A hydraulic control system includes a first hydraulic cylinder, a second hydraulic cylinder, a fluid supply apparatus, a first control valve bank, a second control valve bank, a third control valve bank, and a first check valve. The first control valve bank is configured to independently control the first hydraulic cylinder; the second control valve bank is configured to independently control the second hydraulic cylinder; and the third control valve bank is configured to synchronously control the first hydraulic cylinder and the second hydraulic cylinder. Synchronous volume control is implemented through series connection of the hydraulic cylinders, and has quite high synchronization precision, which is measured to be up to two percent.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a construction machine capable of efficiently driving a hydraulic cylinder by an accumulator. Thus, the construction machine includes a first control valve disposed in a first hydraulic fluid line connecting a bottom-side fluid chamber of a hydraulic cylinder with an accumulator, and a second control valve disposed in a second hydraulic fluid line connecting a rod-side fluid chamber of the hydraulic cylinder with a tank. The construction machine further includes a third control valve disposed in a third hydraulic fluid line connecting the rod-side fluid chamber with the accumulator, and a fourth control valve disposed in a fourth hydraulic fluid line connecting a line part of the first hydraulic fluid line, which connects the bottom-side fluid chamber with the third control valve, and a line part of the third hydraulic fluid line, which connects the rod-side fluid chamber with the third control valve, with each other.

An exemplary valve bank and/or modular control valve having a valve body, a valve member movable in a fluid flow of the valve body to control flow of fluid, and an onboard electronic controller that is operably mounted to the valve bank or valve body. The onboard controller is operably connected to at least one actuator of the valve, which is configured to control movement of the valve member in response to commands from the onboard controller. The onboard controller may provide diagnostics, feedback and/or control of the control valve, such as via inputs from one or more sensors that may be included in the valve. The modular control valve may be used with conventional non-intelligent valve banks to thereby impart smart diagnostics and/or feedback into the valve bank in a plug-and-play manner. A communications interface may be provided in the control valve to interface and communicate with an upper-level PLC controller.

A system and method for the controlled lowering and lifting of a load are disclosed. The system and method may include operating a work machine having a hydraulic system including a hydraulic actuator for supporting a load, a first control valve in fluid communication with the actuator, and a controller for operating the first control valve. In one embodiment, the controller includes a first algorithm for operating the first control valve in a load lowering operation. When an operational fault within the hydraulic system is detected, the controller can be configured to enter into a safe lowering mode. In the safe lowering mode, the first algorithm is disabled and a pulse width modulation (PWM) current is sent from the controller to the first control valve. A user interface is provided to allow an operator to control the PWM current duty ratio to allow the load supported by the actuator to be lowered.

An agricultural vehicle having a chassis, wheels, a power unit, and a header. The header has a center section, at least one wing section extending laterally from the center section, and a wing section support. The center section is movable relative to the chassis, the wing section is movable relative to the center section, and the wing support is movable relative to the wing section. The combine has a control system that is configured to determine that the combine is configured to drive at a road-driving speed, and in response to such determination: operate a center section actuator to move the center section to a raised center section position, operate a wing section actuator to move the wing section to a raised wing section position, and operate a wing support actuator to move the wing support to a raised wing support position.

A valve assembly with at least two valve modules is described, wherein the valve modules are arranged one beside the other in a line-up direction. The valve assembly also comprises an indicating device for displaying a state of the valve modules and/or of the valve assembly and/or of a component connected to the valve assembly. In the line-up direction the indicating device continuously extends over all valve modules.

A downforce control system for an agricultural ground engaging unit provides individual control of each agricultural ground engaging row unit by providing a proportional pressure control valve connected to the retracting chamber of a double acting cylinder which varies the upward force produced by the retracting chamber of the cylinder against a constant counteracting downward force produced by an extending chamber of the cylinder, the valve control based on a comparison of a sensed resultant downward force on the agricultural ground engaging row unit and a predetermined target downward force.

There is provided a control module for a hydraulic system. The module comprises a tank and a plurality of valves. The tank is configured to store hydraulic fluid and is substantially cylindrical. The plurality of valves fluidly connect with the tank and are configured to control distribution of hydraulic fluid from the tank to one or more components of the system. The plurality of valves are spaced around a circumference of the tank. One or more passages fluidly connect the tank with at least one of the plurality of valves and/or a first of the plurality of valves with a second of the plurality of valves.

An electronic valve controller for an open-loop and closed-loop control of a valve island includes four or eight valve disks having pneumatic valves configured to perform a motion task. Applications for the open-loop and closed-loop control of the valve island can be loaded onto the electronic valve controller. The invention further relates to a valve assembly, which is controlled in an open-loop and closed-loop manner by an electronic valve controller, to a corresponding method, and to a system.

A hydraulic drive system raises and lowers an object by supplying and discharging operating oil to and from two ports of an actuator and includes a control device, first to fifth electromagnetic proportional control valves, first and second hydraulic pumps, a first and second control valve, and a lock valve. When a fourth pilot pressure is output, the second control valve causes the operating oil to be discharged from a first port in order to lower the object. The lock valve prevents the operating oil from being discharged from the first port by closing a path between the first port and the second control valve, and when a fifth pilot pressure is output from the fifth electromagnetic proportional control valve per an operating device, discharges the operating oil from the first port by opening the path between the first port and the second control valve, to lower the object.