US3731598A - Fluid pressure operated motor or generator - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid pressure operable rotary motor or generator characterized by a pressure blade fixed to a shaft for effecting limited angular rotation of the shaft about its axis in opposite directions, the direction of said rotation being determined by the dominant pressure of two opposing pressures acting on respective opposite sides of said blade which is mounted in a single-piece casing section to accommodate said limited angular rotation of the blade, said blade having peripherally disposed sealing means thereon for making sealing contact with the inner surface of said casing section thereby sealingly isolating said opposite sides of the blade.

Description

United States Patent [191 Brignon et a1.

[ 1 May 8,1973

[54] FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED MOTOR OR GENERATOR [7 51 Inventors: Andre Brig non, Saint Maur; Michel Georges Durand, Villeparisis, both of France [73] Assignee: Compagnie Des Freins et Signaux Westinghouse, Freinville-Sevran, France [22] Filed: July 7, 1971 21 Appl. No.': 160,452

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 13, 1970 France ..7029786 [52] U.S. Cl ..-.92/125, 92/121 [51] Int. Cl. ..F0lc 9/00 [58] Field of- Search ..92/l2l, 122, 124, 92/123, 125

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,330,151 9/1943 Smith ..92/121 3,051,143 8/1962 Nee ..92/l21 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 865,223 4/1961 Great Britain ..92/12l 688,917 3/1953 Great Britain... 138,520 7/1948 Australia ..92/125 Primary Examiner-Charles J. Myhre Assistant Examiner-R. H. Lazarus Attorney-Ralph W. Mclntire, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A fluid pressure operable rotary motor or generator characterized by a pressure blade fixed to a shaft for effecting limited angular rotation of the shaft about its axis in opposite directions, the direction of said rotation being determined by the dominant pressure of two opposing pressures acting on respective opposite sides of said blade which is mounted in a single-piece casing section to accommodate said limited angular rotation of the blade, said blade having peripherally disposed sealing means thereon for making sealing contact with the inner surface of said casing section thereby sealingly isolating said opposite sides of the blade.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEU MY 8 i975 INVENTOR.

GEORGES our-mm MICHEL.

ATTORNEY FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED MOTOR OR GENERATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION may be varied in accordance with a function of the supply pressure.

Although fluid pressure motors characterized by a shaft rotatable in limited opposite directions by a blade subjectable to different pressures on its respective opposite sides, are known, such known devices have certain objectionable features as compared to the present invention. For example, one objectionable feature of some of the known devices is the fact that the housing comprises two symmetrical half-sections joined together in clam-like fashion to form said housing in which the blade must rotate. Not only must the two half-sections be joined together inan air-tight relationship, but they must also have smooth inner surfaces against which the blade must move in an air-tight relationship. The type of housing made of two facing halfsections, however, by necessity has a joint line over which the blade must travel when operating, and since the machining and fitting together of two symmetrical half-sections of a housing to form a smooth inner surface is difficult, there is a great possibilitY that maximum sealing effect of blade against said inner surface will not be attained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved fluid pressure operable motor of the type having a shaft rotatable in opposite directions, within angular limits, by an operating blade making sealing contact with the inner surface of a housing and being subjectable on opposite sides to variable fluid pressure for effecting rotation thereof and of said shaft, said invention being characterized in that the inner surface of said housing with which said blade makes contact is free ofjoint lines or seams.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, in section, taken along line 11-" of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid pressure motor embodying the invention comprises a main casing section 1 which may be moulded in a single piece from a plastic, or other suitable material, for example, with an opening at one end thereof. The main casing section 1 comprises two flat sides 2 and 3 disposed parallel to each other (see FIG. 2) with a shaft 4 extending perpendicularly thereacross and having the ends thereof journaled for rotation in said sides, respectively, at a convenient location to be more fully explained.

Main casing section 1 further comprises two cylindrical sectors 5 and 6 radially centered on the axis of shaft The object of the invention is attained by providing a main'section of a housing which may be molded in one piece for accommodating a blade fixed to a shaft, for rotation together about the axis of the shaft, in opposite directions, and within predetermined angular limits. The respective ends of the shaft are journaled on the opposite side walls of the main casing section. The outer or peripheral edge of the blade is contoured to the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the main casing section with which said outer edge makes sealing contact. With the blade and shaft installed, a

4, said sector 6 being of smaller diameter than sector 5. The cylindrical sectors 5 and 6', though not limited thereto, are approximately each as shown. Cylindrical sector 5 is integrally joined to flat sides 2 and 3 by annular curved casing portions 7 and 8, respectively, to form a casing sector 9, and cylindrical sector 6 is also integrally joined to said flat sides by annular curved casing portions (not shown) to form a casing sector 10 of smaller diameter than casing sector 9. If an intersecting plane in which the axis of shaft 4 lies were extended radially through either of the casing sectors 9 and 10, the cross section of said casing sectors formed with said intersecting planes would be substantially U-shaped, as may be clearly seen in FIG. 2. Casing sectors 9 and 10 are integrally joined by ajoining section 11 in which a port 12 is formed.

An operating blade 13 is coaxially secured to the shaft 4 for rotation therewith, said blade comprising two arms 14 and 15 extending radially from said shaft toward the cylindrical sectors 5 and 6, respectively, of the main casing section 1. The peripheral or outer contours of the arms 14 and 15 are shaped to conform to the internal cross-sectional contour of the casing sectors 9 and 10, respectively, such contour conformance of the arm 14, for example, with casing sector 9 being clearly shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. 7

The operating blade 13 is provided with an endless groove 16, portions 17 and 18 of said groove running along the peripheral or outer edges of the two arms 14 and 15, and being connected with each other by arcuate portions 19 and 20 fqrmed'on the outer ends. of the hub of the operating blade in concentric relation to the axis thereof and on the sector of said hub opposite the casing sectors 9 and 10. An endless sealing element 21 made of a resilient material such as rubber, for example, is disposed in the groove 16 so as to provide sealing contact between the blade 13 and the inner surfaces of the main housing section 1, said inner surfaces comprising those of the cylindrical sectors 9 and 10, of the flat sides 2 and 3, of the annular curved portions 7 and 8, and of the annular curved portions (not shown) connecting sector 6 to said flat sides.

With a cover section 22 sealingly secured at the open end of main casing section I, the arms 14 and 15 of operating blade 13 cooperate with the sealing element 21 and easing sections 1 and 22 to form two chambers 23 and 24 therein, said chamber 23 being open to port 12 in joining portion 11, and chamber 24 being open to a port 25 formed in cover section 22. Sealing rings 26 and 27 are disposed at each end of and in concentric relation to the hub of the operating blade 13 to make sealing contact with the inner surfaces of the flat sides 2 and 3, respectively, thereby preventing any leakage of fluid pressure from chamber 23 via journals 28 and 29 in which the respective ends of shaft 4 are rotatably supported.

The angle subtended by the arms 14 and 15 to form chamber 23 is approximately 90 or slightly less, though such angle need not be limited to such size. The total angular displacement of operating blade 13 is also approximately 90, as shown in FIG. 1, said angular displacement being limited in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, by abutment of arm 14 with a conforming stop surface 30 formed adjacent chamber 23 on joining wall 11. Angular displacement of operating blade 13 in a counterclockwise direction is limited by abutment ofarm 14 with a conforming stop surface 31 formed adjacent chamber 24 on an extended portion of cover section 22 in which port 25 is formed.

The motor device embodying the invention is operated by introducing fluid pressure into one or the other or both of the ports 12 and 25. Depending on the dominating pressure acting on the arms 14 and 15 of the operating blade 13, said operating blade is rotated accordingly. For example, if chamber 24 is supplied with fluid under pressure via port 25, the adjacent sides of arms 14 and 15 are subjected to such fluid pressure and, therefore, to directionally opposed directional torques. Since the area of arm 14 subjected to fluid.

pressure in chamber 24 is greater than the area of arm 15 subjected to said fluid pressure, the resulting differential torque acts to cause clockwise rotation of the operating blade 13 and, therefore, of shaft 4, as viewed in FIG. 1, until arm 14 abuts against stop surface 30. Though not shown, the shaft 4 is normally connected to some member for effecting operation of a device such as a valve (not shown) requiring a quarter turn for operating the valve to an open position, for example. Of course, to effect operation of the operating blade 13 in a counterclockwise direction for shutting off the valve (not shown), fluid pressure is released from chamber 24 and supplied to chamber 23 via port 12, whereupon the dominating torque on arm 14 causes rotation of said blade in said counterclockwise direction until it abuts against stop surface 31 in the position shown in broken outline at 32.

Although not shown in the drawing, automatic return of operating blade 13 to one or the other of its rotational limit position, that'is, either in abutment with stop surface or stop surface 31, can be effected by employment ofa torsion coil spring or a torsion bar.

The motor described herein and embodying the invention may also be used as a compressor by connecting alternating rotating drive means (not shown) to the shaft 4 and connecting one of the ports 12 or 25 to aspiration and delivery valve means (not shown).

Having now described the invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

lfA fluid operable motor comprising:

a. a casing comprising:

i. a one-piece main casing section open at one end and having a first sector portion adjoining a second sector portion of smaller radius than said first sector portion relative to a common axis disposed perpendicularly to said main casing section, ii. a cover section for sealingly closing said open end of said main casing section; V

. a shaft supportedin said main casing section for rotation about said axis;

0. an operating blade carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith in opposite directions, said operating blade sealingly dividing the easing into a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber and comprising two angularly-spaced arms corresponding in radial length to the radii of said first and second sector portions, respectively, and each presenting respective pressure areas on respective opposite sides thereof adjacent to and subjectable to fluid pressure prevailing in said first and second pressure chambers, said angularly-spaced arms having sealing contact only with said main casing section during rotation thereof,

. said first pressure chamber being defined on one side of the operating blade by the two arms and the adjacent portion of the casing, and said second pressure chamber being defined on the opposite side of the operating blade by the two arms and the adjacent portion of the casing;

e. a first inlet formed in the casing via which fluid under pressure may be admitted to said first pressure chamber; and

f. a second inlet formed in the casing via which fluid under pressure may be admitted to said second pressure chamber,

g. said operating blade being rotatable responsively to pressure differential established between the respective pressure areas of the two arms on the same side of said operating blade adjacent the one of-said pressure chambers provided with dominating fluid pressure, the direction of rotation of said operating blade being determined by which of said pressure chambers is provided with the dominating pressure.

2. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in claim 1, further characterizedby:

a. an endless groove peripherally surrounding said operating blade, and

b. an endless sealing element disposed in said endless groove for providing the sealing relation between said blade and the internal surface of said main casing section.

3. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by stop means in said casing for limiting rotation of said operating blade in both directions.

4. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said main casing section is characterized by a seamless structure.

5. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in.

claim 4, wherein said stop means are so disposed as to limit the total rotation of said operating blade wholly within said main casing section.

Claims (5)

1. A fluid operable motor comprising: a. a casing comprising: i. a one-piece main casing section open at one end and having a first sector portion adjoining a second sector portion of smaller radius than said first sector portion relative to a common axis disposed perpendicularly to said main casing section, ii. a cover section for sealingly closing said open end of said main casing section; b. a shaft supported in said main casing section for rotation about said axis; c. an operating blade carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith in opposite directions, said operating blade sealingly dividing the casing into a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber and comprising two angularly-spaced arms corresponding in radial length to the radii of said first and second sector portions, respectively, and each presenting respective pressure areas on respective opposite sides thereof adjacent to and subjectable to fluid pressure prevailing in said first and second pressure chambers, said angularly-spaced arms having sealing contact only with said main casing section during rotation thereof, d. said first pressure chamber being defined on one side of the operating blade by the two arms and the adjacent portion of the casing, and said second pressure chamber being defined on the opposite side of the operating blade by the two arms and the adjacent portion of the casing; e. a first inlet formed in the casing via which fluid under pressure may be admitted to said first pressure chamber; and f. a second inlet formed in the casing via which fluid under pressure may be admitted to said second pressure chamber, g. said operating blade being rotatable responsively to pressure differential established between the respective pressure areas of the two arms on the same side of said operating blade adjacent the one of said pressure chambers provided with dominating fluid pressure, the direction of rotation of said operating blade being determined by which of said pressure chambers is provided with the dominating pressure.

2. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by: a. an endless groove peripherally surrounding said operating blade, and b. an endless sealing element disposed in said endless groove for providing the sealing relation between said blade and the internal surface of said main casing section.

3. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in claim 1, further characterized by stop means in said casing for limiting rotation of said operating blade in both directions.

4. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said main casing section is characterized by a seamless structure.

5. A fluid pressure operable motor, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said stop means are so disposed as to limit the total rotation of said operating blade wholly within said main casing section.

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