Abstract
The invention is a corner rack with one front face that has teeth. A corner rack is a linear gear interface that can be placed in corners, such that the teeth face out from the corner at an angle, rather than running parallel with the walls. The teeth of the corner rack have a profile that can engage with the profile of a silent chain. The combination of the corner rack and silent chain allows an attached motor to be distanced from the corner rack, so that a lifting device driven by the corner rack and silent chain can be placed in and utilized in corners. This leads to increased versatility and efficiency.
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising: a corner rack, the corner rack comprising a planar front face, the planar front face comprising teeth, the teeth comprising a profile that engages with a profile of a silent chain.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corner rack has a truncated cubic configuration, and parallel to the planar front face, a point where two back faces join at an angle formed by a corner in which the corner rack is mounted.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corner rack has a trapezoid configuration, and parallel to the front face, a flat face, and the flat face positioned in a corner.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corner rack has a cubic configuration, and the corner rack is displaced within and secured by a bracket with a truncated cubic configuration, and parallel to the front face of the corner rack, a point where two back faces of the bracket join at an angle formed by a corner in which the corner rack is mounted.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corner rack is tubular.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a pitch measurement of the corner rack measures between about 0.345 and 0.79 inches.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a pitch measurement of the corner rack measures between about 0.41 and 0.63 inches.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a pitch measurement of the corner rack measures between about 0.48 and 0.58 inches.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the teeth of the corner rack extend from a main body of the corner rack at an angle between about 90 and 130 degrees.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the teeth of the corner rack extend from a main body of the corner rack at an angle between about 110 and 120 degrees.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the teeth of the corner rack extend from a main body of the corner rack at an angle between 105 and 115 degrees.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corner rack has a center guide indentation that corresponds with center guide link plates of the silent chain, preventing the silent chain from slipping when it engages with the corner rack.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the teeth engage with the silent chain, such that the silent chain is driven along the rack as a motor drives the silent chain.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] A more particular description of the invention briefly described above is made below by reference to specific embodiments depicted in drawings included with this application, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of one embodiment of the corner rack;
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of one embodiment of the corner rack;
[0015] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of one embodiment of the corner rack;
[0016] FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a silent chain having a profile that can engage with the corner rack;
[0017] FIG. 5 depicts an exploded view of a silent chain having a profile that can engage with the corner rack;
[0018] FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of the corner rack and silent chain engaging with each other;
[0019] FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of a rack and pinion device;
[0020] FIG. 8 depicts a perspective view of a rack and pinion device in a corner;
[0021] FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of one embodiment of a corner rack and silent chain device;
[0022] FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of a corner rack and silent chain device in a corner; and
[0023] FIG. 11 depicts a perspective view of a corner rack and silent chain device in a corner driving an elevator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] A detailed description of the claimed invention is provided below by example, with reference to embodiments in the appended figures. Those of skill in the art will recognize that the components of the invention as described by example in the figures below could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the detailed description of the embodiments in the figures is merely representative of embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed.
[0025] The invention is an apparatus comprising a corner rack, the corner rack comprising a front face, and the front face comprising teeth. A corner rack is a linear gear interface positioned in a corner, such that the front face and teeth extend outward at an angle to, rather than running parallel to, walls that form a corner, as depicted in FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a corner rack 100. The corner rack comprises front face 110, which comprises teeth 120. The front face 110 and teeth 120 extend outward at an angle to, rather than running parallel to, walls that form a corner. Furthermore, the teeth 120 comprise a profile that can engage with a profile of a silent chain. In one embodiment, in order for a profile of the teeth 120 to engage with a profile of a silent chain, a pitch measurement of the corner rack 100 measures between about 0.345 and 0.79 inches, preferably measuring between about 0.41 and 0.63 inches, more preferably measuring between about 0.48 and 0.58 inches. The pitch of the corner rack 100 must be slightly bigger than the distance between central pivot points within each pin hole of link plates of a silent chain in order for the profile of the corner rack 100 to engage with the profile of a silent chain. Moreover, the teeth 120 of the corner rack 100 extend from a main body of the corner rack at an angle between about 90 and 130 degrees, preferably between about 110 and 120 degrees, more preferably between 105 and 115 degrees. In the embodiment of the corner rack 100 depicted in FIG. 1, the corner rack 100 has a truncated cubic configuration. Parallel to the front face 110 is a point 130 where two back faces 140 join at an angle formed by a corner in which the corner rack is mounted.
[0027] FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of the corner rack 200. In this embodiment, the corner rack 200 has a trapezoid configuration. Parallel to a front face 210 is a shorter flat face 220. The flat face 220 is positioned in a corner. FIG. 2 also depicts one embodiment of the corner rack 200 in which the corner rack 200 is tubular. A tubular configuration allows the hollow center 230 of the corner rack 200 to be utilized for other purposes, such as for storing utility lines.
[0028] FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the corner rack 300. In this embodiment, the corner rack 300 has a cubic configuration. The corner rack 300 is displaced within and secured by a bracket 310 with a truncated cubic configuration. Parallel to the front face 320 is a point 330 where two back faces 340 of the bracket 310 join at an angle formed by a corner in which the corner rack is mounted. FIG. 3 also depicts one embodiment of the corner rack 300, in which the corner rack 300 has a center guide indentation 350 that corresponds with center guide link plates of a silent chain, in order to prevent the silent chain from slipping when it engages with the corner rack 300.
[0029] FIG. 4 depicts one embodiment of a silent chain 400 that has a profile that can engage with a profile of a corner rack. Silent chain 400 comprises a plurality of link plates 410 and a plurality of connecting pins 420. The link plates 410 are stacked in alternating rows and bendably joined together with the connecting pins 420.
[0030] FIG. 5 depicts a closer side view of a silent chain 500 that has a profile that can engage with a profile of a corner rack. The link plates 510 each have at least four teeth 520 and two pin holes 530. The link plates 510 are joined together by inserting the connecting pins 540 through the pin holes 530. In one embodiment, the silent chain 500 also has center guide link plates 550 that can be seen centrally positioned between alternating rows of link plates. The center guide link plates 550 correspond with center guide indentations in one embodiment of the corner rack, in order to prevent the silent chain 500 from slipping when it engages with the corner rack. The silent chain 500 has a variable length and a variable amount of alternating link plates. In one embodiment of silent chain 500, there are eight alternating rows of link plates, plus center guide link plates 550. In other embodiments, silent chain 500 has any number of alternating rows of link plates. The teeth of each link plate are shaped in such a way that the teeth of a first row selection of link plates and the teeth of a second row selection of link plates are offset when the silent chain 500 is straightened. Therefore, a profile of the silent chain 500 can correspond with the profile of a corner rack.
[0031] FIG. 6 depicts the profile of one embodiment of corner rack 600 engaging with a silent chain 610. The profile of corner rack 600 corresponds with the profile of silent chain 610. The teeth 620 of the link plates of silent chain 610 are shaped in such a way that the teeth 620 are offset when the silent chain 610 is straightened. However, as the teeth 620 approach corner rack 600 to engage with corner rack 600, the silent chain 610 is bent, and an upper portion of the teeth 620 align. Because the teeth 620 align, the teeth 620 become small enough to fit within a corresponding groove 630 of the corner rack 600. After the silent chain 610 is straightened, the teeth 620 are drawn apart, such that they return to their original offset position, filling the groove 630 of center rack 600. In this way, a silent chain 610 is able to engage with a corner rack 600.
[0032] FIG. 7 depicts a prior art rack and pinion device comprising a rack 700 and a pinion 710. Connected to the pinion 710 is a motor 720. The motor 720 drives the pinion 710 up the rack 720, converting rotational motion to linear motion.
[0033] FIG. 8 depicts a rack and pinion device comprising a rack 800, a pinion 810, and a motor 820 in a corner. Rack and pinion devices generally are not placed in corners because the motor 820 extending out from the pinion 810 is generally too large to fit in a space available within an angle of a corner. This problem could be solved by adding gears between the rack 800 and the pinion 810, but that would increase cost and reduce efficiency. A superior solution is to use a corner rack and a silent chain.
[0034] FIG. 9 depicts one embodiment of a corner rack and silent chain device comprising a corner rack 900 and a silent chain 910. The corner rack 900 has a profile that can engage with a profile of a silent chain 910. In one embodiment, the corner rack and silent chain device further comprises a motor 920 and a plurality of gears 930. The silent chain 910 is wrapped around each of the gears 930 and the motor 920 is connected to and drives the gears 930 and the silent chain 910. The motor 920 should be distanced from the rack 900 to the extent that allows the silent chain 910 to be fully extended. The corner rack 900, the silent chain 910, the motor 920, and the gears 930 are positioned such that the silent chain 910 can engage with the corner rack 900, and the motor 900 can drive the silent chain 910 up the rack 900, converting rotational motion to linear motion.
[0035] FIG. 10 depicts one embodiment of a corner rack and silent chain lifting device, comprising a corner rack 1000 and a silent chain 1010 attached to a motor 1020, in a corner. In the corner rack and silent chain lifting device, the corner rack 1000 engaging with the silent chain 1010, rather than a rack engaging with a pinion, allows the motor 1020 to be distanced from the corner rack 1000, as far away as the length of the silent chain 1010 allows. The combination of the corner rack 1000 and the silent chain 1010, which allows the motor 1020 to be distanced from the corner rack 1000, allows the corner rack and silent chain lifting device to be placed in and utilized in corners.
[0036] FIG. 11 depicts one embodiment of a corner rack and silent chain lifting device, comprising a corner rack 1100 and a silent chain 1110 in a corner driving one embodiment of an elevator 1120. The combination of the corner rack and the silent chain allows the corner rack and silent chain lifting device to be placed in and utilized in corners. This leads to increased versatility, such that the corner rack and silent chain lifting device can be used in applications where rack and pinion devices cannot be efficiently used, such as in driving an elevator from the bottom. The position of the corner rack and silent chain device in the corner keeps the corner rack and silent chain device out of the way of access to the elevator. Therefore, the elevator can be accessed from all directions.
