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:
Nov. 26, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 18, 2001
Che Ram Souza Voigt, San Francisco, CA (US);
Allan Alfred Voigt, Geyserville, CA (US);
John Michael Speicher, Geyserville, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for the support of a cardan shaft within a gimbal ball includes a pair of cardan support cranes that are adapted to pivot around an inner elevation axis in the ball and which each support one of a pair of vibration isolators. Each end of the cardan shaft is supported by one of the vibration isolators. An outer elevation drive motor is attached to the ball and drives against a bevel section of a combination bevel sector and spur gear that is attached to an outer support structure, that supports the ball. The motor drives the ball in elevation relative to the outer support structure. This causes the ball to rotate relative to the bevel sector and spur gear. A spur gear portion or the bevel sector and spur gear drives an idler gear which drives, in turn, a spur gear section of the cardan support crane, the cardan support crane having a true one to one gear ratio with respect to the spur gear portion of the bevel sector and spur gear thereby maintaining normal alignment of the cardan support crane with respect to the cardan shaft. A mirror image supports the opposite side of the cardan shaft. A second motor can be used or omitted on the opposite side. An alternative placement for a modified spring in the cardan shaft is also disclosed.