Powered Rod Pulling with Adjustable Jaws and Overtravel Clutch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing anchored rods, such as concrete form stakes, are time-consuming and pose injury risks due to manual labor, making them inefficient and hazardous.
Innovation Solution
A rod pulling device with a carriage, actuator, and gripping assembly that uses a power source like a drill to facilitate easy and ergonomic removal of anchored rods, featuring a gripping mechanism with jaws that adjust to different diameters and a clutch to prevent overextension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual methods are used to remove anchored rods, then workers can remove the rods, but the process is time-consuming and poses injury risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical removal with a powered rod pulling device that uses a motorized actuator to automatically grip and extract anchored rods from the ground, eliminating the need for workers to manually hit and pull stakes
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables self-service operation where the powered mechanism automatically performs the rod removal task without requiring manual labor, allowing single-person operation and improving both safety and productivity
2Ease of operation
If manual labor is used to remove firmly anchored stakes, then the stakes can be removed, but the process is arduous and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes manual labor with an automated powered device that uses a motorized actuator to rapidly extract rods, reducing both physical effort and time required for the operation
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping assembly is designed to automatically engage and grip the rod before extraction begins, preparing the system in advance to immediately apply pulling force without manual intervention
3Adaptability or versatility
If a gripping assembly with fixed jaw gap is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate rods of different diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs movable jaws that can adjust their position relative to each other, transforming the gripping assembly from a fixed structure to a dynamic one capable of adapting to various rod diameters while maintaining a relatively simple overall design
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 device efficiently and safely removes anchored rods by utilizing power-driven mechanisms, reducing manual effort and injury risks, and accommodating various rod sizes.
Implementation Method 1
the shaft including a threaded driving section for engaging the threaded aperture. Rotating the shaft relative to the device body with the threaded aperture engaged in the driving section moves the carriage along the device body
Implementation Method 2
a biasing element provided adjacent the disengagement section and biasing the carriage towards the driving section when the threaded aperture is in register with the disengagement section
Data Source
AI summary
A rod pulling device for pulling a rod anchored in surrounding material, the rod pulling device comprising: a substantially elongated device body; a carriage movable along the device body; an actuator operatively coupled to the carriage for selectively moving the carriage along the device body; and a gripping assembly mounted to the carriage for selectively gripping the rod; wherein the gripping assembly includes a pair of jaws each defining a respective gripping surface for gripping the rod, the gripping surfaces facing each other and defining a gap therebetween for receiving the rod, the jaws being movable between open and closed configurations, the gap being narrower in the closed configuration than in the open configuration; and a clutch operative for decoupling the carriage from the actuator so that the carriage is prevented from moving further than a predetermined location along the device body while the actuator remains activated.