Mobile Mule With Adjustable Width Base For Tight Space Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile work platforms are inefficient for lifting and positioning heavy construction materials due to their size and the need for repeated use of larger equipment, which is inefficient for small loads and difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
Innovation Solution
A mobile mule with a base, mount, and leveling system, featuring a pivotally coupled arm with an engagement mechanism, and extendable tractive assemblies, allowing it to transition between a narrow transport position and a wider working position, with a leveling system that stabilizes the base using outriggers, enabling efficient lifting and positioning of materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If larger equipment is used to lift and position heavy construction materials, then lifting capability is improved, but maneuverability in tight spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile mule divides the construction site into accessible tight spaces and open areas. The segmented design allows the mule to operate independently in confined spaces, eliminating the need for large equipment to maneuver into tight areas. The mule's compact base and articulated arm create functional segments that can navigate narrow corridors and tight construction zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile mule employs dynamic width adjustment through extendable outriggers that can be deployed during lifting operations and retracted for transport. The articulated arm with multiple degrees of freedom dynamically adapts its configuration to access materials in tight spaces while maintaining lifting capability. The base width and arm positioning change dynamically based on operational requirements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the base width is increased to improve stability during lifting operations, then stability is improved, but the ability to maneuver through narrow spaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile mule's base width is dynamically adjustable through extendable outriggers that deploy laterally during lifting operations to increase stability, then retract to minimize width for maneuvering through narrow spaces. This dynamic transformation allows the same base to provide both narrow profile for transport and wide stance for stable lifting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The outriggers extend in the lateral dimension perpendicular to the direction of travel, allowing the base to maintain a narrow profile in the travel direction while achieving wide stability in the lateral direction during operations. This dimensional separation enables the base to be maneuverable in corridors while providing stable lifting platform.
3Use of energy by moving object
If vertical mass movement is reduced to improve lifting efficiency, then energy consumption is reduced, but lifting capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile mule introduces horizontal positioning as an intermediary function that reduces the need for repeated vertical lifting. By transporting materials horizontally to precise locations, the system minimizes the frequency and total distance of vertical mass movement, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective lifting capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile mule performs preliminary horizontal positioning and placement of materials before final installation, reducing the need for subsequent lifting operations. Materials are transported and positioned as close as possible to their final destinations, minimizing the vertical mass movement required during actual installation activities.
Data Source
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AI summary
A work machine includes a base (12), a mount (70) coupled to the base, wherein the mount is configured to support an arm (16). The arm is pivotally coupled to the mount, and includes a boom and an engagement mechanism positioned at the head of the boom. The mount is configured to raise and lower the arm relative the base. The engagement mechanism (20) may include an extendable grabber (30) to interface with one or more objects and lift and position the objects using the mule. The work machine may include a leveling system (50) coupled to the base. The leveling system is configured to stabilize the base in an approximately level position, and includes a plurality of outriggers (52) positionable between a stowed position and a deployed position. A first total width of the work machine in the deployed position is greater than a second total width of the work machine in the stowed position.