Welding gun assembly and fluid actuated cylinder
AssigneeSavair Inc.
InventorAllan Ward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for applying a force to a workpiece as required in welding or clamping. The apparatus applies a force to the workpiece through a direct clamping action or through link enhanced scissor type action that increases the mechanical force supplied by a fluid driven cylinder. The fluid driven cylinder has piston rods at both ends of an elongated external housing. The fluid driven cylinder is supported at one end by an attachment to the end of one piston rod and is supported at the other end by an attachment to the external housing. A plurality of pistons permit the piston rods to move relative to one another and also relative to the external housing. The entire fluid driven cylinder can rotate and translate.
Claims38
An apparatus for moving a work performing tool into and out of engagement with a workpiece, said apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a fluid driven cylinder mounted to said support structure, said fluid driven cylinder comprising:
- an external housing having one end and an opposite end;
- a reaction piston rod extending from said one end of said external housing for reciprocable movement relative thereto;
- a front piston rod extending from said opposite end of said external housing for reciprocable movement relative thereto;
- and
- means for pivotally mounting said reaction piston rod to said support structure, said means for pivotally mounting being interposed said reaction piston and said support structure;
- means for pivotally mounting said front piston rod to a second portion of said work performing tool;
- and
- means for mounting said external housing of said fluid driven cylinder to a first portion of said work performing tool such that relative movement between said reaction piston rod, said front piston rod and said external housing causes said first and second portions of said work performing tool to move into and out of engagement with said workpiece.
A fluid driven cylinder having a longitudinally extending axis, said fluid driven cylinder comprising:
- a rear cylinder head having an aperture located therethrough;
- a front cylinder head having an aperture located therethrough, said front cylinder head spaced a predetermined distance from said rear cylinder head;
- a cylinder body attached to and suspended between said front and rear cylinder heads;
- a front piston located within said cylinder body, said front piston having a front cylinder face;
- a front piston rod attached to said front cylinder face of said front piston, said front piston rod further extending through said aperture of said front cylinder head;
- a reaction piston located within said cylinder body between said front piston and said rear cylinder head, said reaction piston having a rear cylinder face;
- a rear reaction piston rod attached to said rear cylinder face of said reaction piston, said rear reaction piston rod further extending through said aperture of said rear cylinder head;
- a front chamber defined by said front cylinder face of said front piston, a portion of said front piston rod that lies within said cylinder body, and said front cylinder head;
- a rear chamber defined by said rear cylinder face of said reaction piston, a portion of said rear reaction piston rod that lies within said cylinder body, and said rear cylinder head;
- an intermediate chamber located between said front piston and said reaction piston;
- fluid egress and ingress means located in said rear, intermediate and front chambers for communication therewith, whereby fluid under pressure is communicated to said intermediate and rear chambers through said fluid ingress means to move said front piston rod in one direction and said cylinder body in an opposite direction while said reaction piston and its associated rear reaction piston rod remain in a fixed position and said fluid egress means vents said front chamber and whereby further said fluid egress means permits said fluid under pressure in said rear and intermediate chambers to vent while simultaneously fluid under pressure is communicated to said front chamber through said fluid ingress means to move said front piston in said opposite direction and said cylinder body in said one direction while said reaction piston and its associated rear reaction piston rod remain in said fixed position.
A method for moving a work performing tool into engagement with a workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning said workpiece between a first portion and a second portion of said work performing tool while said first and second portions are in first and second open positions, respectively;
- stroking an external housing of said work performing tool in a first direction so as to move said first portion of said work performing tool toward and into engagement with said workpiece;
- and
- stroking a front piston rod reciprocably extending from said external housing in an opposite direction from said first direction so as to move said second portion of said work performing tool toward and into engagement with said workpiece to clamp said workpiece between said first and second portion of said work performing tool.
A method for moving a work performing tool into engagement with a workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning said workpiece between a first portion and a second portion of said work performing tool while said first and second portions are in first and second open positions, respectively;
- stroking a front piston rod reciprocably extending from an external housing of said work performing tool in a first direction so as to move said second portion to an intermediate position toward said workpiece;
- stroking said external housing in an opposite direction from said first direction so as to move said first portion toward and into engagement with said workpiece;
- and
- further stroking said front piston rod in said first direction so as to move said second portion into engagement with said workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.