Patent US3828615A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3828615A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Roller band actuator
Assignee: CONNOR CO
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Filing: 1973-02-15
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Granted: 1974-08-13
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Expires: 1993-02-15
Abstract
Abstract An actuator is disclosed employing back-to-back roller band clusters coupled to a trolley in a housing chamber with the trolley having an arm extending through a slot in the housing. The band closes the slot and also closes the chamber at the locations of the clusters on either side of the arm so that the introduction of expansible gas at one end of the chamber drives the trolley to the opposite chamber end. Preferably, the band is formed of steel ribbon and is held in place by magnets. The chamber is formed of a number of housing segments so that the chamber length can be widely varied. As a modification, a backup roller can be mounted on the trolley to help resist the gas pressures.
Inventors
- 👤 Connor C O
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 19:41
CPC Classifications
F; F15; F15B; F15B15/00; F15B15/08; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/18; Y10T74/18568; Y10T74/18832; Y10T74/18848
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
An actuator comprising, in combination, a housing defining an elongated chamber rectangular in cross section and having a longitudinally running slot in one wall, a flexible band tensioned in said housing along said one wall so as to close the slot against gas pressures in the housing, a trolley in said chamber having an arm extending through said slot, two sets of rollers coupled to said trolley with the axes of said rollers being perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the slot and parallel to the plane of the band, the rollers of each set having a combined diameter greater than the dimension of said chamber from said one slotted wall to the opposite wall, said band being wound in an S-configuration about each set of rollers so that tension in the belt urges the rollers in each set firmly toward opposite walls of the chamber, said band being sufficiently wide to close said chamber at each set of rollers on opposite sides of said aRm, and means for introducing an expansible gas into one end of said chamber so as to drive said trolley to the opposite end of the chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
An actuator comprising, in combination, a housing defining an elongated chamber rectangular in cross section and having a longitudinally running slot in one wall, a flexible band tensioned in said housing along said one wall so as to close the slot against gas pressures in the housing, a trolley in said chamber having an arm extending through said slot, two sets of rollers coupled to said trolley with the axes of said rollers being perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the slot and parallel to the plane of the band, the rollers of each set having a combined diameter greater than the dimension of said chamber from said one slotted wall to the opposite wall, said band being wound in an S-configuration about each set of rollers so that tension in the belt urges the rollers in each set firmly toward opposite walls of the chamber, said band being sufficiently wide to close said chamber at each set of rollers on opposite sides of said aRm, and means for introducing an expansible gas into one end of said chamber so as to drive said trolley to the opposite end of the chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The combination of claim 1 in which said band is formed of steel ribbon, and the combination includes magnets mounted in said slotted wall to hold the band over the slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination of claim 2 in which said band is formed of multiple layers of thin steel ribbon so as to establish band strength while maintaining flexibility.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The combination of claim 1 including a backup roller mounted on said trolley in rolling engagement with those band portions passing around said roller sets so as to provide resistance to band distortion because of gas pressure in the chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The combination of claim 1 including a gas discharge port spaced from said opposite end of said chamber so that, once said trolley is driven past said discharge port, trolley movement is arrested by the cushioning effect of compressing gas in said opposite end of the chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The combination of claim 1 in which said housing is made up of a plurality of segments that can be selectively removed or increased in number to change the elongated length of said chamber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-08-12 | 1978-02-11 | 1978-08-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-08-12 | 1982-02-11 | 1982-08-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-08-12 | 1986-02-11 | 1986-08-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |