US2581123A

US2581123A - Gear casing

Info

Publication number: US2581123A
Application number: US716116A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernard J Merkle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-12-13
Filing date: 1946-12-13
Publication date: 1952-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1969-01-01

Description

Jan. 1, 1952 GEAR CASING Filed Dec. 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l v ,/r ,YY i Il l y I 1 u c E56" B. J. MERKLE 2,581,123

' 4 sheetssheet 2 B. J. MERKLE GEAR CASING Jan. 1, 1952 Filed Dec. l5, 1946 B. J. MERKLE Jan. l, E952 GEAR CASING 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 13, 1946 B. J. MERKLE GEAR CASING Jan. 1, i952 4 sheets-sheet 4 Filed Dec. l5, 1946 Patented Jan. l, 1952 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,581,123 l GEAR CASING Bernard J. Merkle,'-Chicago, Ill. Application December 13, 1946, Serial No. 716,116

(Cl. T4- 606) 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to a rotating mechanism for displays, platforms, singers, and the like, but is more particularly described as a beacon or antenna rotator by which a radio antenna is set and changed in various positions by rotating it as desired in one direction or in either direction.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved reduction drive for positively rotating a movable support in either direction and holding it rmly in any set position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved and compact structure for an antenna rotator in which a suitable chamber is provided in the base for containing lubricant.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved weather and dirt seal for an upright rotating stand support which is normally exposed to the weather and to other insulations in which it is subject to dirt, grit, and other foreign material.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an antenna rotator in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the rotator shown in Fig. 1 with the addition of a remote indicating mechanism; f

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the driving mechanism; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view showing an antenna rotator in'accordance with this invention as applied to a building structure and mechanically operated from a position within the lower portion of the building; Fig. 6 is a detail of the house operating mechanism; and Fig. '7 is a sectional detail of the driving mechanism.

In an antenna rotating and positioning device, a comparatively heavy coil or coils are mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane which requires a comparatively heavy or stable supporting mechanism. As the antenna is rotated to any desired angular position, it is desirable to hold it firmly in any particular selected position, and also for picking up different stations, it is preferable that the antenna may be operated positively in either direction in order to bring it more quickly to register with the station or reception desired.

The present invention provides a rotatable mechanism which may be motor driven in either irectionfor supporting and rotating display stands, and also for rotating a stage forV actors,

singers, and the like. It is particularly desirable for positioning aeroplane antennae and as an aeroplane beacon since the main supporting post is hollow providing an unobstructed passage through the mechanism itself to a suitable source of current supply or for suitable electrical connections.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a supporting base I0 has a central opening with an upwardly extending hub II surrounded by an outward upwardly extending outer wall I2. A t the bottom of the base are outwardly extending feet I 3 having outer perforations I4 by means of which it may be attached to a suitable support.

A hollow shaft I5 is mounted in upright positiorr within the base and is suitably supported at its lower end by means of av shoulder I6 which bears upon a ball bearing I "I, the lower end of the bearing being supported upon a shoulder I8 within the base. This end of the shaft and base are also suitably sealed by means of a seal I9 surrounding the lower end of the shaft and held in place within the'base by a lower shoulder 20 at the bottom of the central opening of the base. Surrounding the shaft and preferably just above the ball bearing I1, is a roller bearing comprising a plurality of rollers 2I disposed between the inner hub II and the adjacent surface of the shaft, the rollers being supported at their lower ends by a shoulder 22 at the base of the hub portion.

With this construction, the shaft is firmly seated at the bottom of the base and it is supported in upright position for both the end thrust and rotative movement.

At the top of the base is a cover 23 with an inner ange 24 adapting it to seat at the inside of the wall I2 with fastening bolts 25 extending through the edge of the cover and into the upper edge of the wall I2. At the central portion of the cover is anopening which lits loosely around the shaft with an upwardly extending hub portion 26. In the upper edge of this hub portion is a circular ring seat 27 forming an oil groove in which a pad 28 of `fibrous material is located, the uppery end of the pad or portions 29 thereof being inclined downwardly against the shaft for lubricating it. Within the hub portion 26 and supported by a shoulder 30 at the bottom thereof are upper bearing rollers 3| which are also lubricated by the lubricating portions 29.

Overlying and protecting the upper bearing hub and the shaft oiling means is a cap 32 which has an outer downwardly extending flange 33 for covering and partially enclosing the hub portion 26.

This cap 32 may be frictionally attached to the shaft by an interposed gasket 34 of rubber or rubber-like material which holds the cap tightly in place and also prevents water or other materials from coming in contact with the bearing rollers 3l.

With this construction, the shaft i5 is firmly supported in upright position by space bearings at the top and bottom of the base, thus providing a close coupled stable support.

At the upper end of the hollow shaft i5 is an antenna or platform support 35 comprising a central hub 36 keyed or otherwise secured to the end of the shaft and having radiating arms 3l to which parallel supports 38 of an antenna or other supported means are secured.

Mounted on the shaft isbetween the 'upper'` and lower bearings is a worm gear 4B having-a hub 4i keyed to the shaft and with afrelatively downwardly and outwardly rounded connecting portion 42 between the hub and the gear. The gear is of larger diameter than the inner hub ll of the base and the rounded portion '42 extends downwardly and outwardly over the top of the hub Il in close proximity thereto.

Thus the shaft is located below the top of the hub Il so that a comparatively small amount of lubrication may be placed within the base surrounding the hub into which the shaft 44 and the lower edge of the gear 40 will dip causing an eiiicient lubrication of the driving connection at all times and carrying sufficient lubrication upward for the bearings 2i and il.

At one side of the base, the outer wall l2 is formed with an outward extension 43 for seat ing a transverse worm shaft 114 at the periphery of the gear 4B and in meshing contact therewith. At the end of the shaft 44 are suitable bearings held in place by a flange member 49 extending into a suitable recess in the base i2 surrounding the shaft and the flange thereof projecting outwardly therefrom, and held in place by screws 52 inserted into the adjacent wall of the base. At the end of this shaft is a driving notch 53 by which the shaft may be turned.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 1 4and 4, a driving motor 54 may be attached at each end of the shaft by means of a key 55 inserted into the notch 53 and each motor may be'secured to one of the flanges 49 by means of an enclosing casing 56. The casing has an outwardly extending flange 5'! through which fastening screws 58 are inserted into the outer side of the flange. Instead of housing motors at the outer ends of the shaft 44, a

single driving motor may ,be mounted upon a support at the outside of the wall extension d3 as shown more clearly in l by providing outwardly flattened extensions '5G having threaded perforations 6l at the ends thereof for attaching a motor base thereto. These projections also provide a support at the top for an insulating contact terminal 62 having contact terminals 63 for providing separate connections to the opposite driving motors 54.

At the opposite side of the base, it may also be provided with extensions S4 which provide aligned outer iiat surfaces S5 to which a driving vmotor may be attached. The driving motors mounted upon these flattened portions 6a or 65 may be connected to theshaft 44 by a train of gears (not shown) in any wellknown manner.

Instead of having a driving motor 54 connected to each end of the shaft, the shaft maybe turned continuously in one direction by onefmotoruntil .the 'antenna is lin the properV location; Lor the shaft may be driven by a motor in one direction and returned by a suitable spring in the other direction; or it may be turned in one direction by a motor and rotated in the other direction by means of a cable extending around the shaft and either actuated manually or by means of a weight. The provision of a motor at each end is more satisfactory since the vertical shaft l5 may be rotated in either direction by one of the two motors, each operating always in the same direction. When one is operated, the rotor of the other motor is rotated oppositely without drag or opposition. In order to register the relative position of the shaft i5, usually at some remote point. a mechanical connection may be made with the shaft l5, but usually this is not convenient. As seen in Fig. 2, an electrical recording means maybe provided which comprises an electrical resistance coil 66 attached to the under side of the cover and insulated therefrom by any suitable insulation 51 having a conductor t8 leading therefrom to a battery B9. Engaging the edge of the coil is an insulated contact 'lil carried by an arm 1i secured to the shaft i5 and rotatable therewith, the contact being connected by a conductor 'l2 with one terminal 13 of an electrical meter device 14 having another contact 15 connected by a conductor 'i6 with the other side of the battery 69. The operation of this metering device is such that as the shaft I5 is turned, the resistance of the coil e5 is so varied in the device 14, that an indicator hand l1 is moved over the face of the device with respect to a complete circular graduation corresponding to 360.

With this arrangement, the rotation of the shaft i5 in either direction is effected by energizing one or the other of the motors 54 and as the shaft is rotated to any particular position, the indicating device i4 will show the changed position of the shaft and of the antenna carried thereby, corresponding to the action of the motor. If it is desired to set the antenna at any particular angle, this may be accomplished by watching the device 'I4 and energizing either one or the other of the motors to bring the shaft l5 to the desired position.

Although this rotatable support is particularly adapted for a rotatable antenna, it may also be used for various types of rotating stands or supports. It may be connected for continuous movement in one vdirection and for movement in opposite directions depending upon the number of motors and the way they are connected.

Instead of the indicator 14, a plurality of lights located at intervals around a circle may be lighted by corresponding connected contacts substituted for the resistance 6E to show the position of the antenna.

Instead of rotating the antenna by means of a motor or motors located at the ends of the worm shaft 44 and having a remote electrical indicator for showing the angular position of the antenna support at all times, a mechanical construction may be employed extending down wardly through a building or connectable at the outside of a building as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. A building structure is represented having upper and lower stories, a roof and a `tower 8l upon which the antennae rotator of this invention may be mounted. It is desirable to change the angular movement of the antennae about ya vertical axis from any point such as the lower floor of the building, rand for this purpose. a drive shaft portion 82 having 'connected flexible shaft `portions 83 tov extend aroundsome of the angular corners of the house is mounted in brackets 84 secured to the house and tower structures, the upper end terminating adjacent the worm drive shaft 44 and the lower end being located near a convenient place for operating the antenna rotator. At the upper end of this driving shaft means is an angular shaft connector 85 which may be of the bevel gear type connecting the shafting through an attachment plate 86 to the end of the worm gear shaft 44.

At the bottom of the shafting is a similar angular shaft connector 81 with a shaft section 38 extending therefrom through the wall of the building and having an operating crank 89 at the inside thereof.

In order to show the angular position ,of the antenna, a worm pinion 90 may be mounted upon the shaft 88 near the crank having the same gear pitch as that of the driving worm shaft 44 of the antennaso that by mounting a worm gear 9i in engagement with the pinion 99, it will have the same rotation as the worm gear 40 and the connected shaft I5 of the antenna rotator. A pointer 92 may then be attached to the shaft of the worm gear 9! which is rotatable over a dial 93 thus indicating the position of the antenna, or any other support which is carried and moved by the rotator.

With this construction, the rotator may be positively operated in either direction entirely by mechanical means, the position of the remote rotator being indicated also by mechanical means adjacent the place of operation. Any combination of the electrical driving motors, the electrical indicating means, and the mechanical driving and indicating means may also be employed depending upon the arrangement preferred by the operator of the antenna.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been thus particularly described, they should be regarded by way of example and not as a limitation, as various changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a supporting base, of a vertical shaft having a support at the upper end thereof, bearing means within the base for engaging the lower end of the shaft, means within the base and engaging the shaft above said bearing, means for rotating it in opposite directions, the base comprising an outer upwardly extending Wall, a coverl for theY base surrounding the shaft and engaging the upper end of the wall, the cover having an upwardly extending hub portion with a ring-shaped recess fili) extending downwardly from the upper edge of the hub, roller spindle bearings within the hub and surrounding the shaft, the lower end of the hub portion having an inward shoulder to support the spindle bearings and lubricating means located in said recess and including lubricating pad portions which extend from the recess in contact with the shaft for lubricating the roller spindle bearings.

2. The combination with a rotatable vertical shaft having supporting means at its upper end, of a stationary base in which the lower end of the shaft is rotatably mounted, the base having an outer wall forming an inner lubricating recess, a cover surrounding the shaft and engaging the upper end of the wall, driving means engaging the shaft between the lower mounting of the shaft and the cover, bearing means comprising a shoulder in the cover and vertical spindle bearings supported by the shoulders and engaging the shaft, lubricating means in the top of the cover including a pad engaging the shaft for lubricating the bearing spindles, and a cap secured to the shaft having a flange extending outwardly and downwardly over the said lubricating means of the cover for protecting it from the weather and the atmosphere.

BERNARD J. MERKLE.

EEFEREN CES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 335,840 Pessano Feb. 9, 1886 397,716 Hart Feb. l2, 1889 1,051,619 Mustin Jan. 28, 1913 1,124,116 Edwards Jan. 5, 1915 1,351,485 Moon Aug. 31, 1920 1,410,285 Dillon Mar. 21, 1922 1,910,028 McElroy et al May 23,v 1933 1,975,008 Kingsbury Sept. 25, 1934 1,992,818 Else Feb. 26, 1935 2,027,613 Pierce, Jr. Jan. 14, 1936 2,038,731 Gunderson Apr. 28, 1936 2,114,982 Jackson Apr. 19, 1938 2,284,446 Powers May 26, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 243,041 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1925 31,593 France Dec. 2.9, 1926 OTHER REFERENCES Potter, C. Q. The Radio Amateurs Journal, December 1945, pages '7-12.