Patent ID: 6895870

Claim:
A component stacking apparatus for stacking plural electronic or electro-acoustic components in a vertical stacked arrangement on a horizontal support surface such that vibratory energy generated within each component is transmitted and dissipated while each of the plural components is isolated from vibratory energy emanating from others of the plural components and from vibratory energy emanating from the horizontal support surface, the component stacking apparatus comprising: essentially rigid horizontal support members for supporting each component on a corresponding horizontal support member; essentially rigid vertical support members for spacing the horizontal support members vertically from one another to establish a vertical stacked arrangement of horizontal support members, with each horizontal support member supported by corresponding vertical support members; and couplings for coupling each horizontal support member with corresponding vertical support members, each coupling including: a lower block member having an upper surface; a first depression in the upper surface; an upper block member having a lower surface juxtaposed with the upper surface of the lower block member; a second depression in the lower surface for confronting the first depression; and a rolling member engaged between the first depression and the second depression for rolling movement in lateral directions relative to the lower and upper block members in response to relative movements between the lower and upper block members in lateral directions; the first and second depressions being configured for enabling relative displacement between the lower block member and the upper block member in horizontal directions and for effecting relative displacement between the lower block member and the upper block member in vertical directions away from and toward an equilibrium position, and for biasing the upper and lower block members toward the equilibrium position, in response to rolling movement of the rolling member; the couplings enabling relative movement between each horizontal support member and the corresponding vertical support members in horizontal and vertical directions corresponding to the relative displacement between the upper and lower block members of the couplings, such that vibratory energy is transmitted and dissipated from the horizontal support members, while each horizontal support member is isolated from vibratory energy emanating from others of the horizontal members and from vibratory energy emanating from the horizontal support surface.