1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hydraulic cylinders and more specifically it relates to a hydraulic stroke measuring system for accurately determining the cylinder rod position within a hydraulic cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydraulic cylinders have been in use within agriculture, construction and other industries for years. A conventional hydraulic cylinder has a cylinder housing and a cylinder shaft slidably extending from the cylinder housing. Pressurized hydraulic fluid is input into the cylinder housing to force the cylinder rod inwardly or outwardly with respect to the cylinder housing.
The main problem with conventional hydraulic cylinders is the user cannot determine the exact position of the cylinder rod. A further problem with conventional hydraulic cylinders is that equipment dependent upon the hydraulic cylinders are sometimes operated at an incorrect depth or height. For example, if a planter is not adequately lowered so that the discs are penetrating the ground surface at a desired depth, the seeds will not be properly planted resulting in the loss of that crop.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for accurately determining the cylinder rod position within a hydraulic cylinder. Conventional hydraulic cylinders do not provide a system for indicating the exact position of the cylinder rod.
In these respects, the hydraulic stroke measuring system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of accurately determining the cylinder rod position within a hydraulic cylinder.