Self-powered lifting and moving device

• US 8,851,824 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph D. Richard, Joseph L. Stutsman, Robert L. Pallanich
• Original Assignee: Joseph D. Richard, Joseph L. Stutsman, Robert L. Pallanich
• Inventors: Pallanich, Robert L., Richard, Joseph D., Stutsman, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Saul
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYERS, GLENN F
• Application Number:
  US12/473,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20090297315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 414/351, 414/392, 414/469, 414/471, 414/563, 280/6.155, 280/5.501, 280/5.2, 280/47.2, 280/43, 280/43.13, 280/172, 280/47.1, 280/5.52, 280/844, 280/5.5, 280/6.15, 280/6.151, 280/6.156, 172/406, 180/196, 180/24.02
• US Class Current: 414/563
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/125 by supporting only part of the vehicle, e.g. front- or rear-axle

Abstract

An self-powered apparatus for moving objects that can be rolled or dragged across a surface, one embodiment of the apparatus operating on either of front or rear endless track pairs the apparatus center of gravity being forwardly and rearwardly shiftable to select between use of the front or rear endless tracks for movement of the vehicle across a surface.

Claims

1. A load moving apparatus comprising in combination:

a vehicle frame, said frame having a frame front end and a frame rear end and right and left vehicle frame sides and having a vehicle center of gravity,

a pair of front endless tracks wherein one track of said pair being operably connected on the right side of the vehicle sides and the other track being operably connected on the left side of the vehicle sides, each of said front tracks having a track front end and a track rear end said front track front end being elevated with respect to said track rear end, said front track being in a fixed orientation on said vehicle frame,

a pair of rear endless tracks wherein one track of said pair being operably connected on the right side of the vehicle sides and the other track being operably connected on the left side of the vehicle sides, each of said rear tracks having a track front end and a track rear end said rear track rear end being elevated with respect to said rear track front end, said rear track being in a fixed orientation on said vehicle frame, and said front track pair and said rear track pair being secured to the frame in a fixed position in relation to the other track pair,

a load carrying means extending from said frame front end,

a vehicle weight fulcrum area comprising said front track rear end and said rear track front end said vehicle weight fulcrum area operating to shift said vehicle center of gravity from said rear pair of endless tracks onto said front pair of endless tracks in response to a load on said load carrying means and to load said vehicle weight onto said front tracks such that said front tracks become operable to steer and move the apparatus and to unload said vehicle weight from said rear tracks such that said rear tracks rear end is spaced from contact with a surface on which the vehicle is operating, and

a power supply means for providing operating power to said front and rear endless tracks and said load carrying means.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a tow bar connected to said vehicle frame.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a sleeve connected to said vehicle frame for supporting said tow bar and a piston within said sleeve to provide telescoping movement of said tow bar to extend and retract said tow bar with respect to said sleeve.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a ram secured within a bulkhead, said ram connected to said tow bar to resist front-to-rear movement of said tow bar.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a ram secured within a bulkhead, said ram connected to said sleeve to resist front-to-rear movement of said sleeve.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a front portion of said tow bar to change the vertical position of said tow bar front portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a rear portion of said tow bar to change the vertical position of said tow bar rear portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a front portion of said sleeve to change the vertical position of said sleeve front portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a rear portion of said sleeve to change the vertical position of said sleeve rear portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said load carrying means is a lift arm.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a sleeve connected to said vehicle frame for supporting said lift arm and a piston within said sleeve to provide telescoping movement of said lift arm to extend and retract said lift arm with respect to said sleeve.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a ram secured within a bulkhead, said ram connected to said lift arm to resist front-to-rear movement of said lift arm.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a ram secured within a bulkhead, said ram connected to said sleeve to resist front-to-rear movement of said sleeve.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a front portion of said lift arm to change the vertical position of said lift arm front portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a rear portion of said lift arm to change the vertical position of said lift arm rear portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a front portion of said sleeve to change the vertical position of said sleeve front portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a piston connected to said vehicle frame and connected to a rear portion of said sleeve to change the vertical position of said sleeve rear portion with respect to said vehicle frame.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising first and second tow wheels mounted on said vehicle frame said tow wheels being downwardly extendable to contact a surface on which the apparatus is positioned to space said front endless tracks and said rear endless tracks above the surface for towing of said apparatus.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency remote controller and a radio frequency receiver on said apparatus, said receiver being operably connected to a set of vehicle controls for operating said pair of front endless tracks and said pair of rear tracks and said load carrying means for operation of said vehicle by an operator positioned at a distance from said apparatus.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a removable operator cab.