AUTO-CENTERING STRUCTURAL BEARING

摘要

An auto-centering structural bearing transfers vertical loads to a supporting structure while preventing transfer of lateral loads thereto. In one embodiment, the structural bearing includes: parallel lower, middle, and upper bearing plates; a lower roller bed sandwiched between the lower and middle bearing plates and laterally displaceable relative thereto in a first direction; an upper roller bed sandwiched between the middle and upper bearing plates and laterally displaceable relative thereto in a second direction; lower centering means including helical springs arranged to be compressed by lateral displacement of the middle bearing plate and the lower roller bed in the first direction; and upper centering means comprising helical springs arranged to be compressed by lateral displacement of the upper bearing plate and the upper roller bed in the second direction. Upon removal of lateral loads causing such displacements, the springs rebound to their unstressed states, thereby returning the displaced bearing plates and roller beds to their centered positions.