Mounting means for vibration member

Claim 1

Mounting means for an elongated substantially cylindrical vibration member dimensioned to be resonant as a one-half wavelength resonator for vibrations of predetermined frequency traveling longitudinally therethrough, and when resonant exhibiting two respective antinodal regions and a nodal region of said vibrations, the improvement comprising: flange means of substantially cylindrical cross-section radially extending from said vibration member substantially at said nodal region, and said flange means including seating means for receiving at either side of said flange means one end of a respective flexure tube and for tightly engaging such one end of each tube for inhibiting relative motion between said one end of each tube and said member; a pair of metallic flexure tubes, one tube disposed on said seating means on one side of said flange means and the other tube disposed on said seating means on the other side of said flange means, and said tubes extending substantially axially and concentrically about said member; annularly shaped clamping means disposed for engaging the other end of each of said tubes and including first surface means for tightly engaging such other end of each of said tubes for inhibiting radial motion of said other ends relative to said clamping means, and having second surface means for providing an axial engagement force between said tubes and said seating means; said tubes having an axial length and a wall thickness dimensioned for enabling each tube to flex radially responsive to said member being resonant and thereby undergoing substantially radial motion at its nodal region, whereby to decouple the vibrations of said member from said clamping means.