Device for dampening rotary motion

Apparatus for dampening rotation of a first member relative to a second member, said second member comprising a chamber having an axially facing wall, angularly spaced protrusions formed integrally with said wall and projecting axially from said wall and into said chamber, each of said protrusions having a generally spherically-shaped surface, said first member comprising a rotatable shaft and further comprising a relatively rigid disc joined rigidly to and projecting radially from said shaft and rotatable in said chamber, an elastomeric ring coupled to and rotatable with said disc, said ring being located on one face of said disc and being disposed between said disc and said protrusions, a washer made of low friction material and sandwiched between said ring and said protrusions, and means for pressing said ring against said washer and for pressing said washer against said protrusions with sufficient force to cause said ring to be resiliently compressed by said protrusions, said washer being sufficiently thin and flexible to enable said protrusions to act through said washer to resiliently compress said ring, the compression of said ring by said protrusions creating a force between said washer and said protrusions as said ring rotates whereby such force dampens rotation of said first member relative to said second member.

Apparatus for dampening rotation of a first member relative to a second member, said second member comprising a chamber having an axially facing wall, angularly spaced and generally semispherical pockets formed in said wall, spherical balls supported in said pockets to spin freely while being captivated against bodily movement, said first member comprising a rotatable shaft and further comprising a relatively rigid disc joined rigidly to and projecting radially from said shaft and rotatable in said chamber, an elastomeric ring coupled to and rotatable with said disc, said ring being located on one face of said disc and being disposed between said disc and said balls, and means for pressing said ring against said balls with sufficient force to cause said ring to be resiliently compressed by said balls, the compression of said ring by said balls creating a force between said ring and said balls as said ring rotates whereby such force dampens rotation of said first member relative to said second member.