Thin turntable

A turntable for a heavy object, said turntable including:

• a ground-engaging member;
• a load-supporting platform, said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform each having load surfaces facing each other;
• and
• an intermediate load transfer means comprising a cage rotatably mounted for rotation relative to both said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform (10) about a generally vertical axis, said intermediate load transfer means supporting the load-supporting platform off the ground-engaging member,
• wherein the cage holds a plurality of rotatable rollers which are distributed across an extended region of said load surfaces and which are each constrained to rotate about a respective rolling axis which extends generally radially with respect to said generally vertical axis to allow rotation of said load-supporting platform with respect to said ground-engaging member about said generally vertical axis, and said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform are each constructed from sheet material which is configured for resilient flexing movement in use, whereby the assembly comprising said ground-engaging member, said cage and said load-supporting platform is able to flex in use, and
• wherein the cage includes a plurality of radially extending spokes, each of said spokes supporting a plurality of said rollers.

A turntable for a heavy object, said turntable including:

• a ground-engaging member and
• a load-supporting platform each having load surfaces facing each other, the load-supporting platform is supported off the ground-engaging member by an intermediate load transfer cage rotatably mounted for rotation relative to both said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform about a generally vertical axis,
• wherein the cage holds a plurality of rotatable rollers which are distributed across an extended region of said load surfaces and which are each constrained to rotate about a respective rolling axis which extends generally radially with respect to said generally vertical axis to allow rotation of said load-supporting platform with respect to said ground-engaging member about said generally vertical axis, and said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform are each resiliently flexible over at least the extended region, whereby the assembly comprising said ground-engaging member said cage and said load-supporting platform is able to flex in use, and
• wherein said rollers are of at least three different diameters, whereby in use with a load, the load transfer between the load-carrying platform and the ground-engaging platform is effected by only some of said rollers when the loading on the load carrying platform is relatively low, but by an increasing number of said rollers, as a result of said flexing, as the loading increases, to provide progressive load support.

A turntable for a heavy object, said turntable including:

• a ground-engaging member;
• a load-supporting platform, said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform each having load surfaces facing each other;
• and
• an intermediate load transfer means comprising a cage rotatably mounted for rotation relative to both said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform about a generally vertical axis, the load-supporting platform is supported off the ground-engaging member by said intermediate load transfer means,
• wherein the cage holds a plurality of rotatable rollers which are distributed across an extended region of said load surfaces and which are each constrained to rotate about a respective rolling axis which extends generally radially with respect to said generally vertical axis to allow rotation of said load-supporting platform with respect to said ground-engaging member about said generally vertical axis, and
• said ground-engaging member and said load-supporting platform are each formed from only a single sheet member or only a plurality of sheet members attached together, to flex as one and are each configured to flex in use over at least the extended region, whereby the assembly comprising said ground-engaging member said cage means and said load-supporting platform is able to flex in use.