Undercarriage for X-ray diagnostic equipment

A brake and wheel undercarriage attached to a base member supporting diagnostic equipment, the undercarriage comprising:

• swivel means for rotation of a wheel about a vertical axis, the swivel means being connected to the frame member and extending generally downwardly from the frame member, the swivel means comprising:
• an inner sleeve, an outer sleeve, and at least one bearing disposed between the inner and outer sleeves such that the inner sleeve rotates about the vertical axis and at least partially within the outer sleeve,
• a housing partially disposed within said inner sleeve and extending upward out of said inner sleeve to a fixed attachment with the base member, the housing being positioned such that the inner sleeve rotates about said housing;
• and
• a horizontal linear groove disposed along a bottom edge of the swivel means and perpendicular to the vertical axis;
• a wheel connected to the swivel means opposite the frame member, the wheel being disposed about a generally horizontal axis and rotatable about said axis so as to roll as the frame member is moved in a generally horizontal direction;
• at least one locking means for disabling the swivel means, the locking means being disposed along the swivel means and having a unlocked position, in which the swivel means can rotate about the vertical axis and a locked position in which the swivel means cannot rotate about the vertical axis, the at least one locking means comprising a holder pin disposed along the swivel means and having generally horizontal arms formed so as to nest in the horizontal groove, the holder pin being movable between a nested position and an extended position, such that when the arms of the holder pin are nested in said groove, the swivel means is in the disengaged position and when the arms of the holder pin are not nested in said groove, the swivel means is in the engaged position;
• first actuating means for moving the locking means between the unlocked and locked position, said actuating means being disposed adjacent to the locking means,
• means for braking disposed adjacent to the wheel and having an engaged position, in which the wheel cannot rotate, and a disengaged position in which the wheel can rotate;
• and
• second actuating means disposed adjacent the braking means for moving the braking means between the disengaged position and the engaged position.

An undercarriage assembly for wheeling heavy equipment, said undercarriage assembly comprising:

• at least one front wheel rotatably mounted on a bottom portion of the equipment and being rotatable about a horizontal axis,
• at least one rear wheel rotatably mounted on the bottom portion of the equipment behind the front wheel and being rotatable about a horizontal axis in tandem with the front wheel to thereby enable wheeling the equipment across a surface such that respective bottom extremities of said wheels are common to a plane tangential thereto;
• a leg member pivotally attached at a proximal end to the bottom portion of the equipment, behind the rear wheel;
• a wheel member rotatably mounted on a distal end of the leg member and being rotatable about a horizontal axis,
• means attached to the equipment and to the leg member for positioning said leg member to extend downwardly from the bottom portion of the equipment at an angle thereto such that the wheel member resides above the tangential plane common to the front and rear wheels in a suspended position and rotates in tandem with the rear wheel when said wheel member contacts the surface across which the equipment is wheeled to thereby assist in wheeling said equipment, such that said means absorbs impact energy from the wheel member when said wheel member contacts said surface to thereby prevent the equipment from rocking, said means comprising a means for providing constant rate resistance so as to allow constant rate deflection of the wheel member toward the base member.

An undercarriage carriage assembly for C-arm X-ray diagnostic equipment having a base with two lateral sides and a front portion and a rear portion, the front and rear portion being defined by a center of gravity of the equipment, said assembly comprising:

• at least one front wheel rotatably mounted on a bottom portion of the base member and being rotatable about a horizontal axis to allow the base to roll on said wheel;
• a pair of rear wheels rotatably mounted to the base member rearward of the front wheel, the rear wheels being disposed on lateral sides of the base member and being positioned adjacent to the front portion and the rear portion so as to be generally below the center of gravity of said equipment, each of said wheels being rotatable about a horizontal axis in tandem with the front wheel to thereby enable wheeling the equipment across a surface such that respective bottom extremities of said wheels are common to a plane tangential thereto;
• a leg member pivotally attached at a proximal end to the bottom portion of the equipment, behind the rear wheel;
• a wheel member rotatably mounted on a distal end of the leg member and being rotatable about a horizontal axis;
• and
• a linear decelerator attached to the base member and to the leg member for positioning said leg member to extend downwardly from the bottom portion of the base member at an angle thereto such that the wheel member resides above the tangential plane common to the front and rear wheels in a suspended position and rotates in tandem with the rear wheel when said wheel member contacts the surface across which the equipment is wheeled to thereby assist in wheeling said equipment, such that said linear decelerator absorbs impact energy from the wheel member when said wheel member contacts said surface, so as to allow constant rate deflection of the wheel toward the base member to thereby prevent the equipment from rocking.

An undercarriage assembly for wheeling heavy equipment, said undercarriage being attached to a base member supporting said equipment, comprising:

• a front wheel rotatably mounted on a bottom portion of the base member and being rotatable about a horizontal axis;
• a rear wheel rotatably connected to the base member behind the front wheel, the rear wheel being rotatable about a horizontal axis in tandem with the front wheel to thereby enable wheeling the equipment across a surface such that respective bottom extremities of said wheels are common to a plane tangential thereto;
• swivel means for connecting the rear wheel to the base member so as to enable rotation of the rear wheel about a vertical axis, said swivel means having an engaged position, wherein the swivel means can rotate about the vertical axis, and a disengaged position wherein the swivel means cannot swivel about the vertical axis, the swivel means comprising:
• an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve disposed partially within said outer sleeve, the inner sleeve having an top end and a bottom end, and being attached to the rear wheel,
• at least one bearing disposed between the inner and outer sleeves to enable the inner sleeve to rotate within the outer sleeve and about the vertical axis;
• a horizontal linear groove disposed along a bottom edge of the swivel means perpendicular to the vertical axis;
• and
• a holder pin disposed along the bottom of an actuator means having generally horizontal arms formed so as to nest in the horizontal groove, the holder pin being movable between a nested position and an extended position, such that when the arms of the holder pin are nested in said groove, the swivel means is in the disengaged position and when the arms of the holder pin are not nested in said groove, the swivel means is in the engaged position said actuator means for moving the holder pin between the disengaged and engaged positions being disposed adjacent said inner sleeve.