Method and apparatus for suspendedly supporting a platform

Claim 2

A platform for support below a member comprising: a. a base portion; b. at least two upwardly extending support means supportingly connected to said base portion and independently reciprocable relative thereto between raised and lowered positions and including remotely actuable means therewith for grippingly engaging said member to support a portion of the weight of said platform therefrom when in said engagement; and c. remotely controllable means for selectively applying a force to said support means relative to said base portion of a magnitude and direction to selectively move said support means either toward said raised position or said lowered position, even when said portion of platform weight is supported thereby.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said member includes openings in the undersurface thereof and said means for grippingly engaging said member are sized for insertion in said openings and are expandable into frictional engagement with a wall of openings.

Claim 4

A lifting mechanism for a platform self-supported below a member having openings in the undersurface thereof comprising in combination: a. a generally horizontally extending carriage base portion; b. two upwardly extending cylinders carried by said base portion in vertically fixed relationship thereto; c. a first piston reciprocable in each said cylinder between raised and lowered positions and having a finger extending upwardly therefrom, said finger extending substantially above said base portion in said raised position and having a downwardly facing compression surface near the upper end thereof; d. a second piston in each said cylinder concentrically disposed about said finger above said first piston and reciprocable relative thereto and to said cylinder between raised and lowered positions relative to said first piston and having an upwardly facing compression surface extending upwardly therefrom; e. a resilient sleeve about each said finger between said upwardly and downwardly facing compression surfaces for outward expansion into gripping engagement with the wall of a said opening when inserted thereinto and said second piston is in its raised position relative to said first piston; f. first means for admitting driving fluid to each said cylinder below said first piston at a pressure to raise said piston and finger; g. second means for admitting driving fluid to each cylinder intermediate said first and second pistons at a pressure to move and maintain said second piston at its said raised relative position to outwardly expand said sleeve; and h. third means for admitting driving fluid to each cylinder above said second piston at a pressure to move said second piston downward relative to said cylinder when said sleeve is in said gripping engagement, whereby said cylinder and carriage base portion are lifted towards said member.

Claim 5

A lifting mechanism for a platform self-supported below a member having openings in the undersurface thereof comprising in combination: a. a generally horizontally extending carriage base portion; b. two upwardly extending cylinders carried by said base portion in vertically fixed relationship thereto; c. a first piston reciprocable in each said cylinder between raised and lowered positions and having a finger extending upwardly therefrom, said finger extending substantially above said base portion in said raised position and having a downwardly facing compression surface near the upper end thereof; d. a second piston in each said cylinder concentrically disposed about said finger above said first piston and reciprocable relative thereto and to said cylinder between raised and lowered positions relative to said first piston and having an upwardly facing compression surface extending upwardly therefrom; e. a resilient sleeve about each said finger between said upwardly and downwardly facing compression surfaces for outward expansion into gripping engagement with the wall of a said opening when inserted thereinto and said second piston is in its raised position relative to said first piston; f. first means for admitting driving fluid to each said cylinder below said first piston at a pressure to raise said piston and finger; g. second means for admitting driving fluid to each cylinder intermediate said first and second pistons at a pressure to move and maintain said second piston at its said raised relative position to outwardly expand said sleeve; and h. third means for admitting driving fluid to each cylinder above said second piston at a pressure to move said second piston downward relative to said cylinder when said sleeve is in said gripping engagement, whereby said cylinder and carriage base portion are lifted towards said member.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said second means for admitting driving fluid include a fluid conduit carried by said first piston and movable relative to said cylinder in fluid sealed relationship therewith, one end of said conduit being connectable to a fluid source and the other end fluidly communicating with said cylinder intermediate said first and second pistons.

Claim 7

In a platform for suspended support below a member having holes in the undersurface thereof and including two support means supportingly connected to a base portion of said platform and including means for grippingly engaging said member, apparatus for lifting said base portion relative to said undersurface comprising: a. each said support means being recIprocable between raised and lowered limits relative to said base portion; b. said means for grippingly engaging said member moving with said support means and sized for insertion into a said hole for selective engagement with a wall thereof to support the weight of said support means and a portion of said base; c. means for selectively actuating each said engaging means into and out of gripping engagement with said hole wall; and d. means for selectively applying a force to each said supporting means relative to said base of a magnitude and direction to reciprocate said supporting means toward said raised and said lowered limits, said force applied for said downward relative reciprocation of said support means being sufficient to overcome the portion of weight of said base supported by said support means, whereby to lift said base relative to said member.

Claim 8

In a platform for suspended support below a member having holes in the undersurface thereof and including two support means supportingly connected to a base portion of said platform and including means for grippingly engaging said member, apparatus for lifting said base portion relative to said undersurface comprising: a. each said support means being recIprocable between raised and lowered limits relative to said base portion; b. said means for grippingly engaging said member moving with said support means and sized for insertion into a said hole for selective engagement with a wall thereof to support the weight of said support means and a portion of said base; c. means for selectively actuating each said engaging means into and out of gripping engagement with said hole wall; and d. means for selectively applying a force to each said supporting means relative to said base of a magnitude and direction to reciprocate said supporting means toward said raised and said lowered limits, said force applied for said downward relative reciprocation of said support means being sufficient to overcome the portion of weight of said base supported by said support means, whereby to lift said base relative to said member.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of said support means is translated relative to said base in a direction parallel to said base for moving said platform parallel said member undersurface.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said base includes two cylinders joined thereto against upward and downward motion relative thereto; each said support means comprises a finger extending upwardly from a piston, said piston being reciprocably mounted within a said cylinder; and said force applying means comprise means for applying a first force between said piston and cylinder to move said piston in one direction relative to said cylinder and base and a source of driving fluid admitted to said cylinder for moving said piston in the other direction.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said base includes two cylinders joined thereto against substantial upward and downward motion relative thereto; each said support means comprise a finger extending upwardly from a piston, said piston being reciprocably mounted within a said cylinder; and said force applying means comprise a first source of driving fluid admitted to said cylinder above said piston in its raised position for moving said piston relatively downward and a second source of driving fluid admitted to said cylinder below said piston in its lower position for moving said piston relatively upward.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each said finger includes an upper jaw near its upper end; said hole engaging means comprise a resilient sleeve about said finger below said finger jaw, said sleeve being normally diametrically smaller than a said hole and expandable into gripping engagement therewith; said actuating means for each said engaging means comprise a lower jaw carried by a second piston slidably disposed in a said cylinder about said finger above said finger piston and below said resilient sleeve for reciprocation between a raised and lowered position relative to said finger piston to respectively expand and relax said sleeve; and a third source of driving fluid admitted to said cylinder between said finger piston and said second piston for relatively moving said second piston to its raised position; and said first source is admitted to said cylinder above said second piston in said raised position of said finger piston.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the uppermost gripping surface of each said resilient sleeve is a certain distance above said carriage base in said raised limit position of said support means; spacer means positioned to coact between said finger piston and said second piston establish a minimum spacing therebetween, said minimum spacing being substantially that of said certain distance of said resilient sleeve uppermost gripping surface above said base; and said third source of driving fluid is admitted to said cylinder proximate the upper surface of said finger piston in its said raised position.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least one of said cylinders in translatable relative to said base in a direction parallel to said base, whereby to translate said support means relative to said base for moving saId platform parallel to said member undersurface.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein spacer means are positioned to coact between said finger piston and said second piston to establish a minimum spacing therebetween and said third source of driving fluid is admitted to said cylinder proximate the upper surface of said finger piston in its said raised limit position.

Claim 18

The method of claim 13 wherein said limit is established by contact of said base with said member.

Claim 19

The method of claim 13 including the step of maintaining said support means lowering force following arrival of said base at said limit.

Claim 20

The method of claim 13 wherein said member included a plurality of openings and said platform includes two support means independently raisable and lowerable and actuable into gripping engagement with different of said openings and further comprising the steps of: a. actuating one of said support means out of gripping engagement with a said opening wall while maintaining the other in engagement; b. applying a raising force to said one said support means while applying said lowering force to said other support means; and c. actuating said one support means into gripping engagement with the wall of a said opening.

Claim 21

The method of claim 16 wherein a particular said support means is translatable relative to said base in a direction substantially parallel to said base, to align a support means with a different one of said openings, and further comprising the steps of: a. applying a said lowering force to said one support means to move it to its lowered position following its said actuation out of gripping engagement; and b. translating said particular support means relative to said base to align said one lowered support means with a different one of said openings prior to applying said raising force thereto.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17 including the step of maintaining said support means lowering force, following arrival of said base at said limit.

Claim 25

ThE method of claim 19 wherein at least one of said supporting means is movable relative to said base in a direction substantially parallel said base to align a supporting means with a different said opening and further comprising the steps of: a. moving said one supporting means actuated out of gripping engagement to its said lowered position; b. moving said at least one supporting means relative to said base in said direction substantially parallel thereto to align said lowered supporting means with a different said opening; and c. moving said one supporting means actuated out of gripping engagement to its said raised position.

Claim 26

The method of claim 19 wherein said downward movement of said supporting means relative to said base is sufficient to lift said base to a maximum elevation proximate the undersurface of said member.

Claim 27

The method of claim 20 wherein said downward movement of said supporting means relative to said base is sufficient to lift said base to a maximum elevation proximate the undersurface of said member.