Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/389,246 filed Oct. 3, 2010 titled Air-assisted Heavy Equipment Support Stand. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Heavy equipment utilized in land fills and other waste industry applications is comprised of large and heavy vehicles. Maintenance and service of this equipment is difficult because of the weight and compact design. Thus, the design of support stands, also known as jack stands, required to support this type of heavy equipment must include substantial, heavy parts and support members. Such weighty parts can be difficult to adjust when the support stand is positioned underneath a large earth moving vehicle where the space in which to work is limited and confined. 
         [0003]    Support stands require three main components, a base, a saddle and pinning or retention system. The support stands are normally used underneath low slung type vehicles, where head room and working conditions are limited. When servicing and maintaining large equipment such as bulldozers, rippers, excavators, articulated trucks, wheel loaders and wheeled soil compactors, a high capacity support stand is required. A high capacity stand is capable of supporting the tons of weight presented by these large vehicles and therefore is comprised of parts that are both heavy and substantial in size. The size and weight of these support stand parts make them difficult to adjust during use in the limited and confined space of these low-slung vehicles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The heavy equipment support stand described herein incorporates an air assist feature that allows for vertical adjustment of the extension tube or post having a saddle member thereon with respect to the base within which the tube or post is situated. This adjustment is accomplished by using the application of the compressed air supply commonly available in a machine shop or garage (known as “shop air”) to move an internal piston. The movement of the internal piston causes movement of the post with respect to the base and results in the alignment of the height adjustment holes or voids in the post with the voids in the base. This adjustment aligns the two sets of holes or voids and allows insertion of a pin through both sets of holes or voids to fix the position of the stand support and saddle with respect to the base. 
         [0005]    This air-assisted adjustment is accomplished by the technician applying the compressed air to an air valve mounted on the base to apply the compressed air to the piston within the base to move the piston position thereby shifting the tube or post within the base to the desired height to accomplish alignment of the height adjustment holes or voids in the post with the voids in the base. When the desired height is reached such that the holes are aligned, the technician slides the support pin, in one embodiment a dual support pin system, into place. After the pin is in place to lock the position of the tube or post with respect to the base, the vehicle load can be lowered onto the support stand. 
         [0006]    A benefit of this embodiment is the elimination of the requirement of manually lifting a heavy post within a confined space while also attempting to align the accurately height adjustment voids of the post with the voids in the base and then holding the post in the selected aligned position while attempting to insert the pin. 
         [0007]    The support stand may incorporate an approximate 5 psi “pop off” valve that limits the lifting capacity of the piston to approximately 200 lbs. The approximate 5 psi force also allows the post to be rotated for alignment. In one embodiment a dual retention pin inserts and retracts on a slide rail system. This slide rail system assures that both pins are inserted before supporting a load. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows front and right side perspectives with the dual pins removed from insertion into the holes or voids; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a right side elevation view of the support stand with the dual pins partially inserted into the holes or voids of the post, or extension tube; the lower pin being partially inserted into the base hole or void and the upper pin being partially inserted into the base pin crotch; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a left side elevation view of the support stand with the dual pins fully inserted into the post voids and the lower pin fully inserted into the base void and the upper pin fully inserted into the base pin crotch; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a partial left side and rear perspective view of the support stand with the dual pins fully into the voids of the post and the lower pin fully inserted into the base voids and the upper pin fully inserted into the base pin crotches; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom and side perspective view of the post with a piston mounted at its bottom and showing the air entryway  48  which permits the air pressure introduced into base  11  to contact the pressure release valve; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section view taken along Line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5  and showing the connection of the piston to the bottom of the post and showing the pressure relief valve and adaptor that is positioned inside the stand post. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , support stand  10  is shown comprising base  11  having post or extension tube  12  co-axially inserted into base  11  for in-and-out or telescopic movement with respect to base  11 . An upper end of post or extension tube  12  may have a saddle  12   a  thereon. Post or extension tube  12  also has a bottom end discussed hereinafter in  FIGS. 5 and 6  which is provided with a piston  36 , the use of which is described hereinafter. Also in  FIG. 1  is shown a structure  13  for securing the duel pins together for tandem movement and for preventing vertical and lateral misalignment of the pins as the pins are moved into voids that extend through base  11  and post  12 . This is identified hereinafter as the slide rail pin set  13 . The slide rail pin set  13  is comprised of upper pin  14 , lower pin  16  and arm or slide rail  18  and flange  20 . In  FIG. 1 , it can be observed that upper pin  14  has a first end connected to flange  20  and a second end which, in a withdrawn position, contacts the top of base  11 . It may be seen in  FIG. 1  that lower pin  16  has a first end which is connected to flange  20  and a second end which is partially extending into base  11 . Upper pin  14  and lower pin  16  are connected to flange  20  and it is flange  20  which moves along the length of slide rail  18  as pins  14 ,  16  are inserted into base  11  or withdrawn therefrom. Flange  20  is provided with a slot or an indent that is mateable or registerable with slide rail  18  for guiding slideable movement of flange  20  along slide rail  18  to thereby prevent unwanted vertical angling or lateral (side to side) angling of pins  14 ,  16  as they are inserted into base  11  or withdrawn therefrom. It will be appreciated that the connection to flange  20  causes pins  14 ,  16  to move simultaneously and that flange  20  traveling along slide rail  18  avoids up or down or side ways movement of the pins so that insertion of pins  14 ,  16  accurately moves across the diameter of base  11  and post  12  for insertion of pins  14 ,  16  into and through voids on the opposite side of base  11  and post  12 . 
         [0015]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , post or extension tube  12  is seen partially withdrawn from (or inserted into) base  11 . Post or extension tube  12  is provided with post voids  24  which may be provided as plurality of vertical sets of post voids spaced about the circumference, or separated by approximately ninety degrees about the circumference, of post  12 . Each set of post voids comprises a first void on one side of post  12  and a second post void diametrically opposed to the first post void such that insertion of one of pins  14 ,  16  may enter a post void on one side of post  12  and travel through the diameter of post  12  to contact and enter into the diametrically opposed post void. In  FIG. 2 , saddle  12   a,  is shown on a top end of post  12 . It will be appreciated that post  12  is rotatable within base  11 . By such rotation, post voids  24  which were unaligned with pins  14 ,  16  may be aligned with pins  14 ,  16  as a result of rotation of post  12  within base  11 . It also will be appreciated in  FIG. 2  that upper pin  14  partially rests in a depression or crotch  26  in the upper edge of base  11 . Crotch  26  is shaped to be complimentary in shape to pin  14  to receive pin  14  therein and to allow pin  14  to slide across the surface of crotch  26  (better viewed in  FIG. 4 ) and into post void  24 . Due to the connection of pin  14  and pin  16  to flange  20 , the entry of both pins  14 ,  16  into post voids  24  is coordinated as flange  20  slides along the length of slide rail  18 . As previously described, this coordinated entry is guided by the grooved or slotted bottom of flange  20  which engages slide rail  18  therein to prevent both pitch and front-to-rear angle of entry misalignment of pins  14 ,  16  during travel which could result in misalignment of pins  14 ,  16  with voids  24  and prevention of insertion of the pins. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a crotch  26  is shown as being present on the opposite side of base  11  for receiving pin  14 . Only the upper half of pin  14  is visible in  FIG. 4  as the lower half of pin  14  is seated within crotch  26 . Referring now to  FIG. 2 , it will be appreciated that base  11  also includes a void  28  positioned immediately above slide rail  18  and oriented to receive lower pin  16  therein as flange  20  is pressed inwardly to travel across slide rail  18  toward base  11 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the insertion of pin  14  into pin crotch  26  and pin  16  into base void  28  is permitted by close registration between post voids  24  and base crotch  26  and base void  28 . The close registration allows for smooth insertion of pin  14 ,  16  into base crotch  26  and base void  28  initially, and then into the post voids  24  are positioned in line with slide rail  18 . Farther insertion of pins  14 ,  16  into post voids results in the movement of pins  14 ,  16  across the diameter of post  12  to contact the post void  24  on the opposite side of post  12  from slide rail  18 . Insertion is completed by the entry of pins  14 ,  16  into base crotch  26  and base void  28  which are on the opposite side of base  11  from slide rail  18  (see,  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the full and complete entry of pins  14 ,  16  into base  11  and post  12  may be seen. In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a close view of the relationship between pins  14 ,  16  and post voids  24  and base crotch  26  and base void  28  is shown. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a very close registration between post voids  24  and base crotch  26  and base void  28  is required to allow pins  14 ,  16  to slide across the diameter of both post  12  and base  11  to achieve complete seating of pins  14 ,  16  within their respective voids. This close registration is achieved by the use of a compressed gas, such as compressed air or shop air, which is introduced into base  11 . The pressure of the compressed gas within base  11  increases the pressure against a piston, which comprises the bottom end of post  12 , to thereby urge post  12  upwardly as pressure increases, or ease the post downwardly as pressure is reduced within base  11 . This movement of post  12  permits the operator of stand  10  to achieve the close registration between voids  24  and crotch  26  and base void  28  necessary to permit insertion of pins  14 ,  16  as has been described. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an air nipple  32  is shown, which allows attachment of a compressed air hose with a hose connection being made from nipple  32  to air connector  34  which allows the introduction of the compressed gas or shop air into the bottom of base  11 . It will be appreciated that base  11 , which acts as a cylinder within which the piston travels. Also shown in  FIG. 1  is valve  32   a  which can be used by the operator of stand  10  to add air pressure into base  11  to urge post  12  upward or to bleed air from post  12  to ease post  12  downward. Also shown is handle  33  by which stand  10  may be guided while being moved on wheels  35 . 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the construction of the piston which is connected to the bottom of post  12  will be described. Referring to  FIG. 5 , piston  36  is shown attached to the bottom of post  12  as previously described. The piston  36  is designed to closely fit into base  11 . Base  11  acts as the cylinder within which piston  36  and attached post  12  travel to allow adjustment of post voids  24  into registration with base crotch  26  and base voids  28 . In  FIG. 6 , the components of the piston are shown and which comprise a circumferential seal  38 , which operates to retain the air pressure within the cylinder or base  11 . Above seal  38  is wear ring  40 , which operates to seat piston  36  and post  12  within base  11 . Screws  42  retain piston  36  within post  12 . Piston  36  also is provided with pressure relief valve  44  which is connected to piston  36  by adaptor  46 . The purpose of pressure relief valve  44  is to limit the amount of pressure that can be introduced into base  11  to approximately five (5) pounds per square inch. For pressures above this limit, the pressure relief valve will prevent the sudden and unwanted expulsion of post  12  from being seated within base  11  due to inadvertent application of excessive air pressure to base  11 . 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 6 , air void  48  is shown. It is the opening of the passage way through piston  36  to allow the pressurized air that is introduced into base  11  to contact adaptor  46  and pressure relief valve  44 . 
         [0021]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that base  11  may be provided with two voids as an alternative to crotch  26  and base void  28  to achieve the close registration between voids  24  and the openings in base  11  needed to permit insertion of pins  14 ,  16  as has been described. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that base  11  and post  12  may be provided with a registerable vertical key-way formed by a registerable vertical track in base  11  or post  12  for reception of a vertical projection formed on the other member being either base  11  or post  12  therein to maintain the registration between crotch  26  and base void  28  and post voids  24  and thereby eliminate the need for the previously described rotation of post  12  in base  11 . 
         [0022]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a worker looking to place stand  10  underneath a large heavy vehicle such as a bulldozer or excavator will need to adjust post voids  24  into a position such that they are aligned with crotch  26  and base void  28  to allow pins  14 ,  16  to be inserted through the base  11  and post  12 . To permit this fine adjustment of the spatial relationship between post voids  24  and crotch  26  and base void  28 , the previously described pressurization of base  11  with compressed air produces movement of post  12  within base  11 . As the introduction or removal of compressed gas urges piston  36  to move in response to the gas pressure, the worker by adding compressed gas or removing compressed gas from base  11  can change the height of post  12  within base  11 . This produces a resulting change in the position of post voids  24 . The worker by manipulating the pressure of gas within base  11  can bring post voids  24  into registration with crotch  26  and base void  28  to permit unobstructed insertion of pins  14 ,  16  through post voids  24  and crotch  26  and base void  28 .

Technology Category: f