Patent ID: 8863596

Claim:
A scotch yoke actuator, comprising: a housing having a first end, a second end, a top wall, and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a first linear guide extending from and through said first end, said top wall having a second linear guide extending from and through said first end, said first and second linear guides being in register and comprising channels formed in the surfaces of said bottom and top walls, respectively; a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing; a yoke connected to said shaft for rotation therewith, said yoke having a yoke slot, said yoke slot being open on one end; a force module removably connected to said first end of said housing, said force module including a rod for reciprocal movement into and out of said housing; a yoke pin connected to said rod, said yoke pin having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end having a first guide engagement structure, said upper end having a second guide engagement structure, said yoke pin being received in said yoke slot and said first and second guide engagement structures engaging said first and second linear guides, respectively, when said force module is connected to said housing; and said force module, rod, and yoke pin being removable from said housing by removing said first end of said housing and laterally moving said force module, rod, and yoke pin such that said yoke pin slides along said first and second linear guides and out of said housing, while leaving the top and bottom walls of the housing intact and maintaining the connection of said yoke to said shaft.