HYDRAULIC COUPLER WITH PRESSURE RELIEF MECHANISM

• US 3,730,221 A
• Filed: 07/09/1971
• Issued: 05/01/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Albam M. Vik
• Original Assignee: Albam M. Vik
• Inventors: Vik, Albam M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cline, William R.
• Application Number:
  US05/161,154
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 137/614,614.06,614.11,614.19,614.02,614.04,614.05
• US Class Current: 137/614
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/002 which can be controlled at a distance
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/23 by means of balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/33 the lift valves being of the ball type
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/56 for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87925 Separable flow path section, valve or closure in each
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87957 Valves actuate each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/88046 Biased valve with external operator

Abstract

A hydraulic coupler having two portions for hydraulic lines used, for example, in agricultural applications, which has an actuating device to open check valves to permit flow of fluid under pressure through said lines in response to pressure signals, for example a pressure signal in one line. The device also can be actuated to close the check valves to prevent flow through the coupler. The device is operable to permit the coupling or uncoupling of the two portions of the coupler without actuation against a high pressure.

Claims

1. A hydraulic coupler device comprising a housing, a bore through said housing, coupling means at a first end of said housing, said coupling means comprising a releasable coupling element adapted to retain a check valve coupler nipple therein, a piston body slidably mounted in said bore, said piston body having an interior chamber, and valve means in said interior chamber and movable to and from position to prevent flow from said interior chamber, said piston body including a piston portion, said housing having a piston chamber therein in which the piston portion is mounted, means to introduce pressure into said piston chamber on the side thereof to force said piston body toward a check valve coupler nipple retained in said coupling element, and means on the coupler device cooperating with a check valve coupler nipple retained in said coupling element operative so that as said piston portion is moved under pressure said piston body actuates both a check valve coupler nipple held in said coupling element and the valve means in said interior chamber to open positions.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said means to introduce pressure into said piston chamber comprises an orifice open from the interior chamber of said piston body through a wall thereof to said piston chamber.

3. The combination as specified in claim 2 and check valve means for said orifice preventing fluid flow back from said piston chamber into the interior chamber of said piston body.

4. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said check valve means for said orifice comprises an annular groove defined in the outer periphery of said piston body, said orifice leading from the interior of said piston body to said piston chamber opening through the bottom of said groove, and an elastic sealing ring mounted in said annular groove, said elastic sealing ring moving outwardly to permit fluid flow from the interior of said piston body outwardly through said orifice and groove but elastically moving back into said groove to prevent reverse flow through said orifice.

5. The combination as specified in claim 2 and a pressure relief orifice open to said piston chamber from atmosphere on an opposite side of said piston portion from the orifice leading from the interior of said piston body to said piston chamber.

6. The combination as specified in claim 1 and means for selectively relieving pressure in said piston chamber.

7. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said valve means in said piston body comprises a ball check valve having a portion protruding beyond the outer end face of said piston body when the ball check valve is in closed position, a coupler nipple attached to said coupling means having a ball check valve protruding outWardly beyond the end of said coupler nipple when the ball check valve of said coupler nipple is in closed position, and wherein said ball check valves engage each other as said piston body is actuated to mechanically force said ball check valves to open position.

8. The combination as specified in claim 7 and means to stop each of said ball check valves from moving away from their closed position more than a preselected amount.

9. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein there are a pair of hydraulic coupler devices mounted in a hydraulic circuit and each of said coupler devices includes a piston body and a piston chamber, and passageway means between the piston chambers of said devices to permit fluid communication between said piston chambers.

10. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises detent ball means, and a sleeve slidably mounted on the outer periphery of said housing and movable to a position to release said detent ball means, bias means moving said sleeve toward position wherein said detent ball means are held in engagement with a coupler nipple when said nipple is in place in said housing, and support means to support said sleeve while permitting relative movement of said housing with respect to said sleeve wherein an external pull on a coupler nipple held in the coupling means will move said housing relative to said sleeve to position where the detent balls are released to let said coupler nipple escape from said housing.

11. A hydraulic coupler device comprising a housing, a bore through said housing, a releasable coupling element adapted to retain a check valve coupler nipple relative to the housing with a portion of the coupler nipple in the bore, an actuator body axially slidably mounted in said bore, said actuator body having an interior chamber, and valve means in said interior chamber and movable to position to prevent flow from said interior chamber, piston actuator means coupled to said actuator body, means to introduce fluid pressure to said piston actuator means to force said actuator body toward a nipple retained in said coupling element, means cooperating with said actuator body so that as said piston actuator means is moved under pressure, said actuator body moves the valve means in said interior chamber to a position wherein a portion of the valve means will react against a coupler nipple check valve mounted on said coupling element and move both the valve means and the coupler nipple check valve to open position.

12. The combination as specified in claim 11 wherein said means to introduce pressure to said piston actuator means comprises separate check valve means to introduce pressure to said piston actuator means wherever said interior chamber is under pressure.

13. A coupling device comprising a housing means forming a flow passageway adapted to be releasably connected at one end to a first check valve means which in turn is operatively connected to a remote hydraulic apparatus, an actuator body movably mounted in said housing means, said actuator body having an internal passageway connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said actuator body including second check valve means normally preventing flow through said passageway in a first direction to said flow passageway, said first check valve means permitting flow in said first direction and normally preventing flow in an opposite direction, fluid pressure actuated means associated with said actuator body and when subjected to pressure being operable to move said actuator body in said first direction, and means responsive to movement of said actuator body to mechanically move both said first and second check valves to open position when the fluid pressure actuated means is subjected to fluid pressure.

14. The combination as specified in claim 13 and means to selectively retain fluid under pressure on said fluid pressure actuated means after pressure has once been present thereon.

15. The combination as specified in cLaim 13 wherein said fluid pressure actuated means comprises a piston member fixed to said actuator body and a piston chamber defined in said housing.

16. The combination of claim 13 wherein said means to move both said first and second check valves to open position includes a mechanical member which limits movement of said first check valve means as said first check valve means opens.

17. A hydraulic coupler device comprising a housing, releasable coupling means at a first end of said housing, a coupler nipple for releasable mounting in said releasable coupling means, said coupler nipple having a first check valve therein, a passageway having an inlet and an outlet defined in said housing, said first check valve being open to the outlet of the passageway when mounted in said coupling means, a second check valve mounted in the housing adjacent the outlet of said passageway to normally prevent flow through said outlet to the first check valve, a pressure actuated member controlling position of said second check valve and being operated in response to pressure to move the first and second check valves to open positions to permit flow through the housing with a coupler nipple held in the coupling means, said second check valve closing to prevent flow from the inlet through the outlet whenever there is no coupler nipple held in the coupling means regardless of the position of the pressure actuated member.

18. The hydraulic coupler device of claim 17 wherein said pressure actuated member comprises an actuator body slidably mounted in said housing, said passageway being defined in said actuator body, said second check valve including a valve member and a valve seat defined in said body for said valve member, said actuator body moving toward said coupler nipple in response to pressure, and means on the coupler nipple restraining movement of said valve member toward said coupler nipple before the actuator body is moved to a full open position to hold the valve member away from its seat when the actuator body is in a full open position.