Electrically operated proportional flow control hydraulic valve and manually operable remote control device therefor

A flow regulating valve, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet port, a regulated flow outlet port, and a bypass flow outlet port;
• a first valve chamber in the body;
• an inlet passage extending from the inlet port to the valve chamber;
• a regulated flow outlet passage extending from the valve chamber to the regulated flow outlet port;
• a bypass flow outlet passage extending from the valve chamber to the bypass flow outlet port;
• a flow regulating valve member reciprocable in the valve chamber between first and second positions and having portions thereof arranged to occlude said regulated flow outlet passage in one of said positions of the valve member and to enable and regulate flow from the inlet passage to the regulated flow outlet passage in another of said positions of the valve member;
• first and second pilot passages extending from the inlet to the valve chamber at opposite ends, respectively, thereof to convey pressure fluid to opposite ends of the valve member, said valve member being hydraulically balanced in one of its first and second positions;
• a pilot valve member in one of said pilot passages to selectively regulate flow to one of the ends of the flow regulating valve member to cause the flow regulating valve member to be hydraulically unbalanced and to shift from one of its positions to another of its positions;
• a pressure compensating valve chamber in the body between the first valve chamber and the outlet ports, said regulated flow outlet passage communicating with one end of the pressure compensating valve chamber and the bypass flow outlet passage communicating with the other end of the pressure compensating valve chamber;
• and a pressure compensating valve in the pressure compensating valve chamber reciprocable in response to the pressures in the respective outlet passages and including valving portions arranged to control flow through the respective outlet passages dependent upon the position of the pressure compensating valve, whereby regulated flow is obtained from the regulated flow outlet port which is directly proportional to positioning of the pilot valve over a wide range of inlet pressures and flow fluctuations.

A proportional flow valve, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet port, a bypass outlet port, and a regulated flow outlet port therein;
• a first valve chamber in the valve body;
• and inlet passage extending from the inlet port to the valve chamber;
• a bypass flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the bypass flow outlet port;
• a regulated flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the regulated flow outlet port;
• a flow regulating valve member movable in the valve chamber and having portions to control flow from the inlet passage to the regulated flow passage;
• an auxiliary passage from the inlet passage to the bypass passage in bypassing relation to the valve member, whereby flow is enabled from the inlet past the valve member to the bypass passage in all positions of the valve member;
• a second valve chamber;
• said outlet passages communicating with the second valve chamber;
• a pressure compensating valve means movable in the second valve chamber and having portions arranged to control flow through each of the respective outlet passages dependent upon the position of the pressure compensating valve means, said pressure compensating valve means movable to different positions in response to predetermined pressure differences between the outlet passages;
• and pilot means for positioning said flow regulating valve member to divert more or less flow from the bypass passage to the regulated flow passage, whereby a regulated flow is obtained from the valve over a wide range of inlet pressure and flow fluctuations, said regulated flow being proportional to the position of the regulating valve member, said pilot means including pilot flow passages communicating with different portions of the flow regulating valve member and conveying pressure fluid to said different portions, said regulating valve member being balanced in a neutral position by the pressure fluid acting on said different portions, and a pilot valve means operable to control flow through one of said pilot flow passages to control the pilot pressure acting on said flow regulating valve member to thus cause an unbalance and thereby control the position of the flow regulating valve member, and pilot valve operating means operable from a remote location to operate the pilot valve means.

A proportional flow valve, comprising:

• a valve body having an in inlet port, a bypass outlet port, and a regulated flow outlet port therein;
• a first valve chamber in the valve body;
• an inlet passage extending from the inlet port to the valve chamber;
• a bypass flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the bypass outlet port;
• a regulated flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the regulated flow outlet port;
• a flow regulating valve member reciprocable in the valve chamber and having portions to control flow from the inlet passage to the regulated flow passage;
• an auxiliary passage from the inlet passage to the bypass passage in bypassing relation to the valve member, whereby flow is enabled from the inlet past the valve member to the bypass passage in all positions of the valve member;
• a second valve chamber in the body;
• said outlet passages communicating, respectively, with opposite ends of the second valve chamber;
• a pressure compensating valve member reciprocable in the second valve chamber and having portions arranged to control flow through each of the respective outlet passages dependent upon the position of the pressure compensating valve member, said pressure compensating valve member movable to different positions in response to predetermined pressure differences at opposite ends thereof;
• means for positioning said flow regulating valve member to divert more or less flow from the bypass passage to the regulated flow passage, whereby a regulated flow is obtained from the valve over a wide range of inlet pressure and flow fluctuations, said regulated flow being proportional to the position of the regulating valve member;
• said means comprising first and second pilot passages extending from the inlet passage to opposite ends of the first valve chamber to convey pressure fluid to the opposite ends of the first valve chamber;
• said flow regulating valve member being hydraulically balanced in a first position of equilibrium wherein the flow regulating valve member occludes flow from the inlet passage to the regulated flow passage;
• a pilot valve member in one of the pilot passages operable to admit more or less pressure fluid through said one pilot passage to the associated end of the first valve chamber to enable movement of the flow regulating valve member to enable flow from the inlet passage to the regulated flow passage;
• solenoid means connected to operate said pilot valve member;
• and remote control means including means to vary the amount of energization of the solenoid means to thereby vary the amount of opening or closing movement of the pilot valve member and thus vary the amount of movement of the flow regulating valve member.

A proportional flow valve, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet port, a bypass outlet port, and a regulated flow outlet port therein;
• a first valve chamber in the valve body;
• an inlet passage extending from the inlet port to the valve chamber;
• a bypass flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the bypass flow outlet port;
• a regulated flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the regulated flow outlet port;
• a flow regulating valve member reciprocable in the valve chamber and having portions to control flow from the inlet passage to the regulated flow passage;
• an auxiliary passage from the inlet passage to the bypass passage in bypassing relation to the valve member, whereby flow is enabled from the inlet past the valve member to the bypass passage in all positions of the valve member;
• a second valve chamber in the body;
• said outlet passages communicating, respectively, with opposite ends of the second valve chamber;
• a pressure compensating valve member reciprocable in the second valve chamber and having portions arranged to control flow through each of the respective outlet passages dependent upon the position of the pressure compensating valve member, said pressure compensating valve member movable to different positions in response to predetermined pressure differences at opposite ends thereof;
• means for positioning said flow regulating valve member to divert more or less flow from the bypass passage to the regulated flow passage, whereby a regulated flow is obtained from the valve over a wide range of inlet pressure and flow fluctuations, said regulated flow being proportional to the position of the regulating valve member;
• said second valve chamber having a pair of valve ports adjacent opposite ends thereof communicating, respectively, with the bypass flow passage and regulated flow passage, and the pressure compensating valve member having a valve land at each of the opposite ends thereof arranged to cooperate with the respective valve ports to divert more flow from one of the passages to its respective outlet port while simultaneously limiting the flow from the other passage to its outlet port;
• said pressure compensating valve member being generally cylindrical and having a hollow bore therein extending inwardly from one end thereof over most of the length of the valve member;
• yieldable means in engagement with the pressure compensating valve member normally urging it into position to close off the port from the bypass flow passage to its associated outlet port;
• said yieldable means comprising a double spring arrangement including first and second coil springs arranged coaxially relative to one another and relative to the pressure compensating valve member and engaged on opposite sides of a coupling member;
• and a pair of elongated rods carried by the coupling member and extending longitudinally of the respective coil springs.

A proportional flow valve, comprising:

• a valve body having an inlet port, a bypass outlet port, and a regulated flow outlet port therein;
• a first valve chamber in the valve body;
• an inlet passage extending from the inlet port to the valve chamber;
• a bypass flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the bypass flow outlet port;
• a regulated flow passage extending from the valve chamber to the regulated flow outlet port;
• a flow regulating valve member reciprocable in the valve chamber and having portions to control flow from the inlet passage to the regulated flow passage;
• an auxiliary passage from the inlet passage to the bypass passage in bypassing relation to the valve member, whereby flow is enabled from the inlet past the valve member to the bypass passage in all positions of the valve member;
• a second valve chamber in the body;
• said outlet passages communicating, respectively, with opposite ends of the second valve chamber;
• a pressure compensating valve member reciprocable in the second valve chamber and having portions arranged to control flow through each of the respective outlet passages dependent upon the position of the pressure compensating valve member, said pressure compensating valve member movable to different positions in response to predetermined pressure differences at opposite ends thereof;
• means for positioning said flow regulating valve member to divert more or less flow from the bypass passage to the regulated flow passage, whereby a regulated flow is obtained from the valve over a wide range of inlet pressure and flow fluctuations, said regulated flow being proportional to the position of the regulating valve member;
• said valve body being generally rectangular in configuration and having a top wall, opposite end walls and opposite side walls;
• said inlet port being in the top wall and said bypass outlet port and regulated flow outlet port being in the bottom wall;
• said first and second valve chambers being substantially parallel with one another and formed in the valve body between and generally parallel to the top and bottom walls;
• said inlet passage extending from the inlet port to the first valve chamber approximately intermediate the ends of the first valve chamber and the bypass flow passage and regulated flow passage extending from approximately the middle of the first valve chamber in outwardly divergent directions to opposite ends of the second valve chamber;
• a third valve chamber formed in the valve body generally parallel to and between the first and second valve chambers and in communication with the bypass flow passage and regulated flow passage and having a valve seat formed therebetween;
• and a check valve member reciprocable in the third valve chamber into and out of engagement with the valve seat to prevent flow from the bypass flow passage into the regulated flow passage and enable flow from the regulated flow passage to the bypass flow passage when the pressure in the regulated flow passage exceeds a predetermined amount;
• said first and second pilot passages extending from the inlet passage to opposite ends of the first valve chamber;
• and restrictor means in each of the pilot passages for reducing the pressure in the opposite ends of the valve chamber acting on the flow regulating valve member.