Hydraulic system for use with snow-ice removal vehicles

Abstract

A hydraulic system is provided including a hydraulic pump which is continuously coupled with the engine of a utility such as a dump truck utilized for snow-ice removal. When hydraulic implements employed on the truck are not actuated, the pump operates in a cavitation mode. During this cavitation mode of operation, there is no ingress of air through seals or the like to a venting of the gear pump chamber essentially to tank or atmosphere. A poppet valve is actuated in conjunction with periodic use of hydraulic elements on the truck to actuate the pump to an operational or pressurized mode. A key actuated calibrating system is employed to calibrate snow-ice removal components in a secure manner. Calibration is provided in conjunction with EEPROM memory.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a utility vehicle of the type having an internal combustion engine and hydraulically driven implements operated when selectively actuated, with pressurized hydraulic fluid derived from a pump driven by said engine, the improved hydraulic pump comprising: a pump housing mounted upon said vehicle, and having a pump chamber;   first and second pump gears mounted for rotation within said housing pump chamber and defining a pump suction side and a pump pressure side connectable with said implements;   connector means for connecting said first pump gear in continuous driven relationship with said engine;   suction port means for coupling said pump suction side with a hydraulic fluid reservoir retained at substantially atmospheric pressure;   a poppet valve coupled intermediate said suction port means and said pump suction side and actuable to have a closed orientation substantially blocking passage of said hydraulic fluid into said suction side to derive a cavitation mode of pump operation and actuable to have an open orientation permitting the flow of hydraulic fluid from said reservoir into said pump suction side to derive a fluid pressurizing mode of operation, said poppet valve including a poppet slidably movable between open and closed orientations within a valve chamber;   vent means for venting said pump chamber substantially to atmospheric pressure to avoid ingress of air thereinto during said cavitation mode of pump operation; and   actuator means for selectively actuating said poppet valve into said open orientation by coupling one end of said valve chamber with said pump suction side, and into said closed orientation by terminating said coupling with said suction side to permit movement of said poppet to said closed orientation.   
     
     
       2. The hydraulic pump of claim 1 including lubricating duct means coupled intermediate said reservoir and said pump suction side for effecting the flow of hydraulic fluid from said reservoir to said chamber sufficient only to effect adequate lubrication of said first and second gears during said cavitation mode of operation; and a fluid return line having a check valve, said return line aiding the movement of said poppet to said closed orientation upon said actuator means actuation of said poppet valve during said fluid pressurization mode. 
     
     
       3. The hydraulic pump of claim 2 in which: said valve means comprises a poppet valve including a poppet movable between open and closed orientations within a valve chamber; and   said actuator means effects said actuation of said valve means into said open orientation by coupling said valve chamber with said pump suction side.   
     
     
       4. The hydraulic pump of claim 1 in which said vent means includes a passageway extending through said second pump gear and communicating with said reservoir. 
     
     
       5. The hydraulic pump of claim 1 including lubricating duct means coupled intermediate said reservoir and said pump suction side for effecting the flow of hydraulic fluid from said reservoir to said chamber sufficient only to effect adequate lubrication of said first and second gears during said cavitation mode of operation and provide vacuum retention of said poppet at said closed orientation from said suction side. 
     
     
       6. The hydraulic pump of claim 5 including a fluid return line having check valve means for returning hydraulic fluid from said pump pressure side said cavitation mode of operation to said valve chamber one end to effect movement of said poppet to said closed orientation and device. 
     
     
       7. The hydraulic pump of claim 1 in which said actuator means is a solenoid actuated valve responsive to a said select actuation of a said hydraulically driven implement to actuate said valve means into said open orientation. 
     
     
       8. The hydraulic pump of claim 5 in which said vent means includes a passageway extending through said second pump gear and communicating with said reservoir. 
     
     
       9. In a truck of a variety having an internal combustion engine serving as a prime mover, a hydraulic pump driven by said engine, a dump bed and a hydraulic cylinder assembly including a rod and piston reciprocally movable within a cylinder chamber between first and second positions for selectively elevating and lowering said dump bed, the improved hydraulic control system comprising: a hydraulic distribution network including a pressure line extending from said pump, a suction line extending from said pump, and a reservoir substantially at atmospheric pressure communicating with said suction line;   first hydraulic valve means hydraulically actuable to apply hydraulic fluid from said pressure line to said cylinder chamber at said first position and simultaneously fluid communicate said reservoir with said chamber second position to effect said bed elevation;   second hydraulic valve means hydraulically actuable to apply hydraulic fluid from said pressure line to said cylinder chamber at said second position and simultaneously fluid communicate said reservoir with said chamber first position to effect said bed lowering;   third hydraulic valve means hydraulically actuable to communicate said reservoir with said chamber first position to effect a rapid bed lowering movement;   first switch controlled actuator means for actuating said first hydraulic valve means;   second switch controlled actuator means for actuating said second hydraulic valve means;   third switch controlled actuator means for actuating said third hydraulic valve means;   control means controllably coupled with said first, second, and third switch controlled actuator means, including first switch means manually actuable for controlling said first and second switch controlled actuator means and second switch means manually actuable for controlling said third switch controlled actuator means for effecting a rapid lowering movement of said bed of short duration.   
     
     
       10. The improved hydraulic control system of claim 9 in which said second switch means is a button switch biased to an open orientation. 
     
     
       11. The improved hydraulic control system of claim 9 in which said first, second, and third switch controlled hydraulic valve means are solenoid actuated valves. 
     
     
       12. The improved hydraulic control system of claim 9 including hydraulically actuated pressure compensating valve means coupled with said second hydraulic valve means for regulating said fluid communication with said reservoir to effect said bed lowering at a substantially constant rate. 
     
     
       13. In a truck of a variety suited for snow-ice control wherein a wheel mounted frame supports an internal combustion engine, a cab and a hydraulic cylinder driven dump bed, and including an auger mounted rearwardly of said bed having a hydraulic auger motor and a hydraulic motor driven spinner for receiving materials deposited thereon at predetermined rates by said auger, the improved control system comprising: a hydraulic pump connected in driven relationship with said engine for powering said auger and spinner hydraulic motors and said hydraulic cylinder;   solenoid actuated valve means selectively actuable for controlling the speed of said auger motor;   speed transducer means having a speed output which when multiplied by a speed calibration constant derives a product signal representing truck speed;   electronically erasable memory means for retaining said speed calibration constant, in auger volume constant and auger flow rate constants;   control means including calibration switch means actuable under management limited access for deriving a calibration mode, processor means for controllably effecting actuation of said solenoid actuated valve means in correspondence with said speed product signal, said memory retained speed calibration constant, said auger volume constant and said auger flow rate constants, and responsive to said calibration switch means actuation to enter said calibration mode to effect select alteration of said memory retained constants.   
     
     
       14. The improved control system of claim 13 in which said memory means and said control means are mounted within said truck cab. 
     
     
       15. In a truck of a variety having an internal combustion engine, a hydraulic pump driven by said engine, a dump bed and a hydraulic cylinder assembly including a rod and piston reciprocally movable within a cylinder chamber for selectively elevating and lowering said dump bed, the improved hydraulic control system comprising: a hydraulic distribution network including a pressure line extending from said pump, a suction line extending from said pump, and a reservoir substantially at atmospheric pressure communicating with said suction line;   first hydraulic valve means hydraulically actuable to apply hydraulic fluid from said pressure line to said cylinder chamber to effect said bed elevation;   second hydraulic valve means hydraulically actuable to fluid communicate said reservoir with said chamber to effect said bed lowering;   third hydraulic valve means hydraulically actuable to communicate said reservoir with said chamber to effect a rapid bed lowering movement;   first switch controlled actuator means for actuating said first hydraulic valve means;   second switch controlled actuator means for actuating said second hydraulic valve means;   third switch controlled actuator means for actuating said third hydraulic valve means;   control means controllably coupled with said first, second, and third switch controlled actuator means, including first switch means manually actuable for controlling said first and second switch controlled actuator means and second switch means manually actuable for controlling said third switch controlled actuator means for effecting a rapid lowering movement of said bed of short duration.   
     
     
       16. The improved hydraulic control system of claim 15 in which said second switch means is a button switch biased to an open orientation. 
     
     
       17. The improved hydraulic control system of claim 15 in which said first, second, and third switch controlled hydraulic valve means are solenoid actuated valves. 
     
     
       18. The improved hydraulic control system of claim 15 including hydraulically actuated pressure compensating valve means coupled with said second hydraulic valve means for regulating said fluid communication with said reservoir to effect said bed lowering at a substantially constant rate. .Iadd. 
     
     
       19.  In a truck of a variety suited for snow-ice control wherein a wheel mounted frame supports an internal combustion engine, a cab and a dump bed, and including an auger mounted rearwardly of said bed having a hydraulic auger motor and a spinner having a hydraulic spinner motor for receiving materials deposited thereon at predetermined rates by said auger, the improved control system comprising: a hydraulic pump connected in driven relationship with said engine for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure for powering said hydraulic auger and spinner motors and having a pump output line;   a first array of solenoid actuated valves hydraulically parallel coupled, from first to last, having a first common array input coupled with said pump output line, and selectively actuable to establish a select hydraulic flow rate at a first common array output for controlling the speed of said auger motor;   a first valve coupled with said pump output line and said first array of solenoid actuated valves and responsive to monitor the pressures at said first common array input and output and effect pressure control thereacross; and   control means responsive to a first manually derived select input for effecting said actuation of select said first to last valves of said first array of solenoid actuated valves..Iaddend.  .Iadd.20. The improved control system of claim 19 in which each said solenoid actuated valve of said first array is configured, from first to last, having a flow rate increasing in binary designated flow rate increments..Iaddend. .Iadd.21. The improved control system of claim 19 including: a second array of solenoid actuated valves hydraulically parallel coupled, from first to last, having a second common array input coupled with said pump output line, and selectively actuable to establish a select hydraulic flow rate at a second common output for controlling the speed of said spinner motor; a second valve coupled with said pump output line and said second array of solenoid actuated valves and responsive to monitor the pressures at said second common array input and output and effect pressure control thereacross; and said control means is responsive to a second manually derived select input for effecting actuation of said second array of solenoid actuated valves..Iaddend. .Iadd.22. The improved control system of claim 21 in which each said solenoid actuated valve of said second array is configured, from first to last, having a flow rate increasing in binary designated flow rate increments..Iaddend.  .Iadd.23. In a truck of a variety suited for snow-ice control wherein a wheel mounted frame supports an internal combustion engine, a cab and a dump bed, and including an auger mounted rearwardly of said bed having a hydraulic auger motor and a spinner having a hydraulic spinner motor for receiving materials deposited thereon at predetermined rates by said auger, the improved control system comprising:   a hydraulic pump connected in driven relationship with said engine and having a pump output line for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure for powering said hydraulic spinner motor;   an array of solenoid actuated valves hydraulically parallel coupled, from first to last, having a common array input coupled with said pump output line, and selectively actuable to establish a select hydraulic flow rate at a common output for controlling the speed of said spinner motor;   a valve coupled with said pump output line and said array of solenoid actuated valves and responsive to monitor the pressure at said common array input and output and effect pressure control thereacross; and   control means responsive to a first manually derived select input for effecting said actuation of select said first to last valves of said first array of solenoid actuated valves..Iaddend.  .Iadd.24. The improved control system of claim 23 in which each said solenoid actuated valve of said array, from first to last, is configured having a flow rate increasing in binary designated flow rate increments..Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The improved control system of claim 13 in which said solenoid actuated valve means is comprised of an array of hydraulically parallel coupled valves, each said valve of said array, from first to last, being configured having a flow rate increasing in binary designated flow rate increments..Iaddend.