Dual cylinder circuit having a joystick with intuitive control

A joystick apparatus to control movement of a first actuator and a second actuator in communication with an input source, the apparatus comprising,

• a first valve arrangement;
• a second valve arrangement;
• a joystick controller comprising a control member and being in selective communication with said first actuator through said first valve arrangement and being in selective communication with said second actuator through said second valve arrangement;
• and
• a first pilot valve and a second pilot valve, said first pilot valve is in communication with said first valve arrangement and said second pilot valve is in communication with said second valve arrangement, said first and second pilot valves are operative to urge movement of said first and second actuators through said first and second valve arrangements, said first and second actuators being in tracking relation with said control member through said first and second pilot valves;
• said joystick controller being configured to urge substantially proportional movement of said first actuator and said second actuator in a first direction in response to movement of said control member along a first path and substantially proportional movement of said first actuator and said second actuator in a second direction in response to movement of said control member along a second path, said first and second actuators being independently moveable in response to movement of said control member along paths not including said first path or said second path.

A hydraulic circuit to intuitively control, in response to an input, the movement of first and second hydraulic actuators, the hydraulic circuit comprising:

• a source of pressurized fluid;
• a reservoir;
• a first main control valve connected between the source of pressurized fluid and the first hydraulic actuator;
• a second main control valve connected between the source of pressurized fluid and the second hydraulic actuator;
• a joystick controller having a control member and being connected to the first and second main control valves, the joystick controller being operative to actuate the respective first and second main control valves in response to movement of the control member of the joystick controller, the control member is movable through a circular pattern to actuate the respective first and second main control valves, a reference axis is defined in the joystick controller and oriented at a substantially perpendicular position relative to the input, movement of the control member along a path substantially perpendicular to the reference axis delivers two separate signals of equal magnitude to the corresponding ends each of the first and second main control valves, movement of the control member along a path of about forty-five degrees relative to the reference axis results in a single control signal being directed to one of the ends of one of the respective first and second main control valves, movement of the control member in a path less than about forty-five degrees relative to the reference axis results in two separate signals being directed to opposite ends of one of the first and second main control valves and movement of the control lever in a path greater than about forty-five degrees relative to the reference axis results in two separate signals being directed to a corresponding end of each of the first and second main control valves.