Means for guiding the rolling or gliding movement of objects alo

Details Means for guiding the rolling or gliding movement of objects alo Means for guiding the rolling or gliding movement of objects alo

1999-07-22

2000-09-05

Footland, Lenard A.

Bearings

Linear bearing

Plain bearings

384 42, 384 49, 384501, 384 53, F16C 2900

Patent

active

06113273&

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a guidance means according to the preamble of the independent claim. The means is used for guiding the rolling or sliding movement of objects along a predetermined path or route, the spatial course of the predetermined path being freely selectable within wide limits. The objects movable along the predetermined path are e.g. individual, correspondingly driven conveying elements, which can be loaded with a load, or such conveying elements linked to form a chain, or force transmission means in the form of a chain or a row of individual elements.
According to the prior art such a guidance means conventionally comprises either a guide channel, in which the objects to be moved are wholly or at least partly trapped and on whose inner surfaces they roll or slide, the guidance means is rail-like and is embraced by the objects to be moved, which roll or slide on outer surfaces of the guidance means.
Conventionally for the implementation of such a guidance means the course of the path is firstly planned, then the guidance means is manufactured in accordance with the course of the path in the form of discreet parts and then said parts are installed in fixed form. Particularly at those points where the discreet parts are joined together a high precision is necessary or for a quiet and undisturbed running of the objects at said junction points special measures must be taken for linking the guidance means parts. The number of junction points can also be kept small, in that very long, but also cumbersome and path course-adapted guidance means parts are manufactured.
Such guidance means are not only complicated with respect to their manufacture and installation, but also for the same reasons with respect to subsequent modifications and/or extensions, particularly as a large part of the material not only has to be installed in fixed form, but must also be adapted in fixed form to a specific path course and is consequently unusable for a modified path course.
The problem of the invention is therefore to create a guidance means for guiding the rolling or sliding movement of objects along a predetermined or preset path, said guidance means, like the known guidance means, being installable in fixed form, but additionally can be more easily manufactured and installed and more easily modified and extended at lower cost than the known guidance means.
This problem is solved by the guidance means, as defined in the claims.
This problem is solved in that the functions of the system to be implemented are not only subdivided into a stationary and a moving function (guidance means and moving object), as forms the basis for the distribution of functions in the known systems. Additionally the stationary function (guidance means) is subdivided into a guiding and supporting or carrying function, the guiding means extending with a minimum number of interruptions in continuous manner over the entire, predetermined path and in which the support means, without any disadvantages for the system, is subdivided into a plurality of discreet, easily handlable and replaceable support elements.
The guiding means comprises a plurality of guide rails, which comprise a profile bendable at least to a limited extent and advantageous elastically bendable or flexible, which is advantageously continuously manufacturable and advantageously transportable and handlable in considerable lengths. Such a profile can not only be adapted without difficulty to the most varied path courses, but can also be reused for a modified course.
The supporting or carrying means comprises a plurality of support or carrying elements, which are arranged in spaced manner along the predetermined path and with the aid of which the guide rails are maintained in a predetermined, mutual arrangement and parallel to one another and to the predetermined path, said mounting support being advantageously reversible, i.e. randomly detachable and refixable. The extension of the support elements in the direction of the predetermined path is advantageously so small, that the

REFERENCES:
patent: 3039401 (1962-06-01), Bishop
patent: 3583327 (1971-06-01), Arndt
patent: 3757514 (1973-09-01), Reist
patent: 4170943 (1979-10-01), Archrekar
patent: 4397145 (1983-08-01), Reist
patent: 4703697 (1987-11-01), Bell
patent: 5074678 (1991-12-01), Eberle

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