Step motor with pure fluid actuation

Abstract

Abstract A STEP MOTOR INCLUDES A MOTOR HOUSING DEFINING A CHAMBER INTO WHICH A ROTABLE SHAFT EXTENDS. A ROTOR DISK IS PIVOTALLY COUPLED TO THE SHAFT AND SUPPORTS A CIRCULAR GEAR HAVING A COMMON AXIS WITH THE SHAFT WHEN THE PLANE OF THE DISK IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE SHAFT. OTHERWISE THE GEAR AXIS AND SHAFT AXIS INTERSECT AT A SLIGHT SKEW ANGLE WHEN THE ROTOR DISK IS TILTED RELATIVE TO THE SHAFT AXIS. A COOPERATING CIRCULAR GEAR HAVING AN AXIS IN COMMON WITH THE SHAFT IS LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACED FROM THE ROTOR GEAR BY A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT MESHING OF THE CONFRONTING TEETH OF THE TWO GEARS WHEN THEY LIE IN PARALLEL PLANES, BUT TO PERMIT MESHING IN A LIMITED SECTOR WHEN THE ROTOR IS DEFLECTED THROUGH A SUFFICIENT TILT ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE SHAFT AXIS. ONE OF THE GEARS IS FASTENED TO THE SHAFT TO PRODUCE ROTATION UPON CONTINUED MESHING OF THE TEETH OF THE TWO GEARS THROUGH A CIRCULARLY MOVING SECTOR, THE SHAFT THEREBY ROTATING AT A SPEED DEPENDING ON THE TOOTH DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE TWO GEARS. A FLUID LOGIC DRIVER DELIVERS FLUID ACTUATING PULSES IN A PREDETERMINED FORMAT TO A CIRCULAR ARRAY OF DUCTS ORIENTED SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROTOR AND CONFORMING IN NUMBER AND LOCATION TO THE DESIRED MOTOR PHASES, TO PRODUCE SEQUENTIAL DEFLECTION OF THE ROTOR IN A WOBBLING MOTION ABOUT THE SHAFT AXIS.

Inventors

• 👤 Harold R Newell

Bibliographic Details