Hydraulic Manifold Assembly

Technical Field

This invention relates to a hydraulic manifold assembly, and more particularly, to such an assembly which is particularly adapted for interconnecting a hy¬ draulic appliance within a substantially sealed cham¬ ber and a hydraulic device on the exterior of the cham¬ ber.

Background Art

In the field of construction or mining vehicles,

- there frequently is disposed in a chamber, a hydraulic ap¬ pliance such as a hydraulic motor or pump, a hydraulically operated parking brake, etc. Hydraulic fluid must be con- veyed to the hydraulic appliance, often from a hydraulic device exterior of the chamber, by conduits entering the chamber containing the appliance.

Because of the rugged environment in which such vehicles operate, it is mandatory that the chamber be sealed so as to prevent the entry of abrasive foreign material or moisture into the same whereat it could dam¬ age mechanical components therein, deleteriously affec¬ ting seals and the like. Consequently, the point of en¬ try into the chamber of a hydraulic fluid conduit must be sealed; and this has been accomplished in a number of ways. However, such methods have proved to be quite costly in that relatively expensive components must be employed or, expensive manufacturing procedures followed to maintain the tolerances required to effect a seal while utilizing relatively inexpensive components. The latter

- has proved to be quite difficult, particularly in the case of vehicles, where the chambers housing the hy¬ draulic appliance may be formed of welded metal and are of large size.

Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention is directed to over*-- coming one or more of the problems as set forth above. The present invention is intended for use in an apparatus including a hydraulic appliance within a substantially sealed chamber to be in fluid communica¬ tion with a hydraulic device exterior of the chamber. According to the invention there is provided a ani*-- fold assembly for extending through an enlarged opening in the sealed chamber while sealing the opening and es¬ tablishing fluid communication between the appliance and the device. The manifold assembly includes a body havin an end face sized to loosely extend through the enlarged opening in the sealed chamber. Means are disposed on th body for securing the body within the sealed chamber in nominally aligned relation with the enlarged opening suc that the end face extends therethrough. External thread are located on the body adjacent the end face and are adapted to be located on the exterior of the sealed cha ber and extend into the enlarged opening. At least one fluid conduit is located in the body and terminates in a first port in the end face for connection to the hydraul device. The conduit also terminates in a second port spaced from the first port and adapted to be located wit in the sealed chamber for connection to the hydraulic ap pliance. A nut is sized to cover the enlarged opening f any position of nominal alignment of the body to the en¬ larged opening and is disposed on the external threads s that a side of the nut faces and covers the enlarged opening. A seal is carried by the nut for sealing engag ment with the exterior of the chamber about the peripher of the enlarged opening.

As a consequence of this construction, exactin tolerances in forming the body, in securing the body wit in the chamber, and in aligning the opening with the poi of securement need not be followed and yet a reliable seal utilizing components that may inexpensively be

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fabricated is provided.

Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a manifold assem¬ bly made according to the invention and shown in its in- tended environment of ^" use with parts broken away for clar¬ ity;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but taken at right angles thereto;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken ap- proximately along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

By way of example, a manifold assembly made ac¬ cording to the invention is illustrated in the environ¬ ment of a frame for a motor vehicle such as that dis- closed in United States Defensive Publication T966,007 to Liehr et al published on January 3, 1978, the details and underlying disclosure of which are herein incorpor¬ ated by reference. As is well known, such a frame in¬ cludes rearwardly extending rails, forms of plates welded together to form box sections, the interior plate of one of which is shown at 10. A casting 12 forming part of a conventional vehicle final drive housing along with the plate 10 and other components not shown form a chamber 14 which is adapted to be sealed and a hydraulic appli- ance 18 in the form of a sealed hydraulically disengaged, spring engaged, parking brake 18 of conventional construc ^¬ tion is received therein. Actuation of the hydraulic appliance 18 requires the direction of hydraulic fluid thereto from a hydraulic device exterior to the chamber such as a pump, not shown. Thus, a manifold assembly according to the invention is employed as part of the -interconnection between the appliance 18 and the hydraulic device.

As seen in Fig. 1, the manifold assembly in- eludes a body 20 which may be of cast construction. One

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end of the body is provided with a flange 22 having at • least two spaced bolt holes 24, extending therethrough for receipt of bolts 26 threaded into a part of the final drive 12 so as to secure the body 20 within the chamber 14. The end of the body 20 opposite the flange 22 is provided with an end face 28 which is sized to loosely pass through an enlarged opening 30 in the inner plate 10. The arrangement is such that the body 20, when secured in place, is nominally aligned with the opening 30 without any need for.maintaining exacting tolerances in the location of the bolt holes 24 in the flange 22, or the alignment of the opening 30 with the part of the final drive 12 to which the body 20 is to be secured. By way of example, the opening 30 may be circular and have a diameter of perhaps as much as one half inch more than the diameter of the body 20 at the end face 28. Consequently, a large tolerance of as much as plus or minus one quarter of an inch in the relative posi¬ tioning of the parts can be allowed and yet achieve the requisite nominal alignment.

The body includes at least one internal con¬ duit 32 although more may be employed if desired. As illustrated in the drawings, a second internal conduit 34 is also employed. Each of the conduits 32 and 34 terminate in ports, 36 a 38, respectively, which are internally threaded for receipt of suitable fittings (not shown) for connection of hydraulic lines to the hydraulic de¬ vice exterior of the chamber 14. The opposite ends of the conduits 32 and 34 terminate in ports 40 and 42 which 44 and 46 in turn are connected to hydraulic piping 48 extending to the appliance 18 and in fluid communication with the inner workings thereof.

The end of the body 20 adjacent the end face 28 is provided with an external threaded surface 50 which is configured to extend through the opening 30 and out¬ wardly of the chamber 14 somewhat. The threaded surface

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50 also extends into the opening 30 to some degree as seen in figs. 1 and 3. A nut 52 is threaded on to the threaded surface 50 from the exterior of the chamber 14. The nut 52 is sized so as to overlie the opening 30 and cover the same for any position of nominal alignment of the body 20 with the opening 30. That is, the nut 52 closes the opening 30.

As best seen in fig. 2, the nut 52 is preferably a spanner nut provided with a plurality of notches 54 about its periphery. A locking member 56 may be secured to the plate 10 by bolts 58 and is provided with a nose 60 re¬ ceivable in any one of the notches 54 so as to lock the spanner nut 52 against rotation once it has been properly installed. To seal the interface of the nut 52 and the plate 10 about the opening 30 a toroidal seal 62 is car¬ ried by the nut 52 on the side 64 thereof facing the plate 10. In a preferred embodiment, the side 64 of the nut 62 is provided with a peripheral groove 66 ^: in which the seal 62 is received. The diameter of the toroidal seal 62 is such that it will always contact the plate 10 about the entire periphery of the seal regardless of the position of nominal alignment of the body 20 with respect to the opening 30. Thus, if the opening 30 has a diameter one half inch greater than the diameter of the threaded por¬ tion 50 of the body 20, the groove 66 and the seal 62 will have a diameter at least about one inch greater than the diameter of the threaded portion 50.

Industrial Applicability A manifold assembly made according to the in¬ vention is particularly suited for use in establishing fluid communication between hydraulic elements , one of which is enclosed within a seal chamber and the other is exterior thereof where the chamber is formed of plates welded together or otherwise fabricated by techniques

wherein exacting tolerances are difficult and/or expen¬ sive to maintain. Thus, relatively loose tolerances may be employed in positioning the opening 30 in the plate 10 with respect to that part of the final drive 12 receiving the bolts .26 and in forming the bolt holes 24 in the flange 22.

With just minimal concern for tolerances, the body 20 will be nominally aligned with the opening 30 and the opening 30 closed and sealed by a relatively inexpensive nut 52 and seal 62.