Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
(OP)
All-
I have a somewhat odd situation. I need to connect two disk-shaped parallel plates. They need to be removable from one another (fairly often, this will happen); however, There can be no screw heads protruding on either parallel face. I'm thinking that I need to connect them around the border somehow, but I can't think of an elegant way to do it. I have a couple of crazy thoughts as to how to do it, but I would like to know if there's anyone who has ever run across anything like this before, and may know an easy way to solve my problem.
Thanks for the help.
I have a somewhat odd situation. I need to connect two disk-shaped parallel plates. They need to be removable from one another (fairly often, this will happen); however, There can be no screw heads protruding on either parallel face. I'm thinking that I need to connect them around the border somehow, but I can't think of an elegant way to do it. I have a couple of crazy thoughts as to how to do it, but I would like to know if there's anyone who has ever run across anything like this before, and may know an easy way to solve my problem.
Thanks for the help.
V





RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Both plates are 304 SS, and they have to be RIGID with respect to one another when attached. Both Plates are about .150" thick.
MM,
There is a 150 lb force trying to separate the two plates when they're attached, so magnets and snap fits are a no go. Hook and Loop might work, but as I said, they have to be rigid with no play, when they're attached.
dvd,
When I said can't protrude above, I meant there can't be any screw heads on the face, period, not that they couldn't be flush or below the surface. Sorry about the lack of a clear description.
Thanks for the help so far.
V
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Oops just read the last line of your second post, that wont work.
How about some kind of double ended pit (pip?) pin. Something with some kind of snap fit that you actually have to press a small lever/collar or something you have to move to to 'un snatch'
If you use a bunch of them I would think you'd get the required force. You might need additional features for alignment though.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Heat with torch to disengage.
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
I like the vacuum tube clamp set up, but I can only use about 75% of the border, as there needs to be an opening in about 25% of it. I may be able to design a variant, though, that I can use.
Has anyone had any experience with over-sized (~8 inch) specialty threads? I'd only need about 1.5 threads to lock the top piece in place, as the orientation doesn't matter. Would this be hard to create (manufacture)?
Thanks again for all the suggestions, and keep 'em comin'.
V
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Just a thought that may not work for your application (or be very practical, for that matter).
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Ted
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
h
Ted
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
That's a great idea, and I think it will work for my application. I'm going to try that and see how it pans out. I'll keep you guys updated. Maybe I can incorporated your concept with MintJulep's idea of the furniture cams...
Hmmm...
Also, anymore Ideas are greatly appreciated.
V
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Mmm. No, not that big. But to manufacture threads on thin components, we clamped a stack of them on a lathe, and turned the thread across the whole stack at once. Getting the durn things started without cross-threading was a real female dog, solved finally by using an alignment/handling tool that kept the part from bending as it was being turned into mating threads.
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
The main issue in this game is that you are the only one who knows the rules and we are playing twenty questions.
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Thanks all. Keep it comin'.
V
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Jim Kinney
Kennedy Space Center, FL
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
V
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Oh the fun of throwing out suggestions knowing only a tiny part of the problem
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
The only realizable thing I can suggest is something like a Voss v-band clamp on a much smaller scale. In days of yore, similar clamps were produced in quantity for coupling the shells of stacked precision potentiometers, most of which were less than 100mm diameter.
Bevel the outside circular faces of the plates and reduce their diameter a bit.
Machine the clamp from the solid with a complementary internal v-groove, cut it in half, join the halves with tiny tangential screws, done.
Old machinists like the challenge of making the clamp from two pieces of stock so there's a seam but not a gap.
Really old machinists can match the plates and the clamp so only the screw heads are visible when assembled and viewed at any normal viewing distance.
Seventeenth century machinists could do stuff like that so well that the joints were not detectable under ordinary magnification, but no one alive today seems to know how to do it.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
Luck is a difficult thing to verify and therefore should be tested often. - Me
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
http://www.captive-fastener.com/catalog.html
http://www.camcarsolutions.com/powergrip.asp
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
RE: Connecting Parallel Plates Without Bolts, Welding, or Epoxy
If the plates are about 8" diameter, there is about 50 in^2 area. Needs only 3 psi to hold the 150 lbs mentioned above. Excluding air provides about an atmosphere of pressure.
Ted