Claims
- 1. A shaker apparatus, comprising:
- platform means for carrying a load;
- a base disposed beneath said platform means;
- drive means carried by said base and operatively connected with said platform means for horizontal shaking of said platform means with respect to said base;
- a plurality of idler eccentric means connecting said base to said platform means for maintaining said platform means in a horizontal position with respect to said base during the horizontal shaking of the platform means, each of said idler eccentric means comprising an upper journal portion in an upper bearing assembly secured to said platform means and a lower journal portion in a lower bearing assembly secured to said base, said upper and lower journal portions each having first and second longitudinal axes extending therethrough, respectively, wherein said first and second longitudinal axes are substantially parallel to and offset from each other, said idler eccentric means further including cup means disposed about said lower bearing assembly and secured to said upper journal for circular rotation about said first axis in response to a circular orbital movement of the upper journal caused by the horizontal shaking of said platform means; and
- alignment means associated with each of said idler eccentric means for preventing the transmission of force loadings between the platform means and the base through one of said idler eccentric means when said force loadings are generated at another of said idler eccentric means.
- 2. The shaker apparatus of claim 1 wherein said alignment means is disposed between said cup means and said lower bearing assembly to prevent contact of said cup means with said lower bearing assembly.
- 3. The shaker apparatus of claim 2 wherein said cup means has a closed cavity formed of a cylindrical inner side wall and a bottom surface; and said alignment means comprises bumper means between said closed cavity of said cup means and said lower bearing assembly to prevent contact of said cup means with said lower bearing assembly.
- 4. The shaker apparatus of claim 3 wherein said bumper means comprises a first bumper between said inner side wall of said cup means and said lower bearing assembly, and a second bumper between said bottom surface of said closed cavity and said lower bearing assembly.
- 5. The shaker apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first bumper comprises a plurality of o-rings.
- 6. The shaker apparatus of claim 5 wherein said second bumper comprises an o-ring disposed between the bottom surface of the cavity and the lower bearing assembly to prevent contact between said lower bearing assembly, said journal portion and said closed cavity said cup means.
- 7. The shaker apparatus of claim 6 wherein said lower bearing assembly comprises an inner race immovably secured to said lower journal portion and an outer race rotatable about said first axis, and said lower journal portion is immovably secured to said base.
- 8. The shaker apparatus of claim 9 wherein said upper journal portion includes a rotatably mounted shaft which is secured to said cup means at a location offset from said first axis, said shaft is disposed in an upper bearing assembly comprising an inner race secured to said shaft and an outer race secured within a cylindrical bore of a shaft housing, said shaft housing being secured to said platform means.
- 9. The shaker apparatus of claim 1 wherein said platform means includes a substantially rectangularly shaped tier secured to the bottom surface of a platform adapted for supporting a 19ad to be shaken, and said idler eccentric means are secured to each corner of said tier.
- 10. The shaker apparatus of claim 9 wherein said drive means includes a rotary drive shaft having a lower portion extending through said base and being rotatable about a first vertical axis of rotation, said drive shaft having an upper portion operatively connected to said platform means and being rotatable about a second vertical axis of rotation spaced from said first vertical axis of rotation.
- 11. The shaker apparatus of claim 10 further including counterbalancing means operatively connected to said rotary drive shaft to move therewith for horizontally balancing said shaker apparatus during operation thereof and for substantially eliminating tilting moments.
- 12. The shaker apparatus of claim 10 wherein said drive means includes a motor means for rotating said drive shaft, speed control means connected to said motor means for controlling the speed of rotation of said drive shaft to create the desired orbit of motion, and remote control means connected to said speed control means for setting control parameters of said speed control means.
- 13. The shaker apparatus of claim 12 wherein said speed control means is connected to said remote control means by fiber optic lines.
- 14. The shaker apparatus of claim 13 wherein said speed control means is connected to said motor means by a fiber optic line and an electric power line.
- 15. The shaker apparatus of claim 1 further including support means associated with each of said idler eccentric means for supporting said platform and preventing any significant up and down motion of said platform with respect to said base.
- 16. A shaker apparatus, comprising:
- platform means for carrying a load;
- a base disposed beneath said platform means; drive means carried by said base and operatively connected with said platform means for horizontal shaking of said platform means with respect to said base;
- a plurality of idler eccentric means connecting said base to said platform means for guiding said platform means in a substantially planar orbit substantially parallel to said base during the horizontal shaking of the platform means; and
- alignment and support means associated with each of said idler eccentric means for preventing the transmission of force loadings between said platform means and said base through misalignment of said idler eccentric means and for supporting said platform means and preventing any significant up and down motion of said platform means with respect to said base;
- each of said idler eccentric means comprising an upper journal portion in an upper bearing assembly secured to said platform means and a lower journal portion in a lower bearing assembly secured to said base, said upper and lower journal portions each having first and second longitudinal axes extending therethrough, respectively, wherein said first and second longitudinal axes are substantially parallel to and offset from each other;
- said idler eccentric means further including cup means disposed about said lower bearing assembly and secured to said upper journal for circular rotation about said first axis in response to a circular orbital movement of the upper journal caused by the horizontal shaking of the platform means, said alignment means disposed between said cup means and said lower bearing assembly to prevent contact of said cup means with said lower bearing assembly.
- 17. The shaker apparatus of claim 16 wherein said cup means has a closed cavity formed of a cylindrical inner side wall and a bottom surface; and said alignment means comprises bumper means between the closed cavity of said cup means and said lower bearing assembly to prevent contact of said cup means with said
- lower bearing assembly and to further prevent any significant up and down motion of said platform means with respect to said base.
- 18. The shaker apparatus of claim 17 wherein said bumper means comprises a first bumper between the inner side wall of said cup means and said lower bearing assembly, a second bumper between the bottom surface of said cavity and said lower bearing assembly and a third bumper between an inner side wall of said cup means and the bottom surface of said lower bearing assembly.
- 19. The shaker apparatus of claim 18 wherein said first, second, and third bumpers comprise an o-ring.
- 20. The shaker apparatus of claim 19 further including a retaining ring removably secured to said cup component to compress said third bumper against said lower bearing assembly.
- 21. The shaker apparatus of claim 20 wherein said second bumper comprises an o-ring disposed between the bottom surface of said cavity and said lower bearing assembly to prevent contact between said bearing assembly, said journal portion, and said closed cavity of said cup means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application U.S. Ser. No. 07/938,431, filed Aug. 31, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
938431 |
Aug 1992 |
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