Self-stabilizing suspension system

Claim 2

A suspension system for supporting a load comprising: a support member and a load member disposed beneath said support member; at least three substantially inextensible bilink elements for supporting said load member from said support member; said bilink elements each having one end pivotally connected to a separate point on said support member and the other end pivotally connected to a separate point on said load member; and means pivotally connecting with each of said bilink elements at the point of juncture of the links thereof, whereby the center of gravity of the load will rise under any movement of said load member relative to said support member from the position of equilibrium thereof to provide a corrective force tending to return the system to equilibrium.

Claim 3

The suspension system of claim 1 wherein: said means positions said points of juncture to define a first circle having a first radius; said points of connection to said load member define a second circle having a second radius; and said points of connection to said support member define a third circle having a third radius greater than said first radius.

Claim 4

The suspension system of claim 2 wherein said third radius is greater than said second radius, and said second radius is greater than said first radius.

Claim 5

The suspension system of claim 2 wherein: said points of juncture are equally spaced about the periphery of said first circle; said points of connection to said load member are equally spaced about the periphery of said second circle ; and said points of connection to said support member are equally spaced about the periphery of said third circle.

Claim 6

The suspension system of claim 4 wherein each of said bilink elements comprise an upper link and a lower link pivotally connected thereto, said upper links being of a uniform first length, a said lower links being of a uniform second length.

Claim 7

The suspension system of claim 5 wherein said means comprises a single laterally flexible element.

Claim 8

The suspension system of claim 5 wherein said means comprises a plurality of individual links interconnecting adjacent points of juncture.

Claim 9

A hanging suspension system comprising: a support member and a load member disposed beneath said support member; means disposed between said members having a number n of juncture points equally spaced about the periphery of a first circle having a first radius, said number n being at least three; a number nof equal length lower links, each of said links being substantially inextensible and pivotally connected at one end to a separate one of said juncture points and pivotally connected at its other end to a separate point on said load member, said points of connection to said load member being equally spaced about the periphery of a second circle having a second radius greater than said first radius; a number n of equal length upper links, , each of said links being substantially inextensible and pivotally connected at one end to a separate one of said juncture points and pivotally connected at its other end to a separate point on said support member, said points of connection to said support member being equally spaced about the periphery of a third circle having a third radius greater than said second radius.

Claim 10

A hanging suspension system comprising: a support member and a load member disposed beneath said support member; means disposed between said members having a number n of juncture points equally spaced about the periphery of a first circle having a first radius, said number n being at least three; a number nof equal length lower links, each of said links being substantially inextensible and pivotally connected at one end to a separate one of said juncture points and pivotally connected at its other end to a separate point on said load member, said points of connection to said load member being equally spaced about the periphery of a second circle having a second radius greater than said first radius; a number n of equal length upper links, , each of said links being substantially inextensible and pivotally connected at one end to a separate one of said juncture points and pivotally connected at its other end to a separate point on said support member, said points of connection to said support member being equally spaced about the periphery of a third circle having a third radius greater than said second radius.

Claim 11

The suspension system of claim 8 wherein said means comprises a single flexible element.

Claim 12

The suspension system of claim 8 wherein said number n equals three and said means comprises a rigid element.

Claim 13

The suspension system of claim 8 wherein said means comprises a number n of equal length links interconnecting adjacent points of juncture.

Claim 14

The suspension system of claim 11 wherein the number n equals four.