Building-erection structural member transporter

• US 20040197165A1
• Filed: 03/29/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ConXtech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ConXtech, Inc.
• Inventors: Simmons, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,527,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/10
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 11/04 for movable platforms or cabins, e.g. on vehicles, permitting workmen to place themselves in any desired position for carrying out required operations Working platforms on fork-lift trucks B66F9/127; vehicle aspects of service vehicles B60P3/14; platforms for cleaning windows A47L3/02; devices for rescuing persons from buildings A62B1/02; liftable or lowerable platforms for use on ladders E06C7/16; maintenance travellers for bridges E01D19/10; scaffolds on an extensible sub-structure E04G1/22
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 21/16 Tools or apparatus devices for erecting fences E04H17/26
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 21/167 specially adapted for working-up plates, panels or slab shaped building elements

Abstract

A machine-liftable, open-framework, cage-like transporter for lifting and maneuvering horizontal structural beam elements, and the like, to appropriate installation elevations at and from the side of a plural-story building frame which is under construction. The transporter acts as a building-frame construction aid in the form of a worker-carrying, liftable, open-cage transporter including a volume-defining cage in which one or more worker(s) can station and ride, with this transporter possessing an overhead, fully exposed-from-below, support deck on which structural frame components, such as beam components, can be placed and supported in horizontal dispositions for lifting by the transporter to the appropriate elevation(s) in an emerging building frame which is being assembled. The open, overhead framework of the transporter promotes easy conveyance of such beam components to appropriate heights for delivery, precision aligning, locating, positioning and assembly within a building frame. It also offers special construction efficiency by allowing a worker, or workers, who are “inside” the cage of the transporter to reach upwardly from within the cage, through the open, overhead framework of the support deck, thus to contribute and assist in the off-loading and precision handling of transported components.

Claims

1. A machine-liftable and maneuverable, attended open cage-like load transporter for handling and promoting installation-site delivery of building-frame beam components during the construction of a plural story structural building frame, said transporter comprising

a worker occupancy volume defined by substantially horizontal floor structure which is joined to substantially upwardly extending, open, and at least partially floor-perimeter wall structure, and

disposed substantially directly overhead said floor and wall structures, generally open, horizontal, load-support deck structure adapted for the overhead supporting and load-carrying of elongate building-frame beam components, said deck structure having an open framework which is characterized whereby it is substantially freely open, in a vertical pass-through sense, to the underlying worker occupancy volume so as to accommodate load-handling personnel access, and to promote attended personnel assistance, by a worker stationed in said occupancy volume.

2. The transporter of claim 1, which has a building-frame-facing side, and wherein said deck structure is equipped with a deployable lateral extension which can be extended and withdrawn selectively and laterally outwardly from and inwardly toward said transporter'"'"'s said building-frame-facing side to accommodate the delivery, toward a building frame installation site, of a transported and handled building-frame beam component.

3. The transporter of claim 1, wherein said wall and deck structures are formed of elongate, interconnected beam-like and column-like elements.

4. The transporter of claim 3, wherein said transporter has a building-frame-facing side, and said deck structure is equipped with a deployable lateral extension which can be extended and withdrawn selectively laterally outwardly from and inwardly toward said transporter'"'"'s said building-frame-facing side to accommodate the lateral delivery toward a building frame installation site of a handled building-frame beam component.

5. The transporter of claim 4 which is designed to handle generally T-shaped beam components each including angularly intersecting and interconnected elongate cap and stem sub-components, and for this purpose said deck structure includes at least a pair of elongate, laterally spaced beam-like elements whose long axes generally extend from, the transporter'"'"'s fork-receiving side toward its building-frame-facing side, which pair of beam-like elements is disposed to support the cap sub-component in such a T-shaped beam component with that cap sub-component'"'"'s long axis extending generally transversely of the long axes of the beam-like elements in said pair, and said lateral extension includes an elongate beam-like cross-piece which, with the extension deployed and extending outwardly from the transporter'"'"'s building-frame-facing side, is disposed to support the stem sub-component in such a T-shaped beam component with the long axis of that stem sub-component extending generally transversely relative to the long axis of said cross-piece.

6. The transporter of claim 4 which is designed to handle elongate unilinear beam components, and for this purpose, said deck structure includes at least a pair of elongate, laterally spaced beam-like elements whose long axes generally extend from the transporter'"'"'s said building-frame-facing side toward an opposite side of the transporter, which pair of beam-like elements is disposed to support such a unilinear beam component with that component'"'"'s long axis extending generally transversely relative to the long axes of the beam-like elements in said pair.