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US 4,417,639 AGranted
Dynamic gas pressured jacking structure with improved load stability and air pallet employing same
OwnerJack Wegenerinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerJack Wegenerinventor
Estimating the term…
A pair of relatively rigid planar members overlying each other are coupled about their edges by a flexible film band to form a jacking plenum chamber. The upper planar member functions as the load support, bearing a gas inlet hole adjacent one edge whose diameter is approximately twice the size of an outlet hole adjacent the edge of the underlying planar member to the opposite end of the jacking plenum chamber whereby, a gas under pressure entering on end of the jacking plenum chamber and escaping through the outer end, functions to jack the load and upper relatively rigid planar member to a height defined by the height of the flexible band. The holes at the opposite ends of the chamber provide load stabilization during jacking. The lower rigid member may further bear a thin flexible sheet perforated over a major central portion which is edged jointly to the lower planar member to define an air bearing planar chamber therebetween with the assembly functioning as an air pallet with integral jacking chamber. Side by side separate air inlets to the jacking plenum chamber and the air bearing plenum chamber are fed by a slidable valve member bearing the pressurized gas supply permits the selective jacking, air bearing or combined action. One or more tubes bearing perforations on the lower surface and selectively pressurized or subject to vacuum pressure penetrate into cavities beneath a conventional wooden pallet to effect a combined air pallet and jacking application to conventional wooden pallets, with ease of entry and removal of the combined air pallet and jacking tube or tubes.
A dynamic air pressure jacking structure with improved load stability for a load carried thereby and jacked vertically upwardly from an underlying relatively rigid support surface, said structure comprising:
A detachable coupling for an air pressurized jacking structure, air pallet or the like, wherein compressed air is supplied to a plenum chamber partially defined by an upper, relatively rigid, planar member bearing an air inlet opening within the same, said coupling comprising:
In combination with a platform pallet having depending runners normally engaging a supporting surface and forming at least one elongated cavity beneath a platform load bearing surface, a horizontal platform for movement across the surface relative to the load bearing platform pallet, a motor driven air blower mounted on said platform bearing a discharge tube discharging a positive pressure air flow, an elongated flexible tube mounted to the discharge tube of the blower for retraction and projection longitudinally into extended position beneath the platform pallet load and within the cavity between runners, said thin flexible tube including perforations on the bottom surface thereof opening unrestrictedly to the interior of the tube, said tube having a diameter such that when fully inflated by operation of said blower, said load and said platform pallet is lifted from said supporting surface, and means for effecting retraction of said tube from said cavity beneath said platform pallet load and for rolling up of said tube towards said blower upon termination of positive pressure air flow from said blower to said tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.