Design help needed...

[Chuck Wintle]

At work we connect sensors to an input box that is mounted on a dolly. there are 80 connections and often we need to raise the height of the input box so the sensor wires can reach to the box. from the drawing, side view given, I need to design a way to easily raise and lower the height of the input box using 80-20 material. can someone suggest a way to do this.304356

[Sean Troy]

Could you use a tongue jack?

[Chuck Wintle]

no, it has to be something that can slide easily and once at the right height some screws are tightened so it will not move. The side posts will be longer probably since it needs to move upwards by 3 feet sometimes.

[Bruce Pratt]

A pulley on the top of each post with counter weights on the outside of each post..... think sash window...

[Dave Richards]

How big is this box you have to raise and lower? How much does it weigh? How big is the dolly? How far does the box have to move vertically? So much missing info.

[Jerry Bruette]

How much does the input box weigh?

Have you built any of the frame work yet?

What type of budget do you have?

At work we use some aluminum extrusion that's similar to 80/20 but made by a company called Item. We have a quasi robotic arm mounted to a frame and it's raised and lowered by a servo motor. If you'd like I could look up some part #'s for you tomorrow at work.

[Jim Koepke]

Can it be powered?

A jack screw set up might work. They can even be used with a lever arm so a 1' screw could lift something 3' or more.

If we come up with a winning idea will we get a consultant's fee? :D

jtk

[Chuck Wintle]

its a metal utility box, 19w x 16h x12 d. The box by itself weighs 20 lbs. the dolly is 19 w x 32l. the box must move thru a distance of about 3 feet. the side posts each have a long slot, so in theory, the box is moved upwards along this slot and then secured in place. But its too difficult since the box is so awkward to lift. Another, better, solution involving some sort of sliders attached to each side so the operator can easily lift and secure it in place.

[Dave Richards]

How about using a counterweight to offset the weight of the box and its support? It would be pretty easy to set up and the weight would help to keep the CG lower when the box is raised.

[Anthony Whitesell]

The jack screw would be the way to raise an lower it, mounted from the bottom of the cart to the bottom of the panel. Instead of screws, I would use pins for holding it vertically. Marry another piece of 80/20 to both sides and drill holes at increments along its length. A pair of L brackets on the bottom of the cabinet with holes at the same position. Pull the pins, adjust the jack screw, replace the pins.

Another idea would be a lead screw design, perhaps mounted to the back of the panel. A threaded rod that runs the entire vertical height through a couple of 1/2" thick steel plates each with a threaded hole. with the threaded rod fixed at each end but able to rotate it will cause the 'shuttle' (metal plates on the back of the cabinet) to move up and down. Now the trick becomes to turn the threaded rod. Jam nuts with an internal threaded collar/external cog teeth and a corresponding hand wheel with another cog tooth gear and a belt drive.

[Brian Tymchak]

My first thought was that maybe the column/table mechanism from a drill press might work, but I'm not sure how that would mount to the dolly so that it could fold up and be mobile.

[Jim Creech]

A light duty double action winch mounted to the side with the cable running up and over by way of a turning block and down to the break out box using another turning block. Attach the cable to the box using an eye bolt or suitable pad eye. Raise and lower the box by simply turning the winch handle. Simple, quick and cheap.

[Jerome Stanek]

Why not a lift cart like this one

http://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-61405.html