Power unit
OwnerHoward C. Langwellinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power unit having an increased capacity for utilizing the potential energy of a stressed spring over periods of extended duration. The power unit is characterized by a housing, a drive shaft projected from the housing and supported for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a radially expansive spring unit of a substantially circular configuration disposed within the housing and connected to both the shaft and the housing, and an expansion control unit including a fluid-actuated ram radially oriented with respect to the spring unit having a pressure pad of an arcuate configuration forcibly engaging the periphery of the spring unit for selectively accommodating radial expansion of the spring whereby energy is released at a selectively controlled rate.
Claims9
A power unit comprising:
- A. means defining a housing;
- B. a drive shaft supported for rotation about an axis extended through the housing;
- C. means for imparting rotary motion to said shaft including a radially expensive helical spring characterized by a substantially cylindrical periphery disposed within said housing, having one end thereof affixed to said shaft and the opposite end thereof affixed to said housing;
- and
- D. expansion control means for conrolling radial expansion of said spring including a pressure pad disposed in engagement with the periphery of said helical spring and supported for radial displacement relative to said spring, and means for controlling radial displacement of the pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.