Piston Lock for Power Cylinders

This invention relates to power cylinders operated by fluid pressure and more particularly to a fluid pressure power cylinder including means to securely lock the piston in a desired position of the piston.

Power cylinders, either pneumatically actuated or hydraulically actuated, find many applications in modern industry. For example, power cylinders are utilized to advance the slide of a tool head in a machine tool so as to bring the cutting tool to a position to operate on a workpiece. If the piston is not locked in its position of adjustment, the associated tool may bounce back and forth or chatter when it is moved against and into the work. As a further example, power cylinders are also conventionally used to operate work holding clamps. It is essential in these situations that the cylinder hold the workpiece securely and that it maintain a holding force on the work, sometimes for long periods of time and sometimes regardless of variations in the size of the work due to permissible work tolerances or other factors. For example, parts such as aircraft wings or the like are sometimes clamped in position and left for days while different machining and assembling operations are performed thereon. It is important in these cases that the power clamps used to hold the part maintain full pressure continuously and that pressure not be relieved or even reduced appreciably at any clamp during the entire period.

It is important therefore, in these and other applications, that the power cylinder include means to ensure that the piston, and thereby the associated tool or clamp, maintains its position of adjustment irrespective of forces exerted against the associated tool or clamp and irrespective of pressure losses in the cylinder.

Various devices have been proposed to allow the piston to be locked in its position of adjustment. One such device, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,151, includes a ring which is rotated following movement of the piston to its full stroke position to engage pins carried by the piston and thereby lock the piston in its position of adjustment irrespective of any subsequent loss of pressure in the system. Whereas this piston lock arrangement has been generally satisfactory, it does not provide the ability to lock the piston over any significant range of piston positions but rather provides locking only in the full stroke position of the piston.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a power cylinder having an improved piston lock arrangement which allows locking of the piston over a significant range of piston positions.

According to the invention, the power cylinder includes a cylinder housing defining an axial bore; a piston mounted in the bore for movement through a stroke; fluid pressure means operative to move the piston through a first portion of its stroke; and thread means operative to move the piston through a second portion of its stroke. This arrangement allows the piston to be moved under fluid pressure rapidly through a rapid advance portion of its stroke whereafter the thread means may be actuated to selectively advance the piston through the second portion of its stroke and stop and lock the position in any desired position of adjustment.

According to a further feature of the invention, the power cylinder includes a guide rod extending axially in the bore of the cylinder housing; the piston is mounted on the guide rod for reciprocal movement in the bore along the guide rod; means are provided to rotate the guide rod; and the thread means are provided by coacting thread means on the guide rod and on the piston. With this arrangement, the piston may be rapidly advanced by fluid pressure along the guide rod whereafter the coacting thread means on the guide rod and piston may be utilized upon rotation of the guide rod to move the piston selectively through the lock adjustment portion of its stroke.

According to a further feature of the invention, the guide rod includes an unthreaded portion and a threaded portion; and the piston includes an internally threaded aperture freely passing the unthreaded guide rod portion and threadably coacting with the threaded guide rod portion. This arrangement allows the piston to advance in the bore of the cylinder in response to rotation of the guide rod following engagement of the threaded portion of the guide rod with the internally threaded aperture in the piston at the end of the fluid pressure actuated rapid advance portion of the piston stroke.

According to a further feature of the invention, two guide rods are positioned in the cylinder housing bore in parallel spaced relation with each rod including an unthreaded portion and a threaded portion, and the piston includes a pair of internally threaded apertures slidably passing the unthreaded portions of the respective guide rods and threadably coacting with the threaded portions of the respective guide rods. This arrangement provides positive guidance for the piston during its fluid pressure rapid advance stroke portion and further provides positive, uniform threaded advance of the piston during the lock adjustment portion of its stroke.

According to a further feature of the invention, each of the guide rods includes means defining a driven gear and the rotating means for the guide rods comprises a drive gear meshingly engaging the driven gears on the guide rods together with means for rotating the drive gear. This arrangement provides a convenient means of rotating the guide rods and ensures that the guide rods will always be rotated in unison so as to maintain uniform, consistent threaded engagement of the threaded portions of the guide rods with the internally threaded apertures in the piston.

In one embodiment of the invention, the means for rotating the drive gear comprises an air motor having an output shaft drivingly coupled to the drive gear and in another embodiment the means for rotating the drive gear comprises a fluid pressure driven rack engaging the periphery of the drive gear.

According to a further feature of the invention, the internally threaded apertures in the piston are defined in a drive portion of the piston and the piston further includes a guide portion defining smooth walled apertures coaxial with the threaded apertures and slidably receiving the unthreaded guide rod portions. This arrangement allows the piston to guide smoothly and positively along the guide rods during the pressure actuated, rapid advance portion of the piston stroke and allows the internally threaded apertures on the piston to move into positive driving engagement with the threaded portions of the guide rods at the end of the fluid pressure rapid advance portion of the stroke.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power cylinder according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detail view showing details of the gear layout seen in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow 7 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of a guide rod utilized in the power cylinder of FIGS. 1-7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention power cylinder;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 10--10 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 11--11 of FIG. 10;

The power cylinder of the FIGS. 1-7 embodiment includes a cylinder housing 10, a piston 12, a piston rod 14, a pair of guide rod assemblies 16, and a drive assembly 17.

Cylinder housing 10 includes a cylindrical tubular member 18 defining an axial bore 18a, a head block 20, and a tail block 22. Four tie rods 24 extend through suitable passages in the head block and the tail block and coact with nuts 26 to clamp the head block and the tail block to the opposite ends of cylinder 18 to form the cylinder housing 10. A bushing 27 is seated in a bore 20a in the front face of head block 20.

Piston 12 includes a guide member 28 and a drive member 30. Guide member 28 includes a pair of diametrically opposed smooth bores or apertures 28a extending axially through the guide member 28 and drive member 30 includes a pair of diametrically opposed threaded bores or apertures 30a extending through the drive member in respective coaxial alignment with unthreaded apertures 28a.

Piston rod 14 includes a free front end portion 14a for attachment of a tool, clamp or the like; a main body portion 14b passing slidably through a wiper seal 31 carried by bushing 27, through the central bore 27a of bushing 27, and through a central bore 20b in head block 20; a reduced diameter portion 14c; a reduced diameter portion 14d; and a threaded rear end portion 14e.

Piston 12 is assembled to piston rod 14 with piston drive member 30 seated on reduced diameter piston rod portion 14c against a shoulder 14f and piston rod guide portion 28 positioned on reduced diameter piston rod portions 14c and 14d in coaction with a shoulder 14g. Nuts 32 and 34 threadably engage piston rod threaded end 14e to maintain piston rod members 28, 30 in clamped position on piston rod 14. Annular seals 36, 38 and 40 positioned in annular grooves on the external periphery of piston guide member 28 sealingly coact with bore 18a in known manner to preclude fluid leakage past the piston between pressure chambers 41 and 42 defined forwardly and rearwardly of the piston within cylindrical member 18.

Each guide rod assembly 16 includes a forward rod 44 and a rear rod 46.

Each forward rod 44 includes a forward journal portion 44a, a threaded portion 44b, a smooth unthreaded portion 44c, and a rear spline portion 44d. Each rear rod 46 includes a forward spline portion 46a and a rearward journal portion 46b. Each forward rod 44 is coupled to the respective rearward rod 46 by an internally splined coupler 48. In assembled relation, each rod 44 extends within bore 18a from front to rear of the cylinder housing with journal portion 44a received in a bushing 52 positioned in a bore 20b in head block 20; each coupler 48 is journalled in a bushing 54 received in a bore 22a in tail block 22; and each journal portion 46b is received in a bushing 56 received in a bore 22b in tail block 22. A thrust wear plate 58 in each head block bore 20b absorbs the forward thrust loading of the guide rod assemblies.

Drive assembly 17 includes a pair of spur gears 60, a central gear 62, and a rack 64. Each spur gear 60 is keyed to a respective rear rod 46 between forward spline portion 46a and rearward journal portion 46b.

Gear 62 includes a large central gear 66 having spur teeth matching the spur teeth on spur gears 60; a small gear 68 having spur teeth and connected to gear 66 by a shaft portion 70; a forward journal portion 72; and a rear journal portion 74. Gear 62 is mounted in tail block 22 with forward journal portion 72 mounted in a bushing 76 received in a bore 22d in the tail block, small gear 68 positioned in a bore 22e in the tail block, large gear 62 positioned in a bore 22f in the tail block and meshingly engaging spur gear 60, and rear journal portion 74 positioned in a bushing 78 received in a central bore 80a defined in the front face of a cover plate 80 positioned at the rear face of tail block 22 and closing bore 22f.

Rack 64 is positioned in a bore 22g extending transversely through tail block 22. Bore 22g is closed at one end by a screw cap 67 having a central pressure fitting or aperture 67a, and is closed at its other end by a screw cap 68 having a central pressure fitting or aperture 68a. The lower face of rack 64 includes a plurality of rack teeth 68.

Drilled passages 22h,i,j in tail block 22 coact to define a fluid passage extending from the exterior of the tail block to pressure chamber 42 defined rearwardly of piston 12 and drilled passages 20c and 20d in head block 20 coact to define a fluid passage extending from the exterior of head block 20 to the pressure chamber 41 defined forwardly of piston 12.

Piston 12, at the start of a work cycle, would typically be in the retracted or dotted line position as seen in FIG. 2. To initiate a work cycle, pressure fluid is introduced through passages 22h,i and j into pressure chamber 42 to apply pressure to the rear face of the piston and to cause the piston to move forwardly or to the left as viewed in FIG. 2 through a rapid advance, pressure fluid portion of its stroke with the piston guiding during its forward movement on rod portions 44c and, specifically, the smooth apertures or bores 28a of piston

guide member 28 slidably guiding on smooth rod portions 44c.

The piston moves forwardly in the bore 18a through 10 its rapid advance portion of its stroke under the influence of the pressure fluid until piston drive member 30 encounters threaded portions 44b of rods 44, whereupon a pressure buildup in chamber 42 is suitably sensed by means (not shown) and pressurized fluid is thereupon introduced through fitting 68a to act against the left face of rack 64 as viewed in FIG. 3 and move the rack to the right. As the rack moves to the right, the rack teeth 64a coact with the spur teeth on gear 68 to rotate gear 62.

As gear 62 rotates, central gear 66 rotates and meshingly engages the spur teeth on spur gears 60 so as to rotate shafts 46 and thereby, through couplers 48, the shafts 44. As the shafts 44 are rotated in unison, the internal threads in apertures 30a in the piston drive member 30 threadably coact with the external threads on the threaded portions 44b of the rods 44 further to the left with a threading action to its final desired position as determined, for example, by contact with a suitable reference tool or surface, at which time a further buildup of pressure in chamber 42 is sensed and the delivery of pressure fluid through port 68a is thereby terminated to thereby terminate the movement of the rack 64, the rotation of the guide rod assemblies 16, and the forward movement of the piston and piston rod.

Once the free end 14a of the piston rod has reached its desired final position of threaded adjustment, the pressure in chamber 42 may be relieved and the threaded coaction of the internal threads in piston drive member 30 and the external threads of rod portions 44b will coact to lock the free end of the piston, and thereby the associated tool or clamp, in its adjusted position.

The power cylinder as seen in FIG. 2 is intended to provide a total piston stroke of approximately 6 inches with the first 51/2 inches of this stroke comprising a rapid advance stroking movement under fluid pressure and the final 1/2 inch comprising a lock adjustment stroke under threaded coaction. Although various threads may be utilized in apertures 30a, in piston drive member 30, and along rod threaded portions 44b, best results are achieved by the use of a double helix thread as best seen in FIG. 8.

For example, and not by way of limitation, cylinder 18 may provide a 31/4 inch bore; gears 60 may have 12 teeth with a pitch of 16; gear 68 may have 14 teeth with a pitch of 16; gear 16 may have 12 teeth with a pitch of 16; and the double helix threads provided on rod portions 44b and internally in apertures 30a of piston drive member 30 may comprise an acme thread with a 3/4 inch pitch diameter and an 18 degree thread angle. With these dimensions and configurations, movement of rack 64 through 1.3744 inches results in the movement of piston 12 through a 1/2 inch lock adjustment stroke. Since the described helical threads provide approximately 1 inch of linear movement per revolution of the rods 44, the full range of lock adjusting movement of the piston is provided within 1/2 revolution of the rods 44.

When it is no longer desired to maintain the free end of the piston rod in a locked disposition, pressurized fluid is introduced into port 66a to move rack 64 to the left as viewed in FIG. 3 so as to rotate rods 44 in a sense to move piston 12 to the solid line position of FIG. 2 in which the internal threads in aperture 30a have disengaged from threaded rod portions 44b, whereafter pressure fluid is introduced through ports 20c, 20d into pressure chamber 41 to moVe the piston rearwardly through the rapid movement, fluid pressure portion of its stroke to its dotted line position as seen in FIG. 2, whereupon the delivery of pressure fluid through ports 20c, 20d is terminated.

The power cylinder seen in FIGS. 9-11 is generally similar to the power cylinder of the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment with the exception that the cylinder is designed for a relatively long lock adjustment stroke as compared to the total stroke and the rotation of the guide rods is achieved with an air motor as opposed to the rack and pinion arrangement of the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment.

The relatively long lock adjustment stroke portion is achieved by the use of a piston 12 having a drive portion 90 that is substantially longer than the drive portion 30 of the piston of the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment and which is internally helically threaded throughout its entire axial length of the through apertures 90a so as to coact with the threaded portion on the guide rods to provide a relatively long adjustment stroke.

Each guide rod assembly in the FIGS. 9-11 embodiment includes a single rod 92 having a forward journal portion 92a received in a bushing 93 positioned in a bore 20a in head block 20, a threaded portion 92b, a main body smooth unthreaded portion 92c slidably received in piston bores 28a, and a rear journal portion 92d received in a bushing 94 positioned in a bore 96a in tail block 96.

The drive means for rotating the rods 92 includes a pair of spur or planet gears 98 respectively keyed to guide rods 92 immediately forwardly of journal portions 92d; an air motor 100 suitably mounted at the rear face of a mounting block 102 mounted to the rear face of tail block 96 and closing an aperture 96b in the rear face of the tail block; a drive shaft 104; and a central or sun gear 106 keyed to a forward portion 104a of drive shaft 104 and meshingly engaging planet gears 98 so that rotation of gear 106 in response to actuation of air motor 100 results in the rotation in unison of shafts 92 and the threaded advance of piston 12 in coaction with the threaded portions 92b on the guide rod 92.

Air motor 100 may take various forms and may for example be of the type available from the Alar Company, Inc., of Sterling Heights, Mich. under Catalog No. 8231-9B. The output shaft 108 of air motor 100 is keyed to a coupler 110 which in turn is keyed to the rear portion 104b of drive shaft 104. The forward journal portion 104e of drive shaft 104 is received in a bushing 112 positioned in a bore 96c in tail block 96. The rearward end of drive shaft 104 is journalled in a ball bearing 112 mounted in mounting block 102 and the main body portion 104d of drive shaft 104 coacts with a seal 114 mounted in mounting block 102 to preclude the transmission of fluid from the pressure chamber of the cylinder to the exterior of the tail block. Seal 114 may for example be of the type available from Engineered Products Division of E. G. & G. Sealol, Inc. of Providence, R.I. as Seal Assembly 71736 with mating Ring 57547.

The operation of the power cylinder of the FIGS. 9-11 embodiment is generally similar to the operation of the power cylinder of the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment with the exception that, as previously noted, the lock adjustment or slow advance portion of the stroke of the piston is relatively long as compared to the lock adjustment stroke portion of the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment so that a greater range of locking adjustment of the free end 14a of the piston rod, and of the associated tool or clamp, is possible.

For example, the power cylinder seen in FIG. 9 may be arranged to provide a total 6 inch piston stroke with the first 3 inches of the stroke comprising a rapid advance under fluid pressure and the final 3 inches of the stroke comprising a lock adjustment movement achieved by the coaction of guide rod threaded portions 92b and the internal threads in aperture 90a of piston drive portion 90. As with the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment, the threads of rod threaded portion 92b and the internal threads in piston drive portion apertures 90a are preferably of the double helix type with an acme thread configuration and may, for example, be configured to provide 1 inch of linear movement of the piston in response to each revolution of the guide rods.

As with the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment, pressure may be delivered to the pressure chamber 42 rearwardly of the piston through a series of drilled passages 92d, 92e and 92f and may be delivered to the pressure chamber 41 forwardly of the piston through aligned drilled passages 20c, 20d. Further as with the FIG. 1-8 embodiment, the air motor 100 may be actuated in response to a predetermined sensed pressure in pressure chamber 42 indicating that the piston has been moved forwardly by the pressure fluid through the rapid advance portion of its stroke to a position in juxtaposition to the threaded portions 92b of the guide rods. Actuation of the air motor rotates the rods 92 and produces forward threaded adjusting movement of the piston to its final desired adjusted position. The final position may be determined by contact of the associated tool or clamp with a reference surface which contact generates an increased pressure in pressure chamber 42 for transmission to the air motor controls to terminate operation of the air motor.

The piston will be maintained in any position of threaded adjustment without the need to maintain pressure in chamber 42. When it is desired to return the piston to its rest or retracted position, air motor 100 is actuated in a reverse sense to rotate rods 92 in a reverse sense and threadably back the piston 12 to the right as viewed in FIG. 8 until the internal threads in the piston drive portion 90 have disengaged from the threaded portions 92b of the guide rods, whereupon pressure fluid may be introduced into pressure chamber 41 through passages 20c, 20d to move the piston through its rapid pressure actuated stroke portion and return the piston to its rest position in preparation for a new work cycle.

In both of the disclosed embodiments, the working fluid introduced into the pressure chambers 41, 42 may be either air or hydraulics, and the working fluid utilized to move the rack of the FIGS. 1-8 embodiment may also be either air or hydraulics.

The invention will be seen to provide a power cylinder with a piston lock wherein the locking condition may be achieved over a relatively long range of axial movement of the piston and wherein the lock, in any position of locking adjustment, is positive and firm and will hold the associated tool or clamp without need to maintain pressure in the pressure chamber of the power cylinder.

Whereas preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.