DEVICE FOR ROTARY ACTUATION

Abstract: A device for rotational drive comprising a driving cylinder (2) and at least one driving piston (7, 8) connected with a toothed rack (9) and arranged in the driving cylinder, the toothed rack being in mesh with a pinion (11) of a driving shaft (10) extending transversely of the driving cylinder. The driving cylinder is connected to a damping cylinder (15) accommodating a damping piston (16), which is rigidly connected through a piston rod (17) with the driving piston and the two cylinder chambers separated by the damping piston are filled with damping fluid, whilst there is provided a channel (22) comprising a flow restriction (23) and intercon­ necting sais chambers.

Description: Device for rotational drive The invention relates to a device for rotational drive comprising a driving cylinder and at least one driving piston connected with a toothed rack and arranged in said driving cylinder, said toothed rack being in engagement with a pinion of a driving shaft extending transversely of the driving cylinder. Such a device is employed, for example, for actuating a valve such as a butterfly valve in a fluid duct. These driving devices have a short stroke so that they can quickly close or open the valve. In dependence on the conditions in the fluid duct, for example, the nature of the fluid, the flow rate thereof and the like, an abrupt pressure surge may occur at a rapid closure of the valve. In-water mains such a pressure surge is termed "water-blow". Due to this pressure surge high pressure peaks occur in the pipes, entailing the risk of leakage of the pipe. The invention has for its object to provide a device for rotational drive which cannot give rise to such difficulties. According to the invention this is achieved in a device of the kind set forth in the preamble in that with the driving cylinder communicates a damping cylinder accomodating a damp ing piston, which is rigidly secured by a piston rod to the driving piston and in that the two cylinder chambers separated by the damping piston are filled with damping fluid, whilst a channel including a flow restriction connects the chambers with one another. In this way a driving device is obtained, by which despite the short stroke of the driving piston a quiet closing movement is ensured by the hydraulic damping. Owing to the quiet closing movement the flow rate in the fluid duct is gradually reduced so that no pressure surge with its associated detrimental effects will occur. When the flow restriction is formed by an adjustable needle shutter the damping can be simply adapted to the prevailing conditions. In a preferred embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention the channel is arranged in the piston and the pistion comprises a piston rod portion which slidably extends in sealing relationship through a head wall of the damping cylinder and which accomodates the needle shutter. The invention will now be described more fully with reference to an embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention shown in the figures. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view taken on the line II in Fig. 1. The device 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a driving cylinder 2, which is closed at one end by a head wall 3 fastened by bolts 5 and the other end by an intermediate wall 4 also fastened by bolts 5. The cylinder 2 accomodates two driving pistons 7, 7 movable in opposite senses The driving pistions 6, 7 have each two guide extensions 8 directed towards the opposite piston. The pistons 6, 7 are each pro vided with a toothed rack 9, which also has a guide function. The toothed rack 9 of each piston 6, 7 is in mesh with a pinion 11 Ïf a driving shaft 10 Åaournalied transversely in the cylinder 2. The cylinder furthermore has inlet and outlet means for pressure medium. The connection 13 communicates with the space between the two pistons 6, 7 whereas the connections 12 communicate with the spaces in the cylinder on the distal sides of the pistons. By feeding pressure medium to the connection 13 the pistons 6, 7 are compelled to move away from one another and the driving shaft 10 is rotated in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. By feeding pressure medium to the connections 12 the pistons are compelled to approach one another and the driving shaft 10 is turned in the opposite sense. The driving shaft 10 may be connected, for example, with the shaft of a butterfly valve arranged in a fluid duct. Such a butterfly valve has an effective stroke of 900. It will be obvious that in such an application the pistons 6, 7 have a short stroke. Consequently the valve connected with the driving shaft 10 can be very rapidly opened or closed. In order to reduce this rapidity the device 1 comprises damping means formed by a damping cylinder 15 in which a damping pistion 16 is arranged. The damping cylinder 15 is coaxial with the driving cylinder 2 and arranged on the other side of the partition 4. The damping cylinder 15 is closed by a head wall 19. The cylinder 15 is drawn with the head wall 19 against the partition 4 by bolts 20. The damping piston 16 is rigidly secured by means of a piston rod 1 to the driving piston 7. The piston rod 17 is sealed with respect to the partition 4 by sealing rings 18. Thus the operative spaces of the driving cylinder 2 and of the-damping cylinder 15 are hermetically separated from one another. The cylinder chambers 26, 27 formed on both sides of the damping cylinder 15 are filled with an appropriate hydraulic oil. The piston rod 17 has a channel 22 through which oil can flow from one chamber to the other chamber 26, 27. The damping force exerted via the piston rod 17 on the piston 7 and hence on the driving shaft 10 depends on the resistance opposed to the oil flow through the channel 22. In the embodiment shown the flow resistance is adjustable with the aid of a needle shutter 23. The needle shutter 23 is arranged in a sealed part of the piston rod 17 extending across the head wall 19 of the damping cylinder. Sealing is obtained by means of sealing rings 21. The needle 25 of the needle shutter 23 protrudes into the channel 22 and thus impedes the passage of the oil. By turning the adjusting knob 24 the needle 25 will protrude to a greater or lesser extent into the channel 22 so that the damping effect is increased or decreased. In this way damping can match the prevailing conditions. As an alternative to the arrangement in the piston 16 as shown, the channel 22 may be arranged in the cylinder 15 or pass beyond the cylinder 15 from the head wall 19 to the partition 24. Then appropriate bores are made in the head wall 19 and the partition 24. In this case an adjustable shutter can also be arranged in the channel.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device for rotational drive comprising a driving cylinder and at least one driving piston connected with a toothed rack and arranged in said driving cylinder, said toothed rack being in mesh with a pinion of a driving shaft extending transversely of the driving cylinder characterized in that -with the driving cylinder is connected a damping cylinder accommodating a damping piston, which is rigidly connected through a piston rod with the driving piston and in that the two cylinder chambers separated by the damping piston are filled with damping fluid, whilst there is provided a channel comprising a flow restriction and interconnecting said chambers. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the flow restriction is formed by an adjustable needle shutter. 3. A device as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that the channel is arranged in the piston and the piston comprises a piston rod portion being slidable in sealing relationship through a head wall of the damping cylinder and accommodating the needle shutter.

Inventors: SCHWIND, HEINZ GUNTER, Schwind, Heinz Günter
Applicants: EL-O-MATIC BV
Application year: 1982
Main classification: F16K31
IPC codes: F16K31, F15B11, F15B15