Acrow Prop Locking Pin Geometry for Stable Powered Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional acrow props are difficult to install single-handedly and manually, leading to slow installation and removal, especially when multiple props are needed to support large areas, and existing locking pins are unstable and obstructive to gear operation.
Innovation Solution
A locking pin with elongated shafts featuring protrusions and a secure leash, designed to fit within the inner and outer tubes of an extendable structure, allowing for secure attachment to a driving member and preventing snagging, combined with a bevel gear and pinion gear system for powered operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional locking pin with chain or wire leash is used, then the pin can remain attached to the prop when not inserted in the hole, but the leash obstructs the gear and the pin is unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional chain or wire leash from the locking pin design. Instead, the pin features an elongated shaft with a protrusion that engages directly with the collar's recess, eliminating the obstructive leash while maintaining attachment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than having the pin attach to the prop through a separate chain or wire, the design inverts the approach by integrating the attachment mechanism directly into the pin structure itself, with the protrusion on the shaft serving as both the locking element and the attachment point.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual installation of acrow props is used, then no additional tools or equipment are needed, but installation and removal are difficult and slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a powered actuator as an intermediary tool that works through the collar's threaded region to automatically extend or retract the inner tube. This mediator mechanism enables rapid installation and removal without requiring manual threading operations, significantly improving productivity while maintaining ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The design replaces the purely manual mechanical operation with a powered actuation system. The actuator uses motorized force to rotate the collar and extend/retract the tube, substituting manual labor with mechanical power to achieve faster installation speeds.
3Device complexity
If a short shaft pin is used for placement through the inner tube, then the pin structure is simple, but the pin is unstable and cannot properly support a driving member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the pin shaft in the longitudinal dimension and adds a protrusion in a perpendicular dimension. This dimensional expansion provides both the length needed to engage the collar's recess and the lateral protrusion for stable positioning, transforming a simple short shaft into a multi-functional stable structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and easy installation and removal of extendable structures using power tools, reducing wear and tear, and ensuring stable gear operation.
Implementation Method 1
a bevel gear and pinion gear system for powered operation
Implementation Method 2
the outer tube has a threaded region at the other end. A threaded collar with a handle screws onto the outer tube
Implementation Method 3
An elongated shaft member, the shaft member having at least one protrusion extending from an intended upper or lower surface thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A locking pin 240 for an extendable structure, such as a acrow prop, having a first protrusion 244 and a second protrusion 248 extending from the shaft 242 of the pin, the first protrusion 244 extending from an intended lower surface of the shaft and having a curved inner wall facing towards the centre of the shaft and the second protrusion 248 extending from an intended upper surface of the shaft 242 and forming a box-like structure having a recess 245 for receipt of a leash 250.