Can two air cylinders provide the leverage needed for easier pedal movement?

[denant81]

I am wanting to use two air cylinders to get the leverage I need to make a mechanical movement easier. Right now I have a foot pedal that's connected to a rod that also connects at the other end to a cross shaft on a pedal steel guitar. This cross shaft is connected to another rod that is connected to a changer finger that when pulled stretches a string. The problem I have now is no matter how I make my connections using mechanical leverage here and there I still have to press on the pedal harder than I would like in order to stretch this string. What I have in mind is to use two air cylinders to get the mechanical leverage I need to make pressing this pedal easier so I can stretch this string with less effort. If I connect my pedal to the rod of an air cylinder say that's a 1.5 inch bore with a 3/4 inch stroke, run an air line from the port of this cylinder where air escapes when I pull the shaft, and connect the other end of this air line to the port of the second air cylinder that is a 3/8 inch bore with a 1/2 inch stroke. The object is to get the movement of the first cylinder to move the second cylinder but since the first cylinder is a bigger bore than the second cylinder wouldn't it give me the leverage I need to make this movement with less effort from my pedal?

Thanks,
denant81

 

[Navin A S]

Yes, using two air cylinders to get the mechanical leverage you need should work. The larger bore of the first cylinder will provide the necessary force to move the second cylinder, resulting in less effort from your pedal. You may need to adjust the bore sizes and stroke lengths to get the desired ratio of movement between the two cylinders.