×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Extendable/Retractable Platform

Extendable/Retractable Platform

Extendable/Retractable Platform

(OP)
I am working on a project that features a "telescoping" structure where people will sit (however, people will not be on it when it extends or retracts).  Furthermore, it features two cantilever platforms that both extend (i.e., as the first platform reaches its most extended point, the second platform starts to extend).  The best way to describe it is to think of a forklift: as the forks rise and a section reaches its limit, the next section starts to extend and so on.

This tower is essentially a large forklift, but with two fork points.  To give you an idea of the size: the tower will extend to ~60 feet.

My question is if anyone has come across a similar design.  This is in the preliminary stages but I'm thinking that I would just mimic the design of a forklift.  However, instead of two "columns", this will have four.  If memory serves me correct, forklift "columns" are made of channels that sit inside one another (these are the guides, similar to a drawer slide) with wheels/casters or ball bearings inside...?  And the lifting mechanism is a hydraulic ram.

At any rate, I already have a lifting mechanism found, so thats not any issue (I don't want to disclose what brand it is because of confidentiality).

I'm an EIT structural engineer just I'm just curious what others have to say and if they know of any examples/guides/manuals that might pertain to such a project.

Thanks.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources