Torsion yield shock mount

Claim 2

A torsion yield shock energy dissipating structure comprising: a first and a second member, the first member having an inwardly facing, substantially cylindrical wall; an outer tube extending within and along at least a portion of the wall and being rotatable relative to the wall, the outer tube being connectEd to said second member; an inner tube extending within the outer tube and being connected to said first member, the inner and outer tubes being connected to each other at a substantial distance from the connection between the inner tube and said first member; and whereby a sufficiently large amount of shock energy imparted to said members so as to tend to rotate said members relative to each other about the common axis of the tubes causes torsional yielding of the inner tube for using up some of the shock energy.

Claim 3

The subject matter of claim 1 in which a pair of first members, a pair of second members, and a pair of outer tubes are provided, the inner tube extending within each of the outer tubes and being connected to each of the first members, the outer tubes being connected to the inner tube at least near the center of the inner tube and extending within and along at least portions of the cylindrical walls of the first members respectively, the outer tubes being connected to the second members respectively.

Claim 4

The subject matter of claim 1 in which each of said members is provided with a bore and said first member is provided with a cylindrical counterbore the surface of which is the substantially cylindrical wall, the inner tube fitting within the bore of said first member and the outer tube fitting within the counterbore of said first member and the bore of said second member, the outer tube being substantially cylindrical around its outer periphery where it fits within said counterbore.

Claim 5

The subject matter of claim 3 in which the inner tube is polygonal at two places around the outer periphery thereof, the bore of said first member being polygonal and engaging one of said polygonal places of the inner tube for forming the connection between the inner tube and said first member, the outer tube being polygonal around the inner periphery thereof at one place therealong which place engages the other of said polygonal places of the inner tube for forming the connection between the tubes.

Claim 6

A torsion yield shock energy dissipating structure comprising: three members, the first and second members each having an end portion overlapping the end portion of the other member, the first and second members constituting a first pair of members, an opposite end portion of the second member and an end portion of the third member overlapping each other, the second and third members constituting a second pair of members, one of the members of each pair having an inwardly facing substantially cylindrical wall at the juncture of the pair, an outer tube at the juncture of each pair of members and extending within and along at least a portion of each of said walls and being rotatable relative to the wall, each outer tube being substantially nonrotatably connected to the member of its pair of members not having a substantially cylindrical wall at the juncture of the pair; an inner tube extending within each outer tube and being connected to the member of its pair of members having a substantially cylindrical wall at the juncture of the pair; each of the inner tubes being connected to the outer tube within which it extends at a substantial distance from the connection between such inner tube and the member of its pair to which it is connected; and whereby a sufficiently large amount of shock energy imparted to said members so as to tend to rotate said members of each of said pairs of members relative to each other about the common axis of the tubes of the pair of members causes torsional yielding of the inner tube of the pair of members.

Claim 7

A torsion yield shock energy dissipating structure comprising: three members, the first and second members each having an end portion overlapping the end portion of the other member, the first and second members constituting a first pair of members, an opposite end portion of the second member and an end portion of the third member overlapping each other, the second and third members constituting a second pair of members, one of the members of each pair having an inwardly facing substantially cylindrical wall at the juncture of the pair, an outer tube at the juncture of each pair of members and extending within and along at least a portion of each of said walls and being rotatable relative to the wall, each outer tube being substantially nonrotatably connected to the member of its pair of members not having a substantially cylindrical wall at the juncture of the pair; an inner tube extending within each outer tube and being connected to the member of its pair of members having a substantially cylindrical wall at the juncture of the pair; each of the inner tubes being connected to the outer tube within which it extends at a substantial distance from the connection between such inner tube and the member of its pair to which it is connected; and whereby a sufficiently large amount of shock energy imparted to said members so as to tend to rotate said members of each of said pairs of members relative to each other about the common axis of the tubes of the pair of members causes torsional yielding of the inner tube of the pair of members.

Claim 8

The subject matter of claim 5 in which each member of each pair of members is provided with a bore at the juncture of the pair and one of the members of each pair is provided with a substantially cylindrical counterbore at the juncture of the pair which is said substantially cylindrical wall of said one member of each pair, each inner tube fitting within the bore of the member of its pair having the counterbore adjacent said bore, each outer tube fitting within the counterbore of the member of its pair having the counterbore at the juncture of the pair of members and also fitting within the bore of the other members and also fitting within the bore of the other member of its pair of members, the outer tubes being substantially cylindrical around their outer peripheries where they fit within the respective counterbores.

Claim 9

The subject matter of claim 6 in which each inner tube is polygonal at two places around the outer periphery thereof, each bore adjacent a counterbore being polygonal and engaging one of said polygonal places of an inner tube for forming the connection between such tube and member having the counterbore, each outer tube being polygonal around the inner periphery thereof at one place therealong which place engages the other of said polygonal places of the inner tube therewith for forming the connection between such outer and inner tubes.

Claim 10

A torsion yield shock energy dissipating frame comprising: a set of links of at least six in number arranged in end to end slightly overlapping fashion; a pin unit at each place of overlapping of the links for connecting each pair of overlapped links, each link of each pair being provided with a bore in the overlapped portions thereof and one of the links of each pair being provided with a substantially cylindrical counterbore; each pin unit comprising an inner and outer tube, the inner tube of each unit fitting within the bore of one link and outer tube of the unit fitting within the counterbore of the same link adjacent said bore thereof and being rotatable relative to the counterbore, each outer tube also fitting within the bore of the other link of the pair, each outer tube being connected to said other link of the pair, each inner tube being connected to the link having the counterbore adjacent the bore the inner tube fits within, each inner tube being connected to the outer tube within which it extends at a substantial distance from the connection of such inner tube to the link to which it is connected, the outer tube of each pin unit being substantially cylindrical around its outer periphery where it fits within its counterbore; and whereby a sufficiently large amount of shock energy imparted to one side of the frame causes torsional yielding of each inner tube and at least partial permanent collapse of said frame for using up some of the shock energy and no torsional yielding of the outer tubes while at least most of the stressing in shear takes place in the outer tubes.

Claim 11

A torsion yield shock energy dissipating frame comprising: a set of links of at least six in number arranged in end to end slightly overlapping fashion; a pin unit at each place of overlapping of the links for connecting each pair of overlapped links, each link of each pair being provided with a bore in the overlapped portions thereof and one of the links of each pair being provided with a substantially cylindrical counterbore; each pin unit comprising an inner and outer tube, the inner tube of each unit fitting within the bore of one link and outer tube of the unit fitting within the counterbore of the same link adjacent said bore thereof and being rotatable relative to the counterbore, each outer tube also fitting within the bore of the other link of the pair, each outer tube being connected to said other link of the pair, each inner tube being connected to the link having the counterbore adjacent the bore the inner tube fits within, each inner tube being connected to the outer tube within which it extends at a substantial distance from the connection of such inner tube to the link to which it is connected, the outer tube of each pin unit being substantially cylindrical around its outer periphery where it fits within its counterbore; and whereby a sufficiently large amount of shock energy imparted to one side of the frame causes torsional yielding of each inner tube and at least partial permanent collapse of said frame for using up some of the shock energy and no torsional yielding of the outer tubes while at least most of the stressing in shear takes place in the outer tubes.

Claim 12

The subject matter of claim 8 and additionally a second set of links of at least six in number and like the above recited set of links but with the links thereof arranged in the reverse manner, the links of the second set being substantially coextensive with the comparable links of the first set, said pin units also connecting the pairs of overlapped links of the second set of links respectively, each pin unit having a second outer tube around the inner tube and connected to the latter near the center of the latter, the second outer tube of each pin unit fitting within the bore of the link of its pair of links of the second set of links not having the counterbore at the place of overlapping of the links of this pair and also rotatably fitting within the adjacent counterbore of the other link of the pair, the inner tube of each pin unit also being connected to the link of its pair of links of the second set of links having a counterbore at the place of overlapping of this pair of links and the second outer tube of such pin unit being connected to the other link of this pair of links.