Claims
- 1. A method of adjustably effecting the disposition of a magnet material element in a preselected position with respect to a means for receiving the magnet material element, the magnet material element including generally arcuate inner and outer surfaces interposed between a pair of generally opposite marginal edges defining the arcuate length of the magnet material element, respectively, the receiving means including seating means for the magnet material element, and another generally arcuate surface having a curvature generally corresponding to that of the arcuate outer surface of the magnet material element and having an arcuate length less than that of the magnet material element, and other means for association with the magnet material element including a pair of jaws, and a pair of generally opposed flanges on the jaws, respectively, the method comprising the steps of:
- seating the magnet material element on the seating means therefor of the receiving means when the receiving means is in an at-rest position thereof and arranging the arcuate outer surface of the magnet material element at least generally in surface-to-surface relation with the another arcuate surface of the receiving means;
- moving the receiving means from its at-rest position toward another position thereof relative to the other means and engaging the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element with the opposed flanges of the jaws in response to the movement of the receiving means toward its another position, respectively;
- centering the arcuate length of the magnet material element generally between the opposed flanges of the jaws upon the engagement thereof with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element and adjusting the magnet material element generally about the surface-to-surface engagement of the arcuate outer surface thereof with the another arcuate surface of the receiving means thereby to at least generally align the center of the arcuate length of the magnet material element with that of the another arcuate surface of the receiving means in response to the moving and engaging step; and
- moving the other means conjointly with the receiving means at least in part between the at-rest position and the another position thereof at least upon the engagement between the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element and the opposed flanges of the jaws during the moving and engaging step and displacing the jaws relative to the receiving means thereby to disengage the opposed flanges from the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element at least when the receiving means is in the another position thereof, respectively.
- 2. A method of adjustably effecting the disposition of a magnet material element in a preselected position therefor with respect to a means for receiving the magnet material element, the magnet material element including at least one generally arcuate surface interposed between a pair of generally opposite marginal edges defining the arcuate length of the magnet material element, respectively, the receiving means including another arcuate surface, and other means for association with the magnet material element including a pair of generally opposed abutments, the method comprising the steps of:
- arranging the at least one arcuate surface of the magnet material element in surface-to-surface relation with the another surface of the receiving means when the receiving means is in an at-rest position thereof;
- moving the receiving means from its at-rest postion toward another position and engaging the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element with the opposed abutments of the other means, respectively;
- sliding the at least one arcuate surface of the magnet material element on the another arcuate surface of the receiving means in the surface-to-surface relation thereof to align the center of the arcuate length of the magnet material element with that of the another arcuate surface and effecting thereby the disposition of the magnet material element in its preselected position in response to the engagement of the opposed abutment means on the other means with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element, respectively; and
- moving the other means conjointly with the receiving means toward the another position thereof at least upon the engagement between the opposed abutments on said other means and the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element and pivoting the other means relative to the receiving means toward a displaced position thereby to disengage the opposed abutments on the other means from the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element, respectively.
- 3. A method of adjustably effecting the disposition of a magnet material element in a preselected position with respect to a means for receiving it, the magnet material element including at least one arcuate surface interposed between a pair of generally opposite marginal edges defining the arcuate length of the magnet material element, respectively, the receiving means including another arcuate surface, and other means for association with the magnet material element including a pair of generally opposed means for abutment with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element, respectively, the method comprising the steps of:
- associating the at least one arcuate surface of the magnet material element generally in surface-to-surface relation with the another arcuate surface of the receiving means;
- driving the receiving means relative to the other means and effecting thereby the engagement of the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element with the opposed abutment means of the other means, respectively;
- aligning the center of the arcuate length of the magnet material element with that of the another arcuate surface of the receiving means in response to the engagement between the opposed abutment means and the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element, respectively, and effecting thereby the disposition of the magnet material element in its preselected position with respect to the receiving means; and
- displacing the other means relative to the receiving means and disengaging the opposed abutment means from the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element at least upon the disposition of the magnet material element in its preselected position, respectively.
- 4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the associating step includes attracting the magnet material element magnetically to maintain the at least one arcuate surface thereof in the surface-to-surface relation with the another arcuate surface of the receiving means.
- 5. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the aligning and effecting step includes centering the arcuate length of the magnet material element between the opposed abutment means in response to the engagement thereof with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element, respectively, and adjusting thereby the at least one arcuate surface in the surface-to-surface relation thereof on the another arcuate surface of the receiving means to effect the alignment of the centers of the at least one arcuate surface and the another arcuate surface.
- 6. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the displacing and disengaging step includes pivoting the other means to a displaced position with respect to the receiving means and the magnet material element.
- 7. The method as set forth in claim 3 comprising the intermediate step of exerting a force on the other means at least upon the engagement of the abutment means with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element to insure the surface-to-surface relation between the at least one arcuate surface of the magnet material element and the another arcuate surface of the receiving means, respectively.
- 8. Apparatus for adjustably effecting the disposition of a magnet material element in a preselected position therefor, the magnet material element having generally arcuate inner and outer surfaces interposed between a pair of opposite marginal edges defining the arcuate length of the magnet material element, respectively, the apparatus comprising:
- means for receiving the magnet material element and movable generally between an at-rest position and another position, said receiving means including seating means for engagement with the magnet material element when it is received in said receiving means in the at-rest position thereof, a generally arcuate locating surface on said receiving means arranged at least generally in surface-to-surface engagement with the arcuate outer surface of the magnet material element when it is engaged with said seating means therefor, said arcuate locating surface having a curvature generally corresponding to that of the arcuate outer surface of the magnet material element and having an arcuate length predeterminately less than that of the magnet material element;
- means adapted for movement conjointly with said receiving means at least in part between the at-rest position and the another position thereof and also relatively with respect to said receiving means, said movement means including a pivot block, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted to said pivot block and spanning said receiving means, respectively, a pair of generally opposed flanges on said jaws arranged to cage in engagement the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element upon the movement of said receiving means from the at-rest position toward the another position thereof, the arcuate outer surface of the magnet material element being adjustably moved on said locating surface in the surface-to-surface engagement thereof so as to center the arcuate length of the magnet material element with respect to said locating surface thereby to effect the adjustable disposition of the magnet material element in the preselected position thereof in response to the engagement of said opposed flanges with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element and said jaws also being conjointly movable with said receiving means toward the another position thereof in response to the engagement of said opposed flanges with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element, respectively; and
- means associated with said movement means and operable generally for pivoting said jaws with respect to said receiving means thereby to displace said opposed flanges from the engagement thereof with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element at least when said receiving means is in the another position thereof.
- 9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said movement means further includes resilient means for opposing the conjoint movement of said jaws with said receiving means toward the another position thereof.
- 10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said movement means further includes means associated with said jaws for supporting them with respect to said receiving means, said resilient means being disposed between said supporting means and said pivot block.
- 11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 further comprising at least one permanent magnet means associated with said receiving means for magnetic coupling relation with the magnet material element so as to maintain the surface-to-surface engagement between the arcuate outer surface of the magnet material element and said locating surface of said receiving means.
- 12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 further comprising means associated with said receiving means and operable generally for attracting the magnet material element into magnetic coupling relation with said receiving means to retain the surface-to-surface relation between the arcuate outer surface of the magnet material element and said locating surface of said retaining means.
- 13. Apparatus for adjustably effecting the disposition of a magnet material element in a preselected position therefor, the magnet material element having a generally arcuate surface interposed between a pair of generally opposite marginal edges defining the arcuate length of the magnet material element, respectively, the apparatus comprising:
- means operable generally between an at-rest position and another position and adapted for receiving the magnet material element in the at-rest position, said receiving means including another generally arcuate surface arranged to locate in surface-to-surface relation the first named arcuate surface of the magnet material element when it is received in said receiving means;
- means operable generally for movement conjointly with said receiving means at least in part between the at-rest position and the another position thereof and also relative to said receiving means toward a displaced position of said movement means, said movement means including a pair of means operable generally in response to the movement of said receiving means from the at-rest position toward the another position thereof for engagement with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element to adjustably move the magnet material element and dispose the magnet material element in its preselected position with the center of the arcuate length of the magnet material element being at least generally in alignment with the center of said another arcuate surface of said receiving means, and said movement means being operable toward the displaced position thereof at least when said receiving means is in its another position to disengage said engagement means from said magnet material element.
- 14. Apparatus for adjustably effecting the disposition of a magnet material element in a preselected position therefor, the magnet material element having at least one generally arcuate surface interposed between a pair of generally opposite marginal edges defining the arcuate length of the magnet material element, respectively, the apparatus comprising:
- means operable generally between a pair of positions and adapted for receiving the magnet material element in one of the positions thereof, said receiving means including arcuate means for locating engagement with the at least one arcuate surface of the magnet material element when it is received in said receiving means;
- means operable generally in response to the operation of said receiving means from the one position toward the other of the positions thereof for caging in engagement the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element thereby to adjustably move the magnet material element generally about the locating engagement between the at least one arcuate surface of the magnet material element and said arcuate means of said receiving means so as to at least generally center the arcuate length of the magnet material element with respect to that of said arcuate means; and
- means associated with said caging means and operable generally for actuating it toward a displaced position disengaged from the magnet material element at least when said receiving means is in the other position thereof.
- 15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 further comprising means for supporting said caging means to effect conjoint operation at least in part of said caging means with said receiving means upon the operation of said receiving means from the one position toward the other position thereof and to effect the operation of said caging means toward its displaced position relative to said receiving means.
- 16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 further comprising resilient means for exerting a force onto said caging means at least when said caging means is engaged with the opposite marginal edges of the magnet material element thereby to insure the locating engagement between the at least one arcuate surface of the magnet material element and said arcuate means of said receiving means.
- 17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said caging means includes means for effecting pivotal movement of said caging means toward its displaced position upon the operation of said actuating means.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of commonly assigned parent application Ser. No. 616,200 filed June 1, 1984 (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,244 issued May 6, 1986) which, in turn, was a continuation-in-part of the commonly assigned application Ser. No. 593,840 filed Mar. 27, 1984 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,752 and each of the parent application and the continuation-in-part application which is incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Divisions (1)
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616200 |
Jun 1984 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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593840 |
Mar 1984 |
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