GB2272176A

GB2272176A - Modular constructional system

Info

Publication number: GB2272176A
Application number: GB9322981A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michel Gires
Original assignee: Norelem SAS
Current assignee: Norelem SAS
Priority date: 1992-11-05
Filing date: 1993-11-05
Publication date: 1994-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2013-11-05
Also published as: FR2697459B1; DE4337859A1; FR2697459A1; GB9322981D0; GB2272176B

Abstract

The system is intended for the production of structures for supporting and holding machined parts and comprises connecting bars (85, 86) of quadrangular section which are adapted to be fixed together and/or to a base plate having modular perforations. Each connecting bar has a plurality of smooth traversing bores (87) of substantially the same diameter which each open on two opposing lateral faces and on each end face of the connecting bar. The system further comprises at least one connecting sleeve (93) provided, in its periphery, with grooves or furrows (91) which are engaged by the ends of check screws (89, 90) screwed into tapped bores (88) in the connecting bars (85, 86) to hold the sleeve (93) in position to serve to connect together the two connecting bars. <IMAGE>

Description

2272176 Title: MODULAR CONSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM This invention relates to a

modular constructional system comprising elements intended for the production of structures for supporting and holding machined parts, and to the mounting and connection thereof.

One of the aims of the invention is to mount these structures on known base plates which comprise a modular network of standard perforations and are intended to be placed on a receiving stage, said stage being, in particular, the stage of a machine intended to monitor, in the three spatial dimensions, the dimensions of one or more machined parts supported and held by the abovementioned structure.

It has already been proposed that perforated bars of quadrangular section and corresponding perforated plates be assembled using insertion elements.

However, these known elements have the drawback of being difficult to disassemble individually without having to raise or displace the entire built structure, and this entails a large amount of work and takes time.

The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of known devices and relates to the production, assembly and fixing of standard modular elements which may be adapted perfectly to the grids of standard plates (French Standard NF E 62 331) while allowing, with extreme flexibility, the construction of an infinity of structures allowing the support, positioning and holding in position in space of one or more machined parts.

According to the invention, there is provided a modular constructional system intended for the production of structures f or supporting and holding machined parts, said system comprising at least one connecting bar of quadrangular section adapted to be f ixed to a like connecting bar and/or to a base plate having modular perforations, the or each connecting bar having a plurality of smooth traversing bores of substantially the same diameter which each open on two opposing lateral f aces and on each end face of the connecting bar, and at least one connecting sleeve having substantially the same diameter as that of the bores, said sleeve being provided, in its periphery, with at least one groove or furrow which serves as an abutment f or gripping members which are introduced into bores of smaller diameter which extend into the connecting bar orthogonallly to the bores which are adapted to receive the connecting sleeve(s).

Preferably, the smaller diameter bores are provided with screw-threads and the gripping members take the form of screws engageable in the small diameter threaded bores and adapted to engage in the bottom of the annular groove or furrow in a sleeve inserted in a smooth larger diameter bore.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the screws take the form of check screws having conical ends which are adapted to engage the faces of a groove produced in the form of a V-shaped furrow.

In order also to allow secure gripping of the check 30 screws and, furthermore, to provide a tight assembly of two connecting bars, the check screws desirably have their axes of rotation spaced from one another by a distance which is slightly greater than the distance separating the bottom of the corresponding V-shaped furrows of the connecting sleeve.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings which show, schematically and merely as an example, various elements serving for the mounting and fixing of threedimensional structures on standard supporting stages. In the 10 drawings:Figure 1 is a longitudinal plan view of one embodiment of a parallelepiped connecting bar forming part of the modular constructional system according to the invention; Figure la is an end view in the direction of the arrow A of the bar illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the connecting bar illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 2a is an end view in the direction of the arrow B 20 of the bar illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 3a is an elevation to an enlarged scale of a sleeve having a smooth furrow and hole; Figure 3b is an elevation to an enlarged scale of a sleeve having two furrows and a smooth hole; Figure 3c is an end view of the sleeves shown in Figures 3a and 3b; Figure 4a is a view of a sleeve having the same external prof ile as the sleeve in Figure 3a but of which the axial hole is tapped; Figure 4b is a view of a sleeve having three furrows of 5 which the axial hole is tapped; Figure 4c is an end view of the sleeves shown in Figures 4a and 4b; Figure 5 is a view of a sleeve having a tapped axial hole comprising a single off-set peripheral annular furrow; Figure 6 is a view of a sleeve without a peripheral annular furrow and provided with a smooth axial hole; Figure 7 is a cross section to an enlarged scale showing the mounting and fixing in a connecting bar of the type shown in Figure 1 of a sleeve of the type shown in Figure 3a; Figure 8 is a partially broken away perspective view showing the assembly in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a longitudinal section to an enlarged scale illustrating the end to end assembly of two connecting bars by means of a sleeve having two furrows of the type illustrated in Figure 3b; Figure 10 is a cross section to an enlarged scale illustrating the assembly of a connecting bar by means of a screw traversing a smooth sleeve of the type shown Y in Figure 3a and being screwed into a tapped bore made in the bottom of a facing in a modular bed or plate, not shown; Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of the assembly of an element f or supporting a part by means of a screw of which the head is housed in a facing of this part support and of which the threaded end is screwed into the axial tapping of a sleeve f ixed in the connecting bar by check screws housed in tapped holes made in the connecting bar orthogonally to the longitudinal axis thereof; Figure 12 is a view similar to that in Figure 11, the head of a fixing screw being placed on a connecting sleeve housed in a connecting bar and said screw being screwed into an end element f orming a pin of which the base fits in the bore of an upper sleeve forming a stay; Figure 13 is a partially sectional view of two connecting bars assembled so as to form a right angle; Figure 14 is a partially sectional perspective view of the articulated mounting of two connecting bars making contact at one f ace by means of a smooth sleeve having two grooves of the type shown in Figure 3b; Figure 15 is a partially broken away perspective view illustrating the pivoting mounting of a bar placed endwise on a horizontal bar; Figure 16 is a view of a trapezoidal connecting element serving to rigidify a mounting of the type shown in Figure 13; 6 - Figure 17 is a partially sectional view of the mounting shown in Figure 13 rigidified by means of the element shown in Figure 16; Figure 18 is a variation of that in Figure 17, the rigidifying trapezoidal element being connected by its large base to a diagonal connecting bar fixed at the end; Figure 19 is a partially sectional plan view of a bar forming a pivot of which the graduated end portion forms 10 an articulating cheek; Figure 20 is a partially sectional exploded view at 900 to the preceding view showing the assembly of two elements from Figure 19 by means of a smooth sleeve of the type shown in Figure 6 and a connecting screw; Figure 21 is a view of the right-angled connection of two articulated elements such as those in Figure 19; Figure 22 is an elevation of a sleeve allowing the articulated connection of a first connecting bar with a second connecting bar supporting such a sleeve or with a 20 shouldered bar; Figure 22a is a partially sectional view at 900 to Figure 22; Figure 23 is a partially sectional view of the articulated connection of a shouldered bar with a sleeve 25 inserted at the end of a section bar without a shoulder; 1 Figure 24 is a view of a hollow sleeve of the type shown in Figure 3a, but equipped with magnetic pads; Figure 25 is a view of a connecting element provided with two magnetic pads; Figure 26 is a sectional view along the line XXVI-XXVI in Figure 27 of a slab having small modular perforations surrounding a central perforation provided with a facing for the head of a fixing screw; Figure 27 is a plan view of the slab having small modular perforations; Figure 28 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale illustrating the f ixing on a slab of a pin serving to support a machined part; Figure 29 is a perspective view illustrating the mounting of pins for supporting and fastening a part on a modular stage; Figure 30 is a partially sectional elevation of a mounting comprising two lateral bars and a transverse bar supporting two elements edgewise, each element carrying a slab which has small modular perforations and is equipped with pins; and Figure 31 is a plan view corresponding to that of Figure 30 but the pins shown in Figure 30 having been omitted.

As shown in Figures 1 and la, 2 and 2a, a connecting bar designated in its entirety by reference numeral 1 comprises two pairs of opposed rectangular f aces 2, 4 and 3, 5. The f aces 3 and 5 as well as 2 and 4 are connected by traversing bores 6 spaced apart by a regular pitch P and small tapped bores 7 intended to receive screws, not shown here, and serving to hold in position and to fix furrowed connecting sleeves, not shown, which will be described hereinafter.

The connecting bar 1 also comprises, at each end, a large diameter bore 8 which is orthogonal to the tapped bores 7. It can be seen that the pitch P between two large diameter bores is equivalent to the distance separating the axes of two adjacent tapped bores, owing to the alternate staggered arrangement of small and large bores.

Figures 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 5 and 6 illustrate various forms of centring sleeves intended to be placed in a bore 6 or in two adjacent bores 6 of the same connecting bar or of two bars which are to be joined together.

The sleeve 9 in Figure 3a is a furrowed sleeve 10, said sleeve having a smooth axial hole 11 of a length corresponding to the thickness of a connecting bar.

The sleeve 12 in Figure 3b has a smooth axial hole 13 and has two annular furrows 14 and 15 in its periphery adjacent its ends.

Figure 3c is an end view of the sleeve 12 and shows the hole designated by 13.

The sleeve 16 in Figure 4a has dimensions identical to the one in Figure 3a but it is provided with axial tapping 17.

The sleeve 18 having the same dimensions as the one in 5 Figure 3b is, on the other hand, provided with tapping 19 and three furrows.

The sleeve 20 illustrated in Figure 5 has a tapped axial bore 21 and, over its periphery, an offset annular furrow 22.

Figure 6 shows a small sleeve 23 without furrows and with a smooth bore 24 intended only for a fastening or centring operation.

In Figure 7, a small sleeve 25 having a smooth axial bore 26 is inserted in a large diameter bore 27 made in a bar 28 and fixed by two opposing screws 29 and 30.

Figure 8 shows more clearly the assembly in Figure 7, the screws 29 and 30 having conical ends which extend into the wedge-shaped furrow 31 of the sleeve 32.

This figure also shows the other tapped holes 33 each located orthogonally between adjacent bores 34 in each side of the connecting bar.

As shown in Figure 9, end to end connection of two connecting bars 35 and 36 provided with traversing bores 37 and 38 respectively is produced with a connecting sleeve 39 provided with two furrows 40 and 41 and is inserted in each of the large bores 42 and 43 provided at the end of each bar 35 and 36.

- 10 As shown in this Figure 9, the axes f or screwing the screws 44 and 45 inserted in the corresponding tappings are each offset toward the corresponding end of the sleeve so as to allow close coating of the bars, said screws each resting on the extreme inclined flanks of the V-shaped furrows.

The mounting shown in Figure 10 is used to f ix, for example, a bar on a stage having modular perforations. In this mounting, a sleeve 46 having a smooth bore is held in a bore 51 in a bar 47 by check screws 52 and 53. Another sleeve 48 serving for guidance is also located in the bar 47 and is engaged by a screw 49 of which the head 50 is housed in the bore 51 against the sleeve 46. The screw 49 is arranged to hold the assembly together by screwing in a tapped hole provided at the bottom of a facing receiving the centring sleeve 48.

The mounting shown in Figure 11 is intended for fixing an element to the end of a connecting bar 54. In this case, the bar 54 has a large diameter bore 55 in which there is inserted a sleeve 56 of the type shown in Figure 4a of which the axial hole 57 comprises a tapping 58. This sleeve has an external annular groove into which extend the ends of two check screws 59 and 60 serving to hold the sleeve in the connecting bar 54. A screw 61 of which the head extends through a facing 62 of the element 63 to be fixed is screwed in the tapping 58 contained in the axial hole 57 of the sleeve 56.

To support or hold machined parts, it is known to use so-called pin supports which have to be fixed on a bed, for example on a connecting bar. Such a mounting can be 1 1 11 - seen in Figure 12 in which a connecting bar 64 serves to support a pin 65 of which the shoulder 66 comprises tapping 67. For height adjustment of this pin above the connecting bar 64, there are used thick blocks such as 68 and 69 which are stackable with self-centring and have an axial bore through which extends a screw 70 screwing into the tapping 67 of the pin. This screw 70 rests with its head 71 on the front portion of a fixing sleeve 72 provided with a smooth hole and f ixed in a large diameter bore 73 of the bar 64 by means of two check screws 74 and 75.

Figure 13 shows a right-angled connection between a bar 76 and a bar 77. Bores 78 alternate with tappings 79, a connecting sleeve 80 having two furrows 81 and 82 inserted in both of the two bars 76 and 77 and held in them by screws 83 and 84.

The face to face articulation of two connecting bars may be achieved by the mounting in Figure 14 which shows in perspective two bars 85 and 86 provided with large diameter bores 87 alternating from one face to the other with smaller diameter tappings 88 in which there are inserted screws such as 89 and 90 of which the ends engage in the furrows 91 respectively of a connecting and articulating sleeve 93.

An edgewise mounting of a bar 94 on a second bar 95 is illustrated in perspective in Figure 15 where an articulating sleeve having two furrows (not shown in the drawing) is held by screws such as 96 in the corresponding large diameter bores 97 of two bars of which one is perpendicular to the face of the bar 95 and the other perpendicular to the end face of the bar 94.

In order to rigidify the orthogonal assembly of the two bars, a trapezoidal assembly and fixing gusset designated in its entirety by ref erence numeral 98 in Figure 16 is provided.

This trapezoidal element comprises three large diameter bores 99, 100 and 101, each of which can receive a furrowed sleeve capable of co-operating in the holding of a connecting bar.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the axes of the bores of this trapezoidal element are concurrent.

The use of this trapezoidal connecting element 98 is illustrated in Figure 17 which shows a horizontal connecting bar 102 supporting a vertical bar 104 via an assembly sleeve 103.

To rigidify the orthogonal connection of the bars 102 and 104, assembly sleeves 105 and 106 are inserted in the trapezoidal element 98 as well as in a corresponding bore 107 of each of the bars 102 and 104.

As shown, the trapezoidal element 98 comprises a bore 108 joining its two bases and intended to receive a further assembly sleeve 109 which is fixed in the f rontal bore of an oblique bar 110, as shown in Figure 18.

To articulate two connecting bars at the same level, there are provided elements which are halved in section at their end, as shown in Figures 19 and 20. One end comprises a smooth perforation 111 opening in a facing f 112 where there is placed a smooth connecting sleeve 113 defining the axis of rotation of the two bars 114 and 115, as shown in Figure 20. With regard to the bar 115, the hole 116 opening in its facing 117 comprises tapping 118 to receive an assembly screw 119. The end to end connection of these bars 114 and 115 is illustrated in Figure 20 whereas Figure 21 illustrates the orthogonal assembly of the two bars 114 and 115 which are capable of adopting any angular position relative to one another by pivoting round the double arrow F.

If a connecting bar comprising a median articulating f lat part 120 is not to be used, special elements such as those shown in Figures 22 and 22a may be used, these special elements themselves comprising an articulating stud 121 intended to be placed in a large diameter bore provided in a bar at the desired location. These elements which are designated respectively by reference numeral 122 in Figures 22 and 22a each comprise an assembly portion 123 provided with a large diameter facing 124 in which one of the halves of an articulating sleeve (not shown) is placed. As shown in Figure 23, these elements have the advantage of being able to articulate two connecting bars forming a predetermined angle between themselves but also relative to their pivot axis. Such a design allows reciprocal pivoting of the elements in two orthogonal planes, as shown by the double arrows F1 and F2.

The modular assembly system according to the invention also allows the use of complementary magnetic fixing elements as illustrated in Figures 24 and 25. It can be seen in these figures that externally ribbed or embossed f erromagnetic elements 125 may be f ixed in sleeves such as those illustrated in Figure 24 by screwing, adhesion or force fitting, the periphery of the magnetic elements penetrating easily into the large diameter bores where the sleeve 126 is inserted and is fixed by screws, not shown, extending into the central annular furrow 127. Figure 25 shows an element reduced to three large diameter perforations of which two are parallel, wherein said element may be fixed by a screw 128 extending into the corresponding median annular furrow of a sleeve inserted in the large diameter bore orthogonal to the two other bores receiving magnetised members.

Finally, to support small-sized parts in the mountings, there are provided, as shown in Figures 26 to 31, small modular base plates 129 having a grid which is closer than that of the previously illustrated elements, said slabs comprising a central hole 130 allowing them to be fixed on an appropriate support. In Figure 26, which is a sectional view along line XXVI-X= in Figure 27, it can be seen that the small holes 131 allow the fixing by screwing of elements such as pins, as illustrated on a larger scale in Figure 28. Such pins 132 fixed in the slab 129 by screws 133 assist, in particular, the isostatic support of small-sized parts to be measured. Figure 29 illustrates such a support where the holding pins end with white sections whereas the fixing pins end with black circles.

The aforementioned slabs 129 may obviously co-operate with the standard elements described hereinbefore, and Figures 30 and 31 illustrate such co-operation in which a horizontal connecting bar 134 connected to two 1 perpendicular lateral bars 135 and 136 serves to support two small supporting elements 137 and 138 having three large diameter bores which are mounted edgewise and each support, by means of a sleeve and an assembly screw, a small slab 129 which in turn supports bearing pins 132 and stop pins.

It will be appreciated that the invention has been described and illustrated merely by way of a nonlimiting example and that various modifications of details could be made to the embodiments shown without departing from the scope of the invention.

Therefore, depending on the topometric problems posed, a skilled man can combine the various elements of the invention to obtain the most suitable structure for holding a part of which the dimensions are to be measured.

Claims

A modular constructional system intended f or the production of structures for supporting and holding machined parts, said system comprising at least one connecting bar of quadrangular section adapted to be f ixed to a like connecting bar and/or to a base plate having modular perforations, the or each connecting bar having a plurality of smooth traversing bores of substantially the same diameter which each open on two opposing lateral faces and on each end face of the connecting bar, and at least one connecting sleeve having substantially the same diameter as that of the bores, said sleeve being provided, in its periphery, with at least one groove or furrow which serves as an abutment for gripping members which are introduced into bores of smaller diameter which extend into the connecting bar orthogonallly to the bores which are adapted to receive the connecting sleeve(s).

2. A modular constructional system according to claim 1, wherein the smaller diameter bores are provided with screw-threads and wherein the gripping members take the form of screws engageable in the small diameter threaded bores and adapted to engage in the bottom of the annular groove or furrow in a sleeve inserted in a smooth larger diameter bore.

3. A modular constructional system according to claim 2, wherein the screws take the form of check screws having conical ends which are adapted to engage with the f aces of a groove produced in the form of a V- shaped furrow.

11 4. A modular constructional system according to claim 3, wherein the check screws have their axes of rotation spaced from one another by a distance which is slightly greater than the distance separating the bottom of the corresponding V-shaped furrows of the connecting sleeve.

A modular constructional system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises at least one bored sleeve without any peripheral annular grooves or furrows.

6. A modular constructional system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system includes a ribbed bored connecting sleeve which has a length which is slightly less than the thickness of a connecting bar in the large diameter bore of which it is inserted.

7. A modular constructional system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system includes a trapezoidal reinforcing and stiffening member which is adapted to be inserted between two connecting bars which extend perpendicular to one another, said element comprising three smocth cylindrical bores which have concurrent axes, two of them each being perpendicular to the side applied to a connecting bar and the third serving to house a connecting sleeve having two furrows which joins said trapezoidal element to a third connecting bar supporting a further element or acting as a diagonal for stiffening the assembly, 8. A modular constructional system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein complementary magnetic elements are inserted in the bore of a connecting sleeve.

9. A modular constructional system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one modular slab is provided with a plurality of small bores and a central fixing hole which is adapted to be mounted on mounting supports to receive pins for supporting and fastening smallsized machined parts.

10. A modular constructional system according to claim 9, wherein the or each modular slab is provided with small diameter perforations having a closer grid among themselves than that of the connecting bar(s) and which are adapted to receive screws for holding the pins for supporting and fastening small-dimension machined parts.

11. A modular constructional system substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

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