This application is a §371 National Stage Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/FI2007/050703 filed Dec. 19, 2007, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 and/or §365 to Finnish Application No. 20065834, filed Dec. 21, 2006.
The invention relates to a percussion device comprising a body and therein a percussion piston that moves longitudinally in a reciprocating manner by action of pressure fluid, in the body a first and a second pressure fluid space in the rear end and correspondingly in the front end of the percussion piston and a control valve that is substantially sleeve-like, locating around the rear end of the percussion piston and movably mounted in the longitudinal direction of the percussion piston, as well as pressure fluid channels for feeding pressurized pressure fluid in and out of the percussion device.
In pressure-fluid-operated percussion devices the reciprocating percussion movement of the percussion piston is controlled by a control valve that controls pressure fluid feed onto pressure surfaces of the percussion piston. In a known solution the control valve is located axially to the percussion piston in the rear end of the percussion piston. The position of the control valve in various stages of percussion is controlled by the position of the percussion piston with respect to the percussion device, and consequently as the percussion piston approaches its rear position it causes a change in the position of the control valve, typically by means of external pressure control or forced control by the effect of an increase in the pressure of the pressure fluid in a substantially closed space provided in the rear space of the piston. In the external pressure control, as the position of the percussion piston changes during the reverse stroke the percussion piston lets pressurized pressure fluid act on the control valve, which makes the control valve move from one position to another. In the forced control, a pressure rise in the rearmost pressure fluid space, in turn, results from the percussion piston compressing the pressure fluid while penetrating into the rearmost pressure fluid space, which is rendered substantially closed by the position of the percussion piston during the reverse stroke.
The external pressure control poses a problem that the valve moves slowly from one position to another. In the forced control solution, in turn, the position change of the valve is fast, but a problem is that the valve has a high final speed in both extreme positions of its movement. In addition, the pressure fluid in front of the valve flows directly into a tank, which decreases efficiency.
The object of the invention is to provide a solution, in which a valve position is made to change faster and more efficiently, and correspondingly, an efficient damping cushion solution will be provided for a percussion piston and a valve.
The percussion device of the invention is characterized in that in the rear end of the percussion piston there is an annular surface facing the control valve, and correspondingly, on the inner surface of the control valve there is an annular surface facing the percussion piston so that as the annular surfaces are aligned they substantially throttle the pressure fluid flow between the percussion piston and the control valve,
that as the reverse stroke of the percussion piston starts the control valve is in its rearmost position and closes access of the pressure fluid to a second pressure fluid space in the rear end of the percussion piston, whereby the pressure fluid is able to flow from the second pressure fluid space via a pressure fluid channel in front of the control valve away from the percussion device, and
that the percussion piston having shifted rearwardly to a predetermined position the annular surface in its rear end will be in alignment with the annular surface on the inner surface of the control valve, and consequently as the reverse stroke of the percussion piston continues the pressure in the second pressure fluid space rises decelerating the reverse stroke of the percussion piston and at the same time as pressure is acting on the surfaces on the side of the second pressure fluid space of the control valve it makes the control valve move towards the front end of the percussion device, whereby shoulders of the percussion piston and of the control valve will move apart so that the pressure fluid in the front end of the control valve will be able to flow into the second pressure fluid space in the rear end of the percussion piston and the control valve closes the pressure fluid flow through the channel out of the percussion device.
The basic idea of the invention is that the rear end of the percussion piston comprises an annular surface, and correspondingly, the interior of the valve comprises an annular surface, and as the surfaces become aligned a small clearance therebetween makes the pressure rise very fast in the rearmost cylinder space, as a result of which the valve moves fast to a second position, and correspondingly, a damping cushion is provided for the percussion piston. Further, the basic idea of the invention is that from the annular surface of the percussion piston towards the front end of the percussion piston there is a flow channel for at least the travel of the annular surface of the valve so that the annular surface of the valve having moved in front of the surface of the percussion piston there is a clearance between the valve surface and the percussion piston, through which the pressure fluid in front of the valve is able to flow from the front side of the valve to a cylinder space further back.
The solution of the invention has an advantage that the efficiency of the percussion device improves, because as a result of the control valve movement the pressure fluid in front thereof is able to move between a groove in the percussion piston and a protrusion in the control valve into the rearmost pressure fluid space of the percussion device, i.e. into a work space, and it is not made to flow into the pressure fluid container. Further, the valve speed is damped without a separate damping cushion.
In the following the invention will be described in greater detail in connection with the attached drawings, in which
a to 2e show the percussion device of the invention in various stages of percussion movement,
a and 3b show an embodiment of a percussion piston applicable for implementing the invention, and
a and 4b show an embodiment of a control valve applicable for implementing the invention.
In the situation shown in
As the percussion piston moves forwardly in the travel direction, the shoulder 2b closes the channel 9 and thus separates the space formed by means of the groove 2c from the pressure fluid container 10. As the percussion piston moves further forwardly, a connection is provided from the first pressure fluid space 3 through the groove 2c to the channel 8, whereby the pressure in the pressure fluid also acts on the control valve 5 and makes it change the position.
a to 2e show the operation of the percussion device in accordance with the invention in different stages of movement. In these figures, like reference numerals refer to like parts as indicated in
a shows a situation in which the percussion piston is in its nearly foremost position as its moves in the direction of striking, i.e. in the direction of arrow A. The control valve 5 is in its foremost position, in which the pressure of the pressure fluid acts on the back surface of the rearmost shoulder 2b of the percussion piston 2. At the same time, however, the pressure in the pressure fluid from the first pressure fluid space 3 is able to act on the control valve 5 via the groove 2c and further via the channel 8, whereby the control valve changes its position to that shown in
During the reverse stroke of the percussion piston 2 the shoulder 2a closes communication from the first pressure fluid space via the groove 2c to the channel 8 and therethrough to the control valve. Thus the pressure in the pressure fluid stops acting on the control valve 5.
The percussion piston, in the rear end behind the shoulder 2b thereof, comprises an annular groove, i.e. a flow channel 2d, in the second end of which, i.e. the rear end away from the shoulder 2b, there is a narrow shoulder 2e having an annular surface 2f. Further, the percussion piston may comprise a separate part 2g forming an extension in the rear end, but it is not necessary or relevant to the invention. The percussion piston may be without the extension 2g or the length and cross sectional area of the extension may vary in a manner known per se. The cross sectional area of the extension may be graded in a variety of ways without that affecting the invention in any way.
On the inner side of the control valve 5 there is a shoulder 5a facing the piston 2 and having an annular surface 5b. The inner diameter of the control valve 5 from the shoulder 5a towards the front end of the percussion device 1 is larger than the inner diameter of the shoulder 5a and an annular flow channel 5c is formed from the shoulder 5a up to the front end of the control valve 5.
As the percussion piston 2 has reached, during its reverse stroke, the position shown in
d shows the annular surfaces 2f and 5b of the shoulders 2e and 5a having passed one another and the pressure fluid is able to flow between the front end of the control valve and the second pressure fluid space 4 via the flow channel 5c and the flow channel 2d, respectively. If the protrusion 5a is, as shown in
In the situation shown in
a and 3b show an alternative embodiment of the percussion piston, which is applicable for use in accordance with the invention. In this embodiment there is not an annular groove extending around the whole percussion piston between the shoulder 2b and the annular surface 2f, but by way of example, it is provided with four or more longitudinal grooves that constitute flow channels 2d′ and via which the pressure fluid is able to flow between the protrusion 5a of the control valve 5 and the percussion piston 2. Otherwise the structure and operation of the percussion piston are similar to those shown in
a and 4b, in turn, show an embodiment of the control valve, which is also applicable to the percussion device of the invention. In this embodiment on the inner surface of the control valve 5 there are provided longitudinal grooves that constitute flow channels 5c′, via which the pressure fluid is able to flow. On the inner surface of the control valve 5 there is a continuous, annular surface 5b′, which cooperates with the annular surface 2f or 2f′ of the percussion piston 2. It also comprises longitudinal grooves that constitute flow channels 5d′ rearwardly from the annular surface 5b′.
The invention is described in the above specification and the drawings only by way of example and it is by no means restricted thereto. From the viewpoint of the invention it is substantial that the percussion piston and the control valve comprise narrow, annular surfaces, preferably shoulders, which when in alignment form a nearly closed space providing a high pressure in the pressure fluid behind the percussion piston and, on the other hand, the surfaces, such as the shoulders, having passed one another, the flow channels, such as the annular grooves, allow the pressure fluid displaced by the control valve to flow into the pressure fluid space behind the percussion piston.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20065834 | Dec 2006 | FI | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/FI2007/050703 | 12/19/2007 | WO | 00 | 6/22/2009 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2008/074920 | 6/26/2008 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2259379 | Herzbruch | Oct 1941 | A |
4028995 | Salmi et al. | Jun 1977 | A |
4474248 | Musso | Oct 1984 | A |
4624325 | Steiner | Nov 1986 | A |
4635531 | Rode | Jan 1987 | A |
6877569 | Koskimäki | Apr 2005 | B2 |
20030006052 | Campbell, Jr. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
729250 | Apr 1997 | AU |
2 278 036 | Jan 2000 | CA |
16 02 006 | May 1970 | DE |
199 35 890 | Apr 2000 | DE |
1 399 298 | Aug 2008 | EP |
2 268 603 | Nov 1975 | FR |
Entry |
---|
EPO: Communication—Extended European Search Report with Supplementary European Search Report for European Patent Application No. 07 858 354.9—Issued on Feb. 26, 2013. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20100059242 A1 | Mar 2010 | US |