Torque motor

Claim 2

A torque motor comprising a generally cylindrical rotor having two generally circular undulating cam surfaces coaxially surrounding said axis, said cam surfaces facing axially oppositely and generally defining the ends of the cylindrical rotor, force-generating means responsive to pressure fluid and operatively engageable with both said cam surfaces for rotating said rotor, valve means for controlling the application of pressure fluid to said force-generating means, said valve means including a valve having a seat with which it selectively forcefully engages for sealing against flow of pressure fluid either to or from said force-generating means.

Claim 3

The torque motor of claim 1 in which said force-generating means includes a plurality of two-headed pistons guided for reciprocation parallel to said axis in power cylinders which are stationary with respect to said rotor, respectively, each cylinder having opposite ends and receiving one piston, each said piston defining two variable volume chambers in its cylinder between the piston heads and cylinder ends, respectively, said valve means including means for communicating pressure fluid alternatively to each of said two chambers whereby pressure fluid admitted to one chamber forces the respective piston in one direction and pressure fluid admitted to the other chamber forces the piston in the opposite direction.

Claim 4

The torque motor of claim 2 wherein said pistons are circularly arranged and circumferentially spaced to surround coaxially said axis, a first set of two of said pistons being disposed diametrically opposite each other, another set of two of said pistons being disposed diametrically opposite but shifted 90* angularly with respect to the first two, and said valve means including means for applying pressure fluid to said first and second sets to force them in opposite directions parallel to said rotor axis.

Claim 5

The torque motor of claim 2 wherein said pistons are circularly arranged and circumferentially spaced to surround coaxially said axis, said pistons each having bearing means intermediate the ends engaging both said cam surfaces whereby he fluid force applied to either piston head may be imparted to said rotor, and said two cam surfaces have crests and valleys arranged in predetermined relation such that said bearing means of one piston in a given instant engages a crest of one cam surface and the valley of the other cam surface.

Claim 6

The motor of claim 4 wherein said pistons each are elongated thereby having a longitudinal axis, each piston having an open side midway between the ends thereof and an elongated cavity along said longitudinal axis, said pistons receiving through the open sides thereof the outer peripheral portion of said rotor, the cavities of said pistons receiving said cam surfaces, and said bearing means being disposed within said cavities.

Claim 7

The motor of claim 5 wherein said bearing means for each piston includes tow rollers in the cavity mounted on the piston for rotation about an axis parallel to a radius of said rotor, said rollers being spaced apart longitudinally of the piston so as to engage the respective two cam surfaces, the outer periphery of said rotor being cylindrical, each said piston having an arcuate portion in registry with the open side thereof which complements the shape and side of the rotor periphery but slightly clears the same to provide a free sliding fit therebetween whereby the piston is prevented from rotating within its cylinder.

Claim 8

The motor of claim 6 in which said cylinders are disposed within a carrier which is stationary with respect to said rotor, said carrier substantially enclosing said rotor and including an annular manifold member which coaxially surrounds in radial registry said rotor, said carrier further including two annular elements secured to opposite sides, respectively, of said manifold member, said annular elements including a plurality of circumferentially arranged bores which serve as parts of said power cylinders, the bores of one element being axially aligned with the bores of the other elements and parallel to the rotor axis, two annular plates serving as cylinder heads secured to the outer sides, respectively, of said annular elements for closing said bores and thereby defining said variable volume chambers, said valve and seat portion of said valve means being carried by said manifold member.

Claim 9

The motor of claim 7 wherein said rotor is provided with a cam track in its outer periphery which includes a series of peripherally spaced raised and depressed portions, said valve means including a plurality of poppet valves circumferentially spaced and mounted in said manifold member, each said poppet valve having a tappet operatively engaging said cam track whereby rotation of said rotor results in alternate opening and closing said valve.

Claim 10

The motor of claim 8 in which said rotor cam surfaces are regularly undulating with the crests of one cam surface being axially opposite the valleys of the other, said valve means further including a series of passages in said manifold member, said annular elements, and said heads which interconnect predetermined ones of said poppet valves with predetermined ones of said variable volume chambers.

Claim 11

The motor of claim 9 in which the number and location of pistons and undulation in the cam surfaces are so related that two different pistons will have rollers capable of engaging different portions of power-applying slopes of different undulations whereby at a predetermined instant rotational power maybe applied to said rotor by both of the last-mentioned pistons, said number and location of pistons and undulations further being so arranged that at a different instant at least one of said pistons will have its roller engaging a power-applying slope whereby at all times rotational power may be applied to said rotor, said cam surfaces further being shaped as ''''constant acceleration cams.''''

Claim 12

The motor of claim 10 in which there are an equal number of pistons and poppet valves, said series of passages and said cam track being so arranged that said poppet valves will be operated in sequence such that at any time when pressure fluid is being admitted to one variable volume chamber that said poppet valves will be operated in sequence such that at any time when pressure fluid is being admitted to one variable volume chamber the other chamber for the same piston will be exhausted.

Claim 13

The motor of claim 3 in which said valve means includes synchronizing cam means responsive to rotation of said rotor for communicating pressure fluid to said variable volume chambers and exhausting fluid from the opposed variable volume chambers in a predetermined sequence, the undulations of said cam surfaces including power-applying slopes so spaced relative to said pistons that at the time pressure fluid is being admitted to one chamber the piston thereof is operatively engaged with a power-applying slope on one cam surface, and at the time pressure fluid is being admitted to the other chamber for the cam piston, the piston is operatively engaged with a power-applying slope on the other surface.

Claim 14

The torque motor of claim 2 in which said undulations include power-applying and return slopes, the number and spacing of cam undulations and pistons being such that at least one piston operatively engages a power-applying slope at all times during rotation of said rotor, said undulations further being arranged such that a piston operatively registers simultaneously with both power-applying and return slopes of the two cam surfaces, respectively, and means synchronizing operation of said valve means such that said pistons will be reciprocated according to a predetermined sequence such that whenever pressure fluid is being admitted to a chamber the piston thereof will be operatively engaged with a power-applying slope.

Claim 15

The torque motor of claim 13 wherein said pistons are arranged in groups, there being at least two pistons in each group, the pistons of each said group being synchronized to engage similar portions of different ones of said power-applying slopes at the same time, and said valve means includes a plurality of poppet valves for introducing pressure fluid to said pistons, there being one poppet valve for each said group in a one for one correspondence, each said poppet valve being coupled to a different one of said groups for simultaneous introduction of pressure fluid thereto.