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US 4,736,811 AGranted
Steering control system
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsHoward A. Marsden, Dwight S. Holloway, Noel J. Rytter
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsHoward A. Marsden, Dwight S. Holloway, Noel J. Rytter
Estimating the term…
The steering system of some lightweight vehicles are electronically controlled and have a manually operated mechanical control as a backup. Such manual backup control would not be adequate for large earthmoving, construction and industrial type vehicles. The subject steering system includes an electrically controlled circuit actuated by rotation of a steering wheel for controlling a main pilot operated steering valve as the primary steering control. A hydraulic control circuit is also actuated by rotation of the steering wheel for controlling the same steering valve as a backup control when the electrically controlled circuit is not active. The hydraulic steering circuit is disabled when the electrically controlled circuit is activated. By using the same steering valve as an integral part of both circuits, the complexity and cost of the overall steering control system is reduced.
A steering control system for a vehicle having a steering wheel connected to a rotatable shaft, a hydraulic steering actuator, a hydraulic pump, and a pilot operated steering valve connected between the pump and the actuator, said steering valve having opposite ends, said system comprising:
A steering control system for a vehicle having a steering wheel connected to a rotatable shaft, a hydraulic steering actuator, a hydraulic pump, and a pilot operated steering valve connected between the pump and the hydraulic steering actuator, said steering valve having opposite ends, said system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.