Patent ID: 9624773
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: F01B,F15B

Claim:
1. An apparatus comprising: a) a cylinder wall defining a cylinder that extends along a central cylinder axis, the cylinder having an end; b) an end structure positioned at the end of the cylinder, the end structure having an inner surface that encloses the end of the cylinder, the end structure defining a first bore having an open end at the inner surface, the end structure also defining a second bore that intersects the first bore; c) a piston mounted within the cylinder, the piston being reciprocally movable along the central cylinder axis within the cylinder; d) a proximity sensor mounted to the end structure, the proximity sensor including a sensing probe positioned within the second bore of the end structure; e) an actuation cartridge mounted in the first bore, the actuation cartridge including: a housing having a first end and an opposite second end, wherein the first end is disposed at the open end of the first bore at the inner surface; a rod that mounts within the housing, the rod being reciprocally movable along an actuation axis that extends through the housing, the rod having first and second opposite ends, the rod being movable along the actuation axis between first and second positions, wherein when the rod is in the first position the first end of the rod projects a first distance past the inner surface into the cylinder and the second end of the rod is not sensed by the proximity sensor, wherein when the rod is in the second position the first end of the rod projects a second distance past the inner surface into the cylinder and the second end of the rod is sensed by the proximity sensor, and wherein the first distance is larger than the second distance, and wherein when the rod is in the first position the first end extends from the housing, and wherein when the rod is in the second position the second end extends from the housing; and a spring for biasing the rod toward the first position; and f) wherein when the piston approaches the end of the cylinder, the piston contacts the first end of the rod and moves the rod from the first position to the second position thereby causing the proximity sensor to detect the second end of the rod and thereby provide end-of-stroke sensing for the piston within the cylinder.