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US 7,914,238 B2Granted
Free standing support
OwnerAnthony John Spencer Spearing, Joseph John Jingleinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A load support includes an outer tube and a plunger at least partially slidably disposed within the outer tube. Gravity-set wedging members are disposed between an outer surface of the plunger and an inner surface of the outer tube for setting the plunger and outer tube in place with respect to each other, wherein the wedging members are substantially self-setting under gravity. The wedging members gouge the outer surface of the plunger and the inner surface of the outer tube upon inward axial movement of the plunger within the outer tube.
Claims23
A yieldable load support, comprising:
- an outer tube;
- a plunger at least partially slidably disposed within said outer tube;
- and
- a tapered cavity formed between an outer surface of said plunger and an inner surface of said outer tube, wherein the tapered cavity is inwardly tapered away from an upper end of the outer tube;
- and
- at least one gravity-set wedging member disposed in said tapered cavity so that said wedging member is movable in said tapered cavity in an axial direction of the load support,
- wherein an initial downward movement of said plunger in said outer tube causes said wedging members to move in a same downward direction within said tapered cavity so as to be in a wedged position in the tapered cavity thereby causing said outer tube and said plunger to initially stably set together in a set position, and an additional downward movement of said plunger in said outer tube beyond the set position is allowed by the wedging member gouging into said outer tube and said plunger in a position below the wedged position, so as to enable the load support to remain stably load supporting while shortening the overall length when subjected to a compressive axial load after said outer tube and said plunger are set together in the set position.
4 more elements
A load support, comprising:
- an outer tube;
- a plunger at least partially slidably disposed within said outer tube;
- a tapered cavity formed between an outer surface of said plunger and an inner surface of said outer tube, wherein the tapered cavity is inwardly tapered away from an upper end of the outer tube;
- at least one gravity-set wedging member disposed in said tapered cavity so that said wedging member is movable in said tapered cavity in an axial direction of the load support,
- wherein an initial downward movement of said plunger in said outer tube causes said wedging member to move in a same downward direction within said tapered cavity so as to be in a wedged position in the tapered cavity thereby causing said outer tube and said plunger to initially stably set together in a set position, and an additional downward movement of said plunger in said outer tube beyond the set position is allowed by the wedging member gouging into said outer tube and said plunger in a position below the wedged position, so as to enable the load support to remain stably load supporting while shortening the overall length when subjected to a compressive axial load after said outer tube and said plunger are set together in the set position;
- and
- a collar which is welded to an outer surface of said outer tube to increase strength of the outer tube, wherein said collar is disposed along a length of the outer surface of said outer tube which at least partially overlaps with the position of said wedging members.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.