The body of a single acting cylinder has _______.

The body of a single acting cylinder has _______.

• A. 2 ports
• B. 1 port
• C. 4 ports
• D. 3 ports

Answer: (B)

Single-acting cylinders use compressed air to move the piston in one direction, and a spring (or external force) returns it the other way. Because only one direction requires air pressure, the cylinder body only needs one air port to supply and exhaust that air. The return stroke doesn’t need another port, since the spring handles it. If there were two ports, it would be capable of both extend and retract powered by air, which describes a double-acting cylinder.

Single-acting cylinders use compressed air to move the piston in one direction, and a spring (or external force) returns it the other way. Because only one direction requires air pressure, the cylinder body only needs one air port to supply and exhaust that air. The return stroke doesn’t need another port, since the spring handles it. If there were two ports, it would be capable of both extend and retract powered by air, which describes a double-acting cylinder.