Guide rail climbing lifting platform and method
AssigneesD. H. Blattner & Sons, Inc., Elgood Mayo Corp.
InventorsDonald D. Brennan, Brent R. Leisening, Carl W. Diedrich, George M. Burkhart, Ralph Douglas Fredrickson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guide rail system is used to erect towers, to place equipment on towers and for maintenance of towers. The guide rail may be added to existing towers, a climbing lifting platform is attached to the guide rails and is used to transport items up and down the tower. The platform may also be used to carry up tower sections during erection of the tower.
Claims13
A tower comprising in combination:
- a) a plurality of generally tubular tower sections each having a top and a bottom, including a lower tubular tower section to be anchored to the ground and at least one higher tubular tower section constructed and arranged to be securable on top of a lower tower section;
- b) each said tubular tower section including a guide rail extending from said bottom to said top and being constructed and arranged such that stacked and secured tubular tower sections may be arranged such that the guide rail is continuous from the bottom to the top of the tower thus formed;
- c) a guide rail climbing lifting platform attachable to said guide rails with a carriage track system, said platform including a climbing mechanism for raising and lowering said platform on said guide rails and for securing said carriage track system to said guide rails, said platform further including a carriage assembly for carrying items up and down said tower;
- d) an apparatus for moving said carriage assembly horizontally over the top of said tower and for raising and lowering said carriage assembly when positioned over said tower.
A vertically oriented tower having a series of interconnected modular tubular tower sections along a vertical height connected by joints, each said tubular tower section including a guide rail aligned with a guide rail from an adjacent tubular tower section such that a continuous guide rail extends from the bottom to the top of said tower, said tower including a guide rail climbing lifting platform attachable to said guide rail and including a mechanism for moving along said guide rail, said platform defining a carriage assembly to which items may be placed for delivery up or down said tower, said tower including an apparatus for moving said carriage assembly over the top of said tower.
A kit for adapting structures to include a guide rail and guide rail lifting platform system comprising:
- a) a plurality of guide rail sections each having mechanisms for attaching the guide rail sections to a structure;
- b) a guide rail climbing lifting platform attachable to said guide rail and including a mechanism for moving along said guide rail, said platform defining a carriage assembly to which items may be placed for delivery up or down said structure, said kit including an apparatus for moving said carriage assembly over the top of said structure.
A method for building towers comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a base;
- b) erecting a first generally tubular section on said base, said tubular section including a guide rail along its length;
- c) attaching a guide rail climbing lifting platform to said guide rail, said platform including a mechanism for moving along said guide rail, said platform defining a carriage assembly to which items may be placed for delivery up or down said tower;
- d) placing another tubular section onto said carriage assembly and lifting said platform on said guide rails and sliding said another tubular section over the top of said first tubular section and securing said sections together;
- and
- e) lowering said platform to receive another tubular section and repeating said process until the desired tower height is achieved.
A method for servicing wind generating towers comprising the steps of:
- a) attaching a guide rail to the outside of the tower;
- b) attaching a guide rail climbing lifting platform to said guide rail, said platform including a mechanism for moving along said guide rail, said platform defining a carriage assembly to which items may be placed for delivery up or down said tower;
- and
- c) utilizing said platform to raise and lower wind generating turbine components on said tower.
A method for constructing wind generating towers comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a base;
- b) erecting a first generally tubular section on said base, said tubular section including a guide rail along its length;
- c) attaching a guide rail climbing lifting platform to said guide rail, said platform including a mechanism for moving along said guide rail, said platform defining a carriage assembly to which items may be placed for delivery up or down said tower;
- d) placing another tubular section onto said carriage assembly and lifting said platform on said guide rails;
- e) sliding said another tubular section over the top of said first tubular section and securing said sections together;
- f) lowering said platform to receive another tubular section and repeating said process until the desired tower height is achieved;
- and
- g) lowering said platform to receive wind generating turbine components and raising each of said wind generating components on said platform to the top of said tower until all components are assembled.
A tower comprising in combination:
- a) a plurality of generally tubular tower sections each having a top and a bottom, including a lower tubular tower section to be anchored to the ground and at least one higher tubular tower section constructed and arranged to be securable on top of a lower section;
- b) each said tubular tower section including a guide rail extending from said bottom to said top and being constructed and arranged such that stacked and secured tubular tower sections may be arranged such that the guide rail is continuous from the bottom to the top of the tower thus formed;
- and
- c) a guide rail climbing lifting platform attachable to said guide rails with a carriage track system, said platform including a climbing mechanism for raising and lowering said platform on said guide rails and for securing said carriage track system to said guide rails, said platform including a carriage assembly for carrying items up and down said tower, said carriage assembly including apparatus for moving said carriage assembly horizontally over the top of said tower and for raising and lowering said carriage assembly when positioned over said tower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.