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(11) | EP 0 100 137 A3 |
(12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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(54) | Pilot operated directional control valve |
(57) Directional control valve (1) includes a manually operated pilot valve stage (31)
and a hydraulically operated power valve stage (32) to isolate the pilot valve stage
from the effects of the high axial flows passing through the power valve stage. The
pilot valve (72) is spring loaded in the stow direction as long as the directional
control valve is disconnected from system pressure. Such spring (105) also acts as
a stowed condition linkage pre-tensioner to avoid fretting of various parts during
vibration conditions and the like. When system pressure is applied to the directional
control valve, such preload is automatically removed from the pilot valve (72) for
ease of movement between the stow and deploy positions by a relatively low manual
input rotary force. |