초록 ▼

A transportation rack for construction equipment is provided. The transportation rack includes a pad for supporting a hard, smooth wheel of the concrete equipment. The pad absorbs dynamic loads on the construction equipment during transportation to avoid flat spots developing on the hard, smooth whe

A transportation rack for construction equipment is provided. The transportation rack includes a pad for supporting a hard, smooth wheel of the concrete equipment. The pad absorbs dynamic loads on the construction equipment during transportation to avoid flat spots developing on the hard, smooth wheel. The transportation rack also includes a rigid guard to protect a precisely aligned element of the equipment, and a rigid bar extending across a portion of the construction equipment to hold it down or apply a containment load to hold the equipment against the pad.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A transportation system with construction equipment comprising: an early entry saw having a smooth, hard wheel that supports the construction equipment during operation; anda precisely-aligned element, the smooth wheel being subject to developing a flat spot in response to an external load applie

1. A transportation system with construction equipment comprising: an early entry saw having a smooth, hard wheel that supports the construction equipment during operation; anda precisely-aligned element, the smooth wheel being subject to developing a flat spot in response to an external load applied to the construction equipment in excess of a wheel damage threshold, the precisely-aligned element being subject to misalignment in response to an external load applied to the precisely-aligned element in excess of a misalignment threshold;a frame defining a support surface;a pad supported by the support surface of the frame and supporting the smooth wheel of the construction equipment, the pad absorbing a dynamic load arising during transport at least to the extent such dynamic load exceeds the wheel damage threshold;a rigid guard mounted to the frame for protecting the precisely-aligned element during transport at least to the extent of an impact in excess of the misalignment threshold; anda lifting device interface adapted to receive portions of a lifting device to facilitate loading and unloading the transportation system onto and off of the transporter;wherein the transportation system is adapted to be loaded on a transporter for transportation of the construction equipment. 2. The transportation system of claim 1, further comprising: first and second support struts mounted to the frame on opposite sides of the frame and adapted to extend upwardly on opposite sides of construction equipment supported by the transportation system; anda rigid bar extending between the support struts and adapted to extend across a portion of the construction equipment supported by the transportation system;wherein the rigid bar limits vertical movement of the construction equipment with respect to the frame and limits an amplitude of vertical movement of the construction equipment to limit a dynamic load on the construction equipment arising from transportation of the construction equipment. 3. The transportation system of claim 2, wherein the rigid bar is adapted to extend through a portion of the construction equipment. 4. The transportation system of claim 2, wherein the construction equipment includes a drive train for driving the smooth wheel to propel the construction equipment in operation, the drive train being subject to damage in response to an external load applied to the construction equipment in excess of a drive damage threshold; wherein the rigid bar applies a containment load on the construction equipment to hold the smooth wheel in constant contact with the pad during transport; wherein the pad absorbs a combination of the containment load and the dynamic load at least to the extent such combination exceeds the drive damage threshold. 5. The transportation system of claim 1, further comprising a ramp pivotally mounted to the frame and movable into a deployed condition to facilitate moving the construction equipment onto the pad and a stowed condition. 6. The transportation system of claim 5, wherein the ramp is within the footprint of the frame when in the stowed condition. 7. The transportation system of claim 5, wherein the ramp includes a transfer edge adjacent to the pad when the ramp is in the deployed condition to enable the construction equipment to transfer from the ramp to the pad without such transfer causing damage to the smooth, hard wheel. 8. The transportation system of claim 5, further comprising a latch for selectively holding the ramp in the stowed condition. 9. The transportation system of claim 1, wherein the lifting device interface includes a pair of tubes, the transportation system further comprising: a pair of inner brace members extending under the pad perpendicular to the first and second tubes and rigidly affixed to the first and second tubes. 10. A transportation system with construction equipment comprising: an early entry saw having a smooth wheel that supports the construction equipment during operation, the smooth wheel being subject to developing a flat spot in response to an external load applied to the construction equipment in excess of a wheel damage threshold;a frame defining a support surface;a pad supported by the support surface of the frame and supporting the smooth wheel of the construction equipment, the pad absorbing a dynamic load arising during transport at least to the extent such dynamic load exceeds the wheel damage threshold;first and second support struts mounted to the frame on opposite sides of the frame and adapted to extend upwardly on opposite sides of construction equipment supported by the transportation system;a rigid bar extending between the support struts and adapted to extend across a portion of the construction equipment supported by the transportation system; anda ramp pivotally mounted to the frame and movable into a deployed condition to facilitate moving the construction equipment onto the pad and a stowed condition;wherein the rigid bar limits vertical movement of vertically contains the construction equipment with respect to the frame and limits an amplitude of vertical movement of the construction equipment; andwherein the transportation system is adapted to be loaded on a transporter for transportation of the construction equipment. 11. The transportation system of claim 10, wherein the rigid bar is adapted to extend through a portion of the construction equipment. 12. The transportation system of claim 10, wherein the construction equipment includes a drive train for driving the smooth wheel to propel the construction equipment in operation, the drive train being subject to damage in response to an external load applied to the construction equipment in excess of a drive damage threshold; wherein the rigid bar applies a containment load on the construction equipment to hold the smooth wheel in constant contact with the pad during transport; wherein the pad absorbs a combination of the containment load and the dynamic load at least to the extent such combination exceeds the drive damage threshold. 13. The transportation system of claim 10, wherein the construction equipment includes a precisely aligned implement, the precisely-aligned implement being subject to misalignment in response to an external load applied to the precisely-aligned implement in excess of a misalignment threshold, the transportation system further comprising: a rigid guard mounted to the frame for protecting the precisely-aligned implement during transport at least to the extent of any impacts in excess of the misalignment threshold. 14. The transportation system of claim 10, wherein the ramp is within the footprint of the frame when in the stowed condition. 15. The transportation system of claim 10, wherein the ramp includes a transfer edge adjacent to the pad when the ramp is in the deployed condition to enable the construction equipment to transfer from the ramp to the pad without such transfer causing damage to the smooth, hard wheel. 16. The transportation system of claim 10, further comprising a latch for selectively holding the ramp in the stowed condition. 17. The transportation system of claim 10, further comprising first and second tubes mounted to the frame under the pad and adapted to receive portions of a lifting device to facilitate loading and unloading the transportation system onto and off of the transporter with the lifting device. 18. The transportation system of claim 17, further comprising a lifting device interface including a pair of tubes and a pair of inner brace members extending under the pad perpendicular to the first and second tubes and rigidly affixed to the first and second tubes. 19. A method of transporting construction equipment, comprising: providing a piece of construction equipment that includes an early entry saw having a smooth wheel that supports the construction equipment during operation, the smooth wheel being subject to developing a flat spot in response to an external load applied to the construction equipment in excess of a wheel damage threshold;providing a transportation rack that includes a frame defining a support surface, and a pad supported by the support surface of the frame;positioning the construction equipment on the rack with the pad supporting the smooth wheel;loading the rack bearing the construction equipment on a transporter for transportation of the construction equipment;transporting the construction equipment with the transporter to a desired location;generating a dynamic load on the transportation rack and construction equipment in response to transporting the construction equipment;absorbing the dynamic load with the pad at least to the extent such dynamic load exceeds the wheel damage threshold. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing a piece of construction equipment includes providing a piece of construction equipment that further includes a precisely-aligned element, the precisely-aligned element being subject to misalignment in response to an external load applied to the precisely-aligned element in excess of a misalignment threshold; wherein providing a transportation rack includes mounting a rigid guard to the frame; wherein positioning the construction equipment on the rack includes positioning the precisely-aligned element proximate the rigid guard; and wherein transporting the construction equipment further includes protecting the precisely-aligned element with the rigid guard during transport at least to the extent of any impacts in excess of the misalignment threshold. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein providing a transportation rack includes mounting first and second support struts to the frame on opposite sides of the frame, and providing a rigid bar extendable between the support struts; wherein positioning the construction equipment on the rack includes positioning the construction equipment with the support struts on opposite sides of construction equipment; the method further comprising: extending the rigid bar across a portion of the construction equipment between the support struts; and vertically containing the construction equipment with respect to the frame to limit an amplitude of vertical movement of the construction equipment. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein extending the rigid bar across a portion of the construction equipment includes extending the rigid bar through a portion of the construction equipment. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein providing a piece of construction equipment includes providing a drive train for driving the smooth wheel to propel the construction equipment in operation, the drive train being subject to damage in response to an external load applied to the construction equipment in excess of a drive damage threshold; wherein extending the rigid bar across a portion of the construction equipment includes applying a containment load on the construction equipment to hold the smooth wheel in constant contact with the pad during transport; and wherein absorbing the dynamic load includes absorbing a combination of the containment load and the dynamic load at least to the extent such combination exceeds the drive damage threshold. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein providing a transportation rack includes pivotally mounting a ramp to the frame; wherein positioning the construction equipment on the rack includes pivoting the ramp into a deployed condition to facilitate moving the construction equipment onto the pad, and, after the construction equipment is on the pad, pivoting the ramp into a stowed condition. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein pivoting the ramp into a stowed condition includes positioning the ramp within the footprint of the frame. 26. The method of claim 24, wherein pivoting the ramp into a deployed condition includes positioning a transfer edge of the ramp adjacent to the pad; the method further comprising rolling the smooth, hard wheel up the ramp, across the transition edge, and onto the pad without causing damage to the smooth, hard wheel. 27. The method of claim 24, further comprising latching the ramp in the stowed condition. 28. The method of claim 19, wherein providing a transportation rack includes mounting first and second tubes to the frame under the pad; and wherein loading the rack bearing the construction equipment on a transporter includes inserting portions of a lifting device into the first and second tubes and loading the rack and construction equipment onto the transporter with the lifting device.