Apparatus for nullifying the effects of angular acceleration of frames tiltably mounting balance beams and the like

Claim 1

In a device that includes a rigid frame supporting a beam for tiltable movement about a horizontal axis displaced to one side of its centroid a distance effective to produce a condition of substantial imbalance therein, the improved means for counteracting those inertial forces tending to angularly accelerate one of said elements relative to the other which comprises: a counterweight sized to offset the condition of imbalance in the beam and restore same to an equilibrium position under static no-load conditions mounted upon the frame for tiltable movement about an instantaneous axis of rotation paralleling the axis of tiltable movement of the beam and spaced to one side of said counterweight's centroid a distance less than the radius of gyration of said counterweight; and, hanger means operatively connecting said beam and counterweight together for coordinated tiltable movement relative to one another and to the frame, the points of attachment of said hanger means to said counterweight and to said beam being spaced from their respective axes of pivotal movement distances effective to cooperate with the mass of said counterweight, the direction said counterweight tilts relative to the beam and the inertias of said beam and counterweight about their respective centroids so as to nullify substantially all relative motion between said beam and frame occasioned by inertial forces operative to bring about angular acceleration of the latter.