Patent ID: 7222887

Claim:
A fluid operated contractile drive comprising a contractile hose extending between two head pieces, and contracting longitudinally when its internal hose space defined by it is acted upon by fluid pressure to exert axial tension forces on the head pieces drawing them together, the contractile hose being attached to at least one head piece by having its respective end section clamped in an annular clamping gap defined between clamping surfaces, extending at least partially inclined in relation to a longitudinal axis of the contractile hose, of a first clamping unit having a force output means serving for external force output and a second clamping unit able to be shifted axially in relation to the first clamping unit, and further comprising loading means provided in addition to the contractile hose and effective between the two clamping units and acting on the clamping units to reduce the width of the clamping gap, and wherein the contractile hose comprises a hose body of a material with rubber elastic properties and a strand structure arranged coaxially to the hose body, the strand structure being embedded in the material of the hose body.