Concrete Trowel Transport System with Nested Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing concrete finishing trowel transport systems require significant effort to convert between stowed and deployed positions, increase the machine's footprint, and are inefficient, making them difficult to maneuver and transport in confined spaces.
Innovation Solution
A transport system with two spaced wheels that are concurrently movable by a single lifting device, allowing for easy deployment and retraction without increasing the machine's footprint, and enabling efficient movement of the trowel between operational and non-operational positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a transport system with outboard wheel assemblies is used, then the trowel can be moved by a single user, but the overall footprint of the machine increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assemblies are positioned within the perimeter defined by the cage members, nesting them inside the existing structural footprint rather than extending outward. This allows the wheels to support the trowel for single-user mobility while maintaining the compact overall dimensions required for transporting in truck beds and accessing confined pour areas.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate jacks are used for each wheel assembly, then each wheel can be independently adjusted, but the system complexity and effort required increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single central jack is used to simultaneously raise and lower both wheel assemblies together, merging the function of multiple independent jacks into one unified system. This reduces operational complexity and effort while the wheel assemblies remain independently positionable on their respective sides of the trowel, maintaining adaptability for uneven surfaces.
3Ease of operation
If wheel assemblies are positioned outside the normal footprint, then mobility is enhanced, but the offset between the machine edge and finished area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assemblies are nested within the cage perimeter, ensuring they do not extend beyond the operational footprint of the trowel. This positioning allows the wheels to provide mobility support while maintaining maximum proximity to walls, posts, and other obstacles, enabling the blades to finish as much of the work surface as possible and minimizing the need for subsequent hand work.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-propelled concrete finishing trowel has a transport system or dolly that allows the towel to be moved manually. The transport system includes wheels that are connected to a frame of the trowel by a connector such as a rotatable shaft. A single lift device such as a jack is coupled to the connector such that operation of the lift device translates both wheels relative to the frame. The transport system allows a user to quickly deploy the wheels for non-use transportation. The wheels are also located within the footprint of the trowel so as not to interfere with a finishing operation and are positioned to maximize stability.