Patent Application
20080129029
The field of the present invention relates to masts for raising or lowering equipment. In particular, a extensible equipment mast is described herein.
An apparatus comprises: (a) a first elongated support member; (b) a second elongated support member; (c) an attachment; (d) at least one proximal idler wheel; (e) at least one distal idler wheel; (f) a first flexible, elongated linkage; and (g) a second flexible, elongated linkage. The second elongated support member is coupled to the first support member so as to enable longitudinal movement of the second support member along the first support member. The attachment is coupled to the second support member so as to enable longitudinal movement of the attachment along the second support member. The at least one proximal idler wheel is mounted rotatably on a proximal end of the second support member; the at least one distal idler wheel mounted rotatably on a distal end of the second support member. The first flexible, elongated linkage (i) is connected to the first support member, (ii) passes around and engages the at least one proximal idler wheel, and (iii) is connected to the attachment. The second flexible, elongated linkage (i) is connected to the first support member, (ii) passes around and engages the at least one distal idler wheel, and (iii) is connected to the attachment. The support members, the attachment, the idler wheels, and the linkages are arranged to provide concomitant (i) longitudinal movement of the second support member over a given distance in a given direction relative to the first support member and (ii) longitudinal movement of the attachment over about twice the given distance in the given direction relative to the first support member. The attachment can comprise, e.g., a drill head or other equipment.
Objects and advantages pertaining to extensible equipment masts may become apparent upon referring to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings and disclosed in the following written description and/or claims.
The embodiments shown in the Figures are exemplary, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure and/or appended claims.
An exemplary embodiment of an extensible equipment mast is illustrated schematically in
The first flexible, elongated linkage 8 (i) is connected to the first support member 1 at an anchor point 10, (ii) passes around and engages the at least one proximal idler wheel 6, and (iii) is connected to the attachment 11 at the anchor point 10. The second flexible, elongated linkage 7 (i) is connected to the first support member 1 at the anchor point 10, (ii) passes around and engages the at least one distal idler wheel 5, and (iii) is connected to the attachment 11 at anchor point 10. The support members 1 and 2 can be coupled by rails, guides, bearings, gears, linkages 7 and 8 and idler wheels 5 and 6, or any other suitable mechanism or adaptation that enables relative longitudinal movement. Similarly, the support member 2 and attachment 11 can be coupled by rails, guides, bearings, gears, linkages 7 and 8 and idler wheels 5 and 6, or any other suitable mechanism or adaptation that enables relative longitudinal movement. Support members 1 and 2 can be arranged substantially parallel to one another, adjacent one another (i.e., side-by-side), in a telescoping arrangement (i.e., one inside the other), or in any other suitable mechanical arrangement. The support members 1 and 2, the attachment 11, the idler wheels 5 and 6, and the linkages 7 and 8 are arranged to provide concomitant (i) longitudinal movement of the second support member 2 over a given distance in a given direction relative to the first support member 1 and (ii) longitudinal movement of the attachment 11 over about twice the given distance in the given direction relative to the first support member 1.
In the exemplary embodiment of the Figures, each of the elongated support members 1 and 2 comprises a substantially vertical, elongated mast, and the equipment attachment 11 comprises a rotating drill head. In this example the proximal direction would be downward while the distal direction would be upward. In alternative embodiments falling within the scope of the present disclosure, the support members 1 and 2 can be positioned in any desired orientation, and equipment attachment 11 can comprise any piece of equipment or assembly desired to be moved along the support members 1 and 2.
The presence of the two linkages 7 and 8 enables coupling of the relative movements of the second support member 2 and the attachment 11 and application of force to the attachment 11 in both directions along support member 1. This is in contrast to the arrangement in a fork lift, for example, wherein force is applied only in the upward direction to produce coupled movement of a support member and the forks, with a linkage arranged to apply only upward force to move the support member and the forks. Downward motion of the forks of a forklift is gravity-assisted (and typically braked or otherwise controlled by application of upward force through the linkage). In the exemplary embodiment of
The extensible equipment mast can further comprise an actuator coupled to the second support member 2 to move it along the first support member 1. In the exemplary embodiment of
Introduction of high-pressure hydraulic fluid into chamber 3a through hydraulic line 32a and simultaneous release of hydraulic fluid from chamber 3b through hydraulic line 32b results in downward force on and downward movement of piston 31 relative to cylinder 3 and support member 2 (
Any other suitable actuator can be employed within the scope of the present disclosure to effect movement of support member 2 relative to support member 1 and concomitant movement of the equipment attachment 11 relative to support member 1 at twice the rate movement of the support member 2, including but not limited to mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or other suitable actuators. In one example, a rack and pinion mechanism and a motor can be employed to effect relative movement of support members 1 and 2. In another example, a motor can be arranged to drive one or both idler wheels 5 and 7 thereby applying tension to one or both of the elongated linkages 6 and 8 and effecting movement of the second support member 2 and the attachment 11.
Instead of arranging the actuator to apply force to effect movement of the support member 2 relative to support member 1, it may be desirable in some circumstance to arrange the actuator to apply force to effect relative motion of the equipment attachment 11 and support member 2. In this alternative arrangement, as in the arrangement shown in the Figures, the arrangement of the linkages 7 and 8 and the idler wheels 5 and 6 will result in concomitant movement of: the support member 2 relative to the support member 1, and the attachment 11 relative to the support member 2 at twice the rate. In the alternative arrangement, any suitable actuator can be employed to apply force to effect movement of the attachment 11 relative to the support member 2.
The number and arrangement of the idler wheels 5 and 6 can vary as needed or desired within the scope of the present disclosure. Several arrangements are illustrated schematically in
Each flexible, elongated linkage 7 and 8 can comprise any suitable linkage. In one example, each of the linkages 7 and 8 comprises at least one cable linkage, and the corresponding idler wheels 5 and 6 comprise pulley wheels engaged with the cable linkages (illustrated schematically for idler wheel 5 in
In one exemplary embodiment, the first and second linkages 7 and 8 can together comprise at single, continuous, closed linkage connected at a first segment thereof to the anchor point 9 on the support member 1 and at a second segment thereof to the anchor point 10 on the equipment attachment 11. In another exemplary embodiment, each of the linkages 7 and 8 can comprise a separate linkage. In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second linkages 7 and 8 are each connected to the support member 1 at a common location at anchor point 9 (or equivalently, a single closed linkage is connected at a single point thereof to anchor point 9). In other embodiments the linkages 7 and 8 can be connected to support member 1 at separate anchor points (or equivalently, a single closed linkage can be connected to support member 1 along a substantial length thereof). Likewise, the connection of the linkages 7 and 8 to the equipment attachment can be at a single anchor point 10, or can be at separate anchor points. The specific arrangements of the anchor points and corresponding lengths of the linkages 7 and 8 determines in part the range of movement of the support member 2 and the equipment assembly 11 relative to the support member 1.
An extensible equipment mast can be made a method comprising: (a) coupling to the first elongated support member 1 the second elongated support member 2; (b) coupling to the second support member 2 the equipment attachment 11; (c) mounting rotatably at least one proximal idler wheel 6 on the proximal end of the second support member 2; (d) mounting rotatably at least one distal idler wheel 5 on the distal end of the second support member 2; (e) connecting a first flexible, elongated linkage to the first support member, passing the first linkage around and engaging it with the at least one proximal idler wheel, and connecting the first linkage to the attachment; (f) connecting a second flexible, elongated linkage to the first support member, passing the second linkage over the at least one distal idler wheel, and connecting the second linkage to the attachment; and (g) arranging the support members, the attachment, the idler wheels, and the linkages to provide concomitant (i) longitudinal movement of the second support member over a given distance in a given direction relative to the first support member and (ii) longitudinal movement of the attachment over about twice the given distance in the given direction relative to the first support member.
It is intended that equivalents of the disclosed exemplary embodiments and methods shall fall within the scope of the present disclosure and/or appended claims. It is intended that the disclosed exemplary embodiments and methods, and equivalents thereof, may be modified while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure or appended claims.
For purposes of the present disclosure and appended claims, the conjunction “or” is to be construed inclusively (e.g., “a dog or a cat” would be interpreted as “a dog, or a cat, or both”; e.g., “a dog, a cat, or a mouse” would be interpreted as “a dog, or a cat, or a mouse, or any two, or all three”), unless: (i) it is explicitly stated otherwise, e.g., by use of “either . . . or”, “only one of . . . ”, or similar language; or (ii) two or more of the listed alternatives are mutually exclusive within the particular context, in which case “or” would encompass only those combinations involving non-mutually-exclusive alternatives. For purposes of the present disclosure or appended claims, the words “comprising”, “including”, and “having” shall be construed as open ended terminology, with the same meaning as if the phrase “at least” were appended after each instance thereof.
