equal to the flow requirements of the piston and cylinder assembly and they are both actuated by the same electronic controller. However, the electronic controller only actuates the proportional throttling valve when the flow requirement of the piston and cylinder assembly exceeds the flow capacity of the servo valve. A hydraulic logic circuit activated by the electronic controller allows the high flow pressure and return conduits to be reversed for two-way operation of the piston and cylinder assembly.

Hydraulic positioning system with normal and high supply and exhaust

A power sailboat winch mechanism for the high speed gathering of running rigging line under initial low tension with final slow speed gathering of the same line under final high tension combined with line storage is disclosed. The winch mechanism includes two drums handling the line in series, these drums constituting a winding drum and a high torque drum. The winding drum is provided threaded to the bitter end of the line with a level wind for even distribution of the line along the drum. This winding drum provides initial rapid line take-up, tailing force to a high torque winch drum and line storage for the requisite amount of line used in the particular running rigging handled by the winch. A conventional high torque winch drum is provided between the winding drum and line load. This high torque winch is provided with surfaces to induce line climbing of the drum by conventional crowd climbing over the drum surface. This high torque winch spins free on a ratchet during high speed line gathering at the take-up drum, provides low speed high torque ouput for required final running rigging tensioning and has a proportional clutch release for letting line go under controlled tension for working of the running rigging.

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Aptos, CA, United States of America

Richard A Gabellini