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US 5,081,910 AGranted
Locking linear actuator
OwnerFrank D'Ascenzo, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power cylinder assembly including means to positively lock the piston rod of the assembly in the forward extended position of the cylinder assembly. The locking means includes a pair of cam plates that are moved radially outwardly into locking engagement with lock slots defined by inserts positioned in the wall of the cylinder with the radially outward movement of the locking plates being generated by a lost motion connection between the piston and the piston rod in the form of a pin and slot connection. The pin is carried by the piston rod and coacts with cam slots in the cam plates to move the cam plates radially outwardly at the end of the forward stroking movement of the piston assembly so that the final forward movement of the piston generates the radially outward movement of the lock plates.
Claims17
A power cylinder assembly comprising:
- a cylinder having sealed central axial bore, inlet and outlet ports communicating with said sealed bore, and slots in the cylindrical wall of said sealed bore opening regularly inwardly into the sealed bore;
- and
- a piston assembly positioned in said sealed bore and including a piston mounted for axial movement in said bore in response to the selective introduction of pressurized hydraulic fluid into said bore through said ports, a piston rod having a lost motion connection to said piston within said bore and extending sealingly out of said bore through one end wall of said cylinder, and lock means carried by said piston assembly within said bore and including a pair of flat lock plates mounted in confronting side-by-side relation in said sealed bore and means operative to move said plates radially outwardly in opposite directions within said bore, in response to lost motion movement between said piston and said piston rod, into locking engagement with said slots to lock said piston rod relative to said cylinder.
A power cylinder assembly comprising:
- a cylinder including an axially extending main body cylindrical portion, front and rear end wall portions coacting with said main body portion to define a sealed axial cylindrical bore extending continuously and uninterruptedly between said front and rear end wall portions, inlet and outlet ports communicating with said sealed bore, and slots in the cylindrical wall of said sealed bore opening radially inwardly into said sealed bore;
- a piston mounted for axial movement in said bore, in response to the selective introduction of pressurized hydraulic fluid into said bore through said ports, between a retracted position relatively remote from said front end wall portion and an extended forward position relatively proximate said front end wall portion;
- a piston rod connected to the front side of said piston and including a forward portion extending through said forward end wall portion and means defining a radially outwardly extending stop surface for coaction with said forward end wall portion;
- a pair of flat lock plates mounted in confronting side-by-side relation in said sealed bore;
- means operative in response to movement of said stop surface into abutting engagement with said end wall upon movement of said piston to its extended forward position to move said plates radially outwardly in opposite directions within said bore into locking engagement with said slots to lock said piston rod relative to said cylinder.
2 more elements
A power cylinder assembly comprising:
- a cylinder having a sealed central axial bore and inlet and outlet ports communicating with said bore;
- and
- a piston assembly positioned in said sealed bore and including a piston mounted for axial movement in said bore in response to the selective introduction of pressurized hydraulic fluid into said bore through said ports, a piston rod having a lost motion connection to said piston within said bore and extending sealingly out of said bore through one end wall of said cylinder, and lock means carried by said piston assembly within said bore and including a pair of flat lock plates mounted in confronting side-by-side relation in said sealed bore and means operative to move said plates radially outwardly in opposite directions within said bore, in response to lost motion movement between said piston and said piston rod, to lock said piston rod relative to said cylinder;
- said locking means being positioned between said piston and said one end wall of said cylinder;
- said lost motion connection comprising a pin and slot connection between said piston and said piston rod;
- said lock means comprising cam slots in said locking plates passing the pin of said pin and slot connection;
- the cam slots of said pair of lock plates presenting oppositely disclosed cam surfaces for coaction with said pin so that said plates move outwardly in opposite radial direction in response to the lost motion movement between said piston and said piston rod;
- said piston including a solid rearward and a hollow forward portion;
- said piston rod including a rearward portion telescopically receive in the forward hollow portion of said piston and including an axially extending pin slot;
- and
- said pin being carried by said hollow forward portion of said piston and passing through said pin slot in said rearward portion of said piston rod.
8 more elements
A power cylinder assembly comprising:
- a cylinder having a sealed central axial bore and inlet and outlet ports communicating with said bore;
- a piston assembly including a piston mounted for axial movement in said bore in response to the selective introduction of pressurized hydraulic fluid into said bore through said ports, a piston rod having a lost motion connection to said piston and extending out of said bore through one end of said cylinder, and lock means carried by said piston assembly within said bore and including a lock member movable radially outwardly in response to lost motion movement between said piston and said piston rod and defining a radially outer edge portion;
- and
- an insert sealingly received in an opening in the wall of said cylinder and defining a recess at its inner surface opening into said bore and sized to lockingly receive said radially outer edge portion of said lock member to lock said piston rod relative to said cylinder.
1 more element
A power cylinder assembly comprising:
- a cylinder having a sealed central axial bore and inlet and outlet ports communicating with said bore;
- a piston assembly including a piston mounted for axial movement in said bore in response to the selective introduction of pressurized hydraulic fluid into said bore through said ports, a piston rod having a lost motion connection to said piston and extending out of said bore through one end of said cylinder, and lock means carried by said piston assembly within said bore and including first and second lock members arranged to move radially outwardly in respective opposite radial directions in response to lost motion movement between said piston and said piston rod and each defining a radially outer edge portion;
- and
- inserts sealingly received in diametrically opposed openings in the wall of said cylinder and respectively defining recesses at their inner surfaces opening into said bore and sized to respectively lockingly receive said radially outer edge portions of said lock members to lock said piston rod relative to said cylinder.
1 more element
A power cylinder assembly comprising:
- a cylinder including an axially extending main body cylindrical portion, front and rear end wall portions coacting with said main body portion to defining an axial cylindrical bore, and inlet and outlet ports communicating with said bore;
- a piston mounted for axial movement in said bore, in response to the selective introduction of pressurized hydraulic fluid into said bore through said points, between a retracted position relatively remote from said front end wall portion and an extended forward position relatively proximate said front end wall portion;
- a piston rod connected to the front side of said piston and extending through said forward end wall portion;
- lock means including a lock member movable radially outwardly in response to movement of said piston to its extended forward position and defining a radially outer edge portion;
- and
- an insert sealingly received in an opening in the wall of said cylinder and defining a recess at its inner surface opening into said bore and sized to lockingly receive said radially outer edge portion of said lock member to lock said piston rod relative to said cylinder.
3 more elements
A power cylinder assembly comprising:
- a cylinder including an axially extending main body cylindrical portion, front and rear end wall portions coacting with said main body portion to defining an axial cylindrical bore, and inlet and outlet ports communicating with said bore;
- a piston mounted for axial movement in said bore, in response to the selective introduction of pressurized hydraulic fluid into said bore through said points, between a retracted position relatively remote from said front end wall portion and an extended forward position relatively proximate said front end wall portion;
- a piston rod connected to the front side of said piston and extending through said forward end wall portion;
- lock means including first and second lock members arranged to move radially outwardly in respective opposite radial directions in response to movement of said piston to its extended forward position and each defining a radially outer edge portion;
- and
- inserts sealingly received in diametrically opposed openings in the wall of said cylinder and respectively defining recesses at their inner surfaces opening into said bore and sized to respectively lockingly receive said radially outer edge portions of said locking members to lock said piston rod relative to said cylinder.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.