An artificial muscle that includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region and an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region, the electrode pair having a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing. The first and second electrodes each have two or more tab portions and two or more bridge portions. Each of the two or more bridge portions interconnects adjacent tab portions and at least one of the first and second electrodes includes a central opening positioned between the two or more tab portions and encircling the expandable fluid region. A dielectric fluid is housed within the housing and the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated to actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.

A system and method is provided for monitoring a hydraulic power system having at least one light emitter and a button. The method includes powering on the hydraulic power system, receiving an actuation at the button and detecting a release of the button after a first time interval, and entering a diagnostic state. The method further includes retrieving a code and displaying the code by turning on the emitter in a first pattern. In some embodiments, a system and method is provided for regulating a temperature of a hydraulic power system. In some embodiments, a system and method is provided for controlling operation of a hydraulic torque wrench.

Systems, methods and devices are described providing a selective hydraulic or electrically powered prime mover that is a bi-directional power unit system, including movement within a device used to compress and/or expand a fluid and provide fluid movement. The use of a hydraulic power unit is involved and comprises at least a pump or other fluid moving device, a first set of selective control valves delivering pressurized fluid to the device(s), and a second set of selective control valves returning unpressurized fluid from the device(s), a reservoir comprising a compensator tank, a port for operation at ambient pressure, and a pressure measuring device measuring ambient pressure allowing for unbalanced flow to and from the device as well as thermal expansion or compression. The use of a multiport and in some cases a swashplate pump that incorporates the features and functions of several valves for the system is also described.

The present disclosure shows a hydraulic regeneration circuit for a hydraulic cylinder that enables multiple extension speeds for the cylinder even while using fixed displacement pumps. The regeneration circuit uses the expelled fluid to drive a hydraulic pump/motor combination to create 4 or more speeds, as opposed to the 2 speeds typical in regeneration circuits. By using directional flow control valves, the fluid can be combined in such a way that the operator can choose a speed multiplier for the hydraulic cylinder to operate at.

The present invention relates to a servo hydraulic press for sheet metal forming. The press comprises a hydraulic cylinder, at least two servo motors and at least two pumps for supplying pressurized fluid to the hydraulic cylinder, where each servo motor drives at least one pump. The servo motors are operable at variable speed, and the first servo motor and first pump are operable in an opposite direction to the second servo motor and the second pump. With this arrangement, the servo hydraulic press may be operated at low speed without causing damage to the pumps or motors.

A hydraulic system has two hydraulic circuits, each with a pressure generating unit acting on an actuator unit. The generating units are slot-controlled radial piston pumps and form a pump assembly with a single common pump support and single common rotor. The rotor is rotatable on a free protruding section of a common support hub and has piston-receiving bores on axially offset planes. The hub has two first and two second fluid bores. The first bores communicate with first pump connections and first control openings on the hub on a first plane, and the second fluid bores communicate with second pump connections and second control openings on the hub on a second plane. A first and a second adjustment frame, each having an eccentric ring and acting on the pump pistons, are disposed on respective planes perpendicular to the main axis and independently guided in a linearly movable manner.

A hydraulic system includes: a cylinder in which an interior of a tube is divided by a piston into a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber; a first bidirectional pump connected to the first pressure chamber by a first supply/discharge line; a second bidirectional pump connected to the second pressure chamber by a second supply/discharge line and coupled to the first bidirectional pump in a manner enabling torque to be transmitted between the first and second bidirectional pumps; a relay line connecting the first and second bidirectional pumps such that a hydraulic liquid discharged from one of the first and second bidirectional pumps is introduced into the other of the first and second bidirectional pumps; and an electric motor that drives the first or second bidirectional pump. At least one of the first and second bidirectional pumps is a variable displacement pump whose delivery capacity per rotation is freely variable.

The self-contained energy efficient hydraulic actuator system of the present invention includes a hydraulic cylinder, a servo motor that is configured to produce rated torque from zero RPM to maximum rated RPM with rotor speed/position feedback to a servo motor, a pump, and a solenoid valve that enables the hydraulic cylinder to maintain its position without the motor running. The system has the ability to hold a load in place without motor operation via the use of the solenoid valve, and therefore saves energy and extends the motor lifetime by minimizing the motor running time.

A stabilizing system includes a plurality of jacks, each operated by a corresponding hydraulic actuator. A hydraulic fluid transfer pump supplies hydraulic fluid to and receives hydraulic fluid from one or more pressure chambers of the actuator. A pilot-operated check or directional valve may be provided in fluid communication with one or more of the pressure chambers and configured to regulate the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the pressure chamber. A directional control valve may connect the pump output with the jacks via respective pilot-operated directional valves. The directional control valve may include a plurality of switch positions respectively connecting the pump output with pairs of the jacks.

The disclosure relates to a hydraulic control block for controlling a pressure medium supply of a hydraulic cylinder of a hydraulic spindle. The hydraulic control block includes a generic hydraulic switching structure electively configurable in each of a plurality of specific hydraulic switching structures, each of the plurality of specific hydraulic switching structures having a respective hydraulic cylinder with a number of piston areas which differs from a number of piston areas in the respective hydraulic cylinders of each of the other of the plurality of specific hydraulic switching structures.