Quick release hoist system
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsGregory Ethan Roeth, Stephen Wade Pennington
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hoist system including an air balancer having an air supply and an air exhaust, a lifting device, and a hoist control pendant to control supply and exhaust of pressurized air to and from the air balancer, respectively, the hoist control pendant configured to control vertical movement of the lifting device. The air exhaust from the air balancer includes a first exhaust flow path through a first exhaust opening and a second exhaust flow path through a second exhaust opening, the first exhaust flow path having a first length and the second exhaust flow path having a second length, the second length being shorter than the first length.
Claims18
A hoist system comprising:
- an air balancer having an air supply and an air exhaust;
- a lifting device;
- and
- a hoist control pendant to control supply and exhaust of pressurized air to and from the air balancer, respectively, the hoist control pendant configured to control vertical movement of the lifting device;
- wherein the air exhaust from the air balancer includes a first exhaust flow path through a first exhaust opening and a second exhaust flow path through a second exhaust opening, the first exhaust flow path having a first length and the second exhaust flow path having a second length, the second length being shorter than the first length.
An air balancer for a pneumatic hoist system comprising:
- a housing including opposing end walls and a cylindrical casing extending therebetween;
- a piston slidably disposed within the cylindrical casing so as to define an air chamber proximate one of said opposing end walls;
- a mechanical linear actuator extending longitudinally through the housing and actuated by the piston;
- an inlet for air to be supplied into the air chamber;
- and
- an exhaust system controlling air to be exhausted from the air chamber;
- wherein the exhaust system defines a first exhaust flow path and a second exhaust flow path, the second exhaust flow path exhausting a greater volume of air than the first exhaust flow path in a predetermined period of elapsed time.
A method of pneumatic hoist operation comprising:
- providing a pneumatic hoist having an air balancer, a lifting cable hoist, and a hoist control pendant, wherein the hoist control pendant includes an up direction control, a down direction control, and a quick release down control;
- actuating the up control on the hoist control pendant to raise the lifting cable in an upwards direction;
- actuating the down control on the hoist control pendant to lower the lifting cable in a downwards direction at a first rate of descent;
- actuating the quick release control on the hoist control pendant to lower the lifting cable in the downwards direction at a second rate of descent;
- wherein the second rate of descent is greater than the first rate of descent;
- wherein actuating the down control on the hoist control pendant to lower the lifting cable in the downwards direction at the first rate of descent includes exhausting air from the air balancer through a first exhaust flow path;
- and
- wherein actuating the quick release control on the hoist control pendant to lower the lifting cable in the downwards direction at the second rate of descent includes exhausting air from the air balancer through a second exhaust flow path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.