Patent ID: 9533861
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: B66C

Claim:
1. An apparatus for hoisting and positioning a load in a self-balanced manner with six degrees of freedom, comprising: an upper platform adapted to hang from a general hoisting point; a lower platform arranged below the upper platform and adapted to hold the load to be hoisted and positioned; a six degrees of freedom actuator having six variable length tendons connected with the upper platform and with the lower platform, such that the lower platform is suspended from the upper platform through the six variable length tendons; wherein the six degrees of freedom actuator is adapted for moving a lower frame with respect to a upper frame in three directions of space and tilted around the three axis of the space; at least one configurable counterweight system supported by the upper platform, arranged for modifying a center of mass of the apparatus over a horizontal plane allowing a minimum of two degrees of freedom; a load measuring means adapted for individually measuring forces transmitted by each one of the six variable length tendons; a processing means configured for dynamically calculating a desired position of the counterweight system, based on weight and center of gravity measures provided by the load measuring means, for balancing the apparatus with the respect the central hoisting point, and a counterweight system control means for moving the counterweight system to the desired positions calculated by the processing means.