초록 ▼

An elongate spindle member having rigidity and stability against pressure and tensile loads as well as bending and torsional loads is made by winding-up a plurality of mutually interlocking chain links (1, 12), during axial advancement of the chain links, into a helical winding (5, 16) by a winding

An elongate spindle member having rigidity and stability against pressure and tensile loads as well as bending and torsional loads is made by winding-up a plurality of mutually interlocking chain links (1, 12), during axial advancement of the chain links, into a helical winding (5, 16) by a winding guide (14). The elongate spindle member, formed by the helical winding, extends between two objects, one of which is connected with the winding guide (14). The first turn of the helical winding is connected with a coupling member for connection with the other of the two objects. The helical winding is formed by drivingly connecting the chain links to a rotatable driving device in the winding guide and retaining each chain link in engagement with neighboring links in the same turn as well as adjacent chain links in neighboring turns.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of making at least one elongate spindle member having rigidity and stability against pressure and tensile loads as well as bending and torsional loads, whereby said spindle member acts between two objects, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of mutua

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of making at least one elongate spindle member having rigidity and stability against pressure and tensile loads as well as bending and torsional loads, whereby said spindle member acts between two objects, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of mutually interlocking chain links (1, 12), said chain links each being formed with a substantially circular curvature on an exterior side thereof and including associated engagement means for mutual interlocking of the chain links, drivingly connecting said chain links to a rotatable driving device (3,4;15,26) arranged in at least one winding guide (14) connected with one of said two objects, operating said driving device to rotate said chain links in said winding guide, said winding guide guiding said chain links to form at least one helical winding (5, 16) which forms said elongate spindle member and advancing said spindle member along a longitudinal axis thereof, wherein each of the chain links in said elongate spindle member is interconnected and retained in engagement by its associated engagement means with at least one neighboring chain link of said plurality of chain links in the same turn of said elongate spindle member as well as an adjacent chain link of said plurality of chain links in at least one neighboring turn of said elongate spindle member, and coupling the helical winding with the other of said two objects by a coupling member (6,18). 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized by using a reversibly rotatable driving device (3,4; 15, 26) as said driving device to increase and reduce the length of the spindle member by rotation of said reversibly rotatable driving device in one and the other direction of rotation, respectively. 3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said coupling member (6, 18) is connected with the first produced turn of the helical winding. 4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of forming an additional elongate spindle member concurrently with said at least one spindle member by using an additional plurality of chain links and an additional winding guide for guiding said additional plurality of chain links to form an additional helical winding having a pitch direction opposite to a pitch direction of said at least one helical winding, said additional winding guide being connected with the other of said two objects. 5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the two helical windings (57, 58) have the same diameter, said additional helical winding includes an additional coupling member, and said coupling members (63, 64) are connected with each other intermediate said two objects. 6. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that one of said helical windings (67) is advanced inside the other of said helical windings (68) and said chain links of said one of said helical windings are provided with external threading (69) to engage internal threading (70) in the chain links of the other helical winding. 7. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said spindle member is formed by winding said plurality of mutually interlocking chain links (76, 77) with an additional plurality of interlocking chain links in alternating turns in said winding guide. 8. A method according to claim 2, characterized by using the elongate spindle member to displace the two objects with respect to each other. 9. A method according to claim 2, wherein said two objects are constituted by a stationary frame structure and an openable sash structure and said method further comprises using said elongate spindle member to move said sash structure with respect to said frame structure. 10. An apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising, in connection with said one of said two objects, a chain storage (10) having an elongate chain (11) made of said plurality of mutually interlocking chain links (12) and having a guide means (13) for advancing the elongate chain ( 11) from said chain storage (10) to said at least one winding guide (14), the at least one winding guide comprising a guide element (22) which engages a guide member (34) on each of the chain links to wind said at least one helical winding (16), said rotatable driving device (3, 4; 15, 26) being rotatably arranged in said winding guide (14) for axial advancement of the spindle member produced by the at least one helical winding (5) and the coupling member (6,18). 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that said coupling member (6,18) is connected with an end turn of the helical winding. 12. An apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that said coupling member (18) comprises a substantially disc-shaped cover member with a substantially circular edge surface (51) in which a guide member (52) is provided for engagement with said guide element (22) in the winding guide (14), and the cover member is provided, on one side surface (53), with protruding engagement elements (54) for engagement with respective ones of said chain links (12) in the end turn (17) of the helical winding (16). 13. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said guide member in the edge surface (51) of the cover member comprises a track (52) for receiving said guide element (22) in the winding guide. 14. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said protruding engagement elements (54) comprise hook members ( 55). 15. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said protruding engagement elements each (54) comprise a groove (56). 16. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an additional helical winding including an additional coupling member wherein the two helical windings (57, 58) have the same diameter and that said coupling members (63, 64) are connected with each other intermediate said two objects. 17. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the chain storage (10) comprises an elongate track connected with the advancing guide means (13), the elongate track for receiving the entire length of the chain (11). 18. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the winding guide (14) comprises a substantially part-cylindrical wall (21) having an interior supporting said guide element ( 22). 19. An apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the driving device comprises an advancing wheel (26) including peripheral surface with a number of oblique teeth (27) having a predetermined pitch directed opposite to a pitch of said guide element (22), said advancing wheel being journalled coaxially in the winding guide (14) for engagement with the chain links (12) and being connected with a drive wheel (15). 20. An apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that said guide element comprises at least one thread-rib (22) having a predetermined pitch across part of the interior of said part-cylindrical wall (21). 21. An apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that the advancing guide means (13) comprises a substantially linear guide rail (20) for controlled advancement of the chain links ( 12) towards the winding guide and a guide surface (19,24 ) connected substantially in a tangential plane with the interior of the part cylindrical wall (21) of the winding guide, said guide surface (19, 24) having at least one advancing guide member (25). 22. An apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that the advancing guide member (25) comprises a member protruding from the guide surface (24) for introducing each said chain link ( 12) into the winding guide (14) while axially displacing each said chain link with respect to said winding guide. 23. An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an additional helical winding wherein one of said helical windings (67 ) is advanced inside the other of said helical windings (68) and said chain links of said one of said helical windings are provided with external threading (69) to engage internal threading (70) provided in chain links of the other helical winding (68). 24. An apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that said helical winding (75) is formed by winding said chain links (76,77) in alternating turns with additional chain links. 25. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that an additional a chain storage, an advancing guide and an additional winding guide are provided in connection with the other of said two objects for producing an additional elongate spindle member (57, 58; 67, 68). 26. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the helical winding (5) is surrounded by a variable length casing (8). 27. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that said casing is a bellows. 28. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein each said chain link (12) has a substantially parallelogram shape with said engagement means comprising a first pair of engagement means (43, 44) for connection with at least one of said neighboring chain links in the same turn of the helical winding provided at a first pair of opposite sides (28, 29) thereof and a second pair of engagement means (49, 50) for engagement with a corresponding pair of said second pair of engagement means on one of said adjacent chain links at least one neighboring turn of the helical winding provided at a second pair of opposite sides (30, 31) thereof. 29. An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that each said guide member comprises a track (34) adapted to receive said guide element (22) in the winding guide. 30. An apparatus according to claim 29, characterized in that an interior side (33) of each chain link (12) is formed with engagement means (45) for engagement with a substantially linear guide rail (20) in the advancing guide means (13) and said exterior side of each chain link (12) is provided with a second guide member (35) for introducing the chain links (12 ) into the winding guide (14). 31. An apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that each said second guide member (35) comprises a second track provided in said exterior side and ending in said first pair of opposite sides (28, 29) with track orifices (36,37). 32. An apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that said guide rail engagement means (45) comprises one of a third pair of engagement means (45, 47) of each said chain link, each of said third pair of engagement means provided at said first pair of opposite sides (28, 29) of each said chain link. 33. An apparatus according to claim 32, characterized in that said one of said third pair of engagement means for each chain link ( 12) comprises a fork member (45) provided at a free edge of a wall portion defining one of said first pair of engagement means which comprises a curved track (43), said fork member for engagement, on one hand, with said guide rail (20) in the advancing guide means (13) and, on the other hand, with the other one of said third pair of engagement means on said neighboring chain link, each said other one of said third pair of engagement means comprising a rib member (47) provided in an interior side of the other one of said first pair of engagement means which comprises a hook-shaped hinge member (44), said fork and rib members (45, 47) preventing relative displacement of said neighboring chain links in the same turn in the axial direction of the helical winding when engaged, each said by hook-shaped hinge member (44) being provided, on each side of a respective one of said rib members (47), with abutment surfaces (48a, 48b) serving as stops for branches ( 45a) of a respective one of said fork members (45) for retaining said neighboring chain links in a predetermined angular position in said turn. 34. An apparatus according to claim 33, characterized in that said fork and rib members (45, 47) are positioned in such a way relative to one another that said curved tracks (43) of said chain links (12) are brought into engagement with said hook-shaped hinge members (44) of said chain links positioned in the same turn and the neighboring turn. 35. An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that a guide member (39) is formed in an interior side (33) of each chain link (12), each said guide member (39) comprising a helical track for engagement with oblique teeth (27) of an advancing wheel (26) of said driving device. 36. An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that the chain links (12) are molded from a plastics material. 37. An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that each chain link (12) has a length different from an even fraction of a circle having the radius of said helical winding. 38. An apparatus according to claim 37, characterized in that the length of each chain link (12) constitutes an odd fraction of said circle. 39. An apparatus according to claim 38, characterized in that the length of each chain link (12) constitutes a fifth of a peripheral length of an interior wall of the winding guide (14). 40. An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that said second pair of engagement means comprises a track (49) in the exterior side (32) of each of the chain links (12) and a rib member (50) along one of said second pair of opposite sides (30, 31) of each of said chain links, said rib members ( 50) being adapted to engage a groove (56) on said coupling member (18). 41. An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that the first pair of engagement means for each chain link (12) comprises a hook-shaped hinge member (44) and a curved track ( 43) , said curved tracks (43) being adapted to receive a hook member (55) of said coupling member (18). 42. An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that the chain links (12) are made as cast or sintered metal bodies. 43. A device for relative displacement of two objects with respect to each other comprising the apparatus according to claim 10. 44. An operator device for opening and closing a window comprising the apparatus according to claim 10.