US3909568A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Impact monitor or shock indicator
Assignee: IMPACT O GRAPH CORP
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Filing: 1974-03-28
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Granted: 1975-09-30
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Expires: 1994-03-28
Abstract
Abstract An impact monitor or shock indicator for sensing and indicating the occurence of excessive damaging impacts or shock loads, such as might occur to goods in transit or handling or which may even occur in the utilization of certain types of instruments, devices or machinery through accident or inadvertence and which could cause physical damage or injury or malfunction of the goods involved. A calibrated device is provided having a pair of opposed spring-loaded balls which serve as inertial masses retained in opposed ball seats which are slidably mounted in upstanding resilient or yieldable support arms which are secured to a common base. The maximum spacing between the opposed ball seats is limited by opposed abutments extending exteriorly of the ball seats in the form of a sleeve or cap which is slidably movable downwardly over the support arms and the ball seats into engagement with the base. Anyone of various forms of camming means can be utilized to yieldably displace the support arms inwardly relatively to each other in opposition to their normal stance so as to further energize or compress the spring and enhance or increase the stability of the shock indicator beyond its calibrated limits for the purpose of delivery of shipment of the shock indicator to the user. The support arms may be provided with supplementary ball seating surfaces to engage the balls when the support arms are displaced to this described transport position. Withdrawal or disengagement of the support arm displacing means serves to restore the impact monitor to its calibrated stability value for its intended operative use.
Inventors
- 👤 Bart E Greenhut
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 01:06
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H35/00; H01H35/14; G; G01; G01P; G01P15/00; G01P15/02; G01P15/08; G01P15/135
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
101 words
In a shock indicator, the combination of a base, a pair of diametrically opposed upstanding support arms carried by said base and yieldably movable relatively thereto, a ball seat element slidably mounted in each of said arms, a ball resting in each of said ball seats, a calibrated spring yieldably retaining said balls in said seats, and means establishing a fixed operative spacing between said ball seats independently of displacement of said support arms to provide a predetermined monitoring level of impact force, whereby said balls are dislodged from said seats in response to an impact force exceeding said monitoring level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
101 words
In a shock indicator, the combination of a base, a pair of diametrically opposed upstanding support arms carried by said base and yieldably movable relatively thereto, a ball seat element slidably mounted in each of said arms, a ball resting in each of said ball seats, a calibrated spring yieldably retaining said balls in said seats, and means establishing a fixed operative spacing between said ball seats independently of displacement of said support arms to provide a predetermined monitoring level of impact force, whereby said balls are dislodged from said seats in response to an impact force exceeding said monitoring level.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said support arms are normally resiliently urged away from each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said means is an abutment carried by said base adjacent the outboard end of each of said ball seats and limiting outward displacement thereof in response to action of said spring.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A combination as defined in claim 2, including second means selectively engageable with at least one of said support arms to displace them relatively toward each other to establish a predetermined transport level of impact force of greater magnitude than said monitoring level of force.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A combination as defined in claim 4, including a supplementary ball seat surface provided on each of said arms and engageable with a ball in response to said relative inward displacement of said arms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A combination as defined in claim 4, including a stabilizer rod carried by said spring and having the opposite ends thereof engagable with said spaced balls in response to said relative inward displacement of said support arms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said stabilizer rod is tubular and extends coaxially of said spring.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said abutment is provided by a sleeve encircling said arms and secured to said base.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A combination as defined in claim 8, wherein at least one of said arms is provided with a projection slidably engageable by said sleeve to cam said arms inwardly relatively to each other in a selected position of said sleeve relatively to said base.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
53 words
A combination as defined in claim 8 wherein at least one of said arms is provided with a projection engagable by said sleeve, and said sleeve is provided with a recess for locking engagement with said projection in response to sliding movement of said sleeve over said arms into securement with said base.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
A combination as defined in claim 10, including a second recess provided on said sleeve and engagable with said projection to cam said arms relatively toward each other in response to sliding movement of said sleeve over said arms prior to engagement of said projection with said first-named recess.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said second means comprises a sleeve sliDably movable over said arms to cam them relatively toward each other.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said second means comprises an arm-camming element slidably engageable with said arms and movable onto said base.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said ball seats, said balls and said spring are electro-conductive and complete an electrically-energized indicator circuit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
112 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, including a second pair of diametrically opposed upstanding support arms carried by said base and yielding movable relatively thereto, said second pair being angularly displaced 90* from said first-named pair of support arms, a ball seat element slidably mounted in each of said second support arms below the axis defined by said first-named ball seat elements, a ball resting in each of said second ball seat elements, a second calibrated spring yieldably retaining said balls in said second seats, and said means operatively coacting with said second pair of ball seat elements in the same manner as with said first pair of ball seat elements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said support arms are formed of resilient material and are integral with said base.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A combination as defined in claim 2, including second spring means engaging said arms to yieldably urge them away from each other.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a shock indicator, the combination of a base, a pair of yieldable support elements carried by said base and presenting opposed retaining recesses in a predetermined first position of spaced relationship, an inertial mass assembly resiliently retained between said opposed recesses and dislodgable therefrom in response to a predetermined monitoring level of impact force, and linearly movable means for selectivelly engaging the displacing said support elements toward each other to a pre-determined second position of spaced relationship to establish a predetermined transport level of impact force for said assembly, the magnitude of said transport level being substantially greater than the magnitude of said monitoring level of impact force.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a shock indicator, the combination of a base, a pair of yieldable support elements carried by said base and presenting opposed retaining recesses in a predetermined first position of spaced relationship, an inertial mass assembly resiliently retained between said opposed recesses and dislodgable therefrom in response to a predetermined monitoring level of impact force, and linearly movable means for selectivelly engaging the displacing said support elements toward each other to a pre-determined second position of spaced relationship to establish a predetermined transport level of impact force for said assembly, the magnitude of said transport level being substantially greater than the magnitude of said monitoring level of impact force.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
A combination as defined in claim 18, wherein said transport level of impact force is at least twice the magnitude of said monitoring level of impact force.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3149606A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-29 | 1979-03-31 | 1979-09-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-29 | 1983-03-31 | 1983-09-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-29 | 1987-03-31 | 1987-09-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |