US3093429A - Torsion bar support for sliding rack - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1963 c. c. CHRISTEN ETAL 3,093,429

TORSION BAR SUPPORT FOR SLIDING RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1962 6 m w M A M; m B A a m m m z 3 -9 5 m N m mg m m n E H F :r: n 2 L a. :llllh F S R h mm N 1.wm ma M m a m m ATTORNEYS June 11, 1963 c. c. CHRISTEN ETAL 3,

TORSION BAR SUPPORT FOR SLIDING RACK Filed Jan. 1'7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 6. Cari/s C/V/S/l] Mitchel J Ma/owch, dn

ATTORNEYS United States TORSION BAR SUPPORT FOR SLIDING RACK Charles Curtis Christen, Santa Clara, and Mitchel J.

Matovich, Jr., Sunnyvale, Calif., assignors, by mesue assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Jan. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 166,971 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-331) This invention relates to an electronic console and more particularly to new and improved means for increasing the stability of drawout racks or units constituting the various functional elements of large scale electronic complexes.

More specifically, the invention is constructed and arranged not only to counteract the difficulty encountered in a vibrational environment but to provide a stimulus for maintaining withdrawn equipment in the desired relationship with the containing console.

One of the difliculties heretofore encountered in drawout racks or withdrawal equipment has been due to weight of such equipment which, when extended, altered the center of gravity of the complete equipment to such an extent that the tendency to upset the complete equipment is increased. Moreover, prior systems such as double acting slides and the like have failed to eliminate this difliculty and also the accompanying tendency of the weight of the rack to cause it to sag, thus bending the supportive slides upon which the rack is mounted.

The present invention is particularly adapted to overcome the aforesaid difficulties such, for example, as sag so commonly found in prior art devices and in addition thereto, effectively eliminate undue play (mechanical shock) when the structure is placed in a vibrational environment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for improving the stability of drawout racks used in electronic consoles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved device utilizing a torsion and rack bar arrangement not only to counteract the difficulty encountered in a vibrational environment but to also provide a stimulus for maintaining the withdrawn rack in the desired relationship with the containing console.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means for supporting and guiding racks or drawers of such characteristic that even though the racks or drawers are heavily loaded they will move easily and without any possibility of wedging or jamming during withdrawal thereof and/or sagging thereof when in an extended condition.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the follow ing detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a conventional electronic console or cabinet in which the present invention is particularly adapted for use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the drawout rack extended;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the torsion bar and rack bar; and

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of the console with the rack or drawer in an extended condition to illustrate the characteristics of the torsion bar arrangement.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawings, 10 designates a conventional electronic console or cab- 3,0i3,429 Patented June 11, 1963 inet having a plurality of racks 11 or drawers which may be supported by conventional double acting roller assemblies 12 and containing electronic books constituting the various functional elements of large electronic complexes. Since the aforesaid structure is convention, further de' tailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In accordance with the present invention the console 10 is provided with a pair of longitudinally disposed rack bars 13, 13A toothed, as at 14 and disposed within a rack receiving cavity or recess 15 formed in the console. The rack bars 13 and 13A are disposed in mutual spaced relationship within the cavity 15 and are secured to supports 16 and 16A carried by the console in any conventional manner such, for example, as screws or the like 17.

As more clearly shown on FIG. 2 a vertically disposed torsion bar or shaft 18 is rotatably mounted on the rack 11 at the rear thereof, as by bearings 19 carried by the rack. The bar 18 is provided, at the terminal ends thereof with gears 21 and 21A fixed thereto in any suitable manner such, for example, as by a pin or the like 22, the gears 21 and 21A being in meshing engagement with toothed potrion 14 of racks 13 and 13A. It will be noted in FIGS. 2 and 3 that gear 21 meshes with rack bar 13 and gear 21A with rack bar 13A. By the aforesaid arrangement sagging of the rack 11 is prevented, as the rack is withdrawn from the console.

The console 10 is further provided with a pair of rack bars 23, toothed, as at 24 and disposed within the recess 15 in the console. The bars 23 are disposed in mutual spaced relationship and secured to lowermost support 16A in any conventional manner such, for example, as by screws or the like 26.

A transversely disposed bar or shaft 27 is rotatably mounted on rack 11 on the underside thereof, as by bearings 28 carried by the rack. The shaft 27 is provided at each end thereof with a gear 29 fixed thereto in any suitable manner such, for example, as by a pin or the like 22, the gears 29 being in meshing engagement with the toothed portion 24 of racks 23.

Referring again to torsion bar 18, the important feature and particular characteristics thereof resides in the fact that the bar or shaft is pretwisted or pretensioned in a direction, as indicated by the arrow A, FIG. 5. The pretensioning of the bar may be accomplished in any manner suitable for the purpose such, for example, as by rotating bar 18 Within and with respect to gears 21, 21A and thereafter pinning or permanently securing the gears thereto.

By the aforesaid torsion shaft and rack bar arrangement, it will be apparent that as the rack 11 is withdrawn from the recess 15 within the console 10, gears 21 and 21A and torsion bar or shaft 18 rotate in a manner similar to any conventional wheel and axle assembly. However, the important distinction over the torsion bar assembly of the present invention and the conventional wheel and axle assembly is that the pretensioning of the bar 18 results in a definite and pronounced disposition of the bar to unwind, as indicated by the dashed arrow B, FIG. 5, which tendency acts to force the lower portion of the rack 1. 1 outwardly and upwardly, as indicated by the arrow C, FI G. 6. It will also be understood that the upper portion of rack 11 will tend to be forced upwardly and back into the recess 15 in the console such, for example, as in the direction indicated by the arrow D, FIG. 6. The aforesaid pretensioning of the bar 18 prevents sag of the rack so commonly found in present withdrawal equipment and additionally quite effectively eliminates undue play (me chanical shock) when the aforesaid structure is placed in a vibrational environment. It will be further understood the bar or shaft 27 carrying gears 29 is not usually pretensioned and merely acts as a non-differential axle assembly to steady any endwise motion of the rack, as indicated by the arrow B, FIG. 6.

While the invention has been shown and described with only one torsion rack assembly, it is to be understood that two or more of these assemblies may be used, if desired, and positioned in close association with both sides of the rack bars 13 and 13A.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that new and improved means have been provided for stabilizing drawout racks of an electronic console by the utilization of a torsion bar and rack bar arrangement thereby to counteract the difliculty encountered in a vibrational environment but to also provide a stimulus for maintaining withdrawn equipment in the desired relationship with the containing console.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a cabinet having a rack slidably disposed therein, toothed means disposed within and fixed to said cabinet, a torsion bar rotatably mounted on said rack and having complementary means fixed thereto in engagement with and movable along said toothed means as the torsion bar is rotated according to the movement of the rack.

2. The combinaton of a cabinet having a rack slidably disposed therein, toothed means disposed within and fixed to the cabinet, a torsion bar rotatably mounted on the rack, gear means fixed to said torsion bar in engagement with and movable along said toothed means as the torsion bar is rotated according to the movement of the rack, lsaid torsion bar being so preloaded so as to prevent vertical displacement of the rack as the rack is moved in either direction.

3. The combination of an electronic console, a rack slidably disposed within said console and carrying a plurality of electronic units, a torsion bar spring rotatably mounted on said rack, a pair of rack bars fixed to and disposed Within said cabinet, a gear secured to each terminal end of said torsion bar spring in engagement with one of each of said pair of rack bars, said torsion bar spring and rack bars preventing sag of the rack upon withdrawal thereof from the console and undue motion thereof when subjected to vibrations.

4. The combination of a supporting rack and means for preventing undue sag of the rack as the rack is withdrawn from a cabinet, said means comprising a torsion bar rotatably mounted on the rack, a gear fixed to and disposed at the terminal ends of the torsion bar and cooperating with one of each of a pair of rack bars carried by and disposed within the cabinet.

5. The combination of a cabinet having a rack receiving recess therein, a rack member slidably disposed within said recess, a torsion bar spring centrally disposed and rotatably mounted on the rack member, a pair of mutually spaced toothed bars carried by the cabinet and centrally disposed within said recess, a gear secured to each of the terminal ends of said torsion bar in engagement with one of each of said pair of rack bars and operated by the torsion bar in accordance with the movement of the rack member into and out of the recess.

6. The combination of a cabinet having a drawer slidably mounted therein, a plurality of rotatably mounted bars carried by said drawer, a plurality of toothed racks carried by said cabinet, a plurality of gears on said bars and cooperating with said toothed racks, and roller and guide means on the cabinet and drawer to facilitate easy movement of the drawer in either of two directions, at least one of said bars being so preloaded as to absorb the tendency of the drawer to change its position in a vertical direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,214,291 Wyckoif Sept. 10, 1940

Claims (1)

1. THE COMBINATION OF A CABINET HAVING A RACK SLIDABLY DISPOSED THEREIN, TOOTHED MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN AND FIXED TO SAID CABINET, A TORSION BAR ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID RACK AND HAVING COMPLEMENTARY MEANS FIXED THERETO IN ENGAGEMENT WITH AND MOVABLE ALONG SAID TOOTHED MEANS AS THE TORSION BAR IS ROTATED ACCORDING TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE RACK.

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