Portable Tank Car Ladder with Arcuate Rungs and Hinged Stiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accessing the inner chamber of liquid tanks mounted on vehicles requires a ladder that can be safely deployed through a hatchway and securely attached, while also being portable and easy to store.
Innovation Solution
A portable ladder with arcuate rungs and elongate stiles, featuring a securing assembly with adjustable arms and gussets, allowing for secure attachment to a tank hatchway and easy disassembly for storage, made from materials capable of supporting adult weight with optional sound dampening and traction enhancements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a ladder is made portable and disassemblable for easy storage, then ease of operation and storage is improved, but the structural strength and stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The ladder is divided into multiple sections that can be disassembled and reassembled. The stiles are segmented into upper and lower portions that connect through a hinge mechanism, allowing the ladder to be broken down for storage while maintaining structural integrity when assembled. This segmentation enables portable storage without permanently compromising the ladder's strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The ladder incorporates dynamic connection mechanisms including hinges and locking pins that allow the structure to transition between assembled and disassembled states. These dynamic connections maintain structural strength when locked in place while enabling easy disassembly for storage, resolving the contradiction between portability and structural integrity.
2Reliability
If the ladder is designed to be securely attached to the hatchway, then reliability of attachment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The securing assembly uses multiple attachment points and redundant connection mechanisms that provide over-engineered attachment reliability. The excessive action of using both upper and lower securing arms with multiple connection points ensures reliable attachment to the hatchway while the modular design keeps the overall complexity manageable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the rungs are made arcuate to fit the tank curvature, then adaptability to tank shape is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rungs are designed with arcuate curvature that matches the typical curvature of tank interiors. This curved geometry allows the rungs to conform to the cylindrical shape of tanks, providing better foot placement and adaptability. The standardization of this arcuate shape across all rungs simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the necessary precision for tank compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable ladder having a pair of elongate stiles spaced from one another and each having first and second ends, and extending in a first direction; and a plurality of rungs each extending between the elongate stiles transverse to the first direction and having opposed ends one of each attached to each of the elongate stiles and each of the plurality of rungs being spaced from one another along the first direction, the rungs being arcuate in shape between the opposed ends.