Patent ID: 6186275
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: H02G

Abstract:
A man basket adapted for attachment to a support arm extending laterally outwardly from a helicopter used to carry the basket to elevated cables or installations, comprising a container structure having a bottom support surface and an open top end for providing access to said bottom support surface, said container structure being displaceable between a collapsed position wherein said container structure has a reduced height and an erected position wherein said container structure has a full height, an overhead basket transport member for suspending said container structure in an upright position from the support arm, said overhead basket transport member including a support member having an upstanding portion connected to one side of said container structure and a horizontal portion extending from said upstanding portion at a distance over said open top end for allowing said container structure to be laterally moved below a length of elevated cables with said horizontal portion of said support member extending above the elevated cables to temporally suspend said man basket therefrom, and a lock for releasably retaining said man basket in said collapsed position thereof while being suspended by said basket transport member, wherein said bottom support surface is mounted to lower by gravity away from said basket transport member upon release of said lock to cause deployment of said man basket to said erected position thereof while the same is still suspended in said upright position.