IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0687687
(2000-10-13)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Johnstone, III, Albert E.
- Radlitt, Frank W.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
6 인용 특허 :
23 |
초록
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A swivel joint apparatus for supplying utilities to a rotating building rotatable about a central axis has an inner, fixed spindle for securing to a fixed base of the building to extend co-axially with a central axis of rotation of the building, and an outer casing rotatably mounted on the spindle f
A swivel joint apparatus for supplying utilities to a rotating building rotatable about a central axis has an inner, fixed spindle for securing to a fixed base of the building to extend co-axially with a central axis of rotation of the building, and an outer casing rotatably mounted on the spindle for securing to the rotatable part of the building. The spindle has a series of spaced annular flanges defining a series of annular chambers and at least one ring seal mounted on the peripheral edge of each flange for rotatable sealing engagement with the outer casing so that the casing forms an outer wall of each of the annular chambers. A lower end wall of the spindle has a plurality of ports for connection to fixed utility lines in the base for fluid supply to and from the building, each port connected through the spindle to a respective annular chamber. The outer casing has a series of axially spaced ports for connection to respective utility lines in the rotatable part of the building, the ports including at least one port communicating with each of the annular chambers.
대표청구항
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1. A rotatable building structure, comprising: a fixed base; a building rotatably mounted on the fixed base for rotation about a central axis of rotation coaxial with the building and base; the building including a central elevator shaft projecting upwardly from the base through the height o
1. A rotatable building structure, comprising: a fixed base; a building rotatably mounted on the fixed base for rotation about a central axis of rotation coaxial with the building and base; the building including a central elevator shaft projecting upwardly from the base through the height of the building and having a lower end rotatably mounted on the base; the base having an outer mounting rail extending in a circular path and spaced outwardly from the elevator shaft; the building having a lower wall having a series of spaced pairs of bearings running along opposite sides of said mounting rail for rotatable support of the building as it rotates on said base; and a swivel joint assembly mounted in the base coaxially with said elevator shaft and beneath said lower wall for rotatably connecting fixed utility lines extending into the base with corresponding utility lines secured within the rotating building. 2. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has a chamber extending below ground level, the chamber having a drain outlet, the rotatable building having a roof, and a drain line extending from the roof downwardly alongside the elevator shaft and into said chamber, the drain line having an outlet end in said chamber for directing water collected on said roof into said drain outlet.3. A rotatable building structure, comprising: a fixed base: a building rotatably mounted on the fixed base for rotation about a central axis of rotation coaxial with the building and base; the building including a central elevator shaft projecting upwardly from the base through the height of the building and having a lower end rotatably mounted on the base; the base having an outer mounting rail extending in a circular path and spaced outwardly from the elevator shaft; the building having a lower wall having a series of spaced pairs of bearings running along opposite sides of said mounting rail for rotatable support of the building as it rotates on said base; a swivel joint assembly mounted in the base coaxially with said elevator shaft and beneath said lower wall for rotatably connecting fixed utility lines extending into the base with corresponding utility lines secured within the rotating building; the base having a chamber extending below ground level; and the swivel joint assembly being mounted in said chamber. 4. A rotatable building structure, comprising: a fixed base; a building rotatably mounted on the fixed base for rotation about a central axis of rotation coaxial with the building and base; the building including a central elevator shaft projecting upwardly from the base through the height of the building and having a lower end rotatably mounted on the base; the base having an outer mounting rail extending in a circular path and spaced outwardly from the elevator shaft; the building having a lower wall having a series of spaced pairs of bearings running along opposite sides of said mounting rail for rotatable support of the building as it rotates on said base; a swivel joint assembly mounted in the base coaxially with said elevator shaft and beneath said lower wall for rotatably connecting fixed utility lines extending into the base with corresponding utility lines secured within the rotating building; the base having a chamber extending below around level; and the swivel joint assembly comprising a fixed central spindle secured to the fixed base and having a central axis extending coaxially with the axis of rotation of the building, the spindle having a series of spaced, radially outwardly projecting annular flanges forming a series of outwardly facing annular chambers between said flanges, each flange having an outer peripheral edge and at least one ring seal mounted on said peripheral edge, an outer casing rotatably mounted on said spindle and having a predetermined inner diameter for rotatable sealing engagement with said ring seals, whereby the casing for ms an outer wall of each of the annular chambers, the casing being tied to the lower wall of the rotatable building and having at least one through port aligned with each annular chamber, each through port being connected to a respective utility line extending into said rotatable building, and the spindle having a lower end wall having a plurality of bores extending axially parallel to said central axis, including at least one bore terminating in each of said chambers, each bore being connected to a respective fixed utility line in said base. 5. The structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein each flange has an outwardly directed, annular sensor chamber spaced from said ring seal, and the outer casing has a series of sensors including at least one sensor projecting into each of the sensor chambers for detecting leakage past said ring seal.6. The structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flanges including an upper end flange, a lower end flange, and a series of intermediate flanges spaced between said upper and lower end flanges, each end flange having one ring seal and one sensor chamber, and each intermediate flange having a pair of ring seals with the sensor chamber located between the ring seals, whereby sensors extending into the sensor chambers in respective intermediate flanges detect leakage from the adjacent chambers on opposite sides of said intermediate flanges.7. A rotatable building structure, comprising: a fixed base; a building rotatably mounted on the fixed base for rotation about a central axis of rotation coaxial with the building and base; the building including a central elevator shaft projecting upwardly from the base through the height of the building and having a lower end rotatably mounted on the base; the base having an outer mounting rail extending in a circular path and spaced outwardly from the elevator shaft; the building having a lower wall having a series of spaced pairs of bearings running along opposite sides of said mounting rail for rotatable support of the building as it rotates on said base; a swivel joint assembly mounted in the base coaxially with said elevator shaft and beneath said lower wall for rotatable connecting fixed utility lines extending into the base with corresponding utility lines secured within the rotating building; the swivel joint assembly comprising a fixed central spindle having a lower end secured to the fixed base and an upper end, and having a central axis extending coaxially with the axis of rotation of the building, an outer casing rotatably mounted on the spindle and tied to the lower wall of the rotatable building, the outer casing having an upper end, and a plurality of separate, sealed chambers defined between said spindle and casing, each utility line within the building being connected to a respective chamber and each fixed utility line being connected to a respective chamber via said spindle; an electrical swivel assembly mounted on the upper end of the fixed spindle and outer casing, the electrical swivel assembly comprising an inner contact core mounted on the upper end of the fixed spindle, and an outer rotating contact portion mounted on the upper end of the outer casing, the spindle and contact core having aligned axial through bores, and fixed electrical power supply lines extending from the base of the structure through the aligned through bores being connected to the inner contact core of the electrical swivel assembly, the outer contact portion having contacts connected to electrical service lines within the rotating building. 8. The structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rotating building includes a first set of electrical service lines for transmission of electrical service signals to and from the building, and the swivel assembly includes a rotary electrical connector mounted on said electrical swivel assembly for connection of the first set of electrical service lines to a second set of fixed electrical service lin es in the base of the structure, the rotary electrical connector having a fixed part mounted on top of the inner fixed contact core of the electrical swivel assembly and a rotating part rotably mounted on the fixed part, the rotating part having first contacts connected to said first set of electrical service lines, and the fixed part having second contacts rotably connected to said first contacts, said second set of fixed electrical service lines including conductive lines extending through said aligned central through bores of said spindle and contact core and connected to said second contacts of said rotary connector.9. The structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein said rotary electrical connector comprises a low noise mercury swivel.10. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting rail comprises an inverted T-section rail and the lower wall of the building has a series of spaced wobble boxes, two pairs of bearings being mounted in each of the wobble boxes and each pair of bearings comprising an inner bearing running along the inside of the rail and an outer bearing running along the outside of the rail.11. A rotatable building structure, comprising: a fixed base; a building having a lower end wall rotatably mounted on the fixed base for rotation about a central axis of rotation coaxial with the building and base; the base having an outer mounting rail extending in a circular path having a center aligned with said central axis of rotation; the lower end wall of the building having runner means running along said mounting rail for rotatable support of the building as it rotates on said base; a swivel joint assembly mounted in the base coaxially with said central axis and beneath said lower end wall for rotatably connecting fixed utility lines extending into the base with corresponding utility lines secured within the rotating building; the swivel joint assembly comprising a first, fixed member secured to the fixed base and extending co-axially with the central axis of rotation of the building, and a second member rotatably mounted on the first, fixed member and secured to the rotating building so as to rotate with the building; the first member and second member having opposing portions forming at least four annular fluid chambers for communication of four different utility fluids between the rotatable building and fixed utility lines in the base, and a plurality of seals between the members for sealing the chambers; the first member having a plurality of first ports connected to the respective chambers and to respective fixed utility lines in the base of the building; and the second member having a plurality of second ports connected to the respective chambers and to respective utility lines within the rotating building. 12. The structure as claimed in claim 11, including at least one pair of adjacent seals between each pair of chambers, a sensor chamber located between each adjacent pair of seals, and at least one sensor in each sensor chamber for detecting fluid leakage between chambers.13. The structure as claimed in claim 12, including at least two sensors in each sensor chamber.14. The structure as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least a first said chamber is for communicating gas between a fixed gas utility line and a gas utility line in said rotatable building, and at least one gas sensor and one water sensor are located in the sensor chamber adjacent said first chamber.15. A rotatable building structure, comprising: a fixed base; a building having a lower end wall rotatably mounted on the fixed base for rotation about a central axis of rotation coaxial with the building and base; the base having an outer mounting rail extending in a circular path having a center aligned with said central axis of rotation; the lower end wall of the building having runner means running along said mounting rail for rotatable support of the building as it rotates on said base; a swive l joint assembly mounted in the base coaxially with said central axis and beneath said lower end wall for rotatably connecting fixed utility lines extending into the base with corresponding utility lines secured within the rotating building; the swivel joint assembly comprising a first, fixed member secured to the fixed base and extending co-axially with the central axis of rotation of the building, and a second member rotatably mounted on the first, fixed member and secured to the rotating building so as to rotate with the building; one of said members having a plurality of annular chambers facing said other member, said chambers having annular walls having end faces facing said other member; at least one annular seal mounted on the end face of each annular wall and in rotatable sealing engagement with said other member; at least one sensor between each adjacent pair of chambers to detect leakage of fluid from said chambers; the first member having a plurality of first ports connected to respective fixed utility lines in said base, each first port extending into a respective one of said chambers; and the second member having a plurality of second ports, each second port extending into a respective annular chamber and connected to a respective utility line extending into the rotatable building.
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