Method and apparatus for moving a pallet

Abstract

An apparatus for moving a pallet having a wheeled frame supporting a lift plate. The lift plate is raised by inflation of bladders disposed beneath the lift plate and lowered by deflation of the bladders. A fluid supply system provides pressurized gas for bladder inflation. Gas operated brakes resist apparatus movement when engaged. A method of moving a pallet in which a wheeled lift plate is positioned between a surface and a pallet, bladders disposed beneath the lift plate are inflated to raise the lift plate and thereby raise the pallet off of the surface, the raised lift plate supporting the pallet is rolled to a desired location, and the lift plate is lowered by deflating the bladders until the pallet rests on the surface at the desired location. A method of delivering palletized beverages is also disclosed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference should now be had to the preferred embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below. In the drawings, which are not necessarily to scale:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for moving a pallet, with the lift plate thereof in a first position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with the lift plate thereof in a second position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 with a loaded pallet positioned thereon;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration showing a fluid supply system of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along the 5-5 line of FIG. 1, with the housing door open to show various components therein;

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the control panel;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 taken along the 7-7 line of FIG. 2 and a pallet disposed thereon;

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 taken along the 8-8 line of FIG. 2 and a pallet disposed thereon;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a wheel of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with the wheel brake in a retracted position;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a wheel of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with the wheel brake in a braking position; and

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

Claims

1. An apparatus for lifting and moving a pallet positioned on a surface comprising: a frame having a plurality of wheels and a handle attached thereto;a lift plate movable between a first position wherein said lift plate is adjacent a portion of said frame and a second position wherein said lift plate is spaced from such portion of said frame; andat least one inflatable bladder positioned between said lift plate and such portion of said frame such that inflation of said at least one inflatable bladder moves said lift plate from the first position to the second position,wherein inflating said at least one inflatable bladder with said lift plate in the first position and located between the surface and a portion of the pallet moves said lift plate to the second position, thereby contacting the pallet and raising the pallet off of the surface, whereafter the pallet can be moved by pushing or pulling the handle to roll the frame over the surface with the pallet supported thereon by said lift plate.

2. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising means for inflating and deflating said at least one inflatable bladder.

3. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising on said frame a fluid supply system comprising: a tank of pressurized liquid;one or more regulators in fluid communication with the tank of pressurized liquid and capable of reducing pressure in the fluid supply system downstream of the one or more regulators to a pressure at which the liquid in the tank of pressurized liquid becomes a gas; anda bladder valve in fluid communication with the one or more regulators and with the at least one bladder;wherein opening the bladder valve permits gas in the fluid supply system downstream of the one or more regulators to flow into and inflate the at least one inflatable bladder.

4. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 3 further comprising a liquid accumulator in the fluid supply system downstream of the one or more regulators and in fluid communication with the one or more regulators and with the bladder valve.

5. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the bladder valve has a first position that permits gas in the fluid supply system to flow into the at least one inflatable bladder, a second position that does not permit gas to flow into or out of the at least one inflatable bladder, and a third position that permits gas to flow out of the at least one inflatable bladder

6. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the fluid supply system further comprises: at least one brake in fluid communication with the one or more regulators having a gas operated brake cylinder and a brake shoe and being adapted and positioned such that pressurized gas entering into the gas operated brake cylinder moves the brake shoe into contact with at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels; anda brake valve in fluid communication with the one or more regulators and with the brake;wherein opening the brake valve permits gas in the fluid supply system to flow into the brake cylinder and move the brake shoe into contact with the at least one wheel.

7. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the brake valve has a first position that permits gas in the fluid supply system to flow into the gas operated brake cylinder and a second position that permits gas to flow out of the gas operated brake cylinder.

8. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the pressurized liquid comprises liquid carbon dioxide.

9. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the pressure of the liquid carbon dioxide in the tank of pressurized liquid is between 500 PSI and 2000 PSI.

10. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the pressure of the gas downstream of the one or more regulators is between 70 PSI and 120 PSI.

11. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels is attached to said frame such that it rolls about a generally horizontal axis and swivels about a generally vertical axis.

12. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 6 further comprising a control panel having a first manual valve actuator operatively connected to the bladder valve such that bladder valve can be opened or closed using the first manual valve actuator and having a second manual valve actuator operatively connected to the brake valve such that the brake valve can be opened or closed using the second manual valve actuator.

13. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the diameter of at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels is greater than the diameter of at least one other wheel of the plurality of wheels.

14. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a housing attached to said frame and a stabilizing plate attached to said lifting plate and adapted and positioned to move within a constrained channel on said housing during movement of said lifting plate between the first position and the second position to thereby maintain said lifting plate substantially horizontal during such movement.

15. An apparatus for lifting and moving a pallet positioned on a surface comprising: a frame having a handle and an elongate portion with a lower side and an upper side;a plurality of wheels mounted to the lower side of the elongate portion of said frame;a lift plate movable between a first position wherein said lift plate is adjacent the upper side of the elongated portion of said frame and a second position wherein said lift plate is spaced from the upper side of the elongated portion of said frame;a pair of inflatable bladders, each bladder of said pair of inflatable bladders being spaced from the other bladder of said pair of inflatable bladders and each bladder of said pair of inflatable bladders being mounted to said lift plate and to the upper side of the elongate portion of said frame;a supply tank containing pressurized liquid on said frame;at least one regulator in fluid communication with said supply tank and capable of reducing the pressure of the pressurized liquid in said supply tank to a pressure at which such pressurized fluid becomes a gas; anda first valve in fluid communication with said regulator and each bladder of said pair of inflatable bladders;wherein opening said first valve when said lift plate is in the first position and located between the surface and a portion of the pallet inflates the pair of inflatable bladders and thereby moves said lift plate into contact with the pallet and raises the pallet off of the surface when said lift plate is in the second position, whereafter the pallet can be moved by pushing or pulling the handle to roll the frame over the surface with the pallet supported thereon by said lift plate.

16. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said first valve has a first position that permits gas to flow into each bladder of the pair of inflatable bladders, a second position that does not permit gas to flow into or out of either bladder of the pair of inflatable bladders, and a third position that permits gas to flow out of each bladder of the pair of inflatable bladders.

17. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 16 further comprising a manual valve actuator operatively connected to said first valve that controls the position of said first valve.

18. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising: at least one brake having a brake shoe and a gas operated brake cylinder in fluid communication with the at least one regulator and being adapted and positioned such that pressurized gas entering into the gas operated brake cylinder moves the brake shoe into contact with at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels; anda second valve in fluid communication with the at least one regulator and with the brake;wherein opening the second valve permits gas to flow into the brake cylinder and move the brake shoe into contact with the at least one wheel.

19. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said second valve has a first position that permits gas to flow into gas operated brake cylinder and a second position that permits gas to flow out of the gas operated brake cylinder.

20. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 19 further comprising a manual valve actuator operatively connected to said second valve that controls the position of said second valve.

21. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a liquid accumulator in fluid communication with the at least one regulator and with the first valve.

22. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the pressurized liquid is liquid carbon dioxide.

23. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 22 wherein the pressure of the gas downstream of the at least one regulator is between 70 PSI and 120 PSI.

24. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels is attached to said frame such that it rolls about a generally horizontal axis and swivels about a generally vertical axis.

25. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the diameter of at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels is greater than the diameter of at least one other wheel of the plurality of wheels.

26. A pallet lifting and moving apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a housing attached to said frame and a stabilizing plate attached to said lifting plate and adapted and positioned to move within a constrained channel on said housing during movement of said lifting plate between the first position and the second position to thereby maintain said lifting plate substantially horizontal during such movement.

27. A method of delivering palletized beverages comprising: positioning on a floor of a delivery truck one or more pallets loaded with beverages corresponding to beverages ordered by a customer;driving the delivery truck to a customer's building, such building having a floor;rolling a lifting plate between the floor of the delivery truck and one pallet of the one or more pallets;raising the lifting plate by inflating one or more inflatable bladders beneath the lifting plate to thereby lift the one pallet off of the floor of the delivery truck;transporting the one pallet on the raised lifting plate from the delivery truck to the customer's building; andlowering the lifting plate by deflating the one or more inflatable bladders beneath the lifting plate, thereby lowering the one pallet until the one pallet rests on the floor of the customer's building.

28. A method of delivering palletized beverages as defined in claim 27 wherein the lifting plate is disposed on a wheeled frame and one or more inflatable bladders are disposed between the lifting plate and a portion of the wheeled frame such that inflation of the one or more inflatable bladders using pressurized gas raises the lifting plate.

29. A method of delivering palletized beverages as defined in claim 27 wherein the wheeled frame also includes a supply of pressurized gas.

30. A method of delivering palletized beverages as defined in claim 29 wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized carbon dioxide.

31. A method of delivering palletized beverages as defined in claim 27 wherein the one or more inflatable bladders beneath the lifting plate are inflated with carbon dioxide.

32. A method of delivering palletized beverages as defined in claim 27 wherein the one or more pallets loaded with beverages are positioned on the floor of the delivery truck in reverse order to the order that the one or more pallets loaded with beverages are delivered to customer buildings.