US1976306A

US1976306A - Moving-locking means

Info

Publication number: US1976306A
Application number: US268329A
Authority: US
Inventors: Guy E Swartz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1928-04-07
Filing date: 1928-04-07
Publication date: 1934-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1951-10-09

Description

Oct. 9, 1934. e. E2. SWARTZ MOVING LOCKING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed ,April 7, 1928 INVENTOR. fin/n7? A'TTORNEY Oct 9, 1934. s. E. SWARTZ MOVING LOCKING MEANS Filed April 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 yazqja BY INVENTORw J/M x ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1934 NETED STATES PATENT FICE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to means or devices which have moving and locking mechanisms incorporated in one mechanism.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, easily operable and efficient means whereby a positive movement in more than one direction is effected and whereby the movement isautomatically arrested or looked as soon as either the moving element or the moved element stops moving without the necessity of any additional movement of any member of the means to effect the locking and without producing any wedging actions between members of the means while the moving is going on and to balance the members of the means while the moving is going on as well as while the locking is in effect and to provide free and easy movement for the members while the same are moving and to provide a means whereby the element or member which causes the moving of members can be attached in various positions to more convenient- 1y effect the moving of members and which has means whereby a reversal of the least number of parts enables the mechanism to exert a power stroke or motion or movement in either direction with consequent reversal of the release stroke or motion or movement. Other objects will appear, or become apparent or obvious, or will suggest themselves upon an inspection of the accompanying drawings and during the description following herein.

1 am aware that my invention can be applied to various devices and in various combinations with other devices. In order to illustrate my invention, I have selected and embodied my invention in and have shown in the accompanying drawings and will describe herein one type of structure associated with one type of devices but it is understood that such showing and description is intended for illustrating purposes and is not intended to nor does it constitute a limitation of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a general perspective view of a device embodying my invention and associated with a clamping device without the operating handle thereon.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken in a vertical plane indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1 and shows longitudinal interior relations and structures more clearly.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in a vertical plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2 and shows radial interior relations and structures more clearly.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wedge member of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the wedge member of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 3 and shows a modification of the wedge element.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal section taken in a vertical plane indicated by the line '7 in Fig. 6 and shows longitudinal interior relations and structures more clearly.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the driving member.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the driven member.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the operating handle.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the views.

The device shown in the drawings, adapted to carry out my invention in one manner and structure, includes a vise like structure, adapted for clamping purposes such as in vises which, obviously, can be modified for other clamping devices such as self clamping jigs, or power clamping jigs, or manual clamping jigs or other devises.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3:

The article A is shown clamped against the abutment B positionally fixed on the base C by means of the bar 10 in operative rack and tooth engagement with shaft D joumaled in the base C which has the positionally fixed boss 11 thereon, and the annular cage member or element E is mounted in one side of the boss and the inner surface 12 of the member E is concentric and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft D. The showing of the base C is conventional. The device or means can be mounted in any convenient housing of a machine or other structure as well as in a housing of its own.

The member or element F, in the present instance the driven member, is shown circular and journaled in the cage and keyed onto the shaft D and rotates with the same and with two notches in outer surface thereof each notch having two

side walls

13 and 14 each radial and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft D;-the bottom of each notch being formed with one portion thereof circular, of a size to clear the inner surface of the prongs hereinafter describedand another portion thereof, designed as 15, is flat and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft D and at an angle with or inclined to the inner surface 12 so that a pair of opposite inclined planes are formed between the cage and the driven member convergent away from the side walls 14 as clearly seen in Fig. 3.

The members or elements G are here shown cylindrical and straight, one in each notch, of a diametrical size to loosely fit between the inner surface 12 and the bottom 15 in a circumferential position to be more fully described herein and of a length to loosely fit between the plate 16 and the member or element H in the present instance the driving member journaled on the shaft D and in the cage, which is shown with two diametrically opposite prongs 1'7 extending into the corresponding one of the notches and each having the two side faces 18 and 19 thereof radial and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft D and fiat for non-wedging contact thereof on other drive contacting members. The faces 18, the faces 19, the walls 13, and the walls 14 are shown exactly opposite diametrically; the members G likewise are shown exactly diametrically opposite and the distance and the relation between each inclined plane or surface 15 and the inner surface 12 and the axis of the shaft D is identical with the other.

This opposite location of members, preferably two although any other even number of elements can be used, balances the same about the axis of the shaft -D and prevents wedging and disalignment of members as distinguished from one or three or other uneven number of elements which, due to the necessarily uneven balancing relation about a common axis, do not balance the members and promote wedging between members.

The radial and parallel arrangement of the faces and walls always insures square and a nonwedging action between members and thereby assists in the balancing and in the preventing of wedging mentioned above.

The polygonal stud 20 is shown hexagonal and extending outwardly from the member Hs0 that the lever or handle I, shown in Fig. 10, having the polygonal opening 21 transversely through an end thereof can removably engage the polygonal studs 20 of the element H for rotation-of the element H. As shown in Fig. 1, the handle I can readily be attached to and removed from the stud 20. As shown in Fig. 7, the member 34 is extended radially to hold the handle I onto the member H. This polygonal connecting means between the member H and the handle I permits the handle to be attached to the member H in various radial positions, six in the present instance, and thereby facilitates the operation of the mechanism in that an operator can place the handle in the most convenient position for ease and efficient operation.

The nut 22, countersunk into the member H to economize in space, holds the member H in rotative and longitudinal relation on the shaft D.

Two diametrically opposite lock mechanisms each, in the present instance, an automatic spring operated and consequently resilient lock means, is shown as a longitudinally movable pin or plunger member K with a head 23 on one end thereof and operating in the bore 24 in the member F and opening into the notch therein through the wall 14 while the other end thereof isguided in the opening 25 in the bottom of the bore 24 and, in the present instance, has the pin 26 tolimit the movement of the head 23 into the notch in the member F. The spring 27 is shown as a compression spring with one end thereof abutting the head 23 and the other end abutting the bottom of the bore 24 to normally urge the head outwardly of the bore 24 and into the notch in the member F.

The longitudinal axis of each member K is shown as tangent to a circular path of travel of the mechanism so that the member K moves in a direction leading toward the inner surface 12 and away from the surface 15 when the spring 27 actuates the same and toward the surface 15 and away fromthe surface 12 when other means move the same.

The contacting drive faces or

surfaces

13, 14, 18, and 19 of this structure and the contacting drive faces 32 of the below described mechanism, as related to drive faces corresponding to the faces of Fig. 3, are made flat so that there can be no wedg'ing action between the parts having these faces or surfaces and the locking members can move relative thereto to move into a wedging position against or between the members E and F without producing a wedging action between the prongs 1'7 and the cage E nor between the locking member and the driving faces nor between the prongs and the member F nor be tween contacting drive faces.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 6 of the drawing:-

This view shows a modification of the rotatable moving-locking mechanism. In order to economize in longitudinal space required for the mechanism, the annular cage or member E is shown as unrotatably mounted in the support 11. The member H is the same as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The member F is substantially the same as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that the flat portions 15 there shown are here extended and designated as 28 and the pocket 29 is inclined more inwardly.

In this modification each of the wedge members or elements L is shown as a shoe shaped member as distinguished from the pin shaped members G in Fig. 1 having the extended nose 30 and the end face 32 slightly spaced from the face 18 and urged toward the inner surface 12 by the spring 33 in the pocket 29 similar to the springs 27 to normally effect locking.

The washer 34 is shown added here and as rotating with the shaft D and as held in place by means of the nut 22.

Each face 32 is radial with the axis of the shaft D and both of these faces as well as the members L as a whole are exactly opposite diametrically.

All opposite parts or members are duplicates to reduce cost of production as well as to equalize weight to assist in the balancing of the entire mechanism. 7

This duplicate structure and the use of an even number of elements and the relations and structures of the elements permits the reversal of the power and release strokes by merely reversing the member F on the shaft D.

The shoe like members L provide a better and a more lasting and a better gripping brake or contact or looking effect between the members E and F' than the pin like members.

Referring now particularly to the operation of the mechanism shown and described.

The inner surface 12 is unrotating and the rollers G can roll thereon and the wedges L can slide thereon in a circular path with the longitudinal axis of the shaft as a center when the mechanism is rotating.

. When the mechanism is at rest, as when the bar 10 clamps the article A against the abutment B and thereby stops the rotation of the member F through the shaft D and the geared connection thereof with the bar 10, or when the member 1-1 is not rotated, the springs 27 immediately and automatically force the rollers into space between the

convergent surfaces

12 and 15 without any additional means or operation.

Since the rollers are normally loosely in the notches, this spring action forces the same against these surfaces and thereby locks the member F to the unrotatable member E in a wedging action and thereby prevents self rotation of the member F as well as the member H in ither rotative direction and thereby produces an effective and efficient lock against rotation of the mechanism which operates instantly and without any lost motion or backing up of one or more of the members and without requiring any effort of the moving force nor any travel of the moving means.

When the member H is rotated, by means of the handle or otherwise, in the direction of the arrow shown thereon in Fig. 1, the faces 19 on the prongs 17 contact the unyielding faces or walls 13 of the notches in the member F and thereby rotates the same and the shaft D positively in the same direction and without any lost motion.

This rotation of the member H rotates the member F and the convergent surfaces 15 or 28 move away from the locking m mbers G- and L and thereby release the locking sufficiently for rotation of the member F. As soon as rotation of the member F stops, the springs push the looking members along the convergent surfaces and into the less deep parts of the notches and into looking position between the cage and the member F. When rotative reverse pressure is brought onto the member F from the shaft, the locking members grip more tightly, according to pressure, and thereby effectively prevents self reversing rotation of the member F and consequently self reversing movement of the clamping member 10.

While the members 1-1 and F are so rotating, the rollers rotate in the opposite direction on their own axis and tend to move or roll pcsitionally toward the deeper end of the

inclined surfaces

12 and 15 and are thereby freed of positive confinement or wedging contact on the inclined surfaces. Since each of the members K has a longitudinal movement directed toward the surface 12, the heads 23, through the springs 2'7, push the rollers against the surface 12 and release the same from the surfaces 15 and thereby permit the members F and H to move in unison through a positive and unyielding and non-wedging action between the members.

While the member F is so rotated, the rollers follow the same movement bodily and, in doing so in contact with the unrotating surface 12, are rotated in the opposite direction at a surface speed of the rollers proportional to the circumference of the rollers and the surface 12. The member F and the faces 15 thereon rotate at the same speed as the rollers move bodily but, since the springs primarily move the rollers into contact with the surface 12 of larger diameter and consequently longer circumferential path than the surfaces 15, the surface speed of the rollers is greater than the surface speed of the surfaces 15 and, since the direction of travel of the surface of the rollers is the same as the direction of travel of the surfaces 15, the rollers will tend to roll toward the large end of the space between the

surfaces

12 and 15 and thereby prevent themselves from wedging anywhere even if the springs did tend to seat them on the inclined surfaces as long as the mechanism is moving.

As soon as the mechanism stops moving or rotating, the bodily movement and consequent rotation of the rollers stops and the springs move the rollers into wedging position between the inclined surfaces and hold them there effectively since there is nothing to move them out of this contact except when the mechanism is rotating.

Therefore the mechanism is free of any wedging action of any members thereof while the same is moving or rotating and the wedging action of the lock mechanism comes into play or action only when and after movement or rotation of the mechanism has stopped. Therefore, the mechanism can be rotated freely to any circumferential position and locked in that exact position the moment that rotation stops without requiring any short or travel of the moving means or producing any wedging of any kind except after the rotation of the mechanism has stopped.

When the member H is rotated in a direction opposite the arrow in Fig. l, the same first travels a sufficient distance to traverse the space between the faces 18 and the rollers, provided for taking up wear and inaccurate machining, and then moves the rollers against the heads 23 and pushes the same into the member F until the rollers abut the faces 14 in a positive unyielding contact or drive without wedging the rollers against the surface 12 and rotates the member F and the shaft D in a reverse direction through unyielding, positive and non-wedging means.

This reversing movement, like the forward movement, requires very little power since all of the members are balanced and there is no wedging or other power consuming or travel consuming operations except the very slight power required to compress the springs and the very slight travel between the faces 18 and the rollers.

When and after the reverse movement, like the forward movement, stops the springs automatically and instantly move the rollers into wedging or locking position and thereby lock the mechanism against rotation in the exactposition into which the same has been rotated forwardly or reversely by the moving means.

The mechanism shown in Fig. 6 operates in a manner similar to that described except that the springs 33 normally move the member L toward the surfaces 12 during forward rotation of the mechanism and the unyielding faces 18 positively contact the unyielding faces 32 during reverse rotation of the mechanism without wedging the members L against the surface 12 until the rotation of the mechanism is stopped whereupon and whereafter the springs effect a positive and effective locking of the mechanism against rotation as in the forward rotation of the mechanism.

I am aware that my invention can be applied to or embodied in various devices or in various embodiments, or in various unitary structures, one unitary embodiment being shown and described herein and that various changes or modifications can be made in the particular structure as well as arrangement of elements so shown and described, the one modification shown and described giving some idea as to how such changes may be or can be made, within the scope of the appended claims; therefore, without limiting myself to the precise application of my invention shown and described nor to the precise structure and arrangements of parts or elements or members shown and described,

I claim:-

1. A means of the character described including a positionally fixed annular cage, a portion of a driving member and a driven member in said cage and rotatable on'the axis' thereof, each of said members having two contacting drive faces each contactable on the corresponding face of the other, said drive faces being diametrically opposite to balance said members and to prevent lost motion and position disturbing action between said members and between said members and said cage. V 2. A means of the character described including a positionally fixed annular cage, a portion of a driving member and a driven member in said cage and rotatable on the longitudinal axis thereof and each member having two contacting drive faces each contactable on the corresponding face of the other, said drive faces being diametrically opposite and on a radial axis from said longitudinal axis to balance said members and to prevent lostmotion and position disturbing and \vedging action between said members and between said members and said cage.

3. A means of the character described including a rotatable member having two diametrically opposite notches therein, a rotatable member having two diametrically opposite prongs each extending into the corresponding one of said notches, one side face of each of said prongs contactable directly on one of the side walls of the corresponding one of said notches, a wedge member in each one of said notches and each contactable on the other side face of the correspcndingone of said prongs. and on the other side wall of the corresponding one of said notches, and a member resiliently mounted in said notched member and each adapted to move the corre sponding one of said rotatable wedge members into wedging position to lock said members against rotation.

4. A means of the character described including a member rotatable on a definite axis and having two diametrically opposite notches therein, a member rotatable on said axis and having two diametrically opposite prongs each extending into the corresponding one of said notches, the side faces of said prongs and the side walls of said notches being radial to said axis, one side face of each of said prongs contactable directly on one of the side walls of the corresponding one of said notches, and a member movable individually in each one of said notches between the corresponding other side faces of said prongs and the corresponding other side walls of said notches.

5. A means of the character described including an ember rotatable on a definite axis and having two diametrically opposite notches therein, a member rotatable on said axis and having two diametrically opposite prongs each extending into the corresponding one of said notches, the side faces of said prongs and the side walls of said notches being entirely fiat and in alignment with. said axis, one side face of each one of said prongs contactable on one of saidwalls of the corresponding one of said notches, and a parallel sided member in each one of said notches between the corresponding other side face of said prongs and the corresponding side walls of said notches. I

6. A means of the character described includand in alignment with said axis, one side face.

of each of said prongs contactable on one side wall of the corresponding one of said notches, and a parallel sided member in each one of said notches between the other side faces of the corresponding one of said prongs and the other side,

walls of the corresponding one of said notches.

7. A means of the character described including an annular cage, a member in said cage and rotatable on the axis thereof and having two diametrically opposite notches therein, a member rotatable on said axis and having two diametrically opposite prongs each extending into the corresponding one of said notches, the side faces of said prongs and the side walls of said notches being flat and radial to and parallel with said axis, one side face of each of said prongs contactable on one side wall of the corresponding one of said notches, and a wedge member in each one of said notches between the other side face of the corresponding one of said prongs and the other side wall of the corresponding one of said notches and the inner surface of said cage.

8. A means of the character described including a rotatable driven member having two diametrically opposite notches therein, a rotatable driving member having two prongs each extending into one of said notches to drive said driven member, one side face of each of said prongs contactable on one side wall of the corresponding one of said notches to positively drive said driven member in one rotative direction, and a member in each of said notches and contactable on the other side face of the corresponding one of said prongs and on the other side wall of the corresponding one of said notches to positively drive said driven member in the opposite rotative direction; said side faces on said prongs and said side walls on said notches being entirely flat and diametrically opposite to maintain balance between said members.

9. A means of the character described including a rotatable driven member having two diametrically opposite notches therein, a rotatable driving member having two prongs each extending into one of said notches to drive said driven member, one side face of each of said prongs contactable on one side wall of the corresponding one of said notches to positively drive said driven member in one rotative direction, and a member in each one of said notches and contactable on the other side face of the corresponding one of said prongs and on the other side wall of the corresponding one of said matches to positively drive said driven member in the opposite rotative direction; said side faces on said prongs and said side walls on said notches being entirely flat and diametrically opposite to maintain balance between said members and radial and parallel to prevent wedging between said members.

GUY E. SWARTZ.