Patent Publication Number: US-H2009-H

Title: Height adjustment device for load support

Description:
The present invention relates in general to vertical height adjustment of leveled loads on supports. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is already well known in the art that adjustments by wedge displacement may be effected in response to selective rotation of a screw bolt, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,814 to Mann in connection with clamps. Such adjustment involves imparting rotation to the screw bolt at its head end for axial displacement through a reaction element, in order to transfer such displacement to an actuating wedge along the screw axis to thereby cause displacement of an adjustment wedge in a lateral direction relative to the screw axis by its sliding contact with the actuating wedge. However, use of the foregoing type of wedge adjustment arrangement has not been suggested for nor applied to a load support environment such as shipboard machinery requiring vertical height adjustment without disturbance of its load leveled condition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a screw adjusted wedge arrangement includes a pair of outer wedges separated by and in sliding engagement with an intermediate actuating wedge having a slot formation therein through which a centering pin extends vertically between the outer wedges. The outer wedges prevent rotation of the centering pin and hold it axially fixed relative to the axis of a screw bolt so that selective rotation of the screw bolt, threadedly extending through the centering pin within the slot formation, causes it to be horizontally displaced along the screw axis relative to the outer wedges. Such horizontal displacement of the screw bolt is transferred to the actuating wedge in sliding contact with the confronting surfaces of the outer wedges so as to cause vertical displacement of the outer wedges relative to each other laterally of the screw axis. One of such outer wedges mounts a load support thereon in vertical alignment with the centering pin. Vertical displacement of an outer wedge by selective rotation of the screw bolt is thereby transferred to the load support for in-situ height adjustment of heavy leveled loads on such support without level disturbance. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
     A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a load height adjustment arrangement in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan section view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line  2 — 2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side section view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line  3 — 3  in FIG.2; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial section view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line  4 — 4  in FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 5 is a partial side section view of the arrangement as shown in FIG. 3, in a different adjustment condition. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a load height adjustment arrangement, generally referred to by reference numeral  10 , having a vertically stacked wedge assembly consisting of upper and lower wedges  12  and  14  and an intermediate actuating wedge  16 . Such three wedges  12 ,  14  and  16  are shaped so that upper and lower exterior surfaces  18  and on the outer wedges  12  and  14  are always parallel in order to avoid disturbances of the leveled condition of a load, such as shipboard machinery, provided by a standard type of load support  22  fixed to the upper exterior surface  18  of the wedge  12 . Height adjustment of such load on the support  22  is effected in-situ by selective manual rotation of the head end  24  of a screw bolt  26  projecting from one side of the intermediate actuating wedge  16  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate actuating wedge  16  is a tapered body having planar surfaces  28  that converge in one direction along the axis  30  of the screw bolt  26 , and are in sliding contact engagement with confronting inner surfaces of the outer wedges  12  and  14 . The screw bolt  26  extends into a slot formation  32  within the tapered body of the actuating wedge  16 , accommodating rotation of the screw bolt about the screw axis  30  relative to the wedge  16 . An annular recess portion  34  of the slot formation retains therein a radially enlarged disc portion  36  of the screw bolt axially spaced from the screw bolt head  24 . The external threading  38  on the screw bolt, extending from the disc portion  36  opposite the head end  24 , is threadedly received through a centering pin  40 . Such centering pin  40  is rotationally fixed relative to axis  30  by slidable extension into openings  42  formed in the outer wedges  12  and  14  in alignment with an axis  44  in perpendicular intersecting relation to axis  30 . Accordingly, selective rotation of the screw bolt  26  about its axis  30  will cause it to be displaced horizontally along axis  30  because of its threaded engagement with the rotationally fixed centering pin  40 . Such axial movement of the screw bolt  26  is transferred by its disc portion  36  to the wedge  16 , which is thereby also displaced horizontally along axis  30  relative to the centering pin  40 . Such horizontal displacement of wedge  16  relative to the centering pin  40 ′ is accommodated by the slot formation  32  in the wedge  16  as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     The foregoing referred to horizontal displacement of the actuating wedge  16  along the screw axis  30 , causes it to effect vertical displacement of the outer wedge  12  along the axis  44  established in alignment with the load support  22  by the centering pin  40 . FIGS. 3 and 5 show a change in vertical spacing  46   a  and  46   b  along axis  44  between the screw axis  30  and the upper surface  18  of the wedge  12 , resulting from horizontal displacement of the actuating wedge  12  as hereinbefore described, reflecting the height adjustment action. 
     Obviously, other modifications and variations of the present invention may be possible in light of the foregoing teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.