Traversing hoists – Overhead – Nonmotor traverse
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-26
2001-11-13
Brahan, Thomas J. (Department: 3652)
Traversing hoists
Overhead
Nonmotor traverse
C005S083100, C104S089000, C105S148000, C105S177000, C212S071000, C212S270000, C212S338000, C482S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315138
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVETION
A significant portion of the population of the world has great difficulty in walking. A huge number cannot walk at all. These groups are forced to rely on attendants or mechanical devices such as crutches or wheelchairs for their ambulation. Included are those with ambulation problems due to recent hip and knee replacement surgery.
When a person is not able to walk for a period of several weeks or months, his leg muscles tend to degenerate unless physical therapy is provided. If the leg muscles degenerate, extensive physical therapy may be required to enable him to regain his ability to walk. Many people never walk again after an extensive period of relying on a wheel chair for transportation.
The prior art includes overhead support systems. These typically include an overhead track with some type of cart riding on the track with a load (which could be a person) suspended from the cart through a suspension tether. Many such systems exist in automated factories. A typical prior art overhead transport system is found by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,992. This reference discloses a suspension conveyor system comprising a conveyor device that rolls along a track rail. A major disadvantage of this design, and others like it, is that when tracks intersect, the user must select which track to take by a switching means. The switching means tends to be complicated, costly and subject to failure.
Automatic tensioning assemblies are commonly found in prior art overhead transportation systems. Generally, a tensioning assembly will maintain a set load under tension based on the load cell read-out from the torque on the tensioning assembly's drive motor. Usually, a hand held remote is used to set the load, and raise and lower the object being carried by the transportation system.
What is needed is a better overhead support system that allows for movement between intersecting tracks without switches.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an overhead support system. A riding surface is located over a space and supports at least one overhead cart from which a load is supported by a tension element. A plurality of spherical elements are positioned between the riding surface and overhead cart and are attached to either the cart or the riding surface. The load can be moved horizontally in the space by applying a horizontal force to the load causing the cart to move over the riding surface while carrying the load in the horizontal direction. In preferred embodiments the riding surface is an array of spoked rimless wheels. In other preferred embodiments the riding surface is a slot track, or the riding surface may be a combination of the array and slot tracks. In other preferred embodiments a hoist assembly is used to raise and lower the load. In a preferred embodiment the hoist assembly is located below the riding surface. In another preferred embodiment, the hoist assembly is located above the riding surface. In preferred embodiments casters are mounted on the top of the riding surface to permit easy horizontal movement of the cart over the casters. In other preferred embodiments the riding surface is flat and casters are mounted on the bottom of the overhead cart.
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Brahan Thomas J.
Ross John R.
Ross, III John R.
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