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US 6,584,917 B2Granted
Device for controlling the rotation of a shaft
OwnerDennis L. Longinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The device (10) prevents a shaft (110) from rotating. When mounted on the shaft extending between the movement mechanisms (106) of a workstation (100), the device prevents the movement mechanisms from raising or lowering the work surface (102). A pair of fixed hubs (20 and 22) are fixably mounted on the shaft. A rotatable hub (24) is rotatably mounted on the shaft spaced between the fixed hubs. First and second wrap springs (28 and 30) extend between each of the fixed hubs and the rotatable hub. A pair of wrap springs are force fit over the fixed hubs and rotatable hub. The device also includes an anti-release mechanism which prevents release of the device when an additional force is applied to the work surface such that the work surface is out-of-balance.
Claims32
A device for controlling rotation of a shaft, which comprises:
- (a) a fixed hub fixably mounted on the shaft;
- (b) a rotatable hub rotatably mounted on the shaft;
- (c) a wrap spring releasably mounted around the fixed hub and the rotatable hub;
- (d) a stop mounted adjacent the rotatable hub to limit rotation of the rotatable hub;
- (e) a release lever movably mounted adjacent the wrap spring such that the release lever is in contact with the wrap spring wherein movement of the wrap spring moves the release lever from a release position to a non-release position;
- and
- (f) a release block slidably mounted adjacent the release lever wherein when the release lever is in the release position and the release block is moved from a lock position into an unlock position, the release block contacts the release lever and moves the release lever such that the release lever moves the wrap spring so as to release the wrap spring from around the fixed hub, wherein when the release lever is in the non-release position and the release block is moved from the lock position, the release block does not contact the release lever to release the wrap spring from around the fixed hub.
4 more elements
A device for controlling rotation of a shaft, which comprises:
- (a) a first fixed hub fixably mounted on the shaft;
- (b) a second fixed hub fixably mounted on the shaft;
- (c) a rotatable hub rotatably mounted on the shaft;
- (d) a first wrap spring mounted around the first fixed hub and the rotatable hub;
- (e) a second wrap spring mounted around the second fixed hub and the rotatable hub;
- (f) a first stop mounted adjacent the rotatable hub to limit rotation of the rotatable hub in a first direction;
- (g) a second stop mounted adjacent the rotatable hub to limit rotation of the rotatable hub in a second direction opposite from the first direction;
- (h) a release lever movably mounted adjacent the first and second wrap springs such that the release lever is in contact with the first wrap spring and the second wrap spring, wherein movement of the first wrap spring moves the release lever from a first release position to a first non-release position and wherein movement of the second wrap spring moves the release lever from a second release position to a second non-release position;
- and
- (i) a release block slidably mounted adjacent the release lever wherein when the release lever is in the first release position and the release block is moved from a lock position into an unlock position, the release block will contact the release lever and will move the release lever such that the release lever will move the first wrap spring so as to release the first wrap spring, and wherein when the release lever is in the second release position and the release block is moved from the lock position into the unlock position, the release block will contact the release lever and will move the release lever so that the release lever will move the second wrap spring so as to release the second wrap spring, wherein when the release lever is in the first non-release position and the release block is moved from the lock position into the unlock position, the release block will not contact the release lever to release the first wrap spring and wherein when the release lever is in the second non-release position and the release block is moved from the lock position into the unlock position, the release block will not contact the release lever to release the second wrap spring.
7 more elements
A device for controlling movement of a work surface of a workstation, the workstation having at least one movement mechanism having a shaft which rotates during movement of the work surface of the workstation, which comprises:
- (a) a housing plate mounted to the workstation adjacent the shaft having a front side and a back side and a first and second opening;
- (b) a mounting bracket having first and second ends and mounted on the back side of the housing plate such that the first and second openings are spaced between the first and second ends of the mounting bracket wherein the first and second ends of the mounting bracket have first and second holes through which the shaft is rotatably mounted;
- (c) a first fixed hub fixably mounted on the shaft between the ends of the mounting bracket;
- (d) a second fixed hub fixably mounted on the shaft between the ends of the mounting bracket;
- (e) a rotatable hub rotatably mounted on the shaft between the ends of the mounting bracket;
- (f) a first wrap spring having first and second ends and mounted at the first end on the first fixed hub and fixably mounted at the second end on the rotatable hub wherein the first end of the first wrap spring extends through the first opening in the housing plate;
- (g) a second wrap spring having first and second ends and mounted at the first end on the second fixed hub and fixably mounted at the second end to the rotatable hub wherein the first end of the second wrap spring extends through the second opening in the housing plate;
- (h) a first stop mounted adjacent the rotatable hub to limit rotation of the rotatable hub in a first direction;
- (i) a second stop mounted adjacent the rotatable hub to limit rotation of the rotatable hub in a second direction;
- (j) a first release lever having first and second ends pivotably mounted on the front side of the housing plate so that the second end of the first release lever is adjacent the first opening in the housing plate and is in contact with the first end of the first wrap spring wherein movement of the first end of the first wrap spring moves the first release lever from a release position to a non-release position;
- (k) a second release lever having a first end and a second end and pivotably mounted on the front side of the housing plate so that the first end of the second release lever is adjacent the second opening in the housing plate and is in contact with the second end of the second wrap spring wherein movement of the first end of the second wrap spring moves the second release lever from a release position to a non-release position;
- and
- (l) a release block slidably mounted on the front side of the housing plate adjacent the second end of the first release lever and the second end of the second release lever wherein when the first release lever is in the release position, and the release block is moved from a lock position to an unlock position, the release block will contact the second end of the first release lever and will pivot the first release lever such that the first release lever will unwrap the first end of the first wrap spring so as to release the first wrap spring from around the first fixed hub, and wherein when the second release lever is in the release position and the release block is moved from the lock position to the unlock position, the release block will contact the second end of the second release lever and will pivot the second release lever so that the second release lever will unwrap the second end of the second wrap spring so as to release the second wrap spring from around the second fixed hub, wherein when the first release lever is in the non-release position, and the release block is moved from the lock position to the unlock position, the release block will not contact the first release lever to release the first wrap spring and wherein when the second release lever is in the non-release position and the release block is moved from the lock position to the unlock position, the release block will not contact the second release lever to release the second wrap spring.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.