Abstract:
An apparatus for driving an index table which includes a first shaft, an index table rotatably mounted on the first shaft having grooves therein forming a Geneva gear and a mechanism for driving the table in rotation including a drive motor, a second shaft driven by the motor, a crank mounted on the second shaft, and a Geneva pin mounted on the crank. The grooves have force bearing walls which include straight portions and sector portions. The Geneva pin is engaged in the grooves in the table to effect stepwise rotation of the table to equispaced, predetermined angular positions. The second shaft and the grooves are spaced from each other such that the distance from the axis of the second shaft to the circumferential surface of the pin is less than the distance from the axis of the shaft to the straight portions of the force bearing walls of the grooves. The sector portions of the force bearing walls of the grooves are recessed such that the distance from the axis of the second shaft to the circumferential surface of the pin is equal to the distance from the axis of the second shaft to the sector portions of the force bearing walls of the grooves. Thus the circumferential surface of the pin transfers from bearing against the walls of the straight portion to bearing against the walls of the recessed sector portion prior to the index table finishing rotation to one of the predetermined angular positions. The index table thereafter completes rotation to the predetermined angular position powered solely by its inertia.
Abstract:
A visor-like, protective hood assembly consisting of a segmented shutter for covering an optical window and including three hemispherical shutter segments of increasing radii and pivoted about a common pivot for relocation between a retracted, open and nested relation and an extended, closed position. A drive motor, coupled with a Geneva mechanism, directly and intermittently drives the outermost shutter segment, and trailing edge lips on each segment engage with and respectively drive the intermediate and inner segments to their fully extended, closed positions in a protective relation over the window.
Abstract:
An indexer for establishing Geneva-type motion, in which the rotation of the head changes according to a sinusoidal curve and whereby instantaneous or abrupt changes in velocity are avoided. The mechanism includes a head having a hemispherical surface and rotatable about a first axis. The head is rotated in indexed motion by a cam driven by a drive shaft rotating about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and intersecting the latter at the center of the hemisphere. Automatically locking means prevent rotation of the head between successive indexing advancements. Optional means for generating a timed reciprocating motion along the first axis are also provided.