Spring motor
AssigneeBarnes Group Inc.
InventorsDennis W. Martin, Tariz M. Afzal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor for controlling the elevating and lowering of a load comprises a storage drum, an output drum and a spring member operatively connected therebetween to provide a spring motor therewith, and a pair of cord drums aligned with and respectively adjacent the storage drum and the output drum. A gear train including an idler gear associated with the storage drum drivingly interengages the cord drums with the output drum, whereby the elevating and lowering of a load attached to the cords on the cord drums is balanced regardless of whether the elevating or lowering force is applied centrally between the points of attachment of the cords to the load.
Claims18
A motor comprising a spring storage drum having a first axis, an output drum rotatable about a second axis parallel to and spaced from said first axis, a spring member coiled on said storage drum coaxial with said first axis and having a first end on said storage drum and a free end connected to said output drum for rotation of said output drum in one direction about said second axis to wind said spring member thereon from said storage drum and for said spring member to bias said output drum in the direction opposite said one direction to rewind said spring member on said storage drum, said spring member having laterally opposite sides transverse to said first and second axes, a drive gear on said output drum coaxial with said second axis for rotating said output drum in said one direction about said second axis for winding said spring member on said output drum, an idler gear in meshing engagement with said drive gear and rotatable about said first axis relative to said storage drum, and control means for rotating at least one of said drive gear and said idler gear to control rotation of said output drum in said one and opposite direction.
A motor comprising, a pair of parallel spaced apart support plates, a spring motor between said plates, said spring motor including a storage drum mounted between said plates and having a first axis transverse to said plates, an output drum mounted between said plates for rotation about a second axis parallel to and spaced from said first axis, and a return spring member operatively connecting said storage drum and said output drum, a drum gear coaxial with said second axis and connected to said output drum for rotation therewith, an idler gear coaxial with said first axis and rotatable relative to said storage drum, said drum gear and idler gear being in meshing interengagement, and a control gear mounted between said plates for rotation about a third axis parallel to and spaced from said first and second axes, said control gear being meshing interengagement with one of said drum gear and idler gear for controlling rotation of said output drum therethrough, said spring member is a variable force spring.
A motor comprising a pair of parallel spaced apart support plates, a spring motor between said plates, said spring motor including a storage drum mounted between said plates and having a first axis transverse to said plates, an output drum mounted between said plates for rotation about a second axis parallel to and spaced from said first axis, and a return spring member operatively connecting said storage drum and said output drum, a drum gear coaxial with said second axis and connected to said output drum for rotation therewith, an idler gear coaxial with said first axis and rotatable relative to said storage drum, said drum gear and idler gear being in meshing interengagement, and a control gear mounted between said plates for rotation about a third axis parallel to and spaced from said first and second axes, said control gear being in meshing interengagement with one of said drum gear and idler gear for controlling rotation of said output drum therethrough, said control gear is a first control gear, and a second control gear mounted between said support plates for rotation about a fourth axis parallel to and spaced apart from said first, second and third axes, said second control gear being in meshing interengagement with the other of said drum gear and idler gear for controlling rotation of said output drum therethrough, said spring member is a variable force spring, said storage drum has a diameter and said first end of said spring member has a natural inner diameter less than the diameter of said storage drum, said first, second, third, and fourth axis lie in a common plane, each of said first and second control gear means includes a control drum coaxial with the corresponding one of said third and fourth axes, and flexible line means wound on said control drum for controlling rotation thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.