Portable hardness tester

Apparatus for supporting a Brinell method metal hardness test head comprising:

• a. a base including:
• (i) a central portion of generally rectangular parallelepiped configuration;
• (ii) a plurality of co-planar petal-like supports integral with and extending outwardly from a lower part of said central portion;
• downwardly facing surfaces of said central portion and said supports being co-planar and contiguous with one another;
• (iii) an anvil support portion integral with and extending laterally in cantilever fashion from said central portion remote from said downwardly facing surface of said central portion, having an upwardly facing planar anvil support surface, said anvil support surface being parallel to said downwardly facing surface of said central portion, a lower surface of said anvil support portion tapering upwardly relative to said central portion downwardly facing surface and lateral surfaces of said anvil support portion tapering inwardly relative to lateral surfaces of said central portion to define an anvil support portion of substantially reduced width and height, at the portion thereof which is remote from said central portion, relative to said central portion;
• (iv) vertically elongated webs perpendicular to said contiguous downwardly facing surface, integral with said central portion and said supports, providing bracing between upper surfaces of said supports and lateral surfaces of said central portion;
• said central portion including a threaded bore perpendicular to said downwardly facing contiguous surface and extending entirely through said central portion;
• said central portion including an external lateral bore perpendicular to and intersecting said threaded bore;
• wherein said central portion, said petal-like supports, said anvil support portion and said webs are formed integrally one with another as a unitary aluminum casting;
• b. an elevating screw in threaded engagement with said threaded bore over the entire length of said bore and including a lateral bore therein communicating with said lateral bore of said base central portion;
• c. a hollow longitudinally slotted cylindrical member made of highly elastic spring steel, residing within at least part of both of said communicating lateral bores, for bracing said elevating screw against movement relative to said central portion lateral bore;
• (d) a carriage for supporting said test head above said anvil portion, movable along said elevating screw including:
• (i) a pair of spaced-apart parallel side plates bracketing said elevating screw therebetween;
• (ii) a spacer block between and connected to said side plates, said elevating screw passing through a passageway therewithin;
• (iii) an internally and externally toothed spindle journaled in said spacer block passageway for rotation about an axis parallel therewith, internal teeth of said spindle drivingly engaging said threaded elevating screw and including an annular sleeve portion protruding outwardly from within said spacer block, slideably receiving said elevating screw therewithin;
• wherein said threads of said elevating screw and said internal teeth of said spindle have complementally curved crests and roots;
• (iv) an idler gear journaled between said parallel plates and drivingly engaging said external teeth of said spindle;
• (v) a driven bevel gear mounted on a common first shaft and rotatable unitarily with said idler gear;
• (vi) a driving bevel gear, mounted on and rotatable unitarily with a second shaft, in driving engagement with said driven bevel gear;
• (vii) said second shaft extending through a first one of said side plates;
• (viii) a cranking handle fixedly connected to said second shaft outboard of said first side plate, facilitating rotation of said second shaft by an operator turning said handle;
• (ix) a bearing collar separating said driving bevel gear and said second shaft from said first side plate, fixedly secured within an aperture in said first side plate and including:
• (1) a shoulder portion having axial length in excess of thickness of said first side plate and an axial bore thereof journaling a portion of said driving bevel gear for rotation of said driving bevel gear and said second shaft therewithin relative to said collar;
• and
• (2) a flange portion, abutting an inwardly facing surface of said first side plate, extending radially outwardly about said shoulder portion at least to where said driving bevel gear periphery is at least oblique to said inwardly facing surface of said first plate;
• said shoulder presenting an outwardly facing surface axially remote from said flange portion, in running contact with said cranking handle during rotation of said second shaft thereby separating said cranking handle from said first side plate;
• (x) an annular ring co-axial with and secured about said sleeve external of said spacer block, said ring having a radial cut therethrough and including setscrew means bridging said cut for urging said ring closed at said cut upon rotation of said setscrew, a shaft portion of said setscrew threadedly engaging a tapped hole in said ring on one side of said cut, said setscrew axis oriented generally tangentially to said ring;
• said ring interfering with said block upon movement of said spindle along said elevating screw towards said ring.