US2122150A

US2122150A - Stabilizer

Info

Publication number: US2122150A
Application number: US119829A
Authority: US
Inventors: Adolph J Lippold
Original assignee: Cherry Burrell Corp
Current assignee: Cherry Burrell Corp
Priority date: 1937-01-09
Filing date: 1937-01-09
Publication date: 1938-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1955-06-28

Description

June 28, Ab J LlppOLD 2,122,15@

STABILIZER Filed Jan. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY STABILIZER Filed Jan. 9; 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IX A oo oooooooooo 0 BY lNvENT/(jjF a//QM/ WM ATTORNEYS Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES ATENT GFFCE STABILIZER Adolpl J. Lippold, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Cherry-BurrellCorporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation Application January 9,

16 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in stabilizers.

The stabilizer to which this invention pertains has particular application to any device carried f by an adjustable standard. It is the primary o'bject of the invention to provide a stabilizer which will permit of adjustment of the standard without requiring any separate adjustment of the stabilizer, the stabilizer automatically remaining effective in all adjustments of the standard to steady or brace the supported part and to maintain it rigid upon the standard as Well as to prevent any relative non-axial movement between the member carried by the standard and the base upon which the standard is mounted. Through the use of this invention a much lighter standard may be employed than has heretofore been feasible to use, while at the same time 4increased rigidity is secured.

'I'he invention has particular application toA bottle filling apparatus, and I have selected ,a bottle filler as a means of disclosing and exemplifying the invention. The invention is, howevenapplicable to turret type machine-tools, hoists,vand an infinite number of other mechanisms in which an Vaxially adjustable part must be stabilized 'ori braced without interfering with its freedom of adjustable movement.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View partially in side elevation and partially in section, showing a bottle lling mechanism to which my invention is applied, the application of my invention being illustrated in relatively heavy lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View inaxial section. through a portion of the mechanism' shown in Fig. l to expose the bracing organization.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like parts are identied by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The general organization of a conventional bottle filling machine will be described very briey to provide a background for the more detailed description of the application of my invention thereto. Y

There is a base 4 upon which is journaled the hub 5 of a turntable 6, which may be rotated by means of the tubular shaft 1, sprocketwheelv,y anda suitablechain (not shown) rIhe turntable 6 carries an annular series of bottle supports, two of which are illustrated at 9. Mounted above the turntable to be rotated therewith, is the gravity ller tank I0 having valved lling nozzles II suit-l ably registered with the supports 9. 'The hub 1937, Serial No. 119,829

portion I2 of the tank I0 is sleeved on to the upper end of tubular shaft 'I and is provided with ears I5 to receive the axially 4extending pins I6 by which the hub of the ller tank I2 is coupled in driving connection to the turntable 6 so that the turntable and tank will rotate as a unit.

, To accommodate different sizes of bottles, however, it is desirable that the tank be vertically adjustable With reference to the turntable. The mounting of the hub I2 upon the tubular shaft 'I permits of such adjustment, and so likewise does the engagement of the ears I5 upon the pins I6. The adjustment is elected by means of the rod I8 which extends from hub I2 through the tubular shaft 1 into threaded engagement with a nut I9 which, by means of gear 20, pinion 2|, and crank 22, may be rotated by the operator to set the tank at any desired elevation.

Naturally a tank of the size of that shown at II) tends to be somewhat top heavy in overhanging its central support or standard. In the past the standard has been made very heavy in order to resist any tendency of the tank to tilt from its desired central position. The present invention seeks to render the tank rigid and entirely stable by bracing means which are automatically maintained under uniform tension in all positions of vadjustment of the tank and during the adjustment thereof without requiring any separate manipulation.

I prefer to accomplish this objective through the use of one or more exible tension members 25 which, for the purposes of the present disclosure, are illustrated as comprising chains. If resistance to tilting in only one direction is required the number of such tension members may be limited to one, so located that its tension will oppose any tendency of the parts to tilt. TWO

' members opposed in a given plane will provide stability only in that plane. Three or more, at properly distributed points, will provide complete stability. Four chains are used for the purposes of the present disclosure.

The inner end of each chain is secured to the head member 26 carried by the rotatable tubular shaft or standard 'I upon which the parts are adjustable. So far as axial adjustment of the parts is concerned, the head member 26 represents a fixed connection for the several iiexible tension members 25.

The other end of each of the flexible tension members 25 may be connected to a rod 2'I threaded to receive a nut 28 engaged with 'a housing element 29 xed in the turntable 6. While the nut is provided to adjust the tension members .25 to their desired initial stress (and also to take up any wear that may occur in the use of the apparatus), this end of the chain 25 is also xed for all practical purposes during the normal use of the device.

Intermediate its ends the flexible tension member 25 passes about two guides which, for the purpose of the present disclosure, comprise the sprockets 35 and 3l. The sprockets 3D may conveniently be located within the hub l2 of the tank which is made to provide a housing. Sprockets 3l are housed within the members 33 secured to the bottom of the tank at points remote from the hub thereof and in axial alignment with the tubular housings 29 above referred to. Tubular housing elements 34 may be used to complete the enclosure of the vertical flight 35 of the chain. Housing elements 34 are telescopic over vertical housing elements 29.

The diagonal iiights 36 of the chains may be enclosed in tubular housings 3l which are so coupledas to connect rigidly the hub I2 of the tank and the fittings 33 thereof.

Flights 38 of the respective chains are housed Within the hollow hub l2 of the tank. It will of course be understood, however, that it is not necessary to the broad concept of this invention that the chains or other iiexible tension members shall be housed at all.

Ignoring the provision for rotation, it will be apparent that the turntable 6 and the tank I0 comprise two members which are rectilinearly adjustable with respect to each other, and which are rigidly bra-ced at points remote from the center line upon which the relative movement occurs. The rigidity of the bracing afforded by the stabilizing apparatus is attributable to the fact that each of the tension members is iixed to one of the relatively adjustable members at its ends and passes about guides which are fixed with reference to the other of the adjustable members at points intermediate the ends of the chain or other flexible tension element.

A study of Fig. 2 will make it apparent that each of the chains 25 will resist any separation of the outer portion of the tank from the base unless the inner portion of the tank is separated from the base by a like amount. Thus each of the chains individually resists any tilting of the tank upon the standard in a direction which subjects the chain to tension. If the standard carrieclA an unbalanced load always tending to tilt in the same direction, one of the chains opposed to that load would be suicient to oppose the tilting tendency and to maintain the load and the column in their proper positions while permitting free axial adjustment.

In the device disclosed the load is normally centered and it is desired to resist a tilting in any direction. Accordingly the several chains are spaced symmetrically about the tank. Since it isY true of each of the chains that the axial flights must vary in length identical but opposite amounts before any motion of the tank is possible,it will be apparent that this condition as to all of the chains can be satisfied only in the bodily axial movement of the tank with reference to the base and no tilting of the tank is possible.

I claim:

l. The combination with a pair of relatively adjustable members and a support upon which such adjustment is effected, one of said members being in substantial balance on said support when unloaded of stabilizing means for resisting the tilting of either member with respect to the other while freely accommodating said adjustment, said means comprising flights connecting said members at points fixed with reference to said members and of varying remoteness from said support, and a connecting element for simultaneously adjusting said nights while maintaining the Variations in length of said elements identical with each other. f

2. The combination with a pair of relatively adjustable members and a supporting means upon which one of said members is adjustable in substantial balance with reference to the other, of a tension element connected at both of its ends with one of saidmembers, one end of said tension element havingits said connection adjacent said support and the other end of the said element being connected at a point remote from said support, and the other of said members being provided with guides on fixed centers for the said element correspondingly located close to and remote from said support and about which said tension element passes intermediate the points of aflixation of its ends.

3. The combination with membersmovable to and from each other of an adjusting means extending between said members and with respect to which a movable member is substantially symmetrical, one of said members being provided. with a plurality of centrally positioned anchorages anda plurality of other anchorages. located at points remote from the center, the other of said members being provided with a plurality of sets -of guide means respectively centrally and remotely located, of tensile elements connected with the central anchorages, thence passing about the respective centrally located guide means, thence about the respective remotely located guide means, and thence extending to the respective remo-telylocated anchorage. l

4. The combination with co-axial members provided with means mounting said membersl .for

relative adjustment to and from each other along said axis, a tension element stabilizing one of said `members with reference tothe other and disposed `substantially in a radial plane, said element having its lends anchored to one of said members and having two ilights withra substantially axial component of direction and a connecting flight with a substantially radial ccmponent of direction, the other of said members` having guides interveningbetween said flights and about which the said element extends on relatively opposite sides oi the guide, whereby said element moves clockwise about one guide and counterclockwise about another in the adjustment of said members. ,l

5. The combination with a rst member provided With a column, of a second member adjust-` able axially of the column, anchorage means at points adjacent the column, a rotatable guide'provided with fixed axis of rotation and carried by the second member for movement to and fromv the anchorage means in the adjustment of said meinbers, a second guide carried by the second mem-l ber at a point radially remote from the column, a second anchoragemeans carried by the rst member at a point radially remote from the column, and a tension element connected at its ends with the respective anchorages and respectively passing about on the alternate sides of the said first and ysecond guide intermediate they said anchorage means, whereby to provide stabilizing braces concurrentlyfadjustable'in identical com'-,

ponents in the course of adjustment of said members.

6. The combination with a tubular column and a standard axially adjustable therein, of members connected respectively withsaid column and standard, radially spaced anchorage means carried by said column and the member connected therewith, radially spaced guides carried by the other of said members, and tension means terminally aflixed to said anchorage means and extending over the respective guides between said anchorage means.

'7. lrPhe combination with a first member and a second member, of a column carried by the first member, a standard supporting the second member and .adjustable in the column in the axial movement of said members to and from each other, a central housing carried by the second member and provided adjacent said column with a peripherally positioned guide pivotally mounted for rotation, an anchorage carried by the column at a point substantially tangential to the said guide, an anchorage carried by the first member at a point radially remote from the column, an axially extending housing comprising telescopically related parts connected with the respective members adjacent said last mentioned anchorage, a second rotatably mounted guide connected with the second member in line with said telescopically related parts, and a tension element connected with the respective anchorages and passing about the respective guides and enclosed in the respective housing.

8. The combination with rst and second mem-- bers and means mounting said members for relative axial movement to and from each other, of a tension element spaced to one side of the said mounting means upon which said members are adjustable, said element including two flights extending in a general axial direction at radially remote points and a connecting ight, said tension element being anchored at both of its ends to one of said members, the other of said members having guides rotatable upon fixed centers intervening between said flights and over which said element passes between said anchorages.

9. In a device for the stabilizing of a pair of adjustable axially connected members, a tension element anchored at its ends to one of said members and passing about guide means ailixed to the other of said members, said anchorages and guide means being disposed substantially in a plane which includes and extends radially from the axis connecting the said members, which axis would act as a pivot point for any tilting of the one member relative to the other.

10. In a device for the stabilizing of a pair of adjustable members connected for axial adjustment, a tension element. anchored at its ends to one of said members and passing about guide means aixed to the other of said members, said tension element having two flights extending in general axial direction and a connecting flight inclined respecting said direction, the said guides intervening between the said flights, and said flights passing about said guides in opposite directions of clockwise and counterclockwise movement in the course of such adjustment.

ll. In a device for the stabilizing of a pair of relatively movable members, means adjustably connecting the said members, a tension element anchored at its ends to one of said members, and a pair of tension element guides affixed to the other of said members, said tension element being so passed about the guides that it is comprised of two flights, whose axis is in the general direction of the relative movement of said members and av flight connecting the two opposite ends of said other two flights, whereby as the members are adjusted, the length of one flight is automatically increased or decreased in the adjustment of said members in an amount equal to the relative movement of said members and also equalling the decrease or increase respectively in the length of the other flight.

l2. The combination with a base and a member to be supported therefrom, of a centrally distively xed anchorages connected respectively with the column and base, corresponding pairs of guides fixed with reference to said member at spacings such as to present surfaces in substantial alignment with the corresponding anchorages, and a set of flexible tension elements each having its ends connected with the anchorages of a given set and extending below one of said guide means and overy another to provide two substantially parallel flights of inversely variable length and an intervening ilight of fixed length, the several intervening flights being disposed substantially radially with respect to the standard.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with a telescopically adjustable base and standard, of a tank mounted on a standard, a hood connected with the standard and extending downwardly beneath the tank, a plurality of anchorages peripherally spaced on the base beneath the hood, guides carried by the hood in operative proximity to each oi said anchorages,

guides connected withthe tank at points radially remote from the first mentioned guides and thereabove, inclined housing elements bracing the tank adjacent said second guides from the portions of the hood adjacent the rst guides, a tension element connected with each anchorage and passing about the adjacent rst guide and thence through the housing element and about the second guide, and a second anchorage connected with the base to which each such tension element is attached, the disposition of said anchorages and guides being such that each tension element will have two inversely variable flights substantially parallel to each other and to said standard and one intervening flight angularly inclined and of fixed length.

14. The combination with a base, a support extending upwardly therefrom and a supply tank provided with filler heads and mounted on said support in normal balance thereon when unloaded, of receptacle `supports beneath the respective ller heads for holding receptacles thereto for lling, means for adjusting said tank vertically upon said first mentioned support, and stabilizing means for accommodating such adjustment while resisting the tilting of said tank with respect to said base, said stabilizing means comprising flights connecting said base and tank at points fixed respectively with. reference to said base and tank and of varying remoteness from said rst mentioned support in a direction in which said tank is ,subject to unbalancing pressure, and a connecting element for simultaneously adjusting said ilights while maintaining the variations in the length of said flights identical with each other.

15. The combination with a telescopically eX- tensible support comprising a turntable provided with peripherally disposed carriers for receptacles, of a supply tank mounted in normal balance on said support and provided with peripherally disposed ller heads located above the respective carriers, and means for accommodating the telee scopic movement of said tank on said support while preventing it from tilting with respect to said turntable, said means comprising a plurality of centrally positioned anchorages connected with said turntable, a plurality of remotely positioned anchorages connected with said turntable, a corresponding number of guide means connected with said tank and respectively centrally and remotely located, and tensile elements connected with the central anchorages, thence passing about the respective centrally located guide means, thence about the respective remotely located guide means, and thence extending to the respective remotely located anchorages.

16. The combination with a turntable member and a tank member and a telescopcally adjustable support centrally connecting said members, of means upon which said members and support are unitarily rotatable, means for the actuation of said support for varying the spacing between said tank and turntable members, receptacle carriers disposed adjacent the periphery of the turntable member, filler heads correspondingly positioned in the tank member above said carriers, and brace means disposed in substantially radial planes between said members, each said brace means comprising anchorages respectively located close to and remote from said support and connected to' the same member, and guide means correspondingly located close to and remote from said support respectively and both connected to the other of said members, and a tensile element connected at its ends to the respective anchorages and passing about the respective guide means whereby to provide flights of variable lengths between each anchorage and one of said guide means, the combined llength of said flights being constant.

ADOLPH J. LIPPOLD.