Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Tiltable surfaces – About plural axes
Patent
1980-09-08
1983-02-22
McCall, James T.
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Tiltable surfaces
About plural axes
108147, 248163R, 248421, A47F 512
Patent
active
043744974
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a balanced adjustable support or table, in particular a working table of which the plane of the support surface for an object or piece to be machined can be altered with great precision while maintaining the equilibrium of the table irrespective of the load.
Working tables can generally be displaced in two planes by conventional mechanical means such as screws and guide rods. A wedge can be inserted between the table and the piece to be machined which enables the piece to be inclined. The large number of selective mountings required renders the use of universal machines expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,686,095 in the name of Carlson discloses a table for working construction stones, comprising a fixed base, a plate rotatable about the base and being fixed in a predetermined angular position, and a universal joint disposed between the plate and the table which is connected with the plate by four telescopic legs by means of hook and ring assemblies. A change of inclination is achieved by means of capstans and cables.
Although such a device can give acceptable results for the machining of stone which requires a precision rarely exceeding one centimeter, it is a different story for a machine requiring a precision in the order of one micron.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a balanced adjustable table which enables to be positioned thereon with great precision in a desired plane an object to be machined while only exerting a slight pressure on the table.
As the object or piece to be machined can be locked in the desired plane there is no need to turn to complex mountings. According to the invention the adjustable support or table for supporting the object or the piece to be machined can be placed in a predetermined exact position and remain therein for a certain period of time, and comprises a fixed base, a table providing a surface for supporting or maintaining the object or the piece, a central, vertical leg which is rigidly fixed to the base and the upper end of which is jointed to the table by means of a cardan type joint, and lateral legs comprising telescopic elements the ends of which are provided with a ball-head enabling them to be jointed to either the base or the table by means of a fixed seat, the ends of each of the legs being provided with temporary fastening means for each of the ball-heads in regard to its fixed seat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and the claims which follow, and from the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table of the invention, and
FIG. 2 is a section in elevation of an external leg.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1 the support of the invention comprises a table 1 which forms the support surface for an object or a piece to be machined, a base 2, and a central leg 3 rigidly fixed to the base 2 and jointed to the underside of the table 1 by means of a universal joint 4. Universal joint 4 comprises an upper part 4a secured to the underside of table 1 and a lower part 4b fixed to the central leg 3, the upper part 4a being rotatable with respect to lower part 4b about two perpendicular axes in the horizontal plane. Four legs 5 disposed at the four corners of the table and the base, extension means and locking means will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
Each of the lateral legs 5 comprises two telescopic tubular members, namely an internal tubular member 6 and an external tubular member 7. The lower end of the internal tubular member is integral with a ball-head 8 whereas the upper end of the external tubular member is integral with a ball-head 9. A cylinder 10 having a locking piston 11 slidable therein forms, together with a bottom part 10a, an upper pneumatic jack and is fixedly connected with table 1. Likewise, a cylinder 12 having a locking piston 13 slidable therein forms, together with an extremity 12a, a lower pneumatic jack and is fixedly connected t
REFERENCES:
patent: 657033 (1900-08-01), Sanford
patent: 2464690 (1949-03-01), Ketchem
patent: 2686095 (1954-08-01), Carlson
patent: 2944858 (1960-07-01), Engelstead
patent: 3229941 (1966-01-01), Suliteanu et al.
patent: 3288421 (1966-11-01), Peterson
patent: 3515391 (1970-11-01), Storm
patent: 4095770 (1978-06-01), Long
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