Shock responsive actuator
First Claim
1. A shock responsive device comprising:
- a support having an upper surface;
a weight supported on said surface and adapted to be displaced relative to the support by shock forces and fall downwardly therefrom;
an element actuable by said weight at a first side of the support;
means responsive to actuation of said element by said weight to operate a controlled unit; and
a guide structure onto which said weight can fall at a second side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from said second side of the support to said first side for actuation of said element and said controlled unit;
said element being movable downwardly relative to said guide structure by said weight.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shock responsive device for automatically actuating a valve or other controlled unit in response to earthquake forces, including a weight which is displaceable from a pedestal or other support by shock forces, an element at a first side of the support actuable by the weight to operate the controlled unit, and a guide structure onto which the weight can fall at a second side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from that side to the first side for actuation of the element and controlled unit. The guide structure preferably extends circularly about the support and is inclined to direct the weight by gravity to the first side of the support from any other location thereabout. The guide structure may be vertically movable relative to the support to return the weight to the normal position on the support for resetting of the mechanism. A spring urged operator member power actuates the controlled unit when released by displacement of the weight, and is manually operable to a cocked position by a mechanism preferably including a cocking element disposed about a rotary shaft which is adapted to be turned in one rotary direction by a coil spring type clutch located radially between the cocking element and the shaft. The coil spring may be actuable to an active condition by axial compression under the control of a manually operated part.
29 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A shock responsive device comprising:
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a support having an upper surface; a weight supported on said surface and adapted to be displaced relative to the support by shock forces and fall downwardly therefrom; an element actuable by said weight at a first side of the support; means responsive to actuation of said element by said weight to operate a controlled unit; and a guide structure onto which said weight can fall at a second side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from said second side of the support to said first side for actuation of said element and said controlled unit; said element being movable downwardly relative to said guide structure by said weight. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A shock responsive device comprising:
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an actuator part operable upon movement in a predetermined direction to operate a controlled unit; means yieldingly urging said part in said predetermined direction; latch mechanism for holding said part against movement in said predetermined direction and which includes an element operable by generally horizontal displacement to release the latch mechanism; a support; a weight positioned on said support and displaceable by shock forces to fall downwardly from the support; a member positioned to be moved downwardly by said weight as the weight falls from said support; and interengaging cam surfaces on said member and said element acting upon downward movement of said member by said weight to cam said element generally horizontally and thereby release said latch mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A shock responsive device comprising:
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an actuator part operable upon movement in a predetermined direction to actuate a controlled unit; means yieldingly urging said part in said direction; two latching structures engageable with opposite sides of said part in holding relation to retain it against movement in said direction and which are operable by movement in generally opposite generally horizontal directions away from one another to release the part for movement in said predetermined direction; a support; a weight on said support displaceable relative thereto by shock forces to fall downwardly from the support; a member positioned to be moved downwardly by said weight as the weight falls from said support; and interengaging camming surfaces on said member and said two latching structures acting to cam said structures in said generally opposite generally horizontal directions away from one another by downward movement of said member to release said part for movement in said predetermined direction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A shock responsive device comprising:
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an actuator shaft operable upon rotation in a first direction about an axis to actuate a controlled unit; means yieldingly urging said shaft in said first rotary direction; latch means for releasably holding said shaft against rotation in said first direction; shock responsive means for automatically releasing said latch means upon subjection to shock forces; a manually rotatable cocking member disposed about said shaft for turning the shaft in a direction the opposite of said first direction; and a coil spring disposed about said shaft and having a first end connected to said cocking member for rotation therewith about said axis and a second free end not directly connected to said cocking member; said coil spring being adapted to wrap tightly about said shaft upon rotary motion of said cocking member in said opposite direction, to transmit rotation in said opposite direction from the cocking member to the shaft, but being releasable from tight engagement with the shaft to permit rotation of the shaft in said first direction relative to the cocking member. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A shock responsive device comprising:
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a rod which is movable along an axis; means yieldingly urging said rod in a predetermined direction along said axis; latch mechanism for releasably retaining said rod against movement in said direction; a support; a weight on said support and which is displaceable relative thereto by shock forces and is operable to release said latch mechanism upon such shock induced displacement; a toothed rack carried by said rod for movement therewith; a gear rotatable by said rack upon movement of said rod in said predetermined direction; and an actuator shaft connected to said gear for rotation therewith and operable to actuate a controlled unit upon such rotation. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A shock responsive device comprising:
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a support having an upper surface; a weight supported on said surface and adapted to be displaced relative to the support by shock forces and fall downwardly therefrom; an element actuable by said weight at a first side of the support; means responsive to actuation of said element by said weight to operate a controlled unit; and a guide structure onto which said weight can fall at a second side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from said second side of the support to said first side for actuation of said element and said controlled unit; said guide structure being movable upwardly and downwardly relative to said support, and being operable by upward movement to raise said weight and replace it on the support for resetting the device. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A shock responsive device comprising:
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a support havimg an upper surface; a weight supported on said surface and adapted to be displaced relative to the support by shock forces and fall downwardly therefrom; an element actuable by said weight at a first side of the support; means responsive to actuation of said element by said weight to operate a controlled unit; and a guide structure onto which said weight can fall at a second side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from said second side of the support to said first side for actuation of said element and said controlled unit; said support being a pedestal; said guide structure being disposed about said pedestal and guided thereby for upward and downward movement relative thereto to return the weight upwardly onto the pedestal in resetting the device.
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34. A shock responsive device comprising:
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a support having an upper surface; a weight supported on said surface and adapted to be displaced relative to the support by shock forces and fall downwardly therefrom; an element actuable by said weight at a first side of the support; means responsive to actuation of said element by said weight to operate a controlled unit; and a guide structure onto which said weight can fall at a second side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from said second side of the support to said first side for actuation of said element and said controlled unit; said guide structure being movable upwardly relative to said support to return the weight to said upper surface of the support, and having a surface at said first side of the support inclined radially inwardly toward the support to direct the weight by gravity onto the upper surface of the support.
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35. A shock responsive device comprising:
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a support having an upper surface; a weight supported on said surface and adapted to be displaced relative to the support by shock forces and fall downwardly therefrom; an element actuable by said weight at a first side of the support; means responsive to actuation of said element by said weight to operate a controlled unit; and a guide structure onto which said weight can fall at a secomd side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from said second side of the support to said first side for actuation of said element and said controlled unit; said support being a pedestal; said guide structure containing a recess for receiving and holding said weight at said first side of the pedestal at a location for actuation of said element, and having a ramp surface extending essentially circularly about the pedestal and which is inclined to direct the weight by gravity to said recess from any location about the pedestal; said element extending upwardly through an opening in said guide structure at the location of said recess and being movable downwardly relative to the structure by said weight when it falls into said recess. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A shock responsive device comprising:
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a support having an upper surface; a weight supported on said surface and adapted to be displaced relative to the support by shock forces and fall downwardly therefrom; an element actuable by said weight at a first side of the support; means responsive to actuation of said element by said weight to operate a controlled unit; and a guide structure onto which said weight can fall at a second side of the support and which is constructed to direct the weight from said second side of the support to said first side for actuation of said element and said controlled unit; said support being a pedestal; said guide structure having a tubular sleeve portion received slidably about the pedestal and guided thereby for upward and downward movement relative to the pedestal between a lower position and an upper reset position in which the weight is returned from said structure to said upper surface of the pedestal; said guide structure having an upper guide surface which extends essentially circularly about the pedestal and which is inclined to advance progressively downwardly as it advances circularly about the pedestal toward said first side thereof, and is also inclined to advance progressively downwardly as it advances radially inwardly toward the pedestal; said guide structure having a recess at said first side of the pedestal into which said weight can fall for actuation of said element; said guide structure forming a bottom wall of said recess which supports said weight and from which the weight can move onto the upper surface of the pedestal in said upper position of the guide structure, and which surface of the recess is inclined to advance progressively downwardly as it advances radially inwardly for movement of the weight by gravity onto the pedestal. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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Specification