US3628394A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Operator-manipulative control apparatus
Assignee: Unisys Corp
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Filing: 1970-02-09
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Granted: 1971-12-21
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Expires: 1990-02-09
Abstract
Abstract An operator-manipulative control mechanism comprising a spherical housing internally suspended from a fixed center post by a network of interconnected coil springs and leaf springs, the latter being cantilevered from the center post so as to flex in response to variously directed motions of the housing whereby strain gauges mounted thereon for sensing the flexure provide resolved control signals proportionate to operator forces applied to the housing.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald R Keatinge
- 👤 Herman S W Young
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 18:20
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01L; G01L5/00; G01L5/22; G01L5/223; G01L5/16; G01L5/161; G01L5/1627; G05; G05G; G05G9/00; G05G9/02; G05G9/04; G05G9/047; G05G2009/04703; G05G2009/04722; G05G2009/0474; G05G2009/04762; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20012; Y10T74/20201
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
An operator-manipulative control apparatus comprising a vertical support post adapted to be secured at one end to a fixed base, a plurality of springs affixed in cantilevered fashion to the other end of said support post, an operator-manipulative member, means coupling said cantilevered springs to the manipulative member such that said manipulative member is suspended in movable relation to said support post, said coupling means including resilient members characterized by a high degree of constraint along the line of connection between said cantilevered springs and said manipulative member and comparatively low constraint orthogonal to said line of connection whereupon motion of the manipulative member causes flexing of one or more of said springs, and a plurality of flexure-sensing elements, at least one such element being affixed to each cantilevered spring to provide a signal representative of the extent and direction of flexing of said cantilevered spring.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
146 words
An operator-manipulative control apparatus comprising a vertical support post adapted to be secured at one end to a fixed base, a plurality of springs affixed in cantilevered fashion to the other end of said support post, an operator-manipulative member, means coupling said cantilevered springs to the manipulative member such that said manipulative member is suspended in movable relation to said support post, said coupling means including resilient members characterized by a high degree of constraint along the line of connection between said cantilevered springs and said manipulative member and comparatively low constraint orthogonal to said line of connection whereupon motion of the manipulative member causes flexing of one or more of said springs, and a plurality of flexure-sensing elements, at least one such element being affixed to each cantilevered spring to provide a signal representative of the extent and direction of flexing of said cantilevered spring.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the resilient members are coil springs.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
146 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cantilevered springs are substantially planar leaf springs and at least two of said springs are arranged with their plane surfaces directed radially relative to the longitudinal axis of said support post and mounted on a flange of said support post, one of said two springs extending vertically upward from said flange and the other of said two springs extending vertically downward from said flange in collinear relation with said one spring, and a flexure-sensing element is affixed to each side of said two leaf springs, said elements being connected in a bridge circuit such that the flexure sensing elements on the front and rear surfaces of said upwardly extending spring from one branch of said bridge and the flexure sensing elements on the front and rear surfaces of said downwardly extending spring form the other branch of said bridge.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the resilient members are coil springs a coil spring being connected between said manipulative member and a plane surface of each cantilevered spring with the lineal axis of said coil spring oriented normal to said plane surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two of the plurality of cantilevered springs are vertically oriented and angularly disposed relative to one another so as to be capable of flexing in response to both omnidirectional translation of said manipulative member along a horizontal plane aNd rotation of said manipulative member about the longitudinal axis of said support post.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the vertically oriented cantilever springs total three in number and are equiangularly distributed about the longitudinal axis of said support post.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the cantilevered springs are substantially flat leaf springs oriented such that the plane surfaces thereof are radially directed from the longitudinal axis of said support post and the resilient members are horizontally disposed coil springs connected between said manipulative member and the planar surfaces of said leaf springs in normal relation thereto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two of the plurality of cantilevered springs are horizontally oriented and angularly disposed relative to one another so as to be capable of flexing in response to both rotation of said manipulative member about orthogonal horizontally oriented axes and translation of said manipulative member in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said support post.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the horizontally oriented springs total three in number and are equiangularly distributed about the longitudinal axis of said support post.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cantilevered springs are substantially flat leaf springs and the resilient members are vertically disposed coil springs connected between said manipulative member and the planar surfaces of said leaf springs in normal relation thereto.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least 2 of the plurality of cantilevered springs are vertically oriented and angularly disposed relative to one another so as to be capable of flexing in response to both omnidirectional translation of said manipulative member along a horizontal plane and rotation of said manipulative member about the longitudinal axis of said support post.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
136 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the plurality of cantilevered springs includes six vertically oriented springs mounted on a flange of said support post, three of said springs extending vertically upward from said flange and the other three of said springs extending vertically downward from said flange in collinear relationship with respective ones of said upward extending springs, and a flexure-sensing element is affixed to each side of said horizontally and vertically oriented cantilever springs, the flexure-sensing elements of each pair of upward and downward extending springs being connected in respective bridge circuits with the elements on the front and rear surfaces of each upward extending spring forming one branch of a respective bridge and the elements on the front and rear surfaces of each downward extending spring forming the other branch of said respective bridge.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
101 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the plane surfaces of the vertically oriented springs are directed radially from the longitudinal axis of said support post and the elements on the front of the upward extending springs and the rear of the downward extending springs form the upper parts of the respective bridge circuit branches while the elements on the rear of the upward extending springs and front of the downward extending springs from the lower portions of the respective bridge circuit branches thereby rendering said bridge circuits insensitive to rotation of the operator manipulative member about said orthogonal horizontally oriented axes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
91 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the cantilevered springs are substantially flat leaf springs and the resilient members are horizontally and vertically disposed coil springs, a horizontally disposed coil spring being connected from said manipulative member to a vertically disposed cantilever spring in normal relation to the flat surface thereof such that each cantilever spring has at least one coil spring connected from each side thereof to said manipulative member and vertically disposed coil springs being similarly connected between said mAnipulative member and each side of said horizontally oriented cantilever springs.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the manipulative member includes upper and lower rings concentric with the support post and respectively disposed proximate the upper and lower regions of the assembly of coil springs and cantilevered springs, said coupling means including said rings.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the manipulative member further includes a substantially spherical hollow member formed of mating hemispherical sections joined in an equatorial band, the lower of said hemispherical sections having a hole at the bottom for receiving one end of the support post so as to enclose and be disposed thereabout and the upper hemispherical section being connected to the upper ring and the lower hemispherical section connected to the lower ring.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
90 words
The apparatus of claim 16 further including mechanical stop means formed by first and second members concentrically mounted about said support post such that said first member is internal to said spherical member and said second member is external to said spherical member in the vicinity of the hole therein, said first and second members having a radius slightly larger than the hole radius and said first member having slots disposed in mating relation with internal protrusions on said lower spherical member for limiting yawing motion of said manipulative member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3447766A
Cited
US3493906A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-12-20 | 1975-06-21 | 1975-12-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-12-20 | 1979-06-21 | 1979-12-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-12-20 | 1983-06-21 | 1983-12-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |