Supports – Brackets – Adjustable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-07-03
King, Anita M. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Adjustable
C312S330100, C384S018000, C384S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254047
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to equipment supports, and more particularly, to supports for equipment which allows the equipment to be safely withdrawn from a substructure for servicing and maintenance.
Refrigerated containers are utilized by the military to transport and store a variety of items, such as food and medical supplies. Designed for a variety of use conditions, they are often transported to remote locations with harsh environments. In such instances, electrical power for the containers is provided by electrical generators which are attached to the containers. The size of a refrigeration container used by the military may be on the order of about 8-foot wide, by 8-foot high, by 20-foot long. A refrigeration container of this size would have an interior refrigeration volume of about 7-foot, by 7-foot, by 16-foot long. The internal temperature of the container is controlled by an environmental control unit, which is designed to maintain the contents at stable temperatures between 0 and 40 degrees under varying conditions. For refrigeration containers of this size, power for the environmental control unit may be on the order of a 10 kilowatt generator.
To prevent damage to the generators and other equipment during shipping and use, it is necessary to ensure that the equipment is securely mounted to the containers. It is also necessary to periodically service and repair the generators and other equipment to check coolant levels, hoses, fan belts, filter elements, oil levels, and electrical connections. Depending on the particular configuration of the container and the manner in which the generator and other equipment such as compressors and pumps are mounted on the container, complete access to the generator and other equipment may be restricted. This becomes particularly important when the generator and other equipment must be serviced and repaired, often during severe use conditions.
To access a generator or other equipment for maintenance or servicing, the the equipment may be either removed from the container or mounted on moveable platforms in such manner that the equipment can be repositioned on the container for better access to the equipment. Generators and other equipment for containers must be mounted so that structural specifications, transport requirements, and safety guidelines are satisfied. Tests to certify that the various requirements have been met may include drop tests, vibration tests, road shock tests, and fatigue tests. In addition, for moveable platforms, the platform must meet safety standards for the various positions of use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for mounting equipment on a structure so that the equipment can be moved or repositioned relative to the structure for maintenance and repair. Consistent with the present invention is a mounting apparatus that is durable enough to survive harsh use requirements and which provides a safe environment for maintenance and repair work. The apparatus includes a lower mounting plate assembly connected to the structure, an upper mounting plate connected to the equipment, and a bearing assembly connected to both the lower mounting plate assembly and the upper mounting plate for facilitating the movement of the upper mounting plate from a first operative position where the upper mounting plate is substantially superimposed over the lower mounting plate assembly to a second operative position where the upper mounting plate is moved away from the lower mounting plate assembly.
During normal use conditions, locking devices are connected to the lower mounting plate assembly and the upper mounting plate for maintaining the upper mounting plate and the lower mounting plate assembly in the first operative position. The locking devices include flanges formed on both the upper and lower mounting plates that become disposed in an abutting, adjacent relationship when the apparatus is in the first operative position. The flanges can be locked together. The locking devices also include an extension on the bearing assembly that engages into a hole formed in a flange on the lower mounting plate assembly when the apparatus is in the first operative position.
For servicing, safety devices are utilized to limit or stop the movements of the upper mounting plate relative to the lower mounting plate assembly. To limit the extent of the outward movement of the upper mounting plate, flanges are secured to the mounting plates. Safety stops are used for holding the mounting plates in position during the process of unlocking the flanges and for holding the mounting plates in the second or withdrawn position.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a compact assembly of self-contained, efficient design for the support and servicing of equipment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an equipment mounting assembly that is safe and simple to use.
These, together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4040679 (1977-08-01), Teramachi
patent: 4253709 (1981-03-01), Teramachi
patent: 4608621 (1986-08-01), Porter
patent: 4621876 (1986-11-01), Reimer
patent: 4968155 (1990-11-01), Bode
patent: 5419639 (1995-05-01), Hobbs et al.
King Anita M.
Medsger William
Randolph William
Stolarun Edward
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary Dep
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