Patent ID: 7967024

Claim:
A hydraulic valve assembly for an excavator, the valve assembly comprising: a hydraulic valve movable along a longitudinal axis to control a flow of fluid; a flange coupled to the hydraulic valve, the flange including a receptor; a locking mechanism movable between a locked orientation and an unlocked orientation, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a handle, a rod portion that can be received in the receptor and a link coupling the handle to the rod portion for causing movement between the locked orientation and the unlocked orientation, wherein in the locked orientation the locking mechanism cooperates with the receptor to inhibit movement of the hydraulic valve along the longitudinal axis and in the unlocked orientation the hydraulic valve is free to move along the longitudinal axis; and an over-centered biasing member coupled to the locking mechanism to bias the locking mechanism in the locked orientation and in the unlocked orientation, wherein the over-centered biasing member comprises a biasing housing first portion slidably coupled to a biasing housing second portion, the first and second biasing housing portions together defining a cylinder housing, and wherein the biasing housing first portion is coupled to the hydraulic valve assembly and the biasing housing second portion is coupled to the rod portion of the locking mechanism, the over-centered biasing member resisting movement of the rod portion away from both of the locked and unlocked orientations.