h a l f b a k e r yWhy did I think of that?
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Ever have to carry something heavy or delicate up the stairs?
Like, you go out to get take-out lunch to eat at your desk, or
coffee or
whatever, and when you come back you need to haul it up a
staircase. A total pain, and if you're not careful
(and forgot to get a lid) you end up spilling or
dropping it.
Sure, you could use the elevator, but that
would just be lazy.
So, this system should be fitted to all staircases, integrated
into the handrail. At the bottom of the
staircase there is a tray that folds up. You set whatever it is
you're carrying on the tray, and then push it
up the stairs along a track. A ratcheting mechanism keeps it
from sliding backwards. When you get to the
top, you remove your goods, and then fold the tray down.
Folding the tray down causes the ratcheting
mechanism to release, which causes the tray to slide down
to the bottom.
What about going down, you ask? Not an issue. Nobody ever
has to carry coffee down a flight of stairs. You
always go downstairs to get it, then take it upstairs to drink
it. That's just how it works. And if you really
need to go downstairs to drink your coffee, take the
elevator. At least now you'll have an excuse.
Dumbwaiter game
https://www.youtube...watch?v=btXrLcpXBg4
[pashute, Nov 04 2015]
[link]
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This would explain why most restaurants are flat and level. |
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I like it, but why can't it work going down, too? +
Just put it in reverse and have it take your trash down or
bring a cup of coffee to the person who works in the
basement office! |
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//which causes the tray to slide down to the bottom//
Neatly removing the hand of the person coming up the stairs behind you.
Probably better to be near the handrail, rather than integrated. |
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The track is on the underside of the handrail; when the
tray is folded down it shouldn't protrude beyond the rail at
all. No risk of undesired removal of body parts. |
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//I like it, but why can't it work going down, too?// |
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I can't figure out how you'd get the tray to the top of the
stairs. The only way I can conceive of is a complicated
funicular system with two tracks and trays. Seems sort of
excessive for something so unnecessary in the first place. |
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Easy: The default position is at the top. If you need to take
stuff down, it's there. To return it to the top, add a cord
going over a pulley with a winch at the bottom. There's
also a button or lever at the bottom that pulls another
cord that releases the brake (not all the way, so it comes
down slowly) so you can summon it to take stuff up, and
when you're done taking stuff up, it'll be at the top again. |
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The hackerspace I'm a member of recently expanded, and
part of this was moving all of the member storage
upstairs. We're considering adding a diagonal dumbwaiter
next to the stairs (because we have empty space there). It
would work somewhat like this. Default position would
likely be at the top, both for the reasons I already
explained and because it would get in the way if left at the
bottom. |
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