Locking ratchet base
A ratcheting mounting device has a substantially rigid base that is formed with a receptor surface projected above a foot portion that is structured with one or more through holes for securing the base to an external surface such as a floor or wall; a substantially rigid ratcheting coupler that is formed with an insertion surface and an appendage coupler for securing an appendage thereto; a plurality of cooperating truncated pyramid-shaped teeth and sockets arranged between the respective receptor and insertion surfaces of the base and ratcheting coupler for orienting the surface of the ratcheting coupler relative to the surface of the base in different stepwise angular orientations; and a clamping mechanism that is structured for constraining the respective receptor and insertion surfaces of the base and ratcheting coupler in different angular relationships.
This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. NPI-032) entitled, “LOCKING RATCHET BASE,” filed in the name of Jeffrey D. Carnevali on the same date herewith via USPS “Express Mail” Mailing Label Number: ED 259 545 621 US, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a mechanical mounting device, and in particular to a secure ratcheting mounting device for supporting external objects relative to a fixed platform.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONUniversal mounting devices are known for providing a positionable mounting platform in different air, land and marine vehicles. These universally positionable mounting platforms are typically structured to support a wide variety of mobile devices, such as cellular telephones, portable global positioning system (GPS) receivers, notebook computers, Personal Digital Accessories (PDAs) and other mobile devices. However secure such known universally positionable mounting platforms are, to date these positionable mounting platforms have been known to be limited in load carrying capabilities.
However, the universally positionable mounting platform shown here and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,885 would have to be of ungainly size to support some very large loads, for example, loads applied at the end of a two or three foot lever arm. Therefore, a novel mechanical mounting device for supporting such extreme loads is desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention overcomes the manufacturing and load capacity limitations of the prior art by providing a ratcheting mounting device having a substantially rigid base that is formed with a first substantially planar receptor surface projected above a foot portion that is structured with one or more through holes for securing the base to an external surface such as a floor or wall; a substantially rigid ratcheting coupler that is formed with a second substantially planar insertion surface and an appendage coupler for securing an appendage thereto; a plurality of cooperating truncated pyramid-shaped teeth and sockets arranged between the respective receptor and insertion surfaces of the base and ratcheting coupler for orienting the surface of the ratcheting coupler relative to the surface of the base in different stepwise angular orientations, and a clamping mechanism that is structured for constraining the respective receptor and insertion surfaces of the base and ratcheting coupler in different angular relationships.
According to one aspect of the invention, the clamping mechanism is structured as a threaded member for compressing the insertion surface of the ratcheting coupler against the receptor surface of the base. Optionally, a compression spring is positioned between the respective receptor and insertion surfaces of the base and ratcheting coupler for biasing the insertion surface of the ratcheting coupler away from the receptor surface of the base.
According to another aspect of the invention, the plurality of cooperating teeth and sockets are spaced at cooperating angular intervals in first and second matching substantially circular patterns. Optionally, the number of teeth is the same or less than as the number of sockets.
According to another aspect of the invention, the foot portion of the base optionally secures the receptor surface in an upright or perpendicular orientation relative to the external surface.
According to another aspect of the invention, the appendage coupler for securing an appendage to the ratcheting coupler includes a cinching mechanism that is structured for cinching an appendage in a parallel arrangement with the insertion surface of the ratcheting coupler.
According to another aspect of the invention, the ratcheting mounting device further includes an elongated appendage cinched by the cinching mechanism in a parallel arrangement with the insertion surface of the ratcheting coupler. According to another aspect of the invention including the appendage, a mounting platform is provided at an end of the appendage distal from the ratcheting coupler. Optionally, the mounting platform at the distal end of the appendage is structured as a partial sphere of resiliently compressible material.
Other aspects of the invention are detailed herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In the Figures, like numerals indicate like elements.
Accordingly, the male teeth 40 are structured to enter different ones of the female sockets 32 in different angular rotations of the insertion face 38 relative to the receptor face 28 of the base 12. Stated differently, the matching circular arrangements PS and PC of female sockets 32 and male teeth 40 are structured such that the male teeth 40 fit into the female sockets 32 at any of many different angularly rotated steps at regular angular intervals I around the face 28 of the receptor 26. As such, the matching circular arrangements PS and PC of female sockets 32 and male teeth 40 cooperate to provide a means for orienting the insertion face 38 relative to the receptor face 28 in different prescribed angular orientations in stepwise fashion, wherein the steps between different angularly adjacent orientations is prescribed by the angle α of the intervals I between adjacent female sockets 32 on the receptor face 28.
Radially enlarging the circular patterns PS and PC spaces the sockets 32 and teeth 40 from the centers of the circular patterns PS and PC, which increases the holding strength of the ratcheting mounting device 10 by increasing the lever arm at which the cooperating sockets 32 and teeth 40 operate. Radially enlarging the circular patterns PS and PC and spacing the sockets 32 and teeth 40 further from the circular centers also increases the number of intervals I at which the cooperating sockets 32 and teeth 40 can be placed by increasing the linear distance between adjacent angular positions. In other words, the sockets 32 can be positioned closer together without breaking into one another when their circular pattern PS is larger, and therefore, more of the sockets 32 can be emplaced, and the angle α of the angular intervals I between them made smaller. The size of the matching circular pattern PC of teeth 40 must also increase to a matching size with the circular pattern PS, but the quantity of cooperating teeth 40 does not have to increase to take advantage of the larger quantity of sockets 32 at narrower angular intervals I for decreasing the proscribed angular intervals α between different angularly adjacent orientations of the insertion face 38 relative to the receptor face 28. Accordingly, the ratcheting coupler 14 can be rotated between the different prescribed angles α relative to the receptor 26 and to the floor or other external surface E through the receptor 26 and foot 22 of the base 12 by moving the teeth 40 to different ones of the sockets 32.
A substantially cylindrical aperture 43 is formed completely through the hub 36 at substantially the center of the circular pattern PC of the projected male teeth 40. The aperture 43 is aligned substantially perpendicular to the substantially planar insertion face 38. The substantially cylindrical aperture 43 functions in combination with the aperture 34 through the receptor 26 portion of the base 12 for clamping the planar insertion face 38 securely against the receptor face 28 with the male teeth 40 inserted into different ones of the recessed sockets 32 to constrain the ratcheting coupler 14 in a selected angular relationship with the base 12 by means of the coupler clamping mechanism 16, as illustrated in
The appendage coupler 18 of the ratcheting coupler 14 operates as a means for securing the appendage A (shown in
According to one embodiment of the invention, the coupler clamping mechanism 16 includes the threaded fastener 66 for clamping the ratcheting coupler 14 to the base 12. The threaded fastener 66 is, for example, a male threaded member, such as a bolt, stud or rod, that is projected perpendicularly from the insertion face 38 along the line of contact LC. When the threaded fastener 66 is a stud, the aperture 34 through the receptor 26 is a threaded aperture structured to receive and retain the stud-type threaded fastener 66 with a threaded shaft 67 projected from the receptor face 28 along the line of contact LC. Alternatively, the aperture 34 is eliminated, and the threaded shaft portion 67 of the stud-type threaded fastener 66 is projected out of the insertion surface 38, as by being originally formed as an integral part of the receptor 26, or as being welded or otherwise fixed to the insertion surface 38. When the threaded fastener 66 is a bolt, the threaded shaft 67 of the bolt-type threaded fastener 66 is sized to pass through the aperture 34, and the bolt-type threaded fastener 66 includes a head 68 that is oversize relative to the aperture 34 for being constrained thereby on an opposite side 70 of the receptor 26 from the receptor face 28.
The coupler clamping mechanism 16 also includes a knob 72 (shown in
Other means for applying the axial force FC, such as a cam device, are also known and are considered to be equivalent to the coupler clamping mechanism 16 described herein for practicing the invention.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a coil or other compression spring 76 is provided between the ratcheting coupler 14 and the base 12 as a means for biasing the hub 36 away from the receptor 26, and thereby separating the insertion face 38 from the receptor face 28 and retrieving the teeth 40 from the sockets 32 when the coupler clamping mechanism 16 is operated in reverse to remove the axial force FC. When the compression spring 76 is provided as a coil or other tubular spring device, it is optionally sized to fit over the shaft 67 of the threaded fastener 66 as a means for retaining the spring 76 within the assembly of the ratcheting mounting device 10 during manual rotation and reorientation of the ratcheting coupler 14 relative to the base 12.
Accordingly, the ratcheting mounting device 10 of the invention effectively supports remote external objects relative to a fixed platform at a significant distance from the fixed platform.
According to different embodiments of the invention, the base 12, ratcheting coupler 14, coupler clamping mechanism 16, and appendage coupler 18 are embodied with different structure to perform the same function to achieve the same result in substantially the same way. For example, the hub 36 portion of the ratcheting coupler 14 is formed with the receptor face 28 with the sockets 32 formed therein, and the receptor 26 portion of the base 12 is formed with the insertion face 38 which includes multiple male teeth 40 projected therefrom. In another example, the sockets 32 and teeth 40 are formed as cooperating truncated conical structures. According to another example, coupler clamping mechanism 16 is a cam mechanism having the knob 72 structured to operate in concert with the shaft 67 for applying the axial force FC that compresses the insertion face 38 of the hub 36 against the receptor face 28 of the receptor 26 along the line of contact LC. In still another example, the cinching mechanism 56 is replaced with a conventional set screw in a threaded aperture aligned with the tubular space 54. Alternatively, the appendage coupler 18 is formed as a plate having a plurality of apertures for mounting the appendage A thereto by means of fasteners operating through the apertures.
Accordingly, while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the inventor makes the following claims.
Claims
1. A ratcheting mounting device, comprising:
- a substantially rigid base formed with a first substantially planar surface projected above a foot portion structured with a means for securing the base to an external surface;
- a substantially rigid ratcheting coupler formed with a second substantially planar surface and an appendage coupler for securing an appendage thereto;
- a plurality of cooperating teeth and sockets arranged between the planar surfaces of the base and ratcheting coupler for orienting the surface of the ratcheting coupler relative to the surface of the base in different stepwise angular orientations; and
- a clamping mechanism structured for constraining the planar surfaces of the base and ratcheting coupler in different angular relationships.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the clamping mechanism further comprises a threaded member for compressing the surface of the ratcheting coupler against the surface of the base.
3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a spring positioned for biasing the surface of the ratcheting coupler away from the surface of the base.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cooperating teeth and sockets are further spaced at cooperating angular intervals in first and second matching substantially circular patterns.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the plurality of teeth is less than the plurality of sockets.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for securing the base to an external surface further comprises a means for securing the first substantially planar surface in an upright orientation relative to the external surface.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the appendage coupler further comprises a cinching mechanism structured for cinching an appendage in a parallel arrangement with the substantially planar surface of the ratcheting coupler.
8. The device of claim 7, further comprising an elongated appendage cinched by the cinching mechanism in a parallel arrangement with the substantially planar surface of the ratcheting coupler.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the elongated appendage further comprises a mounting platform at an end thereof distal from the ratcheting coupler.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the mounting platform further comprises a partial sphere of resiliently compressible material.
11. A ratcheting mounting device, comprising:
- a base formed with a first substantially planar surface, and being further formed with a means for securing the base to an external surface;
- a ratcheting coupler formed with a second substantially planar surface, and being further formed with a means for securing an appendage;
- a means for orienting the surface of the ratcheting coupler relative to the surface of the base in different stepwise angular orientations; and
- a means for constraining the ratcheting coupler in a selected angular relationship with the base.
12. The device of claim 11 wherein the means for constraining the ratcheting coupler in a selected angular relationship with the base further comprises a means for compressing the surface of the ratcheting coupler against the surface of the base.
13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a means for biasing the surface of the ratcheting coupler away from the surface of the base.
14. The device of claim 11 wherein the means for orienting the surface of the ratcheting coupler relative to the surface of the base in different stepwise angular orientations further comprises a plurality of cooperating sockets and teeth operating between the surface of the ratcheting coupler and the surface of the base with the sockets being spaced at first angular intervals in a first substantially circular pattern and the teeth being spaced at second angular intervals in a second substantially circular pattern that matches the first circular pattern.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein the plurality of teeth is less than the plurality of sockets.
16. The device of claim 11 wherein the means for securing the base to an external surface further comprises a means for securing the base in an upright orientation relative to the external surface.
17. The device of claim 11 wherein the means for securing an appendage to the ratcheting coupler further comprises a means for cinching an appendage in a parallel arrangement with the substantially planar surface of the ratcheting coupler.
18. The device of claim 17, further comprises an elongated appendage cinched in a parallel arrangement with the substantially planar surface of the ratcheting coupler.
19. The device of claim 18 wherein the elongated appendage further comprises a mounting platform at an end thereof distal from the ratcheting coupler.
20. The device of claim 19 wherein the mounting platform further comprises a partial sphere of resiliently compressible material.
21. A ratcheting mounting device, comprising:
- a base formed with a foot that is structured for securing the base to an external surface, and a receptor coupled to the foot and having a substantially planar receptor face formed with a plurality of sockets arranged in a first circular pattern at uniform first intervals;
- a ratcheting coupler having a substantially planar insertion face formed with a plurality of teeth projecting therefrom and arranged in a second circular pattern that is substantially the same as the first circular pattern of sockets and at positions that correspond to the first intervals, and an appendage coupler for securing an appendage in a ratcheting rotational relationship to the base; and
- a coupler clamping mechanism structured for securing the ratcheting coupler to the base with the teeth inserted into the sockets.
22. The device of claim 21 wherein the plurality of teeth is less than the plurality of sockets.
23. The device of claim 21 wherein the coupler clamping mechanism is further structured for securing the ratcheting coupler to the base with the teeth inserted into the sockets in different angular orientations of the insertion face relative to the receptor face.
24. The device of claim 21 wherein the coupler clamping mechanism is further structured for applying an axial force along a line of contact that forces the insertion face against the receptor face.
25. The device of claim 21, further comprising an appendage secured by the appendage coupler.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 16, 2004
Publication Date: May 18, 2006
Inventor: Jeffrey Carnevali (Seattle, WA)
Application Number: 10/990,896
International Classification: E04G 3/00 (20060101);