The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 06, 1997
Filed:
Feb. 15, 1995
Allen DeSatnick, Marblehead, MA (US);
Roger J Simpson, Marblehead, MA (US);
Questus Corporation, Marblehead, MA (US);
Abstract
A tool support assembly having bi-directional position control. A tool support element is positioned within a housing and movable axially therealong in response to applied axial force F on a control element. A bi-directional positioning assembly links the tool support element to the housing and includes at least one detent element affixed to the housing and having at least one detent which extends transverse to the axis of the housing. The positioning assembly further includes at least one latch element captively positioned within the housing and selectively movable along the axis relative to the housing. The latch element includes at least one lock arm which is resiliently biasable toward one of the detents and is adapted for selective engagement therewith. A control element is captively positioned within the housing and is movable relative to the housing along the axis. When no force is applied to the control element relative to the housing, and when at least one of the lock arms is engaged with one of the detents, the tool support element is fixedly positioned relative to the housing. In response to a force to the control element applied in either axial direction relative to the housing, the lock arms disengage from the detents and permit the tool support element to move in the corresponding axial direction relative to the housing.