Force measuring device

Claim 2

A force measuring device, comprising a frame, a mass, and a plurality of substantially equal length links suspending said mass from said frame to permit translation of said mass accompanied by rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said translation and to restrain motion in other directions, said links being attached to said mass in spaced relation to each other and at points substantially equidistant from said axis and extending from said mass in other than radial directions and in the same sense around said axis, said links being attached to said frame at points substantially equidistant from said axis, a plurality of said links being capable of exerting tension but not compression, a plurality of said links being capable of exerting compression but not tension.

Claim 3

A force measuring device, comprising a frame, a mass, and a plurality of substantially equal length links suspending said mass from said frame to permit translation of said mass accompanied by rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said translation and to restrain motion in other directions, said links being attached to said mass in spaced relation to each other and at points substantially equidistant from said axis and extending from said mass in other than radial directions and in the same sense around said axis, said links being attached to said frame at points substantially equidistant from said axis, a plurality of said links being capable of exerting tension but not compression, a plurality of said links being capable of exerting compression but not tension.

Claim 4

A force measuring device, comprising a frame, a mass, and a plurality of substantially equal length links suspending said mass from said frame to permit translation of said mass accompanied by rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said translation and to restrain motion in other directions, said links being attached to said mass in spaced relation to each other and at points substantially equidistant from said axis and extending from said mass in other than radial directions and in the same sense around said axis, said links being attached to said frame at points substantially equidistant from said axis, a plurality of said links being capable of exerting tension but not compression, a plurality of said links being capable of exerting compression but not tension.

Claim 5

A force measuring device according to claim 1, including means for indicating the displacement of said mass relative to said frame.

Claim 6

A force measuring device according to claim 2, including means for damping the relative movement of said mass relative to said frame.

Claim 7

A force measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the points of attachment of said links to said frame are substantially the same distance from said axis, the points of attachment of said links to said mass are substantially the same distance from said axis.

Claim 8

A force measuring device according to claim 4, including a zero length spring, the point of attachment of said spring to said frame being substantially the same distance from said axis as the points of attachment of said links to said frame, the point of attachment of said spring to said mass being substantially the same distance from said axis as the points of attachment of said links to said mass.

Claim 9

A force measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said tension links each include fine wire elements joined by a spring, and said compression links each include fine wire elements joined by a relatively stiff connection member which is longer than the effective length of said compression link whereby the fine wire elements are maintained in tension.

Claim 10

A force measuring device according to claim 6, wherein each of said connection members is S-shaped whereby it does not interfere with the movement of said mass along said axis.

Claim 11

A force measuring device according to claim 1, wherein said mass is a regular six-sided structure, two of said links are mounted on each of the four sides of said mass other than the two ends through which said axis extends.

Claim 12

A force measuring device according to claim 8, wherein each of the links on two opposing sides of said mass are tension links, and each of the links on the other opposing sides of said mass are compression links.

Claim 13

A force measuring device, comprising a mass, a frame, a plurality of substantially equal length links connecting between said frame and said mass to mount said mass to said frame, to restrain movement of said mass in two directions and to allow movement in the other direction which movement is accompanied by a rotation of the mass about an axis extending in the direction of movement of said mass, and spring means of substantially zero unloaded length, the points of attachment of said links to said frame being substantially the same distance from said axis, the points of attachment of said links to said mass being substantially the same distance from said axis, the point of attachment of said spring means to said frame being substantially the same distance from said axis as the points of attachment of said links to said frame, the point of attachment of said spring means to said mass being substantially the same distance from said axis as the points of attachment of said links to said mass, said links extending from said mass in directions at an angle to the radial direction through their respective points of attachment to said mass and said links extending in the same sense around the mass.

Claim 14

A force measuring device, comprising a mass, a frame, a plurality of substantially equal length links connecting between said frame and said mass to mount said mass to said frame, to restrain movement of said mass in two directions and to allow movement in the other direction which movement is accompanied by a rotation of the mass about an axis extending in the direction of movement of said mass, and spring means of substantially zero unloaded length, the points of attachment of said links to said frame being substantially the same distance from said axis, the points of attachment of said links to said mass being substantially the same distance from said axis, the point of attachment of said spring means to said frame being substantially the same distance from said axis as the points of attachment of said links to said frame, the point of attachment of said spring means to said mass being substantially the same distance from said axis as the points of attachment of said links to said mass, said links extending from said mass in directions at an angle to the radial direction through their respective points of attachment to said mass and said links extending in the same sense around the mass.

Claim 15

A force measuring device according to claim 10, including a mass, means for displacing the pOint of attachment of said spring means to said frame in a direction substantially parallel to said axis to counteract the force on the mass that is to be measured, and means for measuring the displacement of said point of attachment of said spring means to said frame.

Claim 16

A force measuring device, comprising a frame, a mass, and a plurality of substantially equal length links suspending said mass from said frame to permit translation of said mass accompanied by rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said translation and to restrain motion in other directions, said links being attached to said mass in spaced relation to each other at points substantially equidistant from said axis, said links extending from said mass in other than radial directions and in the same sense around said axis, said links being attached to said frame at points substantially equidistant from said axis, a plurality of said links being compression links capable of exerting compression but not tension.

Claim 17

A force measuring device, comprising a frame, a mass, and a plurality of substantially equal length links suspending said mass from said frame to permit translation of said mass accompanied by rotation about an axis substantially parallel to said translation and to restrain motion in other directions, said links being attached to said mass in spaced relation to each other at points substantially equidistant from said axis, said links extending from said mass in other than radial directions and in the same sense around said axis, said links being attached to said frame at points substantially equidistant from said axis, a plurality of said links being compression links capable of exerting compression but not tension.

Claim 18

A force measuring device according to claim 12, wherein each of said compression links includes, a relatively stiff connection member, and fine wire elements joined by said connection member which is longer than the effective length of said compression link whereby the fine wire elements are maintained in tension.

Claim 19

A force measuring device according to claim 12, including zero length tension spring means connected between said mass and said frame, said spring means being attached to said mass at substantially the same distance from said axis as the point of attachment of said links to said mass.