Chain saw anti-vibration system

Claim 2

In a chain saw having a vibration generating assembly including engine means; cutter chain means, drivingly connected with said engine; and a supporting assembly including handle means; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, a first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup; and a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup, said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post whereby relative vibration between said post and said first cup will be attenuated by said elastomeric second cup; said first and second cup means and said post of each of said plurality of vibration isolation means each have generally cylindrical side walls; and another elastomeric circumferential ring, inwardly projecting within said second cup, said ring being axially displaced with respect to said one circumferential ring and being dimensioned to concentrically surround said cylindrical post in a posture normally spaced from said cylindrical post coaxially within said first and second cup means.

Claim 3

In a chain saw having a vibration generating assembly including engine means; cutter chain means, drivingly connected with said engine; and a supporting assembly including handle means; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, a first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup; and a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup, said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post whereby relative vibrations between said post and said first cup will be attenuated by said elastomeric second cup; said first and second cup means and said post of each of said plurality of vibration isolation means each have generally cylindrical side walls; a first elastomeric circumferential ring extending about the exterior surface of said second cup meAns and contiguously abutting against the interior surface of said first cup means; and a second elastomeric circumferential ring extending about the exterior surface of said second cup and contiguously abutting against the interior cylindrical surface of said first cup means.

Claim 4

In a chain saw having a vibration generating assembly including engine means; cutter chain means, drivingly connected with said engine; and a supporting assembly including handle means; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, a first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup; and a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup, said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post whereby relative vibrations between said post and said first cup will be attenuated by said elastomeric second cup; said first and second cup means and said post of each of said plurality of vibration isolation means each have generally cylindrical side walls; a first elastomeric circumferential ring extending about the exterior surface of said second cup meAns and contiguously abutting against the interior surface of said first cup means; and a second elastomeric circumferential ring extending about the exterior surface of said second cup and contiguously abutting against the interior cylindrical surface of said first cup means.

Claim 5

An improvement in a chain saw as defined in claim 2 wherein: said first and second circumferential rings extending about the exterior surface of said second cup means being axially positioned upon opposite sides of said one circumferential inwardly projecting ring whereby said first and second circumferential exterior rings serve as fulcrum points for bending of the cylindrical wall of said second cup means in the event a radially outward force is imposed upon said one circumferential inwardly projecting ring.

Claim 6

In a chain saw having a vibration generating assembly including engine means; cutting chain means, drivingly connected with said engine; and a supporting assembly including handle means; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, a first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup; and a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup, said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post whereby relative vibrations between said post and said first cup will be attenuated by said elastomeric second cup; and an inwardly projecting cone coaxially postured within the base of said second cup means, wherein the apex of said cone abuttingly contacts the free end of said post.

Claim 7

In a chain saw having a vibration generating assembly including engine means; cutting chain means, drivingly connected with said engine; and a supporting assembly including handle means; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, a first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup; and a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup, said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post whereby relative vibrations between said post and said first cup will be attenuated by said elastomeric second cup; and an inwardly projecting cone coaxially postured within the base of said second cup means, wherein the apex of said cone abuttingly contacts the free end of said post.

Claim 8

An improvement in a chain saw as defined in claim 4 wherein: said post is fashioned with an integral hemispherical surface upon the free end thereof which directly and coaxially contacts the apex of said elastomeric cone within the bottom of said second cup means.

Claim 9

An improvement in a chain saw as defined in claim 5 and further comprising: an elastomeric ring coaxially mounted upon the exterior surface of the base of said second cup means and abutting against the base of said first cup means, said ring forming a fulcrum for the bottom wall of said second cup means whereby coaxial depression of said inwardly projecting cone will serve to bend the bottom of said second cup means.

Claim 10

In a chain saw having a vibration generating assembly including engine means; cutter chain means, drivingly connected with said engine; and a supporting assembly including handle means; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, a first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup; and a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup, said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post whereby relative vibrations between said post and said first cup will be attenuated by said elastomeric second cup; a peripheral flange composed of elastomeric material radially projecting from the free edge of said second cup means; bearing means coaxially mounted upon said post and being axially spaced from the free end of said first cup means, whereby said peripheral flange of elastomeric material is dimensioned to abut against said bearing means while being spaced from the free end of said first cup means; and a circular ridge formed upon said elastomeric flange and extending in intimate contact with said bearing means.

Claim 11

In a chain saw having a vibration generating assembly including engine means; cutter chain means, drivingly connected with said engine; and a supporting assembly including handle means; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, a first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup; and a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup, said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post whereby relative vibrations between said post and said first cup will be attenuated by said elastomeric second cup; a peripheral flange composed of elastomeric material radially projecting from the free edge of said second cup means; bearing means coaxially mounted upon said post and being axially spaced from the free end of said first cup means, whereby said peripheral flange of elastomeric material is dimensioned to abut against said bearing means while being spaced from the free end of said first cup means; and a circular ridge formed upon said elastomeric flange and extending in intimate contact with said bearing means.

Claim 12

In a chain saw having engine means; cutter chain means; the engine means being drivingly connected with the cutter chain means; the engine means including a crank having an axis of rotation; the engine means and the cutter chain means comprising a vibration generating first assembly; a supporting second assembly extending at least in part above and below said vibration generating assembly and including handle means; the cutter chain means and the axis of rotation of the crank being generally arranged to form a primary plane of vibration for the vibration generating first assembly; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup means; a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup means said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post, said second cup having at least another elastomeric circumferential ring, inwardly projecting within said second cup, said another ring being axially displaced respect to said one circumferential ring and being dimensioned to concentrically surround said cylindrical post in a posture normally spaced from said cylindrical post coaxially within said first and second cup means; a first pair of said vibration isolation means being mounted above said vibration generating assembly between said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly upon opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said engine crank; and a second pair of said vibration isolation means being mounted beneath said vibration generating assembly and between said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly upon opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said engine crank.

Claim 13

In a chain saw having engine means; cutter chain means; the engine means being drivingly connected with the cutter chain means; the engine means including a crank having an axis of rotation; the engine means and the cutter chain means comprising a vibration generating first assembly; a supporting second assembly extending at least in part above and below said vibration generating assembly and including handle means; the cutter chain means and the axis of rotation of the crank being generally arranged to form a primary plane of vibration for the vibration generating first assembly; and a plurality of vibration isolation means interconnecting said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; wherein the improvement comprises: each of said vibration isolation means including, first cup means mounted upon one of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly; a post mounted upon the other of said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly and being diametrically dimensioned to be freely coaxially inserted within said first cup means; a second cup means composed of an elastomeric material and being dimensioned to contiguously fit within the interior of said first cup means said second cup having at least one circumferential inwardly projecting ring, said one ring being dimensioned to engage under hoop tension at least a portion of the exterior surface of said post, said second cup having at least another elastomeric circumferential ring, inwardly projecting within said second cup, said another ring being axially displaced respect to said one circumferential ring and being dimensioned to concentrically surround said cylindrical post in a posture normally spaced from said cylindrical post coaxially within said first and second cup means; a first pair of said vibration isolation means being mounted above said vibration generating assembly between said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly upon opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said engine crank; and a second pair of said vibration isolation means being mounted beneath said vibration generating assembly and between said vibration generating assembly and said supporting assembly upon opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said engine crank.

Claim 14

An improvement in a chain saw as defined in claim 8 wherein: all four of said vibration isolation means being mounted substantially in the plane of primary vibration of the vibration generating assembly.

Claim 15

An improvement in a chain saw as defined in claim 9 wherein: the top and bottom vibration isolation means mounted on a first side of the axis of rotation of said engine crank are in substantial vertical alignment; and the top and bottom vibration isolation means mounted upon the other side of the axis of rotation of said engine crank are also in substantial vertical alignment.