Lift with lifting mast collision control apparatus

• US 9,090,432 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServerLift
• Original Assignee: ServerLift
• Inventors: Zuckerman, Raymond S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansen, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kruer, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US13/567,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,088 Days
• Field of Search: 187/223, 187/224, 187/226, 187/230, 187/238, 187/240, 187/244, 414/275, 414/347, 414/486, 414/540, 414/629, 414/631, 414/663, 414/668, 414/674, 182/18, 182/19, 182/69.4, 182/69.6, 182/141, 700/218, 340/436
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/04 actuated pneumatically or hydraulically platforms for lifting or lowering through short distances B66F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/16 Mobile or transportable lifts specially adapted to be shifted from one part of a building or other structure to another part or to another building or structure
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/06 movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks vehicle aspects B60 - B62; vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading or unloading B60P1/00; low-lift hand trucks for transporting goods B62B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07 Floor-to-roof stacking devices, e.g. "stacker cranes", "retrievers"
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/20 Means for actuating or controlling masts, platforms, or forks power take-off from vehicle transmissions, combined with vehicle propulsion systems B60K

Abstract

A lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions. A head is positioned above and over the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the lifting mast for displacement between a neutral position and a safe position with respect to the lifting mast in response to the head contact encountering an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head. The drive assembly is enabled for moving of the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions in the neutral position of the head, the drive assembly is enabled for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction in the safe position of the head, and the drive assembly is disabled for moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction in the safe position of the head.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions;

a head is positioned above and over the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the lifting mast for displacement between a neutral position away from the top of the lifting mast and a safe position toward the top of the lifting mast in response to the head contacting an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head;

the drive assembly is enabled for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions, when the head is in the neutral position;

the drive assembly is enabled for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction, when the head is in the safe position; and

the drive assembly is disabled from moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction, when the head is in the safe position.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a bias applied to the head that biases the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the lifting mast.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the head is mounted to the lifting mast via a linkage assembly, which assembly interacts between the head and the lifting mast for displacement of the head between the neutral and safe positions.

5. A system, comprising:

a lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions;

a head is positioned above and over the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the lifting mast for displacement between a neutral position away from the top of the lifting mast and a safe position toward the top of the lifting mast in response to the head contacting an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head;

a switch is operatively coupled to the drive assembly;

the switch interacts between the head and the lifting mast, wherein the switch;

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions, when the head is in the neutral position;

disables the drive assembly from moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction, when the head is in the safe position; and

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction, when the head is in the safe position.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a bias applied to the head that biases the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the lifting mast.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the head is mounted to the lifting mast via a linkage assembly, which assembly interacts between the head and the lifting mast for displacement of the head between the neutral and safe positions.

9. A system, comprising:

a lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions;

a base is removably coupled to the top of the lifting mast;

a head is positioned above and over the base and the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the base for displacement between a neutral position away from the base and the top of the lifting mast and a safe position toward the base and the top of the lifting mast in response to the head contacting an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast;

the drive assembly is enabled for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions, when the head is in the neutral position;

the drive assembly is enabled for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction, when the head is in the safe position; and

the drive assembly is disabled from moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction, when the head is in the safe position.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a bias applied to the head that biases the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the base.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the head is mounted to the base via a linkage assembly, which assembly interacts between the head and the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions of the head.

13. A system, comprising:

a lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions;

a base is removably coupled to the top of the lifting mast;

a head is positioned above and over the base and the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the base for displacement between a neutral position away from the base and the top of the lifting mast and a safe position toward the base and the top of the lifting mast in response to the head contacting an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast;

a switch is operatively coupled to the drive assembly;

the switch interacts between the head and the base, wherein the switch;

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions, when the head is in the neutral position;

disables the drive assembly from moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction, when the head is in the safe position; and

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction, when the head is in the safe position.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a bias applied to the head that biases the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the base.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the head is mounted to the base via a linkage assembly, which assembly interacts between the head and the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions of the head.

17. A system, comprising:

a lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions;

a head is positioned above and over the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the lifting mast for displacement between a neutral position away from the top of the lifting mast and a safe position toward the top of the lifting mast in response to the head contacting an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head;

a switch is operatively coupled to the drive assembly;

an abutment is coupled between the head and the switch to interact with the switch in response to movement of the head between the neutral and safe positions, wherein the switch;

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions, when the head is in the neutral position;

disables the drive assembly from moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction, when the head is in the safe position; and

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction, when the head is in the safe position.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a bias applied to the head that biases the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the lifting mast.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the head is mounted to the lifting mast via a linkage assembly, which assembly interacts between the head and the lifting mast for displacement of the head between the neutral and safe positions.

21. A system, comprising:

a lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions;

a base is removably coupled to the top of the lifting mast;

a head is positioned above and over the base and the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the base for displacement between a neutral position away from the base and the top of the lifting mast and a safe position toward the base and the top of the lifting mast in response to the head contacting an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast;

a switch is operatively coupled to the drive assembly;

an abutment is coupled between the head and the base and the switch, and the abutment is coupled to interact with the switch in response to movement of the head between the neutral and safe positions, wherein the switch;

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions, when the head is in the neutral position;

disables the drive assembly from moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction, when the head is in the safe position; and

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction, when the head is in the safe position.

22. The system according to claim 21, further comprising a bias applied to the head that biases the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the base.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein the head is mounted to the base via a linkage assembly, which assembly interacts between the head and the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions of the head.

25. A system, comprising:

a lift device includes a lifting mast having a top, and a drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in lifting and lowering directions;

a base is removably coupled to the top of the lifting mast;

a head is positioned above and over the base and the top of the lifting mast, and is mounted to the base for displacement between a neutral position away from the base and the top of the lifting mast and a safe position toward the base and the top of the lifting mast in response to the head contacting an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast;

a switch is carried by the base and is operatively coupled to the drive assembly;

an abutment is coupled to the head, and is positioned to interact with the switch in response to movement of the head between the neutral and safe positions, wherein the switch;

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions, when the head is in the neutral position;

disables the drive assembly from moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction, when the head is in the safe position; and

enables the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction, when the head is in the safe position.

26. The system according to claim 25, further comprising a bias applied to the head that biases the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the base.

28. The system according to claim 25, wherein the head is mounted to the base via a linkage assembly, which assembly interacts between the head and the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions of the head.