US3260515A - Double acting buffer air cylinder - Google Patents

Description

July 12, 1966 A. L. ALBERS DOUBLE ACTING BUFFER AIR CYLINDER Filed Feb. 5, 1964 BY M ,477WZ/ E Y5 R a m 5 m w 4 L w a A Q 5 mm United States Patent f 3,260,515 DOUBLE ACTING BUFFER AIR CYLINDER Archie L. Albers, Yuba City, Calif. (6456 Larry Way, North Highlands, Calif.) Filed Feb. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 342,136 2 Claims. (Cl. 2671) This invention relates to a new and improved double acting atmospheric buffer air cylinder means, and more particularly to a cooperating non-vibrating shock restraining means for cooperating in parallel arrangement with the reciprocating movements of a double-acting compressed air actuated cylinder means for various applications of use of the compressed air actuated cylinder.

In the past it has been difiicult to obtain a positive, smooth and even operation of a pressure operated air cylinder without jerky, hunting and vibration movements and still not too severely restrain the required movements of the pressure operated air cylinder mechanisms to prevent efficient operation of the energized air cylinder.

The instant invention solves the above problems by providing a reliable, economical, simple and uniformly operating atmospheric actuated buffer air cylinder connected in parallel with a reciprocating mechanism which will cooperatively allow smooth operation of such mechanism as a co-acting compressed air actuated double-acting air cylinder which may be so used as an energizing means to operate a radial actuated cut-off saw or a 'horizontally reciprocating cut-off saw carriage as in my copending applications entitled Lumber Measuring Conveyor Table and Radially Actuated Cut-Off Saw Combination and Lumber Measuring Conveyor Table and Traveling Carriage Cut-Off Saw Combination filed on an even date herewith.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a new buffer atmospheric actuated double-acting air cylinder similar to a dash-pot or shock absorber restraining means which will allow a smooth and positive reciprocating movement of a compressed air cylinder used as a prime mover or energizing means for actuating a radial arm or reciprocating carriage device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved atmospheric actuated buffer cylinder which may be used as a smooth and dampening restraining force for all reciprocating movements of the piston of the air actuated cylinder without impairing the operations thereof.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an atmospheric actuated double-acting selected buffer or smooth restraining cylinder means which is simple of construction, requires no energy for operation thereof, has a minimum of parts and is easy to manufacture.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the instant invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cylinder, associated piston and piston rod means of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG- URE 1, taken on lines 22 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the valve means of FIGURE 2 taken on lines 33 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of FIGURE 3 taken on lines 44 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts, FIGURES 1, 2, 3, and 4 show a preferred embodiment of the in- Patented July 12, 1966 vention which, in general, is comprised of cylinder means 10, piston means 12, piston rod means 14, and valve means 16 and 16a. Valve means 16 and 16a serve as double acting atmospheric relief intake and exhaust valve means for the desired buffer action of piston means 12.

Cylinder means 10 is comprised of closed end means 18 welded or suitably attached to bracket means 20 containing aperture means 22 therein; opposite end portion 24 centrally containing aperture means 26, O-ring recess means 28, O-ring sealing means 30 sealably surrounding piston rod means 14 and circumferential thread means 32 thereon to comate with like thread means in cylinder wall means 34 for assembly and servicing of said bufier cylinder means. Threaded aperture means 36 in cylinder wall means 34 is adapted to receive valve means 16 or 16a therein. Cylinder wall means 34 may contain selective small aperture air control means 38 therein, as best seen in FIGURE 1.

Piston means 12 is comprised of flexible reversed cup members 40 mounted on the internal end 42 of piston rod means 14 and fixed secured together by washer means 43 and threaded nut means 44 threadably secured to internal end 42 of piston rod means 14.

Piston rod means 14 is comprised of an internal end means 42 adapted to receive threaded nut means 44, distal end means 46 adapted to receive threaded nut means 48 and an intermediate smooth portion 50 operably cooperating in scalable relationship with aperture means 28 and O-ring means 30.

Air valve means 16 and 16a are comprised of cap enclosure means 62, ball means 68 and body means 51 having an intermediate body portion 52 adapted to receive a wrench means for servicing inner and outer end body portions 54 and 56 having thread means 58 and 60, respectively thereon. Thread means 58 is adapted to be received in threaded aperture 36 of cylinder wall means 34.

Cap enclosure means 62 comprises internal thread means 64 adapted to comate with like thread means 60 on body portion 56, and aperture means 66 in cap means 62 to coact with internal ball means 68.

0uter body portion 56 has a seating aperture means 70 and slot aperture means 72 therein joining outer aperture means 74 of end portion 56 and inner aperture means 76 of inner end portion 54 of body means 51.

Aperture means 66 has an inner seating means 67 adapted to coact with ball means 68 when raised by air compressed thereagainst by piston means 12.

During use, bracket means 20 and end means 46 are connected in parallel reacting relationship alongside a desired actuated air cylinder means as a coacting buffer or dashpot-like dampening means.

Double-acting (intake and exhaust type) valve means 16 and 16a are identical in structure and operation.

In operation, when piston 12 moves to the right in FIGURE 1 and compresses air therein, air escapes through aperture 38b in cylinder 10 until piston 12 passes aperture means 33b and air therein is further compressed and forces ball 68 of valve means 16a upward against seating surface 67 of aperture 66 on cap means 62 to cut off escape of the compressed air of valve means 16a. Likewise, as piston 12 travels to the left in FIGURE 1 air slowly escapes through aperture means 38a and 38 until cylinder means 12 passes aperture means 38 after which air therein is further compressed which raises ball 68 from its seating surface 70 of body member 56 to be positioned against seating surface 67 of cap means 66 thereby cutting off escape of compressed air. Air is also entering behind cylinder means 12 through elongated apertures 72 beneath seated ball means 68 of valve means 16a to prevent a back vacuum on piston 12 to permit smooth operation thereof. The distance of travel of piston 12 represents the normal reciprocating movement of piston 12 and the distance of travel of piston 12 between aperture 38b and cylinder end means 24; and aperture 38 and cylinder end 18 during which period of travel valve means 16a and 16, respectively, are operated, represents a purging period of buildup compressed air from cylinder means for each extreme portion of travel of piston means 12. The slots 72 of seating surface means 70 are of a size to allow atmospheric air to enter or be forced externally of cylinder 10 at a desired rate as piston 12 moves between cylinder end means 18 and 24, depending on the desired type of dampening reaction on a coacting actuated compressed air double-acting piston and cylinder means mutually connected to a linkage means or the like, which prevents non-vibrating, hunting and shock restraining means for a reciprocating actuated lever means and the like. The size of aperture means 38, 38a, and 38b may be dimensioned to give a desired buffer or dash-pot action by air cylinder means 10 and piston means 14.

As piston 12 travels toward orifices 38, 38a, and 38b there is a small uniform exhaust of air therefrom due to compression from piston 12. Likewise, as piston 12 travels away from orifices 38, 38a, and 38b there is a small inlet flow of atmospheric air therein to uniquely contribute to breaking a back vacuum on piston 12 in cooperation with valve means 16 and 16a.

The instant invention is further novel in that it may be used as a shock resistant and dash pot means with various types of translated reciprocating movement mechanisms although it has been described herein as uniquely designed for cooperating utility with a conventional double-acting air cylinder.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided a new and improved double acting buffer air cylinder which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

It is to be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated, that various modifications and changes may be made in the invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A double acting buffer air cylinder comprising a cylinder having a plurality of selected longitudinally spaced apertures therein,

means closing a first end,

an end ring having a centrally located aperture, said aperture having an annular coaxial groove in the inner periphery thereof,

4 an O-ri ngin said groove, said end ring partially closing a second end of said cylinder, 5 l 5 a piston rod extending through said centrally located aperture in said end ring, said piston rod being reciprocably received by said aperture and in cooperating sealable relationship with said O-ring and said centrally located aperture, piston fixedly mounted to the internal end of said piston rod,

a double acting relief valve mounted approximately at each end of said cylinder, said valve comprising a body member having a concentric aperture of a first diameter at an inner end which communicates with the inside of said cylinder, the diameter of said aperture being enlarged at the outer end, the juncture of said enlarged diameter of said aperture with said portion of said aperture having a first diameter forming a first valve seat, said first valve seat having a plurality of longitudinal slots therein, cap closure for said enlarged diameter end of said aperture, said cap closure having a centered opening, the internal terminus of said centered opening forming a second valve seat, and a ball within said enlarged portion of said valve body aperture for comating in a first position with said first valve seat to restrict internal flow of air into said cylinder and for comating in a second position with said second valve seat to prevent external fiow of air from said cylinder.

2. A double acting buffer air cylinder in accordance with claim 1 wherein said piston comprises oppositely facing flexible reverse cup member fixedly secured to the internal end of said piston rod.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 851,999 4/1907 Skellenger 137-5135 X 1,151,595 8/1915 Ingham 188-96 1,494,135 5/1924 Robison et al.

2,259,021 10/ 1941 Wineman 267'-1 X 3,017,170 1/1962 Westcott 2671 3,062,525 11/1962 Schutmaat 2671 FOREIGN PATENTS 804,620 8/1936 France.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

w. B. WILBER, R. M. WOHLFARTH,

Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. A DOUBLE ACTING BUFFER AIR CYLINDER COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SELECTED LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APERTURES THEREIN, MEANS CLOSING A FIRST END, AND END RING HAVING A CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE, SAID APERTURE HAVING AN ANNULAR COAXIAL GROOVE IN THE INNER PERIPHERY THEREOF, AN O-RING IN SAID GROOVE, SAID END RING PARTIALLY CLOSING A SECOND END OF SAID CYLINDER, A PISTON ROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE IN SAID END RING, SAID PISTON ROD BEING RECIPROCABLY RECEIVED BY SAID APERTURE AND IN COOPERATING SEALABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID O-RING AND SAID CENTRALLY LOCATED APERTURE, A PISTON FIXEDLY MOUNTED TO THE INTERNAL END OF SAID PISTON ROD, A DOUBLE ACTING RELIEF VALVE MOUNTED APPROXIMATELY AT EACH END OF SAID CYLINDER, SAID VALVE COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING A CONCENTRIC APERTURE OF A FIRST DIAMETER AT AN INNER END WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE INSIDE OF SAID CYLINDER, THE DIAMETER OF SAID APERTURE BEING ENLARGED AT THE OUTER END, THE JUNCTURE OF SAID ENLARGED DIAMETER OF SAID APERTURE WITH SAID PORTION OF SAID APERTURE HAVING A FIRST DIAMETER FORMING A FIRST VALVE SEAT, SAID FIRST VALVE SEAT HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL SLOTS THEREIN, A CAP CLOSURE FOR SAID ENLARGED DIAMETER END OF SAID APERTURE, SAID CAP CLOSURE HAVING A CENTERED OPENING, THE INTERNAL TERMINUS OF SAID CENTERED OPENING FORMING A SECOND VALVE SEAT, AND A BALL WITHIN SAID ENLARGED PORTION OF SAID VALVE BODY APERTURE FOR COMATING IN A FIRST POSITION WITH SAID FIRST VALVE SEAT TO RESTRUCT INTERNAL FLOW OF AIR INTO SAID CYLINDER AND FOR COMATING IN A SECOND POSITION WITH SAID SECOND VALVE SEAT TO PREVENT EXTERNAL FLOW OF AIR FROM SAID CYLINDER.

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