Helical splined rotary actuator
First Claim
1. An actuator comprising a cylinder housing, a piston axially movable in said housing, means for causing relative rotation between said piston and housing during axial movement of said piston relative to said housing, a barrier sleeve extending coaxially into one end of said housing between said housing and said piston, said housing having internal seal means in sliding sealed engagement with the exterior of said barrier sleeve, and said piston having external seal means in sliding sealed engagement with the interior of said barrier sleeve, and means permitting relative axial movement between said piston and barrier sleeve but not relative rotational movement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Helical splined rotary actuator includes a pair of cylinder housings having inboard ends rotatably mounted in coaxial alignment on opposite ends of a center sleeve member. Contained within the housings are pistons having relatively large diameter helical spline connections with the inner diameters of the housings and smaller diameter straight spline connections with opposite ends of the sleeve member, whereby simultaneous axial movement of the pistons toward and away from each other causes relative rotation between the sleeve member and cylinder housings. The sleeve member may be connected to a first support intermediate the ends of the actuator. In like manner, the cylinder housings may be connected to a second support rotatable relative to the first support adjacent opposite ends of the sleeve member. End closures at the outboard ends of the housings have barrier sleeves extending coaxially into the outboard ends of the housings between the housings and pistons to act as barriers between the internal housing seals and external piston seals. The end closures are fixed relative to a shaft pinned to the sleeve member intermediate the ends thereof, whereby the housings are rotatable relative to the barrier sleeves but not axially movable relative thereto and the pistons are axially movable relative to the barrier sleeves but not rotatable relative thereto.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. An actuator comprising a cylinder housing, a piston axially movable in said housing, means for causing relative rotation between said piston and housing during axial movement of said piston relative to said housing, a barrier sleeve extending coaxially into one end of said housing between said housing and said piston, said housing having internal seal means in sliding sealed engagement with the exterior of said barrier sleeve, and said piston having external seal means in sliding sealed engagement with the interior of said barrier sleeve, and means permitting relative axial movement between said piston and barrier sleeve but not relative rotational movement.
- 14. An actuator comprising a sleeve member, a pair of cylinder housings having inboard ends rotatably mounted on opposite ends of said sleeve member, pistons simultaneously axially movable toward and away from each other within said housings, drive means for causing relative rotation between said pistons and housings during such axial movement of said pistons, said drive means including means for permitting axial movement of said pistons relative to said sleeve member but not relative rotational movement, said sleeve member including first attachment means for attachment of said actuator to a first support intermediate the ends of said actuator, and each of said housings including second attachment means adjacent opposite ends of said first attachment means for attachment of said housings to a second support which is rotatable relative to said first support.
Specification