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US 5,704,677 AGranted
Drive assembly for retractable top of a mobile housing
OwnerVirgil H. Steury, Edwin J. Steuryinventors
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OwnerVirgil H. Steury, Edwin J. Steuryinventors
Estimating the term…
A mobile housing is provided with a plurality of telescopic standards mounted on a base for movably supporting the top of the mobile housing between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the base. A first pair and a second pair of slidable pistons are mounted in the base for simultaneous movement between a first position and a second position, the movement of each of the pair of pistons being substantially parallel and in opposite directions to one another. A first pair and a second pair of tubes, are provided with longitudinally extending slots and a flexible conduit extends from each of the tubes to one of the standards. Each of the tubes of the first pair and each of the tubes of the second pair are disposed in spaced parallel relationship to each other between the first and the second positions. A plurality of flexible, elongated, incompressible connector elements supported in the tubes and in the conduits are connected between the pair of pistons and respective ones of the standards for movement with the pistons in the tubes to prevent buckling and unnecessary flexing of the elements during raising and lowering of the top from the retracted position to the raised position. Drive means is coupled to each of the pair of pistons to effect simultaneous movement thereof between the first and the second positions. In a second embodiment, the tubes are replaced by a one-piece master tube in the form of an extrusion having separated guide channels for receiving the connector elements and preventing buckling or lateral movement of the connector elements. Snap on end caps are connected to the master tube and to the flexible conduits.
A mobile housing comprising:
A mobile housing having a base, a top, a pair of telescopic standards secured to the base, a drive assembly mounted to the base, a pair of flexible, elongated connector elements, each of the elements having a front portion disposed in each of the standards and a rear portion interconnecting each of the standards to the drive assembly, and a pair of conduits having a forward end and a distal end, each of the conduits enclosing the elements, the drive assembly comprising:
A mobile housing having a base, a top, a pair of telescopic standards secured to the base, a drive assembly mounted to the base, a pair of flexible elongated connector elements, each of the elements having a front portion disposed in each of the standards and a rear portion interconnecting each of the standards to the drive assembly, and a pair of conduits having a forward end and a distal end, each of the conduits enclosing the elements, the drive assembly comprising:
A lift for a plurality of telescopic standards mounted on a base comprising an actuator, a plurality of elongated incompressible connector elements extending from said actuator for actuating said standards, guide means surrounding said connector elements and extending from said actuator to said standards, said actuator including an axially movable piston extending between and connected with laterally spaced apart portions of said connector elements which extend from said guide means, a guide structure including separate tubes respectively confining said connector element portions against buckling and providing clearance for said piston, and means for axially moving said piston to axially move said connector elements in unison for operating said standards.
A lift for a plurality of telescopic standards mounted on a base comprising an actuator, a plurality of elongated incompressible connector elements extending from said actuator for actuating said standards, guide means surrounding said connector elements and extending from said actuator to said standards, said actuator including an axially moveable piston extending between and connected with laterally spaced-apart portions of said connector elements which extend from said guide means, a guide structure confining said connector element portions against buckling and providing clearance for said piston, and means for axially moving said piston to axially move said connector elements in unison for operating said standards, said confining structure comprising an elongated tubular member having opposed sides respectively confining first sides of said connector element portions, internal spaced apart walls respectively confining opposite sides of said laterally spaced apart connector element portions, said internal walls having longitudinal slots therein defining said clearance for said piston.
A drive assembly for a retractable top of a mobile trailer having a pair of front corner telescopic standards and a pair of rear corner telescopic standards supporting said top, said drive assembly comprising an actuator structure, a first pair of flexible connector elements between said actuator structure and said front corner standards, a second pair of flexible connector elements between said actuator structure and said rear corner standards, guide conduits surrounding each of said flexible elements between said actuator structure and said standards, said actuator structure including means providing a first pair of elongated tubes respectively slidably receiving an end portion of one of said first pair of connector elements and a second pair of elongated tubes respectively slidably receiving an end portion of one of said second pair of connector elements, first piston means extending between said first pair of tubes and attached to said end portions of said first pair of connector elements, second piston means extending between said second pair of tubes and attached to said end portions of said second pair of connector elements, slot means in said first and second pairs of tubes providing clearance for said piston means, and a common actuator element connected to both of said piston means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.