Methods and hydraulic apparatus

A method comprising:

• placing a hydraulic fluid source in communication with a port of a first hydraulic circuit;
• charging a chamber of a first hydraulic device of the first hydraulic circuit with a first quantity of hydraulic fluid entering the port from the hydraulic fluid source;
• charging a hydraulic accumulator of the first hydraulic circuit with a second quantity of hydraulic fluid entering the port from the hydraulic fluid source;
• pressurizing a control segment of the first hydraulic circuit with the hydraulic fluid source to a hydraulic pressure greater than or equal to an actuation pressure;
• locking the first quantity of hydraulic fluid from passing through the port to exit the first hydraulic circuit by hydraulically closing a normally open hydraulic pilot operated control valve from an open orientation to a closed orientation in response to the hydraulic pressure within the control segment reaching greater than or equal to the actuation pressure;
• removing the hydraulic fluid source from further communication with the port to prevent further hydraulic communication between the hydraulic fluid source and the chamber of the first hydraulic device and to prevent further hydraulic communication between the hydraulic fluid source and the hydraulic accumulator;
• discharging the second quantity of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic accumulator over a period of time to maintain the hydraulic pressure within the control segment at greater than or equal to the actuation pressure to maintain the normally open hydraulic pilot operated control valve in the closed orientation to continue locking the first quantity of hydraulic fluid from passing through the port to exit the first hydraulic circuit during the period of time;
• unlocking the first quantity of hydraulic fluid to permit the first quantity of hydraulic fluid to pass though the port and exit the first hydraulic circuit by hydraulically opening a normally open hydraulic pilot operated control valve from a closed orientation to an open orientation in response to the hydraulic pressure within the control segment dropping below the actuation pressure after the period of time.

A hydraulic apparatus comprising:

• a control segment;
• a hydraulic accumulator in communication with the control segment;
• a first hydraulic device comprising a chamber;
• and
• a normally open hydraulic pilot operated control valve in communication with the control segment and configured to hydraulically lock the first hydraulic device in response to a hydraulic pressure within the control segment rising to greater than or equal to an actuation pressure.