Wedge mechanism

Abstract

A mechanical wedge mechanism comprising base member, output member, and movable wedge member in which frictional connections between mutually movable mechanical members are replaced with shear deformations in elastomeric shims connecting respective surfaces of the members, thus effectively reducing frictional losses in the mechanism.

1 . Means to realize a greater mechanical advantage and reduced sensitivity to vibratory environment in a mechanical force and motion transforming wedge mechanism, said mechanism comprising:
 a base member having at least one contact surface;   a movable wedge member having first and second non-parallel contact surfaces, and first contact surface conforming with an being in surface contact with one of said contact surfaces of said base member;   an output member having a contact surface conforming with and in surface contact with said second contact surface of said movable wedge member;   said movable wedge member being capable of being driven simultaneously in relation to both said base member and said output member while maintaining said surface contacts with said base member and said output member thus realizing mechanical force and motion transformations;   at least one of said surface contacts between the wedge member and the base member or the output member being maintained through a thin constant thickness shim separating said contact surfaces and comprising at least one thin layer of elastomeric material so that the relative motion between the contact surfaces is accommodated by internal shear in said elastomeric layers;   said thin elastomeric layers having their length l, width w, and thickness t, such that the ratio of l/t is greater than approximately 10 and the ratio of w/t is greater than approximately 10.   
   
   
       2 . A mechanical wedge mechanism of  claim 1  comprising a mechanical spring whose force is applied to said movable wedge member thus generating continuous specified force onto said output member: said continuous specified force being relieved as needed by application of an external force to said movable wedge member in the direction opposite to said spring force. 
   
   
       3 . A mechanical wedge mechanism of  claim 1  wherein said contact surface between said base member and said movable wedge member is shaped as a threaded connection. 
   
   
       4 . A mechanical wedge mechanism of  claim 1  embodied as a clamping device for cylindrical components, wherein said base member has an internal cylindrical contact surface connected to external coaxial cylindrical contact surface of said movable wedge member via elastomeric shim comprising at least two thin elastomeric layers with an intermediate rigid layer, said movable wedge member having an internal conical contact surface coaxial with said cylindrical surfaces and connected to external coaxial conical contact surface having the same conical angle of said output member via elastomeric shim comprising at least two thin elastomeric layers with an intermediate ridge layer, said output member being deformable in the radial direction under the force generated by a spring acting axially on said movable wedge member and transformed into radial distributed output force by the wedge action, thus realizing the clamping of cylindrical components. 
   
   
       5 . A mechanical wedge mechanism of  claim 1  embodied as a clamping device for flat components, wherein said base member has a planar contact surface inclined to the plane of the component to be clamped and connected to a planar contact surface of said movable wedge member via elastomeric shim, said movable wedge member having another nonparallel planar contact surface parallel to the component to be clamped and frictionally connected to planar contact surface of said output member, said output member performing clamping of said component by the force generated by a spring acting on said movable wedge member in the direction parallel to said component and transformed into lateral distributed output force by the wedge action, thus realizing the clamping of the flat component. 
   
   
       6 . A mechanical wedge mechanism of  claim 1  embodied as a clamping device for interconnecting first and second coaxial mechanical components, comprising:
 outer output member whose external cylindrical surface is frictionally connected to concave cylindrical surface of the first mechanical component and whose internal surface has first and second conical rings formed on it with apexes of said conical surfaces directed towards each other;   inner output member whose internal cylindrical surface is frictionally connected to convex cylindrical surface of the second mechanical component and whose external surface has first and second conical rings formed on it with apexes of said conical surfaces directed in the opposite directions;   first and second movable wedge members shaped as rings having conical external and internal surfaces, with apexes of external and internal conical surfaces directed in opposite directions;   with external and internal conical surfaces of said first ring conforming with respective said first conical rings of outer and inner output members, and external and internal conical surfaces of said second ring conforming with respective said second conical rings of outer and inner output members;   said second movable wedge member having a multitude of uniformly distributed around the circumference smooth holes of slightly larger diameters than said threaded holes, whose axes are parallel to the axes of the interconnected mechanical components and coinciding with axes of said threaded holes in said first movable wedge member;   threaded bolts passing through said smooth holes and engaged with said threaded holes, wherein uniform tightening of the bolts induces axial displacements and approaching of said movable wedge members thus causing expansion of the outer output member, shrinkage of the inner output member, and frictional interconnection of said first and second coaxial mechanical components.