BALL BEARING

SIEGE DE ROTULE

English Abstract

The invention relates to movable bearing devices which can be used for
transport and mechanical engineering and for furniture production etc. The
scope of the inventive ball bearing is substantially extended by using a unit
for fixing and adjusting said bearing with respect to a floor with the aid of
an annular plug which is displaceable with respect to a body. Different
methods for connecting and fixing said plug to the body, namely threaded joint
and in the form of a pneumatic cylinder and the use of a bearing rotatable
thrust having spherical surface contacting with the plug make it possible to
carry out various efficient variants of the embodiment of said ball bearing
and the operation thereof.

French Abstract

L'invention concerne des dispositifs mobiles à siège d'appui, qui peuvent s'utiliser dans le domaine des transports, du génie mécanique, de la fabrication de meubles, etc. La fixation et le réglage du siège de rotule par rapport au plancher au moyen du déplacement du bouchon annulaire vis-à-vis du corps permet d'élargir sensiblement le domaine de son utilisation. Les différents procédés de raccordement et de fixation du bouchon avec le corps (à filetage ou sous forme de vérin pneumatique, au moyen d'un palier de butée pivotant à surface de contact sphérique, muni d'un bouchon) permettent de mettre en oeuvre de différentes solutions efficaces de fabrication et d'utilisation du siège de rotule.

Claims

7
CLAIMS
1. A spherical support which includes a case with a ring plug
having internal surface forming a part of a single spherical cavity where a
support sphere is mounted which differs by a feature that the ring plug is
adjustably movable in parallel to a case axis with length of travel
exceeding the radius of the support sphere.
2. A spherical support under item 1 which differs by a feature
that such spherical support is provided with a movement lock for a ring
plug.
3. A spherical support under one of items 1 or 2 which differs by
a feature that a ring plug is connected to a case with threaded joint.
4. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2 or 3 which differs
by a feature that the lock of a ring plug is made as a stopper mounted in a
through threaded hole in the ring plug.
5. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2 or 3 which differs
by a feature that the lock of a ring plug is made as a stopper mounted in a
through hole in the ring plug, having ability to press permanently toward
the case.
6. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 which
differs by the feature that hollows are made at case surface which
interrelates with the lock.
7. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2, 3, 5 or 6 which
differs by the feature that the lock of a ring plug is made as a ratchet
gear.

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8. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 or 7 which
differs by the feature that the ratchet gear of the lock of a ring plug is
reversible.
9. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8
which differs by the feature that the ring plug has a ring axial bearing
rotatable relative to the ring plug, with a rotation axis of the ring axial
bearing coinciding with an axis of the ring plug.
10. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or
8 which differs by the feature that a support axial bearing contacts with a
ring plug along spherical surface, with a centre of spherical surface laying
on an axis of the ring plug.
11. A spherical support under one of items 1, 3, 9 or 10 which
differs by the feature that a case and a ring plug are connected through a
pneumatic actuator.
12. A spherical support under one of items 1, 10 or 11 which
differs by the feature that where a case and a ring plug are connected
through a pneumatic actuator with a restoring spring.
13. A spherical support under one of items 1, 11 or 12 which
differs by the feature that a side of a ring plug opposite to support surface
is made as a closed cavity being a case of a pneumatic actuator, where
the case acts as a piston.
14. A spherical support under one of items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 11, 12 or 13 which differs by the feature that a support surface of the
ring plug is made from a springy material.

Description

CA 02503366 2005-04-21
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BALL BEARING
The invention relates to movable support devices, in particular, to
spherical supports usable as support elements of machines and tools.
One of promising fields to use the spherical support being applied is
furniture production.
A spherical support is already known which includes a case with a
ring plug having internal surface forming a part of a single spherical
cavity where a support sphere is mounted (Application No. 2000095497
of 25.09.2000 on which issue of the patent was approved). However, this
known construction has an essential lack, as it has no means to fix a
support on surface with which the said support contacts. This, in its turn,
results in undesirable shift of the support to this or that direction causing
failure to fix or inaccurate fixation of the whole object where the known
support sphere is used.
The invention bases itself on a task to secure fixation of the
spherical support on contacting surface (for example, floor) at a given
point through design change and addition of new elements and change
of their interaction.
To this end, the spherical support which includes a case with a ring
plug having internal surface forming a part of a single spherical cavity
where a support sphere is mounted was supplied with a new version of
the ring plug which can move in parallel to a case axis with length of
travel exceeding a radius of the support sphere.

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Z
At the same time, the ring plug features a movement lock and is
connected to the case with a threaded joint. In one of versions of the
invention, the lock of the ring plug can be made as a stopper mounted in
a through hole in the ring plug.
Another version: the lock of the ring plug is made as a stopper
mounted in a through hole in the ring plug having ability to press
permanently toward the case, and hollows are made at case surface
which interacts with the lack.
In the next design version of the invention, the lock is made as a
reversable ratchet gear.
Yet another version of the invention provides that the ring plug has
a ring axial bearing rotatable relative to the ring plug, with a rotation axis
of the ring axial bearing coinciding with an axis of the ring plug. Here,
contact of the support axial bearing with the ring plug can be made along
the spherical surface, with a centre of the spherical surface laying on an
axis of the ring plug.
There exists a version where the case is connected to the ring plug
through a pneumatic actuator. Use of a restoring spring is possible.
in another version, a side of the ring plug opposite to support
surface is made as a closed cavity being a case of a pneumatic actuator
and, in such case, the case acts as a piston. Yet another version is
possible where the case is connected to the ring plug through a
pneumatic actuator with a restoring spring.

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Additionally, the support surface of the ring plug can be made from
a springy material.
A technological result of the invention is in securing the fixation of
the spherical support relative to surface with which the spherical support
interacts.
The cause-and-effect relation between such technological result
and a combination of the invention attributes consists in movability of the
ring plug relative to the case of the spherical support, where length of
travel in such movement can exceed a radius of the support sphere. In
order to fix the spherical support an the support surface, the ring plug
moves downwards in such way that the contact between the support
sphere and the surface weakens. In such case, the spherical support
turns to an ordinary immovable support.
The signs of the invention which describe various design versions
of the ring plug etc., do not limit the scope of the invention, but define
mainly elementary and most reliable designs.
The drawings explain an essence of the invention.
Fig. ~ shows assembled representation of the spherical support.
Designations: 1 - case, 2 - ring plug, 3 - spherical surface, 4 - lock, 5 -
axia! bearing, 6 - spherical surface between the plug and the axial
bearing.
Fig. 2 represents A-A section, where hollows are made at case
surface which interacts with the lock having the form of a ratchet gear.
Designations: 1 - case, 2 - ring plug, 7 - ratchet, 8 - hollows, 9 - spring
for
pressing a lock (ratchet).
Fig. 3 represents a version where the case is connected to the ring
plug through a pneumatic actuator with a restoring spring.

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Designations: 1 - case, 2 - ring plug, 10 - restoring spring.
Fig. 4 shows a version where the ring plug serves as a case of the
pneumatic actuator with a restoring spring. Designations: 1 - case, 2 -
ring plug, 9 - restoring spring.
The spherical support shown at fig. 1 operates in the following way.
If fixation of the support is needed, ring plug 2 by means of the threaded
joint moves smoothly in parallel to axis of case 1 until contact with the
surface with which the spherical support interacts. Upon this, the ring
plug 2 is fixed relative to case 1 by lock 4 preventing further movement.
Optionally, lock 4 is made as a stopper mounted in a through hole
in ring plug 2, or having ability to press permanently toward case 1, for
example, using spring 9.
For more reliable fixation of ring plug 2 on surface of case 1,
hollows 8 are made which interacts with lock 7.
For better convenience in use, the Pock can be made in the form of
ratchet 7 which interacts with hollows 8 under the action of spring 9 that
is shown on fig.2. The ratchet gear can be reversable for work
backward.
As ring plug 2 in moving along the axis of case 1 by means of
threaded joint rotates around the same axis, then, when the support
surface (floor) contacts with a ring plug 2, friction torque appears which
resists to rotation of ring plug 2 relative to case 1. The same friction
torque considerably increases in case of attempt to rotate additionally

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ring plug 2 upon its support surface contact with the floor, e.g. to adjust
height of the support after its fixation. In order to prevent such situation,
another version is possible with ring plug 2 having ring axial bearing 5
made rotatable relative to the ring plug 2, a rotation axis of the ring
bearing 5 coinciding with an axis of the ring plug 2.
In case that a surface interacting with the spherical support is not
perpendicular to the axis of a spherical support, there exists another
version where support axial bearing 5 contacts with a ring plug 2 along
spherical surface 6, with a centre of spherical surface 6 laying on the axis
of ring plug ~. So, when support axial bearing 5 contacts with the support
surface, that support axial bearing 5 fix itself along spherical surface 6
relative to ring plug 2 and the support surface. Such design maintains the
above function which decreases friction of the support surface of ring
plug 2 relative to the floor due to its rotatability relative to ring plug 2.
In order to increase speed and enable automatic fixation, one more
version of the support was designed (fig. 3), where case 1 and ring plug
2 in the spherical supports are connected through a pneumatic actuator.
In that case, the use of restoring spring 10 expands operability and
allows to save compressed air.
In case of need for high axial loads when lifting objects
unachievable through measurement of the piston limited by dimensions
of the support and actually used pressure (0,5 to 1,0 atm.), a pneumatic
actuator with running thread is used that provides significant

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axial thrust due to the thread, with a low torque.
if ring plug 2 is made as a closed cavity (fig. 4) becoming the case
of a pneumatic actuator, then, when compressed air is supplied to that
cavity, case 1 which acts as a piston moves to the support sphere
actuating the spherical support. In order to fix the spherical support, air
pressure is removed, and the force of restoring spring 10 which coincides
with the force of loading moves case 1 away, and the support sphere
which loses support on the spherical surface of case 1 also moves away
until the support surface of ring plug 2 contacts with a floor.
Finally, the support surface of the ring plug can be made from a
springy material increasing traction with the floor due to increasing
contact plane, in particular, when the surface interacting with the
spherical support is imperfect.

Representative Drawing