Quick exchange battery apparatus for battery powered vehicles and method therefor

A method for replacing a discharged battery pack in a battery powered vehicle especially useful for a mass transit battery powered vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus for replacing the discharged battery pack comprising, in combination:
• a platform deck movable along both a horizontal plane and a vertical plane;
• at least one storage location for the battery pack positioned on the platform deck;
• roller means coupled to the platform deck for moving the platform deck along the horizontal plane so as to position the platform deck underneath a battery holding location located on the battery powered vehicle;
• pneumatic carrier means using air for both lifting and moving the battery pack from the storage location on the platform deck to the battery holding location on the battery powered vehicle and using air for both lifting and moving the battery pack from the battery holding location on the battery powered vehicle across the platform deck to the storage location;
• and
• lifting means coupled to the platform deck for raising and lowering the platform deck in a vertical plane and for allowing the platform deck to be raised to a position directly underneath the battery pack so that the pneumatic carrier means may lift and move a battery pack that has no more stored energy and substitute a fresh battery pack having stored energy for the battery pack that has no more electrical charge;
• moving the platform deck along the horizontal plane to a position underneath the battery holding location on the battery powered vehicle;
• moving the pneumatic carrier means underneath a depleted battery pack in the battery powered vehicle;
• raising the platform deck in the vertical plane so that a lifting surface on the pneumatic carrier means engages a bottom surface on the depleted battery pack of the battery powered vehicle;
• activating air flow means to the pneumatic carrier means so that the pneumatic carrier means lifts the depleted battery pack out of the battery holding location on the battery powered vehicle;
• moving the depleted battery pack on the pneumatic carrier means from the battery holding location on the battery powered vehicle across the platform deck to a first storage location;
• deactivating the air flow means to the pneumatic carrier means causing the depleted battery pack to be lowered into place at the first storage location;
• removing the pneumatic carrier means from the depleted battery pack;
• moving the pneumatic carrier means underneath a fresh battery pack located at a second storage location;
• activating the air flow means to the pneumatic carrier means so that the pneumatic carrier means lifts the fresh battery pack from the second storage location;
• moving the fresh battery pack on the pneumatic carrier means across the platform deck to the battery holding location on the battery powered vehicle;
• deactivating the air flow means to the pneumatic carrier means so that the fresh battery pack may be lowered into place on the battery holding location on the battery powered vehicle;
• and
• removing the pneumatic carrier means from the fresh battery pack.