Deere + Company

Robert W Nelson

Billie Gene Hunck

Steven M Pierce

A flow control valve assembly for controlling first and second reversible fluid motors for series or parallel operation has a direction control secton and a torque control section provided in a single valve body. The valve body has first, second, and third supply ports selectively pressurizeable by the direction control section and connected to a torque control bore in the torque control section. First and third function passages extend from the torque control bore and are connectible to the first fluid motor, and second and fourth function passages extend therefrom and are connectible to the second fluid motor. A grooved, torque control spool is disposed in the torque control bore for sliding from a series operating position wherein the grooves connect the first port to the first function passage, the second function passage to the third function passage, and the fourth function passage to the second and third ports. The torque control spool is biased towards a parallel operating position wherein the grooves connect the first port and the first and second function passages in parallel and connect the second and third ports respectively to the third and fourth function passages for metered flow therebetween. First and second sensing passages are fluidly connected to the second and third ports and are selectively interconnectible via a direction sensing valve in the valve body with first and second pilot passages which are respectively connected to first and second ends of the torque control bore. The direction sensing valve operates to respectively connect the first and second sensing passages to the first and second pilot passages for the first direction of operation and interchanges the connection for the second direction of operation so as to move the torque control spool to maintain equal flow of fluid to the first and second fluid motors in either direction of operation.

Flow control valve assembly with integrated torque and flow divider

The zero backlash spline coupling for a pair of shafts includes a first shaft having an integral flange and an internal frusto conical surface mateable with the frusto conical surface of a radially cut collar. The collar has internal spline teeth with one tooth on either side of the radial cut eliminated. The collar encircles a second shaft which has externally cut splines and abuts an internally spline-toothed keeper which also encircles the second shaft. Bolts passing through the keeper and into the flange draw the two together and force the collar to friction seat in the first shaft and lock onto the splines of the second shaft while providing a positive torque retention load on the bolts.

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Waterloo, IA, United States of America

Robert W Nelson