A pneumatic actuator and control valve assembly has a housing with a control cavity for a control valve and an actuator cavity for an actuator piston and rod assembly. The control cavity and actuator cavity both have an elongated shape and are substantially parallel to each other. The control cavity has a supply port and first and second control valve outlet ports and at least one vent port with the control valve being movable through the control cavity for controlling communication between the supply port and the first and second outlet ports. The actuator cavity has first and second ports at the retracted and extended ends for shuttling the piston and within the actuator cavity between a retracted and extended end position. The housing has a first inlet and second inlet for passage of pressurized fluid to and from the housing,

A method for controlling a control surface multirod actuator arrangement and the arrangement including: a first and a second multirod actuator configured to move or clamp around a first set of piston rods; a third multirod actuator configured to move or clamp around a second set of piston rods; a control unit configured to control motion of the first set of piston rods in a first motion mode and to control motion of the second set of piston rods in a second motion mode. Steps are moving at least one piston rod of first set of piston rods and/or clamping in parked position at least one piston rod of the second set of piston rods.

An actuator assembly comprises a housing having a piston at least partially disposed therein. The actuator assembly includes at least one biasing mechanism disposed within the housing to selectively position the piston between a first position, a second position, and a third position located between the first and second positions.

Disclosure herein are hydraulic systems and method of use thereof. The hydraulic systems can include a hydraulic cylinder and a manifold. The hydraulic cylinder can have a first end and a second end. The hydraulic cylinder can include a first port, a second port, and a third port. The first port can be located proximate the first end. The second port cane be located proximate the second end. The third port can be located in between the first port and the second port. The manifold can include a first valve and a second valve. The first valve can be in fluid communication with the first port and the third port. The second valve can be in fluid communication with the second port and the third port.

A method for controlling a control surface multirod actuator arrangement and the arrangement including: a first and a second multirod actuator configured to move or clamp around a first set of piston rods; a third multirod actuator configured to move or clamp around a second set of piston rods; a control unit configured to control motion of the first set of piston rods in a first motion mode and to control motion of the second set of piston rods in a second motion mode. Steps are moving at least one piston rod of first set of piston rods and/or clamping in parked position at least one piston rod of the second set of piston rods.

Disclosure herein are hydraulic systems and method of use thereof. The hydraulic systems can include a hydraulic cylinder and a manifold. The hydraulic cylinder can have a first end and a second end. The hydraulic cylinder can include a first port, a second port, and a third port. The first port can be located proximate the first end. The second port cane be located proximate the second end. The third port can be located in between the first port and the second port. The manifold can include a first valve and a second valve. The first valve can be in fluid communication with the first port and the third port. The second valve can be in fluid communication with the second port and the third port.

Provided is an actuator apparatus including a positioning actuator device configured to position a first carrier member of the actuator apparatus. The positioning actuator device includes a first hydraulic fluid actuator having a first clamping means and a second hydraulic fluid actuator having a second clamping means, wherein the first and second hydraulic fluid actuator are configured to alternately clamp around a guide arrangement for moving the positioning actuator device along the guide arrangement. The first carrier member is provided with a first coupling member configured to be releasable coupled to the positioning actuator device. A method of positioning a first carrier member by means of the positioning actuator device is provided.

An actuator assembly comprises a housing having a piston at least partially disposed therein. The actuator assembly includes at least one biasing mechanism disposed within the housing to selectively position the piston between a first position, a second position, and a third position located between the first and second positions.

Fail-fixed hydraulic actuator systems for aircraft include a hydraulic actuator having a piston in a housing. The piston separates the housing into a retract cavity and an extend cavity. A sleeve is moveably arranged within the housing and includes a sleeve aperture that is aligned with a piston head during normal operation. A driving mechanism is configured to drive movement of the sleeve to maintain alignment between the sleeve aperture and the piston head. A low pressure cavity is defined between an interior surface of the housing and the sleeve and, when the piston head is offset from the sleeve aperture, the low pressure cavity is hydraulically connected to one of the retract cavity or the extend cavity to cause a pressure differential with the other of the extend cavity and the retract cavity and cause movement of the piston head to align with the sleeve aperture.

A proportional control fluid actuator that is used as a positioning device in applications such as a hydraulic directional control valve. The activating device has a cylinder body attachable to a valve body and has a bore carrying a piston that is coaxially secured to an end of a valve spool. The device is provided with spaced openings in the cylinder body that communicate with the bore therein to introduce fluid to act on opposite sides of the piston. Factory pre-compressed spring means are provided for normally urging the piston and spool to a center position. Since the areas of the fluid pressure applied on both sides of the piston are different (due to a spool on one side of the piston), two pre-compressed springs are used to compensate the area difference to achieve a proportional movement of the spool.