Support for supporting a structure on a surface

• US 9,909,709 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flat Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Flat Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Pike, Antony Lawrence, Gilmore, Duncan B., Hope, Raymond L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Pamela
• Application Number:
  US14/682,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20160025261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 2481885, 2481621, 248404, 188151 R, 188300, 267113, 267118, 60414, 60415, 91 5, 91169, 92 52
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 91/10 adapted to mounting on inclined floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 91/16 Self-levelling legs
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/426 Height adjustable supports for receiving both ladder feet
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/262 using friction, e.g. brake pads
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/26 by telescoping, with or without folding details concerning the constructional features of telescoping parts only F16B7/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 7/00 Details of attaching or adjusting engine beds, frames, or supporting-legs on foundation or base; Attaching non-moving engine parts, e.g. cylinder blocks elastic or equivalent mounting for absorbing vibrations F16F, especially F16F15/04

Abstract

A support for supporting a structure on a surface, comprising at least one support element, each support element comprising a piston, a cylinder in which the piston is moveable, and a brake for maintaining the piston in a position that is stable relative to the cylinder, wherein the piston and the cylinder are arranged so that a loading associated with the structure effects an adjustment of the support element, and wherein an increase in hydraulic pressure within the cylinder, effected by the loading associated with the structure, activates the brake.

Claims

1. A support element for supporting a structure on a surface, the support comprising a plurality of support elements, each support element comprising:

a piston and cylinder assembly comprising a piston located in and moveable with respect to a cylinder, each cylinder containing a fluid in a fluid chamber, the fluid chamber being in fluid communication with a fluid chamber of at least one other support element of the support through an outlet for fluid, each fluid chamber defined by at least one wall, each at least one wall being able to adopt a configuration in which it physically blocks fluid communication from the fluid chamber through the outlet in response to a change in loading on the structure, the disruption of fluid communication acting to stop movement of each piston with respect to each corresponding cylinder.

2. A support element for supporting a structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the piston and cylinder assembly acts as a foot of the structure and movement of the piston with respect to the corresponding cylinder changes the orientation of the structure.

3. A support for supporting a structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the disruption of the fluid communication is reversible through changing the loading on the structure.