NCFP I08-18.

Thinking Inside the Tube, a New Cylinder Design

By: Danny L. Turner, President Turner Hydraulics, Inc.

ABSTRACT PRESSURE MAPPING – To determine if an application

is suited for a two-speed cylinder, “pressure mapping”
A Two-Speed cylinder is a new cylinder design can be done to obtain the ratio of the initial force to the
that can increase cycle times up to 50% in a variety of ending force, as well as points in between. Pressure
applications, and can be especially useful in “declining mapping is the process of collecting and graphing the
load” applications. The nature of the new design allows PSI inside the cylinder at specific rod extension
a cylinder to have a full-bore force for an initial extension distances, as compared to the distance and time that the
portion of the cylinder rod, and then a lesser force, but load travels. For instance, a PSI reading and load
faster extension rate, for the remainder of the cylinder elevation may be taken for each inch of cylinder stroke.
stroke. The cylinder utilizes two separate effective The two main factors are the cylinder stroke and PSI. At
surface areas through the stroke of the cylinder. This a point in the stroke where the PSI has dropped to 50%
allows faster cycle times and less oil usage without the of the initial PSI, you can see that a cylinder of half the
use of any extra valves or complicated moving parts. effective surface area could now lift the same load at
Two-speed cylinders can have substantially reduced twice the speed, though it would require the PSI to
extension rates. The retraction rates are decreased increase to the initial PSI. If the 50% point were at 50%
even more. The desires for faster extension and/or of the stroke, then you can see that a two-speed cylinder
retraction rates of a cylinder are both valid reasons for could travel 50% at high force and then the remaining
utilizing two-speed cylinders. 50% at twice the initial speed, yielding a 25% decreased
extension rate. If it normally takes 60 seconds to lift the
INTRODUCTION load, then the two-speed cylinder will do the same work
in 45 seconds. An actual pressure map table of a
Conventional hydraulic wisdom says that scissor lift is shown in Figure 1. The scissor lift has a
cylinder speeds are completely dictated by how fast fluid travel of 78” in 64 seconds, and is actuated with a 5”
can be put into, or taken out of a cylinder. This can bore cylinder with a 24” stroke. To obtain this data, the
often involve larger porting, conductors and special lift was raised and the cylinder travel and PSI at the
valving to allow for moving higher volumes of oil. For cylinder were recorded along with the lift height.
some systems, such as declining load applications like
dump trucks and scissor lifts, utilizing a two-speed Figure 1 - Scissor Lift Pressure Map Table
cylinder may be all that is needed to obtain the desired Cylinder Effective Full
increase in efficiency. By changing some internal parts, Bore Area of Extension
many standard cylinders can be converted to two-speed Diameter Bore Time
cylinders which provide a faster extension and retraction 5" 19.6 sq.in. 64 secs.
rate with less fluid. A two-speed cylinder may have all
Inches of Inches % of
the outward appearances of a standard rod cylinder, and Cylinder
Cylinder PSI of Load Cylinder
they can retain their mounting dimensions and total Force, Lbs.
Stroke Travel Stroke
stroke length.
0.00 1600 31360 0.00 0%
MAIN SECTION 0.50 1500 29400 5.00 2%
1.75 1400 27440 10.00 7%
Most of the applications for a two-speed cylinder have a 2.50 1250 24500 14.00 11%
requirement of needing more speed and less force as 3.25 1000 19600 17.00 14%
the cylinder rod extends. Using a dump truck as an 4.50 900 17640 23.00 19%
example, you can see that to lift a loaded bed, the initial 5.50 850 16660 27.25 24%
force to start raising the bed is much higher than the 6.75 800 15680 31.50 29%
force required once the bed is up half way. The actual 10.00 750 14700 42.00 43%
force ratio is often 3:1. Another problem with dump
12.75 700 13720 50.00 54%
trucks is that empty beds have a slow initial lowering
speed, due to such a small force acting directly against 15.93 675 13230 59.00 68%
the cylinder. A two-speed cylinder does two things to 20.01 650 12740 69.00 86%
enhance the operation of a dump truck. It dumps the 23.40 625 12250 78.00 100%
load faster and lowers the bed faster. The third column is the calculated force of the cylinder
using the actual PSI in the cylinder multiplied by the
effective bore. The 4th and 5th columns respectively

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show the height of the load and the relative stroke of the to retract, the above mentioned cylinder would retract it
cylinder. The height of the load is basically for reference in about 37 seconds. It is easy to see that an empty,
only. The graph of the pressure map (see Figure 2) fully-raised dump truck bed has little force pushing
shows that this is clearly a declining force application, as against the cylinder rod. By decreasing the effective
the calculated force drops as the cylinder extends. A area inside the cylinder for that part of the stroke, the oil
key to quickly interpreting the data in this application is exits the cylinder at a higher pressure and the seals
the point where the working PSI is at 50% of the initial have less friction against the bore. An interesting fact to
PSI. In this application, the pressure and force drop in the above scenario is that the customer was not initially
half at only 29% of the cylinder stroke, indicating that interested in raising the lift faster; he needed to lower the
this is a great application for a two-speed cylinder. lift faster. Once the cylinder was converted to a two-
Rounding the numbers involved, if a two-speed cylinder speed cylinder and installed, the lift, which originally took
were used with a second bore being 50% the first which over 2 minutes to retract, now retracted in less than 1
shifted at 1/3 of the stroke, then the first 1/3 of the stroke minute. The customer required safety, metering orifices
will take about 20 seconds, and the second 2/3 will in the ports, so increasing oil flow into and out of the
move twice as fast, also taking 20 seconds, and the total cylinders with valving was not an option. The two-speed
travel will be 40 seconds, decreasing the extension time cylinders allow the lift to initially retract faster and then
by 1/3. Actual calculations show this to have a 41 shift to the normal speed of the main cylinder bore once
second extension, a savings of 23 seconds, 36% faster. the lift is able to generate a fair amount of force against
Utilizing the data collected from the pressure mapping, the cylinder. This allows the load to lower at a relatively
the ultimate solution can be found, which allows a constant speed throughout its travel.
standard size secondary bore to be used to maximize
the time savings. To find the best secondary bore Another classic example was a dump truck with a 12
diameter, a little calculus or “trial and error” math can be VDC power unit, which utilized 2, 4” bore cylinders
used. By dividing the Force at a suspected shift point by mounted between the frame and the bed. The pressure
the initial PSI, you can solve for the effective area and map showed almost the same characteristics as the one
then the diameter. In the following example, a shift point above, and again, the main complaint was that the bed
at 6.75” can use a 3-1/2” secondary bore. took too long to come down. Both cylinders were
modified and the results were very pleasing, with an
Figure 2 - Scissor Lift Pressure Map Graph overall cycle time reduction of 45%, down from 4
minutes to almost 2 minutes. A substantial savings
Two-Speed Cylinder when you are just watching a load being dumped and
especially an empty bed coming down. In fact, with
2000 dump trucks, many drivers will start to pull forward and
1500 slam on the brakes to get the bed to retract quicker.
This cylinder may not only save time, but also clutches
PSI

1000
and brakes.
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0 CYCLE TIME – The decrease of the overall cycle time is
the sum of the decrease in extension and retraction and
5

4
0

93
5

10

.
7

5.

for the above example would be about 38 seconds

23
1.

3.

.
15

Cylinder Stroke
saved on an original 120 second cycle. This equates to
about a 32% time savings.

OTHER BENEFITS – Some scissor lifts or dump bodies

Also notice that the graph shows a rather sharp decline may currently need to use a double-acting cylinder in
in PSI at first, which transitions to a lesser rate of order to get the load to begin coming down, or to get it to
decline. The optimum shift solution is just at or after the come down fast enough. It is possible that some of
stroke distance where the transition occurs. Depending these applications can be turned into “gravity-down” with
on the interpretation of the data, the secondary bore can the use of a two-speed cylinder. The lower oil volume
be any ratio of the initial bore that provides the best and lower friction of the seals of a two-speed cylinder
solution, they don’t need to be 2:1 or 50%. may change the dynamics of the system enough to allow
for the elimination of the extra valving, connectors and
RETRACTION RATE – An interesting feature of the two- conductors normally associated with powering down a
speed cylinders is that the amount of time saved in the cylinder. Double-acting cylinders can cause unwanted
extension of a cylinder is only part of the benefit. Some stress on some systems when they are powered down
applications have been designed solely for the retraction with safety legs extended or after the load is fully
properties of the two-speed cylinder. It has been found retracted. We have found one market where the system
that if the extension rate is decreased by 25%, the was engineered for the cylinder’s extension force, but
retraction rate is often decreased 38%, or 1.5 times was vulnerable to destruction if the cylinder was
better. If an empty truck bed normally takes 60 seconds retracted under force, and gravity-down was too slow.

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Another benefit for two-speed cylinders is that the slower cylinder bore to be the effective area for the initial
stroke segment is the first part of the stroke and then it segment of the cylinder stroke, and then a reduced
speeds up as the cylinder extends. Therefore, as a load effective area for the rest of the stroke. The sleeve or
is being lowered, it may come down quickly to the shift floating piston seals against the ID of the main bore and
point, but then lower normally the rest of the way. This carries the rod with it as it extends. The sleeve or
eliminates the possibility of slamming a dump bed onto a floating piston “top” out against the cylinder rod gland,
truck frame any harder than a normal cylinder would and the rod continues to extend, up through the sleeve
allow. Also, when a cylinder shifts from the higher or floating piston. If it is a sleeve, then the rod has a
retraction speed to the lower speed, there is no pressure fixed piston on it which seals against the ID of the
spike, as the effective area is increased, and the PSI sleeve, like a cylinder within a cylinder. If it is a floating
actually drops appreciably and the load retracts at a piston, the rod is simply sealed at the gland and has a
“standard cylinder” rate. keeper on it to keep it from going out through the gland.
Figure 3 shows a double-acting, two-speed cylinder in
OTHER APPLICATIONS – Two-speed cylinders can the retracted position. On the initial stroke, the sleeve
also be used where there is an initial high force for a set travels to the right, carrying the rod with it. When the
distance with a much lower force for the remainder of sleeve tops out against the gland, the rod & piston
the stroke. One application may be a de-watering press, continue to travel up through the sleeve. The black dots
where a material is pressed against a gate and then the represent the seals involved in the process.
gate is opened and the cylinder pushes the material
further, removing it from the press chamber. The higher
speed removal cycle could be designed into a two-speed
cylinder, eliminating the need for regenerative valving or
other “increased flow” solutions. There are many other
applications for two-speed cylinders, such as “tilt-up”
operations, where the motion is similar to a dump truck.
It is even possible to conceive an application where a
two-speed cylinder might be expanded to a three-speed
or even more if the application warrants. Two-speed
cylinders can be designed as single or double-acting
cylinders. They are not limited to hydraulic applications,
as they can also be used for pneumatics, even where a
higher force is needed just to overcome “breakaway”
forces. The initial stroke can be as small or large as you ENERGY EFFICIENCY – Some applications may not
wish. want a faster extension time, but may want to use a
lower horsepower motor to drive the pump. If a two-
DRAWBACKS – Since two-speed cylinders are speed cylinder can extend a load one third faster, then it
engineered to be “application specific”, the shifting point is also possible to decrease the pump/motor size by one
can only be changed by modifying the internal parts. third and still have the same extension speed. Even if
We don’t see that they can be used in a telescopic this is done, there will still be a time savings in the
fashion, other than for the smallest stage. A two-speed retraction cycle. Therefore it is possible to use less
cylinder weighs more than a conventional cylinder, by horsepower and still get better cycle times. This benefit
the difference in weight of the added steel to the can be seen in scissor lift applications with electric
displaced oil. There is a higher manufacturing cost for motors often plugged into standard wall outlets. The
the two-speed cylinder, though with some designs, it limited electrical power and the required initial PSI are
may only be 20% higher. Small-bore cylinders may be the determining factors of the pump size and cycle time.
hard to build as two-speed cylinders due to the space With proper engineering a two-speed cylinder and a
required for the internal materials. For hydraulics, a smaller pump and motor can lift the same load at the
cylinder with less than a 3” bore can be difficult to build, same speed as a larger pump and motor with a standard
but with creativity, almost anything is possible. cylinder, and still have a faster lowering cycle. Another
benefit is that a smaller pump may use smaller
TWO-SPEED CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION - A two- conductors and connectors and the oil usage in a two-
speed cylinder is very similar in many aspects to a speed cylinder is less, so there is also less oil storage
standard, single or double-acting cylinder. As a matter space required.
of fact, many standard cylinders can be converted by
changing only the piston and adding a “secondary bore
sleeve”. It is also possible that the rod displacement can CONCLUSION
be used as the higher speed displacement area, and for
single acting cylinders, a longer, “floating” piston can be Two-speed cylinders have time saving, energy saving
added to the rod, instead of a bore sleeve. The key to and environmentally friendly benefits for declining force
the two-speed cylinder design is to allow the main applications. The concept is relatively simple, as it

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requires no extra valving, just one additional moving part company has designed and built systems for many
inside the cylinder. Many standard cylinders can be different industries, including current systems being
modified to two-speed cylinders; there is no extra space used by professional entertainers such as Justin
requirement, and the stroke and initial force of the Timberlake, Beyonce, Barbara Streisand, and the
cylinder remains the same. It may almost appear as Police. Turner Hydraulics has built custom cylinders for
magic, to watch a two-speed cylinder in action, but it all the entertainment industry including “Dosing” cylinders
happens by a little creativity by “Thinking Inside the for synchronizing lift platforms and “Synchro-Stage
Tube”, instead of using external forces to push more oil Telescopics” for ultra-smooth extension of multi-stage
into and out of the cylinder. cylinders.
The Fluid Power Journal published “Thinking
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Inside the Tube” as a feature article in their 2007
Jan/Feb edition. The patents are filed with the US and
The two-speed cylinder has been developed, tested and International Patent Offices and are now Patent
marketed by Turner Hydraulics, Inc., of Carlisle, PA. Pending.
There is a Patent Pending on the two-speed cylinder.
Dan Turner, President,
Turner Hydraulics, Inc.
CONTACT 1605 Industrial Drive
Carlisle, PA 17013-0728
Dan Turner is the owner of Turner Hydraulics, Inc., a
fluid power sales and service facility in Carlisle, PA. He 717-243-3329 ext 208
has been involved with hydraulics since 1982. His

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