Reciprocating drive apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. A reciprocating drive apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
a rotational drive mounted in the housing, the rotational drive having opposite first and second ends;
a first crank shaft having a first portion coupled to the first end of the rotational drive for rotation about an axis of rotation and a second portion offset from the first portion and axis of rotation;
a second crank shaft having a first portion which is coupled to the second end of said rotational drive for rotation about said axis of rotation and a second portion offset from the first portion of said second crank shaft;
a first reciprocating member mounted in the housing for linear movement along a first longitudinal axis;
a second reciprocating member is mounted in the housing for linear movement along a second longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis;
a first linear bearing assembly secured in the housing to extend in a direction parallel to the first longitudinal axis;
the first linear bearing assembly comprising a first linear guide rail and a first linear slide member having an inner portion slidably mounted for reciprocal movement along the first linear guide rail between opposite end portions and an outer portion aligned with said first longitudinal axis, the outer portion having opposite first and second ends and the first end being linked to said first reciprocating member;
a first link arm having a first end rotatably linked to the second portion of the first crank shaft and a second end rotatably linked to the first linear slide member, whereby rotation of the first crank shaft forces the first linear slide member to slide back and forth on said first linear guide rail;
a second linear guide rail is secured in the housing facing the second crank shaft and parallel to the second longitudinal axis, a second linear slide member slidably mounted on the second linear guide rail and having a first end coupled to said second reciprocating member, anda second link arm having a first end rotatably linked to the second portion of said second crank shaft and a second end rotatably linked to said second linear slide member, whereby rotation of said first and second crank shafts causes said first and second reciprocating members to reciprocate simultaneously along said first and second longitudinal axes, respectively.
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Abstract
A reciprocating drive apparatus has a driving device and a driven device, one of the devices comprising a reciprocating member mounted for movement along a longitudinal axis. At least one rotary member is coupled to one of the devices and a linear bearing assembly has a linear guide rail and a linear slide member with an end coupled to the other device. A connecting link has a first end pivotally connected to the rotary member and a second end pivotally linked to the slide member. Where the reciprocating member is the driven device, rotation of the rotary member will cause the reciprocating member to move back and forth along the longitudinal axis.
227 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A reciprocating drive apparatus, comprising:
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a housing; a rotational drive mounted in the housing, the rotational drive having opposite first and second ends; a first crank shaft having a first portion coupled to the first end of the rotational drive for rotation about an axis of rotation and a second portion offset from the first portion and axis of rotation; a second crank shaft having a first portion which is coupled to the second end of said rotational drive for rotation about said axis of rotation and a second portion offset from the first portion of said second crank shaft; a first reciprocating member mounted in the housing for linear movement along a first longitudinal axis; a second reciprocating member is mounted in the housing for linear movement along a second longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis; a first linear bearing assembly secured in the housing to extend in a direction parallel to the first longitudinal axis; the first linear bearing assembly comprising a first linear guide rail and a first linear slide member having an inner portion slidably mounted for reciprocal movement along the first linear guide rail between opposite end portions and an outer portion aligned with said first longitudinal axis, the outer portion having opposite first and second ends and the first end being linked to said first reciprocating member; a first link arm having a first end rotatably linked to the second portion of the first crank shaft and a second end rotatably linked to the first linear slide member, whereby rotation of the first crank shaft forces the first linear slide member to slide back and forth on said first linear guide rail; a second linear guide rail is secured in the housing facing the second crank shaft and parallel to the second longitudinal axis, a second linear slide member slidably mounted on the second linear guide rail and having a first end coupled to said second reciprocating member, and a second link arm having a first end rotatably linked to the second portion of said second crank shaft and a second end rotatably linked to said second linear slide member, whereby rotation of said first and second crank shafts causes said first and second reciprocating members to reciprocate simultaneously along said first and second longitudinal axes, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A reciprocating pump assembly, comprising:
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a housing; a first cylinder in the housing having a first longitudinal axis; a first piston slidably mounted in the first cylinder for reciprocating movement along said first longitudinal axis; a first piston rod extending from the first piston out of a first end of the first cylinder; a first linear bearing assembly in the housing adjacent the first end of the first cylinder extending in a direction parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the first linear bearing assembly comprising a first linear slide rail secured to said housing and a first slide member slidably mounted on the first linear slide rail and having a first end rigidly secured to the first piston rod; a rotational drive device in the housing having opposite first and second ends and an axis of rotation which extends transverse to said first longitudinal axis, the rotational drive device having a first crank shaft which has a first portion extending from the first end of said rotational drive device along said axis of rotation towards the first liner bearing assembly and a second portion offset from said first portion; a first link member having one end rotatably connected to the second portion of the first crank shaft and the other end rotatably linked to the first slide member, whereby rotation of the first crank shaft forces the first slide member to move back and forth along the first linear slide rail between opposite end positions and to actuate the first piston to slide back and forth in the first cylinder; a second cylinder in said housing having a second longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the second cylinder being located on the opposite end of the rotational drive device from said first cylinder; a second piston slidably mounted in the second cylinder, the second piston having a second piston rod extending out of a first end of the second cylinder; the rotational drive device having a second crank shaft having a first portion extending from the second end of the rotational drive device along the axis of rotation in the opposite direction to the first crank shaft and a second portion offset from the axis of rotation; a second linear bearing assembly in the housing adjacent the first end of the second cylinder extending in a direction parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the second linear bearing assembly facing the first linear bearing assembly and comprising a second linear slide rail secured to said housing and a second slide member slidably mounted on the second linear slide rail and having a first end rigidly secured to the second piston rod; and a second link member rotatably linked at one end to the second end of the second crank shaft and at the other end to the second slide member, whereby rotation of the first and second crank shafts simultaneously causes the first and second pistons to reciprocate in their respective first and second cylinders. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method of convening rotational motion to linear motion, comprising the steps of:
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connecting a first end of the output of a rotational drive mounted in a housing and defining a first axis of rotation to a first portion of a first crank shaft; rotatably connecting a second portion of the first crank shaft which is offset from the first portion and first axis of rotation to a first end of a first link arm; connecting a second end of the output of the rotational drive to a first portion of a second crank shaft; rotatably connecting a second portion of the second crank shaft which is offset from the first portion of the second crank shaft and the first axis of rotation to a first end of a second link arm; rotatably connecting a second end of the first link arm to a first linear slide member of a first linear bearing assembly having a first linear guide rail secured in the housing to extend in a direction parallel to a first longitudinal axis, an inner portion of the first linear slide member being slidably mounted on the first linear bearing guide rail for movement back and forth along the first linear guide rail in a linear path, whereby rotation of the first crank shall through one complete revolution drives the first linear slide member to slide back and forth on said first linear guide rail between opposite end positions; connecting the first end of an outer portion of the first linear slide member to a first reciprocating member mounted in the housing to be driven back and forth in a linear path along the first longitudinal axis; rotatably connecting a second end of the second link arm to a second linear slide member slidably mounted on a second linear guide rail for movement back and forth along the second linear guide rail, the second linear guide rail being secured in the housing facing the second crank shaft, whereby rotation of the second crank shaft through one complete revolution drives the second linear slide member to slide back and forth on said second linear guide rail between opposite end positions; and connecting the first end of the second linear slide member to a second reciprocating member mounted in the housing to be driven back and forth in a linear path along a second longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis; whereby rotation of said first and second crank shafts causes the first and second reciprocating members to reciprocate simultaneously along said first and second longitudinal axes, respectively.
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Specification