Spring devices – Coil – Including end thrust member
Patent
1988-02-01
1989-11-28
Kashnikow, Andres
Spring devices
Coil
Including end thrust member
267 75, 267176, 272 68, 272138, F16P 308, F10J 1324
Patent
active
048832626
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a device containing a force-imparting means and equipped with safety means.
The object of the invention is to afford protection against uncontrolled release of forces on dismantling the device.
According to the invention there is provided a device comprising a housing including a removable end plate, means for imparting a force and captive within the housing between the end plate and movable retaining means biased by the force imparting means, a plurality of screw-threaded tie rods and nuts holding the end plate in assembly in the housing, and safety means comprising a safety plate within the housing at a fixed spacing from the end plate but short of the retaining means at the closest approach of the retaining means to the end plate, the safety plate being fast on a shaft rotatable in the end plate and adapted to be turned from outside the housing, the safety plate having keyhole-shaped openings through which the respective tie rods extend and the tie rods each having a safety collar which in one angular position of the safety plate can pass through the respective keyhole-shaped opening but in another angular position of the safety plate cannot pass through the keyhole-shaped opening.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a typical spring-containing device, the upper half of the figure showing an arrangement wherein there is no provision for the spring to "bottom-out" on dismantling the device and the lower half of the figure showing an arrangement wherein there is provision for the spring to "bottom-out" on dismantling the device;
FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 except that the device is equipped with safety means;
FIG. 3 is an end view from the right hand side of the device in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a somewhat enlarged view of a part of the safety means in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 1 a typical spring-containing device comprises a housing which in turn comprises a cylindrical casing 1 to one end of which an end plate 2 is welded. A ring 3 is welded to the other end of the casing 1 and the ring 3 seats on a plate 4 secured to a main unit generally indicated by reference numeral 5. Enlarged heads 6 of the tie rods 7 are captive within recesses in the plate 4 and the tie rods extend through openings in a movable spring-retaining plate 8 and the end plate 2. The tie rods 7 terminate in screw-threaded portions 9 receiving nuts 10. A force-imparting means in the form of a compression spring 11 is captive within the housing between the end plate 2 and the plate 8 which is movable between positions A and B. A movable rod 12 of the main unit 5 is biased by the spring 11 via the plate 8.
In the case of the top part of FIG. 1 it will be seen that when the nuts 10 are removed any force remaining in the spring 11 is free to be released since the spring 11 does not "bottom-out" on the ring 3. In the case of the bottom part of FIG. 1, however, it will be seen that when the nuts 10 are removed the spring 11 "bottoms-out" on the lip 13 of the ring 3 so that any spring forces are held captive. However, there is still the risk of an uncontrolled release of spring force particularly if the nuts 10 are removed when the plate 8 is in any position other than position A because of a force applied by the rod 12.
FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 except that the device is equipped with safety means which comprise a safety plate 14 within the housing at a fixed spacing from the end plate 2 but short of the plate 8 in position B. The plate 14 is fast on a shaft 15 rotatable in the plate 2 and adapted to be turned from outside the housing at 16 where a rectangular end is provided. The plate 14 has keyhole-shaped openings 17 through which the respective tie rods extend. Each tie rod 7 has a safety collar 18 screwed thereon and retained by a circlip 19. Each keyhole-shaped opening 17 has a wide portion 20 and a narrow portion 21 which extends from a recess 22. The narrow portion 21 can slidably receive the
REFERENCES:
patent: 3132861 (1964-05-01), Horney
patent: 3462137 (1969-08-01), Grube
patent: 3613520 (1971-10-01), Wordon
patent: 3784195 (1974-01-01), Johnson
patent: 4291787 (1981-09-01), Brentham
patent: 4469016 (1984-09-01), Butler
Graham Matthew C.
Kashnikow Andres
Prime Actuator Control Systems Limited
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