Slide-latch valve for air-driven tools

Claim 2

In combination: a single-stroke percussively operable motor having a cylinder with an actuating piston operable therein between a retracted position at one end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other end of the cylinder, having a fluid-pressure storage chamber of capacity to percussively actuate the piston and overlying and next adjacent to said one end of the cylinder, having a cylinder head axially separating the interior of the cylinder from fluid-pressure storage chamber and with at least one axially disposed port therethrough, and having means supplying fluid under pressure into the said chamber; a slide latch valve movable transversely of the cylinder head and having at least one axial port therethrough movable out of and into alignment and with said at least one axially disposed port in the cylinder head, said cylinder head and said valve having mating planar surfaces; and a manually operable fluidactuating pilot valve means connected to and actuating the slide latch valve from a closed position whereat the said ports are out of alignment to an open position whereat the said ports are in alignment; whereby fluid pressure stored in said chamber discharges axially through said ports when the slide latch valve is in the open position and into the said cylinder to move the piston percussively toWard the said other end of the cylinder.

Claim 3

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the cylinder head is disposed in a plane normal to the cylinder axis, and wherein the slide latch valve moves reciprocally in said plane to align said ports for discharge of compressed fluid axially from the storage chamber and into the cylinder.

Claim 4

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid-pressure storage chamber, and wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber.

Claim 5

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the cylinder head is disposed in a plane normal to the cylinder axis and has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid-pressure storage chamber, and wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held thereto to slide reciprocally in said plane and engaged upon said sealing face by fluid pressure in said storage chamber.

Claim 6

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a reversely operable cylinder and piston servo and a trigger valve operable to reversely charge the cylinder of said servo with fluid pressure.

Claim 7

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston with spaced interconnected large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, and a trigger valve operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.

Claim 8

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed with the fluid-pressure storage chamber, wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber, and wherein the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a reversely operable cylinder and piston servo extending through the fluid-pressure storage chamber and on an axis parallel to the said flat sealing face and with the piston thereof coupled to the slide latch valve to reciprocally position the same, and a trigger valve operable to reversely charge the cylinder of said servo with fluid pressure.

Claim 9

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid-pressure storage chamber, wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber, and wherein the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a trigger-operated fluid-actuated servo extending through the fluid-pressure storage chamber and on an axis parallel to the said flat sealing face and with a piston telescopically coupled to the slide latch valve on an axis normal to the plane of said flat sealing face to adjustably seat thereon.

Claim 10

The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid-pressure storage chamber, wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber, and wherein the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a trigger-operated fluid-actuated servo extending through the fluid-pressure storage chamber and on an axis parallel to the said flat sealing face and with a piston telescopically coupled to and with means yieldingly pressing the slide latch valve on an axis normal to and toward the plane of said flat sealing face to adjustably seat thereon. 10 The single-stroke percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid-pressure storage chamber, wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber, wherein the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston extending through the fluid-pressure storage chamber and on an axis parallel to said flat sealing face and with spaced interconnected large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, wherein the slide latch valve is telescopically coupled to the interconnected pistons on an axis normal to the plane of said flat sealing face to adjustably seat thereon, and wherein a trigger valve is operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.

Claim 11

In combination: a double-acting percussively operable motor having a cylinder with an actuating piston operable therein between a retracted position at one end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other end of the cylinder, having a fluid-pressure storage chamber of capacity to percussively actuate the piston and axially overlying and next adjacent to said one end of the cylinder, having a cylinder head separating the interior of the cylinder from the fluid-pressure storage chamber and with transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust ports therethrough, and having means supplying fluid under pressure into the said chamber; a slide latch valve movable transversely of the cylinder head and having transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust ports complementary to and alternately movable out of and into alignment with the inlet and exhaust ports in the cylinder head, said cylinder head and said valve having mating planar surfaces; a manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means actuating the slide latch valve from a closed position whereat the said inlet ports are out of alignment and the said exhaust ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports are in alignment and said exhaust ports are out of alignment; whereby fluid pressure stored in said chamber discharges axially through said inlet ports when the slide latch valve is in the open position and into the said cylinder to move the piston percussively toward the said other end of the cylinder, and whereby fluid discharged into the cylinder is exhausted axially through said exhaust ports when the slide latch valve is in the closed position, and return means applying fluid pressure to beneath the piston when the slide latch valve is in said closed position.

Claim 12

In combination: a double-acting percussively operable motor having a cylinder with an actuating piston operable therein between a retracted position at one end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other end of the cylinder, having a fluid-pressure storage chamber of capacity to percussively actuate the piston and axially overlying and next adjacent to said one end of the cylinder, having a cylinder head separating the interior of the cylinder from the fluid-pressure storage chamber and with transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust ports therethrough, and having means supplying fluid under pressure into the said chamber; a slide latch valve movable transversely of the cylinder head and having transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust ports complementary to and alternately movable out of and into alignment with the inlet and exhaust ports in the cylinder head, said cylinder head and said valve having mating planar surfaces; a manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means actuating the slide latch valve from a closed position whereat the said inlet ports are out of alignment and the said exhaust ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports are in alignment and said exhaust ports are out of alignment; whereby fluid pressure stored in said chamber discharges axially through said inlet ports when the slide latch valve is in the open position and into the said cylinder to move the piston percussively toward the said other end of the cylinder, and whereby fluid discharged into the cylinder is exhausted axially through said exhaust ports when the slide latch valve is in the closed position, and return means applying fluid pressure to beneath the piston when the slide latch valve is in said closed position.

Claim 13

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, there is a multiplicity of complementary inlet ports through the cylinder head and slide latch valve and spaced equally transversely in the direction that the slide latch valve is moved.

Claim 14

The double-acTing percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, there is a multiplicity of complementary and equally spaced slot-shaped inlet ports through the cylinder head and slide latch valve and disposed normal to the transverse direction that the slide latch valve is moved.

Claim 15

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, there is a multiplicity of complementary and equally spaced slot-shaped inlet ports through the cylinder head and slide latch valve and extending substantially coextensive between opposite walls of the cylinder and disposed normal to the transverse direction that the slide latch valve is moved.

Claim 16

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, there is a single complementary exhaust port through the cylinder head and slide latch valve respectively and aligned on the center axis of the cylinder and piston when the slide latch valve is in said closed position.

Claim 17

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, there is a multiplicity of complementary inlet ports through the cylinder head and slide latch valve and spaced equally in the transverse direction that the slide latch is transversely movable, and wherein there is a single complementary exhaust port through the cylinder head and slide latch valve respectively and aligned on the center axis of the cylinder and piston when the slide latch valve is in said closed position.

Claim 18

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, there is a multiplicity of complementary and equally spaced slot-shaped inlet ports through the cylinder head and slide latch valve and disposed normal to the transverse direction that the slide latch valve is moved, and wherein there is a single complementary exhaust port through the cylinder head and slide latch valve respectively and aligned on the center axis of the cylinder and piston when the slide latch valve is in said closed position.

Claim 19

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, there is a multiplicity of complementary and equally spaced slot-spaced inlet ports through the cylinder head and slide latch valve and extending substantially coextensive between opposite walls of the cylinder and disposed normal to the transverse direction that the slide latch valve is moved, and wherein there is a single complementary exhaust port through the cylinder head and slide latch valve respectively and aligned on the center axis of the cylinder and piston when the slide latch valve is in said closed position.

Claim 20

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston with spaced interconnected large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, said exhaust port through the slide latch valve being open through the interconnected pistons to the said exhaust bore, and a trigger valve operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.

Claim 21

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return means as set forth in claim 11 wherein, the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid-pressure storage chamber, wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber, wherein the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston extending through the fluid-pressure storage chamber and on an axis parallel to said flat sealing face and with spaced interconnected large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, wherein the slide latch valve is telescopically coupled to the interconnected piston on an axis normal to the plane of said flat sealing face to adjustably seat thereon, said exhaust port through the slide latch valve being open through said telescopic couple to open through said exhaust bore, and wherein a trigger valve is operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.

Claim 22

In combination: a double-acting percussively operable motor having a cylinder with an actuating piston operable therein between a normally retracted position at one end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other end of the cylinder, having a fluid-pressure storage chamber axially overlying and next adjacent to said one end of the cylinder, having a return fluid reservoir in open communication into the said other end of the cylinder, having a cylinder head separating the interior of the cylinder from the fluid-pressure storage chamber and with transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust reservoir-charging ports, and having means supplying fluid under pressure into the said chamber; a slide latch valve movable transversely of the cylinder head and having transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust and reservoir charging ports complementary to and alternately movable out of and into alignment with the inlet and exhaust and reservoir charging ports in the cylinder head, said cylinder head and said valve having mating planar surfaces; a manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means actuating the slide latch valve from a closed position whereat the said inlet ports and said reservoir-charging ports are out of alignment and the said exhaust ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports and said reservoir-charging ports are in alignment and the said exhaust ports are out of alignment; whereby fluid pressure stored in said chamber discharges axially through said inlet ports and said reservoir-charging ports when the slide latch valve is in the open position and into the said cylinder to move the piston percussively toward the said other end of the cylinder and into said return fluid reservoir, and whereby fluid discharged into the cylinder is exhausted axially through said exhaust ports when the slide latch valve is in the closed position and the piston is returned to the normally retracted position by fluid pressure from the return fluid reservoir applied into the other end of the cylinder and beneath the piston.

Claim 23

In combination: a double-acting percussively operable motor having a cylinder with an actuating piston operable therein between a normally retracted position at one end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other end of the cylinder, having a fluid-pressure storage chamber axially overlying and next adjacent to said one end of the cylinder, having a return fluid reservoir in open communication into the said other end of the cylinder, having a cylinder head separating the interior of the cylinder from the fluid-pressure storage chamber and with transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust reservoir-charging ports, and having means supplying fluid under pressure into the said chamber; a slide latch valve movable transversely of the cylinder head and having transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust and reservoir charging ports complementary to and alternately movable out of and into alignment with the inlet and exhaust and reservoir charging ports in the cylinder head, said cylinder head and said valve having mating planar surfaces; a manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means actuating the slide latch valve from a closed position whereat the said inlet ports and said reservoir-charging ports are out of alignment and the said exhaust ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports and said reservoir-charging ports are in alignment and the said exhaust ports are out of alignment; whereby fluid pressure stored in said chamber discharges axially through said inlet ports and said reservoir-charging ports when the slide latch valve is in the open position and into the said cylinder to move the piston percussively toward the said other end of the cylinder and into said return fluid reservoir, and whereby fluid discharged into the cylinder is exhausted axially through said exhaust ports when the slide latch valve is in the closed position and the piston is returned to the normally retracted position by fluid pressure from the return fluid reservoir applied into the other end of the cylinder and beneath the piston.

Claim 24

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return-fluid reservoir as set forth in claim 21 wherein, the cylinder head extends radially of the cylinder to overlie the return-fluid reservoir with the reservoir-charging ports through the said head and slide latch valve opening from the fluid-pressure storage chamber and into the return-fluid reservoir when the slide latch valve is in the open position.

Claim 25

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return-fluid reservoir as set forth in claim 21 wherein, the cylinder head extends radially of The cylinder to overlie the return-fluid reservoir with the reservoir-charging ports through the said head and slide latch valve opening from the fluid-pressure storage chamber and into the return-fluid reservoir when the slide latch valve is in the open position, and wherein the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston with spaced interconnected large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, and a trigger valve operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.

Claim 26

The double-acting percussively operable cylinder and piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return-fluid reservoir as set forth in claim 21 wherein, the cylinder head extends radially of the cylinder to overlie the return-fluid reservoir with the reservoir-charging ports through the said head and slide latch valve opening from the fluid-pressure storage chamber and into the return-fluid reservoir when the slide latch valve is in the open position, wherein the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid-pressure storage chamber, wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber, wherein the manually operable fluid-actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston extending through the fluid-pressure storage chamber and on an axis parallel to said flat sealing face and with spaced interconnected large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, wherein the slide latch valve is telescopically coupled to the interconnected pistons on an axis normal to the plane of said flat sealing face to adjustably seat thereon, and wherein a trigger valve is operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.

Claim 27

In combination: a double acting percussively operable motor having a cylinder with a self-returning actuating piston operable therein between a normal retracted position at one end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other end of the cylinder, having a fluid pressure storage chamber axially overlying and next adjacent to said one end of the cylinder, having a return fluid reservoir in open communication into the said other end of the cylinder, having a cylinder head separating the interior of the cylinder from the fluid pressure storage chamber and with transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust and reservoir relief ports, having a check valve admitting fluid from said one end of the cylinder and into the return fluid reservoir, and having means supplying fluid under pressure into the said chamber, a slide latch valve movable transversely of the cylinder head and having transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust and reservoir relief ports complementary to and alternately movable out of and into alignment with the inlet and exhaust and reservoir relief ports in the cylinder head, said cylinder head and said valve having mating planar surfaces; a manually operable fluid actuating pilot valve means actuating the slide latch valve from a closed position whereat the said inlet ports are out of alignment and the said exhaust and reservoir relief ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports are in alignment and the said exhaust and reservoir relief ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports are in alignment and the said exhaust and reservoir relief ports are out of alignment; whereby fluid pressure stored in said chamber discharges axially through said inlet ports when the slide latch valve is in the open position and into the said cylinder to move the piston percussively toward the said other end of the cylinder, and through said check valve charging said reservoir, and whereby fluid discharged into the cylinder is exhausted axially through said exhaust ports when the slide latch valve is in the closed position and the piston is returned to the normally retracted position by fluid pressure from the return fluid reservoir applied into the other end of the cylinder and beneath the piston.

Claim 28

In combination: a double acting percussively operable motor having a cylinder with a self-returning actuating piston operable therein between a normal retracted position at one end of the cylinder and an actuated position at the other end of the cylinder, having a fluid pressure storage chamber axially overlying and next adjacent to said one end of the cylinder, having a return fluid reservoir in open communication into the said other end of the cylinder, having a cylinder head separating the interior of the cylinder from the fluid pressure storage chamber and with transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust and reservoir relief ports, having a check valve admitting fluid from said one end of the cylinder and into the return fluid reservoir, and having means supplying fluid under pressure into the said chamber, a slide latch valve movable transversely of the cylinder head and having transversely spaced axially disposed inlet and exhaust and reservoir relief ports complementary to and alternately movable out of and into alignment with the inlet and exhaust and reservoir relief ports in the cylinder head, said cylinder head and said valve having mating planar surfaces; a manually operable fluid actuating pilot valve means actuating the slide latch valve from a closed position whereat the said inlet ports are out of alignment and the said exhaust and reservoir relief ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports are in alignment and the said exhaust and reservoir relief ports are in alignment, to an open position whereat the said inlet ports are in alignment and the said exhaust and reservoir relief ports are out of alignment; whereby fluid pressure stored in said chamber discharges axially through said inlet ports when the slide latch valve is in the open position and into the said cylinder to move the piston percussively toward the said other end of the cylinder, and through said check valve charging said reservoir, and whereby fluid discharged into the cylinder is exhausted axially through said exhaust ports when the slide latch valve is in the closed position and the piston is returned to the normally retracted position by fluid pressure from the return fluid reservoir applied into the other end of the cylinder and beneath the piston.

Claim 29

The double acting percussively operable cylinder and self-returning piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return fluid reservoir as set forth in claim 25 wherein the cylinder head extends radially of the cylinder to overlie the return fluid reservoir with the reservoir relief ports through the said head and slide latch valve opening from the return fluid reservoir to an exhaust port when the slide latch valve is in the closed position.

Claim 30

The double acting percussively operable cylinder and self-returning piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return fluid reservoir as set forth in claim 25 wherein the cylinder head extends radially of the cylinder to overlie the return fluid reservoir with the reservoir relief ports through the said head and slide latch valve opening from the return fluid reservoir to an exhaust port when the slide latch valve is in the closed position, and wherein the manually operable fluid actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston with spaced interconnected large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, and a trigger valve operable in an exhaust bore, and a trigger valve operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.

Claim 31

The double acting acting percussively operable cylinder and self-returning piston motor combined with the slide latch valve and manually operable means and return fluid reservoir as set forth in claim 25 wherein the cylinder head extends radially of the cylinder to overlie the return fluid reservoir with the reservoir relief ports through the said head and slide latch valve opening from the return fluid reservoir to an exhaust port when the slide latch valve is in the closed position, and wherein the cylinder head has a flat sealing face exposed within the fluid pressure storage chamber, wherein the slide latch valve overlies the sealing face and is held slideably engaged thereupon by fluid pressure in said storage chamber, wherein the manually operable fluid actuating pilot valve means includes a differential cylinder and piston extending through the fluid pressure storage chamber and on an axis parallel to said flat sealing face and with spaced large and small pistons exposed to fluid pressure within the storage chamber, the large piston operable in a closed cylinder bore and the small piston operable in an exhaust bore, wherein the last said piston operable in an exhaust bore, wherein the last said piston is telescopically coupled to the slide latch valve on an axis normal to the plane of said flat sealing face to reciprocally position the same, and wherein a trigger valve is operable to alternately charge said closed cylinder bore with fluid pressure and to exhaust the same.