초록 ▼

A tank handling apparatus for facilitating movement of cylindrical tanks such as oxygen tanks as needed which includes a carriage assembly with a main upright member and a parallel swing arm assembly extending outwardly therefrom with multiple lifting arms with a tank retaining housing movably secur

A tank handling apparatus for facilitating movement of cylindrical tanks such as oxygen tanks as needed which includes a carriage assembly with a main upright member and a parallel swing arm assembly extending outwardly therefrom with multiple lifting arms with a tank retaining housing movably secured thereto which defines a zone therein for receiving of the cylindrical tank. The apparatus provides movement capability vertically upwardly and outwardly, as well as rotational movement of the tank retaining housing to facilitate changing orientation of the position of a different tank between a horizontally extending position and a vertically extending position. An automatic locking mechanism is included which is gravitationally powered for facilitating deployment of a foot support member beneath the tank receiving zone in all positions other than when the held tank is horizontally positioned.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank which includes an upper tank section and a lower tank section positioned therebelow, comprising: (A.) a carriage assembly including: (1) a transport frame;(2) a main upright member secured to said transport

1. A tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank which includes an upper tank section and a lower tank section positioned therebelow, comprising: (A.) a carriage assembly including: (1) a transport frame;(2) a main upright member secured to said transport frame and extending upwardly therefrom;(B.) a parallel swing arm assembly pivotally mounted with respect to said main upright member of said carriage assembly and extending outwardly therefrom, said parallel swing arm assembly including: (1) a supporting end pivotally attached with respect to said main upright member of said carriage assembly;(2) a tank end spatially disposed from said supporting end;(C.) a drive means being longitudinally extendible and retractable and being attached with respect to said carriage assembly and being attached with respect to said parallel swing arm assembly and extending therebetween, said parallel swing arm assembly being movable to a lifted position responsive to extending movement of said drive means, said parallel swing arm assembly being movable to a lowered position responsive to retracting movement of said drive means, said lowered position being located below said lifted position and closer to said main upright member than said lifted position;(D.) a front rail assembly comprising: (1) a face plate pivotally attached with respect to said tank end of said parallel swing arm assembly and movable therewith, said face plate defining a support surface thereon facing outwardly away from said main upright member;(2) a main shaft extending outwardly from said face plate;(E.) a tank retaining housing pivotably moveably attached with respect to said face plate of said parallel swing arm assembly and being rotatable with respect thereto through a plane oriented extending approximately parallel with respect to said support surface, said tank retaining housing defining a tank receiving zone which is adapted to selectively receive and retain said cylindrical tank therewithin, said tank retaining housing including; (1) an upper housing section for retaining the upper portion of said cylindrical tank therein responsive to positioning of the tank within said tank receiving zone;(2) a lower housing section for retaining the lower portion of said cylindrical tank therein responsive to positioning of the tank within said tank receiving zone;(3) a securement means for selectively retaining and holding said cylindrical tank within said tank receiving zone with the lower portion thereof positioned within said lower housing section and with the upper portion thereof positioned within said upper housing section;(F.) a foot supporting member movably mounted with respect to said lower housing section of said tank retaining housing, said foot supporting member being selectively moveable to a retracted foot position located spatially disposed from said cylindrical tank positioned within said tank receiving zone, said foot supporting member also being selectively moveable to a supporting foot position located adjacent to the lower tank section of said cylindrical tank positioned within said tank receiving zone to selectively facilitate supporting of the lower section thereof responsive to positioning of the cylindrical tank within said tank receiving zone with the lower tank section thereof positioned within said lower housing section, said foot supporting member being resiliently biased for urging thereto to move toward said supporting foot position;(G.) a deployment handle mechanism mounted with respect to said tank retaining housing and being operatively attached with respect to said foot supporting member wherein operation thereof applies force on said foot supporting member to urge movement thereof toward said retracted foot position; and(H.) a foot locking means moveably mounted with respect to said tank retaining housing and including a locking lug pivotally moveably mounted with respect to said lower housing section of said tank retaining housing at a position adjacent to said foot supporting member, said locking lug being movable to a lug locking position to selectively hold said foot supporting member in the supporting foot position responsive to rotational movement of said tank retaining housing to a position wherein the cylindrical tank is oriented extending generally vertically, said locking lug also being movable to a lug unlocking position to selectively allow movement of said foot supporting member away from the supporting foot position and toward the retracted foot position, by operation of said deployment handle mechanism, responsive to rotational movement of said tank retaining housing to a position wherein the cylindrical tank is oriented extending generally horizontally, movement of said locking lug of said foot locking means between the lug locking position and the lug unlocking position being powered solely by the exerting of gravitation force thereon responsive to movement of said tank retaining housing with said cylindrical tank positioned therein between a generally horizontally oriented position and a generally vertically oriented position. 2. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said foot locking means includes a locking abutment surface thereon which positionable in abutment with respect to said lower housing section of said tank retaining housing responsive to movement of said locking lug of said foot locking means into the lug locking position thereof. 3. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said foot locking means includes a weighted locking section which is responsive solely to gravitation forces exerted thereon to further facilitate movement of said locking lug between the lug locking position and the lug unlocking position. 4. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower housing section of said tank retaining housing is heavier than said upper housing section of said tank with said cylindrical tank positioned within said tank receiving zone to facilitate rotational movement of said tank retaining housing to a generally vertically extending orientation with said upper housing section positioned above said lower housing section. 5. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said parallel swing arm assembly is operative to move between said lifted position and said lowered position wherein said lowered position is positioned closer to said main upright member of said carriage assembly than said lifted position. 6. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said deployment handle mechanism includes: (A.) a deployment handle pivotally movably mounted with respect to said tank retaining housing; and(B.) a handle driveshaft rotatably moveably mounted with respect to said tank retaining house and extending from a position adjacent said deployment handle to a position adjacent said foot supporting member, said handle driveshaft being operatively attached to said foot supporting member and to said deployment handle to apply force on said foot supporting member to urge movement thereof toward said retracted foot position responsive to operation of said deployment handle. 7. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 6 further comprising a resilient biasing means operatively secured with respect to said deployment handle and with respect to said handle driveshaft, said resilient biasing means being operative to apply force on said foot supporting member to urge movement thereof toward said supporting foot position. 8. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 7 wherein said resilient biasing means comprises a coil spring means. 9. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said front rail assembly further comprises a main shaft extending outwardly from said face plate and wherein said tank retaining housing includes a cam member which defines a cam bore extending therethrough, said main shaft being positioned extending into said cam bore to facilitate rotational movement of said tank retaining housing with respect to said front rail assembly in a plane extending generally parallel with respect to said face plate of said front rail assembly. 10. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 9 wherein said main shaft defines a main shaft axis extending axially therealong and wherein said tank retaining housing is rotationally moveable with respect to said face plate through a plane oriented extending perpendicularly with respect to said main shaft axis. 11. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 9 wherein said front rail assembly includes a guide pin extending outwardly therefrom and wherein said cam member includes a peripheral cam edge extending therearound and a cam guide channel defined along said peripheral cam edge, said guide pin being positioned in abutment with respect to said cam guide channel defined along said peripheral cam edge to facilitate guiding of alignment between said tank retaining housing and said front rail assembly during relative rotational movement of said tank retaining housing between a generally horizontally extending position and a generally vertically extending position. 12. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 11 wherein said cam guide channel includes a first end and a second end and wherein said first end is positional in abutment with respect to said guide pin responsive to said tank retaining housing extending in a generally horizontally extending orientation and wherein said second end is positional in abutment with respect to said guide pin responsive to said tank retaining housing extending in a generally vertically extending orientation. 13. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said cam member defines a first locking aperture and a second locking aperture therein, and wherein said front retaining housing includes a locking pin extending outwardly therefrom, said locking pin being adapted to extend into and engage with said first locking aperture responsive to positioning of said tank retaining housing in a generally horizontally extending position, said locking pin being adapted to extend into and engage with said second locking aperture responsive to positioning of said tank retaining housing in a generally vertically extending position. 14. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 10 wherein said main shaft axis is normal with respect to said face plate of said front rail assembly. 15. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 11 wherein said peripheral cam edge is arcuate. 16. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 11 wherein said peripheral cam edge is shaped approximately circularly. 17. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 11 wherein said cam guide channel is arcuate. 18. The tank handling apparatus for use lifting, supporting and manipulating a cylindrical tank as defined in claim 1 wherein said face plate of said front rail assembly is oriented facing approximately horizontally when positioned in the lifted position and in the lowered position and during movement between these two positions.