Jointed stand for dial gages

Claim 2

A jointed stand comprising: a base; a first arm; a first ball joint connecting one end of said first arm to said base for swiveling movement relative thereto; a joint assembly connected to the opposite end of said first arm, said first arm being rotatable about its axis relative to said joint assembly; a second arm having one end connected to said joint assembly and rotatable about the axis of said second arm relative to said joint assembly; a second ball joint connected to the other end of said second arm; a holder mounted on said second ball joint for swiveling movement relative to said second arm, each of said ball joints including a ball member and a socket member engaging said ball member and compressible therearound upon relative axial displacement of said socket member and the respective arm; a respective slide rod extending through each of said arms and engaging one of the members of the respective ball joint for axial displacement of the respective socket member, each of said slide rods being formed with a ring at said joint assembly, each slide rod further including a linkage means intermediate the ends thereof for permitting rotative movement of opposite ends of said slide rod about its longitudinal axis; a respective conical disk for each respective ring having an axis eccentric to the axis of the respective ring and bearing upon the inner periphery thereof for axial displacement of the respective slide rod upon increasing insertion of the respective disk into the respective ring, said arms being swingable on said assembly about the axes of the respective disks; and a single locking element angularly actuatable about a disk axis to draw both of said disks into the respective rings, thereby locking said arms against rotation and swingable displacement relative to said assembly and clamping said ball joints against swiveling movement.

Claim 3

The stand defined in claim 1 wherein said socket members taper inwardly toward said assembly and said rings are engaged by said discs on sides of the rings opposite said rods so that said rods are drawn toward said assembly to clamp said socket members around said ball members.

Claim 4

The stand defined in claim 1 wherein said linkage means comprises a two piece slide rod, one of said pieces having an annular groove therein and the other of said pieces having an inwardly directed flange element received in said anNular groove.

Claim 5

The stand defined in claim 1 wherein said assembly comprises a pair of swivel heads aligned along a common axis and respectively receiving one of said rings and the respective disk.

Claim 6

The stand defined in claim 4, further comprising a compression spring urging said swivel heads apart.

Claim 7

The stand defined in claim 4 wherein said swivel heads are annular and have their interiors closed by cover plates held in place by snap rings.

Claim 8

The stand defined in claim 4 wherein said assembly further comprises a hinge pin extending axially through said swivel heads and coaxial with said conical disks, one of said conical disks being fixed on said pin, the other of said conical disks being loosely mounted on said pin, said locking element including a nut threaded onto said pin and a sleeve on said pin disposed between said nut and the loose conical disk for relative axial displacement of said conical disks in opposing directions upon tightening of said nut.

Claim 9

The stand defined in claim 1, further comprising spring means in said assembly acting upon the respective rods to bias same in directions opposite the direction of displacement of the rods to clamp said ball joints.

Claim 10

A jointed stand comprising: a base; a first arm; a first ball joint connecting one end of said first arm to said base for swiveling movement relative thereto; a joint assembly connected to the opposite end of said first arm, said first arm being rotatable about its axis relative to said joint assembly; a second arm having one end connected to said joint assembly and rotatable about the axis of said second arm relative to said joint assembly; a second ball joint connected to the other end of said second arm; a holder mounted on said second ball joint for swiveling movement relative to said second arm, each of said ball joints including a ball member and a socket member engaging said ball member and compressible therearound upon relative axial displacement of said socket member and the respective arm; a respective slide rod extending through each of said arms and engaging one of the members of the respective ball joint for axial displacement of the respective socket member, each of said slide rods being formed with a ring at said joint assembly; a respective conical disk having an axis eccentric to the axis of the respective ring and bearing upon the inner periphery thereof for axial displacement of the respective slide rod upon increasing insertion of the respective disk into the respective ring, said arms being swingable on said assembly about the axes of the respective disks; and a single locking element angularly actuatable about a disk axis to draw both of said disks into the respective rings, thereby locking said arms against rotation and swingable displacement relative to said assembly and clamping said ball joints against swiveling movement, said assembly comprising respective swivel heads connected to said first and second arms and receiving the respective rings and conical disks, a third arm having a pair of swivel heads coaxial and juxtaposed with said swivel head of said first and second arms, respective hinge pins swingably coupling each pair of juxtaposed swivel heads, respective nuts mounted on each of said hinge pins for displacing the respective conical disks axially thereon, and a tie rod interconnecting said nuts for joint angular displacement, one of said nuts forming said locking element.

Claim 11

A jointed stand comprising: a base; a first arm; a first ball joint connecting one end of said first arm to said base for swiveling movement relative thereto; a joint assembly connected to the opposite end of said first arm, said first arm being rotatable about its axis relative to said joint assembly; a second arm having one end connected to said joint assembly and rotatable about the axis of said second arm relative to said joint assembly; a second ball joint connected to the other end of said second arm; a holder mounted on said second ball joint for swiveling movement relative to said second arm, each of said ball joints including a ball member and a socket member engaging said ball member and compressible therearound upon relative axial displacement of said socket member and the respective arm; a respective slide rod extending through each of said arms and engaging one of the members of the respective ball joint for axial displacement of the respective socket member, each of said slide rods being formed with a ring at said joint assembly; a respective conical disk having an axis eccentric to the axis of the respective ring and bearing upon the inner periphery thereof for axial displacement of the respective slide rod upon increasing insertion of the respective disk into the respective ring, said arms being swingable on said assembly about the axes of the respective disks; and a single locking element angularly actuatable about a disk axis to draw both of said disks into the respective rings, thereby locking said arms against rotation and swingable displacement relative to said assembly and clamping said ball joints against swiveling movement, said assembly comprising respective swivel heads connected to said first and second arms and receiving the respective rings and conical disks, a third arm having a pair of swivel heads coaxial and juxtaposed with said swivel head of said first and second arms, respective hinge pins swingably coupling each pair of juxtaposed swivel heads, respective nuts mounted on each of said hinge pins for displacing the respective conical disks axially thereon, and a tie rod interconnecting said nuts for joint angular displacement, one of said nuts forming said locking element.