Lifting and Transporting System with Jack Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Moving large and heavy objects poses risks of injury and damage due to the need for manual placement of skates or rollers, which can cause accidents and require personnel to work in close proximity to suspended 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, tongue and coupling slot engagement, and motion-limiting structures for stable and controlled movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual placement of skates or rollers is used to move heavy objects, then the objects can be transported to new locations, but personnel are exposed to injury risks and damage risks due to close proximity work with suspended loads
Solution Approach 1:
The skate is attached to the object in advance before the object is suspended or moved. This preliminary attachment ensures that the skate is already in position and secured, eliminating the need for personnel to work in close proximity to suspended loads during the moving operation, thereby preventing injury and damage risks
Solution Approach 2:
The skate acts as an intermediary device between the object and the moving surface. By attaching the skate to the object beforehand, the system mediates the interaction between the heavy object and the ground, allowing safe movement without direct human intervention during the critical lifting and transport phases
2Ease of operation
If jack units are designed to be compact and lightweight for easy positioning by a single operator, then ease of operation is improved, but the lifting capacity may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The jack unit employs a hydraulic or pneumatic extendable element to generate the lifting force. This allows a compact and relatively lightweight device to produce sufficient lifting capacity to raise heavy objects, resolving the contradiction between size/weight and lifting force by using fluid pressure mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical lifting mechanisms (which would require large, heavy structures) with extendable elements that can be hydraulically or pneumatically actuated. This substitution enables high lifting capacity in a compact form factor that can be easily positioned by a single operator
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
The system enables safe and controlled movement of heavy loads by maintaining skates attached throughout the process, reducing injury risks and preventing damage, while allowing for compact and lightweight operation by a single operator.
Implementation Method 1
The extension and retraction can be provided by hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical means, depending on the particular applications for which the jack unit is intended
Implementation Method 2
The extension and retraction can be provided by hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical means, depending on the particular applications for which the jack unit is intended
Implementation Method 3
The tongue bearing surfaces are configured to slidably engage a coupling slot that is affixed with respect to the object to be moved
Implementation Method 4
A tongue latching structure is provided for securing the tongue in the coupling slot, and the coupling slot has a coupling slot latching structure configured to be lockably engaged by the tongue latching structure
Implementation Method 5
Connecting the skate to the extendable element via a ball joint or similar flexible joint is one way to allow such pivoting motion
Data Source
AI summary
Jack units attach skates to an object to be moved. Each jack unit has a tongue that slidably engages a coupling slot affixed to the object, and can be operated to raise or lower the tongue; when raised, the object is supported on the skates and can be rolled to a new location. A crane can attach to lift eyes on the jack units to allow the system to be lifted with the skates attached to the object, avoiding the risk to operators of positioning the skates under the object while it is suspended. Rotation-limiting structures can be selectively employed to block rotation of the trailing skates to facilitate steering when rolling the object supported by the system. The coupling slots can be provided in coupling elements which can attach directly to the object or which can be employed to form a freestanding frame to which the object is secured.