Rotary actuator mechanism

A rotary actuator device comprising of first cup-shaped magnetizable shell member having an annular wall and an end wall, the annular wall of the first shell member having a plurality of peripherally spaced inclined surfaces, a first magnetizable core member secured to the end wall of the first shell member at the central portion thereof and being surrounded by the annular wall of the first shell member, a second cup-shaped magnetizable shell member having an annular wall and an end wall, the annular wall of the second shell member extending closely adjacent a portion of the annular wall of the first shell member, the annular wall of the second shell member having a plurality of peripherally spaced inclined surfaces facing the inclined surfaces of the annular wall of the first shell member, a second magnetizable core member secured to the end wall of the second shell member at the central portion thereof and surrounded by the annular wall of the second shell member, the second core member being in axial alignment with the first core member, a plurality of roller members disposed between the inclined surfaces of the first shell member and the inclined surfaces of the second shell member, an annular retainer member extending around said inclined surfaces and joining the roller members together in fixed spaced-apart relation, an electrically energizable coil surrounding at least one of the core members and effective to magnetize the shell members and the core members in response to energizing of the coil to produce axial movement of the second shell member toward the first shell member, the inclined surfaces and the roller members causing rotation of the second shell member in one direction in response to axial movement of the second shell member, the means for rotating the second shell member in the opposite direction when the coil is deenergized.

Rotary actuator mechanism of the type provided with a magnetizable cup-shaped base member having an annular wall and an end wall, the base member having an annular engagement portion provided with an inclined engagement surface, a magnetizable core member attached to the end wall and positioned within the base member, an electrically energizable coil within the base member and encompassing the core, a magnetizable rotatably and axially movable actuator member having an annular engagement portion in alignment with the annular engagement portion of the base member, the engagement portion of the actuator member having an inclined engagement surface, the movable actuator member including a magnetizable plunger portion which is adjacent and in substantial axial alignment with the magnetizable core, means for joining the movable actuator member to a load for rotative movement of the load with rotative movement of the actuator member, a plurality of spaced-apart ball members positioned between the inclined engagement surface of the movable actuator member and the inclined engagement surface of the base member, the improvement comprising carrier means encompassing the annular engagement portions of the base member and the actuator member and rotatively supporting the ball means and maintaining the position thereof with respect to the carrier means, energization of the electrically energizable coil thus causing magnetization of the magnetizable core and the magnetizable base member and the magnetizable actuator member including the magnetizable plunger, the actuator member thus moving axially and rotatively toward the base member when the coil is energized so that a load joined to the actuator member is rotatively moved.

A rotary actuator device comprising:

• a magnetizable cup-shaped base member having an annular wall and an end wall.
• a magnetizable core member within the base member and attached to the end wall,
• an electrically energizable annular coil within the base member and encompassing the core,
• a rotatable and axially movable shaft extending through the core,
• abutment means carried by the shaft and engageable with the core to limit axial movement of the shaft,
• a base member having an annular engagement portion provided with an inclined engagement surface,
• a magnetizable rotatably and axially movable actuator member having an annular engagement portion in alignment with the annular engagement portion of the base member, the engagement portion of the actuator member having an inclined engagement surface, the movable actuator member including a magnetizable plunger portion which is encompassed by the coil and which is adjacent and in substantial axial alignment with the magnetizable core,
• means joining the plunger to the shaft which extends through the core, for movement of the shaft with movement of the plunger,
• connection means for joining the movable actuator member to a load for rotative movement thereof,
• a plurality of bail members positioned between the inclined engagement surface of the movable actuator member and the inclined engagement surface of the base member,
• carrier means rotatably supporting the ball members and maintaining the position thereof with respect to the carrier means, the carrier means encompassing the annular engagement portions of the actuator member and the base member,
• energization of the electrically energizable coil thus causing magnetization of the magnetizable core and the magnetizable base member and the magnetizable actuator member including the magnetizable plunger, the actuator member thus moving axially and rotatively toward the base member when the coil is energized so that a load joined to the actuator member is rotatively moved in a given rotative direction when the coil is energized,
• means for axially and rotatively moving the actuator member in a direction away from the base member.

Rotary actuator mechanism comprising:

• a pair of magnetizable shell members, each of the shell members having an annular wall portion and a transverse wall portion, the shell members being arranged in opposed substantially coaxial relationship with the annular wall portions being in substantially aligned adjacent relationship, each of the annular wall portions having a plurality of inclined engagement surfaces, the inclined engagement surfaces of the annular wall portion of one shell member being generally in facing relationship to the inclined engagement surfaces of the annular portion of the other shell member, one of the shell members having an annular part slidably positioned within the annular wall portion of the other shell member,
• a plurality of roller members, there being one roller member engaging an inclined engagement surface of one shell member and an inclined engagement surface of the other shell member,
• a movable retainer member encompassing the annular wall portions of the shell members and joining the roller members together in fixed spaced-apart relationship,
• a pair of substantially coaxial magnetizable protuberance, the magnetizable protuberances being in adjacent facing relationship, there being a magnetizable protuberance carried by the transverse wall portion of each shell member, each magnetizable protuberance being directly joined to its respective shell member and encompassed by the annular portion thereof,
• an electrically energizable coil encompassing the magnetizable protuberance of each of the the shell members and encompassed by the annular portion thereof,
• energization of the electrically energizable coil causing magnetization of the shell members and the protuberances thereof and causing relative axial movement of the shell members one toward the other, the inclined surfaces and the roller members causing relative rotative movement of the shell members as relative axial movement thereof occurs.