US 5,275,064 A · Extensible platform with cable drive system

Abstract

A telescoping platform assembly able to convert each unit of distance moved by a driver into two, four, or greater number of units of platform extension includes five or more interconnected slide members. The interconnected slide members are extended by operation of a powered driver coupled to the second slide member cooperating with first, second, and third cable and pulley mechanisms. The first cable and pulley mechanism couples the first, second, and third slide members together so that the third slide extends twice as far as the second slide member. The second cable and pulley mechanism couples the second, third, and fourth slide members together so that the fourth slide members extends three times as far as the second slide member. The third cable and pulley mechanism couples the third, fourth, and fifth slide members together so that the fifth slide member extends four times as far as the second slide member. Thus, the first, second, and third coupling mechanisms cooperate to extend the platform four times the total extension of the second slide member. Fourth, fifth, and sixth cable and pulley mechanisms are similarly coupled to the slide members to retract the telescoping platform assembly from the extended position.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A telescoping platform assembly comprising

a telescoping slide assembly including interconnected first, second, third, fourth, and fifth slide members, the slide members being movable relative to one another to expand the telescoping slide assembly between a home position and a fully projected position,
first means for coupling the first, second, and third slide members together so that movement of the second slide member over a predetermined distance relative to the first slide member causes the third slide member to move twice the predetermined distance relative to the first slide member to extend the third slide member from a retracted position to an extended position and expand the telescoping slide assembly toward its fully projected position,
second means for coupling the second, third, and fourth slide members together so that movement of the third slide member over the twice the predetermined distance relative to the first slide member results in the fourth slide member moving three times the predetermined distance relative to the first slide member to extend the fourth slide member from a retracted position to an extended position and expand the telescoping slide assembly further toward its fully projected position, and
third means for coupling the third, fourth, and fifth slide members together so that movement of the third slide member over the twice the predetermined distance relative to the first slide member results in the fifth slide member moving four times the predetermined distance relative to the first slide member to extend the fifth slide member from a retracted position to an extended position and expand the telescoping slide assembly to reach its fully projected position.

1 more element

A telescoping platform assembly comprising

a plurality of telescoping slide members including interconnected first, second, third, fourth, and fifth slide members,
means for extending the slide members so that movement of the second slide member over a predetermined distance relative to the first slide member results in movement of the fifth slide member over four times the predetermined distance relative to the first slide member to extend the telescoping platform from a home position to a fully extended position, and
means for retracting the slide members so that movement of the second slide member over a predetermined distance relative to the first slide member results in movement of the fifth slide member over four times the predetermined distance relative to the first slide member to retract the telescoping platform from an extended position to a fully retracted home position.

A telescoping platform assembly comprising

a first telescoping slide assembly having a first slide member, a second slide member slidably coupled to the first slide member, and a first connecting slide member slidably coupled to the second slide member,
a second telescoping slide assembly attached to the first slide assembly, the second slide assembly having a second connecting slide member rigidly attached to the first connecting slide member to define a third slide member, a fourth slide member slidably coupled to the second connecting slide member and a fifth slide member slidably coupled to the fourth slide member,
means for extending the first and second slide assemblies from a home position to an extended position, and
means for retracting to the first and second slide assemblies from an extended position to a home position.

1 more element

A system for controlling telescoping of a plurality of interconnected slide members, the system comprising

a first and second telescoping slide assemblies stacked on top of one another, each slide assembly including an inner slide member, an outer slide member, and an intermediate slide member connecting the inner and outer slide members, the inner slide member of the second telescoping slide assembly being rigidly attached to the outer slide member of the first telescoping slide assembly so that the second telescoping slide assembly is mounted on the outer slide member of the first telescoping slide assembly to move therewith,
means for extending the slide members so that movement of the first intermediate slide member over a predetermined distance relative to the first inner slide member results in movement of the second outer slide member over four times the predetermined distance relative to the first inner slide member to extend the telescoping platform from a home position to a fully extended position, and
means for retracting the slide members so that movement of the first intermediate slide member over a predetermined distance relative to the first inner slide member results in movement of the second outer slide member over four times the predetermined distance relative to the first inner slide member to retract the telescoping platform from an extended position to a home position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Extensible platform with cable drive system

Life of this patent

Extensible platform with cable drive system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29