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power assisted mechanical handling aid

beacon_dave

For some time now I've been on the lookout for a means of being able to transport flight case trunks single-handedly between buildings via pedestrian/disabled access routes. This could also apply to any large box type load though where vehicles and forklifts cannot be used and manual handling teams are not available.

 

There are a number of off-the-shelf mechanical handling solutions which would appear to be able to do parts of the task but there doesn't appear to be one  that will do it all.

 

Some of the issues encountered with moving flight case trunks are as follows:

  • They typically come with four small swivel castors which are great (and necessary) for manoeuvrability indoors on smooth level surfaces however they start to make things 'rather interesting' once outdoors on slopes and cambers. You have to 'fight with them all the way' as they keep veering off course.
  • The castors are too small when encountering kerbs, hosepipes, loose paving etc. Being solid, a lot of vibration and noise
  • Two of the four castors have manual parking brakes, however they are not accessible to assist with descending a ramp, parking on a camber etc.
  • Weighing in at around 150kg they are manageable on the level however require some powered assistance ascending inclines and braking assistance descending. (being run-over by your own flight case is not cool)
  • They vary in size and often aren't at the ideal height for pushing and pulling.

 

Getting the load onto 8"-12" gel filled pneumatic tyres which can be braked from the operating position would greatly help, as would some form of power assistance to help with inclines. Wheels could either be two fixed and two swivelling like a trolley or perhaps all four electrically steered.

 

However as the flight case trunks are quite heavy, lifting them on and off a trolley with larger wheels would typically require a ramp or a crane. However being able to get under them and jack them up by about 6" would be a lot easier. There are some furniture moving aids which have a hand crank which allows you to jack the load up onto a different set of wheels at each end (usually castors), but  I've never seen a version that turns it into a  power assisted trolley.

http://www.dlhonline.co.uk/ekmps/shops/dalelifting/images/raptor-fm60-600-kg-manual-furniture-crate-movers-[2]-544-p.jpg

Alternatively some means which allows the load deck to be lowered to facilitate loading and unloading then raised for hauling.

 

A couple of other challenges are:

  • doorways - need to be careful with the overall width to be still able to get through doorways.
  • battery life - running out of power halfway between buildings would not be good so perhaps motors with regenerative braking and some easy way to swap battery packs at convenient points.

 

I expect electric wheelchair type motors and control might be a starting point. Optional electronic goodness might include a tilt alarm, battery charge status, etc.

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  • in reply to clem57

    Unfortunately I don't think that this would be an option for inclines in this particular scenario, however maybe for loading /unloading.

     

    In this scenario, there are plenty of paved access routes in place which have been designed with electric wheelchairs in mind and their gradients are in the order of 1:10 - 1:15. These routes are generally fine for lighter loads on 4-wheel trolleys with larger pneumatic wheels, and it typically only takes around 15mins to move such a trolley around 500m at a walking pace from storeroom to destination. However it has always been a problem when it comes to trying to move flight case trunks across the same route. As previously mentioned, their castors aren't suited to the outdoor aspects and just a little bit of powered assistance is required on the flat and a little bit more on the inclines. Doesn't need to be massive, just enough to give a bit of control and keep the manual handling limits in check.

     

    What I originally had in mind was something a bit more like a couple of sack trucks/furniture movers that could be attached at either end of the flight case trunk then ratchet-strapped to secure it. The flight case trunk raised off the ground by about 6" , then some electric motors and controllers to provide some force-feedback type power assistance and braking on the move. Once unloaded the two 'sack truck ends' can be stacked together and returned to the storeroom ready for the next job.

     

    Most of the flatbed trolley solutions I can think of have problems when it comes to loading and unloading as the load deck tends to end up above the wheels which tend to be around 8" in diameter. If you locate the wheels outside of the load deck then you end up adding additional width and doorways can become an issue.

     

    The closest solution to the problem which I have found so far is a pedestrian tug with a custom low-loader trailer with tailgate ramp. It however is expensive, large, and too big to go through typical doorways so means loading and unloading outside the building. The tugs are generally designed for heavier loads over shorter distances, so a lot of the battery energy is likely being used to move the traction ballast in the tug itself, reducing the operational range.

     

    There however  is this impressive bit of kit for loading and moving piano's single-handedly

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKoEAEFmZJ4

    however it doesn't look so good for longer hauls at a walking type pace. (I while back I used to use an oversized electric sack-truck with caterpillar drive belt however even though it was great as a stair crawler, it was far too slow for moving equipment any distance on the flat and level.)

     

    It does however have a simple forklift trick for loading an upright piano onto the high load deck of the transporter which also perhaps could be used for loading a flight case or a box on a half pallet onto a flat bed trolley. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKoEAEFmZJ4#t=9m11s 

     

    I'm not anticipating many votes for this one but I thought that the force-feedback motor control and potentially mechanical linkages and actuators may have been an interesting topic. Also there are a lot of manual handling injuries occurring with people trying to move bulky items like white goods, furniture, half pallets etc. manually over shorter distances outside.