# US 10,246,272 B2 · Load-conveying and transport apparatus and methods

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- Number: US 10,246,272 B2
- Document ID: US10246272B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/972,189
- Filed: 2018-05-06
- Published: 2018-09-20
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-14
- Applicants: Serverlift Corporation
- Inventors: Raymond S. Zuckerman; J. Alexander Dondanville
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246272B2

## CPC

- B65G 47/8869: {stopping or lifting all articles from a conveyor}
- B65G 13/075: Braking means
- B65G 13/11: Roller frames
- B65G 13/12: adjustable
- B65G 21/12: to allow adjustment of position of load-carrier or traction element as a whole
- B65G 39/025: {having spherical roller elements}
- B65G 2205/04: where the stop device is not adaptable
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

A load-conveying and transport apparatus includes a first frame, a conveyor carried by the first frame, and a second frame mounted to the first frame for movement between lowered and raised positions relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies below the conveyor, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame lies proud of the conveyor, when the second frame is in the raised position relative to the conveyor. The conveyor is for conveying a load placed thereon without interference from the second frame, when the second frame is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor. The second frame is for supporting the load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load, when the second frame is in the raised position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A load-conveying and transport apparatus, comprising:
a frame;
a conveyor, the conveyor is carried by the frame and includes opposed first and second sides that extend between opposed first and second ends;
a first member proximate to the first side of the conveyor, a second member proximate to the second side of the conveyor, and a third member between the first and second sides of the conveyor and between the first member and the second member, the first member, the second member, and the third member each extends from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor;
the first member, the second member, and the third member are each mounted to the frame for movement between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the conveyor;
the first member lies below the conveyor proximate to the first side of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, the second member lies below the conveyor proximate to the second side of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, and the third member lies below the conveyor between the first and second sides of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, when the first member, the second member, and the third members are each in the lowered position relative to the conveyor;
the first member lies above of the conveyor proximate to the first side of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, the second member lies above of the conveyor proximate to the second side of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, and the third member lies above of the conveyor between the first and second sides of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, when the first member, the second member, and the third members are each in the raised position relative to the conveyor;
the conveyor is for conveying a load placed thereon from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor without interference from the first member, the second member, and the third member, when the first member, the second member, and the third member are each in the lowered position relative to the conveyor;
the first member, the second member, and the third member are for supporting a load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load from the first end of the frame to the second end of the frame, when the first member, the second member, and the third member are each in the raised position relative to the conveyor;
a drive member mounted rotatably to the frame, the drive member is operatively coupled to the first member, the second member, and the third member, whereby rotation of the drive member from a first position to a second position urges corresponding concurrent movement of the first member, the second member, and the third member from the lowered positions to the raised positions, and rotation of the drive member from the second position to the first position urges corresponding concurrent movement of the first member, the second member, and the third member from the raised positions to the lowered positions; and
the drive member is operatively coupled to the first member, the second member, and the third member with a first cam, a second cam, and a third cam respectively, whereby rotation of the drive member from the first position to the second position rotates the first cam, the second cam, and the third cam against the first member, the second member, and the third member, respectively, urging the first member, the second member, and the third member from the lowered positions to the raised positions, and rotation of the drive member from the second position to the first position rotates the first cam, the second cam, and the third cam against the first member, the second member, and the third member, respectively, urging the first member, the second member, and the third member from the raised positions to the lowered.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hand crank connected to the drive member for impartation to the drive member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises rollers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rollers comprise a first set of the rollers between the first member and the third member, and a second set of the rollers between the second member and the third member.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member, the second member, and the third member are each mounted to the frame for movement between the lowered position and the raised position with spaced-apart guide assemblies.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide assemblies each comprise a pair of relatively reciprocally movable members.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 6, wherein one of the pair of relatively reciprocally movable members is a shank received by a cam slot being the other one of the pair of relatively reciprocally movable members.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the shanks are carried by the frame.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cam slots are carried by the first member, the second member, and the third member.

### Claim 10

A load-conveying and transport apparatus, comprising:
a frame;
a conveyor, the conveyor is carried by the frame and includes opposed first and second sides that extend between opposed first and second ends;
members, the members are spaced apart between the first side and the second side of the conveyor and each extends from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor;
the members are each mounted to the frame for movement between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the conveyor;
the members lie below the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, when the members are each in the lowered position relative to the conveyor;
the members lie above of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, when the members are each in the raised position relative to the conveyor;
the conveyor is for conveying a load placed thereon from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor without interference from the members, when the members are each in the lowered position relative to the conveyor;
the members are for supporting a load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load from the first end of the frame to the second end of the frame, when the members are each in the raised position relative to the conveyor; and
the conveyor comprises rollers, there being a plurality of the rollers on either side of each of the members.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the members are each mounted to the frame for movement between the lowered position and the raised position with spaced-apart guide assemblies.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the guide assemblies each comprise a pair of relatively reciprocally movable members.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 12, wherein one of the pair of relatively reciprocally movable members is a shank received by a cam slot being the other one of the pair of relatively reciprocally movable members.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the shanks are carried by the frame.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the cam slots are carried by the members.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the rollers are ball rollers.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:
a drive member mounted rotatably to the frame, the drive member is operatively coupled to the members, whereby rotation of the drive member from a first position to a second position urges corresponding concurrent movement of the members from the lowered positions to the raised positions, and rotation of the drive member from the second position to the first position urges corresponding concurrent movement of the members from the raised positions to the lowered positions; and
the drive member is operatively coupled to the members with cams, respectively, whereby rotation of the drive member from the first position to the second position rotates the cams against the members, respectively, urging the members from the lowered positions to the raised positions, and rotation of the drive member from the second position to the first position rotates the cams against the members, respectively, urging the members from the raised positions to the lowered positions.

### Claim 18

A load-conveying and transport apparatus, comprising:
a frame;
a conveyor, the conveyor is carried by the frame and includes opposed first and second sides that extend between opposed first and second ends;
a first member and a second member, the first member and the second member are spaced apart, the first member is proximate to the first side of the conveyor, the second member is between the first and second sides of the conveyor, and the first member and the second member each extends from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor;
the first member and the second member are each mounted to the frame for movement between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the conveyor;
the first member and the second member concurrently lie below the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, when the first member and the second member are each in the lowered position relative to the conveyor;
the first member and the second member concurrently lie above of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor, when the first member and the second member are each in the raised position relative to the conveyor;
the conveyor is for conveying a load placed thereon from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor without interference from the first member and the second member, when the first member and the second member are each in the lowered position relative to the conveyor;
the first member and the second member are for supporting a load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load from the first end of the frame to the second end of the frame, when the first member and the second member are each in the raised position relative to the conveyor; and
the conveyor comprises rollers, there being a first plurality of the rollers between the first member and the second member, and a second plurality of rollers between the second member and the second side of the conveyor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first member and the second member are each mounted to the frame for movement between the lowered position and the raised position with spaced-apart guide assemblies.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the guide assemblies each comprise a pair of relatively reciprocally movable members.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 20, wherein one of the pair of relatively reciprocally movable members is a shank received by a cam slot being the other one of the pair of relatively reciprocally movable members.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the shanks are carried by the frame.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the cam slots are carried by the first member and the second member.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the rollers are cylinder rollers.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the rollers are ball rollers.

### Claim 26 (depends on 18)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:
a drive member mounted rotatably to the frame, the drive member is operatively coupled to the first member and the second member, whereby rotation of the drive member from a first position to a second position urges corresponding concurrent movement of the first member and the second member from the lowered positions to the raised positions, and rotation of the drive member from the second position to the first position urges corresponding concurrent movement of the first member and the second member from the raised positions to the lowered positions; and
the drive member is operatively coupled to the members with cams, respectively, whereby rotation of the drive member from the first position to the second position rotates the cams against the first member and the second member, respectively, urging the first member and the second member from the lowered positions to the raised positions, and rotation of the drive member from the second position to the first position rotates the cams against the first member and the second member, respectively, urging the first member and the second member from the raised positions to the lowered positions.

### Claim 27

A load-conveying and transport apparatus, comprising:
a frame;
a conveyor, the conveyor is carried by the frame and includes opposed first and second sides that extend between opposed first and second ends;
a member between the first side and the second side of the conveyor, the member extends from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor;
the member is mounted to the frame for movement between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the conveyor;
the member lies below the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor for enabling the conveyor to convey a load placed thereon from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor without interference from the member, when the member is in the lowered position relative to the conveyor;
the member lies above of the conveyor from the first end of the conveyor to the second end of the conveyor for supporting a load placed thereon above the conveyor for disabling the conveyor from conveying the load from the first end of the frame to the second end of the frame without interference from the member, when the member is in the raised position relative to the conveyor; and
the conveyor comprises rollers, there being a plurality of the rollers on either side of the member.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the member is mounted to the frame for movement between the lowered position and the raised position with spaced-apart guide assemblies.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the guide assemblies each comprise a pair of relatively reciprocally movable members.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the rollers are cylinder rollers.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The load-conveying and transport apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the rollers are ball rollers.