Resilient mount assembly
First Claim
1. A resilient mount assembly, comprising:
- a first member having a longitudinal axis with an outer surface disposed about the longitudinal axis, the outer surface being generally spherical in shape with a center of radius at a point on the longitudinal axis;
a second member having an end portion defining a transverse bore therein, the first and second members being pivotally interconnected and when assembled a center line of the transverse bore generally intersects the center of radius point located on the longitudinal axis of the first member;
a segmented assembly operative when assembled to interconnect the first and second members, the segmented assembly including first and second semi-circular half shells with each of the semi-circular half shells having first and second semi-circular elastomeric layers disposed on an inner side thereof and third and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers disposed on an outer side thereof, when assembled each of the first and second semi-circular elastomeric layers is in intimate contact with the spherical outer surface of the first member, and the segmented assembly further includes preloading means for substantially, uniformly loading each of the first, second, third, and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers to a predetermined level; and
the predetermined level of loading of the respective first, second, third and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers is to a level that during operation of the resilient mount assembly all portions of the respective first, second, third, and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers remain in compression while the first member and the second member have the ability to rotate relative to each other through a range of approximately 40 degrees, the relative rotation of the first and second members is attributed solely through the shear deformation of the elastomeric material in the respective elastomeric layers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Resilient mount assemblies provide absorption of induced loads while permitting some degree of relative rotation between the elements. It is desirable to have resilient mount assemblies which can withstand heavy operating loads while having high angular rotation. In this arrangement, a resilient mount assembly is provided having a segmented assembly interconnecting a first member having a spherical outer surface with a second member having a transverse bore therein. The segmented assembly includes first and second semi-circular half shells with first, second, third, and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers disposed on respective first and second sides thereof. The first and second semi-circular half shells and their respective first, second, third, and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers are disposed in intimate contact with the spherical outer surface of the first member. A preloading mechanism is provided and operative to induce a radial force into the first, second, third, and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers during the assembly thereof. Once the preloading mechanism has been pressed to its full assembled position, the resilient mount assembly has the ability to withstand high operating loads while still having the ability to have high angular rotation between the elements thereof.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A resilient mount assembly, comprising:
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a first member having a longitudinal axis with an outer surface disposed about the longitudinal axis, the outer surface being generally spherical in shape with a center of radius at a point on the longitudinal axis; a second member having an end portion defining a transverse bore therein, the first and second members being pivotally interconnected and when assembled a center line of the transverse bore generally intersects the center of radius point located on the longitudinal axis of the first member; a segmented assembly operative when assembled to interconnect the first and second members, the segmented assembly including first and second semi-circular half shells with each of the semi-circular half shells having first and second semi-circular elastomeric layers disposed on an inner side thereof and third and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers disposed on an outer side thereof, when assembled each of the first and second semi-circular elastomeric layers is in intimate contact with the spherical outer surface of the first member, and the segmented assembly further includes preloading means for substantially, uniformly loading each of the first, second, third, and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers to a predetermined level; and
the predetermined level of loading of the respective first, second, third and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers is to a level that during operation of the resilient mount assembly all portions of the respective first, second, third, and fourth semi-circular elastomeric layers remain in compression while the first member and the second member have the ability to rotate relative to each other through a range of approximately 40 degrees, the relative rotation of the first and second members is attributed solely through the shear deformation of the elastomeric material in the respective elastomeric layers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification