Which type of cylinder features two to six nested sleeves?

The correct answer is the type of cylinder known as a telescoping cylinder. These cylinders are designed with multiple nested sleeves, allowing them to extend and retract in a compact manner while providing significant length of stroke. The configuration of nested sleeves enables the cylinder to achieve greater extended length in a limited space, making it particularly useful in applications where length is critical but space is confined, such as in vehicle lift systems or specialized machinery.

Telescoping cylinders can significantly improve performance in tasks that require extensive reach while maintaining a smaller retracted size. The ability to achieve multiple stages of extension through the nested sleeves provides versatility and efficiency, which is a key advantage in many hydraulic applications.

Other types of cylinders, such as single-acting or double-acting cylinders, operate differently and do not utilize nested sleeves. Single-acting cylinders typically extend in one direction only, relying on external means to retract, while double-acting cylinders can apply force in both directions but still do not have the nested structure that characterizes telescoping cylinders. Balanced cylinders further incorporate design features for stability but do not inherently involve multiple sleeves.