Buffered Cam Assembly
AssigneeCBN Nano Technologies Inc.
InventorJames F. Ryley, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buffered cam assembly, which is particularly well-suited for use to provide a clock input for a mechanical computing system, interposes a buffer element between a cam surface and a follower. The buffer element engages the cam surface and acts to significantly reduce the effect of any irregularities in the cam surface on the resulting motion of the follower, allowing the output waveform of movement of the follower to more closely approximate an intended ideal output waveform.
Claims23
A cam assembly for providing a mechanical output signal, the cam assembly comprising:
- a cam having a contoured cam surface, said cam surface having typical irregularities resulting from fabrication limitations that deviate from an idealized contour;
- a buffer element having a buffer active region that contacts said cam surface and is movable with respect thereto;
- and
- a follower having a follower contact portion that is positioned to contact said buffer active region so as to be displaced by displacement of said buffer active region as said buffer active region is moved by the contour of said cam surface as said cam moves relative to said follower.
(canceled)
A method for providing a mechanical output signal, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a cam having a contoured cam surface which has typical irregularities resulting from fabrication limitations that deviate from an idealized contour;
- providing a follower;
- interposing a buffer active region of a buffer element between a follower contact portion of the follower and the cam surface, such that the buffer active region is movable with respect to the cam so as to transmit, to the follower contact portion, displacement of the cam surface;
- and
- causing the cam surface to move relative to the follower contact portion,
- whereby the buffer active region acts to average the irregularities of the cam surface when transmitting displacement of the cam surface to the follower contact portion.
A clock signal generator for use in a mechanical computing system, the clock signal generator comprising:
- a cam having a contoured cam surface;
- a follower having a follower contact portion that is displaced by relative motion between said cam surface and said follower, such displacement acting to move one or more clock inputs of the mechanical computing system, providing a mechanical clock signal having a waveform defined by said cam surface;
- and
- a buffer element engaged with said cam surface while allowing said cam surface to move with respect to said buffer element, said buffer element having a buffer active region that is interposed between said cam surface and said follower contact portion, such that relative motion between said cam surface and said follower is transmitted from said cam surface via said buffer active region to said follower contact portion.
20-21. (canceled)
24-27. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.