Device for supporting a moving part
AssigneePenico Holdings Limited
InventorJohn R. Bolton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for supporting an article 27 such as a lapping tool for polishing lenses is designed to allow limited motion of the article about a central point. The device comprises a base 1, a mount 2 and a bearing between the base and the mount allowing the said motion of the article when in place on the mount; while previously the joint has been a complicated gimbal arrangement, which is difficult to maintain, in the invention the bearing comprises a ball-and-socket-type joint 9,14.
Claims9
A device for supporting an article so as to allow limited motion of the article, said device comprising:
- a base, a mount, a bearing between the base and the mount allowing the said motion to be imparted to the article when in place on the mount by appropriate movement of the mount, said bearing being a ball-and-socket-type joint including a ball member and a socket member, and restraining means provided between the mount and the base to allow said limited motion while at the same time preventing the mount from rotating about its own axis, the restraining means including spring means being relatively stiff with respect to twisting about the axis of the mount but relatively yielding about axes perpendicular to the axis of the mount.
An apparatus for smoothing or polishing lenses, comprising:
- a base, a mount and a bearing between the base and the mount allowing a predetermined limited motion between the base and the mount;
- restraining means between the mount and the base to allow said limited motion while at the same time preventing the mount from rotating about its own axis, the restraining means including spring means being relatively stiff with respect to twisting about the axis of the mount but relatively yielding about axes perpendicular to the axis of the mount;
- a tool attached to the mount for carrying out said smoothing or polishing;
- a lens holder for holding a lens in contact with the tool;
- and drive means for rotating the mount so as, in use, to rub the tool against a lens;
- wherein said bearing is a ball-and-socket-type joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.