Actuator

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A FLUID-POWERED ACTUATOR HAVING A CYLINDER AND A PISTON SLIDABLY DIVIDING THE CYLINDER INTERIOR INTO FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS, THE PISTON HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH; A ROD MOUNTED ON ONE FACE OF THE PISTON; A BALL RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON ONE END OF THE CYLINDER; A SPHERICAL SOCKET RECEIVING THE BALL AND ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ON A FIXED STRUCTURE; MUTUALLY SPACED, FIRST AND SECOND PORTS IN THE BALL; A RIGID TUBE FIXED RELATIVE TO THE BALL AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING AXIALLY OF THE CYLINDER AND SEALINGLY AND SLIDABLY THROUGH THE PISTON OPENING, THE TUBE HAVING COMMUNICATION WITH THE FIRST PORT AND SAID TUBE PORTION HAVING A FREE END; A PASSAGE OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE TUBE AND EXTENDING AXIALLY WITHIN THE ROD, WHICH PASSAGE RECEIVES THE TUBE PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH THE PISTON AND HAS AN OPENING CONNECTING THE PASSAGE WITH THE CYLINDER FIRST CHAMBER AT A LOCATION ADJACENT THE PISTON, THE PASSAGE HAVING COMMUNICATION WITH THE TUBE INTERIOR; A PASSAGE CONNECTED WITH THE SECOND PART AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE BALL, SAID PASSAGE HAVING A WALL; AN OPENING FROM THE LAST-NAMED PASSAGE INTO THE SECOND CHAMBER; AND FIRST AND SECOND PORTS IN THE SOCKET ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH RESPECTIVE LINES OF A FLUID POWERING SYSTEM AND RESPECTIVELY COMMUNICATING, THROUGHOUT A RANGE OF ROTATION OF THE BALL IN THE SOCKET, WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND PORTS OF THE BALL, THE BALL HAVING A SHANK BY MEANS OF WHICH IT IS RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID ONE END OF THE CYLINDER, SAID PASSAGE CONNECTED WITH THE SECOND PORT AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE BALL HAVING EXTENSION WITHIN AND AXIALLY OF THE SHANK TO SAID OPENING INTO THE SECOND CHAMBER, THE TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH THE SHANK WITHIN SAID PASSAGE CONNECTED WITH THE SECOND PORT AND HAVING AN END RIGIDLY AND SEALINGLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE BALL IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE FIRST PORT, SAID TUBE HAVING A WALL RADIALLY SPACED INWARDLY OF SAID PASSAGE FROM SAID PASSAGE WALL, FLOW THROUGH THE PASSAGE CONNECTED WITH THE SECOND PORT, WITHIN THE SHANK, BEING EXTERNAL OF THE TUBE.