Barry Wright Corporation

Robert R Peterson

Daniel S Ventura

Dale W Schubert

Richard S Gureghian

Peter N Cholakis

A constant velocity, 'Tri-Pot' type joint comprises first and second members respectively rotatable about first and second axes and a coupling for connecting the first and second members. The coupling comprises three trunnions rotatable with the first member. The trunnions have respective radial axes extending radially from and perpendicular to the first rotation axis and intersecting the first axis at a common intersecting point. The coupling also comprises rods connecting the trunnions to the second member, and laminated elastomeric bearings, disposed about the trunnions for carrying in compression torque transmitted between the first and second members and for carrying in shear axial misalignment of the first and second members and relative angular motion between the first and second members about the common intersecting point. In the preferred embodiment of the plunging joint the coupling includes laminated elastomeric bearings for accommodating in shear a telescoping motion applied to one of the members along its rotation axis with respect to the other of the members; and of the fixed joint includes laminated elastomeric bearings for carrying a telescoping load in compression.

Constant velocity coupling having laminated elastomeric bearings

A tactile sensor for sensing an object in contact therewith. In its preferred form, the sensor comprises a plurality of layers disposed in a sandwich arrangement. A top layer is comprised of a flexible, electrically-insulating material and a plurality of parallel flexible conductive rods. A bottom layer is comprised of an electrically-insulating material and a plurality of parallel conductive rods that extend at right angles to the conductive rods of the top layer, thus forming a sensory array comprising a plurality of superimposed intersection points arranged in a grid pattern. An intermediate layer is comprised of a resilient, electrically-insulating material in which is disposed a plurality of parallel conductive posts that extend perpendicular to the plane of the three layers. These posts are comprised of a resilient conducting material. Each conductive post is disposed at one of the sensor's aforementioned intersection points so as to electrically couple one of the conductive rods of the top layer to one of the conductive rods of the bottom layer. The conductive rods are formed with a selected cross-section, in order that changes in the amount of pressure exerted on the sensor will produce corresponding logarithmic exchanges in the contact surface area, and hence electrical contact resistance, established between the conductive rods and those conductive posts disposed beneath the points of pressure.

Tactile sensors for robotic gripper and the like

Laminated elastomer bearings of the type comprising alternating bonded layers of resilient material and non-extensible material are improved by forming at least some of the resilient layers of at least two different stocks having different elasticity characteristics.

Laminated bearing structures

An improved Bartlett type flexible coupling includes cylindrical laminated elastomeric bearing means between opposing cylindrical bearing surfaces and substantially flat laminated elastomeric bearing means between opposing flat bearing surfaces. One disclosed embodiment is an improved high angle fixed joint coupling comprising additional spherical sections connected to both of the driving and driven members and to each other so as to fix the axial position of each driving and driven member while allowing the members to rotate about axes which extend at an angle between 0.degree. and 90.degree.. The cylindrical and flat laminated elastomeric bearing means comprise alternating layers of an elastomeric resilient material and a nonextensible material to provide a more reliable coupling with improved performance.

Bartlett coupling

An improved coupling device for joining two rotatable members which may undergo misalignment is disclosed. The device includes a plurality of balls for operatively coupling the two rotatable members. One disclosed embodiment of the coupling device is a plunging joint and another disclosed embodiment of the coupling device is a fixed joint. The joints can be used independently or, alternatively both types of joints can be combined in tandem to provide an improved transmission drive. Each joint is connected between a driving member and a driven member. The coupling device comprises laminated bearing units of alternating layers of resilient and nonextensible materials. The units are designed to carry in compression torque loads transmitted through the device. The units of the plunging joint accommodate in shear (1) relative axial misalignment or plunging motion and/or (2) relatively small angular motion between the driving and driven members to which the joint is connected, while the units of the fixed joint accommodate in shear relative angular misalignment or pivotal motion between the driving and driven members to which the joint is connected from the respective rotation axes of the driving and driven members.

Coupling

A laminated device such as a bearing or coupling comprising an inner and an outer housing with a laminate therebetween of alternating resilient and non-extensible layers wherein at least one of its resilient layers is made of a material characterized by having a damping coefficient different from that associated with the material of at least one other resilient layer and preselected so as to improve the uniformity of the strain distribution within the laminate and, thereby, the low temperature operating characteristics of the device. In another embodiment of the invention, at least one of the resilient layers is comprised of discrete portions or segments, each having a nominal damping coefficient preselected so as to improve the bearing's operating characteristics in low temperature applications.

Laminated bearing with improved low temperature operating characteristics

A bearing for carrying compressive radial loads comprising alternating bonded layers of a resilient material of a uniform modulus of elasticity and layers of a non-extensible material, all generally concentrically formed about a common center axis. The fatigue life of the bearing under torsional and compressive loads is enhanced by progressively decreasing both the length and thickness of each layer of resilient material with increasing radii, so that a substantially equal strain is carried across each layer of resilient material in response to each torsional load and the shape factor of each of the layers of resilient material remains substantially constant or increases with increasing radii.

Laminated bearings having elastomer layers of varying dimensions

A blade retention system for use in a fully articulated rotor head of a rotary wing aircraft is described. The retention system comprises a separate elastomeric bearing means for carrying loads in compression and accommodating motions about the respective flapping, lead-lag, and pitching axes of the rotor head in shear for each type of motion about the respective flapping, lead-lag and pitching axes of the rotor head.

Blade retention system

A coupling of the 'Tracta' joint type comprises a driving member rotatable about a first axis, a driven member rotatable about a second axis, and two intermediate members for operatively coupling the driving member to the driven member. The improvement comprises elastomeric bearing means disposed between and engaging each set of mutually opposing bearing surfaces of the driving, driven and intermediate members under compression when torque is applied to the driving member about the first axis.

Flexible coupling

A frusto-conical laminated elastomeric bearing is provided wherein at least some of the layers are graded in composition so that they have a first relatively high modulus of elasticity at the inner circumference, and a second relatively low modulus of elasticity at the outer circumference, with the grading being arranged so as to provide an optimum balance of strain distribution and spring rates consistent with bearing lifetime and reduced-torque considerations.

Laminated bearings with dual stock layers

A cylindrical elastomeric bearing for carrying relatively large compressive radial loads while accommodating thrust and torsional loads acting along the bearing's longitudinal axis. The bearing generally comprises a rigid interior member and a rigid exterior member, with the two members being joined together by bonded concentric laminae comprising alternating strata of resilient material and non-extensible material. The fatigue life of the bearing is enhanced by forming each resilient stratum with a shear modulus of elasticity such that the stratum will tend to carry a strain substantially equal to the strain carried by every other resilient stratum when the bearing is subjected to a wide range of different torsional loads. The desired shear moduli of elasticity are attained for the different resilient strata over a wide range of different torsional loads by forming at least some of the resilient strata from two or more substrata of selected thicknesses wherein each substratum within a given resilient stratum comprises a resilient material having a unique shear modulus.

Cylindrical elastomeric bearing

An improved Oldham type coupling comprising elastomeric laminated bearings between the conventional bearing surfaces to improve the compression load capacity of the bearing surfaces of the coupling as well as provide other advantages. In one embodiment the bearings are designed so that the coupling is capable of operating as a constant velocity coupling.

A frusto-conical laminated elastomeric bearing is provided wherein at least some of the layers are graded in composition so that they have a first relatively high modulus of elasticity at the inner circumstance, a second lower but still relatively high modulus of elasticity at the outer circumference, and a third still lower modulus of elasticity in an intermediate position between the inner and outer circumferences, with the grading being arranged so as to provide an optimum balance of strain distribution and spring rates consistent with bearing lifetime and reduced-torque considerations.

End bearing assemblies are provided for articulating links, especially for articulating control links associated with helicopter rotor mechanisms. The end bearing assemblies comprise at least two elastomeric bearing sections connected by a load-transmitting member and arranged to react to loadings and accommodate motions along and about at least one of three mutually orthogonal axes.

Laminated elastomeric end bearings for articulating links

A flexible coupling comprises first and second torque transmitting members capable of being rotated about first and second axes, respectively. The coupling also includes connecting members associated in pairs. The connecting members are connected together and to the torque transmitting members through suitable bearings, preferably of the elastomeric type, for carrying pure compressive stress loading for torque transmission and for providing shear motion and restoring forces when said axes become misaligned.

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Hudson, MA, United States of America

Robert R Peterson