U.S. patent number 3,845,591 [Application Number 05/368,885] was granted by the patent office on 1974-11-05 for expandable cover system.
Invention is credited to John L. Stine.
United States Patent |
3,845,591 |
Stine |
November 5, 1974 |
EXPANDABLE COVER SYSTEM
Abstract
This disclosure describes an expandable cover system which
includes a work base and a plurality of inverted U-shaped frames
which are supported on the base. Each of the frames have adequate
sheet means to cover the frames in a waterproof manner. The frames
are of different sizes so that they can nest, one inside of the
other. The largest frame is fixed to the base at one end thereof,
and the others are supported on two lines of rollers which are
positioned under the legs of each of the frames so that they can be
moved in a line perpendicular to the plane of each of the frames.
There are projections on the inside and outside of each of the
frames so that they can interact with corresponding projections on
the adjacent frames so that when the inner frame is pulled
longitudinally it will successively pull with it, the adjacent
frame, then the next adjacent frame and so on. Conversely, when the
smaller frame is pushed toward the stationary one the intermediate
frames will successively be carried by the smallest one, riding on
the rollers, until they are all nested inside of the stationary
frame. A traversing means, such as a pair of longitudinal screws
with nut means attached to the legs of the smallest frame are
provided. These are arranged adjacent and parallel to the lines of
rollers, so that the inner frame can be moved from the nest
position to an extended position, carrying with it each of the
intermediate frames until the group is fully extended. There are
guide slots on the base so that the frames are guided laterally as
they move longitudinally.
Inventors: |
Stine; John L. (Muskogee,
OK) |
Family
ID: |
23453167 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/368,885 |
Filed: |
June 11, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/67; 14/71.5;
160/222; 135/129; 160/202 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
1/34305 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
1/343 (20060101); E04b 007/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;14/71 ;52/67 ;135/5R,5A
;160/202,222 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,292,650 |
|
Mar 1962 |
|
FR |
|
6,706,913 |
|
Nov 1968 |
|
NL |
|
Primary Examiner: Stein; Mervin
Assistant Examiner: Corbin; David H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Head & Johnson
Claims
What is claimed:
1. An expandable cargo cover comprising:
a. a base;
b. a plurality of inverted U-shaped frames mounted on said base,
and skin means to cover said frames;
c. a first of said frames fixed to said base;
d. the remainder of said frames of successively smaller size so
that they nest one within the other;
e. a plurality of horizontal rollers mounted on said base in two
parallel lines extending in the same direction from the two legs of
said first frame, the remainder of said frames having their legs
resting on said rollers, thus permitting said frames to be
traversed along the lines of rollers;
f. a plurality of parallel guide means, to laterally guide the legs
of said frames as they are traversed along said lines of
rollers;
g. at least two traversing means parallel to each of said lines of
rollers to traverse the smallest frame along said lines of rollers,
one said means connected to each leg of said smallest frame;
and
h. stop means attached to each of said frames to limit the motion
of the adjacent frames to move from a first position where they are
substantially superimposed to a second position where they are
end-to-end.
2. The cargo cover as in claim 1 in which said traversing means
comprising at least two parallel linear screw means supported by
said base and nut means attached to each leg of said smallest
frame.
3. The cargo cover as in claim 2 including means to synchronize the
rotation of said at least two screw means.
4. The cargo cover as in claim 1 in which said traversing means
comprises at least two linear chain elements respectively
positioned along each line of rollers, and means to synchronize
said chain elements.
5. The cargo as in claim 4 in which said two chain elements are
part of a single chain loop having three portions, one along each
line of rollers, and the third across the space between said lines
of rollers.
6. The cargo cover as in claim 1 including means to seal the spaces
between adjacent frames.
7. The cargo cover as in claim 1 including overhead carrier means
supported on said base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is in the field of expandable cover means, or
expandable canopy means. More particularly, it comprises a
mechanical drive system for moving the group of separate frames or
canopies from a nested position where the base is substantially
completely exposed to the atmosphere, to a position in which each
of the canopies are extended to form a complete waterproof cover
over the base, or space.
In the prior art there are a number of illustrations of systems
whereby rotating segments of a segmental canopy can be moved into a
position to completely cover and shield a work area. Some of these
operate by rotation of elements, others by translation, somewhat
similar to the present invention. However, the present invention
has a number of improvements which will be described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of this invention to provide a movable frame
or canopy system which can be installed on a work platform so that
by operation of a single drive means the separate canopies can be
extended in abutting relationship to provide a complete waterproof
cover over the work area. Conversely, they can be moved into
position so they completely nest within one another.
This and other objects are realized and the limitations of the
prior art are overcome in this invention by providing the separate
canopies in the form of inverted U-shaped frames which stand upon
the two legs of the U. There is a longitudinal base under each of
the legs which carry two lines of rollers transverse to the plane
of the frames, one line of rollers under each leg. The rollers are
long enough so that a plurality of frames each successively larger
than its neighbor can be supported on the rollers. Each of the
rollers can be single, solid, long rollers or a plurality of
individual short rollers rotating on a fixed shaft, each short
roller supporting one leg of one frame.
One of the frames is the largest and is fixed to the base and the
lines of rollers extend along the work floor from the base of the
largest frame.
Parallel to the lines of rollers there are two operating means.
There may be lead screws or chains, such that through means such as
a nut attached to the screw the smallest of the frames can be moved
longitudinally along the line of rollers.
Each of the frames has projections on its inside and outside walls
which interact with corresponding projections on the inside and
outside walls of the adjacent frames so that by driving the
smallest frame, it engages the next larger frame to pull it along,
which next larger frame engages the successively larger frame to
pull it along, and so on. The drive means need only connect with
the smallest frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects of this invention and a better
understanding of the principles and details of the invention will
be evident from the following description taken in conjunction with
the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 represents an end view of the nested plurality of frames or
canopies.
FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the group of frames in their
extended position.
FIG. 3 illustrates a detail of the drive means and the rollers.
FIG. 4 illustrates a detail of the construction of the frames.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate details of the sealing means to prevent
rain from entering the space below the canopies when they are fully
extended.
FIG. 7 illustrates further detail of the drive means.
FIG. 8 illustrates the detail of the support rollers supporting
each of the legs of the plurality of frames.
FIG. 9 illustrates a view of the expanded cover including an
overhead support rail for a crane or other means for lifting work
when the cover is retracted.
FIG. 10 illustrates a detail of the drive means using a chain in
place of the screw.
FIG. 11 is a structural detail of the support frame for the lifting
means.
FIG. 12 illustrates schematically the chain system of driving the
canopies.
FIG. 13 illustrates a detail of the projections or stops attached
to each of the frames.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a view of the plurality of canopies or frames in
their nested position. They comprise a group of inverted U-shaped
frames, each of which comprise a substantially horizontal roof
portion 12A, 12B, 12C...12N for each of the frames, with
correspondingly substantially vertical leg portions 14A, 14B...14N
and 16A, 16B...16N. The outer largest frame 12A is supported on and
fixed to longitudinal support means, or base, 18A and 18B. Within
the support means 18, as will be described in connection with FIG.
8, are a plurality of rollers which support the legs of each of the
plurality of frames.
Referring now to FIG. 8, the base 18A is seen to support an axle 36
on which a group of rollers 34B, 34C...34N are freely rotatable.
The outer frame 14A is supported directly on the base 18A. The
frame 14B has a base portion 30B which is supported on one, 34B of
the plurality of rollers, each of which rotates on the shaft 36.
Similarly, frame 14C is supported on a base 30C which is supported
on roller 34C which rotates freely on the shaft 36, and so on. The
base 18A carries a plurality of slots 32B, 32C...32N by means of
which the corresponding legs 14B, 14C...14N are guided laterally
along the line of rollers. Thus, each of the frames or canopies is
free to move perpendicular to its plane, along the lines of
rollers, parallel to the motion of each of the others so that they
move from a nested position to an extended position simply by
moving outwardly along the line of rollers.
Referring to FIG. 13 there is shown in cross section one leg of
each of frames 14B and 14C which are parallel to each other and of
the same length. Each has a group of projections 40B, 42B, 44B and
correspondingly for the leg 14C. While there is clearance for each
of the legs to move past the other the projection 40C, for example,
interacts with projection 42B so that when leg 14C moves in the
direction of the arrow 43 and projection 40C strikes the projection
42B then leg 14B will move with it. Conversely, when leg 14C moves
in the other direction it will move freely until the projection 44C
strikes the projection 42B and causes the leg 14B to move with the
leg 14C. Since each of the canopies or frames are interacted this
way by means of the projections, or stops, all that is required is
to move the inside frame 14N, and it will, in turn, move each of
the others as required to put them in a nested position, or to
extend them in overall covered position.
The drive means is illustrated in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8. In one
embodiment a longitudinal lead screw 47, with threads 46, is
mounted in a horizontal plane parallel to the line of rollers and
adjacent the legs 14N, 16N of the inner canopy 12N. A nut 48 is
fastened around the lead screw 47 and is attached by means 50 to
the bottom inside wall of the leg 14N of the inner frame. Thus by
turning the shaft 47 the screw will turn, the nut 48 will move
along the screw and carry with it the inner frame 12N. As this
continues to move it slides along the line of rollers 34N. It
carries with it the adjacent frames by means of the projections 40,
42, 44, and so on, until all of them are moved to one extreme or
the other of their positions.
In FIG. 3 is shown schematically a side view of which the relative
position of the rollers 34 and the lead screw 46 are shown. The
screws 38 are for fastening the support means 18A and 18B to the
base platform in a rigid longitudinal parallel relationship.
It is important that the two lead screws, one driving each leg of
the inner frame be rotated in synchronism. As shown in FIG. 7 this
is accomplished in either of two ways. A pair of bevel gears 52 and
54 are provided to rotate a transverse shaft 56, which has, at its
other end, adjacent the second lead screw, a corresponding pair of
bevel gears so that by rotating one shaft 47 the second screw shaft
will rotate in synchronism and therefore the two legs of the frame
12N will move together. Conversely, it is possible to use a
sprocket on the end of the shaft 47 and a chain 60 to tie the two
lead screws in synchronism.
In FIG. 12 is shown schematically an alternative method of driving
the legs 14N and 16N of the frame 12N. A complete, closed loop of
chain is wrapped around sprockets 82 and 85 (which are mounted on
separate horizontal shafts similar to 47) with a drive means 86
attached to one of them. There are two pairs of sprockets 83 and 84
(with vertical shafts) so that the longitudinal line of chain 88
which is attached to leg 14N by means 87A will pass around the
sprockets 83 and 84 and then will traverse a parallel path 89 back
to the sprocket 85. The direction of looping of the chain around
the drive sprocket 82 and 85 is such that the two legs 14N, 16N
move in the same direction as the crank 86 is turned.
FIG. 10 illustrates a detail similar to a portion of FIG. 8 wherein
the chain 70 is looped around the sprocket on shaft 72 and passes
through a chain fixture 48' in which the chain is locked. This
fixture is supported by arm 50' from the leg 14N so that as the
chain moves longitudinally, being locked in the fixture 48' it will
move with it the leg 14N, etc.
Referring now to FIG. 5 there is shown the frame 62B in extended
relation with respect to 62A. The frame or canopy has two yokes or
inverted U frames, one at each end 62B and 66B, for example, with a
web or skin 68B which provides a waterproof cover. In addition,
there may be crossbracing and intermediate yokes, etc. which are
not shown. In the extended position the yoke 66A from the first
frame seals the gap between 68A and 68B. This involves a fixture
64B and a corresponding overlapping pair of surfaces 67A and
69B.
FIG. 6 shows the view of the canopies in a nested position. In this
position of course there is not a complete sealing of the skin and
this would not necessarily be required since the work space, the
base, is not covered.
In FIGS. 9 and 11 are shown some details of an overhead rail 74
supported on yokes 76, 78, etc. The yokes 78 slide in bases 18A and
18B. They support cross rails 80 to which the overhead rail 74
which can be used to support a crane or other lifting means. The
forward yoke 76 can be attached, for example, to the fixed canopy
12A.
The overhead rail and yoke arrangement is particularly important in
that it permits the expandable covers to be stacked one on top of
the other when not in use.
The front end of the canopy, or cargo cover, is shown as being
open. However, it will be clear that it will be possible to provide
a waterproof skin means to be placed across this opening and/or to
have a roll type sheet means which can be lowered to cover the
opening of the end of the small canopy.
While the use of rollers 34B, 34C..34N are desirable it can be seen
that in its simplest embodiment the use of rollers is not required
and that the lower ends of the canopies may slide on bases 18A and
18B. When the rollers are not used a material having a low
coefficient of friction may be emoloyed between the canopies and
bases 18A and 18B, such as a layer of Teflon.
It can be seen that the canopy sections are configured so that
there are no planar surfaces, that is, the top and sides of each
section are curved. This design greatly increases the inherent
strength of each canopy section and substantially increases the
resistance of the sections to bending or distortion.
While the invention has been described with a certain degree of
particularity it is manifest that many changes may be made in the
details of construction and the arrangement of components. It is
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific
embodiment set forth herein by way of exemplifying the invention,
but the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the
attached claim or claims, including the full range of equivalency
to which each element or step thereof is entitled.
* * * * *