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US 7,779,540 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for quadrail ergonomic assembly
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael G. McCaffrey, Robert P. Rojas, Mark F. Zelesky, Gilbert B. Cutler, Gene V. Flenke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A quadrail ergonomic apparatus includes two or more pathways designed to permit movement in two or more directions mounted to a static object above a surface. One or more carriages designed to move in two or more directions are disposed within the pathways. Each carriage is suspended above the surface from the pathways and capable of maintaining a workload in place and permitting movement of the workload in at least four directions.
Claims37
A quadrail ergonomic apparatus, comprising:
- two or more pathways designed to permit movement in two or more directions mounted to a static object above a surface;
- one or more carriages designed to move in two or more directions disposed within said two or more pathways;
- wherein:
- each carriage is suspended above said surface from said pathways and is capable of maintaining a workload in place and permitting movement of said workload in at least four directions, wherein said one or more carriages comprise a first carriage, a second carriage, a third carriage, a fourth carriage and a fifth carriage;
- said second carriage comprises:
- a body;
- one or more mating features complementary to a mating feature of said two or more pathways mounted to said body;
- and
- means for suspending said workload above said surface and moving said workload in six or more directions;
- and
- said means for suspending and moving said workload comprise a first adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and a second and end disposed in connection with said workload, a second adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and a second end disposed in connection with said workload, and a substantially circular harness capable of accepting said workload.
8 more elements
A quadrail ergonomic apparatus, comprising:
- two or more pathways designed to permit movement in two or more directions mounted to a static object above a surface;
- one or more carriages designed to move in two or more directions disposed within said two or more pathways;
- wherein:
- each carriage is suspended above said surface from said pathways and is capable of maintaining a workload in place and permitting movement of said workload in at least four directions, wherein said one or more carriages comprise a first carriage, a second carriage, a third carriage, a fourth carriage and a fifth carriage;
- said fourth carriage comprises:
- a body;
- one or more mating features complementary to a mating feature of said two or more pathways mounted to said body;
- and
- means for suspending said workload above said surface and moving said workload in six or more directions;
- and
- said means for suspending and moving said workload comprise a first adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and a second end disposed in connection with a substantially circular harness support, a second adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and a second end disposed in connection with said substantially circular harness support, said substantially circular harness support, and a substantially circular harness capable of accepting said workload.
8 more elements
A quadrail ergonomic apparatus, comprising:
- two or more pathways designed to permit movement in two or more directions mounted to a static object above a surface;
- one or more carriages designed to move in two or more directions disposed within said two or more pathways;
- wherein:
- each carriage is suspended above said surface from said pathways and is capable of maintaining a workload in place and permitting movement of said workload in at least four directions, wherein said one or more carriages comprise a first carriage, a second carriage, a third carriage, a fourth carriage and a fifth carriage;
- said fifth carriage comprises:
- a body;
- one or more mating features complementary to a mating feature of said two or more pathways mounted to said body;
- and
- means for suspending said workload above said surface and moving said workload in six or more directions;
- and
- said means for suspending and moving said workload comprises a first adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and comprising means for rotating said workload about an axis parallel to said surface and a second end disposed in connection with said workload and comprising means for rotating said workload about said axis parallel to said surface, and a second adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and a second end disposed in connection with said workload.
8 more elements
A method for ergonomically assembling an apparatus using a quadrail ergonomic apparatus, comprising:
- two or more pathways designed to permit movement in two or more directions mounted to a static object above a surface;
- one or more carriages designed to move in two or more directions disposed within said two or more pathways;
- wherein:
- each carriage is suspended above said surface from said pathways and is capable of maintaining a workload in place and permitting movement of said workload in at least four directions, wherein said one or more carriages comprise a first carriage, a second carriage, a third carriage, a fourth carriage and a fifth carriage;
- said second carriage comprises:
- a body;
- one or more mating features complementary to a mating feature of said two or more pathways mounted to said body;
- and
- means for suspending said workload above said surface and moving said workload in six or more directions;
- and
- said means for suspending and moving said workload comprise a first adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and a second end disposed in connection with said workload, a second adjustable arm comprising a first end disposed in connection with said body and a second end disposed in connection with said workload, and a substantially circular harness capable of accepting said workload,
- the method comprising:
- providing five or more said carriages disposed in connection with said two or more pathways mounted to said static object above said surface;
- disposing said workload in two or more of said five or more carriages;
- positioning each carriage containing said workloads in a spatial relationship to one another;
- and
- assembling each of said workloads together using each of said carriages to form the apparatus.
14 more elements
An apparatus in combination with a plurality of workloads, the workloads comprising turbine engine components and the apparatus comprising:
- a first pathway and a second pathway;
- a plurality of carriages, including a first plurality of carriages for carrying associated workloads suspended from the first pathway and a second plurality of carriages for carrying associated workloads suspended from the second pathway, each said carriage movable forward and backward along the associated pathway and permitting movement of the associated workload up and down, each said carriage further positionable to maintain its associated workload along an axis in common with the other carriages.
A method for using an apparatus in combination with a plurality of workloads, the workloads comprising turbine engine components and the apparatus comprising:
- a first pathway and a second pathway;
- a plurality of carriages, including a first plurality of carriages for carrying associated workloads suspended from the first pathway and a second plurality of carriages for carrying associated workloads suspended from the second pathway, each said carriage movable forward and backward along the associated pathway and permitting movement of the associated workload up and down, each said carriage further positionable to maintain its associated workload along an axis in common with the other carriages,
- the method comprising:
- positioning a first said workload in a carriage of the second plurality of carriages;
- and
- moving the workload via said one of the second plurality of carriages to be received by one of the first plurality of carriages.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.