Patent Application
20130181176
The field relates to gondola mobilization systems.
Gondola shelving is a type of shelving used in stores for displaying products in a retail store, for example. Shelving often has a skirt around the bottom of the shelving and mobilization of the shelving requires removal of the skirt to access the legs and supporting frame of the shelving. Gondolas are known with or without a central support column and with one or two sides having shelving attached. Warehouse pallet racking is also known, such as pallet racking used in home centers and warehouses. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the term gondolas refer to both a single gondola and a gondola run having a plurality of gondolas or both.
Lifting systems are known that use a plurality of caster wheels to mobilize empty gondolas or gondolas that have at least a portion of the racked products removed from the gondolas. U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0194546, published Aug. 23, 2007, and U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0059138, published Mar. 15, 2007 illustrate systems with a screw or hydraulic jack for lifting gondolas, the description and drawings of which are hereby incorporated for background herein. Two devices are disposed on opposite sides of the gondolas at each upright support, which may be accessible behind a kick plate. Each upright support is raised using the lifting apparatus and the gondola, even if quite long, is movable using the lifting system as a hand truck, with each of the hand trucks being moved at the same time.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/364,177, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein, teaches a system for mobilization of stocked gondolas that allows for mobilization without removing shelving and without removing the products from the shelving of the gondolas or pallet racking. The system described a lifting mechanism attachable an H-support or other upright support of pallet racking, such as for use in mobilization of the pallet racking, but only from an exposed front or side of the H-support. Using the system for mobilizing a gondola permits even very deep and very wide gondolas to be mobilized, without unracking and/or disassembly of the gondolas and/or removal of product from the shelves, when a pair of opposing members are positioned such that the members extend along the depth of the gondola from one side to an opposite side. Each pair of opposing members is positioned such that the pair of members is disposed on opposite sides of a gondola support. A slidable middle lift bracket on each of the pair of opposing members is positioned at the middle, upright support of the gondola, and may have additional lift brackets disposed at other upright support members of the gondola. An interlinking tongue and loop system may be used to slide under the supports and to engage one lift bracket to its opposite lift bracket. Thus, the pair of opposing members may provide rigid support to the gondola, when the pair of opposing members are lifted, allowing for mobilization of the gondola. In this system, a modified jack engaged each end of each of the opposing members, such as a screw or hydraulic mechanism coupled with a pair of forks capable of engaging the pair of opposing members, such that the forks raise and lower the pair of opposing members together, at the same time. The forks are fixed in position and are not capable of displacement to make positioning of the jack in narrow inaccessible spaces.
In one example, a hand crank, such as a hand crank and screw similar to that of a boat trailer hitch apparatus, is used to lift a pair of forks inserted into the opposing members. A screw and hand crank is capable of replacing a heavier, more expensive and harder to maintain hydraulic jack, for example, when a plurality of such lift mechanisms are coupled to opposite ends of a plurality of the support apparatuses spaced at intervals along a gondola run. No single lift mechanism is required to exceed its rated lifting potential. The lack of any significant sagging from one side of the gondola reduces the height that the lift must raise the gondola to mobilize it, because the support bar is capable of supporting the supporting structure of the gondola a plurality of support points, such as three or more support points. In some of the examples, three support points are disclosed, but additional support points may be added in other applications requiring support of larger spans, for example.
Single sided gondolas and islands may be raised and lowered similarly to the double sided gondolas provided in the examples. In single sided gondolas, a support bar may be supported on only one side by a lift mechanism or on both sides. If supported on only one side by a lift mechanism, then other end of the support bar may be unsupported, requiring a counterbalance on the lift mechanism, or may be provided with a low-profile caster wheel that provides a fulcrum at an opposite end of the support bar assembly for lifting of the gondola during raising of the end of the support bar assembly attached to the lift mechanism, for example. In this way, a gondola having one side against a wall may be mobilized, for example, using a plurality of lift mechanisms along the side of the gondola facing away from the wall, only, while the low-profile casters inserted into or onto the support bar assemblies allow the support bar assemblies to be inserted and aligned under the gondolas.
Instead of forks, other structures are suggested to mount the lifting apparatus to the support structures used in lifting of the gondolas or to the gondolas, themselves. These other structures may be grabs, bolts or fingers, for example. Grabs are L-shaped extensions from a surface of the lift mechanism that are capable of engaging slots in a coupling mechanism or a gondola. For example, forks may be attached to an attachment member having slots that engage the grabs, allowing the forks to be positioned in the ends of the gondola support bars prior to engaging the lift apparatus to the forks. Then, the lift apparatus may be positioned such that the grabs engage the slots in the attachment member of the forks, and the lift apparatus may be raised until the grabs firmly engage in the slots prior to raising the gondolas. Bolts are fasteners extending from the lift mechanisms that are coupled with nuts or plates having a threaded or other coupling mechanism for attachment to the bolts when inserted through a hole or slot in the gondolas or the attachment member of the forks, for example. Fingers are projections, shaped or straight that matingly engage the gondola or the attachment member of the forks, for example. Thus, when properly engaged to the supports or the gondolas, the lift mechanism provides for a positive displacement upward and downward. However, these other structures did not suggest the use of any structures capable of moving, pivotally, while remaining engaged to the lift mechanism.
None of the known configurations provide a mechanism capable of clamping onto supports using a scissor-like mechanism, i.e. using a pivot point for mechanically positioning a mechanism for clamping the mechanism to a structural component, allowing the mechanism to be used in mobilizing a variety of standard shelving without the use of an elongated center bar or modification to the shelving or the mechanism or mechanisms used for clamping and raising the gondola shelving.
A coupling mechanism comprises a scissor mechanism that is capable of engaging a low profile portion of the coupling mechanism to a leg of a gondola or other shelving without the necessity to remove skirting, for example. In one example, the scissor mechanism operates in a horizontal plane. For example, a biasing mechanism, such as a spring, forces a coupling end of a scissor mechanism to couplingly engage a leg of a gondola. Two lever arms extending opposite of the coupling end are coupled to a plate and may be arranged, such that when pulled apart or pushed together, the coupling end opens and/or closes, for example. The biasing mechanism may bias the coupling end closed. In one example, the coupling end includes flared extensions that initially contact a leg, such that the leg spreads the coupling end when the coupling mechanism is pushed under the shelving.
For example, when a leg of a gondola that extends to the floor, supporting the gondola, is to be coupled to the coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism is maneuvered such that the gondola leg fits between the flared extensions of the coupling end. The gondola leg contacts the flared extensions, displacing the flared extensions outwardly until the gondola leg clears the flared extensions. As the gondola leg clears the flared extensions, the coupling end closes on the gondola leg, coupling the coupling mechanism onto the gondola leg; the biasing mechanism applying a force on the coupling end. In one example, the bias force of the biasing mechanism is sufficient to fixedly clamp the coupling end to the gondola leg, allowing the gondola leg to be lifted by raising the coupling mechanism using a jack.
In an alternative example, the bias force is not adequate to fixedly clamp the coupling end to the gondola leg. Instead, an adjustable bump stop adjustably engages an outwardly facing surface of a portion of the gondola, while the coupling end engages a surface of a portion of the gondola opposite of the outwardly facing surface. For example, the coupling mechanism may be coupled to a jack of a mobilization truck, such that the jack is capable of raising the coupling mechanism. The bump stop or the bias mechanism is capable of clamping the coupling end onto the gondola leg, such that the jack is capable of raising the coupling mechanism, which raises the gondola leg, if the leg is clamped by the coupling mechanism.
In another example, a rotatable coupling mechanism includes a lever capable of rotating a coupling end up to one hundred eighty degrees, such that the coupling end is open in a first position of a lever aim and is rotated into a closed position in a second position of the lever arm. A second lever arm may be rotated to pull the coupling end, when in the closed position, into contact with a gondola leg, biasing the coupling end against the gondola leg, such that the gondola leg raises when the coupling mechanism is raised by a jack.
The rotatable coupling mechanism may be attached to a jack of a mobilization truck in the same manner as the coupling mechanism including a coupling end arranged on one end of a scissor mechanism. In this way, the user is allowed to choose one or the other examples of coupling mechanisms as needed to engage different types of gondola legs using the same mobilization truck.
Both coupling mechanisms may include an adjustable bump stop that engages a surface of the gondola, such as the leg, support or skirt portion of the gondola. For example, when either of the coupling mechanisms are secured to the gondola and is mounted on the jack of a mobilization truck, then raising the jack raises the gondola. By using a plurality of mobilization trucks and coupling mechanisms, an entire gondola run may be raised above the floor, allowing the entire gondola run to be mobilized.
One advantage of the use of a bump stop and a coupling mechanism to clamp a portion of a gondola is that the mobilization truck may be attached to the gondola without removing the gondola skirt, without removing products from the shelves, and without the need to fix any other structure under the shelving. Such an arrangement rapidly couples to the shelving structure for rapid mobilization of the shelving structure.
In one example, an apparatus for raising and mobilizing stocked shelving, comprises a pair of opposed jaws, each of the jaws being defined at the end of one of a pair of rigid members extending from a base plate. For example, at least one of the rigid members comprise a pivot point pivotably coupled to the base plate such that the jaws are capable of being opened and closed by pivoting the at least one of the rigid members about the pivot point. A biasing mechanism may be coupled with the at least one of the rigid members, such that the jaws are biased either open or shut, and an attachment mechanism may be provided for coupling the base plate to a structural member of a mobilization device. The mobilization device may comprise a raising and lowering mechanism for raising and lowering the base plate in relation to the mobilization device, and the mobilization device rolls over the ground for mobilizing stocked shelving. The mobilization device may use roller bearings or wheels for rolling over the ground, preferably castor wheels, in one example. For example, the mobilization device includes a pair of castor wheels disposed on opposite ends of the structural member.
In one example, the attachment mechanism threadingly engages a portion of the structural member. For example, the portion of the structural member comprises a bolt, and the base jaws may be capable of extending all of the way down to the ground without disengaging from the bolt. The biasing mechanism, such as a spring, may be mounted under tension to an end of the at least one of the rigid members opposite of the pivot point from the jaw of the at least one of the rigid members, such that the at least one of the rigid members is biased open by the biasing mechanism. An end of the spring opposite of the at least one of the rigid members may be attached to the plate and need not be attached directly to the other of the rigid members. Alternatively, the spring may be attached between the two rigid members, each of which may be pivotably coupled to the base plate, and the biasing mechanism may be compressed between the pair of rigid members, for example.
In one example, one rigid member is fixedly mounted to a surface of the base plate and cannot pivot in relation to the base plate. For example, the other rigid member can be pivoted into the closed position by closing a lever action to force and retain the jaws closed on a portion of the shelving.
When the biasing mechanism is compressed between a pair of pivotable, rigid members on an end opposite of the pivot point from the jaws, the pair of opposed jaws are biased closed by the biasing mechanism. In this example, each of the ends of the pair of opposed jaws may extend outward from the pivot point and may be tapered such that inserting a portion of the shelving between the tapered ends opens the jaws (i.e. overcoming the biasing force) around the portion of the shelving. The biasing mechanism closes the pair of opposed jaws onto the portion of the shelving when the portion of the shelving is fully inserted between the pair of opposed jaws.
An adjustable bump stop may extend from the base plate such the adjustable bump stop contacts a portion of the shelving when the shelving is inserted between the pair of opposed jaws.
A jack may be included with the apparatus utilizing the scissor mechanism, which is raised and lowered to raise and lower the shelving just about the ground during mobilization of stocked shelving.
When the biasing mechanism is mounted under tension to an end of one of the a pair of rigid members opposite of the pivot point from the jaws, the jaws are biased open by the biasing mechanism. In one example, a pivoting member may be pivotably coupled to the base plate such that in a closed position, the pivoting member engages the end of the one of the pair of rigid members such that the pair of opposed jaws are closed. Using this as a closing mechanism applies a firm clamping mechanism and prevents the jaws from opening until the pivoting member is pivoted to an open position. For example, a wrench may be used for opening and closing such a pivoting member. The pivoting member may couple to a nut on an opposite side of the base plate by a shaft extending through a hole in the base plate, for example. Alternatively, the pivoting member may be activated using a lever arm.
The examples illustrated in
In the particular example of
In one example, the bolt 325 extends through a tubular sheath 329 that is attached to a base 38 of the coupling mechanism 30. The base 38 extends rigidly from an attachment mechanism 34, which may be designed to be attached removably to a truck 10, for example. A pin may be inserted through the hole 35 bored through a portion of a tubular attachment mechanism 34, when positioned onto or within a tubular portion of the truck 30 that mates with the tubular attachment mechanism 34, in order to couple the tubular attachment mechanism 34 to the truck 10.
On one end of the bolt, the rotatable fixture 326 extends from the bolt 325 for engaging the reverse side of the structure of gondola shelving, for example. The opposite end of the bolt 325 may be engaged through a block 379 and is coupled to a locking lever 396 at a locking lever pivot point 392. The locking lever 396 may be coupled to a locking linkage 395 at a linkage pivot point 393 disposed on one side of the locking linkage, and the locking linkage 395 may be coupled to the block 397 at a block pivot point 394 at an opposite side of the locking linkage. Thus, rotation of the locking lever 396 is capable of pushing or pulling the bolt 325 through the sheath 329, which displaces the fixture 326 along the longitudinal axial direction of the bolt 325.
Both the position of a contact surface of the bump stop 36 and a contact surface of the fixture 326 may be made adjustable, such that the contact surface making contact with the structure of the gondola shelving is capable of being adjusted to and from a bump stop coupling mechanism 361 attached to the base plate 38 by a support 362, as illustrated in
The lever arm 32 in
In an alternative example, as illustrated in
For example, when a leg of a gondola that extends to the floor, supporting the gondola, is to be coupled to the coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism is maneuvered such that the gondola leg or foot fits between the flared extensions 416, 426 of the coupling end 47. The gondola leg or foot contacts the flared extensions, displacing the flared extensions outwardly by pivoting at two attachment points 411, 421 until the gondola leg clears the flared extensions 416, 426. As the gondola leg or foot clears the flared extensions 416, 426, the coupling end 47 closes on the gondola leg or foot, coupling the coupling mechanism onto the gondola leg or foot; the biasing mechanism 43 applying a force on the coupling end. In one example, the bias force of the biasing mechanism 43 is sufficient to fixedly clamp the coupling end 47 to the gondola leg, allowing the gondola leg to be lifted by raising the coupling mechanism using a jack. The leg or foot may be released by pressing the lever arms 41, 42 toward each other, for example, when the leg or foot is returned to contact with the floor by lowering the jack of the truck 10.
In an alternative example, the bias force is not adequate to fixedly clamp the coupling end to the gondola leg or foot. Instead, the adjustable bump stop 36 adjustably engages an outwardly facing surface of a portion of the gondola, while the coupling end 47 engages a surface of a portion of the gondola opposite of the outwardly facing surface in contact with the bump stop 36. The bump stop 36 is capable of clamping the gondola leg or foot between the clamping end 47 surface engaging the leg or foot and the bump stop 36, such that the jack is capable of raising the coupling mechanism, which raises the gondola leg or foot, when the coupling mechanism 40 is clamped to the leg or foot of the shelving.
The coupling mechanisms 30, 40 may be attached to a jack of a mobilization truck 10 in the same manner, interchangeably, depending on the configuration of the shelving, for example. In this way, the user is allowed to choose any of the examples of coupling mechanisms as needed to engage different types of gondola structures using the same mobilization truck 10.
In the Example of
In one example, the lift bolt 576 of
A spring 560 or other biasing mechanism may be used to bias the jaws 579 open, while a pivoting bar 561 may be pivoted into position, as illustrated in
The features of the examples may be combined and modified and are not intended to be limiting to the claims. Instead, the claims may be drawn to combinations and variations on the examples.
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/507,189 filed Jul. 13, 2011, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The field relates to gondola mobilization systems.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61507189 | Jul 2011 | US |
