LIFT WITH LIFTING MAST COLLISION CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20140034424A1
• Filed: 08/04/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServerLift
• Original Assignee: ServerLift
• Inventors: Zuckerman, Raymond S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,090,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/240
• 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 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.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a bias applied to the head tending to bias 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 for displacement between the neutral and safe positions with a linkage assembly interacting between the head and the lifting mast.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the head covers the top of the lifting mast so as to shield the top of the lifting mast from directly contact encountering an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head.

6. 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 contact encountering an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head;

a switch is operatively coupled to the drive assembly; and

the switch interacts between the head and the lifting mast enabling the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions in the neutral position of the head, disabling the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction in the safe position of the head, and enabling the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction in the safe position of the head.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising a bias applied to the head tending to bias the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

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

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the head is mounted to the lifting mast for displacement between the neutral and safe positions with a linkage assembly interacting between the head and the lifting mast.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the head covers the top of the lifting mast so as to shield the top of the lifting mast from directly contact encountering an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head.

11. 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 contact encountering an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast;

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.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a bias applied to the head tending to bias the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the base.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the head is mounted to the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions with a linkage assembly interacting between the head and the base.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the head covers the base and the top of the lifting mast so as to shield the base and the top of the lifting mast from directly contact encountering an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast.

16. 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 contact encountering an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast;

a switch is operatively coupled to the drive assembly; and

the switch interacts between the head and the base enabling the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions in the neutral position of the head, disabling the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction in the safe position of the head, and enabling the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction in the safe position of the head.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a bias applied to the head tending to bias the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the base.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the head is mounted to the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions with a linkage assembly interacting between the head and the base.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the head covers the base and the top of the lifting mast so as to shield the base and the top of the lifting mast from directly contact encountering an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast.

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 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 contact encountering 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 and is coupled to interact with the switch in response to movement of the head between the neutral and safe positions causing the switch to enable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions in the neutral position of the head, causing the switch to disable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction in the safe position of the head, and causing the switch to enable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction in the safe position of the head.

22. The system according to claim 21, further comprising a bias applied to the head tending to bias 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 lifting mast.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein the head is mounted to the lifting mast for displacement between the neutral and safe positions with a linkage assembly interacting between the head and the lifting mast.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein the head covers the top of the lifting mast so as to shield the top of the lifting mast from directly contact encountering an object above the top of the lifting mast and the head.

26. 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 contact encountering an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast;

a switch is operatively coupled to the drive assembly; and

an abutment is coupled between, one the one hand, the head and the base, and, on the other hand, 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 causing the switch to enable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions in the neutral position of the head, causing the switch to disable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction in the safe position of the head, and causing the switch to enable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction in the safe position of the head.

27. The system according to claim 26, further comprising a bias applied to the head tending to bias the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

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

29. The system according to claim 26, wherein the head is mounted to the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions with a linkage assembly interacting between the head and the base.

30. The system according to claim 26, wherein the head covers the base and the top of the lifting mast so as to shield the base and the top of the lifting mast from directly contact encountering an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast.

34. The system according to claim 30, wherein the head is mounted to the base for displacement between the neutral and safe positions with a linkage assembly interacting between the head and the base.

35. The system according to claim 30, wherein the head covers the base and the top of the lifting mast so as to shield the base and the top of the lifting mast from directly contact encountering an object above the base and the top of the lifting mast.

31. 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 contact encountering 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; and

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 causing the switch to enable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting and lowering directions in the neutral position of the head, causing the switch to disable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lifting direction in the safe position of the head, and causing the switch to enable the drive assembly for moving the lifting mast in the lowering direction in the safe position of the head.

32. The system according to claim 31, further comprising a bias applied to the head tending to bias the head from the safe position to the neutral position.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the bias is supplied by at least one spring interacting between the head and the base.