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US 5,076,090 AGranted
Dual action equalizing apparatus
AssigneeUtica Enterprises, Inc.
InventorRobert W. Cetnarowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for providing a reciprocating motion. The apparatus has a housing block that contains twin piston guides in spaced apart relationship to one another. The piston guides each contain a piston that has a gear rack. The gear racks are connected by a pinion gear so that the movement of one piston will cause an equal and opposite movement of the other piston. The movement of the pistons is controlled by the application of a fluid pressure to one or both of the pistons. The travel of the pistons is limited by a mechanical stop at one end and a fluid cushion device at the other end. Tools for the altering of a workpiece may be attached to one or both ends of the pistons. In one embodiment, the apparatus is subjected to a rotary displacement achieved through the linear motion of one of the pistons.
Claims18
An apparatus for moving a tool into and out of engagement with a workpiece comprising:
- a unitary housing block having one end, an opposite end and first and second piston guides, said first and second piston guides being spaced apart and parallel to each other within said unitary housing block, each of said first and second guides further extending throughout the length of said unitary housing block;
- a first piston disposed in said first piston guide of said unitary housing block for linear motion along said first piston guide over a distance less than the length of said first piston guide, said first piston having one end extending out of said one end of said unitary housing block;
- a second piston disposed in said second piston guide of said unitary housing block for complementary linear motion with said first piston along said second piston guide over a distance less than the length of said second piston guide, said first piston and said second piston each having a linear portion which overlap when one of said first piston and said second piston is at the extent of said linear motion;
- a linear gear segment provided on each of said first and second pistons, said linear gear segment being oriented along a portion of the linear extent of said first and second pistons, said linear gear segment being located within said unitary housing block;
- a pinion gear disposed within said unitary housing block between said first and second piston guides, said pinion gear having a radial portion extending into each of said first and second piston guides and engaging each said linear gear segments of said first and second pistons for cooperation therewith;
- end cap means attached to said unitary housing block enclosing said first and second piston guides within said unitary housing block such that at least one end of each said first and second piston is contained within said unitary housing block to form a first pressure chamber in said first piston guide between said first piston and said end cap means and further to form a second pressure chamber in said second piston guide between said second piston and said end cap means;
- first port means connected to said first pressure chamber for permitting a fluid to be delivered to said first pressure chamber to displace said first piston in a first direction and for permitting said fluid to be discharged from said first pressure chamber when said first piston is displaced in a direction opposite said first direction;
- second port means connected to said second pressure chamber for permitting a fluid to be delivered to said second pressure chamber to displace said second piston in said first direction and for permitting said fluid to be discharged from said second pressure chamber when said second piston is displaced in said direction opposite said first direction;
- and
- means for attaching a tool to at least one of said first and second pistons so that said apparatus can perform useful work on said workpiece.
7 more elements
A dual action apparatus comprising:
- a unitary housing block of elongate configuration having two spaced apart parallel piston guides provided therein, said two spaced apart parallel piston guides having one end and an opposite end, each of said piston guides further extending throughout the length of said unitary housing block;
- a piston disposed in each of said piston guides for complementary motion relative to each other, at least one of said pistons having one end extending out of said unitary housing block and each of said pistons having an opposite end;
- means for limiting the linear motion of said pistons over a distance less than the axial extent of said piston guides;
- an end cap means attached to said unitary housing block enclosing said piston guides within said unitary housing block such that at least one end of each said piston is contained within said unitary housing block to define a pressure chamber in each of said piston guides between said at least one end of each of said pistons and said end cap means;
- fluid port means connected to each of said pressure chambers for permitting a fluid to be delivered to each said pressure chamber to displace each said piston disposed in each said piston guide in a first direction and for permitting said fluid to be discharged from each of said pressure chambers when each said piston is displaced in a direction opposite said first direction;
- a gear rack provided on each of said pistons, each of said gear racks being contained within said unitary housing block and having a linear overlapping orientation along a portion of the axial extent of said pistons within said unitary housing block when one of said pistons is at the extent of said complementary motion;
- a pinion gear disposed within said unitary housing block between said piston guides and engaging each said rear racks, said pinion gear having a radial portion extending into each said two spaced apart parallel piston guides;
- and
- means for attaching a tool to at least one of said pistons so that said apparatus can perform useful work on said workpiece.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.