Pneumatic cylinder for railroad track switch operator
OwnerJames D. Braatzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A easily rebuildable pneumatic cylinder for a railroad track switch operator utilizes a fiber-reinforced resin composite cylinder tube and a piston wear band of a composite material. The cylinder is easily disassembled for replacement of all of the seals and the rod bearing, along with the cylinder tube and wear band. All wear and replacement parts are identically used in both common types of pneumatic cylinders in present use.
Claims18
A universal, easily rebuildable pneumatic cylinder for a railroad track switch operator comprising:
- a cylinder tube of a plastic composite material;
- a back end cap closing one end of the cylinder tube and a nose end cap closing the other end of the tube, said caps having opposed annular bosses sized to be concentrically received in an end of the tube;
- a plurality of tie rods interconnecting the end caps and the tube;
- a piston mounted for reciprocal movement in said cylinder tube and having a piston rod extending axially through a bore in the nose end cap;
- a replaceable annular wear band mounted in an annular recess in the periphery of the piston, said wear band made of a composite plastic material;
- and,
- a plurality of replaceable sealing rings for the respective interfaces between the cylinder tube and the end cap bosses, the OD of the piston and the ID of the tube, and the nose end cap bore and the piston rod.
A method for rebuilding, without machining, a pneumatic cylinder for a railroad track switch operator, said cylinder being of a type including a cylinder tube enclosed at opposite ends by a back end cap and a nose end cap, said end caps interconnected with a plurality of demountable tie rods, a piston including a piston head mounted for reciprocal movement in the cylinder tube and a piston rod extending axially through a bore in the nose end cap, and sealed interfaces between the cylinder tube and the end caps, the OD of the piston and the ID of the cylinder tube, and the nose end cap bore and the piston rod, the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) providing each of said interfaces with replaceable annular seals;
- (2) providing a replaceable cylinder tube of a composite plastic material;
- (3) providing a replaceable annular wear ban for the interface between the piston head and the cylinder tube;
- (4) demounting the tie rods and disassembling the end caps and piston from the cylinder tube;
- (5) removing and replacing the seals and the wear band;
- (6) replacing the cylinder tube;
- and,
- (7) reassembling the cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.