Apparatus and system to lift and/or relocate an object

• US 9,828,224 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hamilton, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US13/041,893
• Time in Patent Office: 2,458 Days
• Field of Search: 294 811, 294 683, 294 90, 2941191, 294 673, 294 6733, 294607, 294207, 294 8121, 294 8154, 294 8162, 414426, 414619, 414607, 414626, 414490, 414547, 2483168, 157 126, 157 128
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/12 Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/18 Load gripping or retaining means

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and a system for the lifting and/or relocation of a large and/or heavy object are disclosed. The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a system comprising a pair of engagement members each independently configurable to external equipment, and a pair of oppositely facing structural members, each coupled to one of said pair of engagement members.

Claims

1. A lifting system for use in the lifting of a tire having an accessible interior, the lifting system comprising:

one elongated sleeve or two isolated and unconnected elongated sleeves, each elongated sleeve consisting of a longitudinal axis with opposing openings configurable to reversibly receive and engage a fork of a forklift through the opposing openings; and

a rigid structural member consisting of a first end coupled to the sleeve, terminating at a second end distally projecting vertically downward normal to the longitudinal axis of the elongated sleeve from said corresponding first end; and

a single linear isolation member coupled to the second end, the isolation member extending horizontally from the second end and projecting substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated sleeve, the isolation member having;

a thickness less than a separation distance of an upper and a lower inner bead of the tire;

a length and a width less than the diameter of the tire; and

a surface configured to engage a bead of the accessible interior of the tire and capable of assisting the lifting of the tire.

2. The lifting system of claim 1, wherein the structural member comprises a telescoping element configured to adjust the distance between the first end and the second end thereof.

3. The lifting system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the structural member and/or at least a portion of the isolation member comprises at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer surface, a thermoset elastomer surface, a pressure sensitive adhesive surface, a natural or synthetic rubber surface, a surface of a plurality of asperities, and mixtures thereof.

4. The lifting system of claim 3, wherein the at least a portion of the structural member and/or at least a portion of the isolation member provides at least one of a compressive resistance and a frictional resistance with the bead of the tire capable of assisting the lift of the tire.

5. The lifting system of claim 1, wherein the isolation member is shaped, spaced or contains grooves to engage a bead of the accessible interior of the aircraft tire.

6. A method of lifting a tire having an interior accessible via an opening, the method comprising:

(i) providing a pair of elongated sleeves each with a longitudinal axis, each with opposing openings, each reversibly receiving forks of a forklift through the opposed openings, each isolated and unconnected from each other, wherein each of the forks are movable in opposing horizontal directions to that of each of the longitudinal axes, each of the elongated sleeves consisting of an oppositely facing rigid structural member, each of the structural members having a first end coupled to its respective elongated sleeve, and each one of the structural members terminating at a second end distally projecting vertically downward and normal to the longitudinal axis of the elongated sleeve from the first end,

each structural member consisting of a projecting linear isolation member coupled to the second end and extending substantially perpendicularly from the structural member and projecting substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding elongated sleeve;

the isolation members having;

a thickness less than a separation distance of an upper and a lower inner bead of a tire; and

a length and width less than the diameter of the tire, a surface configured to engage a bead of the accessible interior of the tire and capable of assisting the lifting of the tire, and wherein the projecting isolation members project oppositely from each other;

(ii) positioning at least a portion of the isolation member into the accessible opening of the tire;

(iii) moving the forks of the forklift away from each other in opposing horizontal directions until a portion of the isolation member is positioned to engage a bead of the tire from within the interior of the tire;

(iv) moving the forks of the forklift vertically and engaging the isolation member with a bead of the tire; and

(v) lifting the tire.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each isolation member comprises a telescoping element configured to adjust the projecting distance thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the tire is an aerospace vehicle tire.

9. A lifting system comprising

a forklift having a pair of forks separable in an opposing horizontal direction;

and

one fork box or two isolated and unconnected fork boxes, each of the one or two fork boxes having a longitudinal axis and consisting of;

a longitudinal axis;

opposing openings sized to reversibly receive one of the forks;

a securing mechanism configured for applying or removing a securing force between either one of the pair of forks and the fork box;

a rigid structural member having a first end rigidly coupled to the fork box, terminating at a second end distally projecting downward normal to the longitudinal axis of the fork box from the first end; and

a single linear isolation member coupled to the second end, the isolation member extending substantially perpendicular from the structural member and projecting substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fork box, the isolation member having;

a thickness less than a separation distance of an upper and a lower inner bead of a tire;

a length and a width less than the diameter of the tire; and

a surface configured to engage an accessible interior of a tire.

10. The lifting system of claim 9, wherein each of the forks have a fork box attached thereto.

11. The lifting system of claim 9, wherein the isolation member is shaped, spaced or contains grooves to engage the bead of the accessible interior of the tire.