U.S. patent number 3,662,981 [Application Number 04/869,004] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-16 for articulated carrying frame.
Invention is credited to Herbert C. Hogrebe.
United States Patent |
3,662,981 |
Hogrebe |
May 16, 1972 |
ARTICULATED CARRYING FRAME
Abstract
This carrying frame includes upper and lower pivotally
interconnected U-shaped members. The lower member is adapted to
mount an article thereon and the upper member is adapted to be
connected by a swivel member to an adjustable bracket or similar
support. The axis of rotation of the pivotal connection between the
upper and lower members is so chosen as to pass through or near the
center of gravity of the carried article so that a minimum of
effort is required to relocate the carried object and so that the
article will maintain its relocated position.
Inventors: |
Hogrebe; Herbert C. (St. Louis,
MO) |
Family
ID: |
25352751 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/869,004 |
Filed: |
October 24, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/278.1;
248/325; 248/921 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16M
11/10 (20130101); F16M 13/02 (20130101); F16M
11/24 (20130101); F16M 11/2092 (20130101); F16M
11/2064 (20130101); Y10S 248/921 (20130101); F16M
2200/044 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F16M
11/02 (20060101); F16M 11/04 (20060101); A47g
029/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/324,325,326,278,279,280,281,285,16,309 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Foss; J. Franklin
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. An articulated carrying frame for an article, comprising:
a. a first U-shaped frame member including a strap, providing a
bight portion, and opposed arm portions,
b. a second U-shaped frame member including a strap, providing a
bight portion, and opposed arm portions adjacently disposed to
associated arm portions of the first frame member, said U-shaped
members being disposed in inverse nested relation,
c. pivot means interconnecting associated arms of the first and
second frame members to suspend the first frame member below the
second frame member,
d. mounting means attached to the first U-shaped frame member
adapted to mount the article, and including a pair of plate
portions attached to and transversely disposed of the bight portion
of said first U-shaped member,
e. the axes of rotation of the pivot means being substantially
aligned and passing substantially through the combined center of
gravity of the suspended portion of the carrying frame and the
article,
f. a handle interconnecting associated ends of the plate
portions,
g. support means attached to the second U-shaped frame member,
h. the support means including an adaptor means having a pin
attached to the bight portion of the second U-shaped member to
provide rotation of the article about an axis transversely related
to the axis of rotation of the pivot means,
i. the adaptor means including a set screw precluding rotation of
the pin and providing a projecting lug, and
j. the bight portion of the second U-shaped frame member including
a projecting lug, said lugs engaging to provide stop means limiting
swivel of the adaptor means relative to the second U-shaped frame.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to an articulated carrying frame
suitable for maintaining a carried article in a selected position,
and in particular, to a carrying frame adapted to be attached to
the end of a bracket member.
An article such as a television set which is to be suspended from a
bracket arm some distance from the user, is, in general, limited to
such relocation capability as is permitted by the bracket itself,
and whatever additional rotation the connection between the article
and the bracket allows, the latter being usually about the vertical
axis of the article. If a carrying frame is provided for the
article, then the versatility of the article with respect to its
movement capability is controlled by the connection of the carrying
frame to the bracket.
There are many applications in which it is highly desirable that
the article should possess such movement capability as to enable it
to be rotated easily, not only about a vertical axis, but also
about its own horizontal axis so that it may be relocated to a
desired angular position and be capable of maintaining that
position. This is particularly true in the case of an article
having a specific portion which is to be examined in such a manner
as to suit the convenience of an operator or viewer who is located
in a relatively stationary position.
A television set in a hospital provides an example of such usage,
and a carrying frame which is suspended at the end of an
articulated arm for movement toward and away from the viewer and
which can also be oriented relative to its own principal axes, can
easily be set for perfect viewing.
Of course, it is highly desirable that such orientation should be
accomplished with a minimum amount of effort and it is equally
desirable that the carrying frame should be of simple construction
and easily operated. A carrying frame meeting these exacting
specifications does not appear to be available in the prior
art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This articulated carrying frame has the capability of rotating an
article mounted upon it about the horizontal and vertical axes of
the article. The arrangement of parts is such as to permit
articulation of the frame and article with a minimum amount of
effort. Once oriented, the balancing of the frame is such that
re-orientation is easily achieved. The structure of the frame is of
utmost simplicity and it may be adapted to a variety of uses.
The carrying frame includes first and second U-shaped members, each
including opposed arms and pivot means interconnects associated
arms of the first and second frame members.
Mounting means mounts the article to the first frame member and
support means, attached to the second frame member, mounts the
frame to a bracket arm or similar structure.
The axes of rotation of the pivot means are substantially aligned
and pass substantially through the combined center of gravity of
the first frame member, including the mounting means, and the
article. The pivot means includes friction means selectively
controlling the pivotal rotation between the first and second frame
members.
A pair of bent straps, disposed in inverted nested relation,
provide the U-shaped members. The mounting means includes a pair of
plates attached to and transversely disposed of the bight portion
of the first U-shaped member. A depending handle interconnects
associated ends of the plates.
The support means includes a swivel adaptor attached to the bight
portion of the second U-shaped member, and the adaptor includes a
projecting lug. The bight portion of the second U-shaped member
also includes a projecting lug and the lugs are engageable to
provide a stop means limiting the swivel action of the swivel
adaptor relative to the second U-shaped frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the carrying frame
mounted at the end of an adjustable bracket;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the carrying frame;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view partly in cross section illustrating the
vertical swivel adaptor, and
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in cross section illustrating the
horizontal pivot.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:
Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing and first
to FIG. 1, it will be understood that the carrying frame, generally
indicated by numeral 10, is adapted to be attached to the outer end
11 of an adjustable bracket 12 which is mounted to a wall or
similar structure by means of a pedestal 13. In the embodiment
described, the carrying frame 10 is adapted for use with a portable
television set 14.
FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of the carrying frame 10 in
greater detail. The carrying frame 10 includes a lower U-shaped
strap member 15 constituting a first frame member, and having
opposed arm portions 16 and a bight portion 17. An upper U-shaped
strap 20, constituting a second frame member having opposed arm
portions 21 and a bight portion 22, is pivotally connected to the
lower U-shaped strap 15 to provide the articulated carrying frame
10 having relatively movable upper and lower portions.
The pivot means provided between associated arms 16 and 21 is
illustrated in enlarged detail in FIG. 4 and includes a cylindrical
socket member 23, riveted into an elliptical hole or otherwise
non-rotatively secured to the arm 21. The threaded socket 24
receives a locking screw 25, and a spring washer, such as the
belleville washer 26, provides a light frictional resistance
between the arm 16 and the socket member 23. By this arrangement,
the arm 16 can move with a selected degree of freedom relative to
the arm 21 without rotating the lock screw 25.
In order to facilitate mounting of the article in the carrying
frame 10, a pair of plates 30 is provided. Each plate 30 is
transversely disposed to the bight portion 17 of the lower U-shaped
strap 15 and welded, or otherwise rigidly attached to the bight 17.
An inclined U-shaped handle member 31 is connected by its leg
portions 32 to associated plates 30 as by welding. In the preferred
embodiment, the handle is inclined to facilitate gripping without
interference with the article mounted on the carrying frame 10.
Each plate portion 30 includes a plurality of mounting apertures 33
by which the television set 14 is mounted to said plate portions 30
as by screws (not shown). The larger apertures 34 are
representative of cut-out portions which may be necessary to
accommodate specific protuberances existing on the underside of the
article to ensure a firm seating of the article on the plate
portions 30.
A swivel adapter 35, constituting a support means, is attached to
the bight member 22 of the upper U-shaped strap 20. As indicated in
FIG. 3, the end of the bracket arm 11 has a channel configuration
which embracingly receives the adaptor post 36. A bolt 37
interconnects the arm 11 and the adaptor post 36. The bolt 37
includes a square neck 38 to prevent relative rotation of the bolt
37 and a wing nut 40, provided with a built-in, relatively
rotatable washer having a serrated underface, ensures a tight
connection between the arm 11 and the carrying frame 10, yet
permits the carrying frame 10 to be oriented to a desired position.
This orientation is usually vertical in the case of a television
set 14, and is attained under self-weight of this article. It will
be understood that the arm 11 is adjustable to several different
positions and thus, relative movement between the arm 11 and the
adaptor 35 is important.
The adaptor post 36 is pivotally attached to the bight portion 22
of the upper U-framed strap 20 by a swivel bolt 42. The swivel bolt
42 is locked in place by means of a set screw 43. A spring washer
44 of the belleville type creates the requisite degree of friction
between the post 36 and the bight portion 22 to ensure that the
swivel action is controlled and not entirely free.
In order to prevent the carrying frame 10 from rotating a full
360.degree., stop means is provided between the adaptor post 36 and
the upper U-shaped strap 20. In the preferred embodiment, this stop
means is provided by an ell-shaped lug 45 mounted to the underside
of the bight portion 22 by means of the swivel bolt 42, and the set
screw 43 which is chosen to have sufficient length so that it
projects beyond the adaptor face to provide another lug engaging
the ell-shaped lug 45. With this arrangement, the engagement of the
lugs precludes rotation of the carrying frame 10 in one direction
of more than 360.degree.. Hence, any danger of twisting of the
power cable 18 is eliminated.
It is thought that the structural features of this articulated
carrying frame have become apparent from the description of parts,
particularly with regard to the pivotal relationships between the
various elements. A specific and important feature of this carrying
frame which renders it particularly useful lies in the positioning
of the pivot means between the upper and lower U-shaped straps 20
and 15 to provide for optimum control of the carried article. This
feature will now be discussed.
All articles, including the television set, indicated by numeral
14, have an ascertainable center of gravity. In the preferred
embodiment, the length of the arms 16 of the lower U-shaped strap
15 is so chosen that the pivot axis 27 between the aligned lock
screws 25 passes through or below the point within the article,
representing the center of gravity of the carried article, in this
case, the television set 14. It will be understood that in
consideration of the axis of the center of gravity of the
television set 14, the location of the axis is required fore and
aft, as well as vertically, and that the intersection of the
horizontal plane on which the center of gravity lies and the fore
and aft plane on which the center of gravity lies, defines the axis
of the center of gravity in the preferred embodiment. It will also
be understood that in order to achieve perfect balance, the weight
consideration should include, not only the television set itself,
but also the lower portion of the carrying frame 10 which is
attached to the television set 14. The television set 14 of the
preferred embodiment can be expected to weigh up to 20 pounds and
therefore, the weight of the lower portion of the carrying frame is
not too significant. However, perfect balance can be achieved by
consideration of the center of gravity of the combined mass of the
television set and said lower portion including the mounting plates
30 and the handle 31. With substantially perfect balance, the
television set 14 may be rotated to any desired position with
virtually no effort and it will maintain that position. The light
friction means provided in the pivot by the spring washers 26 serve
to compensate for an alignment which is somewhat less than
perfect.
An operator or viewer, wishing to re-orient the television set 14,
simply grasps the handle 31 and with virtually no effort, can turn
the set about a vertical or a horizontal axis, the weight of the
set and the specific connection between the adaptor 35 and the
bracket arm 11 ensures that the set will not be tilted out of the
vertical unless this is desirable, which might occur if the
carrying frame were used for an article other than a television
set. It will be understood that the center of gravity of the
carried article in each of its three dimensions, particularly
vertically and fore and aft, may be easily determined in a variety
of conventional ways, perhaps the best being by testing. The
location of an axis passing through the center of gravity may be
lightly scribed on each side of the television set 14. Given the
location of this axis, and knowing the center of gravity of the
lower portion of the frame which is easily determined by
conventional means, the location of the combined center of gravity
axis and the pivot axis 27 may be found and the length of the arms
16 determined accordingly.
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