[SML] Extremely low profile air caster?

Sat Oct 6 12:01:08 UTC 2018

There are a lot of commercially available “air caster pallets” or some such titled products as I’m sure you have found out.   Made by several manufacturers. Not that low a profile. Quite expensive although you can find them  used on e bay and elsewhere.  Just Google them up.

  Here’s a 36” x 36”  x 2” for “cheap”.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AERO-GO-4PI5NS-Air-Caster-Air-Bearing-Pallet-3-5T-Capacity-36-x-36-034-Lot-of-4-/272331489318

We built bladder type air casters some years ago  to move scenery.  For reasons  discussed on this list several times before we went to air lift casters, and/ or air actuated stops.  Opened  in 1988 and built with it in mind,  our building has big enough compressor and air supply to run air casters.

DickA
TD, Cornell U

On Oct 6, 2018, at 12:35 AM, jdunfee12--- via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net<mailto:stagecraft at theatrical.net>> wrote:

I actually found a comparable product to what I am trying to do.  But, it is no longer on the market.  It is a mechanics creeper.  Rather than wheels, it uses air to glide across the floor.  I have found a few videos of it, but all have music playing while it is in operation.  So, I wonder if they are covering up rude noises?

The Hover Creeper
https://newatlas.com/go/5933/

here is a video, that gives you a brief glimpse of the underside at 2:10, 2:40 and 3:18.
https://youtu.be/U4CSH6vo5mA

It definitely uses the inflatable membrane approach, and uses two of them. Normal commercial air casters always say you must use at least 3 air casters.   I think this is because otherwise you are in a situation like you are trying to balance on top of a ball.   A hovercraft vehicle may be able to get away with the single membrane, because it is not a single edge along the ground. Rather, it has some thickness around the perimeter.  So, the inflated membrane is applying pressure along the perimeter. The air escaping underneath it keeps it from making contact.  An uneven load above does not cause additional loading on the ground, because the air maintains the same pressure all around.

They used two circular membranes.  The square commercial air casters also use a circular membrane, even though it is being mounted to a square plate.  Yet, vehicles do not use a circular membrane. Rather, they use a slot-shape.  I don't know why this is the case.

-Joe

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