Cylinder assembly and method of replacing seals and bearings

Abstract

A cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder having a bore, a bearing therein and an extension bore. A head on the cylinder removably mounts and retains a gland assembly including a piston rod seal and wiper. A piston rod is reciprocally mounted within the bore and bearing and at its outer end mounts a stop plate assembly engageable with the cylinder head. The stop plate assembly is removable from the piston rod which is retractable into the extension bore, the outer end of the piston rod being inward of the wiper and seal, to permit removal and replacement of the seal and wiper. The method of replacing the seal and wiper from a cylinder assembly without disassembling the assembly or disconnecting the assembly from its support includes the steps of removing the stop plate assembly from the rod, retracting the rod into the bore extension until the front end of the rod clears the wiper and seal and removing and replacing the seal and wiper. A further step includes the reassembly of the stop plate upon the rod and drawing up the piston rod to the stop plate assembly. The method of replacing the cylinder bearings without disassembly of the cylinder or removal of the cylinder from its support includes the steps of removing the rod and connected stop plate assembly from the cylinder; removing the gland assembly from the cylinder head; and thereafter withdrawing and replacing the bearings from within the cylinder.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.