Ball jointed links
AssigneeSyron Engineering & Manufacturing, LLC
InventorAlfred F. Herbermann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved ball jointed link includes a male ball at one end which is received in a female socket in an adjacent link. A central aperture extends through each of the links between the male ball and the female socket. The male ball is preferably more resistant to radially inward deformation than the female socket. A clamp which secures adjacent links together may thus be tightened to support relatively great loads. The male ball may have a greater wall thickness than the female socket, or may be formed of hardened metal. In a further feature, the clamps used to secure adjacent links have a ledge which abuts an axially forwardmost edge of the female socket to ensure the clamp is properly positioned on the links.
Claims20
A link element comprising:
- a body extending along an axis between two ends, an aperture extending through said body between said ends, one of said ends being configured as a generally spherical male ball, said male ball having an irregular outer surface, the other of said ends being configured as a female socket, said female socket having an inner peripheral surface spaced approximately the same distance from said axis as an outer peripheral surface of said male ball;
- said male ball being formed of a harder material than said female socket;
- said male ball having a wall thickness between said outer peripheral surface and said aperture which is greater than the wall thickness of said female socket between said inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of said female socket;
- and
- a central cylindrical extension connecting said male ball and said female socket, and a portion of said cylindrical extension adjacent said female socket having a smaller wall thickness than said male ball, said smaller wall thickness of said cylindrical extension extending from said female socket and towards said male ball, such that said male ball has a greater wall thickness than said cylindrical extension or said female socket.
A structure adapted to support a load comprising:
- a plurality of links, each of said links having a body extending along a central axis between axial ends, a central aperture extending through said links between said ends, a male ball at a first axial end of said body, a female socket at the second axial end of said body, said female socket having an inner surface corresponding to an outer surface of said male ball;
- and
- said male balls being received within female sockets of an adjacent link, a clamp secured to an outer surface of said female socket to fix said adjacent links, and said male balls being formed of a harder material than said female socket such that said male ball having a greater resistance to radially inward deformation than said female sockets from said clamp.
A structure adapted to support loads comprising:
- a plurality of links, each of said links having a body extending along a central axis between two axial ends, a central aperture extending through said links between said ends, a male ball at a first axial end of said body, a female socket at a second axial end of said body and having an inner surface corresponding to an outer surface of said male ball, a clamp disposed on adjacent links radially outwardly of said female socket, with said clamp having at least two ends which are drawn in opposed circumferential directions as said clamp is tightened, said clamp being tightened radially inwardly as said ends are drawn in opposed directions for contacting both a portion of said female socket and a portion of said outer surface of said male ball, said clamp having an inner peripheral surface with a first section contacting said male ball, and a second section which contacts said female socket, said second section being spaced radially outwardly from said first section, a ledge portion extending generally perpendicular to an axis of said clamp at a position axially between said first and second sections said ledge portion being tightened radially inwardly when said ends are drawn in opposed directions, said ledge portion abutting an axially outer-most edge of said female socket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.