GB2077864A

GB2077864A - Improvements in or Relating to Bearing Members

Info

Publication number: GB2077864A
Application number: GB8039274A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TA Triumph Adler AG
Current assignee: TA Triumph Adler AG
Priority date: 1980-06-11
Filing date: 1980-12-08
Publication date: 1981-12-23
Also published as: IT8026918A0; DE3021823C2; SE442537B; SE8007487L; GB2077864B; IT1134886B; DE3021823A1; CH651358A5

Abstract

A bearing member by means of which a shaft member may be fixed to a plate-like member (9) comprises a body (1) having a bore (2) for receiving the shaft member. An arm (5) is connected with the body (1) by an intermediate portion (4). The arm is adapted to pass through an opening (10) in the plate-like member so that the bearing member can rotate about a first axis normal to the plane of the plate-like member and also pivot about a second axis in the plane of the plate-like member transverse to the bore and extending in the same direction as the arm and a supporting web (8) carried by the body. The mounted bearing member thus has two degrees of freedom which allow its position to be accurately set. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or Relating to Bearing Members The present invention relates to bearing members for mounting shaft members to platelike members.

The bearing member of the present invention is particularly but not exclusively useful in printing apparatus in which a carriage is mounted to guide rods which in turn are required to be fixed to a machine frame. It has been necessary to form bearing members for this purpose of previously proposed designs to high degrees of tolerance to ensure accurate alignment of the parts to be fixed together. Such bearing members also required precise fitting.

The present invention provides a bearing member for mounting a shaft member to a platelike member, the bearing member comprising a first body portion having a bore for receiving a shaft member, a second body portion, and a neck portion interconnecting the first and second body portions, the first and second body portions being adapted to engage opposite sides of the plate-like member when the neck portion extends through an opening therein such that the bearing member is capable of rotation about a first axis normal to the plane of the plate-like member and of pivotal movement about a second axis in the plane of the plate-like member.

In order that the invention may be well understood two embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bearing member and a plate-like member to which it may be mounted; Figure 2 is a side view of the bearing member of Figure 1 mounted to the plate-like member; Figures 3 to 5 respectively show side, front and plan views of an alternative bearing member.

The illustrated bearing member is described in the following as a bearing for a printer carriage which is arranged for longitudinal movement on a rod in a machine frame. However, in accordance with a modification of the bearing member, it is also possible for two such bearing members to be fixed to a machine frame as rotary bearings for each end of a shaft. It will also be understood that many other applications of the described bearing member are possible.

The bearing member comprises a first body portion 1 having a bore 2 for the reception of a shaft member 3. The bearing member has a substantially cylindrical neck or intermediate portion 4 by means of which a second body portion or arm 5 is connected to the first body portion 1. The arm 5 is resilient and each end may flex in the manner indicated by the double arrow A. The free ends of the resilient arm 5 have supporting lugs 6 depending therefrom and directed towards the body 1. The supporting lugs 6 are rounded at their lower edges 7. A supporting web 8 is provided on the first body portion 1 and lies in a plane parallel to the resilient arm 5. The web 8 has a semi-circular profile.

The illustrated plate-like member 9 may represent the base plate of a printer carriage as referred to above or a portion of a machine frame.

An opening 10 is provided in plate-like member 9, which opening comprises a central portion 11 and two side recesses 12. The shape of opening 10 substantially corresponds with the cross-section of neck portion 4 and resilient arm 5. However, the opening is somewhat larger so that the neck or intermediate portion 4 and the arm 5 can be pushed through the opening 10. The bearing member is proportioned so that the thickness of the plate-like member 9 is a trifle larger than the distance between the lower edges 7 of the supporting lugs 6 and the supporting web 8.

Thus, in the mounted condition of the bearing member, a resilient clamping effect between the bearing member and the plate-like member 9 is achieved.

The bearing member may be formed in one piece from plastics material.

In order to mount the bearing member, the intermediate portion 4 and the resilient arm 5 are pushed through the opening 10. The bearing member is then rotated about a first axis normal to the plane of the plate-like member 9. This first axis passes through the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical intermediate portion 4 andt he centre of central portion 11 of opening 10. The bearing member is then mounted in a position with respect to the plate-like member 9 as shown in Figure 2. From this Figure, it is clear that the bearing member 1 can pivot through an angle which is designated in Figure 2 by a, about a second axis substantially in the plane of member 9 and extending in the same direction as arm 5 and supporting web 8.At the same time, the bearing member can be rotated about the first axis so as to adjust its orientation with respect to a second bearing member arranged opposite thereto and likewise arranged on a corresponding plate-like member. This centering adjusting movement is designated in Figure 5 by,3.

From the above, it is clear that the mounted bearing member has tto degrees of freedom whereby it can al o be aligned on a shaft r rod when no narrow manufacturing tolerances have been observed.

As can be seen from Figure 2, it is possible to provide a slot 13 in the region of the receiving bore 2 in the first body portion 1 of the bearing member. A lubricant containing porous material may be inserted in the slot, for example a felt strip impregnated with lubricant. Thereby, it is possible to improve the sliding and rotating properties of a shaft member 3 received in the bore 2 in case the material of the bearing member itself does not have sufficient of such properties.

Substantially the same bearing member is illustrated in Figures 3 to 5. However, the difference is that, with this bearing member, the neck portion 4' is of part-spherical form. This means that this bearing member can be better pivoted about the second axis to adjust its position with respect to a second bearing member than if the neck portion were made cylindrical.

This is especially true when the thickness of the material of the plate-like member 9 is so great that a cylindrical neck portion 4 no longer permits sufficient mobility of the bearing member 1.

During production of bearing members as described only the diameter of the neck portion 4 or 4' with respect to the diameter of the central portion 11 of the opening 10 in the plate-like member 9, as well as the distance between the edges 7 on the supporting lugs 6 and the supporting web 8 with respect to the thickness of member 9, need to be monitored with any degree of accuracy. The bearing members described can be used as rotary bearings for shaft member 3 and/or as bearings for relative longitudinal movement of the shaft and plate-like members.

It will be appreciated that the above described bearing member has the advantage that it can be automatically aligned accurately in two degrees of freedom according to the direction of the shaft member which is to be received in the bore.

Consequently, no extensive provisions are required during manufacture in order to maintain small tolerances. However, apart from that, the guiding or mounting of a shaft member is exactly the same as with previously known but substantially more expensive bearing members.

Thus, it is possible to fix the bearing member in a simple manner, for example, in a side wall of a frame.

Claims

1. A bearing member for mounting a shaft member to a plate-like member, the bearing member comprising a first body portion having a bore for receiving a shaft member, a second body portion, and a neck portion interconnecting the first and second body portions, the first and second body portions being adapted to engage opposite sides of the plate-like member when the neck portion extends through an opening therein such that the bearing member is capable of rotation about a first axis normal to the plane of the plate-like member and of pivotal movement about a second axis in the plane of the plate-like member.

2. A bearing member as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second body portion comprises an arm provided with a rounded depending lug at each end, the lugs being directed towards the first body portion.

3. A bearing member as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first body portion carries a supporting web extending parallel to the arm in the same direction as the second axis.

4. A bearing member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the neck portion has a part-spherical form.

5. A bearing member as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bore is provided with a slot for receiving a lubricantcontaining porous material.

6. A bearing member as claimed in any one of the preceding claims formed as a one-piece plastics member.

7. A bearing member for mounting a shaft member to a plate-like member substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A bearing member provided with a receiving bore for a rod or shaft for fixing to a part of a machine or apparatus, characterised in that, by means of a neck portion the bearing member engages through a plate and is supported on the latter in a clamping manner from two sides, whereby the bearing member receives two degrees of freedom.