Patent Application
20090084747
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates generally to exterior panels for installation on high-rise buildings and, more particularly, to a uniquely configured beam assembly that is specifically adapted to hoist a plurality of panels into position on a building structure while maintaining a level or horizontal orientation of the beam assembly during sequential offloading of each panel.
Many modern building structures such as high rise office buildings are fabricated with a plurality of exterior panels which are fastened to the building structure during the final stages of construction. Such exterior panels may include window panels and/or other types of glazing and architectural panels which, when installation is complete, form an enclosure of the building. The size of the panels can be very large and, in some cases, can span several floors of the building. Due to the large size, such panels are relatively heavy and are therefore difficult to handle and maneuver, especially during windy conditions. In addition, the trend toward increasingly larger-sized exterior panels has necessitated the use of hoisting systems such as cranes having ever-increased lifting capacity in order to hoist the panels up the side of the building structure and maneuver the panel into position at the desired elevation.
As may be appreciated, some of the larger or taller buildings may require the installation of thousands of exterior panels. In conventional construction practices, each of these panels must be hoisted one-at-a-time up from the ground floor to many hundreds of feet into the air to the desired elevation where the panel is to be installed. Once hoisted to the desired elevation, the exterior panels must be maneuvered and positioned into place such that mounting brackets on each panel can be connected or attached to mechanical anchors that are affixed to the concrete slabs which form the floor of each story of the building.
As a result of the great heights or elevations to which each panel must be hoisted and maneuvered into position, the time required to complete the installation of all the exterior panels of a high-rise office building can be excessive. Factoring in labor costs such as the cost of renting a suitable lifting mechanism such as a tower crane, the installation of exterior panels on a high-rise office building can be prohibitively expensive and time consuming.
Included in the prior art are several attempts at reducing the overall costs of installing exterior panels on high-rise office buildings. For example, a document entitled “Beeche Exterior Cladding Installation System for High-Rise Buildings” and published in “Construction Innovation Forum” (2001) discloses a system wherein curtain wall panels are hoisted up to a desired position or elevation on the building structure using a crane such as a roof crane. The panels are hoisted up to a monorail system mounted on the building at elevation in a bottom-to-top installation sequence. The monorail allows the panels to be moved laterally into their final installation position on the building. The monorail system is secured to an exterior of the building perimeter. The curtain wall panels are suspended from a trolley suspender which allows for vertical final adjustment and positioning of the exterior panels for attachment to the building structure.
Although the exterior cladding installation system disclosed in the Beeche reference represents an improvement in reducing the overall time required to install exterior panels on a building structure, the same system presents certain drawbacks and deficiencies which detract from its overall utility. For example, the Beeche cladding installation system requires a variety of specialty fixtures and equipment which must be custom designed and manufactured in order to fit the specific size and configuration of the building structure to which it is to be mounted. For example, the Beeche system discloses the use of a space frame that must be erected and positioned at ground level adjacent the building structure so that panel sets may be offloaded from vehicle delivery systems such as a flat bed trailer.
The panels are suspended under the space frame while awaiting hoisting up to the desired elevation. The need for such specialized equipment such as the space frame reduces the overall cost-effectiveness of the Beeche installation system. Furthermore, the space frame occupies an area adjacent the building structure which presents an impediment to normal construction operations. Even further, the space frame presents a potential safety hazard to construction workers due to the large and heavy panels sets which are suspended at a height above the ground that allows workers to pass underneath.
A further disadvantage or drawback associated with the Beeche system is related to the specialty monorail which must be specifically designed, fabricated and installed on the building structure so that the panel sets may be suspended at the desired elevation once they are hoisted. As was mentioned above, the monorail system allows the panels to be moved laterally into their final installation position on the building. Furthermore, during the bottom-to-top installation sequence of the exterior panels, the monorail must be periodically disassembled and/or removed from the building structure for reassembly at the next higher elevation position so that the next set of exterior panels may be installed.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a hoist system that is adapted for installing a plurality of exterior panels onto a building structure in a reduced amount of time and with reduced cost. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for a hoist system for installing a plurality of panels onto a building structure which does not occupy work space around the exterior of the building at the ground floor. In addition, there exists a need in the art for a hoist system for installing a plurality of panels onto a building structure which reduces the risk of harm associated with relatively large exterior panels suspended near ground level. Finally, there exists a need in the art for a hoist system for installing a plurality of panels onto a building structure which is of simple construction, which is simple to use and which prevents scheduling conflicts with the many other types of construction activities that are typically associated with building construction.
The above mentioned drawbacks and deficiencies associated with prior art hoist systems is alleviated by the present invention which provides a hoist system for installing a plurality of panels onto a building structure at a jobsite. The building structure may comprise any structure including conventional office buildings, roadways, sculptures, formations, monuments, bridges and any other application wherein a plurality of objects must be hoisted and maneuvered into position for final installation.
In its broadest sense, the hoist system comprises a beam assembly which includes an elongate hoist beam, a lifting lug coupled to the hoist beam, a plurality of trolleys mounted at one end of the hoist beam, and a drive mechanism which is operative to manually or automatically reposition the lifting lug along the hoist beam such that the hoist beam is maintained in a substantially horizontal or level orientation. The hoist system may further include a lifting mechanism such as a tower crane or a materials crane which is configured to be coupled to the lifting lug and is adapted to hoist and laterally position the beam assembly at a desired elevation or position on the structure.
Delivery of the panels to the jobsite may be provided by a panel delivery vehicle such as a conventional flatbed tractor trailer which is configured for transporting at least one panel set from the panel fabricator to the jobsite. Each of the panel sets comprises a plurality of panels which are preferably mounted on a pallet to provide rigidity for transporting the panel set. Once at the jobsite, a panel mover such as a forklift may be employed to move the panel set from the panel delivery vehicle (i.e., flatbed tractor trailer) to a riser fixture which is specifically adapted for reorienting the panel set from a shipping orientation (i.e., on the flatbed tractor trailer) into a hoisting orientation. In this regard, the riser fixture is configured to pivot vertically upwardly in order to orient the panels from a horizontal orientation into a near-vertical orientation.
The beam assembly may further include a leveling mechanism which is operative to sense the orientation of the hoist beam and cause the drive mechanism to reposition the lifting lug along the length of the hoist beam to maintain the horizontal orientation thereof. The drive mechanism itself may comprise an electric motor coupled to a screw drive which, in turn, may be threadably engaged to a threaded collar which is engaged to the lifting lug. In this manner, the electric motor is operative to rotatably drive the screw drive in response to input or signals received from the leveling mechanism.
The electric motor itself may be powered by at least one battery which, in turn, may be charged continuously by a battery charger. The hoist beam may further include a generator which is mounted thereupon and which is adapted to provide power to the battery charger for charging the batteries. An inverter may be included with the generator in order to convert voltage produced thereby from 110V volts to 24V, or vice versa, depending upon configuration of the batteries.
The drive mechanism is configured to be manually activatable such as by means of a remote control which is in wireless communication with a receiver that may be mounted on the hoist beam. The receiver is operative to receive signals transmitted by the remote controller such as by personnel on the ground for regulating operation of the drive mechanism. In a further embodiment, the drive mechanism may be configured to be autonomously activatable and, in this regard, may include a leveling mechanism which continuously senses the orientation of the hoist beam and causes the drive mechanism to reposition the lifting lug to maintain the horizontal orientation of the beam assembly. The leveling mechanism may compromise at least one sensor for sensing the orientation of the hoist beam. The sensor may comprise a pair of micro-switches which may be configured in a manner similar to Mercury (Hg) switches commonly utilized in residential thermostats.
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent in the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings and wherein:
These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein the showings are provided for illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and not for purposes of limiting the same, and wherein
In its broadest sense, the hoist system 10 comprises a beam assembly 82 which is configured to hoist a plurality of panels 24 such as by means of a lifting mechanism 72 (e.g., tower crane) and wherein the plurality of panels 24 are sequentially offloaded while the lifting lug 40 is repositioned along the hoist beam 84 such that the hoist beam 84 is maintained in a level orientation after offloading of each panel 24. The beam assembly 82 includes an elongate hoist beam 84, a lifting lug 96, a plurality of trolleys 122, and a drive mechanism 114 which is operative to manually or automatically reposition the lifting lug 96.
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A pair of electrical boxes 152 may also be mounted adjacent the control panel 150 and each of which is configured to house various components related to the power system for the beam assembly 82. For example, one of the electrical boxes 152 is preferably configured to house a receiver 154 which is preferably in wireless communication with one or more remote controls 156. The other one of the electrical boxes 152 may be configured to house a leveling mechanism 128 for sensing the orientation of the hoist beam 84 and causing the drive mechanism 114 to reposition the lifting lug 40 at the appropriate position along the length of the hoist beam 84. In addition, the leveling mechanism 128 itself may comprise any suitable type of sensor 136 for sensing the orientation of the hoist beam 84. For example, the sensor 136 may be configured as a conventional Mercury (Hg) switch having opposing micro-switches 138 for activating the drive mechanism 114 in order to maintain the level orientation of the hoist beam 84.
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The bumper 38 strips prevent contact between the adjacent panels 24 during hoisting and positioning of the panels 24. Each of the bumper 38 strips may comprise a suitable resilient material configured to resist scratching, marking or otherwise damaging adjacent panels 24. For example, each of the bumper 38 strips may simply comprise a length of wooden material or other suitable material spanning a width of the panel 24 at the top and bottom ends thereof. In one embodiment, each bumper 38 strip may be mounted to a mounting bracket 36 which is best seen in
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Each of the trolleys 122 is preferably disposed in series along the I-beam towards an extreme end thereof. Installed between each one of the trolleys 122 is preferably a safety latch 124 or safety lug to prevent movement of the trolleys 122 after installation on the hoist beam 84. In addition, the trolleys 122 may include bumpers 38 or stops to cushion contact between the trolleys 122. A preferable embodiment of trolley 122 for installation on the beam assembly 82 of the present invention is that which is commercially available from Jet Equipment and Tools of Canada. More preferably, the trolley 122 configuration is preferably a 1-PT (i.e., Plane Trolley) manufactured by Jet Equipment and Tools. However, any suitable mechanism for supporting the cable may be utilized for supporting the present invention. Although six (6) trolleys 122 with corresponding safety latches 124 are shown installed on the hoist beam 84, any number may be installed.
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Mounted to lower portions of each of the hoist plates 102 may be at least two rollers 100 and, more preferably, three rollers 100, that may be engaged to an under side of the upper flange 86 and upon which the lifting lug 40 rolls back and forth along the hoist beam 84. However, it is also contemplated that a corresponding pair of rollers 100 may be disposed on an upper surface of the upper flange 86 to prevent or restrict vertical movement of the lifting lug 40 relative to the hoist beam 84. The mechanical fastener 110 extending through each of the spacers 108 may comprise a simple nut and bolt or a threaded rod and nut combination. The lifting lug 40 may be provided in any suitable configuration such that the lifting mechanism 72 (i.e., tower crane, roof crane, materials hoist, etc.) may be coupled to the beam assembly 82 to allow hoisting and maneuvering of the panels 24 into position on the building structure.
Although the drive mechanism 114 is shown and illustrated as comprising an electric motor 116 rotatably coupled to a screw drive 118 which, in turn, may be engaged to the threaded collar 120 of a lifting lug 96, it is also contemplated that the drive mechanism 114 may be provided in a variety of alternative arrangements including, but not limited to, a chain drive arrangement, a gear track mounted on the upper flange, or any other suitable arrangement which is operative to reposition the lifting lug 40 along the hoist beam 84.
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In one embodiment, the generator 144 preferably provides power to a battery charger 148 which, in turn, preferably continuously charges the batteries 142. In a further embodiment, the battery charger 148 may be configured to be switched to an auxiliary mode wherein the battery charger 148 can be used to power other devices. The generator 144 is also preferably configured to be toggled between an emergency setting, a manual setting and an automatic setting. As was earlier mentioned, the generator 144 is preferably suspended such that the generator 144 is maintained in a level orientation regardless of the orientation of the beam assembly 82. In this manner, the internal components of the generator 144 are provided with proper lubrication in the oil bath (i.e., crank case) of the generator 144. In addition, the fuel tank of the generator 144 is maintained in a level orientation for proper fuel feeding of the generator 144 engine. The beam assembly 82 may include an inverter 146 which is configured to convert voltage produced by the generator 144 from 24V to 110V, or vice versa.
The batteries 142 are preferably configured as a pair of gel batteries 142 which are preferably industrial grade, high amperage batteries 142 and are preferably provided as 12V batteries 142. The batteries 142 are preferably connected in series to produce a 24V output. The inverter 146 is preferably housed under the housing 130 adjacent the generator 144 and within which the batteries 142 may also be contained or housed. The battery charger 148 is preferably a 24V device with a no-polarity arrangement which provides the ability to connect either the positive or the negative terminals of each battery 142 to the battery charger 148. The battery charger 148 may include an internal switching mechanism in order to maintain correct polarity or positive polarity connection to the batteries 142 for proper charging.
In one embodiment, the battery charger 148 may be similar to that which is commercially available from Quick Change Corporation of Oklahoma City, Okla. The battery charger 148 may be mounted within a control panel 150 which is disposed between the housing 130 and the generator 144 as best seen in
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The remote control 156 may be utilized to operate or activate the drive mechanism 114 (i.e., electric motor 116) in order to maintain level or horizontal orientation of the beam assembly 82. In a preferable embodiment, the hoist system 10 may include three (3) remote controls 156 which are provided to various personnel on the ground, personnel on the building at the elevation level, and for other personnel for use as appropriate.
The electric motor 116 is configured to be operated in an automatic mode wherein the electric motor 116 is responsive to signals received from the sensors 136 (i.e., forward an aft micro-switches 138) or autonomous response. However, manual operation is a more preferable mode for regulating the drive mechanism 114 and allows for manual control of the electric motor 116 in order to maintain the level or horizontal orientation of the beam assembly 82 such as in response to activation signals transmitted by the remote control 156 and received by the receiver. Manual operation is believed to result in a faster response time to leveling requirements of the beam assembly 82 during hoisting, maneuvering and offloading of each panel 24 in a sequential manner. In addition, manual operation may provide an additional safety feature to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to personnel as a result of movement of the beam assembly 82 while equipment or body parts may be caught or trapped adjacent the beam assembly 82 and a hard object.
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After each panel 24 is connected by means of a cable to a corresponding trolley 122 of the beam assembly 82, the lifting lug 40 is preferably positioned along the hoist beam 84 length such that when the lifting mechanism 72 hoists upwardly along the beam assembly 82, the hoist beam 84 is maintained in a substantially horizontal or level orientation up to the desired location or elevation level of the building structure. Once hoisted to the desired elevation, each of the panels 24 is offloaded in one-at-a-time fashion during which the lifting lug 40 is repositioned by means of the drive mechanism 114 to compensate for the reduced weight on the end of the hoist beam 84. As was earlier mentioned, the hoist system 10 may include the leveling mechanism 128 which is operative to sense the orientation of the hoist beam 84 and cause the drive mechanism 114 to reposition the lifting lug 40 along the length of the beam by activating the electric motor 116 which, in turn, rotatingly drives the screw drive 118.
Using the hoist system 10 as described above and illustrated in the Figures, considerable time savings can be realized versus an arrangement wherein one panel 24 is hoisted from ground level to the desired elevation. In this regard, the hoist system 10 of the present invention allows for substantial reduction in the overall time to install a plurality of exterior panels 24 or other materials on a building structure. It should further be noted that the hoist system 10 as described herein is not solely limited to installation of exterior cladding panels 24 but may be employed for lifting or hoisting a variety of materials to a desired elevation and allowing sequential offloading from the beam assembly 82 while maintaining a substantially horizontal or level orientation during each offloading sequence.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of transporting the panel sets 22 to the jobsite and various ways of re-orienting the panel set 22 into the hoisting orientation. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
