Nestable Ballast Device for Cramped Space Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for conducting safety tests on lifting gear, such as forklifts and cranes, face challenges in precision, time efficiency, and safety due to unstable load stacks and limited accessibility, especially in cramped spaces, and require frequent plate adjustments for varying load tests.
Innovation Solution
A sled device with stackable plates and a key system allowing frontal installation and pivoting, featuring a rod with different cross-section dimensions to prevent plate removal and a second locking mechanism for immobilizing additional plates, enabling easy assembly and manipulation in confined spaces without needing significant height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional key system is used requiring height under the bridge, then the blocking function is achieved, but the device cannot be used in cramped places with low ceilings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the insertion direction of the key from vertical (requiring height) to horizontal (through slots in the plates). The key is introduced through slots in the side walls of the plates rather than from below, allowing the device to function in spaces with limited vertical clearance while maintaining the blocking function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of inserting the key from the bottom upward through the stack of plates, the invention inverts the approach by inserting the key horizontally through slots in the side walls of the plates. This reversal of the insertion direction eliminates the height requirement while achieving the same locking objective.
2Adaptability or versatility
If plates are stacked to achieve different weights for successive tests, then various load tests can be performed, but it entails many long and not well-off adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the key with a specific cross-sectional shape that matches the slots in the plates. The key is designed with a cross-section having two different dimensions, where one dimension matches the slot width and the other is larger, allowing the key to be inserted and rotated to lock plates in place without requiring time-consuming adjustments during testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces dynamics by allowing the key to be rotated within the central opening of the plates. The key can be inserted through the slots, then rotated to a specific angle where its cross-sectional dimensions match the slot geometry, automatically locking the plates together. This dynamic rotation mechanism enables quick reconfiguration for different load tests.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rod cross-section is uniform, then the key can be easily manufactured, but plates can be removed after stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the key's cross-section with two different dimensions rather than a uniform shape. The key has a rectangular or elliptical cross-section where one dimension matches the slot width and the other dimension is larger, preventing the key from being removed once inserted and rotated. This asymmetric design ensures plate stacking stability while remaining manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by varying the cross-sectional dimensions of the key only in the region where it interacts with the slots. The key maintains a simple cylindrical form at its insertion end for easy manufacture, while the working portion has an asymmetric cross-section that provides the locking function. This localized differentiation achieves both manufacturing ease and stacking reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Device of ballast (4) for the control of lifting devices, comprising stackable plates (5), each one provided with a central valve (51) designed for the passage of a key (6) consisting of a shaft (60), including an initial means of locking in its lower section (62), extending in a transversal direction, this initial means of locking (62) being designed to lock in place under the plate (5) at the very bottom. The central valve (51) of each one of the plates (5) is designed to be facilitate the movement of the shaft (60); and the plates (5); each one of which includes an opening (52) connecting the central valve (51) to an edge (53), the width of which is larger to the minimum dimensions of the transversal section of the shaft (60), to allow the plates (5) stacked by the frontal track of the shaft (60) to enter the openings (52).