Regenerative valve

A regenerative valve comprising:

• a housing;
• a walled valve bore in the housing;
• a shuttle member movable in the bore and cooperating with the wall of the bore to separate the valve bore into first and second valve chambers therein;
• first and second control passages communicated with the first and second valve chambers, respectively;
• a first work passage communicated with the first valve chamber and for communicating the first valve chamber with a head end chamber of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder;
• a second work passage communicated with the second valve chamber and for communicating the second valve chamber with a rod end chamber of the double-acting hydraulic cylinder;
• a regenerative passage communicated with the first valve chamber and for communicating the first valve chamber with the rod end chamber;
• the shuttle member being movable in response to a differential fluid pressure between the first and second valve chambers from a normal position wherein fluid communication is blocked between the regenerative passage and both first and second valve chambers and wherein the second work passage is communicated with the second valve chamber to a regenerative position wherein the regenerative passage is communicated with the first valve chamber and wherein communication is blocked between the second work passage and the second valve chamber;
• a poppet member movable in the bore and engageable with a seat formed by the wall of the bore to prevent fluid flow from the first valve chamber into the first work passage, the shuttle member and the poppet member each including abutments engageable with the other as the shuttle member moves to its regenerative position to thereby pull the poppet member away from the seat to open communication between the first valve chamber and the first work passage;
• a first resilient member biased to urge the poppet member toward the seat;
• and
• a second resilient member biased to urge the shuttle member towards its normal position.

In a hydraulic system having a fluid reservoir, a source of pressurized fluid, and a cylinder having a retraction chamber and having an extension chamber for receiving fluid from the source during extension of the cylinder, a regenerative valve comprising:

• a housing defining a bore therein;
• an extension passage in the housing interconnecting the source and the extension chamber;
• a retraction passage in the housing for interconnecting the reservoir and the retraction chamber;
• a regenerative passage in the housing for interconnecting the retraction chamber and the extension chamber;
• a valve member in the extension passage movable to permit or block fluid flow from the source to the extension chamber;
• and
• a shuttle member movable in the housing bore from a normal position blocking the regenerative passage and opening the retraction passage to a regenerative position blocking the retraction passage and opening the regenerative passage, the shuttle and valve members having abutments engageable with each other to move the valve member to a position permitting flow from the source to the extension chamber as the shuttle member moves to its regenerative position.

A fluid valve comprising:

• a valve housing;
• a valve bore formed in the housing;
• first and second control passages formed in said housing in communication with said bore at spaced locations;
• first and second work passages formed in said housing in communication with said bore at spaced locations;
• a first valving member movable in said bore between a closed position preventing fluid flow from said first control passage to said first work passage and an open position permitting fluid flow from said first control passage to said first work passage;
• a second valving member movable in the bore and with respect to the first valving member between a first position in which it prevents communication between the second working passage and the first control passages while permitting communication between the second control and second working passages and a second position in which it prevents communication between the second working and second control passages while permitting communication between the second working and first control passages;
• and
• first and second resilient means positioned in the valve bore and biasing the first and second valving members toward the closed and first positions, respectively.

A fluid valve comprising:

• a valve housing;
• a valve bore formed in the housing;
• first and second control passages formed in said housing in communication with said bore at spaced locations;
• first and second work passages formed in said housing in communication with said bore at spaced locations;
• a first valving member movable in said bore between a closed position preventing fluid flow from said first control passage to said first work passage and an open position permitting fluid flow from said first control passage to said first work passage;
• a second valving member movable in the bore between a first position in which it prevents communication between the second working passage and the first control passages while permitting communication between the second control and second working passages and a second position in which it prevents communication between the second working and second control passages while permitting communication between the second working and first control passages;
• and
• first and second resilient means positioned in the valve bore and biasing the first and second valving members in the same direction toward the closed and first positions, respectively.