Roof support system for transport vehicles and related methods
OwnerMark Willliam Bowman, IIinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A roof support system and method to stabilize the roof of a transport vehicle during repair work. The system includes a roof support assembly with a planar base, support members, a lower post, and an upper post that is slidably coupled to the lower post. A winch mounted on the lower post operates a pair of winch cables that pass through pulleys on the upper post, allowing the upper post to move upward and bring a horizontal support bar into contact with the roof.
Claims19
A roof support system for stabilizing a roof of a transport vehicle during repair work, said system comprising:
- (a) a roof support assembly configured to stabilize said roof, said roof support assembly comprising:
- i) a planar base;
- ii) a plurality of support members connecting said planar base to a lower portion of a lower post;
- iii) said lower post attached to said planar base;
- iv) an upper post slidably coupled to an exterior of said lower post by at least one retention piece configured to guide said upper post;
- v) a winch mounted on said lower post at a location above where said plurality of support members connect to said lower post;
- vi) a pair of winch cables, each winch cable having a first end attached to said winch and a second end formed into a loop;
- vii) a pair of pulleys mounted on opposite sides of said upper post;
- viii) a horizontal support bar attached to said upper post;
- and
- ix) a pair of cable attachment points on said opposite sides of said upper post for engaging said winch cables,
- wherein said pair of winch cables passes from said winch, upward to and then around said pulleys, and down to said cable attachment points, and
- wherein said winch is operable to wind said pair of winch cables to move said upper post upward, thereby bringing said horizontal support bar into contact with said roof to stabilize said roof for repair work.
A method for stabilizing a roof of a transport vehicle during repair work, said method comprising:
- a) providing a roof support assembly comprising
- i) a planar base,
- ii) a plurality of support members connecting said planar base to a lower portion of a lower post, said lower post attached to said planar base,
- iii) an upper post slidably coupled to an exterior of said lower post by at least one retention piece configured to guide said upper post,
- iv) a winch mounted on said lower post at a location above where said plurality of support members connect to said lower post,
- v) a pair of winch cables, each winch cable having a first end attached to said winch and a second end formed into a loop,
- vi) a pair of pulleys mounted on opposite sides of said upper post,
- vii) a horizontal support bar attached to said upper post, and
- viii) a pair of cable attachment points on said opposite sides of said upper post for engaging said winch cables,
- wherein said pair of winch cables passes from said winch, upward to and then around said pulleys, and down to said cable attachment points;
- b) positioning said roof support assembly under said roof of said transport vehicle;
- and
- c) operating said winch to wind said pair of winch cables to move said upper post upward, thereby bringing said horizontal support bar into contact with the roof to stabilize the roof for repair work.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.