A mobile auxiliary support for ductwork installation and method of operation

Abstract

The application relates to a mobile auxiliary support for air pipe installation and an operating method, which is suitable for air pipes with different shapes and sizes. The mobile auxiliary support comprises a movable base, an extension rod fixed to the bottom of the movable base, a four-leg adjustable support installed at the top end of the extension rod, and an extension rod height adjuster for controlling the up-and-down extension of the extension rod. The four-leg adjustable support comprises a cylindrical support rod installed at the top of the extension rod, four legs, a support part installed at the top of each leg, a rotary adjuster sleeved at the lower part of the cylindrical support rod, and a height adjuster sleeved at the upper part of the cylindrical support rod. The height adjuster and the rotary adjuster can slide up and down along the cylindrical support rod and rotate horizontally around the cylindrical support rod. The height adjuster and each leg are connected through a slanted support rod, and the two ends of the slanted support rod are hinged. The rotary adjuster and each leg are connected through a horizontal support rod, one end of the horizontal support rod is hinged with the leg, and the other end of the horizontal support rod can slide along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical support rod.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a liftable mobile support, and more specifically to a mobile auxiliary support for duct installation and its operating method. Background Technology

[0002] Air ducts are piping systems used for air transport and distribution. Air ducts are classified into rectangular and circular ducts according to their cross-sectional shape. For some building ventilation systems, the air ducts are generally large in size and weight. Traditionally, duct installation relies heavily on manual labor, typically requiring at least three people: one to hold the duct upright from behind, using experience and visual observation to determine its position, and guiding the other two to adjust the duct's position to ensure a straight and orderly installation. This traditional manual method is time-consuming and labor-intensive, leading to increased labor costs.

[0003] With rising labor costs, various mounting frames with different structures have emerged to assist in duct installation. These frames can fix the ducts to the mounting points, allowing them to be lifted to a designated position before assembly, thus reducing the number of workers and lowering labor intensity. For example, invention patents CN114835052B and CN116374884A each disclose a device for duct installation. However, the fixing platform for placing the ducts in both patents is planar, only suitable for fixing rectangular ducts; it results in insecure fixing for circular ducts.

[0004] Patent CN208296221U discloses a "ventilation duct mounting bracket for a building fresh air system." The method for fixing the duct in this patent is as follows: three support rods are arranged side-by-side on a support plate, and a fixing ring is set at the top of each support rod. The fixing ring is composed of two semi-circular rings joined together, with the duct embedded in the lower semi-circular ring. The duct is limited in position by the joining of the upper and lower semi-circular rings. This mounting bracket structure is only suitable for fixing circular ducts, and because the duct must be placed inside the fixing ring, the compatibility of the mounting bracket with ducts of different diameters is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing duct mounting brackets, the inventors designed a mobile auxiliary bracket suitable for ducts of different shapes and sizes, which effectively makes up for the above shortcomings.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation, characterized in that it includes a movable base, a telescopic rod fixed to the bottom of the movable base, a four-legged adjustable support mounted on the top of the telescopic rod, and a telescopic rod height adjuster for controlling the vertical extension and retraction of the telescopic rod; the four-legged adjustable support includes a cylindrical support rod, four legs, a support portion hinged to the top of each leg, a rotary adjuster sleeved on the lower part of the cylindrical support rod, and a height adjuster sleeved on the upper part of the cylindrical support rod; a spring is sleeved on the cylindrical support rod between the height adjuster and the rotary adjuster. The bottom of the cylindrical support rod is fixed to the top of the telescopic rod, and a limiter is installed at the top of the cylindrical support rod. Both the height adjuster and the rotation adjuster can slide up and down along the cylindrical support rod and rotate horizontally about the cylindrical support rod as an axis. The height adjuster is connected to each support leg through an inclined support rod, and both ends of the inclined support rod are hinged. The rotation adjuster is connected to each support leg through a horizontal support rod, one end of which is hinged to the support leg, and the other end of which can slide along the circumference of the cylindrical support rod. A laser calibrator is also fixedly installed at the top of each support leg.

[0008] Furthermore, the support includes a tray hinged to the top of the support leg.

[0009] Furthermore, the height adjuster includes an upper adjusting sleeve sleeved on a cylindrical support rod. The upper adjusting sleeve can slide up and down and rotate horizontally along the cylindrical support rod. An upper annular track is formed on the outer circumference of the upper adjusting sleeve. Four arc-shaped upper sliders that can slide along the upper annular track are embedded in the upper annular track. Each upper slider has an ear plate on its outer wall. The inclined support rod is hinged to the ear plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the rotary adjuster includes a lower adjusting sleeve sleeved on a cylindrical support rod. The lower adjusting sleeve can slide up and down along the cylindrical support rod and rotate horizontally. A lower annular track is formed on the outer circumference of the lower adjusting sleeve. Four arc-shaped lower sliders that can slide along the lower annular track are embedded in the lower annular track. The outer wall of the lower sliders is fixedly connected to the horizontal support rod.

[0011] Furthermore, the telescopic rod includes an outer tube and an inner tube. The outer tube is hollow and its bottom is fixed to the top of the movable base. The inner tube is nested inside the outer tube and can move up and down along the inner cavity of the outer tube. A support column is provided at the top of the inner tube. The bottom of the cylindrical support rod is fixed to the top of the support column. One end of the traction rope is connected to the bottom of the inner tube, and the other end of the traction rope is wound around the reel of the telescopic rod height adjuster.

[0012] Furthermore, the telescopic rod height adjuster includes a support rod whose bottom is fixed to the top of the movable base, and a spool rotatably mounted on the top of the support rod via a pivot. The spool is equipped with a rotating handle that can drive the spool to rotate.

[0013] Furthermore, the movable base includes a horizontally arranged base plate, a handrail mounted on the top surface of the base plate, and wheels mounted on the bottom surface of the base plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the wheel includes a universal joint, a wheel cover, a traveling wheel, a brake shaft, and brake pads. The top of the universal joint is fixed to the bottom surface of the base plate, and the bottom of the universal joint is hinged to the wheel cover. The traveling wheel is mounted on the wheel cover via an axle. The brake shaft is fixedly connected to the brake pads. The brake shaft is a nut with both internal and external threads. The brake shaft is mounted on the end of the axle via the internal thread, and the external thread of the brake shaft engages with the internal thread of the opening on the wheel cover.

[0015] The present invention also discloses a method for installing air ducts using the above-mentioned mobile auxiliary support, comprising the following steps:

[0016] Step 1): Transport the mobile auxiliary support to the construction site and place the air duct on the four support parts;

[0017] Step 2): Move the four support legs to open and close them, and rotate the height adjuster and the rotation adjuster to adjust the four support legs so that the four support parts are located at the four corners of the air duct.

[0018] Step 3): After the ductwork has been placed and its position adjusted, push the movable auxiliary support to the location where the ductwork needs to be installed;

[0019] Step 4): The construction personnel fix the position of the movable base to prevent it from moving, and then operate the telescopic rod height adjuster to raise the telescopic rod. After the air duct is raised to the required height, stop the movement of the telescopic rod.

[0020] Step 5): Activate the laser calibrator to verify the position of the duct, rotate the rotary adjuster to fine-tune the direction of the duct, and then install the duct.

[0021] The mobile auxiliary support designed in this invention uses a four-legged adjustable support to support the air duct. The opening and closing size of the four legs of the adjustable support can be adjusted, and the four legs can also be rotated horizontally to adjust their position. According to the size and shape of the air duct to be installed, the above adjustment can achieve the support and fixation of different air ducts. The entire support structure is simple in design and very convenient to operate. It can assist construction personnel in transporting air ducts to the installation position, reduce the number of people required for air duct construction, and help improve construction efficiency and reduce construction costs. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the movable auxiliary support in the embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the movable base and telescopic rod height adjuster;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the wheels at the bottom of the movable base;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Exploded view;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a magnified view of a portion of the top structure of the telescopic pole;

[0027] Figure 6 This is an enlarged view of the structure of the four-legged adjustable support.

[0028] Figure 7 This is an enlarged view of the support structure in a four-legged adjustable support.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a magnified view of a portion of the height adjuster in a four-legged adjustable support.

[0030] Figure 9 This is an enlarged view of a portion of the rotary adjuster in a four-legged adjustable support.

[0031] Figure 10 A magnified view of a section of the cylindrical support rod after the spring has been removed.

[0032] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0033] 100. Movable base; 101. Base plate; 102. Handrail; 103. Wheel; 1031. Universal joint; 1032. Wheel cover; 1033. Running wheel; 1034. Brake shaft; 1035. Brake pad; 1036. Axle;

[0034] 200. Telescopic rod; 201. Outer tube; 202. Support column; 203. Guide wheel fixing part; 204. Guide wheel fixing part;

[0035] 300. Four-legged adjustable support; 301. Support part; 3011. Tray; 3012. Laser calibrator; 302. Support leg; 303. Height adjuster; 3031. Diagonal support rod; 3032. Ear plate; 3033. Upper adjusting sleeve; 3034. Upper annular track; 3035. Upper slider; 304. Rotation adjuster; 3041. Lower adjusting sleeve; 3042. Lower annular track; 3043. Horizontal support rod; 3044. Lower slider; 3045. Direction adjustment handle; 305. Limiter; 306. Spring; 307. Cylindrical support rod;

[0036] 400. Telescopic pole height adjuster; 401. Support pole; 402. Cable reel; 403. Fixed handle; 404. Rotary handle;

[0037] 500. Towing rope. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0039] This embodiment discloses a mobile auxiliary support for duct installation, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the entire support includes a movable base 100, a telescopic rod 200 with its bottom fixed to the movable base 100, a four-legged adjustable support 300 installed at the top of the telescopic rod 200, and a telescopic rod height adjuster 400 for controlling the vertical extension and retraction of the telescopic rod 200. The following detailed description of each of the above components is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the movable base 100 includes a horizontally arranged base plate 101, a handrail 102 mounted on the top surface of the base plate 101, and wheels 103 mounted on the bottom surface of the base plate 101. The structure of the wheels 103 will be further described as follows... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, wheel 103 includes a universal joint 1031, wheel cover 1032, running wheel 1033, brake shaft 1035, brake pad 1035, and axle 1036. The top of the universal joint 1031 is fixed to the bottom surface of the base plate 101. The top of the wheel cover 1032 has an opening, and the bottom of the universal joint 1031 is inserted into the opening at the top of the wheel cover 1032. The universal joint 1031 can rotate freely relative to the wheel cover 1032. The running wheel 1033 is mounted on the wheel cover 1032 via the axle 1036. The brake shaft 1034 is fixedly connected to the brake pad 1035. The brake shaft 1034 is a nut with both internal and external threads. The brake shaft 1034 is installed on one end of the axle 1036 through the internal thread. The external thread of the brake shaft 1034 engages with the internal thread of the opening on the wheel cover 1032. Pressing down on the brake pad 1035 can lock the wheel 1033 to prevent it from rotating, and pushing up on the brake pad 1035 can unlock it.

[0041] like Figure 5 As shown, the telescopic rod 200 includes a hollow square outer tube 201 and a hollow square inner tube. The bottom of the outer tube 201 is fixed to the top of the base plate 101 of the movable base 100. The inner tube is nested inside the outer tube 201 and can move up and down along the inner cavity of the outer tube 201. A cylindrical support column 202 is provided at the top of the inner tube, which is used to fix and install the four-legged adjustable support 300.

[0042] In this embodiment, the structure of the telescopic rod height adjuster 400 used to control the raising and lowering of the telescopic rod 200 is as follows: Figure 2As shown, the telescopic rod height adjuster 400 includes a support rod 401 with its bottom fixed to the top of the base plate 101 of the movable base 100, and a coil 402 rotatably mounted on the top of the support rod 401 via a pivot. The coil 402 has a rotating handle 404 that can rotate it. A fixed handle 403 is fixedly mounted on the upper part of the support rod 401, away from the rotating handle 404. A traction rope 500 is wound around the coil 402, sealing the bottom of the inner tube of the telescopic rod 200, and fixing the other end of the traction rope 500 to the bottom of the inner tube. By holding the fixed handle 403 with one hand and the rotating handle 403 with the other hand and rotating it, the height of the inner tube relative to the outer tube 201 can be adjusted by scaling the length of the traction rope 500 between the coil 402 and the inner tube. Furthermore, to make the winding of the traction rope 500 smoother, as... Figure 5 As shown, a guide wheel fixing part 203 can also be provided on the outer wall of the support column 202, and a guide wheel fixing part 204 can also be provided on the outer wall of the outer tube 201. Guide wheels are installed on the two guide wheel fixing parts respectively, so that the traction rope 500 can be pulled along the guide wheel more effortlessly and smoothly.

[0043] In this embodiment, the four-legged adjustable support 300 is as follows: Figure 6 and Figure 10 As shown, the system mainly includes a cylindrical support rod 307 installed on the top of the telescopic rod 200, four support legs 302, a support portion 301 installed on the top of each support leg 302, a rotary adjuster 304 sleeved on the lower part of the cylindrical support rod 307, and a height adjuster 303 sleeved on the upper part of the cylindrical support rod 307. A spring 306 is sleeved on the cylindrical support rod 307 between the height adjuster 303 and the rotary adjuster 304. The top end of the spring 306 abuts against the bottom surface of the height adjuster 303, and the bottom end of the spring 306 abuts against the top surface of the rotary adjuster 304. The bottom of the cylindrical support rod 307 is fixed to the top of the support column 202 of the telescopic rod 200, and a limiter 305 is provided at the top of the cylindrical support rod 307 to prevent the height adjuster 303 from dislodging from the top of the cylindrical support rod 307.

[0044] Further explanation of the four-legged adjustable support 300, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the support 301 is mainly used to support the air duct. Its structure includes a circular tray 3011, with a support rod at the bottom of the tray 3011, and the support rod is hinged to the support leg 302. To facilitate the measurement of the position of the air duct being supported, in this embodiment, a laser calibrator 3012 is also installed on the top of each support leg 302 at the lower part of the tray 3011.

[0045] The structure of the height adjuster 303 is as follows Figure 8As shown, it mainly includes an upper adjusting sleeve 3033 sleeved on a cylindrical support rod 307. The upper adjusting sleeve 3033 can slide up and down and rotate horizontally along the cylindrical support rod 307. An upper annular track 3034 is opened on the outer circumference of the upper adjusting sleeve 3033. Four arc-shaped upper sliders 3035 that can slide circumferentially along the upper annular track 3034 are embedded in the upper annular track 3034. Each upper slider 3035 has an ear plate 3032 on its outer wall. The ear plate 3032 is connected to the corresponding support leg 302 by an inclined support rod 3031. One end of the inclined support rod 3031 is hinged to the ear plate 3032, and the other end of the inclined support rod 3031 is hinged to the support leg 302.

[0046] The structure of the rotary adjuster 304 is similar to that of the height adjuster 303, such as... Figure 9 As shown, it mainly includes a lower adjusting sleeve 3041 sleeved on a cylindrical support rod 307. The lower adjusting sleeve 3041 can slide up and down and rotate horizontally along the cylindrical support rod 307. A lower annular track 3042 is formed on the outer circumference of the lower adjusting sleeve 3041. Four arc-shaped lower sliders 3044 that can slide circumferentially along the lower annular track 3042 are embedded in the lower annular track 3042. A horizontal support rod 3043 is provided between each lower slider 3044 and the corresponding support leg 302. One end of the horizontal support rod 3043 is hinged to the support leg 302, and the other end of the horizontal support rod 3043 is fixed to the outer wall of the lower slider 3044. To facilitate the rotation operation of the lower adjusting sleeve 304, this embodiment also provides a direction adjustment handle 3045 on the outer wall of the lower adjusting sleeve 304.

[0047] In this embodiment, the movable auxiliary support can adjust the position of the top support portion 301 of the support legs 302 by rotating the upper adjusting sleeve 3033 and the lower adjusting sleeve 3041 in a coordinated manner. By sliding the upper adjusting sleeve 3033 up and down, the tilt angle of the inclined support rod 3031 can be changed, thereby controlling the opening and closing size of the four support legs 302. This allows for adaptive adjustments based on the size of the duct. Through this fine-tuning process, the support portion 301 can stably support ducts of different shapes and sizes.

[0048] When using the mobile auxiliary support designed in this invention for duct installation, the method of use is as follows: First, transport the mobile auxiliary support to the construction site, place the duct on the tray 3011 of the support part 301, move the support legs 302 to open and close, and rotate the four support legs 302 by rotating the upper adjusting sleeve 3033 and the lower adjusting sleeve 3041, thereby adjusting the support position of the four support parts 301 so that the four support parts 301 are located at the four corners of the duct. After the duct is placed and the position is adjusted, push the handle 102 to push the mobile auxiliary support to the position where the duct needs to be installed, and the construction worker uses their foot to activate the brake pad 1035 to lock the four traveling wheels 1033. Then, the construction worker holds the fixed handle 403 with one hand and the rotating handle 404 with the other hand, and rotates the reel 402 to slowly tighten the traction rope 500 to lift the inner tube of the telescopic rod 200. After the air duct is lifted to the required height, the laser calibrator 3012 is activated to verify the position of the air duct. The direction adjustment handle 3045 can be rotated to fine adjust the direction of the air duct. After adjustment, the construction worker will fix and install the air duct.

[0049] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation, characterized in that: The device includes a movable base, a telescopic rod fixed to the bottom of the movable base, a four-legged adjustable support mounted on the top of the telescopic rod, and a height adjuster for controlling the vertical extension and retraction of the telescopic rod. The four-legged adjustable support includes a cylindrical support rod, four legs, a support portion hinged to the top of each leg, a rotary adjuster fitted on the lower part of the cylindrical support rod, and a height adjuster fitted on the upper part of the cylindrical support rod. A spring is fitted on the cylindrical support rod between the height adjuster and the rotary adjuster. The bottom of the cylindrical support rod is fixed to the top of the telescopic rod, and a limiter is installed on the top of the cylindrical support rod. Both the height adjuster and the rotary adjuster can slide vertically along the cylindrical support rod and rotate horizontally about the cylindrical support rod as an axis. The height adjuster is connected to each leg via an inclined support rod, both ends of which are hinged. The rotary adjuster is connected to each leg via a horizontal support rod, one end of which is hinged to the leg, and the other end of which can slide along the circumference of the cylindrical support rod. A laser calibrator is also fixedly mounted on the top of each leg.

2. The mobile auxiliary support for duct installation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support includes a tray hinged to the top of the support leg.

3. A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height adjuster includes an upper adjusting sleeve sleeved on a cylindrical support rod. The upper adjusting sleeve can slide up and down and rotate horizontally along the cylindrical support rod. An upper annular track is opened on the outer circumference of the upper adjusting sleeve. Four arc-shaped upper sliders that can slide along the upper annular track are embedded in the upper annular track. Each upper slider is provided with an ear plate on its outer wall. The inclined support rod is hinged to the ear plate.

4. A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary adjuster includes a lower adjusting sleeve sleeved on a cylindrical support rod. The lower adjusting sleeve can slide up and down along the cylindrical support rod and rotate horizontally. A lower annular track is opened on the outer circumference of the lower adjusting sleeve. Four arc-shaped lower sliders that can slide along the lower annular track are embedded in the lower annular track. The outer wall of the lower sliders is fixedly connected to the horizontal support rod.

5. A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic rod includes an outer tube and an inner tube. The outer tube is hollow and its bottom is fixed to the top of the movable base. The inner tube is nested inside the outer tube and can move up and down along the inner cavity of the outer tube. The top of the inner tube is provided with a support column. The bottom of the cylindrical support rod is fixed to the top of the support column. One end of the traction rope is connected to the bottom of the inner tube, and the other end of the traction rope is wound around the reel of the telescopic rod height adjuster.

6. A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation according to claim 5, characterized in that: The telescopic pole height adjuster includes a support rod whose bottom is fixed to the top of a movable base, and a spool that is rotatably mounted on the top of the support rod via a pivot. The spool is equipped with a rotating handle that can drive the spool to rotate.

7. A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable base includes a horizontally arranged base plate, a handrail mounted on the top surface of the base plate, and wheels mounted on the bottom surface of the base plate.

8. A mobile auxiliary support for duct installation according to claim 7, characterized in that: The wheel includes a universal joint, a wheel cover, a traveling wheel, a brake shaft, and brake pads. The top of the universal joint is fixed to the bottom surface of the base plate, and the bottom of the universal joint is hinged to the wheel cover. The traveling wheel is mounted on the wheel cover via an axle. The brake shaft is fixedly connected to the brake pads. The brake shaft is a nut with both internal and external threads. The brake shaft is installed on the end of the axle via the internal thread, and the external thread of the brake shaft engages with the internal thread of the opening on the wheel cover.

9. A method of operating a mobile auxiliary support as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1): Transport the mobile auxiliary support to the construction site and place the air duct on the four support parts; Step 2): Move the four support legs to open and close them, and rotate the height adjuster and the rotation adjuster to adjust the four support legs so that the four support parts are located at the four corners of the air duct. Step 3): After the ductwork has been placed and its position adjusted, push the movable auxiliary support to the location where the ductwork needs to be installed; Step 4): The construction personnel fix the position of the movable base to prevent it from moving, and then operate the telescopic rod height adjuster to raise the telescopic rod. After the air duct is raised to the required height, stop the movement of the telescopic rod. Step 5): Activate the laser calibrator to verify the position of the duct, rotate the rotary adjuster to fine-tune the direction of the duct, and then install the duct.

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