Elevating cage apparatus with alternative powered or manual input
AssigneeSafe Rack LLC
InventorsJames Michael O'Keefe, Jeffrey David Scott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An elevating cage apparatus includes a support structure and a carriage that is operable to move vertically with respect to the support structure. The carriage is configured to be alternatively raised and lowered via a first driver and a second driver. The first driver may comprise a powered (electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic) motor, and the second driver may comprise a manual actuation mechanism including a hand crank. Both input drivers may be operable to move the carriage through a dual input worm drive gear box.
Claims17
An elevating cage apparatus for use in conjunction with a shipping container, said apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a carriage coupled to the support structure so that the carriage is movable vertically with respect to the support structure when the support structure is in an upright position;
- a gear box fixedly mounted with respect to the support structure so as not to move with the carriage having a first input and a second input either of which is operative to drive a shared output, the first input and the second input comprise opposite ends of a single shaft, wherein the gear box includes a worm drive and the single shaft comprises a worm shaft of the worm drive, the shared output being driven by the worm shaft and connected to the carriage to raise and lower the carriage;
- a first driver in operative engagement with the first input of the gear box;
- and
- a second driver in operative engagement with the second input of the gear box.
An elevating cage apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a carriage coupled to the support structure so that the carriage is movable vertically with respect to the support structure when the support structure is disposed in an upright position:
- a gear assembly having:
- an output shaft operatively coupled to the carriage so that rotation of the output shaft in one direction raises the carriage with respect to the support structure and rotation of the output shaft in an opposite direction lowers the carriage with respect to the support structure,
- a first input in rotationally driving engagement with the output shaft through the gear assembly;
- and
- a second input in rotationally driving engagement with the output shaft through the gear assembly;
- wherein the first input and the second input comprise opposite ends of a single shaft, wherein the gear assembly includes a worm drive and the single shaft comprises a worm shaft of the worm drive, the output shaft being driven by the worm shaft;
- wherein the output shaft, first input, and second input are fixedly mounted with respect to the support structure so as not to move with the carriage;
- a first driver in rotationally driving engagement with the output shaft via the first input;
- and
- a second driver in rotationally driving engagement with the output shaft via the second input.
An elevating cage apparatus for use in conjunction with a shipping container, said apparatus comprising:
- a support structure;
- a carriage coupled to the support structure so that the carriage is movable vertically with respect to the support structure when the support structure is in an upright position, said carriage defining a railing structure about a periphery thereof;
- a shared gear assembly having a first input, a second input, and a shared output shaft, the first input and the second input comprising opposite ends of a single shaft, wherein the gear assembly includes a worm drive and the single shaft comprises a worm shaft of the worm drive, the worm shaft being operative to rotate the shared output shaft, the shared output shaft being connected to the carriage to raise and lower the carriage, the first input, the second input, and the shared output shaft being fixedly mounted to the support structure so as not to move with the carriage;
- a powered motor in operative engagement with the first input of the gear assembly;
- and
- a manual actuation mechanism in operative engagement with the second input of the gear assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.