Abstract: A cylinder driving apparatus, wherein a head chamber and a rod chamber of a cylinder for driving a load upwardly and downwardly are communicated with a pressure accumulation tank by way of a balance pipeway equipped with an electromagnetic proportional flow control valve and a recycling pipeway equipped with a pressure control valve mechanism, respectively, and the load is driven by feeding air at reduced pressure to the rod chamber or discharging it to the external atmosphere by way of the pressure control valve mechanism while applying air pressure into the head chamber of the cylinder against the load by way of the electromagnetic proportional flow control valve for adjusting the driving speed.

Abstract: A cylinder driving system comprising balance cylinders communicated to an accumlator for supporting a load under balanced state, a drive cylinder of a small diameter connected by way of a switching control device to an air source for driving the load with reduced air consumption and a speed controller provided either to the balance cylinders or to the drive cylinder for switching the load driving speed between high and low speeds.