Abstract:
A multi-tiered rotary workstation comprises at least two rotary work spaces supported at different levels, with associated workstation floors, substantial increasing the amount of work space available within a fixed floor space.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to manufacturing. In particular, this invention relates to a work surface for use in manufacturing. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Manufacturers are constantly striving to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace by reducing costs and increasing throughput. Particularly in the case of mass manufactured products, for example automobile parts, even a small decrease in manufacturing costs or a slight increase in manufacturing efficiency can make a significant difference in the manufacturer&#39;s competitiveness. 
         [0003]    Work space is usually one of the more significant costs of a manufacturing operation, so one way of reducing manufacturing costs is to improve the efficiency of work space usage. Most manufacturing facilities are located indoors, within a structure that provides a fixed amount of floor space for manufacturing equipment and processes. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to a manufacturer to increase the amount of work surface available for manufacturing equipment and processes within a fixed floor space, which allows more workers to work in the same floor space. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a multi-tiered rotary workstation. The workstation comprises at least two rotary work spaces supported at different levels, with associated workstation floors, substantially increasing the amount of work space available within a fixed floor space. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferred embodiment of the invention, 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation of rotary workstation according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a partly cutaway isometric view of the rotary workstation shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation of rotary workstation having more than two levels. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a preferred embodiment of a rotary workstation according to the invention. The workstation comprises a plurality of rotary work surfaces  10  mounted at different levels. In the embodiment illustrated the workstation has two levels  10   a,    10   b,  however it will be appreciated that the principles of the invention can be applied to any number of additional rotary work surfaces, with suitable support having regard to the number of worker stations at each work surface  10  and the weight of the equipment (not shown) and work pieces  2  that will be supported on the work surfaces  10 . 
         [0010]    The first level work surface  10   a  is rotationally mounted at a first level, and is associated with a stationery first level workstation floor  20   a  upon which the workers working at the first level work surface  10   a  stand or sit. In the preferred embodiment the first level workstation floor  20   a  may be the floor  4  of the building, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , or alternatively the first level workstation floor  20   a  may be a recess (not shown) formed in the floor  4  of the building or set on a riser or stage (not shown) above the floor  4  of the building. The first level work surface  10   a  is disposed at a height H 1  above the first level workstation floor  20   a  that allows workers positioned at workstations about the first level work surface  10   a  to work comfortably on the first level work surface  10   a.  This height H 1  may vary depending upon the type of work being done, the nature of the equipment and/or work pieces  2  on the work surface  10 , and whether the workers are standing or seated when working. 
         [0011]    At least one additional rotary work surface  10   b  is provided. The second level work surface  10   b  is disposed above the first level work surface  10   a.  The second level work surface  10   b  is associated with a stationery second level workstation floor  20   b  which supports one or more second level workers. The second work surface  10   b  is disposed at a height H 3  above the second workstation floor  20   b  that allows one or more second level workers to work comfortably on the second level work surface  10   b.  The second level workstation floor  20   b  is in turn disposed at a height H 2  above the first level workstation floor  20   a  that allows the first level workers to work on the first level workstation floor  20   a  with sufficient clearance above their heads that the workers can move about unimpeded, and with sufficient clearance to accommodate any equipment (not shown) on the first level work surface  10   a.    
         [0012]    In the embodiment shown the second level workstation floor  20   b  is a stage supported on a suitable infrastructure  22 , which may for example be scaffolding or a more permanent infrastructure, and having a safety railing  26  surrounding the workstation floor  20   b.  Suitable means such as a ladder or staircase (not shown) is provided to enable the second level workers to climb up to and down off of the second level workstation floor  20   b.  The second level workstation floor  20   b  in the preferred embodiment surrounds the entire second work surface  10   b,  allowing workers to position themselves to most efficiently undertake the manufacturing processes and procedures for which the second level work surface  10   b  has been designated (one side of the second level workstation floor  20   b  shown in the drawings has been cut away to show the work surfaces  10   a,    10   b ). 
         [0013]    The first and second level work surfaces  10   a,    10   b  are supported on a suitable rotary support  12  driven by a motor  14  through a suitable transmission mechanism (not shown). The rotation rate of the work surface  10   a,    10   b,  stopping points (if any) and any other rotation parameters may be set and controlled in any conventional fashion. 
         [0014]    In operation, first level workers are disposed on the first level workstation floor  20   a  (in the embodiment shown, the floor  4  of the manufacturing premises) and disposed at stations about the first level work surface  10   a.  Similarly, the second level workers climb up to the second level workstation floor  20   b  and position themselves at workstations disposed about the second level work surface  10   b.  With the first level workers and second level workers in position, the motor  14  is activated to rotate the first and second level work surfaces  10   a,    10   b  on the rotary support  12 . The first level workers and second level workers each undertake the manufacturing processes and procedures designated for their respective work surfaces  10   a,    10   b  as the work surfaces  10   b,    10   b  rotate. 
         [0015]    The embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  thus doubles the number of workers who can be stationed in a given floor space about a rotary workstation, by providing two-level rotary work surfaces  10   a,    10   b.  Any number of additional work surfaces may be provided, each additional work surface  10  being associated with a stationary workstation floor  20  upon which the workers are positioned to work on the associated work surface, for example as in the embodiment of  FIG. 3 . It will be appreciated that the term “workstation floor” as used herein refers to any structure capable of supporting a worker, whether it be the floor  4  of the building, a riser, a scaffold, a stage supported on walls  6  of the building or other vertical bearing structures, and any other structure capable of supporting a worker. 
         [0016]    In the preferred embodiment the second work surface  10   b  is mounted substantially concentrically on the first work surface  10   a.  The second work surface  10   b  may rotate with the first work surface  10   a,  or with suitable modifications (and if necessary one or more additional motors) the work surfaces  10  can be designed to rotate independently, at different rates and even in different directions. For example, in the embodiment shown the second level work surface  10   b  is supported by a secondary rotary support  12   b  which is contained within and rotates independently of the primary rotary support  12  supporting the first level work surface  10   a,  via any suitable transmission mechanism contained within the rotary support  12 , as will be well known to those skilled in the art. 
         [0017]    Further, although in the embodiment shown both work surfaces  10   a,    10   b  are mounted on a rotary support  12  supported on the floor  4  of the building, it will be appreciated that the work surfaces  10  can alternatively be supported in other ways. For example, each work surface  10  may be independently mounted on a rotary support supported by its associated workstation floor  20 , for example by a spider or frame (not shown) extending across the open centre of the workstation floor  20 . It will further be appreciated that each next higher level of work surface  10  may be supported on the next lower work surface  10  (if both work surfaces rotate together), or all work surfaces  10  may be supported on a single rotary support  12 . In all of these cases the advantages of the invention are obtained by providing an associated stationary workstation floor  20  supporting workers positioned at one or more workstations about the rotary work surface  10  at each level. 
         [0018]    Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus described in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. The invention includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.