Non-linear bearing release for large moveable structures
AssigneeGeiger Gossen Campbell Engineers P.C.
InventorsKeith MacBain, Timothy Mills, David Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A release mechanism for a transport carriage used to move an elongated beam or truss is constructed using a non-linear bearing mounted on the carriage and connected to the truss and including upper and lower bearing mounting surfaces having complementary arcuate surfaces and a layer of layers of lower friction bearing material between them. The upper and lower bearing mounting surfaces being arranged to allow one plate to move relative to the other in an arcuate path in the direction of the space of the beam or truss.
Claims21
A release mechanism for a transport carriage used to move an elongated beam or truss which spans a large space, said mechanism comprising a non-linear bearing, having upper and lower bearing support members mounted in the carriage;
- said bearing support members having generally complementary arcuate surfaces and a low friction layer of material between the facing complementary surfaces of the bearing support members, one of said bearing support members being connected to said beam or truss and the other plate being connected to a part of the carriage used to move the beam or truss in a direction transverse to its span, said bearing support members being arranged to allow the said one bearing support member to move relative to the other in an arcuate path in the direction of the span of the beam or truss.
A large building having a large space therein and at least one structural member spanning said space;
- said structural member having opposed ends, means for movably supporting those ends across the space, means for moving said structural member from one position to another in the building by moving said supporting means;
- said supporting means including a non-linear bearing member connected adjacent one end of said structural member to allow one part of the supporting means to move relative to another part of the supporting means in an arcuate path in the direction of the span of the structural member to control stress in the member.
A stadium having a retractable roof comprising:
- an open area,
- a moveable roof panel mounted for movement relative to said open area to cover at least part thereof;
- and
- means for moving said roof panel in relation to said open space from a first to a second position, said moving means including means for supporting said roof panel at two spaced locations and wherein at one of those locations the moving means includes a non-linear bearing assembly allowing one part of said supporting means to move relative to another part of the supporting means in an arcuate path that is not in the direction of movement of the roof panel to release stress in the panel.
A system for supporting a large overhead structural member for movement over a large space comprising, first and second mobile carriages for the structural member located adjacent the respective ends thereof which are constructed and arranged to transport the structural member between predetermined positions over the space, one of said carriages being fixed to said structural member and the other of said carriages being connected to the structural member adjacent one end thereof through a release mechanism which permits said one end of the structural member to move relative to said other carriage in an arcuate path that is not in the direction of movement of the structural member between said predetermined positions.
A non-linear support for allowing relative movement between two structural members comprising a first bearing plate connected to one of said structural members arid a second bearing plate connected to the other of said structural members, said bearing plates having generally complementary surfaces facing and operatively engaged with each other for sliding movement of one plate relative to the other in a predetermined arcuate direction to control stress in one of the structural members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.