Radial piston machine

In a radial piston machine, especially in a radial piston pump, a combination comprising a rotor having an eccentric portion;

• a plurality of pistons extending radially of said rotor and having inner end portions cooperating with said eccentric portion so that said piston move radially back and forth when said rotor rotates;
• discrete cylinders for said pistons each of said cylinders having a chamber and an open end remote from said rotor and communicating with the respective chamber;
• a stationary back support for said cylinders, said back support having sealing surfaces each normally engaging only the open end of one said cylinders;
• a housing defining a fluid-containing compartment receiving said cylinders and said back support, each of said cylinders being arranged to move at least a portion of its open end out of engagement with the respective sealing surface and to thereby allow fluid to flow between said compartment and the respective chamber in response to movement of the corresponding piston toward the axis of said rotor;
• and means for yieldably biasing said open ends of said cylinders against the respective sealing surfaces.

In a radial piston machine, especially in a radial piston pump, a combination comprising a rotor having an eccentric portion;

• a plurality of pistons extending radially of said rotor and having inner end portions cooperating with said eccentric portion so that said pistons move radially back and forth when said rotor rotates;
• discrete cylinders for said pistons, each of said cylinders having a chamber and an open end remote from said rotor and communicating with the respective chamber;
• a stationary back support comprising a discrete section for each of said cylinders, each of said sections having a sealing surface normally engaging the open end of a respective cylinder;
• a housing defining a fluid-containing compartment receiving said cylinders and said back support, each of said cylinders being arranged to move at least a portion of its open end out of engagement with the respective sealing surface and to thereby allow fluid to flow between said compartment and the respective chamber in response to movement of the corresponding piston toward the axis of said rotor;
• and at least one substantially cylindrical extension parallel to said rotor and each of said sections and received in a complementary socket in said housing for securing said sections to said housing.

In a radial piston machine, especially in a radial piston pump, a combination comprising a rotor having an eccentric portion;

• a plurality of pistons extending radially of said rotor, each of said pistons having an inner end portion;
• an arcuate shoe at the inner end portion of each piston slidably engaging said eccentric portion of said rotor;
• a coupling connecting each arcuate shoe with the respective piston end portions so that said pistons move radially back and forth when said rotor rotates, said coupling being arranged to break and to thus terminate the connection between said shoe and said inner end portion in response to the application of a predetermined stress;
• discrete cylinders for said pistons, each of said cylinders having a chamber and an open end remote from said rotor and communicating with the respective chamber;
• a stationary back support for said cylinders, said back support having sealing surfaces each normally engaging only the open end of one of said cylinders;
• and a housing defining a fluid-containing compartment receiving said cylinders and said back support, each of said cylinders being arranged to move at least a portion of its open end out of engagement with the respective sealing surface and to thereby allow fluid to flow between said compartment and the respective chamber in response to movement of the corresponding piston toward the axis of said rotor.