US3598198A - Material handling device with inflatable air pads - Google Patents

Material handling device with inflatable air pads Download PDF

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Publication number
US3598198A
US3598198A US2214A US3598198DA US3598198A US 3598198 A US3598198 A US 3598198A US 2214 A US2214 A US 2214A US 3598198D A US3598198D A US 3598198DA US 3598198 A US3598198 A US 3598198A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
air
pads
pad
sonic flow
conduit means
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US2214A
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English (en)
Inventor
Elgin S Williams
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Doosan Bobcat North America Inc
Original Assignee
Clark Equipment Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Clark Equipment Co filed Critical Clark Equipment Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3598198A publication Critical patent/US3598198A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60V—AIR-CUSHION VEHICLES
    • B60V3/00—Land vehicles, waterborne vessels, or aircraft, adapted or modified to travel on air cushions
    • B60V3/02—Land vehicles, e.g. road vehicles
    • B60V3/025—Land vehicles, e.g. road vehicles co-operating with a flat surface, e.g. transporting loads on platforms

Definitions

  • I provide a load-engaging member.
  • Mounted to the load-engaging member is at least one inflatable air pad and at least one air chamber.
  • the air pad is connectable, through a sonic flow restrictor, to a source of pressurized air and the air chamber is connected, through another flow restrictor, to the air pad downstream of the sonic flow restrictor.
  • FIG. 1 is a partially schematic. cross section of a pallet utilizing may invention
  • FIG. 2 is a partially schematic bottom view of the pallet of FIG. 1 with bottom plate 26 removed, and
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing pad 14 in cross section.
  • the reference numeral denotes generally a material-handling device having a load-supporting member or platform 12 to the underside of which a plurality of inflatable air pads l4, l6, l8 and are attached.
  • Platform 12 includes a generally square hollow frame 22 to which a top plate 24 and a bottom plate 26 are attached.
  • the air pads are mounted on the underside of bottom plate 26.
  • frame 22 is divided into a plurality of air chambers or fluidic capacitors 28, 30, 32 and 34.
  • Device 10 includes a main air supply conduit 36 having an inlet 38 which is connectuble to a source of pressurized air or other suitable fluid by means of a flexible hose 40.
  • Branch conduits 42, 44, 46 and 48 connect supply conduit 36 with pads l4, l6, l8 and 20, respectively, so that pressurized air can be supplied to the various pads from conduit 36.
  • sonic flow restrictor 50 Disposed in branch conduit 42 is a sonic flow restrictor 50.
  • sonic flow restrictors 52, 54 and 56 are disposed in branch conduits 44, 46 and 48, respectively.
  • sonic flow restrictor I mean a device that restricts flow through conduit such that for the pressure differential involved the maximum possible flow of fluid is passing through the restriction at sonic speed.
  • variations in pressure of the fluid downstream of the sonic flow restrictor have no effect upon the flow of fluid through the restrictor so long as the maximum pressure downstream is below the critical differential for maintaining sonic flow through the restrictor.
  • the importance of this is that the pressure within air pads 14, 16,18 and 20 can vary, within limits, and the flow of pressurized air to each pad from supply conduit 36 will remain constant.
  • Pad 14 is in communication with air chamber 28 by means of a conduit 58 connected to branch conduit 42 to downstream of sonic flow restrictor 50.
  • air pads l6, l8 and 20 are connected to air chambers 30, 32 and 34, respectively, by conduits 60, 62 and 64.
  • conduit 58 Disposed in conduit 58 is a flow restrictor 66.
  • flow restrictors 68, 70 and 72 are disposed in conduits 60, 62 and 64, respectively.
  • Air chambers 28, 30, 32 and. 34 together with flow restrictors 66, 68, 70 and 72 serve to dampen vertical oscillation of device 10 as will be explained in more detail shortly.
  • a single air pad is shown connected to each air chamber, in'some circumstances it is possibleto'connect two or more air pads to a givenair chamber in'order to dampen vertical oscillation.
  • Air pad 14 includes a backing plate 74 to which flexible diaphragm 76 is connected at the periphery and center thereof to form an annular inflatable air chamber 78. Located in diaphragm 76 is a pluralityof openings 80 which serve to communication air chamber' 78 with a plenum chamber 82 formed by air pad 14 and the surface 84 over which it is operating. Briefly, the operation of air pad 14 is such that when pressurized air is supplied to chamber 78 the pad inflates, forming plenum chamber 82 with the surface 84 over which the pad is operating.
  • the pressure in chamber 78 will be determined by that proportion of the total load that pad 14 is carrying. Now, should platform 12 have an additional downward force directed to it causing it to move downward so that the throttling effect on the air escaping out from under pad 14 will be increased, the pressure in chamber 78 will increase. The increasing pressure in chamber 78, as pointed out above, will stop downward movement of pad 14. However, if the combined spring rate of the pressurized air and the elasticity of the diaphragm material results in a natural frequency of such low period that the diaphragm becomes overprcssurized, the portion of platform [2 overlying air pad l4 will laterally be thrown upward.
  • my invention provides a device having inflatable air pads which is stable under offcenter loading and in which vertical oscillations are dampened.
  • a material-handling device comprising a load supporting member, an inflatable fluid pad mounted on said member, a fluidic capacitor mounted on said member, conduit means connected to said pad and connectable to a source of pressurized fluid, said conduit means including sonic flow restriction means and second flow restriction means connecting said capacitor to said pad downstream of said sonic flow restriction means.
  • a material-handling device comprising a frame, said frame being divided into a plurality of fluid chambers, a plurality ofinflatable fluid pads connected to said frame, conduit means connected to each pad, said conduit mans including an inlet connectable to the source of pressurized fluid and a plurality of sonic flow restrictors, each sonic flow restrictor being disposed between a different one of said pads and said inlet, and a plurality of second flow restrictors, each one of said second flow restrictors being connected between one of said chambers and one of said pads downstream of the associated sonic flow restrictor.
  • a material-handling device comprising a load-supporting member, said member including a frame, said frame being divided into a plurality of air chambers, a plurality of inflatable air pads mounted on said member, conduit means connected to each one of said pads, said conduit means including an inlet connectable to the source of pressurized fluid, a plurality of sonic flow restrictors disposed in said conduit means, each sonic flow restrictor being located between a different one of said pads and said inlet, and a plurality of second flow restrictors, each one of said second flow restrictors being connected between one of said chambers and one of said pads downstream of the associated sonic flow restrictor.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Invalid Beds And Related Equipment (AREA)
  • Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
  • Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)
US2214A 1970-01-12 1970-01-12 Material handling device with inflatable air pads Expired - Lifetime US3598198A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US221470A 1970-01-12 1970-01-12

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3598198A true US3598198A (en) 1971-08-10

Family

ID=21699739

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US2214A Expired - Lifetime US3598198A (en) 1970-01-12 1970-01-12 Material handling device with inflatable air pads

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US3598198A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
JP (1) JPS5118700B1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
BE (1) BE761128A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
BR (1) BR7100053D0 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
CA (1) CA918607A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
DE (1) DE2059718A1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
FR (1) FR2076038B1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
GB (1) GB1286896A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
ZA (1) ZA707794B (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3757699A (en) * 1971-04-15 1973-09-11 Uniflo Systems Co Pneumatic suspension system
US4520888A (en) * 1983-03-24 1985-06-04 Fmc Corporation Load supporting structure
US20100212982A1 (en) * 2009-02-23 2010-08-26 Daniel Lin Cushioned pallet assembly

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3251432A (en) * 1963-09-05 1966-05-17 Gen Motors Corp Self-adjusting air bearing assembly
US3318406A (en) * 1965-05-11 1967-05-09 Gen Motors Corp Load compensating air cushion support
US3340943A (en) * 1965-05-07 1967-09-12 Bertin & Cie Air cushion stability control device with adjustable plenum chamber volume
US3392800A (en) * 1965-10-23 1968-07-16 Clark Equipment Co Air supported material handling device with vibration preventing means
US3513936A (en) * 1968-09-30 1970-05-26 Aero Go Inc Fluid bearing device with selfregulating action

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1441570A (fr) * 1965-04-14 1966-06-10 Bertin & Cie Perfectionnements aux supports à coussins fluides pour produits en bande

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3251432A (en) * 1963-09-05 1966-05-17 Gen Motors Corp Self-adjusting air bearing assembly
US3340943A (en) * 1965-05-07 1967-09-12 Bertin & Cie Air cushion stability control device with adjustable plenum chamber volume
US3318406A (en) * 1965-05-11 1967-05-09 Gen Motors Corp Load compensating air cushion support
US3392800A (en) * 1965-10-23 1968-07-16 Clark Equipment Co Air supported material handling device with vibration preventing means
US3513936A (en) * 1968-09-30 1970-05-26 Aero Go Inc Fluid bearing device with selfregulating action

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3757699A (en) * 1971-04-15 1973-09-11 Uniflo Systems Co Pneumatic suspension system
US4520888A (en) * 1983-03-24 1985-06-04 Fmc Corporation Load supporting structure
US20100212982A1 (en) * 2009-02-23 2010-08-26 Daniel Lin Cushioned pallet assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA918607A (en) 1973-01-09
GB1286896A (en) 1972-08-23
FR2076038A1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1971-10-15
BE761128A (fr) 1971-05-27
DE2059718A1 (de) 1972-05-10
JPS5118700B1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1976-06-11
FR2076038B1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1974-03-01
ZA707794B (en) 1971-08-25
BR7100053D0 (pt) 1973-03-08

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