Solenoid actuator

Claim 1

AN ADJUSTABLE ACTUATOR COMPRISING A BASE, A SOLENOID FIXED TO SAID BASE AND HAVING AN ARMATURE WHICH MOVES WHEN THE SOLENOID IS ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZED, AN UPSTANDING SUPPORT FIXED TO SAID BASE, AN ARM PIVOT CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT, AN ARM PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID PIVOT, MEANS ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID ARM BY WHICH TO ENGAGE AN EXTERNAL LOAD AT SELECTED POSITIONS OF SAID ARM SO THAT THE DESIRED MECHANICAL ADVANTAGES AND OUTPUT STROKE DERIVED FROM THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM MAY BE SELECTED, A BUFFER FIXED TO SAID BASE AND HAVING A MOVABLE PART PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARM AT A PLACE REMOTE FROM SAID ARM PIVOT, A TORSION SPRING HAVING ONE END DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARMATURE, AND CONNECTION MEANS DIRECTLY CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID TORSION SPRING TO SAID ARM, SAID TORSION SPRING COMPRISING THE SOLE AND DIRECT DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ARMATURE AND SAID ARM, SAID CONNECTION MEANS BEING ADUSTABLE TO STORE A SELECTED PRELOAD OF POTENTIAL ENERGY IN SAID SPRING SO THAT SAID ACTUATOR MAY BE ADJUSTED TO MATCH THE EXTERNAL LOAD AND THEREBY INCREASE THE RANGE OF OPERATIVE USEFULNESS OF SAID ACTUATOR WITH DIFFERENT EXTERNAL LOADS, AND THE PRELOAD STORED IN SAID TORSION SPRING BEING IN A DIRECTION TENDING TO ASSIST THE ELECTRICAL ACTUATION OF SAID SOLENOID BUT RETAINED AS POTENTIAL ENERGY STORED IN SAID SPRING BY MEANS OF SAID ARM ENGAGING THE FIRST-MENTIONED END OF SAID SPRING WHEN SAID SOLENOID IS IN THE NON-ACTUATED POSITION.