Nesting Leveling Plates Prevent Plate Slippage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional leveling plates tend to move relative to each other due to mechanical vibrations, posing safety hazards and leading to instability in industrial equipment, which can result in equipment malfunction, damage, and increased costs due to improper leveling.
Innovation Solution
Nesting leveling plates with complementary projections and recesses, along with textured surfaces and grooves, are designed to securely stack and prevent horizontal movement, incorporating features that lock leveling screws and distribute loads effectively across industrial equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional leveling plates are used, then the machine can be supported on uneven floors, but the plates move relative to each other due to mechanical vibrations causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting features where protrusions on one plate fit into recesses on adjacent plates, creating a nested configuration that prevents relative horizontal movement. This nesting mechanism directly resolves the contradiction by providing mechanical interlocking that maintains plate stability under vibrational loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The leveling system is divided into discrete plate segments with standardized nesting features. Each plate can be independently positioned and locked relative to others through the nesting mechanism, allowing modular assembly that maintains overall system stability while accommodating vibration-induced stresses.
2Ease of operation
If multiple leveling plates are stacked to achieve precise leveling, then the required height adjustment is achieved, but the plates become unstable and move relative to each other
Solution Approach 1:
The nesting features enable multiple plates to be stacked securely with each plate locked relative to its neighbors. The protrusion-recess configuration maintains vertical adjustability while preventing horizontal displacement, resolving the contradiction between ease of height adjustment and operational stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional leveling plates are used, then the machine can be leveled, but mechanical vibrations cause the plates to move leading to equipment damage
Solution Approach 1:
The nesting features are pre-configured on the plates to provide preliminary anti-action against vibration-induced movement. The mechanical interlocking of protrusions and recesses creates preemptive resistance to horizontal forces before damage can occur, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and vibration resistance.
4Manufacturing precision
If leveling plates are used to compensate for uneven floors, then the machine can maintain operating tolerances, but the plates move due to vibrations causing improper leveling
Solution Approach 1:
The nesting mechanism provides precise mechanical locking that maintains the relative positions of stacked plates, ensuring that leveling accuracy is preserved under vibrational conditions. The protrusion-recess interface prevents movement that would compromise manufacturing precision and operating tolerances.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of leveling a machine on a support surface includes supporting the machine on the support surface, the machine including multiple load-bearing supports, and inserting a stack of support plates underneath a load-bearing support of the multiple load-bearing supports, the stack of support plates having an area and a strength that are sufficient to support the machine. The stack of support plates includes a first plate that includes multiple projections that extend outward from a bottom surface of the first plate and a second plate that includes multiple recesses that extend inward from a top surface of the second plate, the multiple recesses being sized to receive the multiple projections, respectively, and multiple grooves disposed along respective edges of the top surface. When the first plate is stacked adjacent the second plate, the first and second plates bear against each other to support a load of the machine.