Vacuum system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10221602-B2
Application number	US-201715481139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 6, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A vacuum system for use in excavation operations. The system uses a tank having an open end that is closed by a door. The door is opened and closed by a door lifting assembly made up of an upper linkage arm, a lower linkage arm and a hydraulic cylinder. A socket is formed in the upper linkage arm, and a shaft housing is formed in the lower linkage arm. The shaft housing engages with the socket to latch the door closed. The upper linkage arm is attached to the door at a first pivot axis and is attached to the lower linkage arm at a second pivot axis. The lower linkage arm is attached to a side of the tank at a third pivot axis. When the door is open, the second pivot axis extends below a reference plane that contains the first and third pivot axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum system comprising:
a tank having an open end, a closed end, and a first side having a stub attached to and projecting out therefrom;
a door used to close the open end of the tank; and
a door lifting assembly comprising:
an upper linkage arm, having a first end connected to an outer surface of the door and a second end, the upper linkage arm comprising a socket disposed between the first end and the second end;
a lower linkage arm, having a first end and a second end, the lower linkage arm comprising stub housing disposed between the first end and the second end through which the stub is received; and
a hydraulic cylinder connected to the second end of the lower linkage arm;

wherein activation of the hydraulic cylinder causes the socket on the upper linkage arm to engage with the stub housing disposed in the lower linkage arm.

2. The vacuum system of claim 1 wherein the first end of the upper linkage arm is pivotally secured to the outer surface of the door at a first pivot axis, and the first end of the lower linkage arm is pivotally secured to the second end of the upper linkage arm at a second pivot axis, and the stub housing and the first pivot axis are on a first plane when the linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position, and the second pivot axis is beneath the first plane when the linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position.

3. The vacuum system of claim 2 wherein the hydraulic cylinder comprises a piston and a cylinder, wherein the linkage arms are fully extended when the piston is retracted within the cylinder.

4. The vacuum system of claim 1 wherein the socket is formed on a bottom surface of the upper linkage arm and opens towards a bottom of the tank.

5. The vacuum system of claim 4 wherein the socket has a semi-circle shape.

6. The vacuum system of claim 5 wherein the socket has opposed first and second ends formed at opposite ends of a diameter of the semi-circle, and a ramp is formed between the second end of the socket and the bottom surface of the upper linkage arm.

7. The vacuum system of claim 6 wherein the activation of the hydraulic cylinder causes the ramp to engage with the stub housing and direct the stub housing into the socket.

8. The vacuum system of claim 1 wherein the second end of the lower linkage arm comprises a slot for receiving a pivot pin, wherein the slot allows for lateral movement of the lower linkage arm relative to the pivot pin.

9. The vacuum system of claim 1 wherein the lower linkage arm comprises an inner member and an outer member and the upper linkage arm is positionable between the inner member and the outer member.

10. The vacuum system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second stub attached to and projecting out from a second side of the tank;
a second door lifting assembly comprising:
a second upper linkage arm, having a first end connected to an outer surface of the door and a second end, the upper linkage arm comprising a second socket disposed between the first end and the second end;
a second lower linkage arm, having a first end and a second end, the second lower linkage arm comprising a second stub housing disposed between the first end and the second end through which the second stub is received; and
a second hydraulic cylinder connected to the second end of the second lower linkage arm;

wherein activation of the second hydraulic cylinder causes the second socket on the second upper linkage arm to engage with the second stub housing disposed in the second lower linkage arm.

11. The vacuum system of claim 10 wherein the first end of the second upper linkage arm is pivotally secured to the outer surface of the door at a first pivot axis and the first end of the second lower linkage arm is pivotally secured to the second end of the second upper linkage arm at a second pivot axis, and the second stub housing and the first pivot axis of the second door lift assembly are on a first plane when the second linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position; and the second pivot axis of the second door lift assembly is beneath the first plane when the second linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position.

12. A lifting mechanism for opening a vacuum tank, the vacuum tank comprising a door and a tank, the lifting mechanism comprising:
an upper linkage arm, having a first end pivotally secured to the door at a first pivot axis and a second end;
a lower linkage arm, having a first end and a second end, the lower linkage arm comprising a second pivot axis disposed between the first end and the second end, wherein the lower linkage arm is pivotally secured to a first side of the tank at the second pivot axis, and wherein the first end of the tower linkage arm is pivotally secured to the second end of the upper linkage arm at a third pivot axis;
a hydraulic cylinder connected to the second end of the lower linkage arm;
wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are on a first plane when the linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position; and
wherein the third pivot axis is beneath the first plane when the linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position.

13. The lifting mechanism of claim 12 wherein the second pivot axis comprises a stub attached to and projecting out from a side of the tank and extending through a stub housing formed in the lower linkage arm for receiving the stub.

14. The vacuum system of claim 12 wherein the hydraulic cylinder comprises a piston and a cylinder, wherein the linkage arms are fully extended when the piston is retracted within the cylinder.

15. The vacuum system of claim 12 further comprising:
a second upper linkage arm, having a first end connected to the door at a first pivot axis and a second end;
a second lower linkage arm, having a first end and a second end, the lower linkage arm comprising a second pivot axis disposed between the first end and the second end, wherein the lower linkage arm is connected to a second side of the tank at the second pivot axis, and wherein the first end of the lower linkage arm is connected to the second end of the upper linkage arm at a third pivot axis;
a hydraulic cylinder connected to the second end of the second lower linkage arm; connected to a second side of the tank at the second pivot axis, and wherein the first end of the lower linkage arm is connected to the second end of the upper linkage arm at a third pivot axis; a hydraulic cylinder connected to the second end of the second lower linkage arm;
wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are on a first plane when the second linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position; and
wherein the third pivot axis is beneath the first plane when the second linkage arms are fully extended and the door is in an open position.

16. An apparatus, comprising:
a tank having an open end and carrying an externally projecting shaft having a shaft axis;
a door hingedly mounted at the tank's open end and movable between open and closed positions;
an elongate lower arm supported by the tank and rotatable about the shaft axis;
an elongate upper arm pivotally secured to the door at a first pivot axis and pivotally secured to the lower arm at a second pivot axis spaced from the first pivot axis;
wherein the second pivot axis of the lower arm crosses a reference plane as the door approaches its open position, the reference plane containing both the shaft axis and the first pivot axis.

17. The ap

Assignees

• Charles Machine Works

Inventors

• Sewell Cody L

Classifications

• E05F1/1091 Primary

  with a gas spring (E05F1/1292 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D90/008

  Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers (locking E05B83/12) · CPC title

• Y10T292/216

  Toggle lever · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• B65D90/623

  having a rotational motion · CPC title