Gravity pressurized braking system
AssigneeMark Miskin
InventorsMark Miskin, Richard L. Sanders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to hydraulic systems for actuating a vehicle braking system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hydraulic system that uses the gravity-generated pressure in a load-bearing hydraulic cylinder to provide hydraulic pressure to a parking brake, emergency brakes, or service brake when properly modulated or other service. The present invention further relates to a system to reduce through dissipation or utilization the available gravity-generated hydraulic pressure so as to deploy a ground engaging drag-brake of a vehicle.
Claims16
A method of operating a brake on an earth moving apparatus, the method comprising:
- imposing a weight upon a piston of a hydraulic cylinder of an earth moving apparatus by lifting a weight of the earth moving apparatus comprising a bucket for retaining soil by means of said hydraulic cylinder to place a force on the hydraulic fluid within said cylinder, the weight further comprising a drag-brake mechanism;
- compressing said fluid within said hydraulic cylinder using the force of gravity acting on said weight to generate a pressurized hydraulic fluid;
- directing said pressurized hydraulic fluid to operate a hydraulic brake system by bleeding out at least a portion of the pressurized hydraulic fluid to move the drag brake into operative contact with a ground surface.
A hydraulic system for operating a brake, comprising:
- a hydraulic cylinder that generates hydraulic pressure from a weight comprising a bucket for retaining soil of an earth moving apparatus suspended thereon by lifting said weight to a suspended position by means of said hydraulic cylinder, wherein the weight lifted to the suspended position by means of the hydraulic cylinder comprises a ground-engaging ground brake;
- and
- a hydraulic braking system operatively linked to the hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic braking system actuatable by hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic cylinder.
An earth moving apparatus comprising:
- a gravity-actuable, load-bearing piston within a hydraulic cylinder containing a hydraulic fluid, the piston being load-bearing from lifting an imposed weight comprising a bucket of the earth moving apparatus to a suspended position by means of said hydraulic cylinder;
- a means to release said load bearing piston whereby gravity moves said piston to compress the hydraulic fluid within said cylinder;
- and
- a hydraulic braking system operatively linked to the load-bearing hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic braking system actuatable by hydraulic pressure generated by the load-bearing hydraulic cylinder and comprising a ground-engaging ground brake suspended from the load-bearing cylinder, such that hydraulic pressure is generated in the load-bearing hydraulic cylinder from suspension of the ground-engaging drag-brake.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.