Fluid-powered stepping motor
AssigneeLucas Industries Limited
InventorsGeorge Orloff, Peter Ian Munnoch, Alan Thomas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic-powered motor for stepwise operation has a plurality of radial pistons in a rotatable cylinder block, the pistons engaging a cam track having a number of indentations which is different from the number of the pistons. Electrically operated valves are provided and are energizable in sequence to apply pressure pulses to the pistons to cause stepwise rotation of the cylinder block. Detent means may be provided to prevent rotation of the cylinder block in the absence of a pressure pulse to any one of the pistons.
Claims11
A fluid-powered stepping motor comprising a body, a cam track, a cylinder member mounted on said body for rotation relative to said cam track, said cylinder member having at least three radial bores therein, piston elements slidable in the respective bores and being engagable with said cam truck, means, responsive to input control signals, for sequentially applying fluid pressure pulses to said bores, said cam track including a surface having a plurality of zones whose distance from said cylinder progressively decreases substantially symmetrically on either side of a centre part of each zone, and means, operable in synchronism with said fluid pressure pulse applying means, for supplying pulses of lubricating fluid between relatively sliding faces of said body and said cylinder member only when said body and said cylinder member are urged into relative rotation by said fluid pressure pulses, whereby a sequence of said fluid pressure pulses causes step-wise relative rotation between said body and said cylinder member and in the intervals between said pressure pulses frictional resistance to said relative rotation is increased.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.