Supports – Brackets – Adjustable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-02-13
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Adjustable
C248S276100, C248S280110, C248S281110, C248S284100, C248S292110, C248S325000, C074S490100, C074S490020, C074S490100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186458
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a support arm. Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,286 issued Sep. 29, 1998 discloses a support arm having an arm structure that is pivotable about a horizontal axis between raised and lowered positions. While this support arm has great utility especially in welding applications, its capabilities and versatility are not as great as may be considered desirable.
In the present invention, it has been found that the capabilities and versatility of the arm can be greatly extended by providing the arm with a support base having a pivot axis that is maintained parallel to a vertical axis as the elevation of the arm structure is adjusted.
The present invention provides a support arm comprising a support structure, an arm structure connected to the support structure through a pivotal connection for pivoting about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting the elevation of the arm structure by pivoting it about the horizontal axis, a support base connected to the arm structure through a pivotal connection for pivoting relative to the arm structure about an axis parallel to said horizontal axis, a support member connected to the support base through a pivotal connection for pivoting about a pivot axis parallel to a vertical axis, and a linkage between the support base and the support structure maintaining the pivot axis of the support base parallel to a vertical axis as the elevation of the arm structure is adjusted.
The support member may support various auxiliary structures, for example a tool tray, air or vacuum hoses, welding guns, suction hoses or suction arms that pivot in a radius about the support base. When the arm structure is raised or lowered, the vertical pivot connection remains parallel to the vertical axis and avoids any tendency for the auxiliary structure to swing under the influence of gravity to a neutral position different from that desired by the operator.
The linkage between the support base and the support structure may comprise a parallelogram linkage.
The invention is more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only.
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patent: 0507999 (1992-10-01), None
patent: 92/14561 (1992-09-01), None
Braun Leslie A.
Ridout & Maybee
Wujciak A. Joseph
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