An actuator configured to be submerged into a body of water and to activate upon achieving a particular depth. The actuator includes a housing that defines a chamber. The housing has an open end portion in which is located a piston, the piston closing the open end portion to cause the chamber to be watertight. The piston has a first side facing an inner wall of the chamber and a second side opposite the first side that is configured to face the body of water, the piston being translatable in the chamber. A column located inside the chamber has a first end coupled to the first side of the piston and a second end coupled the inner wall of the chamber, the column being configured to buckle upon a predetermined amount of force being applied to the second side of the piston to cause the piston to translate.

The system is an improved valve/actuator architecture using a 4-way blocked-port architecture and area asymmetry providing numerous advantages over the conventional practice. The system uses fewer control circuits and provides for reduced component parts—it reduces hose, tubing and fitting requirements (lower cost, improved packaging, less installation labor and less leakage due to fewer connections). It also eliminates the need for a spring for static load support and other suspension control components (such as a sway bar). The system simplifies the mechanical design thereby reducing cost, aids in packaging, eliminates hysteresis losses of the spring and reduces moving mass thereby lowering response time. The system further allows regeneration of hydraulic power thereby increasing overall efficiency. The system further eliminates one half of throttling loss in a servo-valve.

A lift device and a method of controlling the lift device are provided. The lift device has a lifting mechanism supporting a lifting platform relative to the chassis. An electric motor is drivingly coupled to a traction device, and a traction battery is in electrical communication with the electric motor. A user input is provided to control a speed of the lift device by inputting a requested speed. A controller is configured to, in response to the lift device being on a non-zero grade and if the requested speed is greater than a predetermined speed, command the electric motor to output a braking torque and provide electrical power to the traction battery, and limit the speed of the lift device to the predetermined speed.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed that produce a pneumatic actuator end cap having an integral volume booster. An example pneumatic actuator end cap includes a first cavity to provide a first fluid passageway to receive a pressurized fluid from a source external to the pneumatic actuator end cap, a second cavity to provide a second fluid passageway to route the pressurized fluid to an internal chamber of a pneumatic actuator in which a piston is disposed, and a third cavity containing a fluid valve to control a flow of the pressurized fluid between the first fluid passageway and the second fluid passageway.

Actuator systems and methods of operation are disclosed. The systems include a hydraulic actuator having a primary piston having a piston head arranged within a housing defining retract and extend chambers on opposite sides of the piston head. A control element is configured to control a supply of pressure to each of the retract and extend chambers. An actuator valve is coupled to the housing and includes a secondary piston that is biased into the retract chamber in an open flow state and when the primary piston is in a fully retracted state the piston head urges the secondary piston into a closed flow state. The actuator valve defines a flow chamber where, in an open flow state, fluid can be passed through the flow chamber and in a closed flow state the fluid is prevented from passing through the flow chamber.

A single solenoid-controlled electro-hydraulic liftomatic system is provided. The single solenoid-controlled electro-hydraulic liftomatic system is developed for controlling electrically, automating a hydraulic mechanism used in three-point hitch systems of tractors lifted and lowered by a mechanically controlled hydraulic mechanism. The single solenoid-controlled electro-hydraulic liftomatic system includes an actuator, a hydraulic pump, a safety element, a tank line, a valve body, a hydraulic piston, at least one solenoid valve, a piston spring, a check valve, a time-delay relay, and a button.

A pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) includes a bladder containing, internal to the bladder, the other components of the PAM: at least one valve controlling pneumatic pressure inside the bladder; at least one sensor configured to sense pressure inside the bladder; and at least one signal conditioning device, thereby providing a self-contained, volume-efficient, simple interface for the PAM.

A hydraulic circuit includes a hydraulic power unit, a first cylinder pair coupled with the hydraulic power unit, and a second cylinder pair coupled with the hydraulic power unit in parallel with the first cylinder pair. Re-phasing valves coupled with each cylinder of the first and second cylinder pairs are activated when a respective one of the cylinders reaches one of a fully extended or a fully retracted position. The hydraulic circuit incorporates the serially plumbed, re-phasing cylinders for synchronized movement in a system with multiple pairs of cylinders.

A hydraulic powering system includes a hydraulic cylinder, an accumulator, and a manifold assembly. The hydraulic cylinder includes: (i) a hydraulic cylinder construction having a hydraulic cylinder wall and first and second hydraulic cylinder end caps forming an internal volume, a piston constructed to slide within the internal volume between the first and second hydraulic cylinder end caps and dividing the internal volume into an extend region and a retract region, and a piston rod extending from the piston and through the retract region and one of the first and second end caps to outside the hydraulic cylinder; (ii) an extend port in fluid connection with the extend region of the hydraulic cylinder; and (iii) a retract port in fluid communication with the retract region of the hydraulic cylinder. The accumulator includes: (i) an accumulator construction having an accumulator wall and first and second accumulator end caps forming an accumulator internal volume, an accumulator piston constructed to slide within the accumulator internal volume between the first and second accumulator end caps and dividing the accumulator internal volume into a hydraulic fluid region and a compressible gas region; and (ii) a hydraulic fluid port in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid region of the accumulator. The manifold assembly includes a plurality of passageways therethrough providing fluid connection between: (i) a hydraulic fluid extend source and the hydraulic cylinder extend port and the accumulator hydraulic fluid port; and (ii) a hydraulic fluid retract source and the hydraulic cylinder retract port and the accumulator hydraulic fluid port. A method of operating a hydraulic powering system is described.

A valve system, for use with a cylinder having an extensible rod, includes a first valve assembly having a first inlet/outlet port, a check valve biased toward a closed state, the check valve having a check valve body at least partially receivable within a first port of the cylinder, a flow control valve positioned in series between the first inlet/outlet port and the check valve, and a first pilot port selectively communicable with a source of pressurized gas for opening the check valve. The valve system further includes a second valve assembly having a second inlet/outlet port, a second pilot port through which the pressurized gas must flow before being introduced to the first pilot port, and a valve body at least partially receivable within a second port of the cylinder.