Patent GB-1248590-A (GB)
Title: An oscillatory vane-type hydraulic actuator
IPC: F15B11/12
Filed: 1968-12-09
Abstract: 1,248,590. Oscillatory vane actuators. CINCINNATI MILLING MACHINE CO. Dec. 9, 1968 [Dec.15, 1967], No.58336/68. Heading F1F. [Also in Divisions B3 and F2] An oscillatory vane type actuator for indexing a connecting means associated with a work station to accurately position a fixture, pallet or workpiece with respect to the work station comprising a housing having a cylindrical chamber and a vane mounted in the chamber for angular movement about the chamber axis, includes means for selecting a termination position to which the vane is to be moved and means for decelerating the vane before reaching the termination position. The means for selecting the termination position comprises a stack of indexing plates 34, 39, 43, 46, 49, 53, Fig.1, located within a control block 19 which is seated upon a ring-like block 18 forming the cylindrical chamber 14 of the actuator and formed with a plurality of passages 32, Fig. 9, connecting the upper face of the block 18 with the cylindrical chamber. Each indexing plate, see e.g. plate 39, Fig.4, has its own particular pattern of axial passages 114 and co-operating plungers slidable in bores in a common fixed pedestal 35 having vertical passages 36 to move the plate to one of two positions. The passages 36 are connected in pairs, one pair for each plate, via conduits 71-76, Fig.11, to individual control valves 64- 69, which are controlled by a binary signal, (mechanical, fluid-pressure or solenoid-electric), to cause fluid-pressure to be applied to one or other of the pairs of plungers which results in the movement of the plates in a selected combination and due to the patterns of the axial passages 114 only one complete passage 115 Fig. 1 through the plates is aligned with one only of the passages 32 opening into the chamber 14 and through this passage fluid is drained to sump. Hydraulic pressure fluid is supplied through conduits 62, 63 to either side of a fixed abutment 27 of the actuator so that pressure on either side of the actuator vane 25 is the same and the vane will remain stationary until such time as a signal is applied to the control valves whence the vane will move to the position of that passage being drained to sump. To decelerate the vane before reaching its termination position, the openings of the passages 32 into the chamber 14 are arranged in a pattern (see Fig.12) so that they are approaching the centre line of the cylindrical chamber surface 15 the farther they are from the abutment 27 taken in the counter-clockwise direction and the leading edge 31 of the vane is shaped so that the openings farthest from the centre line are closed more slowly than those closer thereto to increase the deceleration effect in accordance with the distance the vane has moved. Spring-loaded blades 26, 28 in the vane 25 and abutment 27 respectively seal the vane with respect tothe chamber 14 and the abutment with respect to the rota 13. A transmission gearing (see Division F2) between the output shaft 12 of the actuator and a shaft associated with the part to be positioned enables the latter shaft to be rotated in either direction. (For Figures see next page)