Flex-Arm Devices and Methods
AssigneeToyota Motor Enginnering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorLawrence J. Pelotte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a flex-arm device including a base, at least one support block attached to the base, the support block including a shaft aperture, a shaft engaged with the shaft aperture of the support block, and a flex-arm mount attached to the shaft. When the device is in an unlocked orientation, the shaft is capable of rotation within the shaft aperture such that the flex-arm mount may be angularly displaced about multiple positions, and when the device is in a locked orientation, the shaft is restricted from rotation within the shaft aperture.
Claims20
A flex-arm device comprising:
- a base;
- at least one support block attached to the base, the support block including a shaft aperture;
- a shaft engaged with the shaft aperture of the support block;
- and
- a flex-arm mount attached to the shaft;
- wherein when the device is in an unlocked orientation, the shaft is capable of rotation within the shaft aperture such that the flex-arm mount may be angularly displaced about multiple positions, and when the device is in a locked orientation, the shaft is restricted from rotation within the shaft aperture.
A flex-arm device comprising:
- a base;
- a pair of support blocks attached to the base, each support block comprising a shaft aperture and a set member aperture;
- a shaft engaged with the shaft apertures;
- two threaded set members that cooperate with a threaded portion of the set member apertures;
- and
- a flex-arm mount attached to the shaft;
- wherein rotation of at least one of the set members controls a circumference of at least one of the shaft apertures;
- wherein when the circumference of at least one of the shaft apertures is the same as a circumference of the shaft, the device is in a locked orientation, and the shaft is restricted from rotation within the shaft apertures;
- and
- wherein when the circumferences of the shaft apertures are larger than the circumference of the shaft, the device is in an unlocked orientation, and the shaft is capable of rotation within the shaft apertures such that the flex-arm mount may be angularly displaced about multiple positions.
A method of angling a flex-arm mounted grinding wheel comprising:
- providing a flex-arm device comprising a base, at least one support block attached to the base, the support block including a shaft aperture, a shaft engaged with the shaft aperture of the support block, and a flex-arm mount attached to the shaft;
- engaging a flex-arm with the flex-arm mount, the flex-arm having a grinding wheel mounted thereon;
- and
- angling the grinding wheel through rotation of the shaft within the shaft aperture, wherein the flex-arm mount may be angularly displaced about multiple positions through rotation of the shaft, such that the flex-arm engaged with the flex-arm mount may be tilted to multiple positions through the angular displacement of the flex-arm mount, such that the grinding wheel may be tilted through the tilting of the flex-arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.