Joint for truss structures of fiber composite material

• US 4,650,361 A
• Filed: 12/24/1984
• Issued: 03/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dornier System GmbH D-7990 Friedrichshafen Germany A Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dornier System GmbH
• Inventors: Seuster, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Cornelius J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fischetti, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US06/685,349
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 343/915, 343/916, 343/912, 343/840, 403/3, 403/4, 403/24, 403/146, 52/81, 248/286
• US Class Current: 403/24
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/1906 with central spherical, semispherical or polyhedral connecting element
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1927 of essentially circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1957 Details of connections between nodes and struts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/196 Screw connections with axis parallel to the main axis of the strut
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1972 Welded or glued connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/165 composed of a plurality of rigid panels collapsible H01Q15/161
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32827 Interposed spring means coaxial with pivot

Abstract

A joint connection for attachment of reflector panels at a truss support structure of a radio telescope, where the bars of the truss and the reflector panels consisting of fiber composite material, and adjusting means for the reflector panels between the ball-shaped central body of the joint and the reflector panels.

Claims

1. A joint connection for the attachment of reflector panels to a truss support structure comprised of bars, wherein said bars and said reflector panels consist of fiber composite material or metal and wherein said joint connection comprises:

(a) a ball in which are fastened bolts having ends attached to said bars by means of a screw connection to compressively stress said bars, said ball having a bore, and (b) a cross plate fastened through said bore by a screw bolt, said cross plate having bores for receiving a spring-loaded adjusting system which is connected by a screw to a reflector panel, said adjusting system consisting of (i) a panel bearing bushing having a bore in which is disposed a bolt having a shank and being provided with a reversely hemispherically-shaped head, said shank having a longitudinally directed female thread, (ii) an adjusting screw screwed into said female thread, (iii) a disk having a hemispherical recess which cooperates with said reversely hemispherically-shaped head, and (iv) a plate adjacent to said disk having attachment means for a reflector panel, said reversely hemispherically-shaped head being connected to said disk and said disk in turn being connected to an annular spring surrounding said panel bearing bushing and supported by a collar of said bushing, said disk comprising projections which fit into slots of said plate.

2. The joint connection of claim 1 wherein the reversely hemispherically-shaped head is connected to a differential screw arrangment which permits fine adjustment of the reflector panels.