Vibration isolated table with improved mounts

Claim 2

A vibration isolation table including in combination a supporting frame that rests on an underlying surface which is subject to vibration, a high inertia table top supported from said frame, vibration damping mounts between the table top and the supporting frame, each of said mounts comprising a flexible envelope of substAntially annular cross section, a thrust element located between the flexible envelope and the table, and a retainer plate fixed to the frame and having an opening through which a part of the thrust element extends, said plate being in a position between the table and a surface of the thrust element, the retainer having a surface that confronts said surface of the thrust element and that constitutes a mechanical stop to limit motion of the thrust element in the direction that the thrust element is moved by gas pressure in the envelope.

Claim 3

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by the flexible envelope being folded back on itself and having an upwardly-extending portion, a folded portion, one side of which merges with the top of said upwardly extending portion, and a downwardly extending portion on the other side of the folded portion and extending downwardly within the upwardly-extending portion, a wall closing the envelope at the lower end of the downwardly extending portion, a housing surrounding the upwardly-extending portion and providing hoop strngth fo prevent distortion of the envelope by the gas pressure within the envelope, the upper end of the housing being below the fold when the table top is resting on the frame the thrust element being connected to the wall that closes the downwardly-extending portion of said envelope.

Claim 4

The vibration isolation table described in claim 2 characterized by the thrust element filling the space surrounded by the downwardly-extending portion of the envelope.

Claim 5

The vibration isolation table described in claim 3 characterized by the thrust element being tapered to progressively larger diameter toward the wall at the lower end of the downwardly-extending portion of the envelope said wall having a circular shape, fastening means extending through the end wall and connecting said end wall to the thrust element, and said thrust element being surrounded by the downwardly-extending portion of the envelope for substantially the full axial length of said downwardly-extending portion.

Claim 6

A vibration isolation table including in combination a supporting frame that rests on an underlying surface which is subject to vibration, a high inertia table top supported from said frame, vibration damping mounts between the table top and the supporting frame, each of said mounts comprising a flexible envelope of substantially annular cross section, a thrust element located between the flexible envelope and the table, a stiff sleeve surrounding the outside of the envelope for most of the length of the envelope below the fold and constructed and arranged to confine the part of the envelope, which extends down from the outside of the fold, against outward radial distortion, said sleeve being concentric with the envelope, said sleeve extending downwardly along the outside of the envelope to the lower end thereof below the thrust element and remote from the fold, and the fold above the sleeve comprising at least 180* of curvature.

Claim 7

A vibration isolation table including in combination a supporting frame that rests on an underlying surface which is subject to vibration, a high inertia table top supported from said frame, vibration damping mounts between the table top and the supporting frame, each of said mounts comprising a flexible envelope of substantially annular cross section, a thrust element located between the flexible envelope and the table, a stiff sleeve surrounding the outside of the envelope for most of the length of the envelope below the fold and constructed and arranged to confine the part of the envelope, which extends down from the outside of the fold, against outward radial distortion, said sleeve being concentric with the envelope, said sleeve extending downwardly along the outside of the envelope to the lower end thereof below the thrust element and remote from the fold, and the fold above the sleeve comprising at least 180* of curvature.

Claim 8

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by a guard housing surrounding the outside of the envelope on all sides so that no part of the envelope can escape from the guard housing in the event of a rupture of the envelope by excessive pressure.

Claim 9

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by one end of the envelope being folded back on itself and into the rest of the envelope for a part of the axial length of the envelope and the retainer plate beyond but adjacent to the fold of the envelope at a location to prevent expansion of the envelope axially far enough to eliminate said fold.

Claim 10

The vibration isolation table described in claim 7 characterized by a reduced diameter extension of the thrust element constituting an integral part thereof and extending through the opening in the retainer plate.

Claim 11

A vibration isolation table including in combination a supporting frame that rests on an underlying surface which is subJect to vibration, a high inertia table supported from said frame, vibration damping mounts between the table and the supporting frame, each of said mounts comprising a flexible envelope of substantially annular cross section, a thrust element located between the flexible element and the table, and a retainer in position to stop motion of the thruse element to limit the stroke thereof in the directionn that the thrust element is moved by gas pressure in the envelope, characterized by a reduced diameter extension of the thrust element constituting an integral part thereof and extending through the opening in the retainer plate, and further characterized by a flange on the thrust element and constituting a part thereof and located beyond the opening and constituting an integral part of the reduced diameter extension of the thrust element for limiting movement of the thrust element in a direction toward the envelope, the opening through the retainer plate being of slightly greater diameter than the reduced diameter portion of the thrust element whereby the side wall of the opening limits any radial displacement of the reduced diameter portion of the thrust element, a slot in the retainer plate extending from the opening to the edge of the retainer plate and of a width as great as the reduced diameter of the thrust element whereby the retainer plate can be assembled with the thrust element by sliding said reduced diameter portion through the slot, similar envelopes and thrust element assemblies at different locations under the table with the slots in the retainer plates of different assemblies extending in different directions so that simultaneous radial movement of all of the thrust element by a horizontal force against the table will cause most of the thrust elements to contact with sides of the retainer plate openings at locations angularly removed from the slots in the retainer plates.

Claim 12

A vibration isolation table including in combination a supporting frame that rests on an underlying surface which is subJect to vibration, a high inertia table supported from said frame, vibration damping mounts between the table and the supporting frame, each of said mounts comprising a flexible envelope of substantially annular cross section, a thrust element located between the flexible element and the table, and a retainer in position to stop motion of the thruse element to limit the stroke thereof in the directionn that the thrust element is moved by gas pressure in the envelope, characterized by a reduced diameter extension of the thrust element constituting an integral part thereof and extending through the opening in the retainer plate, and further characterized by a flange on the thrust element and constituting a part thereof and located beyond the opening and constituting an integral part of the reduced diameter extension of the thrust element for limiting movement of the thrust element in a direction toward the envelope, the opening through the retainer plate being of slightly greater diameter than the reduced diameter portion of the thrust element whereby the side wall of the opening limits any radial displacement of the reduced diameter portion of the thrust element, a slot in the retainer plate extending from the opening to the edge of the retainer plate and of a width as great as the reduced diameter of the thrust element whereby the retainer plate can be assembled with the thrust element by sliding said reduced diameter portion through the slot, similar envelopes and thrust element assemblies at different locations under the table with the slots in the retainer plates of different assemblies extending in different directions so that simultaneous radial movement of all of the thrust element by a horizontal force against the table will cause most of the thrust elements to contact with sides of the retainer plate openings at locations angularly removed from the slots in the retainer plates.

Claim 13

The vibration isolation table described in claim 9 characterized by the thrust elements of the differnt assemblies supporting the table, when in use, and comprising the only support for the table whereby vibration of the supporting frame is damped by the envelopes and does not reach the vibration isolated table.

Claim 14

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by means for controlling a supply of compressible gas to and from the envelope.

Claim 15

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by surfaces on the supporting frame in position to contact with the vibration isolation table and to support said table when thrust elements are near one end of their stroke whereby the vibration damping system is out of operation and the table is immobilized by resting on the supporting frame.

Claim 16

The vibration isolation table described in claim 12 characterized by motor-operated jacks on the supporting frame for lifting the table and supporting it independently of the vibration damping mounts provided by the envelopes.

Claim 17

The vibration isolation table described in claim 13 characterized by a synchronous electric motor connected with each of the motor-operated jacks for operating said jacks at equal rates of lift to raise the table uniformly.

Claim 18

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by valves for controlling the amount of gas in the envelopes and thereby tuning vibration damping mounts to different natural frequencies, and a manual switch on the frame for controlling the gas supply.

Claim 19

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by a plurality of vibration damping mounts at different locations, piping by which air is supplied to, exhausted from, the envelopes of the different mounts, and valve means that automatically relieve pressure in the piping and envelopes when the pressure exceeds a predetermined maximum, and through which gas can be supplied under pressure to the air mounts.

Claim 20

The vibration isolation table described in claim 1 characterized by a cradle supported at opposite ends by tHe supporting frame, tension elements that extend downwardly from the ends of the cradle, and means connecting the high inertia table with the rest of the cradle at the lower ends of the downwardly extending tension elements.

Claim 21

The vibration isolation table described in claim 4 characterized by the circular end wall being made of soft elastic material, and a circular metallic reinforcing plate embedded in the elastic material of the wall and having a diameter substantially greater than one-half the diameter of the bottom.

Claim 22

The vibration isolation table described in claim 18 characterized by the fastening means comprising a stiff washer of less diameter than the lower end of the thrust element and clamped against the wall by a screw that connects with the thrust element and that tightly clamps the reinforced wall between said washer and the thrust element.