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US 4,352,300 AGranted
Combined linear and circular drive mechanism
AssigneeVitafin N.V.
InventorJohannes H. L. H. Esch
Life of this patent
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AssigneeVitafin N.V.
InventorJohannes H. L. H. Esch
Estimating the term…
A combined linear and circular drive mechanism for driving a spindle in an up or down direction and also in a circular path about an axis parallel to the spindle. The mechanism has a dual or compound nut which is driven to rotate in a fixed plane so as to drive a spindle threaded therethrough in an up or down direction. The dual nut mechanism has a pair of nut components having respective eccentrically positioned threaded openings, the openings being displaced from each other such that one of the nut components engages the threaded spindle to drive it in a first direction while it is being carried in a circle, and a second nut component engages the spindle to drive it in the reverse direction, also while the shaft is being rotated in a circle. The threaded portion of the spindle is bounded by unthreaded portions, such that when it is driven to an upper or lower limit by one of the nut components such nut component ceases to engage the spindle threading, whereupon when the nut drive is reversed the other nut component engages the threaded portion and drives the spindle in the other direction.
A drive mechanism for driving a spindle, said spindle having a threaded portion of a predetermined diameter and unthreaded portions bounding each side of said threaded portion, said mechanism comprising:
An assembly comprising a longitudinally extending element and drive means for controllably driving said element in opposite longitudinal directions and for driving said element in a circular path about a longitudinal axis parallel to and offset from said longitudinal directions, characterized in that,
An assembly for driving a threaded spindle or the like, said spindle having a threaded portion bounded by unthreaded portions, comprising first and second nut elements having threads complimentary to that of said threaded spindle, means for driving said spindle in a circular path about a longitudinal axis, and means for alternately engaging said spindle with said first nut element and for driving said spindle in a first longitudinal direction parallel to and offset from said axis, and for engaging said spindle or the like with said second nut element and driving said spindle in an opposite longitudinal direction parallel to and offset from said axis, whereby when one of said unthreaded portions reaches the one of said nut elements driving said spindle, said spindle is continuously driven in said circular path and is not driven in a longitudinal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.