System and method for improved fixation of flats sequencing system linear actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10221990-B2
Application number	US-201715474898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A system of mitigating force in a mechanical system, the system comprising a frame member, a first rail connected to the frame member, a second rail connected to the frame member and extending along the frame member in parallel to the first rail, an assembly movably engaging the first and second rails, and a first bracket located between the first and second rails, with at least one first bracket attachment secured to the frame member, the first bracket sharing an upper edge with a lower edge of the first rail, such that a downward force applied on the first rail is distributed to the first bracket and the frame member via the at least one first bracket attachment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system of mitigating force in a mechanical system, the system comprising:
a frame member having a vertical face comprising a first channel that forms a lip along the vertical face;
a guide rail secured to and extending perpendicularly outward from the vertical face of the frame member;
an assembly movably attached to the guide rail and configured to exert a downward force on the guide rail substantially parallel to a plane of the vertical face;
a first bracket located below the guide rail and secured to the vertical face of the frame member, the first bracket having an upper edge in contact with a lower edge of the guide rail, such that the downward force exerted on the guide rail is distributed to the first bracket, wherein the first bracket comprises:
a protrusion configured to distribute, to the frame member, at least a first portion of the downward force distributed to the first bracket when the protrusion contacts at least one edge of the lip formed along the vertical face of the frame member, and
at least one bracket attachment configured to distribute, to the frame member, at least a second portion of the downward force distributed to the first bracket via the first channel.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first bracket is configured to reduce a shear strain on the guide rail.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bracket attachment comprises a countersunk hole and a bolt, wherein the bolt passes through the countersunk hole and couples to a fastener positioned within the frame member.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the countersunk hole is in a same plane as the protrusion such that the bolt couples to the fastener positioned within the first channel of the frame member.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the countersunk hole is in a different plane as the protrusion such that the bolt couples to the fastener positioned within a second channel of the frame member.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second bracket located below the first bracket and secured to the vertical face of the frame member, the second bracket having an upper edge in contact with a lower edge of the first bracket, such that the downward force distributed to the first bracket is further distributed to the second bracket.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second bracket comprises:
a second protrusion configured to distribute, to the frame member, at least a first portion of the downward force further distributed to the second bracket, wherein the second protrusion contacts at least one edge of a lip of a second channel on the vertical face of the frame member, and
at least one second bracket attachment configured to distribute, to the frame member, at least a second portion of the downward force further distributed to the second bracket.

8. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a second guide rail located below the second bracket and secured to the vertical face of the frame member, the second guide rail having an upper edge in contact with a lower edge of the second bracket, wherein the assembly is movably attached to the second guide rail and wherein the first bracket and the second bracket have a thickness less than a clearance distance between the assembly movably attached the first and second guide rails and the frame member.

9. A method of mitigating force in a mechanical system, comprising:
distributing a downward force, exerted on a first guide rail secured to a vertical face of a frame member by an assembly movably attached to the first guide rail, the vertical face comprising a first channel that forms a lip along the vertical face, to a first bracket located below the first guide rail and secured to the vertical face of the frame member;
distributing, to the frame member, at least a first portion of the downward force distributed to the first bracket via a protrusion of the first bracket that contacts at least one edge of the lip formed along the vertical face of the frame member; and
distributing, to the frame member, at least a second portion of the downward force distributed to the first bracket via at least one bracket attachment of the first bracket.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first bracket is configured to reduce a shear strain on the first guide rail.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one bracket attachment comprises a countersunk hole and a bolt, wherein the bolt passes through the countersunk hole and couples to a fastener positioned within the frame member.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the countersunk hole is in a same plane as the protrusion such that the bolt couples to the fastener positioned within the first channel of the frame member.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the countersunk hole is in a different plane as the protrusion such that the bolt couples to the fastener positioned within a second channel on the vertical face of the frame member.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
distributing at least a portion of the force distributed to the first bracket to the to a second bracket;
distributing, to the frame member, at least a first portion of the force distributed to the second bracket via a protrusion of the second bracket that contacts at least one edge of the lip along the vertical face of the frame member; and
distributing, to the frame member, at least a second portion of the force distributed to the second bracket via at least one bracket attachment of the second bracket, wherein the second bracket is located below the first bracket and secured to the vertical face of the frame member, the second bracket having an upper edge in contact with a lower edge of the first bracket, such that the downward force distributed to the first bracket is further distributed to the second bracket.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising a second guide rail located below the second bracket and secured to the vertical face of the frame member, the second guide rail having an upper edge in contact with a lower edge of the second bracket, wherein the assembly is movably attached to the second guide rail and wherein the first bracket and the second bracket have a thickness less than a clearance distance between the assembly movably attached the first and second guide rails and the frame member.

16. A system of mitigating force in a mechanical system, comprising:
means for distributing a downward force exerted on a first guide rail secured to a vertical face of a frame member by an assembly movably attached to the first guide rail, wherein the vertical face comprises a first channel forming a lip along the vertical face, to the frame member;
means for distributing, to the frame member, at least a first portion of the downward force distributed to the means for distributing a downward force to at least one edge of the lip formed along the vertical face of the frame member; and
means for distributing, to the frame member, at least a second portion of the downward force distributed to the means for distributing a downward force via a coupled attachment.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Yang Dongliang
• Good Matthew G
• Shiu Leung M

Classifications

• F16M11/043

  Allowing translations · CPC title

• B65H2402/30

  Supports; Subassemblies; Mountings thereof · CPC title

• B65H3/00

  Separating articles from piles (associating, collating, or gathering articles B65H39/00; machines for separating superposed webs B65H41/00; unpiling thin material combined with folding B65H45/26; combinations of piling and depiling operations, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling B65H83/00) · CPC title

• F16M11/2085

  comprising means allowing sideward adjustment, i.e. left-right translation of the head relatively to the undercarriage · CPC title

• B65H2402/20

  Force systems, e.g. composition of forces · CPC title