Retractable telescopic piston
AssigneeEDO MBM Technology Limited
InventorJames Lewendon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A two-stage, fully self-retracting, telescopic fluid actuator suitable for high speed ejection applications comprises a detent 38, 64, 26, which locks a cylinder 6 in an extended position for extension of a piston 3 therefrom. The detent is released by retraction of the piston into the cylinder again, e.g. under spring bias, so that the actuator is fully self-retracting. A locking ball 38 of the detent also serves to latch the piston and cylinder to each other for the first stage of the actuator extension. In an alternative embodiment, cam means (80, 117 FIGS. 10, 11 and 13) and plungers (90, FIGS. 10, 12, 13 and 15) perform the detent and latching functions.
Claims24
A telescopic actuator comprising an inner component, an intermediate component and an outer component, all telescopingly interfitted together, the inner component comprising a fluid outlet at one end, the intermediate component making a sliding seal with the inner component and comprising an end surrounding the fluid outlet end, the outer component making a first sliding seal with the intermediate component and a second sliding seal with the inner component, and a detent operative to hold the outer component in an extended position relative to the inner component;
- characterized in that the detent is releasable by retraction of the intermediate component into the outer component, to allow relative sliding movement between the inner and outer components so that the telescopic actuator is retractable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.