US-20260126149-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A SUPPORT AND LEVELING SYSTEM

Abstract

A leveling system is provided. The leveling system includes at least one reference device configured to emit a signal that indicates a predetermined height, at least one leveling mechanism configured to change a height of at least one object until the height of the at least one object equals the predetermined height, and at least one support attached to the at least one leveling mechanism and configured to support the at least one object.

Inventors

• TRAVIS EVERETT VAP

Assignees

• MARVEL INTEGRATION, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251106

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A leveling system comprising: at least one reference device configured to emit a signal that indicates a predetermined height; at least one leveling mechanism configured to change a height of at least one object until the height of the at least one object equals the predetermined height; and at least one support attached to the at least one leveling mechanism and configured to support the at least one object.
2. 2 . The leveling system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one leveling mechanism comprises a retractable chassis and a stanchion system.
3. 3 . The leveling system of claim 2 , wherein the stanchion system comprises a base, a stanchion extending from the base, and feet attached to the base.
4. 4 . The leveling system of claim 3 , wherein the base has a substantially triangular shape and three feet attached to the base.
5. 5 . The leveling system of claim 2 , wherein the retractable chassis comprises a base, at least one wheel attached to the base, a casing extending from the base, a sensor attached to the casing, a motor within the casing, a power source, a control system, and a support attachment attached to a top of the casing.
6. 6 . The leveling system of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect the signal emitted from the at least one reference device.
7. 7 . The leveling system of claim 5 , wherein the casing circumscribes a stanchion of the stanchion system.
8. 8 . A leveling system comprising: at least one reference device configured to emit a signal that indicates a predetermined height; a plurality of leveling mechanisms configured to change a height of at least one object until the height of the at least one object equals the predetermined height; and at least one support attached to the plurality of leveling mechanisms and configured to support the at least one object.
9. 9 . The leveling system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of leveling mechanisms comprises two leveling mechanisms.
10. 10 . The leveling system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one support comprises a support beam attached to the two leveling mechanisms.
11. 11 . The leveling system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one reference device comprises a single rotating laser beam projector configured to project a laser beam in a plane about the at least one reference device.
12. 12 . The leveling system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of leveling mechanisms comprises four leveling mechanisms.
13. 13 . The leveling system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one support comprises two support beams each attached to two leveling mechanisms of the four leveling mechanisms.
14. 14 . The leveling system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one reference device comprises a single rotating laser beam projector configured to project a laser beam in a plane about the at least one reference device.
15. 15 . A method of leveling an object using a leveling system, the leveling system comprising at least one reference device, at least one leveling mechanism, and at least one support, the method comprising: emitting a signal using the at least one reference device, wherein the signal indicates a predetermined height; detecting the signal using the at least one leveling mechanism; and changing a height of the at least one leveling mechanism until the height of the at least one leveling mechanism is equal to the predetermined height.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein emitting a signal using the at least one reference device comprises emitting a laser beam using a single rotating laser beam projector.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein detecting the signal using the at least one leveling mechanism comprises detecting the laser beam with a sensor in the at least one leveling mechanism.
18. 18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one leveling mechanism comprises a retractable chassis and a stanchion system and changing a height of the at least one leveling mechanism until the height of the at least one leveling mechanism is equal to the predetermined height comprises changing a height of the retractable chassis relative to the stanchion system.
19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the retractable chassis comprises a base and at least one wheel attached to the base, the method further comprising arranging the at least one leveling mechanism into a transportation configuration such that the retractable chassis is in an extended position such that the at least one wheel is supporting the object and free to rotate.
20. 20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising arranging the at least one leveling mechanism into a stationary configuration such that the retractable chassis is in a retracted position such that the stanchion system is supporting the object.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/717,197, filed 6 Nov. 2024, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for supporting and leveling objects. BACKGROUND OF CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE Manufacturing certain objects may require the object to be level within a certain tolerance for the object to be manufactured within modern tolerance expectations. The objects may be manufactured by forming the object out of raw materials and then shaping the object into the desired shape by cutting, sawing, rasping, or otherwise removing material until the object has the desired shape. If the desired shape includes flat sides, the object needs to be level within a certain tolerance to ensure that once the material has been removed from the object, the object has a level and flat side within the predetermined manufacturing tolerance set for the object. For example, exterior insulated finish systems (EIFS) are applied to the exterior of buildings to insulate and protect buildings. An EIFS panel can include exterior gypsum board, fluid applied air and water barrier, covered with EPS (expanded polystyrene) insulation, which is then covered with a base coat and mesh, followed by an acrylic finish coat. In addition to insulation, the EPS layer may also be shaped to create architectural details, trims, shapes and reveal features demanded by architectural considerations. EIFS panels are constructed on site and applied to the exterior of the buildings in a labor-intensive process that increases costs and, in some instances, causes unwanted discharge of material from the construction site. The construction and application process includes assembling the EIFS panels on the ground, attaching the partially assembled EIFS panels to the exterior of the buildings, rasping the EPS layer while the EIFS panels are attached to the buildings, and completing the assembly of the EIFS panels. Many commercial or office buildings have flat sides and a key aspect of constructing buildings with EIFS panels is rasping the EPS layers to ensure that the sides of the building are flat. Even small deviations in the EPS layer can make the side of the build appear to have a curved or wavy side. EIFS panels can be rasped while the EIFS panel is installed on the building because variations in the substructure of the building may affect the positioning of EIFS panels on the building, causing the sides of the building to be curved or wavy. Rasping the EIFS panels includes cutting, grinding, rubbing, or otherwise removing material from the EPS layer to shape the EPS layer into a desired shape. Some architectural designs require intricate shapes to be cut into the EPS layer for aesthetic or functional purposes (i.e., shapes for proper water drainage). However, the main purpose of rasping commercial and office buildings is to rasp the EPS layer to ensure that the sides of the buildings are flat after installation and construction. Skilled labor and human judgment are required to properly rasp and flatten the EIFS panels. Specifically, a skilled laborer uses a rasping device, a handheld vacuum rasping device, which shaves the surface of the EPS layer down until the surface of the individual EIFS panel is consistent with the surfaces of adjacent EIFS panels such that the surface of the building is flat. The manual rasping process is very labor intensive and requires skilled human judgment, increasing the cost of installing and completing construction of the building. Additionally, because the EPS layer is formed of expanded polystyrene, the rasping process generates waste in the form of polystyrene beads. These beads may fly or drift off of the EPS layer during the rasping process and may land on the ground. Some construction processes attempt to mitigate this risk by using vacuum rasping devices or wrapping the building with plastic during the rasping process. However, these mitigation measures do not capture all or even most of the polystyrene. As such, at least some of the polystyrene beads fall to the ground and may be blown or drained off the construction site due to wind or rain. These polystyrene beads may impact the quality of water discharged to rivers, oceans, landfills, and/or other discharge areas. Accordingly, there is a need for system and method for supporting and leveling objects, such as EIFS panels, which enables the objects to be manufactured with flat or level sides in a manufacturing facility to reduce costs and to decrease unwanted discharges of material to the environment. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a leveling system including at least one reference device configured to emit a signal that indicates a predetermined height, at least one leveling mechanism configured to change a height of at least one object unt