Appeal No. 97-0750
Application 08/329,219
APPENDED CLAIMS
1. A lift table for supporting a number of load items
at a variable height comprising:
a generally planar load platform adapted to receive
load items thereon;
a base;
support means supporting said load platform above said
base for up and down movement;
said support means including a main air spring contain-
ing a volume of compressed air and bearing the weight of said
platform and load items to cause said platform to move downwardly
on said base with increasing total weight of said load items; and
an auxiliary expandable reservoir in fluid
communication with said main air spring and containing an air
volume connected to said main air spring air volume, said
auxiliary reservoir expansible under pressure but not bearing the
weight of said platform or load items so that said auxiliary
reservoir is not compressed thereby;
whereby a compressibility of said main air spring
corresponds to a total air volume of said main air spring and
said auxiliary air reservoir, but only the main air spring is
compressed by the weight of said platform and load items.
7. A method of supporting a load of parts on a
platform so as to cause said platform to rise with removal of
each part or fall with adding a part, comprising the steps of
mounting a readily compressible main enclosure filled with a gas
so that said main enclosure is loaded with the weight of said
platform and said parts;
connecting the interior of said enclosure with the
interior of an auxiliary reservoir, said reservoir being expan-
sible by the gas pressure thereby communicated from said main
enclosure to said auxiliary reservoir; and,
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Last modified: November 3, 2007