An Improved Mode of Arranging and Manufacturing Adjustable Ball and Socket Joints.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mode of Arranging and Manufacturing Adjustable
Ball and Socket Joints.
I, RICHARD LAUNCELOT BULLOCK, of 22 Albion Street, Leeds, in the
County of York, Scientific Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to the class of ball and socket joint used for the most part
in mounting scientific instruments, and the like, for the purpose of levelling them
before taking observations, etc.
Some instruments have little more than an ordinary ball and socket joint which
requires to be first placed in position and afterwards tapped to the correct
adjustment; the subsequent tightening of the joint, for security's sake, generally
resulting in a disturbance of the previous setting.
Others have a ball and socket joint the two members of which are attached to
approximately horizontal plates between which the adjusting screws act, but these
joints have an objectionable arrangement of parallel screws.
Others again are fitted with complicated joints-built up from and by portions
of spherical surfaces-which whilst they allow satisfactory adjustments to he made,
are, by reason of their complication, costly, and to that extent objectionable.
Further an objectionable feature in many joints is the tendency they have to
let the instrument fall over to one side when the adjusting screws are somewhat
slackened.
The object of my invention is to arrange a simple ball and socket joint (having
full freedom to oscillate through a sufficient angle) with surrounding converging
adjusting screws so situated that tightening them-in group-also tightens and
fixes the ball joint; whilst on the release of a screw or screws the instrument
can only sway over to the extent to which the screw or screws have been moved,
and no further.
I carry out my object in or after the following manner;-
At the head of the ball, and round the stem rising therefrom, place an
inverted cone-or other tapering form-and I bring the adjusting screws to so
bear on it (or from it)-convergingly-that their thrusts, when tightened, draw
the ball firmly against the upper half of the socket joint; thus on final adjustment
the instrument is finally fixed.
The portion of the apparatus through which the converging screws pass, or ou
which they bear, is an extension of a portion of the socket, the screws making an
approximate angle of 30 degrees with the horizontal line, whilst the taper of the
cone, (or other such portion) approximates to 60 degrees-this in order to bring
the adjusting screws into contact at an approximate right angle.
At the head of the inverted cone may be mounted the usual swivel for turning
the instrument round, and the base may be arranged to suit any desired attachment.
The lower half of the socket may be packed with leather or other padding to
assist in keeping the ball in its place when the adjusting screws are released.
The details may easily be modified to suit any special circumstances which may
arise, but the mode of arrangement would be on the basis before described.
Dated this 26th dex of Inle 1895
WM. SNOWDON,
9 Old Bank Chambers, Leeds, Yorks, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Mode of Arranging and Manufacturing Adjustable
Ball and Socket Joints.
I, RICHARD LAUNCELOT BULLOCK, of 22 Albion Street, Leeds, in the
County of York, Scientific Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention refers to the class of ball and socket joint used for the most part
in mounting scientific instruments, and the like, for the purpose of levelling them
before taking observations, etc.
Some instruments have little more than an ordinary ball and socket joint which
requires to be first placed in position and afterwards tapped to the correct
adjustment; the subsequent tightening of the joint, for security's sake, generally
resulting in a disturbance of the previous setting.
Others have a ball and socket joint the two members of which are attached to
approximately horizontal plates between which the adjusting screws act, but these
joints have an objectionable arrangement of parallel screws.
Others again are fitted with complicated joints-built up from and by portions
of spherical surfaces-which whilst they allow satisfactory adjustments to be
made, are, by reason of their complication, costly, and to that extent objectionable.
Further, an objectionable feature in many joints is the tendency they have to
let the instrument fall over to one side when the adjusting screws are somewhat
slackened.
The object of the invention is to arrange a simple ball and socket joint (having
full freedom to turn or oscillate through a sufficient angle) with surrounding
converging adjusting screws so situated that tightening them-in group-also
tightens and fixes the ball joint; whilst on the release of a screw or screws the
instrument can only sway over to the extent to which the screw or screws have
been moved, and no further.
I carry out my object in or after the following manner; and in order to fully
explain my meaning I have annexed a drawing setting forth modes of applying my
invention.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a diagrammatic plan of the arrangement
which I shall first describe; Figs. 3 to 6 being half sectional elevations of
modifications of the same, all however adhering to the chief characteristics of the
invention. The same letters refer to the same parts or their equivalents in all the
figures.
At the head of the ball, A, and round the stem rising therefrom, I place an
inverted cone, or other tapering form, B, and I bring the adjusting screws C, to Bo
bear on it (or from it)-convergingly-that their thrusts, when tightened, draw
the ball firmly against the upper half of the socket joint D; thus on final
adjustment the instrument is firmly fixed.
The portion of the apparatus, E, through which the converging screws C pass
(or on which they bear) is an extension of a portion of the socket, the screws C
making, in the case of Fig. 1, an approximate angle of 30 degrees with the
horizontal line, whilst the taper of the cone, or other such portion, approximates
to 60 degrees-this in order to bring the adjusting screws into contact at an
approximate right angle.
At the head of the inverted cone, say at F, may be mounted the usual swivel G,
for turning the instrument round, and the base, H, may be arranged to suit any
desired attachment. The lower half of the socket, D', may be packed with
leather or other padding, to assist in keeping the ball in its place when the
adjusting screws are released.

page_text: In the plan view, Fig. 2, three adjusting screws are shown, which to those
accustomed to their use will be the most efficient; but when specially desired four
screws may be arranged, in which case it will prove the more convenient to converge
the screws against a four sided pyramid.
A screw fixes the swivel G, and, to prevent the cone B revolving, the stem
of the ball A may be made square, or it may be otherwise pinned after putting
together. Another screw or nut, K, at the head, keeps the swivel, etc., in position.
The socket is screwed together at L, and M represents the supporting member
whose head is at H.
The details may easily be modified to suit any special circumstances which may
arise, but the mode of arrangement would be on the basis before described. The
following are examples of modes of arrangement, showing how modifications may
be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
In Fig. 3 the arrangement is clearly shown; here, the screws converge
downwards on to the cone, the whole being put together by means of a collar-
bush at E' made in two or more pieces.
In Fig. 4 the same arrangement is shown, with a cone attached to the ball A
by a central bolt. In these two arrangements gravity and the screw pressures
work together.
In Fig. 5 the screws are mounted on an outer cone attached to the head of
the apparatus and they converge downwards and bear on an inner cone, which
may be made less pointed than in the previous examples. A suitable screwed
portion opens the socket for the introduction of the ball whose spindle is fixed by
the screw or nut at the head.
In Fig. 6 the screws converge upwards against an upper cone, the lower portion
of which forms the socket for the ball, this latter being bolted down to the base.
A suitable screwed portion at the head of the cone permits the ball to be inserted
in position.
In speaking of a ball, the term must be understood to include any suitable
portion of a sphere.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The improved mode of arranging and manufacturing adjustable ball and
socket joints, consisting essentially in an arrangement of three or more screws
converging on a cone, or other equivalent base, this latter being mounted on, or
around, the ball; in or after the mode or manner shown and described, with the
object and for the purpose set forth.
2. The improved ball and socket joint substantially as described and shown,
with special reference to Figs. 1 to 6, with the object and for the purpose bet
forth.
Dated this 25th day of April 1896.
WM.
SNOWDON,
9 Old Bank Chambers, Leeds, Yorks, Agent for the Applicant.