Operating system for a valve

A valve actuating system comprising:

• a valve housing;
• a longitudinally extending bore disposed within said housing;
• a valve plunger slidably disposed with said bore;
• a valve member adjacent to said plunger and actuatable by sliding motion of said plunger within said bore;
• a rotatable, eccentric cam arrangement;
• said cam arrangement including a cam cylinder disposed for eccentric rotation and a bearing means mounted for rotation about said cam cylinder;
• connection linkage means for establishing actuating engagement between said plunger and said cam arrangement;
• said connection linkage means including biasing means connected to said plunger and said cam arrangement for maintaining contact between said plunger and said cam arrangement during rotation of said cam cylinder;
• and
• said actuation engagement translating eccentric rotation of said cam cylinder into sliding motion of said plunger.

A valve actuating system for hydraulic control systems, comprising:

• a valve housing;
• a longitudinally extending bore within said housing;
• a plunger element slidably disposed within said bore;
• a valve member connected to said plunger and actuatable by sliding motion of said plunger within said bore;
• a stepping motor having a rotatable drive shaft extending therefrom;
• a cam arrangement mounted to said drive shaft for eccentric rotation;
• said plunger including a portion extending from said housing and disposed abutting said cam arrangement;
• said cam arrangement including a longitudinally extending cam cylinder and a bearing assembly mounted about said cam cylinder, an outer surface of said bearing means abutting a portion of said plunger;
• linkage means for maintaining the abutment relationship of said plunger to said cam arrangement during eccentric rotation of said cam arrangement such that said eccentric rotation results in said sliding motion of said plunger within said bore;
• and
• said linkage means including biasing means connected to said plunger and said cam arrangement for maintaining contact between said plunger and said cam arrangement.

An actuating system for selectively positioning a valve, comprising:

• a linearly movable valve element;
• a reciprocally rotatable drive shaft;
• a cylindrical cam assembly mounted on said drive shaft for eccentric rotation;
• a bearing assembly mounted about said cam assembly;
• said bearing assembly including an inner race, an outer race and roller elements between said inner and outer races;
• a connection element engaging said valve element and said outer race;
• linkage means for maintaining engagement of said connection element with said valve element and said outer race so as to permit translation of rotational motion of said drive shaft into linear motion of said valve element to selectively position said valve;
• and
• said linkage means including flexible means connected to said connection element and either said cam assembly or said bearing assembly for maintaining engagement of said connection element and said outer race.

An acutating system for selectively positioning a valve element within a valve, comprising:

• a linearly movable valve element;
• a selectively rotatable drive shaft;
• a cylindrical cam means mounted off-center from its longitudinal axis onto said drive shaft for eccentric rotation coincident with drive shaft rotation;
• first and second bearing assemblies mounted about said cam means in stacked relation to the longitudinal axis of said cam means;
• each of said bearing assemblies including an inner race, an outer race and roller elements between said inner and outer races;
• a connection element engaging said valve element and the outer race of said first bearing assembly;
• linkage means for maintaining engagement of said connection element with said valve element and the outer race of said first bearing assembly so as to permit translation of rotational movement of said drive shaft into linear motion of said valve element;
• and
• said linkage means including biasing means connected to said connection element and either said cam means or said second bearing assembly for maintaining engagement of said connection element and said outer race of said first bearing assembly.

An actuating system for selectively positioning a valve element within a valve, comprising:

• a linearly movable valve element;
• a selectively rotatable drive shaft;
• a cylindrical cam means mounted off-center from its longitudinal axis onto said drive shaft for eccentric rotation coincident with drive shaft rotation;
• first and second bearing assemblies mounted about said cam means in stacked relation to the longitudinal axis of said cam means;
• each of said bearing assemblies including an inner race, an outer race and roller elements between said inner and outer races;
• a connection element engaging said valve element and the outer race of said first bearing assembly;
• linkage means for maintaining engagement of said connection element with said valve element and the outer race of said first bearing assembly so as to permit translation of rotational movement of said drive shaft into linear motion of said valve element;
• and
• said linkage means including means for limiting movement of said linkage means away from the direction of linear motion of said valve element in response to eccentric rotation of said cam means.

An acutating system for selectively positioning a valve element within a valve, comprising:

• a linearly movable valve element;
• a selectively rotatable drive shaft;
• a cylindrical cam means mounted off-center from its longitudinal axis onto said drive shaft for eccentric rotation coincident with drive shaft rotation;
• first and second bearing assemblies mounted about said cam means in stacked relation to the longitudinal axis of said cam means;
• each of said bearing assemblies including an inner race, an outer race and roller elements between said inner and outer races;
• a connection element engaging said valve element and the outer race of said first bearing assembly;
• linkage means for maintaining engagement of said connection element with said valve element and the outer race of said first bearing assembly so as to permit translation of rotational movement of said drive shaft into linear motion of said valve element;
• and
• said linkage means including a split ring element mounted about and spaced apart from said first and second bearing assemblies.