Jack Unit Skate Attachment for Heavy Load Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for moving large and heavy objects pose risks of injury and damage due to the need for personnel to work in close proximity during lifting and placement of skates, and there is a lack of safety and efficiency in transporting bulky loads.
Innovation Solution
A lifting and transporting system using jack units that securely attach skates to objects, allowing them to be lifted and moved safely, with features like extendable elements, latching structures, and motion-limiting mechanisms to maintain stability and control during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If personnel manually position skates under suspended objects, then the object can be moved to a new location, but the risk of injury to movers and damage to the object increases due to close proximity work requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The skate attachment system is designed to self-attach and self-secure to the object without requiring personnel to manually position skates under suspended loads. The jack units autonomously extend to lift the object and secure skates in place, eliminating the need for workers to work in close proximity to heavy suspended objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary attachment of skates to the object before lifting occurs. The jack units are positioned and secured to the object in advance, ensuring skates are firmly attached before the object is suspended and moved, thereby preventing accidental disengagement during transport.
2Ease of operation
If jack units are designed to be compact and lightweight for easy positioning, then ease of operation improves, but the lifting capacity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The jack units incorporate hydraulic or pneumatic mechanisms that enable compact, lightweight construction while maintaining high lifting capacity. These fluid-powered systems generate sufficient force to lift and support heavy objects (up to 10 tons) despite the jack units weighing only around 50 lbs each, resolving the contradiction between size and strength.
3Reliability
If the tongue and coupling slot are designed with latching structures to prevent disengagement, then reliability improves, but the complexity of the attachment mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue and coupling slot assembly incorporates dynamic latching features that automatically engage and disengage based on the operational state. The latching structures are designed to securely lock during transport but can be easily released when needed, providing reliable attachment without requiring overly complex manual intervention mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 5
AI summary
Jack units (202) attach skates (204) to an object (210) to be moved. Each jack unit (202) has a tongue (218) that slidably engages a coupling slot (208) affixed to the object (210), and can be operated to raise or lower the tongue (218); when raised, the object (210) is supported on the skates (204) and can be rolled to a new location. A crane can attach to lift eyes (214) on the jack units (202) to allow the system (200) to be lifted with the skates (204) attached to the object (210), avoiding the risk to operators of positioning the skates (204) under the object (210) while it is suspended. Rotation-limiting structures (220) can be selectively employed to block rotation of the trailing skates (204) to facilitate steering when rolling the object (210) supported by the system (200).