Suspending things from universal joints

[Rhodrons]

I wish to suspend a perfectly cyclindrical 250kg glass ingot 1m below a crosshead mechanism that will itself travel down a pair of vertical linear guides. It is abolutely vital that the axis of the cylinder is on the centreline through a furnace below,as well as the centreline of the guide rail system, as it moves downwards. Can anyone advise me of a Universal Joint that is designed to carry axial load or preferably point me in the direction of "off-the-shelf" gimbals that I could use? The reason for the need to separate the cylinder from the cross-head is due to the necessity to place a long heat insulator between the glass cyclinder and the crosshead to stop the latter getting too hot as it approaches the furnace mouth.

 

[Philrock]

There's no reason a conventional u-joint shouldn't be able to handle this. The bearings are still seeing radial load. The loading on the spider is different, though. Discuss it with conventional u-joint manufacturers such as Lovejoy, Kopper's, Twin-Disc, etc.

 

[DAVIDSTECKER]

Look for your local Dana-Spicer dealer.
You might find flange and tube yoke parts just what you need.
Look under drive shaft shops in the phone book.

 

[Tmoose]

Several cars use the drive axle as a suspension link, with the very conventional U-joints lasting years under axial loading. 1963 and later Corvette, 1965-1969 Corvair, various Jaguars

http://www.geocities.com/bobluis/IRSdrw.gif

http://www.web-cars.com/e-type/irs.html

 

[WhiteTiger]

Why not use a ball gimbal? They are almost by definition designed for axial loading, and are typically available in materials capable of high temp application.

A suitably large size self aligning pillowblock bearing would support your 250 kg handily, since you are not compensating for any gross misalignment which would rotate the spherical segment "out of pocket".