Rotary motion feed-through apparatus

Abstract

A feed-through apparatus for use in rotating a shaft which typically forms part of a system. The apparatus includes a feed-through shaft which is to be rotated and structure for rotatably mounting the shaft on a panel or wall. A cap rotatably coupled to the mount has a driver coupled with it, the driver including a stub shaft having bearings at one end thereof received within a groove of an end face of the driven shaft. The driver includes a cylindrical member mounted by a bearing in the inner periphery of the cap, such inner periphery being provided with a beveled surface so that the cylindrical member and the stub shaft wobble when the cap is rotated. When the bearings on the outer end of the stub wobble, they move along a circular path surrounding the central axis of the driven shaft, causing the driven shaft to rotate in the direction of movement of the bearings on the driver. The cap can either be a manually rotated knob or can be a stepper motor or a structural part for coupling the knob to a stepper motor. The apparatus of the present invention avoids the need for a bent shaft as in the prior art.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.