Bal-tec™ Home Tethered Kinematic Platforms
Tethered Kinematic Platforms
Tethering the two Kinematic platforms together so that they are held in close proximity to each other, but are still free to function Kinematically is an occasional requirement.
The simplest and by far the most widely used form of tethering is to use three shoulder bolts that pass through three oversized holes in the upper platform and are securely screwed into the lower platform. The lengths of the three shoulder bolts are considerably longer than the distance between the two platforms. In this way, the shoulder bolts tether the two platforms together, but in no way interfere with the Kinematic function of the two platforms. See Figure #1.
If the heads of the shoulder bolts interfere in any way with mounting the payload, the design can be reversed, with the heads of the shoulder bolts protruding below the bottom plate. Tethering is closely associated with “Mechanical Pre-loading” and with “Failsafe Kinematic Coupling”. While we are looking at the problem of tethering, it would be a good investment to look at both of these subjects on this same site.
