I-beam trolley
OwnerJames K Britcherinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trolley for transporting objects hanging from an I-beam normally securely grips or latches to the I-beam via a pair of brake pads that are urged upward against the bottom of the beam by a torsion spring. The torsion spring is released by pulling a lever downward. Applying lateral force to the trolley, preferably by applying a lateral force to the same lever, pulls the trolley along the I-beam as the wheels engaging the upper portion of the I-beam can rotate freely once the brake pads are released. Releasing the lever after the trolling is pulled to the desired location causes the brakes to again firmly grip the I-beam.
Claims20
A process for translating an object horizontally along an I-beam, the process comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a horizontally disposed I-beam,
- b) providing a trolley suspended from the I-beam in rolling engagement therewith, the trolley including a brake plate engaging the underside of the I-beam by the action of a spring biased by a releasing lever,
- (c) providing at least one pivoting break arm, having at one end said break plate,
- (d) pulling the releasing lever downward to release the break when the trolley is in a first position,
- (e) pulling the releasing lever laterally to transport the trolley along the I-beam to a second position,
- (f) disengaging the releasing lever to latch the trolley in the second position via the brake.
A transport system comprising,
- a) an I-beam horizontally mounted above a surface,
- b) a trolley in rolling engagement with and suspended from said I-beam, said trolley further comprising:
- i) a break plate engaging the underside of said I-beam,
- ii) at least on epivoting break arm having at one end said break plate,
- iii) a lever for releasing the break plate when pulled downward and transporting said trolley laterally,
- iv) a spring urging the break against the underside of said I-beam, wherein the spring is released from the break when the lever is pulled.
A trolley for rolling engagement in a hanging position from a horizontal I-beam, the trolley comprising:
- a) a pair of trolley plates vertically disposed on opposing sides of the I-beam, the plates being connected by at least one members that extends transverse to the I-beam,
- b) One or more pairs of wheels having one side in rotating engagement with each of said trolley plates and the under side thereof in rolling engagement on a horizontal surface of the I-beam in the longitudinal direction of the I-beam,
- c) at least one pivoting break arm having at one end a horizontally disposed brake plate surface for contacting the underside of the I-beam and a break post extending laterally from the other end of said break arm,
- d) a cam having at least one arcuate slot for receiving the break post of said break plate, the cam being rotationally engaged about a first shaft that extends to each of said trolley plates, being in free rotational engagement therewith,
- e) a torsion spring disposed on the first shaft and coupled to the trolley plate for urging said break plate to engage the underside of said I-beam via the rotation of said cam,
- f) at least one release lever coupled to at least one of said cam and the first shaft to rotate said cam and disengage the break plate surface from the underside of said I-beam,
- g) wherein urging said release lever to oppose said torsion spring rotates the first shaft and said cam so as to disengage said break plate surface and allow the trolley to be transported along the I-beam via said one or more pairs of wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.