Integrated Wedge Lock for Telescoping Boom Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical lift booms with external mechanical wedge lock arrangements are prone to damage due to exposure of lightweight shafts and linkages to rough treatment, necessitating a solution that enhances protection and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The integration of actuating cylinders and wedge blocks into enclosed assemblages mounted on the lift tower, eliminating external shafts and linkages, and incorporating a protective structure to reduce exposure to damage, with a hydraulic actuator within the wedge lock block that uses a spring to maintain engagement and hydraulic pressure to disengage, and a proximity sensor for controlled movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external shafts and linkages are used to operate wedge lock mechanisms, then the mechanism can be actuated, but the components are exposed to rough treatment and prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the actuating cylinders and wedge blocks into a single integrated assembly that is mounted within the boom structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate external shafts and linkages, protecting the components from external damage while maintaining the locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge lock assembly is nested within the boom structure, with the actuating cylinder and wedge blocks housed inside the boom's internal cavity. This nesting approach shields the mechanical components from external rough treatment while allowing them to function internally.
2Weight of moving object
If lightweight shafts and linkages are used for wedge lock operation, then the mechanism operates with reduced weight, but the components are vulnerable to damage
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the actuating cylinder and wedge blocks into a single integrated assembly, the patent eliminates the need for separate lightweight shafts and linkages. This consolidation maintains weight efficiency while significantly improving damage resistance through the unified, protected structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical shaft and linkage system with a direct hydraulic actuation system. The actuating cylinder directly moves the wedge blocks without intermediate mechanical linkages, eliminating vulnerable components while maintaining the locking function.
3Reliability
If the wedge lock system uses spring-urged engagement with hydraulic disengagement, then secure locking is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-urged wedge lock system is self-actuating in the locking direction, with the spring automatically urging the wedge blocks into engagement with the boom segment. This self-service mechanism simplifies the overall system by eliminating the need for a separate actuating mechanism for locking, while hydraulic pressure is only required for disengagement.
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
This solution provides enhanced protection and reliability by eliminating vulnerable components, ensuring secure locking and controlled release of telescoping boom segments, reducing the risk of damage and improving operational safety.
Implementation Method 1
A spring (176) extends between the piston and the wedge lock block (180) and urges the block into locking engagement with the outer surface (115)
Implementation Method 2
hydraulic actuator within the wedge lock block that uses a spring to maintain engagement and hydraulic pressure to disengage
Data Source
AI summary
A hydraulically operated wedge lock system provides a releasable mechanical lock between telescoping boom segments. Each wedge lock mechanism includes a stationary backing wedge block that defines an angled smooth surface. A stationary shaft and piston is supported generally parallel to the backing wedge block. A slidable wedge block biased by a spring to a locked position is supported for reciprocal movement on the shaft along the angled smooth surface. Hydraulic fluid urges the slidable wedge block against the bias of the spring to an unlocked position.