# US 11,306,474 B1 · Lifting mechanism for expandable shelter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,474 B1 - Document ID: US11306474B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/540,362 - Filed: 2019-08-14 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-16 - Assignees: Berg Companies, Inc. - Applicants: Berg Companies, Inc. - Inventors: Brent Condie; Paul Gorka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306474B1 ## CPC - B60P 3/34: the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement ({B60P3/38} takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06) - B60B 19/12: Roller-type wheels (B60B19/06 takes precedence) - B60B 33/0039: {Single wheels} - B60B 33/0049: {the rolling axle being horizontal} - B60P 3/341: {comprising flexible elements} - B66F 11/00: Lifting devices specially adapted for particular uses not otherwise provided for (ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle B60S9/00) - E04B 1/3431: {with only one level of nesting} - E04B 1/34321: {mainly constituted by panels} - E04B 1/3444: {with only lateral unfolding} - E04B 5/43: Floor structures of extraordinary design; Features relating to the elastic stability; Floor structures specially designed for resting on columns only, e.g. mushroom floors ({anchoring devices for balconies with means for preventing cold bridging E04B1/0038}; extraordinary constructions in general E04B1/34) - E04H 1/1205: {Small buildings erected in the open air (E04H1/1272 takes precedence)} - B60B 33/0063: {no swivelling action, i.e. no real caster} - E04B 1/34312: {Vertical telescopic structures} - E04B 1/34317: {Set of building elements forming a self-contained package for transport before assembly} - E04B 1/34336: {Structures movable as a whole, e.g. mobile home structures (vehicles comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping or like vehicles B60P3/32)} - E04B 1/35: Extraordinary methods of construction, e.g. lift-slab, jack-block (E04B1/34 takes precedence; falsework, shuttering for shaping walls, floors, ceilings or roofs in situ E04G11/04; conveying or assembling of building materials E04G21/00; working measures on existing buildings E04G23/00) - E04B 2001/3588: {using special lifting or handling devices, e.g. gantries, overhead conveying rails} - B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00) - B60B: VEHICLE WHEELS (making wheels or wheel parts by rolling B21H1/00, by forging, hammering or pressing B21K1/28); CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION - B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00) - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) ## Abstract An enclosure including an upper frame, a lower frame, and a lift mechanism operably coupling the upper frame and the lower frame together. The lift mechanism includes first drive shafts and a second drive shaft operably coupling the first drive shafts for operation in unison, and an input operably coupled to at least one of the first drive shafts or the second drive shaft. The lift mechanism transitions the enclosure between a stowed state and a deployed state during a movement of the actuator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a frame assembly including: an upper frame having a plurality of first vertical members; and a lower frame having a plurality of second vertical members; and a lift mechanism operably coupled to the frame assembly, the lift mechanism configured to transition the upper frame between a stowed state and a deployed state, the lift mechanism including: a plurality of vertical shafts, wherein individual vertical shafts are operably coupled between individual first vertical members of the upper frame and individual second vertical members of the lower frame; a plurality of screw jacks operably coupled to the individual vertical shafts; and a plurality of gear drives, wherein individual gear drives of the plurality of gear drives are operably coupled to individual screw jacks; a plurality of independent inputs, wherein each of the plurality of independent inputs is operably coupled to a respective one of the plurality of gear drives; and one or more horizontal shafts that operably couple the plurality of gear drives together such that the plurality of gear drives operate in unison to transition the upper frame between the stowed state and the deployed state upon actuation of any one of the plurality of independent inputs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more shafts include: a first side-drive shaft operably coupled to a first gear drive and a second gear drive of the plurality of gear drives; a second side-drive shaft operably coupled a third gear drive and a fourth gear drive of the plurality of gear drives; and a cross-drive shaft operably coupled to the first side-drive shaft and the second side-drive shaft, wherein the first side-drive shaft, the second side-drive shaft, and the cross-drive shaft couple to the first gear drive, the second gear drive, the third gear drive, and the fourth gear drive for operation in unison. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of independent inputs comprises: a first input coupled to the first gear drive; a second input coupled to the second gear drive; a third input coupled to the third gear drive; and a fourth input couple to the fourth gear drive, wherein each of the first input, the second input, the third input and the fourth input are rotatable to actuate the lift mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a rotational movement of at least one of the plurality of gear drives transfers the rotational movement to the plurality of gear drives via the one or more horizontal shafts and causes the upper frame to transition between the stowed state and the deployed state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the individual screw jacks of the plurality of screw jacks further include a wear plate, the wear plate disposed in or on the individual first vertical members of the plurality of first vertical members. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ceiling panels coupled to the upper frame, wherein the plurality of ceiling panels are configured to transition between the stowed state and the deployed state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of floor panels coupled to the lower frame, wherein the plurality of floor panels are configured to transition between the stowed state and the deployed state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the frame assembly includes a perimeter, and wherein the plurality of floor panels are disposed within the perimeter of the frame assembly in the stowed state. ### Claim 9 An enclosure comprising: an upper frame; a lower frame; and a lift mechanism operably coupling the upper frame and the lower frame, the lift mechanism transitioning the enclosure between a stowed state and a deployed state, the lift mechanism including: a plurality of first drive shafts; a plurality of screw jacks, wherein individual screw jacks each include a nut and a spring for resiliently biasing the nut wherein a respective nut threadedly engages with individual ones of the plurality of first drive shafts, and a stop nut secured to each individual first drive shaft of the plurality of first drive shafts; a second drive shaft operably coupling the plurality of first drive shafts for operation in unison; and an input operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of first drive shafts or the second drive shaft, wherein a movement of the input transitions the upper frame away from the lower frame to at least partially transition the enclosure between the stowed state and the deployed state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The enclosure of claim 9, further comprising: a plurality of first gear drives, wherein individual first gear drives of the plurality of first gear drives operably couple to individual ones of the plurality of first drive shafts, wherein the individual first gear drives transfer the movement of the input to the individual one of the plurality of first drive shafts; and a plurality of second gear drives, wherein individual second gear drives of the plurality of second gear drives operably couple to the individual first gear drives and the second drive shaft, wherein the individual second gear drives transfer the movement of the input to the second drive shaft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The enclosure of claim 9, wherein: the movement causes the individual ones of the plurality of first drive shafts to rotate and engage the individual screw jacks such that the enclosure transitions between the stowed state and the deployed state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The enclosure of claim 9, wherein the spring comprises a spring assembly to accommodate a misalignment of one of the plurality of first drive shafts with another one of the plurality of first drive shafts. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The enclosure of claim 9, wherein: the spring is positioned between the stop nut and the nut. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The enclosure of claim 9, wherein: the upper frame includes one or more first posts disposed at corners of the upper frame; and the lower frame includes one or more second posts disposed at corners of the lower frame, individual second posts of the one or more second posts being configured to be disposed over individual first posts of the one or more first posts in the stowed state or be disposed within the individual first posts of the one or more first posts in the stowed state. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The enclosure of claim 9, wherein the upper frame includes a top and the lower frame includes a floor, the enclosure further comprising at least one of: a ceiling panel operably coupled to the upper frame, the ceiling panel being substantially perpendicular to the top in the stowed state and substantially parallel to the top in the deployed state; or a floor panel operably coupled to the lower frame, the floor panel being substantially perpendicular to the floor in the stowed state and substantially parallel to the floor in the deployed state. ### Claim 16 An expandable shelter configured to transition between a stowed state and a deployed state, the expandable shelter comprising: a trailer; and a frame assembly coupled to the trailer, the frame assembly including: an upper frame having a plurality of first vertical posts; and a plurality of ceiling panels configured to unfold from the upper frame; a lower frame having: a plurality of second vertical posts, wherein individual second vertical posts of the plurality of second vertical posts are configured to telescopically engage with individual first vertical posts of the plurality of first vertical posts; a plurality of floor panels configured to unfold from the lower frame when the upper frame is in the deployed state; wherein the plurality of ceiling panels of the upper frame overlay the plurality of floor panels of the lower frame when the expandable shelter is in the stowed state; a lifting mechanism comprising multiple linear actuators coupled to one another to operate in unison to transition the expandable shelter between the stowed state and the deployed state; a plurality of inputs coupled to the lifting mechanism, wherein each of the plurality of inputs is coupled to a respective one of the multiple linear actuators; wherein individual linear actuators of the lifting mechanism include: a vertical shaft; a screw jack operably coupled to the vertical shaft; and a gear drive coupled between the vertical shaft and the input, wherein a rotation of the vertical shaft causes the screw jack to be driven along a length of the vertical shaft to transition the expandable shelter between the stowed state and the deployed state; and a stop nut secured to the vertical shaft to retard the vertical shaft from disengaging with the screw lack; wherein the screw jack includes a nut threadedly engaging the vertical shaft a first spring located adjacent a first side of the nut for resiliently biasing the nut; a second spring located adjacent a second side of the nut for resiliently biasing the nut; and a third spring located adjacent the stop nut. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The expandable shelter of claim 16 wherein the screw jack further comprises a housing, and a respective plate mounted to the housing for supporting each of the first, second, and third springs.