US1999844A - Adjustable standard - Google Patents

Description

April 30, 1935. 1= MCELROY ADJUSTABLE STANDARD Filed Feb. 13, 1935 Alm flllfulflmllld .lllulv llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Il V'such as hair ,driers, therapeutic lamps, and ldepositionln dotted lines;

Patented Apr. 3o, 193s 1,999,844 i Y UNITED STATES PATENT; -.-O'FFICE1 l I flgggg TK f i ADJUSTABLE sremuiitliv Isaac McElroy, Minneapolis, `YApplication February 1s, 1933, serial No. 656,393

' 2 clanes.V (ci. 24a-z) Myinventionrelates to standards for wide genin which the movable portion thereof. is shown eral use, such as in supporting various appliances in al raised position in full linesl and in a lowered vices of many other classes, and Vmore particu- Fig. 2 .is a vertical longitudinal section of my larly to standards which are adjustable in' height. adjustable standardsV Y -V l v various adjustable standards now in use require Fig- 3 is a cross sectional view taken alonsthe set screws and other manually operated clamping .lines-3 3 0f Fig. 2, asindicated bythe aIIOWS; devices to hold themin the desired position.; .The Fis.y 4 is s crosssectonal viewtaken alone thek set screws and clamping devices make necessary lined-4 0f Fig. 2J as indicated by the SHOWS; e

l0 an additional operation injchanging the adjust- 'Ifig. 5 is across-sectional-view taken through a 10 ment and detract; from the symmetrical appear.; modied form of the circumferentially disposed ance ofsuch standards. Some adjustable standfrCtiOnal grppingelements; and ards now in use are of suchconstruction that it is V1:1'8- 6 is@ Veltdl-CYOSS Sectional View 0f an* necessary for the user to support or lift all or a. other modied form 0f thecircumferentially diS- very substantial part of the weight of theappli- DOSed fICtiOnal gripping elements. 1 -15 ance supported thereby whenv readjusting the Referring tothe drawing, a base is shown comheight of the standard. Drising a cage 1, arms, ai filip-Shaped arm re- It is an object of my invention to provide an taining member l9,.-a cap screw I II, and-casters I I adjustable standard of the class describedwhereconstructed; in accordance with my Pedestal 2o in the movable portion of the standard is heldk in structure for standards disclosed in United 2o Y position by means other than set screws or clamps, States Letters Patent No'. 1,789,905. The lower such means being automatic and requiring no' enddfdtublllar ,CaSing uisligdly SeGulCd. Within manual operation. Y the cagei 'I oi the base B-,saidcasing extending A further object of my invention is to provide Some distance upward from the top ,ofV the base. an Vadjustable standard of the classl described A tubular column I3 of somewhat smaller diame- 25 wherein the movable portion thereof together ter. than the interior diameterof the casing I2 with the appliance carried thereby, may be moved is concentrically disposed-Within `the Casing and upward or downward to-anydesired one of an inextends abovethe top endOf the Casing. 'A can I4 nite number of predetermined positions by the provided at itsupper end with aniaperture adaptapplication of a slight amount Yof pressure in ed-to loosely receive theftubularcolumn I3` is 30 the directionof the desired movement, and `wherethreadedly engaged with the exterior or the in means, not requiring manual operation, isvprouppernd 0f k13h@ Casing 2"00 clse'the Samevided to automatically Vmaintain the standard in Within the cap I4 are two washers I5 with com- Y the desired position. Y pressible packing-materialy I6 therebetween, said' A still further and more specific object is to washers encircling the tubular column and being 35 provide an adjustable standard of the class deabutted respectively'A by the top 6nd 0f the'i'flibllscribed, wherein the weight of the movable por- 1areasing'l l2 andthetp Dltin 0f the 0211314 t0 y Y 'tion thereof and the appliance carried thereby compress the material I6. .On'the medial por-v are counterbalanced by a. spring constructed and tion-Of thetubul/i column I3 are tWO retaining 40 proportioned to support said weight-when the rings I'I encircling saidcolumn and .retaining 4o movable portion is at substantially its midposition absorbent vn iaterial I8V therebetween, the aband to permit only a small dilerential between srbent'material being in .contact with the in-A saidweight andthe supporting capacity of the terior surfacefofthe casing I2 and the rings spring in other positions, andwherein frictional .being engaged 'withjthe column I3 to prevent meansnotrequjring manual operation, is' prolongitudinal movement-with respect thereto. '45 vided to absorb said diierential and hence auto- ,Substantially midway between the retaining matically act to vhold the movable portion in any ring I1 and the'lowe'r end of the. column I3,

' desired position. Y frictional grippingmeansis provided. A retain- These and other objects and advantages of the ing ring I9 is mounted on the'column I3, said present invention will more fully appear from ring enclrclingthe same and having diametrical- 5o the following description, made in connection ly located' inwardly "projecting ears' projecting with the accompanying drawing, wherein like into apertures in Said v@011mm t0 prevent 10nyreference characters refer to the same or similar gitudinalmovement of the ring therealong.- Imparts throughout the various Views, and, in which, mediately belowthe` ring: I9 is a series Vof oir- Fig, 1 is a side viewwof my adjustable standard cuml'erentially disposed: radially movable 'fric- 55 60 The'iresistanceuto" compression. of the spring the casing I 2.

-. .the-slice rod 26.

, clude sloping Vsurfaces such that, when the wedging ring 2I is moved upwardly, wedging action will cause the vgripping elements 20 to be forced radially 'outward' against the interior surfacegof Thel lower end of columnl3V is provided with external screw threads 22 which receive the adjusting nut-23. A helical compres-- sion and actuating spring 24 surrounds column I3 and is interposed between ring 2 I and adjust'- ing nut 23 to exert an upwardpressure on said ring 2i. The reduced lower` endrof a bracket supporting headl 25, as showngis-secured within the upper end of colunm I3. A slide rod 26 is concentrically disposed Vwithin the interior of columnI 3 and is threadedly engaged at its" upper end withV bracketsupport 25 and depends? to a point near the bottom end of tubular casing I2'.

Adisk 21 is disposed in the-lower endoitubular casingr I2 constrained-against downward movement by supportingaears A'Zilland vacting 'as a base fof resistance for an elongatedcounter vbalancing spring 30. A"vertical tube 29 is fan-f chored` at its ,lower endv to 'disk -2'1and extends axially -within column I3 'slidably surrounding The elongated counterbalancirig `spring-f30 is of helical form andsurrounds tube29 vand ythe upper Vportion of slidelrod 2.6. rThe lengthof spring 30 is preferably, when fully distendedjat least: twice the-height' off the tubular casing I2 and over longer than the;v 'maximum' distance between the base of-resistance 2l and the upper abutment (supporting hea'd 25') andv isatleast fourl times the length, wheniully 'distendedA of the range of adjustability of the standard.'4 -The resistance -of the Vc'fnvinterV balancing spring 3 0 to compression is preferablysuch in relationto the -weignt of the "column I3fand the apparatus supported by the 'column' that the apparatus will be counter balanced Ywhen'th'ersameis1 'sub`' stantially midway between its upper landflower limitsof adjustment, and when the same is more than 40% v(preferablyv 50%) fully compressed. The problem of perfecting my structure so that the column i3 could be manually adjusted with-1 'it thevariation in spring pressure between the upper andlower limits ofV the standard must be minimized inorder that frelativelygflight fric- I tional gripping means could be used.' The properrange ofthe `elongated coiled ,spring tothe weight supported can perhaps be' best expressed as'followsz" i utilized forthe weight supported thereby fis such that the weight is counter balanced ,when the spring is more than 40% 'fully `comp'ressed. The

. range of compressiony `forY allv adjusted' positions the head 25. Within the recess formed by the ange of the `washer 3i, a Hat washer 32 is located. Above the flat washer is located the hub portion of a bracket 33. Above the hub portion is a flat washer 34. The washers 3|, 32 and 34 and the bracket 33 are secured to the upper surface of the supporting head 25 by means of a cap screw 35 extending through aligned apertures in the elements and secured and threadedly engaged with the upper'portionv of the head25. f-

Operation" Y"'I'he tubular'column I3 supports the bracket vsupporting head 25,' the bracket 33, and the appliance carried by the bracket and is longitudiitsiof'- movement. The spring30 is'made'relativej 1y longn for the purpose of minimizing variation in springpressurewhen` elongation or shortening of the'fspringv takesplace due to movement'of the movable parts away vfrom their Amid position. While thegwork-ing range of springcompression previouslyls'et forth will lproduce gsu'ccessful'res'ults,-I prefer to use a'springof. such length and relation Vvto vthe weight supported' .thereby that in YfullyFelevated position the spring will' be at least 40%coinpres'sed and in# extreme lowered. position the springrwill be substantially compressed.

This results'ein the"differential, between lthe weight supported and the pressure exertedby the spring, being very small in magnitude.

The rictional gripping elements 20,"the retaining 'ringl and the actuatingring 2| are proportioned landthe spring 24 is tensioned to provide suiiic'ientj ,gripping action to overcome the differL ential reerred vto above.VV The tension of the actuating springf24 maylbe adjusted by means of the adjusting nut 23. When itis desired to readjustthe height of themoving portionsfof the standardla pressure sufficient to overcome the gripping action of the gripping elements 20 is exerted'inthe-direction of the'Y desired movement, upon the bracket 33 or any other accessible part thereof. yWhen the'desired amount yof movement has'been'effected, the pressure'is removed and the grippingelementsY 20 act toY maintain the moving-portion of the standardin the-desired position. It is obvious that the movable portion of the standard may be rotated to swing the appliance through 'any"desired1 angle. f

' YThe packing IB retained between the rings I5 serves -to prevent entrance of dust tothe interior ofthe standard and also serves to guide the'column I3 and prevent undesirable noise when the same isI moved. `The tube 29 and the rod" 26 cooperateto serve as a guide'for the movable parts mentioned above and forv the spring'30.

The 'absorbent material I8 retainedV between the rings: I1 is' adapted to be saturated with oil for lubrication ofthe interior surface of the casing I2. v m

The modified Vform of the gripping means shown in Fig. 5 includes a cap 39 of diie'rent form than the cap I 4 butmounted in the same position relative to thetubular casing I2a. In this form, the portion of the casing I 2a immediately adjacent the upper end thereof has a greater external di'- ameter than the -main part of the casing, said portion carrying external-screw threads for engagement lwith internal screw threads on the cap 39. The upper end of the cap 39 includes an inclined portion 39a slopinginward and upward toward the column I3 to fit loosely about said column. Immediately below the inclined portion 39a, a circumferentially disposed group of gripping elements 4B, formed of wood vor other suitable material, are concentrically disposed in the annular space between the interior of the cap and the exterior of the column I3. The upper portions of the elements d0 are inclined inward and upward to conform to the shapevof the inclined portion 39a and the lower portions fof the elements are inclined inward and downward. Immediately below the group'of gripping elements 4B is an actuated ring 4 I, the upper portion of which is inclined inward and downward to conform to the contour of the lower portion of the gripping elements and the lower portion of which is flat. Between the lower portion of the actuating ring 4I and the upper end ofthe casing I2a, a coiled compression spring 42 is disposed in the annular space between the interior surface of cap 39 and the exterior surface of the column I3. The upward pressure exerted by the spring against the actuating ring results in the ring' being forced inward against the outer surface of the column I 3. Adjustment of the spring pressure is had by screwing the cap `39 upward or downward.

In the modified form of the circumferentially disposed frictional gripping elements shown in Fig. 6, four segmental-shaped elements 36, similar to the gripping elements 2e shown in Figs. 2 and 3 except for having straight instead of inclined upper and lower sides, are disposed in the annular space defined by the retaining ring I9, the actuating ring 2l, the column I3 and the casing I2 of Fig. 2. In this modification the flanges of the rings I9 and 2l are bent into horizontal position, the ring 2| is anchored to the column I3 in a similar manner to the ring I 9, and the spring 24 is omitted. The opposing ends of each adjacent pair of elements 36 are provided with recesses 3l within which the ends of a helical compression spring 38 or other form of yieldable spreading means are retained. The springs 38 exert pressures which force `the gripping elements 36 radially outward into contact with the interior surface of the casing I2.

It is apparent that I have invented a new and useful form of adjustable standard wherein the weight of the movable portion thereof and the appliance carried by` the movable portion are counterbalanced to obviate the necessity for the user supporting or lifting the weight of the movable parts when making a readjustment in the height of the standard. It is also apparent that I have inventeda form of adjustable standard in which the movable portion is automatically retained in thedesired position without the need of set screws or clamping devices and in which the need for operation of set screws or clamping devices by the user when readjusting the height thereof is obviated.

The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and has been found to be successful for the purposes intended.

From the foregoing description and the three forms of the invention illustrated it will be apparent thatJ within the scope of my inventionV gripping means may be expanded outwardly to engage the outer tubular member, as shown in Fig. 2, or may be contracted inwardly to engage the inner tubular member or column, as shown in Fig. 5.

The term gripping elements appearing in the claims is used in its broad sense to include means said support, an elongated counterbalance spring mounted internally of saidy support and interposed between the lower portion of said support and said adjustable post, a series of gripping elements arranged circumferentially of and interposed between said post and said support, means for restricting said gripping elements against longitudinal movement on said post, and resilient means for urging said gripping elements radially for vengagement with said support to yieldably restrain said post from movement in either direction.

2. In an adjustable standard, .a tubular sup-- port, an adjustable post slidably telescoped in said support, an elongated counter-balance spring mounted internally of said. support and interposed between the lower portion of said support and said adjustable post, resilient meansexpansible in a radial direction interposed between said post and said support for frictionally restraining said post against movement in either direction and adapted to internally grip said support.

isAAC E. MCELROY.

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