A HYDRAULIC REVOLVING ACTUATOR

Abstract: Revolving actuator for hydraulic revolving a shaft, comprising a bowl rotor (3) arranged axially rotatable in a housing comprising two housing halves (1, 2), where the bowl rotor (3) is adapted to be connected with a shaft and thereby providing an upper spheric bearing for the shaft, passages thereby providing the housing halves (1, 2) with pressurized hydraulic fluid, the inner walls of the two housing parts (1, 2) thereby having a spheric shape and being sealingly abutting against the bowl rotor (3), the bowl rotor (3) comprising a circumferential recess (4) at the equator, the bowl rotor (3) having at least one partition wall (5) closing the recess (4), a cylinder limitation (8) being arranged in each recess (4) and being rigidly connected with the housing halves (1, 2), and hydraulic connections to the cylinder rooms (6, 7) established in the recesses (4) thereby ensuring supply of hydraulic pressure in the cylinder rooms (6, 7) at each side of each partition wall (5).

Description: A Hydraulic Revolving Actuator The present invention is related to a hydraulic revolving actuator. A revolving actuator of the above type is known from for example NO 164 648 and has a relatively complicated design and comprising a number of individual parts. Furthermore the structure is relatively large and heavy. Reversible actuators of the above mentioned type may amongst others be used as rudder machines for activating of the rudder shaft on a ship. Demands for machines of the above type are especially simplicity and accurate adjustability as well as exact and direct transmission of the steering impulses to physical revolving of the shaft. Additionally revolving actuators are preferred having small dimensions in relation to the actual forces in such reversible actuators. It therefore is an object for the present invention to provide a reversible actuator satisfying the above mentioned demands and having a small size and low weight and additionally the reversible actuator should comprise only a few individual parts. This will have large advantages during manufacturing as well as installation and the later utilization. With the hydraulic revolving actuator according to the present invention, a very simple structure is provided, having very small outer dimensions. This is achieved with the revolving actuator according to the present invention as defined by the features stated in the claim. The drawing discloses in figure 1 a perspective view of the revolving actuator according to the invention, figure 2 discloses a horizontal section of the revolving actuator and figure 3 discloses a section III-III in figure 2. The revolving actuator comprises an upper housing half 1 and a lower housing half 2 being adapted for bolting and clamping together in relation to the individual part which is to be revolved. The revolving actuator according to the invention is for example used as a rudder machine for activating a rudder shaft where the housing halves 1 and 2 are secured to the deck of a ship or such. This securement simultaneously may provide the upper bearing for the shaft which is not disclosed in the figure, but extends through the drawing in figure 3. In the house with the house halves 1, 2 is arranged a bowl rotor 3 establishing the upper spheric bearing for the shaft as well as securement for the same. In the house likewise seals are arranged, abutting the inner walls of the two housing halves 1, 2 as well as the bowl rotor 3. The bowl rotor 3 comprises recesses 4 around the equator, which together with the inner walls of the housing 1, 2 create an inner torus on each side of partition walls 5, of which several may exist, such as in figure 2. Hydraulic lines respectively passages |0 provide pressure to the piston room 6 respectively 7 and the opposite piston room are correspondingly amended in such a way that a pressure difference occurs between the rooms 6 and 7. Hereby the bowl rotor 3 is rotated, thereby also to rotate a shaft connected with a rotor, such as a rudder stem on board a ship and thereby also the rudder. The piston rooms 6 and 7 are limited by the partition walls 5 and the cylindric connection 9, the upper 1 and lower 2 housing halves and the two cylinder limitations 8 which are rigidly connected with the housing halves and being arranged in the recesses 4. It is of substantial importance that these parts are sealed against each other. The revolving actuator according to the present invention comprises only few individual parts and the actuators as such are very compact.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m 1. Revolving actuator for hydraulic revolving a shaft, comprising a bowl rotor (3) arranged axially rotatable in a housing comprising two housing halves (1, 2), where the bowl rotor (3) is adapted to be connected with a shaft and thereby providing an upper spheric bearing for the shaft, passages thereby providing the housing halves (1, 2) with pressurized hydraulic fluid, characterized in the inner walls of the two housing parts (1, 2) having a spheric shape and being sealingly abutting against the bowl rotor (3), the bowl rotor (3) comprising a circumferential recess (4) at the equator, the bowl rotor (3) having at least one partition wall (5) closing the recess (4), a cylinder limitation (8) being arranged in each recess (4) and being rigidly connected with the housing halves (1, 2), and hydraulic connections to the cylinder rooms (6, 7) established in the recesses (4) thereby ensuring supply of hydraulic pressure in the cylinder rooms (6, 7) at each side of each partition wall (5).

Inventors: FAGERVOLL STIG E, FAGERVOLL, STIG, E.
Applicants: FAGERVOLL STIG E, ROLLS ROYCE MARINE AS, FAGERVOLL, STIG, E., ROLLS-ROYCE MARINE AS
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B63H25
IPC codes: B63H25, F15B15, F16C17