CA1219888A - Lifting apparatus for shaped articles - Google Patents
Lifting apparatus for shaped articlesInfo
- Publication number
- CA1219888A CA1219888A CA000411279A CA411279A CA1219888A CA 1219888 A CA1219888 A CA 1219888A CA 000411279 A CA000411279 A CA 000411279A CA 411279 A CA411279 A CA 411279A CA 1219888 A CA1219888 A CA 1219888A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- gripper
- jaws
- cross beam
- industrial
- clamping
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
- B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
- B66C1/00—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles
- B66C1/10—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles by mechanical means
- B66C1/62—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles by mechanical means comprising article-engaging members of a shape complementary to that of the articles to be handled
- B66C1/64—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles by mechanical means comprising article-engaging members of a shape complementary to that of the articles to be handled for T- or I-section beams or girders
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Forklifts And Lifting Vehicles (AREA)
- Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The invention provides lifting apparatus for lifting, transporting and stacking shaped articles, e.g.
I-beams, both quickly and safely, and in such a manner that the stacked articles occupy minimum space. The apparatus has a cross beam rotatably supporting pairs of clamping jaws which extend from the lower surface of the cross beam.
The pairs of clamping jaws are interconnected by alignment means which ensures that the jaws are all kept parallel to each other during rotation relative to the cross beam.
Groups of shaped articles can thus be clamped by the jaws and lifted by the cross beam, so there is no need to stack the articles with spacer members therebetween, which is necessary when the articles are lifted by conventional cranes or forklift trucks. Quick, safe and economical lifting, transportation and storage can thus be achieved.
The invention provides lifting apparatus for lifting, transporting and stacking shaped articles, e.g.
I-beams, both quickly and safely, and in such a manner that the stacked articles occupy minimum space. The apparatus has a cross beam rotatably supporting pairs of clamping jaws which extend from the lower surface of the cross beam.
The pairs of clamping jaws are interconnected by alignment means which ensures that the jaws are all kept parallel to each other during rotation relative to the cross beam.
Groups of shaped articles can thus be clamped by the jaws and lifted by the cross beam, so there is no need to stack the articles with spacer members therebetween, which is necessary when the articles are lifted by conventional cranes or forklift trucks. Quick, safe and economical lifting, transportation and storage can thus be achieved.
Description
LIFTING APPARATUS FOR SHAPED ARTICLES
This invention relates to lifting apparatus for conveying machinery and, more particularly, to lifting apparatus for lifting shaped articles, particularly support beams or the like.
Shaped articles, such as I-beams, are presently picked up and moved by various vehicles or equipment, e.g.
a forklift truck or a crane. If a crane is used, a chain or rope is passed around the material and secured to a hook or other attachment device. The disadvantage of this is that, before and after transportation of the material, someone must install or remove the chain or rope, and that person is exposed to significant danger. A further disadvantage, which is equally true for transportation by forklift trucks, is that the shaped articles must, when stacked, be provided with spacers or the like to leave room for the chain or rope, or for the fork of the forklift truck. This of course necessitates increased storage space for the material.
An object of the invention is to provide lifting apparatus that can lift, transport and stack shaped articles quickly and safely, and in such a way that the stacked material requires minimal storage space.
According to the invention there is provided appara-tus for lifting shaped articles, particularly profiled beams, comprising a cross beam having a plurality of pairs of clamp-ing jaws rotatably depending therefrom, said pairs of jaws being interconnected by alignment means for maintaining '~
lZlS~38 mutual alignment of the pairs of jaws upon rotation thereof relative to the cross beam, and said jaws of each pair having substantially parallel, mutually confronting clamping surfaces which are movable towards or away from each other in directions generally normal to said surfaces.
The invention makes it possible to lift, move and unload shaped articles, particularly profiled beams, either individually or in groups of several at a time, quickly and without assistance, and to store the shaped articles in such a way that they occupy minimum space. Thus enabling the material to be transported economically and safely.
A preferred form of the invention has a cross beam or transom provided with three pairs of clamping jaws.
Preferably each pair of clamping jaws comprises a first jaw formed integrally with a movable cylinder and a second jaw attached to a fixed piston extending into the cylinder. This results in a particularly compact and there-fore space-saving construction. In an alternative embodi-ment, the piston is movable and the cylinder fixed, but this is less preferred.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail in the following with reference to the accompany-ing drawings, which show a lifting apparatus that can be attached to a crane (not shown), e.g. a movable trolley crane, and which operates on double flanged beams (I-beams) as the material to be transported.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a lifting apparatus lifting four I-beams;
Fig. 2 is a partial side view of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of a pair of clamping jaws and associated equipment.
A cross beam or transom is indicated by reference numeral 1. The cross beam supports three pairs of clamping 1;;~1~!8~38 jaws 2 which are rotatable about vertical axles 3. The pairs of clamping jaws each consist essentially of a jaw 5 formed as one piece with a movable, hydraulically operable cylinder 4, and a jaw 7 connected to a fixed piston 6.
Hydraulic fluid under pressure forced into the cylinder through a passageway (shown in broken lines in Fig. 3~ extending through the piston shaft, causes the cylinder to move relative to the piston and thus causes the jaws to clamp together. Fluid under pressure introduced into the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston causes the jaws to open. Each jaw has a replace-able gripping insert 8. The pairs of clamping jaws are connected together via mutual alignment means. This consists essentially of a hydraulically operable piston/cylinder unit 9 connected to the cross beam 1, a connecting rod 10 provided below the cross member, and engasing pins 11 connected to the axles 3. The I-beams to be transported are indicated by reference numeral 12.
Upon rotation of cross beam 1, the piston/cylinder unit 9 is activated by impulse means (not shown or further described). The unit 9, via the connecting rod 10 and the engaging pins 11, align the clamping jaws with the longitud-inal axes of the material to be transported irrespective of the angle of inclination of the cross beam 1 to the longitudinal axes.
By varying the angle between the cross beam and the longitudinal axis of the material, the spacing of the pairs of gripping jaws in the direction transverse to longitudinal axis is also varied. Thus, I-beams of different widths can be lifted by the apparatus without complex adjustments having to be made.
The above description relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Other embodiments are also included within the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.
B ~;1
This invention relates to lifting apparatus for conveying machinery and, more particularly, to lifting apparatus for lifting shaped articles, particularly support beams or the like.
Shaped articles, such as I-beams, are presently picked up and moved by various vehicles or equipment, e.g.
a forklift truck or a crane. If a crane is used, a chain or rope is passed around the material and secured to a hook or other attachment device. The disadvantage of this is that, before and after transportation of the material, someone must install or remove the chain or rope, and that person is exposed to significant danger. A further disadvantage, which is equally true for transportation by forklift trucks, is that the shaped articles must, when stacked, be provided with spacers or the like to leave room for the chain or rope, or for the fork of the forklift truck. This of course necessitates increased storage space for the material.
An object of the invention is to provide lifting apparatus that can lift, transport and stack shaped articles quickly and safely, and in such a way that the stacked material requires minimal storage space.
According to the invention there is provided appara-tus for lifting shaped articles, particularly profiled beams, comprising a cross beam having a plurality of pairs of clamp-ing jaws rotatably depending therefrom, said pairs of jaws being interconnected by alignment means for maintaining '~
lZlS~38 mutual alignment of the pairs of jaws upon rotation thereof relative to the cross beam, and said jaws of each pair having substantially parallel, mutually confronting clamping surfaces which are movable towards or away from each other in directions generally normal to said surfaces.
The invention makes it possible to lift, move and unload shaped articles, particularly profiled beams, either individually or in groups of several at a time, quickly and without assistance, and to store the shaped articles in such a way that they occupy minimum space. Thus enabling the material to be transported economically and safely.
A preferred form of the invention has a cross beam or transom provided with three pairs of clamping jaws.
Preferably each pair of clamping jaws comprises a first jaw formed integrally with a movable cylinder and a second jaw attached to a fixed piston extending into the cylinder. This results in a particularly compact and there-fore space-saving construction. In an alternative embodi-ment, the piston is movable and the cylinder fixed, but this is less preferred.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail in the following with reference to the accompany-ing drawings, which show a lifting apparatus that can be attached to a crane (not shown), e.g. a movable trolley crane, and which operates on double flanged beams (I-beams) as the material to be transported.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a lifting apparatus lifting four I-beams;
Fig. 2 is a partial side view of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of a pair of clamping jaws and associated equipment.
A cross beam or transom is indicated by reference numeral 1. The cross beam supports three pairs of clamping 1;;~1~!8~38 jaws 2 which are rotatable about vertical axles 3. The pairs of clamping jaws each consist essentially of a jaw 5 formed as one piece with a movable, hydraulically operable cylinder 4, and a jaw 7 connected to a fixed piston 6.
Hydraulic fluid under pressure forced into the cylinder through a passageway (shown in broken lines in Fig. 3~ extending through the piston shaft, causes the cylinder to move relative to the piston and thus causes the jaws to clamp together. Fluid under pressure introduced into the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston causes the jaws to open. Each jaw has a replace-able gripping insert 8. The pairs of clamping jaws are connected together via mutual alignment means. This consists essentially of a hydraulically operable piston/cylinder unit 9 connected to the cross beam 1, a connecting rod 10 provided below the cross member, and engasing pins 11 connected to the axles 3. The I-beams to be transported are indicated by reference numeral 12.
Upon rotation of cross beam 1, the piston/cylinder unit 9 is activated by impulse means (not shown or further described). The unit 9, via the connecting rod 10 and the engaging pins 11, align the clamping jaws with the longitud-inal axes of the material to be transported irrespective of the angle of inclination of the cross beam 1 to the longitudinal axes.
By varying the angle between the cross beam and the longitudinal axis of the material, the spacing of the pairs of gripping jaws in the direction transverse to longitudinal axis is also varied. Thus, I-beams of different widths can be lifted by the apparatus without complex adjustments having to be made.
The above description relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Other embodiments are also included within the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.
B ~;1
Claims (14)
1. Apparatus for lifting shaped articles, particularly profiled beams, comprising a cross beam having a plurality of pairs of clamping jaws rotatably depending therefrom, said pairs of jaws being inter-connected by alignment means for maintaining mutual alignment of the pairs of jaws upon rotation thereof relative to the cross beam, and said jaws of each pair having substantially parallel, mutually confronting clamping surfaces which are movable towards or away from each other in directions generally normal to said surfaces.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein three pairs of clamping jaws depend from the cross beam.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each pair of clamping jaws comprises a first jaw integrally formed with a movable cylinder, and a second jaw connected to a fixed piston extending into said cylinder.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the alignment means includes a hydraulic piston/cylinder unit attached to the cross beam for causing the pairs of clamping jaws to rotate relative to the cross beam.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said gripper surfaces are formed by replaceable gripping inserts locatable in said jaws.
6. A gripper system for industrial transporting comprising:
a lifting mechanism;
support means attached to the lifting mechanism;
a plurality of gripper support members each rotatable around an about vertical axis and attached to the bottom side of the support means;
a gripper element including clamping jaws where the clamping surfaces are vertical and movable towards or away from each other in directions generally normal to said surfaces, and where the jaws are open at the bottom such as to grip from above and where a gripper element is rigidly attached to each gripper support member; and a linkage mechanism connected to the gripper support members for synchronizing the angular position of the gripper support members relative to a plurality of objects.
a lifting mechanism;
support means attached to the lifting mechanism;
a plurality of gripper support members each rotatable around an about vertical axis and attached to the bottom side of the support means;
a gripper element including clamping jaws where the clamping surfaces are vertical and movable towards or away from each other in directions generally normal to said surfaces, and where the jaws are open at the bottom such as to grip from above and where a gripper element is rigidly attached to each gripper support member; and a linkage mechanism connected to the gripper support members for synchronizing the angular position of the gripper support members relative to a plurality of objects.
7. A gripper system for industrial transporting according to claim 6 wherein the clamping jaws are pro-vided by a clamping jaw forming together with a movable cylinder a single piece and by a second clamping jaw connected to a piston stationary with respect to the gripper support member.
8. The gripper system for industrial trans-porting according to claim 7 wherein the clamping jaws are moved by hydraulic power.
9. The gripper system for industrial trans-porting according to claim 6 wherein the support means is provided by a girder.
10. The gripper system for industrial trans-porting according to claim 6 further comprising axles attached to the top of the gripper support members.
11. The gripper system for industrial trans-porting according to claim 10 further comprising a carrier pin attached to each axle attached to each gripper support member; and a rod providing the linkage mechanism and engaging a respective carrier pin.
12. The gripper system for industrial trans-porting according to claim 6 wherein three gripper support members and three grippers are employed.
13. A method for transporting pluralities of elongated industrial objects comprising:
attaching to a lifting mechanism a support means for a plurality of gripper support members with rigidly attached grippers including clamping jaws where the clamping surfaces are vertical and movable towards or away from each other in directions generally normal to said surfaces, and where the jaws are open at the bottom such as to grip from above;
synchronously rotating the gripper support members to a desired angle position;
lowering the support means such that the grippers contact the objects to be picked up; gripping the objects to be picked up; and lifting the gripped objects upward.
attaching to a lifting mechanism a support means for a plurality of gripper support members with rigidly attached grippers including clamping jaws where the clamping surfaces are vertical and movable towards or away from each other in directions generally normal to said surfaces, and where the jaws are open at the bottom such as to grip from above;
synchronously rotating the gripper support members to a desired angle position;
lowering the support means such that the grippers contact the objects to be picked up; gripping the objects to be picked up; and lifting the gripped objects upward.
14. The method for transporting pluralities of elongated industrial objects according to claim 13 wherein:
the gripper elements are provided by hydraulically actuated clamp jaws.
the gripper elements are provided by hydraulically actuated clamp jaws.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE19813136740 DE3136740A1 (en) | 1981-09-16 | 1981-09-16 | Load-lifting system |
| DEP3136740.2 | 1981-09-16 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1219888A true CA1219888A (en) | 1987-03-31 |
Family
ID=6141807
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000411279A Expired CA1219888A (en) | 1981-09-16 | 1982-09-13 | Lifting apparatus for shaped articles |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1219888A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3136740A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5332275A (en) * | 1991-11-27 | 1994-07-26 | Microscience Group, Inc. | Microgripper |
-
1981
- 1981-09-16 DE DE19813136740 patent/DE3136740A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1982
- 1982-09-13 CA CA000411279A patent/CA1219888A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE3136740A1 (en) | 1983-03-31 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |