Device and method for controlling a thick matter pump

A device for controlling a thick matter pump with two conveyor cylinders (50, 50′) communicating via two end openings (52) in a material supply container (54), operated in counter stroke by a hydraulic reversible pump (6) via hydraulic drive cylinders (5, 5′) driven by said pump, with a hydraulically actuated pipe switch (56) provided within the material supply container (54), the inlet side of the pipe switch alternatingly connectable to one of the openings (52) of the conveyor cylinders (50, 50′), freeing the respective other opening of the conveyor cylinders (50, 50′), and on the outlet side the pipe switch is connected with a conveyor conduit (58), wherein the drive cylinders (5, 5′) are respectively hydraulically connected at the pump-end with an opening of the reversible pump (6) via one hydraulic line (11, 11′), and wherein the drive cylinders (5, 5′) are connected on their other end to each other via an oscillating oil line (12), and further comprising a computer supported reversing device (18) for reversing the reversible pump (6) after the conclusion of each piston stroke, wherein the pump-end hydraulic lines (11, 11′) of the drive cylinders and the hydraulic lines (82) of the hydraulically actuated pipe switch (56) are provided in parallel connected branches of one of the reversible pump supplied hydraulic circuits (11′, 82;

• 11), wherein the pipe switch includes a position indicator (80) sensing the pipe switch pivot position, that at least one of (a) at least two cylinder switch sensors are provided spaced apart from each other on the drive cylinders, sensing the pistons of the drive cylinders as they pass by, or (b) the pressure sensor is provided sensitive to changes in pressure at the high pressure output of the reversible pump, and wherein the computer supported reversing device (18) includes a control program responsive on the one hand to the output signal of the position sensor and on the other hand to at least one of (a) the output signal of the cylinder switch sensors and (b) the pressure sensor, for a program-controlled activation of a control element for adjusting at least one of (a) the flow-through amount and (b) the direction of the reversible pump, as well as a reversing element (79) provided in the hydraulic branch (82) of the pipe switch (56), and wherein the computer supported reversing device includes a control routine for the computer controlled adjustment of the flow-through amount and the direction of the reversible pump such that in the case of an impacting piston the pressure supply to an actuating element of the pipe switch is reversed and the conveyance amount supplied by the reversible pump is increased, until the pipe switch has reached a defined intermediate position on its pivot path, and subsequently the conveyance amount supplied by the reversible pump is returned until the pipe switch has reached an end position.