Construction projects typically include the demolition, transportation and reconstruction of materials. In a typical home construction or renovation, materials may be passed into or out of the house through a window frame or doorway. Materials that hit the window frame or doorway can cause damage, requiring repair or replacement. Even if workers use great care to avoid any damage, passing materials through windows or doors is likely to cause some damage eventually. Such damage results in lost time and money devoted to cleanup and repair.
To minimize the potential for damage, workers may place cloth or plastic material over window sills or flooring to protect them from minor damage. However, cloth and plastic material do not protect from moderate or severe impacts, and provide little protection against significant damage such as breaks or indentations in the window sill, door frame, molding, flooring or other exposed surface. Thus, there exists a need to protect spaces such as window frames and door frames while materials are passed through.
Construction projects also produce debris such as dust and small pieces of work materials. For example, a worker sawing wood inside a building produces sawdust, splinters, wood shavings, small pieces of unused wood and similar debris. Further, debris may fall or scatter while transporting materials inside a building. Without a means to contain the debris at the work site, the fallen and scattered debris must be cleaned up. This requires in additional time and effort, increasing the overall cost of the construction project.
To combat this problem, one approach is to cover flooring, doorways or holes with cloth or plastic material. For example, a tarp may be placed on the floor to catch materials dropped during the construction process. While this method prevents materials from coming into direct contact with the floor, a tarp does not prevent the dispersion of debris throughout the surrounding areas. For example, sawdust may blow into adjacent rooms, or paint may splatter onto ceilings or walls. Despite the use of a tarp, the sawdust and paint still must be cleaned up. Thus, there exists a need to contain debris while working on or transporting materials inside a building or structure.
The present invention reduces or eliminates the risk of damage to spaces while transporting materials into, out of, or within a building or structure. The present invention also reduces or eliminates the effort required to clean up after working on or transporting materials inside a building or structure. These and other advantages and features will become apparent in view of the following description.
Various embodiments of the present invention include a framework through which materials may be transported. Two or more vertical poles are secured between two surfaces and support a center frame. For example, the poles may be secured between a floor and a ceiling within a building.
Optionally, an ankle may also be used with a vertical pole, and functions as a jack to alter the height of the vertical pole. In one embodiment, after the vertical pole has been placed between the floor and ceiling, the ankle is engaged and used to expand the pole until the pole is securely pressing against the floor and ceiling.
In some embodiments, a center frame is mounted on the two vertical poles. The center frame is a structure through which materials may be passed, and provides protection to window frames and other passages and openings. The center frame generally consists of two horizontal bars mounted to the vertical poles. These may be described as upper and lower horizontal bars. Two vertical bars are mounted on the horizontal bars, forming a square or rectangular opening. The mounting of the upper and lower horizontal bars on the vertical poles and the mounting of the vertical bars on the upper and lower horizontal bars are adjustable to accommodate various widths of window sills. Two diagonal bars extend downward and outward from the upper horizontal bar. In an embodiment wherein the vertical bars are mounted inside a building, the diagonal bars extend outward through a window frame. A third horizontal bar is connected between the ends of the diagonal bars. Two horizontal bars, perpendicular to the lower horizontal bar described earlier, connect the ends of the diagonal bars to the lower horizontal bar. Below the two perpendicular horizontal bars are two sill clamp rails that run along the length of the two perpendicular horizontal bars. Together these bars and rails form the center frame.
The center frame is mounted to the vertical poles by any suitable means. The center frame may be attached to a window sill via two sill clamps that slide onto either end of a sill clamp rail.
Preferably, the center frame comprises a rotating segment on the lower horizontal bar. The rotating segment supports materials and rolls as the materials are passed through the window. By rolling, the rotating segment enables the materials to pass freely above it. Because materials passing through the center frame are kept away from the window sill, the potential for damage is minimized or eliminated.
The center frame, including the elements described above, may be expanded or contracted to fit the dimensions of a window frame, doorframe or other passageway. The elements of the apparatus may be attached by use of fittings, T-joints, T-L joints, T-U joints, T-V joints, cotter pins, any other suitable means or any combination thereof.
In another embodiment, four or more vertical poles are positioned in a building and supported by the floor and ceiling, as described above. One or more sheets may be connected to each pole in such a way that the sheet or sheets essentially form a tunnel. Materials may be transported through the tunnel with minimal or no exposure to the surrounding environment. This configuration prevents debris from dispersing throughout the room. Once the materials have been transported, the sheet and structure may be removed without exposing any remaining debris to the surrounding environment.
The present invention is not limited to the field of construction. For example, the apparatus may be used in healthcare applications to provide quarantined transportation of items. In this example, a tunnel of sheet material, as described above, may be used to prevent the spread of contaminants. The present invention may also be used in delivery applications. The rotating segment of the center frame may be used to increase efficiency when transporting items across flat surfaces or through passages or openings without damaging the surrounding area.
A detailed illustrative embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein. However, techniques, systems and operating structures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein which define the scope of the present invention.
None of the terms used herein, including “floor”, “ceiling”, “wall”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and “diagonal” are meant to limit the application of the invention. The terms are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Similarly, the use of these terms is not meant to limit the application of the invention, as the invention is versatile and can be utilized in many applications, as will be apparent. The following presents a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the figures.
Referring to
Preferably, vertical poles 101a and 101b each comprise two sections, one of which may be inserted into the other and used to adjust the length of the pole. By sliding the sections together or apart, a vertical pole can be contracted and expanded incrementally to fit between two end surfaces such as a floor and a ceiling. Alternatively, three or more sections may be used in the same manner. The sections are not required to be inserted into one another. For example, in another alternative embodiment, the two or more sections may be placed side-by-side and secured together. The vertical poles may be made of plastic, metal, wood or any combination thereof and may be hollow, solid, semi-perforated or any combination thereof.
Vertical poles 101a and 101b are set to the desired height and preferably exert sufficient pressure on the floor and ceiling to remain stationary and stable. Once vertical poles 101a and 101b are set to the desired height, the poles are locked securely in place. The vertical poles may be locked in place using any suitable means. For example, the locking mechanism may be a pin inserted through aligned holes in the vertical poles. As seen in
Referring to
Vertical poles 101a and 101b preferably comprise ankle jacks 105a and 105b, respectively. As depicted in
The triangular shape of the center frame can be seen more clearly in
When the center frame is placed in a window, sill clamp rails 212a and 212b may rest upon the window sill. Materials may be transported through the center frame, and may pass over cross beams 202b and 213. Thus, the center frame provides a supported and protected space between the window sill and the materials being transported through the window.
Preferably, cross beam 213 is capable of rotation. A casing capable of rotation may be placed around cross beam 213. In one embodiment, a casing capable of rotation is also placed around cross beam 202b. Cross beam 213 is intended to rotate as it supports materials being passed over it. However, it is not necessary that cross beam 213 rotate in order to provide protection.
Cross beams 202a and 202b may be expandable and contractible to better fit the width of various window spaces. Likewise, support beams 210a and 210b may be expandable and contractible to better fit the height of various window spaces.
Referring to
The two feet on a vertical pole may either interlock or function independently of each other. In one embodiment, the feet are interlocked via a connection and only move in unison. In another embodiment, the feet are not interlocked and may rotate independently of each other. The feet are preferably interchangeable and may be removed and reattached to the vertical poles. For example, feet may be attached to a vertical pole using one or more pins with aligned holes in the pole.
Sill clamps are optional and not necessary for the operation of the invention. In one embodiment, sill clamps are attached to the center frame and adjusted to securely fit the center frame above and around the window sill. The sill clamps may be attached to the sill clamp rails in any suitable manner. For example, a sill clamp may run along teeth on a sill clamp rail until it is tightly aligned with one side of a window sill. The teeth on the sill clamp rail allow sill clamps to be easily maneuvered along the rail and held securely in place using a sill clamp button. Alternative mechanisms may be used to affix and position window sill clamps on the sill clamp rails and secure the clamps in place.
Preferably, a sill clamp button is used to secure the sill clamp in place.
Preferably, vertical poles and sheet materials are used to form two walls, as depicted in
Once a tunnel is formed, work materials may be transported through the tunnel. Any debris will be retained by the sheet materials, preventing the debris from dispersing throughout the surrounding area. With reference to
While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment, which has been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete disclosure of the invention, the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary and is not intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of all aspects of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, shall be defined solely by the following claims. Further, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and the principles of the invention. It should be appreciated that the present invention is capable of being embodied in other forms without departing from its essential characteristics.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1153205 | Edwards | Sep 1915 | A |
1239472 | Florian | Sep 1917 | A |
2194978 | Ireland | Mar 1940 | A |
2223169 | Ellithorpe | Nov 1940 | A |
2438527 | Werner | Mar 1948 | A |
2461548 | Huntsman | Feb 1949 | A |
2514397 | Joyce | Jul 1950 | A |
2585471 | Kammerer | Feb 1952 | A |
2814534 | Otani | Nov 1957 | A |
2823957 | Otani | Feb 1958 | A |
2881813 | Lacoste | Apr 1959 | A |
2946098 | Migneault et al. | Jul 1960 | A |
3263951 | Stokes | Aug 1966 | A |
3323851 | Duboff | Jun 1967 | A |
3339954 | Alvden | Sep 1967 | A |
3593474 | Neels | Jul 1971 | A |
3727721 | Kulesa | Apr 1973 | A |
4026079 | Morris | May 1977 | A |
4029173 | Wakabayashi | Jun 1977 | A |
4221091 | Ganse et al. | Sep 1980 | A |
4339219 | Lay | Jul 1982 | A |
4423576 | Farina et al. | Jan 1984 | A |
4428457 | Fikkers | Jan 1984 | A |
4506482 | Pracht et al. | Mar 1985 | A |
4574547 | Menchetti et al. | Mar 1986 | A |
4662145 | Tanikawa et al. | May 1987 | A |
4709517 | Mitchell et al. | Dec 1987 | A |
5239798 | Saito | Aug 1993 | A |
5685112 | Fara | Nov 1997 | A |
5692357 | McCain | Dec 1997 | A |
5743412 | Noble | Apr 1998 | A |
5782205 | Veras | Jul 1998 | A |
5803653 | Zuffetti | Sep 1998 | A |
5992109 | Jonker | Nov 1999 | A |
5993925 | Zoccole | Nov 1999 | A |
6058665 | Halvorson et al. | May 2000 | A |
6341455 | Gunn | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6408592 | Hourani | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6640509 | Clewis | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6883277 | Wiechecki et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6898907 | Diamond | May 2005 | B2 |
7266933 | Pasek | Sep 2007 | B2 |
7357238 | Zeigler | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7472521 | Bilge | Jan 2009 | B2 |
7644549 | Speck | Jan 2010 | B2 |
7789927 | Tramontina et al. | Sep 2010 | B2 |
7918065 | Ito | Apr 2011 | B2 |
20020157335 | Vos | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20030159373 | Lien | Aug 2003 | A1 |
20040206040 | Orton | Oct 2004 | A1 |
20080209827 | Webb | Sep 2008 | A1 |