Universal supporting member for wind turbine blade
An automatically adjustable universal wind turbine blade handling apparatus including a rigid frame supporting a base plate and a plurality of adjustable support members. The support members are spaced from each other and include a vertical pillar, a moveable shaft that can be telescopingly extended or retracted, and a pivotable pad coupled to shaft. The plurality of support members are automatically adjusted to position the pad at predetermined heights and/or angles to accommodate a variety of blade types/sizes.
1. A wind turbine blade handling apparatus comprising:
a frame, the frame including at least one beam and a plurality of downwardly extending legs,
the frame having at least one attachment structure with linear walls defining an opening oriented horizontally and configured to receive a tine of a forklift to lift the wind turbine handling apparatus;
the frame having at least one attachment with linear walls defining an opening oriented vertically to receive a pulley to lift the wind turbine handling apparatus;
a truss extending vertically upward from the frame;
at least one bracket rotatably coupled to the truss;
a base plate, the base plate having a generally rectangular shape with a width smaller than a width of the frame, and coupled to the at least one bracket at a midpoint of the base plate along opposing sides, the at least one bracket disposed between the truss and the base plate, and wherein the base plate and the at least one bracket configured to rotate relative to the frame;
a plurality of adjustable support members disposed on the base plate;
each support member having:
a pillar, the pillar having a top surface and a bottom surface, with the bottom surface coupled to the base plate
a moveable shaft, the shaft having a first end and a second end, with the first end disposed at least partially within the pillar and the second end disposed above the top surface of the pillar, and
a moveable pad, the pad pivotably coupled to the second end of the shaft via a pin, wherein the moveable pad is configured to pivot about an axis of the pin; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of adjustable support members are moveable relative to the base plate to reconfigure an arrangement of adjustable support members.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for each of the plurality of support members, the shaft can be extended and retracted relative to the pillar.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for each of the plurality of support members, the shaft can rotate about a vertical axis.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for each of the plurality of support members, the pad is pivotably attached to the shaft with the pin.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein for each of the plurality of support members, the pad can rotate about the axis of the pin.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each support member is spaced apart with a fixed distance between each support.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each support member is positioned on the base plate with a variable distance between each support.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for each of the plurality of support members, the pillar is a rectangular column, the shaft is a cylindrical rod telescopingly received within the pillar, and the pad is a rectangular structure oriented perpendicularly to the shaft.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each support member is independently adjustable.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each support member is adjustable via pneumatic power.
11. An automatically adjustable wind turbine blade handling apparatus comprising:
a frame, the frame including at least one beam and a plurality of downwardly extending legs, the frame including an upwardly extending truss at a lateral side of the frame, the frame having at least one attachment structure configured as an eyelet defining an opening to receive a pulley to lift the wind turbine handling apparatus;
at least one bracket rotatably coupled to the truss;
a base plate, the base plate having a generally rectangular shape and coupled to the at least one bracket at a midpoint of the base plate along opposing sides and the at least one bracket disposed between the truss and the base plate;
a plurality of adjustable support members disposed on the base plate;
each support member having:
a pillar, the pillar having a top surface and a bottom surface, with the bottom surface coupled to the base plate
a moveable shaft, the shaft having a first end and a second end, with the first end disposed at least partially within the pillar and the second end disposed above the top surface of the pillar, and
a moveable pad, the pad having one axis of rotation relative to the moveable shaft, the pad pivotably coupled to the second end of the shaft via a pin, wherein the moveable pad is configured to pivot about an axis of the pin;
wherein a plurality of support members are automatically adjustable to position the pad at predetermined heights; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of adjustable support members are moveable relative to the base plate to reconfigure the at least one of the plurality of adjustable support members.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of support members are automatically adjustable to position the pad at predetermined pitch angle.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined height of a first of the pads is different than the predetermined height of an adjacent one of the pads.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of pads are positioned relative each other to compliment the contour of a wind turbine blade surface.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each support is spaced apart with a fixed distance between each support.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein for each of the plurality of support members, the pillar is a rectangular column, the shaft is a cylindrical rod telescopingly received within the pillar, and a bottom surface of the pad is a rectangular structure oriented perpendicularly to the shaft.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each support member is independently adjustable.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each support member is adjustable via pneumatic power.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein for each of the plurality of support members, the pillar has a height equal to or greater than the height of the shaft.
20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the frame has a rectangular upper surface, and the trusses extend vertically upward from a top of the frame to create a space between the base plate and the underlying frame.