Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
  • B60B19/00—Wheels not otherwise provided for or having characteristics specified in one of the subgroups of this group
  • B60B19/14—Ball-type wheels

Definitions

• the present invention discloses a ball wheel that al ⁇ lows to move a load with linear, angular or however oriented movements and is apt, moreover, if posited upside down, to form a bearing element (possibly to- gether with other analogue wheels), for a substantially flat surface sliding over it, with an orientation what ⁇ soever as well-
• wheels having a substantially hori ⁇ zontal axis, mounted on a fork that is hinged, on its turn, to a substantially vertical shaft, fastened to the trolley or to the object to be moved.
• the two shafts are off-centre and this allows to change the direction of movement.
• This system presents some inconveniences, especially when the wheels applied to the means to move are ⁇ relatively numerous.
• the wheel is formed by a ball contained inside a seat covering it partially only, but also this solution presents several inconveniences due, in particular, to the frictions between the surfaces ⁇ f the ball and of the relevant seat and to tlve -wear caused by powders and/or foreign bodies which, get-ting in between seat and ball, may cause the gripping of th-e wheel .
• the present invention discloses a ball wheel characte ⁇ rized by the particular shape and disposition -oi * _irts parts which allows to avoid the above mentioned ⁇ ⁇ icxm— venienccs.
• the ball remains co-axial with the pin by means of which the complex is applied to the mobile unit.
• FIG. 1 shows the perspective view of a device accord- ing to the invention
• FIG. 1 shows the vertical section of the device of Fig. 1.
• a pin or shaft 2 is fixed, having a substantially vertical axis, on which a planetary gear 3 is connected.
• each end 5 a shaft 6 is hinged, on which there is connected a planet wheel 7 meshing with planetary gear 3.
• Forks 8, supporting as many small wheels 9, are fixed, moreover, to shafts 6.
• Small wheels 9 are as many bearing points for a ball 10, the sizes of which are calculated so that its centre, when it rests on small wheels 9, concides with point C.
• Means of a well-known type are then present to hold ball 10 in the proximity of the other members.
• such means may consist of a ring or a kind
• brace fixed, e.g. to support 4, preventing the ball from moving too away from small wheels 9.
• the illustrat ⁇ ed mechanisms allows the ball, loaded with a weight, to rotate freely in any direction remaining always perpen- dicularly alligned with the load.
• supports 8 rotate around the axes of shafts 6 allowing small wheels 9 to line up in the rotating sense of the ball, as long as eccentric with respect to said axes, thus allowing the ball to keep rolling with a minimum effort.
• Planet wheel 7, fixed to shafts 6, cause small wheels 9 to remain always alligned with each other.
• the illustrated device can be used in upside down position too, with support 1 located lower down, e.g. applied to a fixed plan and ball 10 resting on small wheels 9.
• a plurality of ball wheels according to the invention can form a complex of bearing points for a sliding plane, e.g. for machines tools or the like, allowing to shift easily the plane, with rototranslato- ry motion, in any direction with maximum precision and without any effort.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Pivots And Pivotal Connections (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11184845

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (10)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1986
  • 1986-04-24 IT IT2165086U patent/IT8621650V0/it unknown
• 1987
  • 1987-04-16 WO PCT/IT1987/000035 patent/WO1987006536A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1987-04-16 AU AU73028/87A patent/AU7302887A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1987-04-16 EP EP19870902693 patent/EP0281570A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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