Vehicle mounted aerial lift
AssigneeCrash Rescue Equipment Service, Inc.
InventorsRobert G. Relyea, Edward V. Garnett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerial lift for use with a vehicle for positioning the nozzle on the outer end of an upper boom coupled at its inner end to the outer end of a lower boom with selectively raising and lowering the lower boom in a plane from and above the horizontal and rotating the lower boom about a vertical axis, and independently articulating the upper boom about its inner end with respect to the lower boom such that the upper boom is selectively movable above and below the horizontal plane.
Claims25
In an aerial lift for a vehicle of the type having an operator's cab at the front thereof, an upper boom pivotally connected at a point adjacent its inner end to the outer end of a lower boom for pivotal movement with respect to each other, a support attached to the vehicle for rotation about an upright axis, the lower boom being pivotally connected at its inner end to the support and extending generally horizontally in a storage position, a power source coupled between the support and the lower boom for moving the lower boom upwardly and downwardly about is pivotal connection to the support, the improvement comprising:
- variable length link means having an inner end pivotally coupled to said support and an outer end pivotally connected to the inner end of the upper boom beyond its pivot connection to the lower boom such that upward movement of the outer end of the lower boom causes the outer end of the upper boom to raise generally vertically as the lower boom is raised;
- power means coupled between the inner and outer ends of the variable length link means for selectively changing the length of the link to move the upper boom about is pivot point with the lower boom in any position of the lower boom;
- an extensible section forming part of the upper boom and controllably movable to any selected position between a fully retracted and fully extended position under both full and no fluid flow conditions such that the outer end of the extensible boom can be positioned from a point at least a grade level to full elevation above the vehicle;
- a fluid discharge nozzle assembly mounted on the outer end of the extensible boom;
- a single fluid conduit for supplying fluid to the nozzle;
- a first rotatable fluid connection coupled to the discharge nozzle assembly and to the single fluid supply conduit to allow the nozzle to be positioned only in a vertical plane from substantially +45.degree. to -180.degree.;
- and
- a second rotatable fluid connection coupling the discharge nozzle assembly to the first rotatable fluid connection to allow the nozzle to be positioned .+-.90.degree. only in a plane perpendicular to the vertical plane so as to enable fluid to be directed in any selected forward direction from any position of the discharge nozzle assembly from at least grade level to full elevation.
Apparatus for positioning a nozzle on the outer end of an upper boom that faces forward on a fire fighting vehicle and is pivotally coupled adjacent its inner end to the outer end of a lower boom comprising:
- a vehicle operator cab on the forward part of the vehicle from which the vehicle can be driven in the forward direction toward an objective such as a fire;
- first power means for selectively and pivotally raising and lowering the lower boom in a vertical plane from and above a horizontal plane;
- second power means for extending the upper boom between a fully retracted position to a fully extended position under both no fluid flow and full fluid flow conditions;
- and
- third power means for independently articulating the upper boom about its inner end pivot with respect to the lower boom such that the nozzle on the outer end of the upper boom is selectively movable in front of the cab from a point at least at ground level to full elevation above the vehicle in any position of rotation about the vertical axis with the outer end of the upper boom being in view of the vehicle operator.
Apparatus for positioning a fluid nozzle assembly on the outer end of an upper boom that is pivotally coupled adjacent its inner end to the outer end of a lower boom on a vehicle comprising:
- first power means for selectively and pivotally raising and lowering the lower boom in a plane from and above a horizontal plane;
- second power means for independently articulating the upper boom about its pivot with respect to the lower boom such that the upper boom is selectively movable from a point at least at ground level to full elevation;
- an extensible boom on the upper boom for moving the nozzle outwardly from the upper boom under both full and no fluid flow conditions;
- motor means for positioning the fluid nozzle assembly in both vertical and horizontal planes;
- and
- a fluid carrying piercing nozzle mounted on the nozzle assembly adjacent to the fluid nozzle assembly and extending beyond the fluid nozzle assembly such that the piercing nozzle can be used to penetrate the wall of a structure to inject fluid within the structure by articulating the upper and lower booms, extending the upper boom as necessary and positioning the fluid nozzle assembly in the proper direction.
An aerial boom for a vehicle comprising:
- an upper boom and a lower boom, the upper boom being pivotally coupled adjacent its inner end to the outer end of the lower boom, the upper boom being extensible between a fully retracted and a fully extended position under both no fluid flow and full fluid flow conditions;
- means for rotatably and pivotally coupling the inner end of the lower boom to the vehicle for 360.degree. rotation of the upper and lower booms about a vertical axis;
- means coupled between the lower boom and the vehicle for raising and lowering the lower boom about its vehicle pivot point;
- and
- a link having a selectively variable length coupled between the inner end of the upper boom and the vehicle for selectively pivoting the upper boom with respect to the lower boom so as to enable the upper boom to be pivoted from a point below grade level to full elevation above the vehicle at any point in the 360.degree. rotation of the booms.
A method of positioning a fluid nozzle on the outer end of an upper boom that faces forward on a vehicle and is pivotally coupled adjacent its inner end to the outer end of a lower boom comprising the steps of:
- selectively and pivotally raising and lowering the lower boom in a vertical plane above a horizontal plane;
- selectively extending the upper boom between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position under both no fluid flow and full fluid flow conditions;
- and
- independently articulating the upper boom about its inner end pivot with respect to the lower boom such that the nozzle on the outer end of the upper boom is selectively movable in front of the vehicle from at least ground level to full elevation above the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.