US 4,074,614 AGranted

Valving for dual radial piston motor

AssigneeCaterpillar Tractor Co.

InventorCharles E. Beals

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A drive apparatus for a rotary output member of a vehicle or the like includes a pair of orbiting members having outwardly-projecting teeth which engage with inwardly-projecting teeth of an output member. Hydraulically-actuated piston and cylinder means provide orbiting of the orbiting members, through a rotary valving element, to in turn rotate the rotary output member.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A fluid transfer apparatus comprising:

fixed body means defining a bore and defining first passage means communicating with said bore and through which fluid may flow into the bore, and second passage means communicating with the bore and through which fluid may flow from the bore;
a plurality of piston and cylinder means reciprocably associated with the fixed body means;
a valving element rotatable within said bore defined by the fixed body means and defining means such that as the valving element is rotated relative to the fixed body means, communication is provided between each piston and cylinder means, and the first and second passage means of the fixed body means alternately, to alternately direct fluid to and allow flow of fluid from each piston and cylinder means, wherein the means defined by the valving element comprising (i) first channel means defined thereabout and communicating with the first passage means defined by the fixed body means (ii) second channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with some of said piston and cylinder means, (iii) internal passage means communicating the first and second channel means, wherein the means defined by the valving element further comprise (iv) third channel means disposed thereabout and communicating with the second passage means defined by the fixed body means, (v) fourth channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with the other piston and cylinder means, and (vi) internal passage means communicating the third and fourth channel means;
and
means for generally balancing lateral forces applied to the valving element by fluid pressure applied thereto and released therefrom through the second and fourth channel means, wherein the means for generally balancing lateral forces comprise first additional channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element on a side thereof generally opposite the second channel means, and means communicating fluid pressure to said first additional channel means from said first passage means defined by the first body means, and second additional channel means defined by and disposed about a portion of the valving element on a side thereof generally opposite the fourth channel means, and means communicating the second additional channel means with the second passage means defined by the fixed body means.

2 more elements

A fluid transfer apparatus comprising:

fixed body means defining a bore, and defining first passage means communicating with said bore and through which fluid may flow into the bore, and second passage means communicating with the bore and through which fluid may flow from the bore;
a first plurality of piston and cylinder means reciprocably associated with the fixed body means;
a second plurality of piston and cylinder means reciprocably associated with the fixed body means;
and
a valving element rotatable within said bore defined by the fixed body means and defining first means such that as the valving element is rotated relative to the fixed body means, communication is provided between each piston and cylinder means of the first plurality thereof and the first and second passage means of the fixed body means alternately, to alternately direct fluid to and allow flow of fluid from each piston and cylinder means of the first plurality thereof, the valving element defining second means such that as the valving element is rotated relative to the fixed body means, communication is provided between each piston and cylinder means of the second plurality thereof and the first and second passage means of the fixed body means alternately, to alternately direct fluid to and allow flow of fluid from each piston and cylinder means of the second plurality thereof, wherein the first means defined by the valving element comprise first channel means defined thereabout and communicating with the first passage means defined by the fixed body means, second channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with some of said piston and cylinder means of the first plurality thereof, and internal passage means communicating with the first and second channel means, wherein the first means defined by the valving element further comprise third channel means disposed thereabout and communicating with the second passage means defined by the fixed body means, and fourth channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with the other piston and cylinder means of the first plurality thereof, and internal passage means communicating the third and fourth channel means, and wherein the second means defined by the valving element comprise fifth channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with some of the second plurality of piston and cylinder means, and internal passage means communicating the first and fifth channel means, and sixth channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with the other of the piston and cylinder means of the second plurality thereof, and internal passage means communicating the third and sixth channel means, wherein the sixth and fourth channel means are disposed on generally opposite sides of the valving element, and the fifth and second channel means are disposed on generally opposite sides of the valving element, and wherein the first and third channel means are disposed between the sixth and fourth channel means and between the fifth and second channel means.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A fluid transfer apparatus comprising:

fixed body means defining a bore and defining first passage means communicating with said bore and through which fluid may flow into the bore, and second passage means communicating with the bore and through which fluid may flow from the bore;
a plurality of piston and cylinder means reciprocably associated with the fixed body means;
a valving element rotatable within said bore defined by the fixed body means and defining means such that as the valving element is rotated relative to the fixed body means, communication is provided between each piston and cylinder means, and the first and second passage means of the fixed body means alternately, to alternately direct fluid to and allow flow of fluid from each piston and cylinder means, wherein the means defined by the valving element comprising (i) first channel means defined thereabout and communicating with the first passage means defined by the fixed body means (ii) second channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with some of said piston and cylinder means, (iii) internal passage means communicating the first and second channel means, wherein the means defined by the valving element further comprise (iv) third channel means disposed thereabout and communicating with the second passage means defined by the fixed body means, (v) fourth channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element and communicating with the other piston and cylinder means, and (vi) internal passage means communicating the third and fourth channel means;
and
means for generally balancing lateral forces applied to the valving element by fluid pressure applied thereto and released therefrom through the second and fourth channel means, wherein the means for generally balancing lateral forces comprise first additional channel means disposed about a portion of the valving element on a side thereof generally opposite the second channel means, and means communicating fluid pressure to said first additional channel means from said first passage means defined by the first body means, and second additional channel means defined by and disposed about a portion of the valving element on a side thereof generally opposite the fourth channel means, and means communicating the second additional channel means with the second passage means defined by the fixed body means.

2 more elements