Pneumatic amplifier

Claim 1

A fluid amplifier comprising: a housing having a cavity therein; a diaphragm in said housing dividing said cavity into first and second chambers on opposite sides of the diaphragm; supply passage means in said housing for supplying fluid under pressure to said first and second chambers, said supply passage means including first and second supply passages for supplying fluid under pressure to the first and second chambers, respectively, said first supply passage terminating in a supply port in said first chamber and said second supply passage terminating in a second supply port in said second chamber; said diaphragm being movable in said cavity to selectively substantially seal off said first and second supply ports; a first control passage in said housing extending between said supply passage means and the first chamber; a second control passage in said housing extending between said supply passage means and the second chamber; first and second signal passages in said housing terminating in said first and second chambers, respectively; said first control passage being in communication with said first signal passage through said first chamber regardless of which of the supply ports is sealed by the diaphragm; said second control passage being in communication with said second signal passage through said second chamber regardless of which of the supply ports is sealed by the diaphragm whereby the fluid from the first and second control passages can pass through the first and second chambers and enter the first and second signal passages, respectively, and the presence of a restriction to flow in the first signal passage causes an increase in pressure in the first chamber; first output passage means in said housing for receiving fluid under pressure from the supply passage means when the first supply port is sealed off by the diaphragm; and second output passage means in said housing for receiving fluid under pressure when the second supply port is sealed off by the diaphragm.

Claim 3

An apparatus comprising: a housing having a cavity therein; a diaphragm in said housing dividing said cavity into first and second chambers on opposite sides of the diaphragm; supply passage means in said housing for supplying fluid under pressure to said first and second chambers, said supply passage means including first and second supply passages for supplying fluid under pressure to the first and second chambers, respectively, said first supply passage terminating in a supply port in said first chamber and said second supply passage terminating in a second supply port in said second chamber; said diaphragm being movable in said cavity to selectively substantially seal off said first and second supply ports; first output passage means in said housing communicating with said first supply passage for receiving fluid under pressure when the first supply port is sealed off by the diaphragm; second output passage means in said housing and communicating with said second supply passage for receiving fluid under pressure when the second supply port is sealed off by the diaphragm; first and second signal passages in said housing terminating in said first and second chambers, respectively; and means communicating with said first chamber and said supply passage means and responsive to a signal in said first signal passage at least when the diaphragm seals off the first supply port for providing fluid under pressure to said first chamber in response to said signal to at least initiate movement of the diaphragm away from the first supply port and toward the second supply port whereby after the first supply port is opened fluid can escape from the first output passage means through the first supply port to augment movement of the diaphragm toward the second supply port.

Claim 4

An apparatus comprising: a housing having a cavity therein; a diaphragm in said housing dividing said cavity into first and second chambers on opposite sides of the diaphragm; supply passage means in said housing for supplying fluid under pressure to said first and second chambers, said supply passage means including first and second supply passages for supplying fluid under pressure to the first and second chambers, respectively, said first supply passage terminating in a supply port in said first chamber and said second supply passage terminating in a second supply port in said second chamber; said diaphragm being movable in said cavity to selectively substantially seal off said first and second supply ports; first output passage means in said housing communicating with said first supply passage for receiving fluid under pressure when the first supply port is sealed off by the diaphragm; second output passage means in said housing and communicating with said second supply passage for receiving fluid under pressure when the second supply port is sealed off by the diaphragm; first and second signal passages in said housing terminating in said first and second chambers, respectively; and means communicating with said first chamber and said supply passage means and responsive to a signal in said first signal passage at least when the diaphragm seals off the first supply port for providing fluid under pressure to said first chamber in response to said signal to at least initiate movement of the diaphragm away from the first supply port and toward the second supply port whereby after the first supply port is opened fluid can escape from the first output passage means through the first supply port to augment movement of the diaphragm toward the second supply port.