Patent Application

App. No. 11/559,229

Abstract

Claims (53)

1 . A transport device for a load, a portion of said load defining a plane, said device comprising:

at least one device configured to alter the orientation of the load relative to at least a portion of said transport device;

at least one sensor adapted to detect if at least one of the following occurs:

said portion of the load becomes substantially non-planar; and

said portion of the load becomes substantially non-level;

electrical components in communication with said sensor and adapted to adjust said at least one device such that said portion of said load maintains at least one of said substantial planarity and said substantial levelness.

2 . A device according to claim 1 , further comprising

first, second, third and fourth wheeled structures.

3 . A device according to claim 2 , wherein

said at least one device includes at least four actuators.

4 . A device according to claim 3 , wherein

said four actuators are coupled to said wheeled structures such that each of said wheeled structures has at least one actuator coupled thereto.

5 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein

said transport device is formed from two separate self propelled vehicles configured to couple together.

6 . A device according to claim 1 , further including

a plurality of accelerometers that communicate with said electrical components to facilitate maintaining said portion of said load in at least one of said substantial planar orientation and said substantial level orientation.

7 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein

said at least one sensor includes a plurality of inclinometers.

8 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein

said at least one sensor includes a rotating laser beacon on a damped gimbal.

9 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein

said load is a house.

10 . A building carrier, comprising

a first steerable device;

a second steerable device;

a means for coupling said first steerable device to said second steerable device, said coupled first and second steerable devices capable of supporting a building;

a first actuator coupled to said first steerable device;

a second actuator coupled to said second steerable device; and

an electrical system in communication with said first and second actuators when said first and second steerable devices are coupled and configured to maintain said building in a substantially level and substantially planar orientation.

11 . A building carrier according to claim 10 , further comprising

at least one sensor in electrical communication with said electrical system and configured to determine the position of at least one of the building and building carrier relative to a gravity vector.

12 . A building carrier according to claim 11 , wherein

said at least one sensor includes a plurality of accelerometers that communicate with said electrical components to facilitate maintaining said building in said substantially level and substantially planar orientation.

13 . A building carrier according to claim 11 , wherein

said at least one sensor includes a plurality of inclinometers.

14 . A building carrier according to claim 11 , wherein

said at least one sensor includes a rotating laser beacon on a damped gimbal.

15 . A building carrier according to claim 11 , wherein

said first steerable device includes a first bogie and a second bogie, said first and second bogies each having at least two wheels; and

said second steerable device includes a third bogie and a fourth bogie, said third and fourth bogies each having at least two wheels.

16 . A building carrier according to claim 15 , wherein

each of said first, second, third and fourth bogies has at least one motive means configured to drive the two wheels thereon.

17 . A building carrier according to claim 15 , wherein

said first actuator is coupled to said first bogie; and

said second actuator is coupled to said second bogie.

18 . A building carrier according to claim 17 , further comprising

a third actuator coupled to said third bogie; and

a fourth actuator coupled to said fourth bogie;

wherein each of said bogies is located at approximately one corner of said building carrier.

19 . A method of transporting a building in a substantially level and substantially planar manner, comprising the steps of

positioning the building on a transport device,

sensing the position of the building, and

altering the positioning of the building based on the sensed position of said building using electrical circuitry in communication with actuators.

Assignments (12)