GB2116685A

GB2116685A - Adjusting device

Info

Publication number: GB2116685A
Application number: GB08305776A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Robin Hancock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-03-05
Filing date: 1983-03-02
Publication date: 1983-09-28
Also published as: GB8305776D0; GB2116685B

Abstract

A sun lamp consisting of a rectangular panel 102 containing a plurality of fluorescent tubes is carried for upward-downward movement in a vertical support 101. The panel is carried by means of a device which is a sliding fit on the support and includes a frictional pad 41 for engagement with the support attached to one end of a lever 20 pivotally mounted on the device such that movement of the end of the lever remote from the pad releases the pad from the support enabling the panel to be moved therealong. The panel is mounted on the device for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and an axis at right angles thereto. Spring means acting between the attachment between the panel and the said lever maintains the pad in contact with the support and also acts to counterbalance the weight of the panel whereby it can be maintained at a required angle to the horizontal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Adjusting device The present application relates to a device for attachment to one end of a cantilevered arm to permit said arm to be traversed along the support member.

A device for attachment to one end of a cantilevered arm to permit adjustment of the said arm along a support means therefor comprising; a first member having a first element extending along and in sliding contact with said support means, a second element extending outwardly of the said first element for attachment to said cantilevered arm and third and fourth elements extending from each side of said first element to at least partially encompass said support means and to be in sliding contact therewith; a a second member pivotally mounted on said first member for movement about a horizontal axis and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said support means, said second member being positioned between said third and fourth elements of said first member and on the opposite side of said support means;; a friction pad positioned on said second member adjacent one end portion thereof for co-operation with a surface of said support means; resilient means operating between said second member, at a point adjacent said friction pad, and said first member or said cantilevered arm, to normally maintain said friction pad in frictional contact with said surface of said support means, thereby to restrain movement of said device along said support means; the location of said second member on said pivot means providing that, when the said pad is in frictional contact with said support means, the other end of said second member is spaced apart from said support means whereby a rocking movement of said member about said pivot means is obtained when pressure is applied to said other end thereby causing said friction pad to move out of frictional contact with said support means.

The support means is preferably a vertical column which may be tubular and of square or circular cross section.

The resilient means is preferably a spring means.

The said first element of said first member preferably includes a portion extending therefrom parallel to the said support means and extending therealong on the opposite side to said second member.

One end of the cantilevered arm may be pivotally attached, either directly or through a bracket, to said first element of said first member to permit movement about a horizontal axis, said resilient means being attached between said arm at a point spaced from said pivotal mounting and said second member and being capable of counterbalancing the total weight of the cantilevered arm, whereby the said arm may be maintained at any desired angle to the horizontal.

For the purpose of the present application, the expression "cantilevered arm" also includes a rectangular structure, such as a panel, attached to a support means through a bracket located at a point, normally the mid point, along one side thereof. The panel may be pivotally attached to the bracket to permit movement about an axis substantially per pendicularto the said one side.

One embodiment of the present invention, designed to support a sun lamp panel, will now be more fully described with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention used to support a sun lamp panel, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sun lamp including the embodiment of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section through a portion of Figure 2 with the lamp panel positioned vertically upwards, Figure 4 is a side view of a portion of Figure 2 with the sun lamp panel positioned vertically downwards.

As shown in the drawings the device of the present invention consists of a first front member 1 having a downwardly extending element 2. Side wall elements 3 and 4 and rear element 5 form, together with member 1, a box like structure that is a sliding fit over a square section tubular support member 101. Element 2 of member 1 also being in sliding engagement with one face of support member 101.

An inverted U-shaped element 6 extends outwardly from member 1 and has a re-entrant 7 formed in the free end thereof to provide parallel forward-facing ears 8 and 9.

A bracket 10 is mounted on the ears 8 and 9 of element 6 by pivot pins 11 and 11 a to permit pivotal movement of bracket 10 about a horizontal axis.

A second member 20 having a side portions 21 and 22 extending partially around support 101 is positioned behind rear element 5 of member 1. Side portions 21 and 22 have notches 23 and 24 formed therein and extending part way only towards the inner face of member 20. Notches 23 and 24 of member 2 are located on pivot pin 25 non-rotatably attached to and extending across and outwardly of each side of rear element 5 to permit member 2 to rock about pin 25 between first and second positions as hereinafter described. A pin 28 is welded across member 20 above notches 23 and 24 and has portions 29 and 30 extending outwardly of the member and including circumferential grooves 31 and 32.

Pin members 33 and 34 extend outwardly of bracket 10 and include circumferential grooves 35 and 36.

Tension springs 37 and 38 are hooked about grooves 31,35 and 32,34 of portions 29 and 30 of pin 28 and pins 33 and 34 to urge the upper portion of member 20 towards the rear element 5 of member 1 to maintain member 20 in a first position.

As best seen in Figure 3 a circular protrusion 40 is located on the inside surface of member 2 and has bonded thereto a pad 41 of brake lining friction material. A hole 42 having a diameter greater than that diameter of pad 41 is formed in the rear element 5 of member 1 and is so positioned to allow pad 41 to pass therethrough and bear against the adjacent surface of support member 101. The pressure ex erted by springs 37 and 38 on pad 41 is arranged to be sufficient to prevent the device of the present invention from moving along support 101 when member 2 is in the said first position.

As best seen from Figures 2,3 and 4 the device described above is used to support a sun-lamp panel 102 of a sun lamp generally indicated at 100. As previously noted the device supports the panel on a vertical support member 101 which is located on base 103 having forwardly extending legs 104. The sun lamp 100 is particularly described in my copending application for Letters Patent No.8125105.

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4the panel 102 is located on bracket 10 through hollow cylindrical spigot 39 that extends through and is welded to hole 105 formed in the upper surface of bracket 10. Spigot 39 extends into panel 102 and through bearing bush 106 within which it is free to rotate and is retained in position by circlip 108 that co-operates with a corresponding groove in the spigot. Bush 106 extends through tubular member 107 positioned within panel 102 and is non-rotatably attached thereto, member 107 extending the full length of panel 102 to give it the desired degree of torsional stiffness.

Rotation of panel 102 about spigot 39 is limited to 90 in clockwise or anti-clockwise directions (from the horizontal position shown in Figure 2) by stop means 109 and 110 attached to bracket 10 and the side of panel 102 respectively.

The electrical leads (not shown) from the fluorescent tubes in panel 102 may conveniently pass through hollow spigot 39 into support 101 and then the controls located in the base member 103.

With panel 102 in the normal position for use i.e.

substantially horizontal, springs 37 and 38 are arranged to counterbalance the weight of the panel and, as shown in Figure 2, pins 33 and 34 about which springs 37 and 38 are hooked are positioned above pivot pins 11 and 11 a. Since the panel is counterbalanced by springs 37 and 38 pressure can be applied thereto to move it into vertically upwardly or downwardly directed positions as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 respectively.

When panel 102 is in the upward position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, springs 37 and 38 are in their least extended condition and by gripping portion 2 of member 1 and member 20 pressure can be exerted on member 20 to cause it to rock about pivot pin 25 to its second position thereby moving pad 41 out of contact with support member 101 to enable the device and attached panel 102 to be moved upwardly or downwardly along support member 101. Release of pressure on member 20 again causes springs 37 and 38 to return member 20 to the first position causing pad 41 to again contact the surface of support 101 and prevent further movement ofthe support means along member 101.

It is to be noted that when the panel is in the downwardly directed condition, as shown in Figure 4, the tension applied by the springs 37 and 38 is at its maximum and thus applies additional pressure to pad 41 with the result that inadvertant movement of the device and panel is further restricted.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention as described with reference to Figure 2, the thickness of pad 41 is arranged to allow minimal sliding clearance between the pad and the support member 101 when member 20 is urged towards the said member and with the panel 102 in the upward position as shown in Figure 3. When using a pad of this thickness, movement of the panel up and down the support member 101 is rendered difficult when the panel is in the horizontal position even when pressure is applied to member 20 to rock said member about said pivot 25.

This resistance to movement arises as a result of the pressure applied between the pad and the support member 101 as a result of the turning moment about the end of arm 6 that is applied by the weight of the panel, the turning moment maintaining at least a portion of pad 41 in contact with member 101. Thus an additional safety feature is introduced in that the user of a sun lamp may only conveniently move the panel up and down the support member when the panel is in the upward position.

Claims

1. A device for attachment to one end of a cantilevered arm to permit adjustment of the said arm along a support means therefor comprising; 1) a first member having a first element extending along and in sliding contact with said support means, a second element extending outwardly of the said first element for attachment to said cantilevered arm and third and fourth elements extending from each side of said first element to at least partially encompass said support means and to be in sliding contact therewith; 2) a second member pivotally mounted on said first member for movement about a horizontal axis and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said support means, said second member being positioned between said third and fourth elements of said first member and on the opposite side of said support means;; 3) a friction pad positioned on said second member adjacent one end portion thereof for cooperation with a surface of said support means; 4) resilient means operating between said second member, at a point adjacent said friction pad, and said first member or said cantilevered arm, to normally maintain said friction pad in frictional contact with said surface of said support means, thereby to restrain movement of said device along said support means; 5) the location of said second member on said pivot means providing that, when the said pad is in frictional contact with said support means, the other end of said second member is spaced apart from said support means whereby a rocking movement of said member about said pivot means is obtained when pressure is applied to said other end thereby causing said friction pad to move out of frictional contact with said support means.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said support means is a vertical column.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said column is tubular and of square or circular cross section.

4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the resilient means comprises a spring.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said first element of said first member includes a portion extending therefrom parallel to said support means extending therealong on the side opposite to said second member.

6. A device according to any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein one end of said cantilever arm is pivotally attached to said first element of said first member to permit movement about a horizontal axis, said resilient means being attached between said arm at a point spaced from said pivotal mounting and said second member and being capable of counter balancing the total weight of said cantilevered arm, whereby said arm may be maintained at any desired angle to the horizontal.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the thickness of the friction pad is such that contact between the pad and the support means is maintained except when said arm is substantially vertical

8. A device according to claim 6 or 7 wherein said cantilever arm comprises a rectangular panel.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said panel is attached to said first element through a bracket and said panel is located on said bracket through means permitting pivotal movement about an axis at right angles to said pivotal attachment to said first element thereby permitting pivotal movement of said panel about two axes at right angles to each other.

10. A device according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

11. A sun lamp incorporating the device of any one of the preceding claims and substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.