Electrically operated valve assembly for controlling a piston and cylinder construction, piston and cylinder assembly incorporating said valve, and self-contained system including pressurized fluid and hydraulic actuator

Claim 2

A piston and cylinder construction for moving said piston only in a single direction out of said cylinder comprising a housing, a cylinder in said housing, a piston in said cylinder, a conduit in said housing, pressurized fluid in said conduit, a chamber in said cylinder for receiving said pressurized fluid from said conduit, fluid in said chamber under a lower pressure than said pressurized fluid, a valve member in said conduit, a seat for receiving said valve member, retaining means for maintaining said valve member on said seat to prevent said pressurized fluid in said conduit from communicating with said fluid in said chamber, and heating means for heating said retaining means to effect expansion thereof for permitting said valve member to move off of said seat to thereby effect communication between said conduit and said chamber to permit said pressurized fluid to enter said chamber to move said piston out of said cylinder.

Claim 3

A piston and cylinder construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises a tensioned electrical wire for exerting a tensile force on said valve member for retaining said valve member on said seat, and wherein said heating means comprises means for conducting electrical current through said tensioned electrical wire to expand said electrical wire to permit said valve member to move off of its seat as a result of said pressurized fluid in said conduit exerting a force against said valve member.

Claim 4

A piston and cylinder construction comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a chamber in said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston, conduit means for conducting fluid to and from said chambers, a plurality of valve members in said conduit means, seats for said valve members, retaining means for retaining said valve members on said seats, heating means for selectively heating said retaining means to permit said valve members to move off of said seats to thereby permit the flow of fluid to the chamber on one side of said piston while permitting the flow of fluid out of said chamber on the other side of sdid piston, wherein said chambers comprise first and second cylinder chambers, and wherein said valve members comprise first and second valve members for permitting communication between said conduit means and said first and second cylinder chambers, respectively, to conduct fluid to said first cylinder chamber and from said second cylinder chamber, respectively, third and fourth valve member for permitting communication between said conduit means and said second and first cylinder chambers, respectively, to conduct fluid to said second cylinder chamber and from said first cylinder chamber, respectively, wherein said conduit means comprise first and second inlet conduits and first and second outlet conduits, and wherein said first valve member is in a first valve chamber, and wherein said second valve member is in a second valve chamber, and wherein said third valve member is in a third valve chamber, and wherein said fourth valve member is in a fourth valve chamber, and wherein said first inlet conduit is in communication with said first cylinder chamber through said first valve chamber when said first valve member is open, and wherein said first outlet conduit is in communication with said second cylinder chamber through said second valve chamber when said second valve member is open, said second cylinder chamber being in communication with said second inlet conduit through said third valve chamber when said third valve member is open, said first cylinder chamber being in communication with said second outlet conduit through said fourth valve chamber when said fourth valve member is open, wherein said first and fourth valve chambers and said first inlet conduit and said second outlet are in a first housing, and wherein said second and third valve chambers and said second inlet conduit and said first outlet conduit are in a second housing.

Claim 5

A piston and cylinder construction comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a chamber in said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston, conduit means for conducting fluid to and from said chambers, a plurality of valve members in said conduit means, seats for said valve members, retaining means for retaining said valve members on said seats, heating means for selectively heating said retaining means to permit said valve members to move off of said seats to thereby permit the flow of fluid to the chamber on one side of said piston while permitting the flow of fluid out of said chamber on the other side of sdid piston, wherein said chambers comprise first and second cylinder chambers, and wherein said valve members comprise first and second valve members for permitting communication between said conduit means and said first and second cylinder chambers, respectively, to conduct fluid to said first cylinder chamber and from said second cylinder chamber, respectively, third and fourth valve member for permitting communication between said conduit means and said second and first cylinder chambers, respectively, to conduct fluid to said second cylinder chamber and from said first cylinder chamber, respectively, wherein said conduit means comprise first and second inlet conduits and first and second outlet conduits, and wherein said first valve member is in a first valve chamber, and wherein said second valve member is in a second valve chamber, and wherein said third valve member is in a third valve chamber, and wherein said fourth valve member is in a fourth valve chamber, and wherein said first inlet conduit is in communication with said first cylinder chamber through said first valve chamber when said first valve member is open, and wherein said first outlet conduit is in communication with said second cylinder chamber through said second valve chamber when said second valve member is open, said second cylinder chamber being in communication with said second inlet conduit through said third valve chamber when said third valve member is open, said first cylinder chamber being in communication with said second outlet conduit through said fourth valve chamber when said fourth valve member is open, wherein said first and fourth valve chambers and said first inlet conduit and said second outlet are in a first housing, and wherein said second and third valve chambers and said second inlet conduit and said first outlet conduit are in a second housing.

Claim 6

A piston and cylinder construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth valve members are carried in first, second, third and fourth valve cylinders, respectively, first, second, third and fourth bores in said first, second, third and fourth valve cylinders, respectively, for effecting communication between said first, second, third and fourth valve cylinders, respectively, and said first, second, third and fourth valve chambers, respectively, and first, second, third and fourth mounting means for mounting said first, second, third and fourth valve cylinders, respectively, in said first, second, third and fourth valve chambers, respectively.

Claim 7

A piston and cylinder construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprises tensioned electrical wire means connected to said valve members for exerting a tensile force on said valve members for retaining said valve members on said seats, and wherein said heating means comprises means for conducting electrical current through said tensioned electrical wire means to expand said electrical wire means to permit said valve members to move off of said seats.

Claim 8

A piston and cylinder construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first inlet conduit includes first conduit portions in said first housing and a conduit portion in said cylinder in communication with said first cylinder chamber, and wherein said second inlet conduit includes second conduit portions in said second housing and a conduit portion in said cylinder in communication with said second cylinder chamber, and wherein said conduit portion in sdid cylinder in communication with said first cylinder chamber and said conduit portion in said cylinder in communication with said second cylinder chamber also function as parts of said second and first outlet conduits, respectively.

Claim 9

A piston and cylinder construction comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a chamber in said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston, conduit means for conducting fluid to and from said chambers, a plurality of valve members in said conduit means, seats for said valve members, retaining means for retaining said valve members on said seats, heating means for selectively heating said retaining means to permit said valve members to move off of said seats to thereby permit the flow of fluid to the chamber on one side of said piston while permitting the flow of fluid out of said chamber on the other side of said piston, wherein said retaining means comprises tensioned electrical wire means connected to said valve members for exerting a tensile force on said valve members for retaining said valve members on said seats, and wherein said heating means comprises means for conducting electircal current through said tensioned electrical wire means to expand said electrical wire means to permit said valve members to move off of said seats.

Claim 10

A piston and cylinder construction comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a chamber in said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston, conduit means for conducting fluid to and from said chambers, a plurality of valve members in said conduit means, seats for said valve members, retaining means for retaining said valve members on said seats, heating means for selectively heating said retaining means to permit said valve members to move off of said seats to thereby permit the flow of fluid to the chamber on one side of said piston while permitting the flow of fluid out of said chamber on the other side of said piston, wherein said retaining means comprises tensioned electrical wire means connected to said valve members for exerting a tensile force on said valve members for retaining said valve members on said seats, and wherein said heating means comprises means for conducting electircal current through said tensioned electrical wire means to expand said electrical wire means to permit said valve members to move off of said seats.