Continuous cable rotary drive apparatus
OwnerDonald G. Carsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotary drive apparatus has a drum with a first plurality of generally parallel grooves spaced a predetermined distance apart. A capstan adjacent the drum has a second plurality of generally parallel grooves spaced the same predetermined distance. The capstan may be disposed adjacent the drum with its grooves disposed between the grooves on the drum. The drum and the capstan may have parallel axes of rotation. A continuous cable in the grooves of the drum and the capstan couples the drum and the capstan for joint rotation. A pulley and spring adjacent the capstan tension the continuous cable.
Claims34
A rotary drive apparatus, comprising:
- a drum;
- a capstan adjacent said drum, having a plurality of grooves spaced apart by a predetermined distance;
- and a continuous cable wound multiple times alternately in tension around said drum and in the grooves of said capstan for coupling said drum and said capstan together for joint rotation.
A rotary drive apparatus, comprising:
- a drum, having a plurality of grooves spaced a predetermined distance apart;
- a capstan adjacent said drum;
- and a continuous cable wound multiple times alternately in tension in the grooves of said drum and around said capstan for coupling said drum and said capstan together for joint rotation.
A rotary drive apparatus, comprising:
- a cylindrically shaped driven member having spaced parallel grooves on a peripheral face thereof;
- a driving member adjacent said driven member, also having spaced parallel grooves on a peripheral face thereof;
- and a tensioned continuous cable wound multiple times alternately between the driven and driving members within the respective grooves for transmitting rotation of the driving member to the driven member.
A method for rotatably positioning a device, comprising:
- mounting the device to a cylindrically shaped drum having spaced parallel grooves on a peripheral face thereof;
- providing a capstan adjacent said drum, said capstan also having spaced parallel grooves on a peripheral face thereof;
- providing a continuous cable that is wound multiple times alternately in tension between the drum and capstan within the respective grooves for transmitting rotation of the capstan to the drum;
- and rotating the capstan to rotate the drum and thereby position the device mounted thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.