Development Finance Corporation of New Zealand

New Zealand Inventions Development Authority

Robert Ivan Skinner

Arnold John Heine

A mechanical attenuating system for preventing horizontal forces from being transmitted from a base such as the ground to a structure such as a building or a nuclear reactor resting on that base. The system has two components: a vertical support which allows free relative horizontal movement between structure and base, and horizontal damping. The two can be combined into a single instrument. When the two are used separately, the support may be supplied by rubber or rolling bearings, by flexible columns or by tendons.

Mechanical attenuator

A cyclic absorber of energy in massive quantities. It is suitable for installation between two parts of a structure that would be caused to move relative to each other by earthquakes or heavy winds. Energy is absorbed by the cyclic, flexural deformation into the plastic range of a main beam which may be a single or double cantilever. Strain of the main beam may be distributed and the capacity of the device increased, by short auxiliary cantilevers initially in contact with the main beam.

Growing community of inventors

Wellington, New Zealand

Robert Ivan Skinner