Non-circular Patents (Class 92/177)
  • Patent number: 9840450
    Abstract: Provided is a high pressure polymorph of croconic acid. The high pressure polymorph of croconic acid has an unexpectedly high energy release and is suitable for use in detonable compositions. The high pressure polymorph of croconic acid is recoverable to ambient conditions and exhibits only a modest increase in density but a greatly improved energy release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Timothy A Jenkins, Jennifer A. M. Ciezak-Jenkins, Jennifer L Gottfried, Rose A Pesce-Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9086147
    Abstract: A piston 10 for an engine has a number of elongate pockets 21, 22, 23, 24 each of which is arranged at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis HP2 of a contact zone 15 on the thrust and anti-thrust sides of the piston 10. The pockets 21, 22, 23, 24 are arranged in two columns C1, C2 one on each longitudinal side of a central portion 20 of the contact zone 15 to form partial barriers to reduce the loss of oil from the central portion 20 during use of the piston 10. The pockets 21, 22, 23, 24 are oriented differently above and below a transverse axis HP1 of the contact zone 15 so as to reduce the loss of oil irrespective of the direction of motion of the piston 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ian Graham Pegg
  • Publication number: 20150010413
    Abstract: A rotor mechanism for use in moving fluid. The rotor mechanism has six rotor units spherically arranged, with at least one rotor unit including a port through it's body. Each rotor has the form of a truncated cone with two symmetric spiral recesses provided on the lateral surface of the rotor which acts to cooperate with the adjacent rotors. Rotation of at least one rotor unit causes rotation of adjacent rotor units which thereby moves fluid without compression between the outside of the mechanism and the port via a central substantially spherical free space cavity formed by the cooperation of inner surfaces of the rotor units. The rotor mechanism is fully submersible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Jonathan Roy Graham Marsh, Victor Darievich Svet, Natalia Nikolaevna Komissarova
  • Publication number: 20140360359
    Abstract: A rotary piston for a rotary piston pump includes at least one supporting body, through which a rotational axis of the rotary piston extends, and at least one end cap section, which is disposed radially outwards from the at least one supporting body and is connected flexibly, preferably elastically, to the at least one supporting body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Liessel Roland, Wolfgang Nindel, Bernhard Murrenhoff, Robert Kurz, Reinhard Denk, Josef Strassl, Thomas Boehme, Hisham Kamal, Stefan Weigl, Roger Willis, Stefan Kern, Johann Kreidl, Gunther Herr, Marcel Verhoeven, Franz Kneidl, Mikael Tekneyan, Matthias Gradl, Erwin Weber
  • Patent number: 8701619
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine piston includes a piston crown, a thrust-side skirt, an anti-thrust-side skirt, a first apron, and a second apron. The first and second aprons are connected to the thrust-side and anti-thrust-side skirts through connecting sections. Each connecting section has a thickness that gradually increases as followed from a proximal longitudinal end to a distal longitudinal end, wherein the proximal longitudinal end is closer to the piston crown, and the distal longitudinal end is closer to a distal longitudinal end of a corresponding one of the thrust-side and anti-thrust-side skirts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Iwata, Seiichi Sue
  • Publication number: 20140079581
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotor for a vacuum pump having a roots pumping mechanism, the rotor comprising at least two hollow lobes, each lobe having an outer wall which defines a lobe profile, a hollow cavity generally inward of the outer wall, and at least one strengthening rib located in the cavity to resist stress on the lobes generated during rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: EDWARDS LIMITED
    Inventors: Nigel Paul Schofield, Stephen Dowdeswell
  • Publication number: 20140069273
    Abstract: A rotary engine rotor (10) comprises a body (12) comprising an outer surface (18), an inner surface (22), an insert (14) and a fixing 31 member (16). The outer surface (18) comprises three rotor sides (20) arranged in an equilateral triangle shape. The inner surface (22) comprises a location portion (24) at the midpoint of each rotor side (20), the location portions (24) together defining a location aperture (26). One location portion (24) is provided with a first fixing socket (28) extending radially from the inner surface (22) of the body (12), towards the outer surface (18) of the body (12). Cooling channels (30) are provided axially through the body (12) in the region of each apex (31). The insert (14) is provided in the location aperture (26) and comprises a bearing part (38) with a second fixing socket (40) extending radially through the insert (14) and in alignment with the first fixing socket (28).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: UAV ENGINES LTD.
    Inventors: Christopher John Biddulph, Jonathan Mark Bagnell
  • Publication number: 20130269516
    Abstract: A linear actuator is provided having a housing with a bore having at least first and second portions extending therethrough. The second portion has a polygonal geometry with substantially rounded corners having at least one planar bearing surface. A shaft is in sliding engagement with the first portion of the bore, and a piston member is operatively coupled to the shaft. The piston member has a mating geometry to the second portion of the bore, wherein the piston member is in sliding engagement with the second portion of the bore. An anti-rotation member is coupled to the piston member or shaft and has a generally D-shaped geometry with a planar anti-rotation bearing surface. Contact between the anti-rotation member and the housing is limited to a sliding engagement between the anti-rotation bearing surface and one of the at least one bearing surfaces based on an orientation of the anti-rotation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: ZAYTRAN, INC.
    Inventors: Theodore S. Zajac, JR., Brian Frederick Iselin
  • Publication number: 20130269517
    Abstract: A linear actuator has a housing with a bore extending therethrough. A first portion of the bore extends into the housing from a first end, and a second portion of the bore extends into the housing from a second end of the housing. The second portion of the bore has a rectangular geometry with substantially rounded corners when viewed from the second end. A shaft is in sliding engagement with the first portion of the housing. A piston member is coupled to the shaft and has a rectangular geometry with substantially rounded corners. The piston member is in sliding engagement with a first interior surface of the second portion of the bore via one or more o-rings. An anti-rotation apparatus is associated with one or more of the piston member and the shaft, wherein the anti-rotation member generally prevents a rotation of the shaft with respect to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: ZAYTRAN, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore Stanley Zajac, JR., David Moore Zajac, Steven Eric Wallace, Cory David Trent
  • Patent number: 8505437
    Abstract: A fluid pressure cylinder including a first damper and a second damper provided respectively on a head cover and a rod cover, which are disposed on both ends of the fluid pressure cylinder so as to face toward a piston. The first damper and the second damper are formed from an elastic material, and are made up from a main body portion against which the piston abuts, and a plurality of legs that project from the main body portion and which are gripped between the head cover and the rod cover and an inner wall surface of the cylinder tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takanori Nishi
  • Patent number: 8127661
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydraulic system that includes a compression chamber capable of being subjected to the pressure of a hydraulic fluid; a piston movable inside the compression chamber along an axis; and at least one sealing gasket disposed between the piston and a wall of the compression chamber, the gasket occupying an axial position that varies circumferentially around the axis in such a manner as to compensate for non-axially symmetrical stresses induced by the pressure of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignees: Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Stefan Klotz, Gerard Hamel, Joel Frelat
  • Patent number: 7987766
    Abstract: The hydraulic cylinder apparatus has a crescent shaped length housing a piston of like shape. The crescent shape provides for fit into constrained spaces where a fully cylindrical cylinder cannot fit. Multiple crescent shaped case ring lands with case rings seal the length of the piston proximal to the top of the case. The plurality of piston ring lands and piston rings seal the sliding piston to the walls of the case's internal hydraulic fluid well. The numerous ports of the apparatus, both upper and lower, provide for more convenient application than would otherwise be provided. Hose routing can thereby be best suited to a particular application. An added advantage of the apparatus is the negation of piston and mount rotation, a feature not typically possible with cylindrical hydraulic cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Inventor: Robert Sterling Price
  • Patent number: 7836816
    Abstract: A cylinder tube includes a cylinder hole therein through which a piston is displaceably inserted. A head cover and a rod cover are installed respectively into ends of the cylinder hole. Locking rings, each having a bent section, a pair of arm sections that extend from both ends of the bent section, and claw sections disposed on ends of the arm sections, are disposed in the cylinder hole. In addition, the locking rings are installed respectively in the cylinder hole through ring grooves, wherein the head cover and the rod cover are fixed by means of the locking rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shioto Tokumoto
  • Patent number: 7836817
    Abstract: A pair of recesses is formed on a cylinder hole of a cylinder tube, wherein the recesses are recessed further into the cylinder hole from an inner circumferential surface thereof. Projections that correspond to the recesses are disposed on a head cover and a rod cover, respectively, which are installed into both ends of the cylinder tube. The head cover and the rod cover that are accommodated in the cylinder hole are positioned through abutment of the projections against stepped portions of the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shioto Tokumoto
  • Patent number: 7313999
    Abstract: A piston includes a piston body fitted into a cylinder bore and having a sliding peripheral surface disposed in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder bore. The sliding peripheral surface of the piston body and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder bore each have a noncircular cross-sectional form. The sliding peripheral surface of the piston body is formed by an elastically deformable sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventors: Shigemi Shimizu, Masatoshi Sagiya, Hidenori Hosoi
  • Patent number: 7131822
    Abstract: A swash plate compressor comprises a swash plate located for rotation in a housing and a compression unit that forms a part of the housing. The compression unit has cylinder bores that guide pistons in reciprocation as the swash plate rotates. Each cylinder bore has a cross section formed of any other closed curve than a circle. The closed curve is defined by curve elements and straight elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Shiina
  • Patent number: 7056100
    Abstract: A compressor for a vehicle air conditioning system comprises a front casing in which is mounted a swash or wobble plate arrangement operatively connected to a drive shaft and a plurality of pistons each provided with a piston body at one end and a foot portion at its other. A cylinder block is also provided defining a plurality of cylinder bores equally distributed circumferentially around the drive shaft, in each of which bores one of the piston bodies can be reciprocated by the swash or wobble plate, as the drive shaft rotates. The inner wall surface of the front casing defines a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses in positions apposed to each piston. The piston body and the foot portion of each piston are connected by a bridge that is bending resistant and projects outwardly into these apposed recesses. Also, at least one side of the bridge is provided with a laterally projecting wing that supports the piston against the adjacent inner wall surface of the front casing to one side of the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Zexel Valeo Climate Control Corporation
    Inventors: Otfried Schwarzkopf, Markus Reuβ
  • Patent number: 7028600
    Abstract: A hydraulic radial piston engine has a lifting ring fixed to the casting, a rotor mounted opposite the lifting ring such that it is rotatable about an axis of rotation, multiple piston seats aligned radially in the rotor relative to the axis of rotation, and multiple pistons each displaceably mounted in a piston seat and which, over at least part of their length, have a non-circular guiding and sealing cross section that is coincident with a non-circular guiding and sealing cross section of the piston seats. Circularly cylindrical rollers are borne by the piston. With a given overall size, a greater swept volume per piston is possible and therefore a greater torque is produceable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Bosch Rexroth AG
    Inventor: Chris Shrive
  • Patent number: 6755115
    Abstract: A fluid power operated fluid power cylinder having a cylinder housing (2) on whose rear side a control system housing (33) is mounted. The control system housing (33) contains a valve means and furthermore a electronic valve circuitry and/or electronic control circuitry as control components for the operation of the fluid power cylinder. Externally on the control system housing (33) electrical connection means (63) are provided for the supply of electrical control signals and fluid connection means (48) for the supply of the operating fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Festo AG & Co.
    Inventors: Kurt Stoll, Alfredo Hofmann, Manfred Moritz
  • Patent number: 6637316
    Abstract: A pressure fluid cylinder with anti-rotation feature, includes a cylinder tube of non-circular inner cross section and a piston which is sealingly received in the tube. The piston has a circular cross section and is connected at one end to a piston rod in coaxial relationship. In order to allow selective use of the pressure fluid cylinder with or without anti-rotation feature, an annular adapter is placed between the piston and the tube and has a circular inner surface area to complement a circular outer surface area of the piston so as to allow a relative rotation between the piston and the adapter. The adapter has a non-circular outer surface area to complement the non-circular inner surface area of the tube. Through insertion of a fastener in aligned boreholes of the adapter and the piston, the adapter and the piston are prevented from rotating relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Rexroth Mecman GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz-Jürgen Engelke, Norbert Fortmann, Thomas Liesenhoff, Jens Müller
  • Patent number: 6526870
    Abstract: A circular piston and a noncircular rod are separately formed as separate parts and the piston and the rod are integrally connected to each other through an adhesive in a state in which the piston is aligned to be concentric with a circular bearing hole of a first air bearing and the rod is aligned to be concentric with a noncircular bearing hole of a second air bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: SMC Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Takanashi, Koichiro Kanda, Satoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6502880
    Abstract: A preferred embodiment of a fluid powered apparatus has a housing, a piston and an off-axis member to deter piston rod rotation relative to the housing. In a further aspect of the present invention, an off-center pin actuates one or more sensors while also deterring rotation of a piston rod relative to a housing. An additional aspect of the present invention provides for complete retention and sealing of a sensor within a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: BTM Corporation
    Inventor: Edwin G. Sawdon
  • Publication number: 20020162447
    Abstract: A pressure fluid cylinder with anti-rotation feature, includes a cylinder tube of non-circular inner cross section and a piston which is sealingly received in the tube. The piston has a circular cross section and is connected at one end to a piston rod in coaxial relationship. In order to allow selective use of the pressure fluid cylinder with or without anti-rotation feature, an annular adapter is placed between the piston and the tube and has a circular inner surface area to complement a circular outer surface area of the piston so as to allow a relative rotation between the piston and the adapter. The adapter has a non-circular outer surface area to complement the non-circular inner surface area of the tube. Through insertion of a fastener in aligned boreholes of the adapter and the piston, the adapter and the piston are prevented from rotating relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Applicant: REXROTH MECMAN GMBH
    Inventors: Heinz-Jurgen Engelke, Norbert Fortmann, Thomas Liesenhoff, Jens Muller
  • Patent number: 6474217
    Abstract: In a cylinder tube of a rodless cylinder, a bore having an approximately rhombic cross section is formed. The approximately rhombic cross section of the bore has a thickness smaller than a width. There is a fluid bypass passage for centralized piping in the vicinity of the bottom of both sides of the bore in the cylinder tube. In addition, in the vicinity of both sides of the bore at the upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder tube, there are thinned portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junya Kaneko
  • Patent number: 6386833
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a motor with an output shaft. A solitary air compressor is linked to the output shaft so as to be driven by the output shaft. The compressor contains a piston in a cylinder. A first fan is mounted on the output shaft to direct cooling air to the motor. A second fan is mounted on the output shaft to direct cooling air to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Campbell Hausfeld/Scott Fetzer Company
    Inventor: Kevin Montgomery
  • Patent number: 6354820
    Abstract: For the purpose of providing a thin pump designed to decrease the number of parts, the pump is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped cylinder (3) and a piston located inside of the cylinder, wherein the piston (4) reciprocates and oscillates in the cylinder (3) to vary capacity of the pump chamber (12) and to make the intake port (5) and the outlet port (6) open alternately, so that fluid is sucked from the intake port (5) into the pump chamber (12), compressed and discharged from the outlet port (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Inventor: Jun Iijima
  • Patent number: 6210135
    Abstract: An internal combustion rotary engine includes a stationary, centrally located manifold having an intake and an exhaust port. Inner and outer rotor assemblies are provided which rotate in a common direction about the centrally located manifold. Each of the inner and outer rotor assemblies includes two pairs of diametrically opposed pistons, generally of octagonal shape which divide a rotating internal volume, defined by the outer rotor assembly, into four working chambers. Pistons of the inner rotor assembly slide along related walls of the outer rotor assembly and by this arrangement, the four working chambers communicate periodically with the intake and exhaust ports. Angular movement of the inner rotor assembly against the outer rotor assembly ensures that each working chamber is at minimum volume and at a maximum volume four times per revolution of a crankshaft of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Inventors: Valery Rassin, Leonid Borukhov
  • Patent number: 6196125
    Abstract: A hydraulic press including a cylinder barrel, a piston and a seal housing. The cylinder barrel has an inner peripheral surface. The piston has a pressure side surface and is inserted in the cylinder barrel to form a chamber between the pressure side surface of the piston and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder barrel. The chamber is configured to contain a hydraulic fluid. The seal housing includes an outer peripheral surface and an inner space which has an inner peripheral wall and which is configured to contain the hydraulic fluid. The seal housing is provided on the pressure side surface of the piston such that the outer peripheral surface is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder barrel and such that the hydraulic fluid in the inner space presses the seal housing against the inner peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: EP Technology AB
    Inventor: Lars Persson
  • Patent number: 6152015
    Abstract: The pneumatic actuator comprises at least one double-acting cylinder having a tubular body and two closure heads which define a piston chamber for a reciprocable piston; the body of the cylinder consists of an extruded tubular section provided with at least one longitudinal conduit for the air flow, which extends in a wall between the two end portions of the tubular body. One of the closure heads at an end side of the tubular body is provided with air-flow passage for connecting one end of the piston chamber via said longitudinal conduit to an air inlet/outlet opening close to the other end side of the body. The second closure head of the cylinder is in turn provided with an air inlet/outlet opening connected to the end of the piston chamber which is opposite the previous one. The actuator is made in the form of a single cylinder or of a telescopically extending cylinder having several stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Inventor: Luciano Migliori
  • Patent number: 5927243
    Abstract: A reciprocating internal combustion engine includes a siamesed piston bore having a configuration formed by the intersection of two circular cylindrical elements and a matching piston having a similar siamesed configuration. This cylinder configuration allows a four cylinder engine to be about 25% shorter with the same displacement as an engine having circular cylinders and the same stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry Arthur Cikanek, Jr., Josef Wandeler, Daniel Michael Kabat, Mark Michael Madin
  • Patent number: 5865091
    Abstract: A piston assembly for a double-acting engine such as a double-acting Stirling engine. A pair of sealing rings located on opposite sides of a sealing washer are positioned between a base section and a dome section of a piston head. These sealing rings are alternatively urged into sealing engagement with the cylinder bore as the piston reciprocates. A single sealing ring design is also disclosed in which the sealing ring is urged into constant sealing engagement by positive pressure accumulated with an interior cavity in the piston head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: STM, Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher E. Domanski, William H. Houtman, Benjamin Ziph
  • Patent number: 5791231
    Abstract: A hydraulic actuator is described which has a layered structure and a flattened piston assembly to enhance production speed and reduce the costs of assembly. A system for performing surgery is also described incorporating the hydraulic actuator, having a sensory glove, a computer, and a slender robot manipulator which can be inserted into the human body through a small incision. The robot manipulator has a layered structure with integrated hydraulic pistons. This design allows the use of a novel manufacturing process in which all of the parts are formed from laminated sheets of material. Seals are formed to prevent leakage of hydraulic fluid by introducing castable rubber into enclosed channels in the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Endorobotics Corporation
    Inventors: Michael B. Cohn, D. Curtis Deno, Jennifer T. Fujii
  • Patent number: 5711472
    Abstract: A self contained gas powered endoscopic surgical apparatus is provided for placing lateral lines of surgical fasteners into body tissue. The apparatus includes a frame portion, an elongated portion extending from the frame portion, and an articulating fastener applying assembly associated with a distal end of the elongated portion. The fastener applying assembly includes a base portion, a staple cartridge housing, and an anvil member which has a forming surface thereon against which surgical fasteners are driven as they are ejected from the cartridge housing. A self contained pneumatic system is associated with the frame portion and is actuable to eject the surgical fasteners from the cartridge assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation
    Inventor: Graham W. Bryan
  • Patent number: 5701798
    Abstract: The linear actuating device of the present invention has a rodless power cylinder unit with a cylinder barrel. An external carriage is disposed on the cylinder barrel and is movable along the axis of the cylinder barrel. A base on which a guide rail is mounted is provided. A slide table is driven by the external carriage of the rodless power cylinder unit and guided by the guide rail. According to the present invention, the external carriage is disposed on the side of the cylinder barrel facing the guide rail. This construction allows the external carriage and the slide table to be accommodated within the height of the cylinder barrel. Therefore, the height of the linear actuating device as a whole can be reduced to substantially the same as the height of the cylinder barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Howa Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuo Noda
  • Patent number: 5609091
    Abstract: A fluid power operated advancing unit has housing and a plunger adapted to run axially therein. The plunger is designed in the form of a three sided prismatic body at least along its length section running in the housing, said body being guided in the housing at its three side surface, whereas three transitions between respective adjacent side are not guided. The result is accordingly an extremely accurate guiding action for the plunger while simultaneously preventing rotation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Festo KG
    Inventor: Kurt Stoll
  • Patent number: 5437436
    Abstract: A self-contained gas spring that has low heat generation characteristics and is easy to manufacture and maintain. The spring includes a bearing and seal assembly that is easy to remove from the cylinder body of the spring. The assembly includes an annular bearing for guiding the piston rod, the bearing is press fit within a bearing cap and, an end cap threaded in to the cylinder body. The end cap includes an annular seal surrounding and tightly engaging the piston rod of the gas spring. The end cap engages the bearing cap when the end cap is fully threaded into the cylinder body to retain the bearing cap within the cylinder body. The seal is formed of two materials, one very flexible, the other very rigid. The gas spring also has a unique piston head that has a hexagonal periphery with upwardly angled sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Ni-Tech, Inc.
    Inventors: John Holson, Frederick R. Waldecker
  • Patent number: 5421243
    Abstract: An automotive air conditioning compressor of more compact and efficient design is achieved with a unique cylinder bore and piston shape. While the cylinder bores and pistons are arrayed in a circle about the central axis of the round cylinder block, the bores and pistons themselves are not round in cross section. Instead, each has a pair of flattened sides lying more or less parallel to radial planes of the cylinder block. As a consequence, only solid webs separate the cylinder bores, not empty spaces, as in a conventional block. The ratio of total bore volume to block volume is greater, and the compressor is more compact for a given capacity. In addition, the non round cross section of bores and pistons resists piston twisting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Burkett, Nikolaos A. Adonakis
  • Patent number: 5415135
    Abstract: An rotary internal combustion engine consisting of a rotatable cylinder made up of fuel charge and multiple working segments rotating in unison. The fuel charge and working segments each contain a plurality of radially arranged cylinders open at both ends and a spherical piston in and freely movable within each of the cylinders. A stationary cam surrounds the cylinder having cam surfaces to contact the spherical pistons within each of the cylinders causing each piston in its respective cylinder to reciprocate as the cylinder rotates. A stationary core is located within and enclosed by the rotatable cylinder for supplying and carrying away working fluid into and from the cylinders as well as igniting and delivering fuel charge to the working segments. An alternative embodiment consists of a sealing arrangement between the pistons and cylinders utilizing rings with pressure balancing to reduce friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Inventor: Thomas W. Dale
  • Patent number: 5400696
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive, particularly a push and pull drive, which has a cylinder with a cylinder inner chamber (Z) and a cylinder axis (F) and a piston movably arranged in the cylinder and to which is fixed a flexible force transfer means (U). For a double-action drive the cylinder inner chamber (Z) or the piston must have a larger cross-sectional surface than the force transfer means (U). In order that, despite this, the cylinder wall can serve as a guidance means for the flexible force transfer means, either the cylinder inner chamber or the force transfer means has a non-circular cross-section, so that on a cross-section there are at least two points (A1 to A3), on which the cylinder inner wall can guide the force transfer means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Feramatic AG
    Inventor: Bruno Weber
  • Patent number: 5380166
    Abstract: A piston type compressor housing encloses a crank chamber, a suction chamber, and a discharge chamber. The compressor housing includes a cylinder block. A plurality of cylinder bores are formed in the cylinder block in which a plurality of pistons are slidably disposed within the cylinder bores and have a corresponding axis. The drive shaft is rotatably supported in the cylinder block. A slant plate having an angle of tilt is tiltably connected to the drive shaft. A bearing couples the slant plate to the pistons, so that the pistons may reciprocate within the cylinder bores upon rotation of the slant plate. The pistons are adapted to be reciprocally moved in cylinder bores in accordance with the tilting motion of the slant plate. The cylinder bores include a cross-sectional plan which is disclosed by a plane perpendicular to the drive shaft. The cross-sectional plan includes an outline which defines a simple closed curve which is composed of a plurality of curves having varying radii of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Terauchi
  • Patent number: 5359916
    Abstract: A perforator has a perforator disk rotatably seated in a U-shaped bearing bracket. The bearing bracket is movable into and out of the path of movement of a piece to be perforated by a piston-cylinder unit which is actuated from either side of the piston. The piston-cylinder unit is housed in a fastening element which can be connected to a machine frame. The bearing bracket has guide bolts which extend into the fastening element to secure the bearing bracket against rotation in respect to the fastening element. The fastening element comprises a cylinder having a blind bore extending from the side of the fastening element facing the U-shaped bearing bracket in which a piston having seal rings is sealingly guided in a displaceable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Inventor: Werner Bonnet
  • Patent number: 5279371
    Abstract: Down-the-hole drilling machine comprising a housing in form of a tube (1), a hammer piston (6) being movable to-and-fro in the tube and intended for impacting a drill bit (5). The hammer piston is at its ends provided with end sections in form of polygons with rounded corners (51, 52). These end sections are turned relative to each other an angle which is half as large as the angle between two adjacent corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1994
    Assignee: Uniroc AB
    Inventors: Berndt Ekwall, Torbjorn Jakobsson, Martin Peterson
  • Patent number: 5261321
    Abstract: A piston for connection by a piston pin and connecting rod to a crankshaft for reciprocating in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The piston has a crown and top land region, an intermediate region including at least one additional land, and a skirt region. Cross sections through the crown and top land region transverse to the cylinder axis are ovals whose major axes are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston pin. Cross sections through the intermediate region are either circular or oval, major axes of each of the ovals being generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the piston pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Zollner Corporation
    Inventor: John P. Whitacre
  • Patent number: 5245912
    Abstract: The invention relates to a profiled tube for working cylinders without a piston rod having a cylinder chamber which extends in longitudinal direction and a piston guided movably therein and connected to pull means, and a carriage connected to the pull means and guided in a slide guide arranged on the profiled tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1993
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Muller, Helmut Gottling, Rudolf Moller, Gerhard Scharnowski, Ralf Kook
  • Patent number: 5211101
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine with a separate head and skirt which are joined by the piston pin. At least one of the upper lands has a reduced diametrical clearance with the cylinder wall in an area perpendicular to the pin direction. The bottom land has a reduced diametrical clearance with the cylinder wall in the pin direction. The lands are oval shaped, the bottom land optionally a truncated oval. At least one of the upper lands can have the shape of two ovals offset by 90.degree. like a cloverleaf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: Mahle GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Letsch, Jorn Weipert, Eduart Steppat
  • Patent number: 5207145
    Abstract: This invention relates to a work cylinder having damping stops for limiting movement of the piston within the cylinder, the cylinder having cylinder covers for closing the ends of the cylinder, whereby the damping stops are positioned and retained substantially between the cylinder covers and the cylinder walls when the cylinder covers are fastened to the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Axel Kemner
  • Patent number: 5172626
    Abstract: A piston with a skirt shaped to accommodate distortion by changing thermal and load conditions is further modified to increase stability and broaden load distribution to reduce contact forces and wear by providing maximum radii lines on either side of a longitudinal thrust plant with reduced radius regions forming apparent concavities therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Richard W. Hart
  • Patent number: 5158008
    Abstract: A piston having a head with ring grooves, a skirt having hub bores, and a pin, with the following dimensions:L/D=0.45-0.8H/D=0.25-0.5A/D=0.3-0.5T/D=0.45-0.8whereL=maxium length of the pistonD=maximum diameter of the pistonH=compression heightA=maximum skirt height below the bottom ring groove in a peripheral area having the approximate same skirt height of at least 45 degrees on the major thrust face of the piston with approximately symmetrical division of this area on both sides of a plane extending perpendicular to the pin axis and passing through the longitudinal axis of the piston,T=diametrically opposite distance between the hub bore ends located radially on the outside.The skirt bulges along the axis of the piston and has an oval cross-section. An axis of the hub bores is offset slightly towards the major thrust face. The piston includes a horizontal slit, which separates the head from the skirt. In a polar plane perpendicular to the piston axis the skirt has a greater ovality on the minor thrust face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Mahle GmbH
    Inventors: Emil Ripberger, Jurgen Ellermann
  • Patent number: 5146838
    Abstract: A piston apparatus for use in a controlled deflection roll includes a rectilinear-shaped piston having at least one side seal extending longitudinally in a slot in each side wall and an end seal in each end of the piston extending between the side seals. The end seals have at least one pair of intersecting surfaces at each end thereof which cooperate with a corresponding pair of surfaces of each side seal to move longitudinally relative to the piston and side seals to maintain a continuous seal peripherally about the piston. The continuous seal engages the side walls of a channel within the support shaft of the controlled deflection roll and a non-movable seal surface in each of two, opposed dams at either end of the channel in the support shaft. The side and end seals move with the piston relative to the support shaft and seal surfaces on the end dams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: Beloit Corporation
    Inventors: Keith R. Olson, Charles C. Moschel
  • Patent number: 5144883
    Abstract: A cylinder without a piston rod comprising a cylinder, a piston for moving along the axial direction within the cylinder, and tension belt means for directing the piston witnin the cylinder. The piston comprises two piston halves which are interconnected by bayonet connection elements. A holding element is held within the piston halves for holding the ends of the tension belt means in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rudolf Muller, Peter Muller, Norbert Fortmann