US3409261A - Counterpoising or equipoising mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 5, 1968 R. A. LEPORATI 3,409,261

COUNTERPOISING OR EQUIPOISING MECHANISM Fil ed Nov. 7, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RA Y M ouo A. L 5P0)": 1|

ATTOENE 7 5.

Nov. 5, 1968 R. A. LEPORATI 3,409,261

COUNTERPOISING OR EQUIPOISING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 7, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RAYMano A, LEPoRATl' ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Office 3,409,261 r COUN TERPOISIN G OR EQUIPOISIN G MECHANISM RaymondVALLeporati, Pal-ma, Ohio, assignorto Visual Systems, Inc.,a corporation of Ohio 4 Filed Nov. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 592,421

' 12 Claims. (Cl. 248-281) ABSTRACTOF DISCLOSURE counterpoising or equipoising mechanism having a pair of arms arranged with spaced block members in a parallelogram, one block member being pivotally supported and the other or free block member being adapted to support a load therefrom, a pair of springs disposed on opposite sides of the arms, one end of each being connected tothe upper arm near the supported block member and the other end of. each being connected to the said free block member for aiding in the support of the same, the springs each being encased in telescopic. tubes, a cable having an end connected to the upper arm near the free block member and'its opposite end connectedto an end of another coil spring, the cable being reeved around a pulley journalled on the supported block member,.the other end of said another coil spring being connected to the lower arm near the free block member to aid in support of the same. x t

.The invention relates to counterpoising or equipoising mechanism utilized for the ready adjustment of the positioning of a load and the maintenance of a load in a desired position.

There are a number of situations in which it is desired to have an article held at an elevated position out on the end of an arm and to have the article maintained at such a desired position withease and safety. This invention is directed to an efficient and easily operated mechanism for supporting a load in such a manner that the load may be readily maintained at an elevated position at a desired location and safely maintained at such position.

One example of a use of this general nature and to which this invention is particularly adapted, is for the support of a small television receiver at a desired location in front of a patient in a hospital bed. The mechanism permits the receiver to be easily adjusted for viewing purposes adapted to the particular patient and also permits the television receiver to be raised and swung up out of the way when desired. The television receiver is supported as a load at the end of an arm which in turn may be the end arm of a series of pivotal arms. By reason of the extreme ease of adjustment and the safemaintenance of the parts inthe position to which adjusted, the present mechanism is admirably suited for such purpose.

It is an object of the invention to meet the shortcomings of the prior devices and to provide for efficiency, ease of operation, and safety in the use of such counterpoising or equipoising mechanisms.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: l

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a preferred form of the improved mechanismand showing some of the internal parts in broken lines;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view looking down on the top of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view partially in section of the forward or outer arm of the apparatus incorporating the counterpoising or equipoising mechanism, the arm being shown partially in section and being illustrated in varied possible positions. The arm in a horizontal'pos'ition "is shown in full lines, and the arm in a possible raised posi-f tion and in a possible lowered position is shown inbroken lines; j f

'FIGURE 4' is a cross sectional view takenthro'ugh the line 4-4 ofFIGURE l;and 5! FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken through the line5-5ofFIGURE 1. The apparatus as illustrated has a' first or inner arn'f 11, a second or intermediate arm'12 and a third or oute'r arm 13. The first arm 11 has a pivot post which is'indicated by the numeral 14 extending downwardly from its lower end, which pivot post is adapted to fit into around socket of a support adapted to permit the swingingof the arm 11 on the axis of post 14. Such" a support could be mounted on the frame or bedstead of a hospital bedfifi the event that the apparatus is tobe used for that pule pose. The arm 12 has a pivot post'15: extending down wardly from its lower end which pivot post 15 is pivotally accommodated in a round socket 16 formed on the upper end of arm 11.

There is a pivot post 17 carried by the inner end of arm 13 which pivot post 17 is accommodated in a round socket 18 on the upper end of arm 12. The respective pivot posts and sockets are such that the arms may readily pivot relative to each other.

In the use of the apparatus for supporting a television receiver, a coaxial electrical cable 19 is provided. The lower end of the cable 19 adjacent the post 15 is adapted to be inserted into an appropriate receptacle for supplying electrical energy and the signal to the television repoising mechanism utilized in the apparatus. ,In the arm ceiver. The cable 19 extends through the several arms 11, 12 and 13. At the pivot joint between post 15 and socket 16 there is a rotatable electrical connection so constructed in the usual manner as to electrically separate the conductors of the cable 19 and at the same time to permit rotation of arm 12 in an are around the axis of socket 16. Similarly, there is arotatable electrical connection of similar construction at the pivot joint between post 17 and socket 18 so as to permit pivoting while maintaining proper electrical connections between the parts of the cable 19.

Carried at the free or extreme outer end of the arm 13- there is a post support 26 pivotally connectedby the pivot pin 28 in such manner that the post 26 may swing in an are on the axis of the pivot pin 28. At the lower end of the post 26 there is a swivel connection 27 which may rotate on the axis of the post 26. At the location of the swivel connection 27 there is a rotatableelectrical connection 22 similar in construction to the electrical connections 20 and 21 which maintains proper electrical connections between the parts of the cable 19 while permitting rotation.

Carried by the swivel connection 27 is a bail 24 which has side arms spaced to accommodate a television receiver 25 therebetween, the receiver 25 beingshown in broken lines in FIGURE 1. The receiver 25 is supported' on a supporting member 23 which has side arms pivotally con;

nected by two pivot connections 29 to the opposite side,

arms of the bail support 24. By means of the pivot connections 29 which are preferably maintained in a rela tively tight condition, the receiver 25 may be slightly tilted relative to the bail. It is also to be noted that the receiver 25 may be shifted by rotating the' bail 24 on the axis of the swivel connectionl27, and also that the receiver 25 may be swung on the pivot axis of the pivot pin 28 which supports the post 26. Thus a large varietyof movements and adjustments may be .made impositioning the receiver 25 relative to the outer arm 13. The outer arm 13 includes the counterpoising or-equi- Patented Nov. 5, 1968 13 there is a parallelogram structure made up of an upper long arm 31 and a lower long arm 32 positioned and maintained parallel to each other. The inner end of long arm 31 is pivotally connected to an inner short arm or first block member 33 by means of a pivot pin 37. The lower long arm 32 is pivotally connected to the inner short arm or first block member 33 by a pivot pin 38 spaced from the pivot pin 37. The outer end of the upper long arm 31 is pivotally connected to an outer short arm or second block 34 by a pivot pin 35. The outer end of the lower long arm 32 is pivotally connected to the outer short arm or second block member 34 by a pivot pin 36 spaced from the pin 35. The spacing between the pivot pins 37 and 38 is the same as the spacing between the pivot pins and 36. Thus the arms 31, 32, 33 and 34 form a parallelogram structure. I

The inner short arm 33 is a casting having two spaced side walls 33A and 33B providing an open niche or space therebetween. Pivotally carried by these side walls 33A and 33B, as better seen in FIGURE 4, is a pulley 39 journalled onan axle pin 40 secured to the respective side walls 33A and 33B.

The outer short arm or second block member 34 also has two parallel spaced side walls 34A and 34B which provide an open niche or space therebetween.

Anchored to the upper long arm 31 adjacent to the pivot pin 35 by means of an anchor pin 43 is one end of a flexible steel cable 41. This cable 41 is reeved or wound around the pulley 39 carried by the short arm 33 and thence back again to where it is connected to one end of a coil spring 42. The other end of the coil spring 42 is anchored by means of an anchor pin 44 to the lower long arm 32 near or adjacent to the pivot pin 36. The tension and bias of the spring 42 and the arrangement of the cable, the pulley and the anchors is such that the two long arms 31 and 32 are resiliently urged toward each other, that is so as to flatten the parallelogram. This ten-. sion or bias of the spring 42 imparted to the structure through the cable and pulley arrangement shown is such that the arm 13 is urged either upwardly toward the raised position shown in FIGURE 3 or downwardly toward the lowered position shown in FIGURE 3.

If there were no external forces or restraints whatever upon the apparatus and the parallelogram were perfectly formed so as to have 90 angles between the several arms thereof, then the parts would be in the position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3. However, any slight bias or impression of force either upwardly or downwardly permits the bias of the spring to exert its force so as to either tend to raise the arm toward its upward position or to lower the arm toward its lowered position through the tendency to move the two long arms toward each other.

In addition to the foregoing there is incorporated in the outer arm 13 a pair of coil springs 45 and 46 which aid in supporting the load carried by the outer end of the arm, such as the load of the television receiver 25. These coil springs 45 and 46 are disposed on opposite sides of the arm 13 and are arranged and biased to aid in supporting the load, that is toward raising the outer end of the parallelogram structure.

Extending through and carried by the upper arm 31 at its end closest to the pivot pin 37 is a cross pin 47. Threadably secured to the opposite ends of the cross pin 47 which protrude outwardly from the arm 31 are a pair of threaded sleeves 49 and 50. Spacers or washers 48 are interposed between the inner ends of the sleeves 49 and 50 and the arm 31. The inner end of the first coil spring 45, that is its end closest to the pivot pin 37, is hooked around the sleeve 49 so as to be firmly anchored thereto. Similarly, the inner end of the second coil spring 46 is hooked around the sleeve 50 so as to be firmly anchored thereto.

Extending through and carried by the lower arm'32 at its end closest to the pivot pin 36 is a cross pin 57. Threadably mounted to the outer ends of the cross pin 57 protruding from the arm 32 are threaded sleeves 59 and 60.

A pair of spacers or washers 58 are inserted between the arm 32 and the inner ends of the sleeves 59 and 60. The outer end of first coil spring 45 is hooked around and securely anchored to the sleeve 59. Similarly, the outer end of second coil spring 46 is hooked around and anchored to the sleeve'60. The bias or tension of the coil springs 45 and 46 is such as to resiliently urge the outer end of long arm 32 upwardly relative to the elevation of pivot pin 37 Thus the resilient force of the coil springs 45 and 46 is suchas to resiliently aid in the support of a load carried by the outer end of the parallelogram structure. This resilient aid of the coil springs 45 and 46 to support the load is exerted while in all positions of the arm 13, including all of the positions illustrated in FIGURE 3.

To guard the coil springs 45 and 46 and to prevent injury to anyone inadvertently contacting the springs there are provided telescopic tube covers. For first coil spring 45 there is provided a short telescoping tube 53 which has a transverse opening therethrough into which the sleeve 49 extends. A screw 51 threadably secured to the outer end of the sleeve 49 holds the short telescoping tube 53 on the sleeve 49. .A long telescoping tube 55 is similarly carried by the sleeve 59, which sleeve 59 extends into a transverse opening in the lower or outer end of the tube 55. A screw 61 secures the long tube 55 on the sleeve 59. The tubes 53 and 55 are in telescoping arrangement so as to extend and contract as the coil spring 45 extends or contracts and thus to maintain protection to the spring 45 at all times. The telescopic tubes are concentric with the axis of the spring 45. Similarly, on the other side of the parallelogram there is a short telescopic tube 54 held on the sleeve 50 by means of a screw 52. Similarly the lower or outer end of along telescoping tube 56 is secured to thesleeves 60 by means of a screw 62. The tubes 54 and 56 are mounted on the sleeves 50 and 60 in the same manner as described in connection with the tubes 53 and To protect the cable 41 and springs 42 within the space defined by the parallelogram structure there is provided a cover guard 63 of .inverted U-shape. Screws 64 secure the guard 63 to the top of the upper long arm 31. The guard 63.being secured to the arm 31 follows the movements thereof. At the forward and lower corner of the guard 63 there are provided on opposite sides of the guard dwells or niches 63A which are so arranged and formed as to act as stops or limits whereby the sleeves 59 and 60 at the lower and outer ends of the coil springs 45 and 46 may fit into. and abut the confining wall of the dwells 63A. When the arm 13 is in the raised position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3, then the sleeve 59 fits into the dwell 63A and limits or stops any further upward swinging or movement of the arm 13.

By means of the novel mechanism shown, safety is provided in the manipulation and in the support of a load at a desired elevation and position. Great flexibility and maneuverability is provided and at the same time the adjustment is made with great ease and little effort. The parts are so counterpoised and equipoised that the load such as a television receiver is maintained at just the desired position to which it is adjusted. It is understood of course that the tension or bias of the various springs is adjusted and arranged so as to accommodate for the load to be carried, such as for a particular television receiver for example.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims as well as in the foregoing description.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is: g r 1". Counterpoising orequipoising'rriechanisms adapted to be" supported adjacent one end by" a pivot support apd to support" a" nasa adjacent the oth'er end, comprising iii combination a first block member having 'apivot portion interengageable with said piyotsupport to permit swinging of the mechanism" aboutan upright pivot axis adjacent said one endmgsecond-iblock'member adapted to support a load carried thereby, a pair of parallel arms arranged in an'upright plane and each'having its opposite ends *pivotally connected at 'spafcedflocations to'the respective -block membersto form a parallelogramj'lthe spacing of said parallel arms being-variablempomthe variation of the included angles betwee n the respective parallelarmsbnd rhe'res' ec'tive block r'nembeis, a'pull'ey' journalled to one of said block members, a flexible elongated member anchored to the parallelogram adjacent the pivot connection between one of said parallel arms and the other ofv said block members, a first elongated resilient member having a first end secured to one end of said flexible elongated member and having its opposite end anchored to the parallelogram adjacentthe pivot connection between the other of said parallel arms and said other of said block members, said flexible elongated member being reeved about said pulley, the resilient bias of said first elongated resilient member being such that said arm members are resiliently urged toward each other to decrease the included angles between the respective parallel arms and the respective block members, and a second elongated resilient member having a first end anchored to the parallelogram adjacent the pivot connection between one of said arm members and one of said block members and a second end anchored to the parallelogram adjacent the pivot connection between the other of said arm members and the other of said block members, the resilient bias of said second elongated resilient member being such that said other block member carried by said arm members is resiliently urged upwardly in said upright plane in opposition to the force of gravity imposed thereon by the said load carried thereby.

2. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1 and in which said flexible elongated member is a cable, said first elongated resilient member is a coil spring, and said second elongated resilient member is a coil spring.

3. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1- and in which said second elongated resilient member is formed of two coil springs disposed parallel to each other on opposite sides of said parallelogram, and including telescopic tubular guards about each of said coil springs to guard the same.

4. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2 and'including an inverted channel-shaped guard carried by said parallelogram to guard the space included between said arm members and said block members, said guard members being so connected adjacent its opposite ends to saidvparallelogram adjacent to said block members, respectively, to swing in said upright plane with said parallelogram.

5. In a counterpoising or equipoising apparatus having a plurality of pivotally interconnected sections swingable about horizontal axes at the locations of the pivotal interconnections, the inner of said sections being pivotally locations thereon and arranged and biased to exert tension at said locations so as to urge said long parallel arms toward each otherand thus to resiliently urge said other of the short parallel arms toward theupper and lower extremes of permissab'lemovement whereby the load carried by t he said other of said short parallel arms may be readily positioned above and below the level' of said one short parallel arm,'and second resilient means connected to said parallelogram and arranged and biased' to urge said other of the short parallel arms upwardly relative to said'one'short parallel arm whereby the load carried'by the said other of the short parallel arms may receive sup: port from the said second resilient means. --6.-"1 "hecombination claimed incl-aim 5 and in which said first resilient means comprises a coil spring and cable assembly and a pulley, the pulley being journalled to said one short parallel arm, the cable being reeved about said pulley, one end of the cable being secured to the parallelogram adjacent one of the long parallel arms and said other of the short parallel arms, the other end of the cable being secured to one end of the coil spring, and the other end of the coil spring being secured to the parallelogram adjacent the other of the long parallel arms and said other of the short parallel arms.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6 and in which said first resilient means is positioned within said parallelogram and including a cover carried by said parallelogram and movable therewith, said cover extending along the opposite sides of said parallelogram and enclosing said first resilient means within said parallelogram.

8. The combination claimed in claim 5 and in which said second resilient means comprise a pair of coil springs disposed on opposite sides of said parallelogram, one end of each said coil spring being anchored to the parallelogram adjacent the connection of the upper of the long parallel arms and the upper portion of said one short parallel arm and the opposite end of each said coil spring being anchored to the parallelogram adjacent the connection of the lower of the long parallel arms and the lower portion of said one short parallel arm.

9. The combination claimed in claim 8 and including telescopic tubes concentrically surrounding each of said coil springs and telescopically adaptable to the length of the coil springs in the varied degrees of the extension supported by, and swingable on, a pivot support having a vertical axis, the improvement in the outer of said sections of the combination of a parallelogram disposed in a vertical plane, said parallelogram having two relatively long parallel arms and two relatively short parallel arms, said short parallel arms being disposed substantially upright and being pivotally connected to the opposite ends of the respective long parallel arms, one of said short parallel arms being supported by one of said pivotal interconnections of said sections and the other of said short parallel arms being adapted to carry a load and to be movable up and down by the swinging of said long parallel arms up and down in a vertical plane relative to the said. one short parallel arm, first resilient means operatively connected to said parallelogram at three spaced thereof, said tubes providing a guard in all varied degrees of extensionof the springs against intrusion between the coils of the springs, one tube of each telescopic pair of tubes being anchored to the parallelogram where anchored by said one end of the respective coil spring surrounded thereby, and the other tube of each telescopic pair of tubes being anchored to the parallelogram where anchored by said opposite end of the respective coil spring surrounded thereby.

10. In combination, a plurality of arms pivotal-1y interconnected to form a variable parallelogram having two relatively long arms spaced from each other and two relatively short arms spaced from each other, variation in the spacing between said long arms providing variation in the included angles in said parallelogram and a variation in the spacing between said short arms, said parallelogram being disposed in a common vertical plane, one of said short arms being adapted to be supported in a vertical plane at a fixed elevation and the other of said short arms being adapted to support a load, said other of said short arms and load supported thereby being movable up and down as the spacing between opposite arms of the parallelogram is varied, first resilient means operatively interconnected to said parallelogram at three spaced locations thereon and arranged and biased to exert tension at said locations so as to resiliently urge said long arms toward each other and the other of said short arms alternately into its extreme upward and lower positions relative to said fixed elevation of the said one of said short arms, and second resilient means interconnected to said parallelogram arranged and biased to resiliently urge said other of the short arms and load carried thereby upwardly relative to said fixed position of said one of the short arms and thereby to aid in the support of said load.

11. The combination claimed in claim 10 and in which said first and second resilient means are so arranged, biased and proportioned that the first and second resilient means are disposed in opposition to each other upon said other short arm being located generally below the level of said fixed elevation of the first short arm and in complementary aid of each other upon said other short arm being located generally above the level of said fixed location.

12. The combination claimed in claim 10 and in which said first resilient means includes a coil spring, a flexible cable attached thereto and arranged in series therewith, and a pulley about which the cable is reeved, and in which said second resilient means includes a pair of coil springs arranged in parallel.

References Cited UNITED CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

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