Machine element or mechanism – Gearing – Directly cooperating gears
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-08-14
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Gearing
Directly cooperating gears
C074S60600R, C404S006000, C404S009000, C246S479000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272943
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drive mechanism for a barrier or stop or gate device of the type disclosed, e.g., in European Pat. Nos. EP 0 290 957 B1, EP 0 438 364 B1, or German Pat. Nos. DE 32 31 720 C1 or DE 83 00 704 U1.
The invention is thus based on a device of the aforedescribed type having a drive assembly with a drive motor and a step-down gear having at least one stage. The step-down gear has an articulated connection to a pivoting crank disposed on a drive shaft which preferably pivots around a horizontal axis at bearing points on both sides. The drive shaft is provided with an attachment device for a closing element which can pivot about an angle of approximately 90 degrees or for the beam of the barrier, and with abutments for supporting compensation springs acting upon a respective spring crank.
The stationary components, the movable drive and the gear elements of the above-referenced drive mechanisms as well as other conventional drive mechanisms have a large number of individual parts. A large parts count is considered a disadvantage because of the many possible modifications and variations to be taken into consideration when the parts are procured. Moreover, assembly and adjustment of such a large number of parts is labor-extensive and costly.
A significant drawback resides in the fact that different sizes, different drive power and different designs, for example, for barriers rotating clockwise and counterclockwise, are required depending on the local conditions. This large number of possible variants requires a large inventory of individual parts, both in production and during installation, which results in high acquisition and storage costs. It is also expensive to stock spare parts and to maintain an extensive customer service with personnel familiar with the special features of the various types and variants and with the potential causes for a malfunction during installation or operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an improved drive mechanism with a significantly reduced number of individual parts and which is universally applicable with same design and structure for different drive powers and barriers of different lengths and weights as well as different barrier locations either on the left-hand or right-hand side of the drive mechanism.
This object, and others which will become apparent hereinafter, are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a one-piece and one-part drive casing having open flat securing flange strips on all sides and including a receiving flange for mounting the removable or detachable drive motor which has a motor shaft inserted into a gear case closeable by a cover and housing a step-down gear. An output crank is attached to the gear output shaft and connected in an articulate manner with the pivoting crank of the drive shaft through a swiveling arm, with the pivoting crank mounted on both sides on bearing blocks which are formed on the one-piece drive casing and with the pivoting crank protruding on one side at least in the area of the bearing points and provided with a fastening device for the stop or gate member or the barrier beam.
This configuration of the one-piece and one-part drive casing with the aforedescribed features realizes a drive mechanism as a compact unit which includes the drive motor, the encased step-down gear, a pivoting drive with an output crank, an articulated connection to the swiveling arm, and with bearings for the drive shaft for the stop or gate member or the barrier beam, respectively.
This structural unit is provided on all sides with open flat securing flange strips and can therefore be attached or anchored to sub-structures or other types of mounting devices.
Significant advantages can be realized with the one-part drive casing in conjunction with manufacture as a complete injection molded part, with mechanical machining in a clamping mechanism, and with maintaining tight dimensional tolerances and as well as with eliminating complex rechucking and adjustment tasks. The technical complexity is further reduced due to the significantly smaller number of individual parts that have to be assembled.
In an advantageous embodiment, a receiving flange is incorporated in combination with the gear case for the step-down gear for mounting the drive motor. Both assemblies can be machined using a single chuck so that precise tolerances can be maintained and the machining time can be kept to a minimum.
The receiving flange for mounting the drive motor may be formed as a cylindrical pipe socket which is oriented perpendicular to the axis of the drive shaft, with the stator housing of the drive motor inserted into the pipe socket of the receiving flange. In another modified embodiment, the pipe socket may be formed as a short pipe socket and provided with a circular centering shoulder for fittingly attaching and securing the stator housing of the drive motor by screws.
This configuration realizes in a simple manner the use of different motor types according to output, operating voltages, and motor type and its varying dynamic properties. The use of an inexpensive asynchronous motor suffices for simple barriers or gates used in parking garages with opening and closing times between 2 and 3 seconds, whereas an electronically controlled synchronous motor with a large dynamic torque can be used when faster movement times of approximately 0.5 seconds are demanded. DC motors may be used with solar powered devices.
Also incorporated in the one-part drive casing is a gear case for the step-down gear. The gear case includes an input bore for the motor shaft, layshaft gears and associated bearing points for at least one step-down stage, and an output bore for the gear output shaft which is cantilevered and provided with an output crank. Since the gear case and the receiving flange for the drive motor are machined in a single chuck, the gear wheel positioned on the motor shaft meshes precisely with the gear wheel of the first step-down stage supported in the gear case.
The gear case can be closed with a cover and includes the bearing points for the gears of the step-down gear mechanism forming the step-down stages. Preferably, two or three step-down stages are provided, wherein the output shaft of the end stage of the step-down stages is provided with an output crank disposed on the outside of the gear case.
The step-down gear mechanism is preferably constructed as a modular system comprised of a worm gear stage and two spur wheel stages, with the gear ratio of the worm gear stage and the spur wheel stages permitting a wide range of combinations of speed reduction ratios by interchanging wheel pairs.
The option of selecting the motor type in combination with a selectable gear reduction realizes a very broad range of adaptations to suit varying operating conditions of barriers or similar gate systems.
The output crank disposed on the outside of the gear case is hingedly connected via a swivelling arm to the pivoting crank and positioned on the drive shaft operating the barrier or another gate device. Both sides of the drive shaft are supported in abutments formed on the drive casing. Attached to an exposed side of the drive shaft is the barrier or other gate device by means of a fastening device.
According to another feature of the present invention, the drive shaft is formed as a hollow shaft for receiving an operating shaft in fixed rotative engagement. The operating shaft is connected to the fastening device for the barrier or gate element or barrier beam and can be pulled out to one side after being released and inserted again on the opposite side, so that the fastening device with the barrier or the gate element can be placed either on the left-hand side or on the right hand side as required, without requiring changes to the drive assembly. This provides advantages in the manufacture and logistics as a result of the reduced variety of configurations. Moreover, the user himself can switch the sides, while maintaining adju
Lais Lothar
Schwald Walter
Bucci David A.
Feiereisen Henry M.
Joyce William C
Magnetic Autocontrol GmbH
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