Spring-Loaded Leveling Foot with Wedge Lock for Heavy Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing leveling solutions for heavy structures fail due to thread-based designs bearing the weight, leading to device failure, and self-adjusting solutions with thin shafts or wedges are inadequate for long-term stability on uneven floors.
Innovation Solution
A self-adjusting leveling foot with a robust design featuring a hollow column, spring, and U-shaped wedge with locking teeth, where the movable top piece engages the structure and expands to fill gaps, providing stable support and easy adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thread-based adjustable foot is used to compensate for uneven floors, then the structure can be leveled during installation, but the threads fail under heavy structural weight over time
Solution Approach 1:
The leveling foot is divided into distinct functional segments: a base section, a hollow column containing a spring mechanism, and a moveable top piece. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the spring provides self-adjustment while the robust base and column bear the structural weight, preventing thread failure.
Solution Approach 2:
A U-shaped wedge device acts as an intermediary between the moveable top piece and the base section. The wedge engages with both components and distributes the structural weight through its legs onto the spring mechanism and base, preventing direct stress concentration on any single weak point.
2Ease of operation
If a simple wedge is used to level a structure, then the structure can be leveled, but the wedge cannot be removed once the structure weight bears down upon it
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge device is designed with dynamic engagement characteristics - the angled top surfaces provide automatic self-locking under load through mechanical advantage, while the inclusion of release mechanisms (such as spring-loaded pins or threaded adjustment components) allows controlled disengagement when needed. This enables the wedge to be stable during operation but removable when maintenance is required.
3Extent of automation
If a spring-loaded foot with thin shaft is used for self-adjustment during installation, then the foot can automatically level the structure, but the thin shaft fails under heavy structural weight
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is isolated in its own hollow column, separating the self-adjustment function from the load-bearing function. The thin-walled hollow column suffices for spring containment and vertical movement, while the robust base section and moveable top piece with enlarged surfaces handle the structural weight, eliminating the need for a thick-walled shaft throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the leveling foot have different wall thicknesses and material properties optimized for their specific functions. The hollow column has thinner walls suitable for spring movement, while the base section and top piece have thicker walls and reinforced geometries to bear structural loads, achieving both automation and strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures long-term stability and easy adjustment of heavy structures on uneven floors by distributing weight effectively through a robust mechanism, preventing device failure and maintaining levelness over time.
Implementation Method 1
A spring is arranged in the hollow column
Implementation Method 2
A spring is arranged in the hollow column. A moveable top piece engages the column, and is movable in the vertical direction against the force of the spring
Implementation Method 3
A generally U-shaped wedge device is provided that may be pressed into engagement with the base section
Data Source
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AI summary
A leveling foot having a base section with a raised, hollow column. A spring is arranged in the hollow column. A moveable top piece engages the column, and is movable in the vertical direction against the force of the spring. The top piece is slightly larger than the column, such that side walls of the top piece overlap the sides of the column when the spring is compressed. The bottom edges of the side walls of the top piece are angled. A generally U-shaped wedge device is provided that may be pressed into engagement with the base section, whereby a leg of the U engages each side of the column. The top surfaces of the legs of the U-shaped device are angled in the form of wedges, the angles of the top surfaces of the legs corresponding to the angles of the side walls of the movable top piece, such that the side walls of the top piece will rest upon the angled top surfaces of the legs of the wedge device when the top piece is under load.