Modular large load variable spring and method for using

• US 8,746,648 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piping Technology And Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Piping Technology And Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Godina, Jerry, Husain, Hyder
• Primary Examiner(s): MARSH, STEVEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/417,138
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 248/575, 248/576, 248/618, 248/619, 248/620, 248/621, 248/622, 248/623, 248/624, 248/625, 248/346.01, 248/346.04
• US Class Current: 248/575
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/36 Bearings or like supports allowing movement for bridges E01D19/04; buildings with-standing earthquakes E04H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/067 using only wound springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2228/08 pre-stressed

Abstract

A method and apparatus for supporting heavy load is developed which consists of parallel spring sets in a M×N matrix, where M is the number of Modules and N is the number of spring sets in each module. Each spring set may be comprised of a single coil or multiple coils in series. Each module is pre-compressed to the design installation load employing hydraulic jacks working in parallel by a single pump.

Claims

1. A large load variable spring support, comprising:

a base plate;

a plurality of spring modules assembled into a spring module array disposed on said base plate;

at least one fixed top bar fixedly connected to said base plate by vertical columns;

a plurality of through-holes provided in said fixed top bar;

a plurality of stop rods with top and bottom ends, said stop rods being slidably received in said through-holes of said fixed top bar;

a floating bar slidably received on said plurality of stop rods at said bottom ends and supported by a plurality of floating bar nuts near said bottom ends of said plurality of stop rods, wherein rotation of said floating bar nuts in a first direction causes advancement of said floating bar nuts along said stop rods in a first vertical direction and rotation of said floating bar nuts in a second direction causes advancement of said floating bar nuts along said stop rods in a second direction and wherein said floating bar supported by said floating bar nuts will advance as said floating bar nuts advance;

a plurality of cross beams supported at opposing distal ends by said vertical columns and having cantilever plates at said distal ends, wherein said plurality of cross beams are fixedly connected to said at least one fixed top bar at said cantilever plates; and

a plurality of travel stop lock nuts threadably engaged with said stop rods such that said stop lock nuts engage a bottom surface of said fixed top bar to prevent vertical upward movement of said stop rods and maintain said spring modules in a compressed position.

2. The large load variable spring support of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of spring modules further comprise:

a plurality of spring coils having top and bottom ends;

a spring bar having one through hole for each of said plurality of spring coils;

one spring rod disposed in each of said through holes and having a lower spring nut threadably attached thereto near said spring bar;

wherein said spring rod is threadably engaged with an upper spring nut fixedly attached to said spring bar;

one spring pressure plate between said spring coil and said lower spring nut; and

a spring base at the base of said plurality of spring coils.

3. The large load variable spring support of claim 2, further comprising:

a load flange supported by said plurality of spring bars wherein a load placed upon

said load flange causes said load flange to pressure said spring bars in a downward

vertical direction which, in turn, depresses spring coils via said spring pressure plates;

and wherein downward vertical movement of said spring bars also causes downward vertical movement of said stop rods and thus said floating bar.

4. The large load variable spring support of claim 2, wherein said spring modules further comprise:

a plurality of spring rods threaded to upper spring rod nuts fixedly attached to said spring bars; and

a plurality of lower spring rod nuts threadably attached to said plurality of spring rods such that rotation of said lower spring nuts in a first direction causes one vertical movement of said springs nuts along said spring rods and rotation of said lower spring nuts in a second direction causes a second vertical movement of said spring nuts along said spring rods to a point where said spring nuts engage said spring pressure plates to cause a compression of one of said spring coils associated with said spring rod.

5. The large load variable spring support of claim 3, wherein:

said plurality of stop rods are fixedly connected at top ends to said spring bar such that vertical movement of said spring bars also causes a vertical movement of said stop rods.

6. The large load variable spring support of claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of flange guides fixedly connected to said load flange and slidably disposed in a second plurality of through holes formed in said fixed top bar such that said flange guides and thus said load flange are capable of moving in vertical directions but said flange guides and thus said load flange are prevented from substantial horizontal movement by the deposition of said flange guides in said second plurality of through-holes.

7. A method of locking a cold load into a large load variable spring support, said method comprising:

applying, via an auxiliary hydraulic jack, a force to a spring module at a spring bar to cause a compression of spring coils supporting said spring bar and to cause vertical downward travel of a plurality of stop rods in a plurality of through holes formed in a fixed top bar;

wherein applying said force further causes travel of stop lock nuts threadably engaged with said stop rods to move vertically downward with said rods in a direction away from said fixed top bar;

rotating said stop lock nut in a first direction to cause travel of said stop lock nut relative to said stop rod in a vertical upward direction toward said fixed top bar to engage said fixed top bar on a bottom surface thereof thus locking spring coils in a compressed position.

8. The method of locking as set forth in claim 7, further comprising;

repeating said applying and rotating steps a number of times equal to the total number of spring modules within said large load variable spring support.

9. A method of unlocking a plurality of spring modules that are part of a large load variable spring support, said method comprising:

applying, via an integrated hydraulic jacking system, a force to a load flange and there through a plurality of spring coils of said spring modules to cause a compression of said spring coils that support a spring bar and to cause vertical downward travel of a plurality of stop rods in a plurality of through holes formed in a fixed top bar;

wherein downward travel of said plurality of stop rods further causes travel of stop lock nuts threadably engaged with said stop rods to move vertically downward with said rods in a direction away from said fixed top bar;

rotating said stop lock nuts in a first direction to cause travel of said stop lock nuts relative to said stop rods in a vertical downward direction from a first position engaged with a bottom surface of said fixed top bar to a second position away from said fixed top bar;

transferring a force locked into the compression of said spring coils to a large load supported by a load flange.

10. The method of unlocking as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

by said rotating step, unloaded spring coils are allowed to extend slightly to a new position constrained by the engagement of said stop lock nuts in said second position with said bottom surface of said fixed bar.