Design and Application of Metallic Flexures for Equipment with Specific Life Requirements 640784

This paper treats the design, application, variations, and combinations of four basic types of metallic flexures which do not have sliding or rolling load carrying contacting surfaces - flat springs, round bars, curved beams, and diaphragms. Flat springs develop into flexural pivots, used to replace conventional oscillating bearings in equipment such as gyros, gimbal rings, and linkages of all types. Round bars develop into torsion bars to replace conventional bearings with very limited torsional movement and quill shafts used as flexible shafts with limited angular movement. Curved beams develop into the gimbal ring and the curved beam lattice. Diaphragms develop into specially shaped contoured diaphragms for torsional load carrying capability at high angular misalignments. The basic kinematics, the equations for determining their approximate size, and many new applications are also discussed.