GB2279328A

GB2279328A - Hoist

Info

Publication number: GB2279328A
Application number: GB9312861A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew David Whitworth
Original assignee: INTERTOTAL PLC
Current assignee: INTERTOTAL PLC
Priority date: 1993-06-22
Filing date: 1993-06-22
Publication date: 1995-01-04
Also published as: GB9312861D0

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a hoist, especially for lifting a barrel 20. The hoist comprises a track extending between an upper level and a lower level, a carriage (8) which travels up and down the track between the upper and lower levels, the carriage having a load carrying platform which extends outwardly from the track. The load carrying platform remains horizontal as the carriage moves up and down the track, and tilts when the carriage is at the upper end of the track. A curved cam on the track causes a roller and pivot linkage on the carriage to tilt upwards at the upper level. <IMAGE>

Description

HOIST The present invention relates to hoists and particularly, although not exclusively, to a hoist of the type comprising a track extending between an upper and a lower level, and a carriage which travels up and down the track between the upper level and the lower level, the carriage having a load carrying platform which extends outwardly from the track.

A known cellar hoist for lifting a beer barrel load into and out of an underground cellar, comprises a ladder type track having first and second parallel rails, spaced apart from and secured to each other by cross members, the track inclined to the vertical and extending between an upper level outside the cellar and a lower level on the cellar floor, and a carriage which travels up and down the track to raise or lower the load. The carriage is power driven, for example by an hydraulic drive means or by an electric motor. The load is carried on a load platform of the carriage, the load platform usually comprising a pair of forks which extend outwardly in a direction transverse to the track.

However, such known cellar hoists have a disadvantage that, because the forks extend almost perpendicularly to the track and point upwardly, on reaching the lower level, a barrel placed between the forks cannot be easily rolled off the forks onto the cellar floor. The known hoist is therefore provided with a block, placed on the cellar floor and which extends to a height of around 30cm above the floor, onto which the barrel is lowered as the forks of the carriage lower to the floor level either side of the block. The barrel must then be rolled off the block onto the cellar floor.

This type of known cellar hoist has an advantage that because the forks extend substantially perpendicularly from the track and point in an upward direction, the beer barrel is cradled between the forks and the track, and therefore cannot drop off the ends of the forks when the carriage is in motion.

However, the known hoist has a problem that the load is not lowered completely to the floor, and must be dropped by about 30cm or so when it is rolled off the block, which can be dangerous as the barrels weigh upwards of 200 kilos when full. Furthermore, if the barrel is to be loaded from the floor of the cellar and raised up the hoist, the barrel must be lifted onto the block before the carriage can lift the load upwardly. This is particularly difficult when a full barrel needs to be raised out of the cellar.

Recent EEC legislation prohibits the manual lifting of loads which weigh above 50Kg, without mechanical assistance. Therefore there is a further problem that the known cellar hoist does not comply with new EEC legislation concerning the manual lifting of loads.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a hoist for raising or lowering a load between an upper level and a lower level, the hoist comprising; a track extending between the upper and lower level; and a carriage which travels up and down the track between the upper level and the lower level, the carriage having a load carrying platform which extends outwardly from the track, wherein a main length of the load platform adopts a first angle to a main length of the track when the carriage is at the lower level and when the carriage is between the upper and lower levels, and adopts a second angle with respect to the main length of the track when the carriage is at the upper level.

Preferably, the load platform extends in a substantially horizontal plane when the carriage is at the lower level or is between the upper and lower levels.

Preferably, the platform tilts upwardly from the track when the carriage is at the upper level.

Preferably, when the carriage is at the lower level, the load platform substantially reaches a ground level, such that the load can be rolled or slid off the load platform on to the ground without need for the load to fall freely.

Preferably, the load platform is provided with a ramp for loading or unloading the load.

Preferably the hoist is provided with means for tilting the load platform between the first and second angles when the carriage reaches the upper level.

Preferably, the carriage comprises: a bogey which travels up and down a rail of the track; and an elongate rigid arm for supporting the load platform, the arm being pivotally connected to the bogey to allow tilting of the load platform between the first and second angles.

Preferably, the arm has a bearing end which bears on an underside of the rail and follows a path defined by the underside of the rail, and the pivot connection follows a path defined by the travel of the bogey up and down the rail.

Preferably one of the path followed by the pivotal connection or the path followed by the arm is a straight line, and the other one of the path followed by the pivotal connection or the path followed by the arm includes a curve.

Preferably, as the carriage travels up the track, the wedge shaped projection depresses the bearing end of the arm as the bogey drives the arm up the track, such that the arm tilts about the pivot connection Preferably, wherein the bogey maintains a fixed angular relationship to the main length of the track as it moves along the rail.

Preferably the elongate arm comprises: a base plate having one end pivotally connected to the bogey and a bearing end which bears on an underside of the rail; and an extension plate adjustably fixed to the base plate such that the orientation of the extension plate with respect to the base plate can be altered to allow the extension plate to adopt a horizontal attitude over a range of orientations of the base plate.

Preferably, the bogey maintains a fixed angular relationship to the main length of the track as it moves along the rail.

Preferably, the tilt means includes a wedge shaped projection which protrudes from the track.

Preferably, the carriage is provided with a ramp for loading or unloading the load onto the load platform, the ramp being pivotally connected to the carriage and balanced such that when the carriage is between the upper and lower levels, the ramp hangs downwardly, an upper end of the ramp projecting upwardly to prevent the load sliding or rolling off the load platform, and when the carriage is at the lower level, the ramp extends along a surface of the ground for unloading or loading of the load.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a barrel hoist for raising or lowering a barrel between an upper level and a ground level, the hoist comprising: a track inclined to the vertical and extending between the upper and ground levels; and a carriage having a load carrying platform for carrying the barrel, the carriage travelling up and down the track between the upper and ground levels, the carriage having a load platform which extends outwardly from the track, wherein the load platform maintains a substantially horizontal attitude at the ground level, the load platform capable of being lowered substantially to the ground level to allow rolling of the barrel onto or off the load platform, and the load platform maintaining the horizontal attitude when travelling up or down the track between the upper and ground levels.

Preferably the hoist comprises a detachable cylinder carrying means which rests on the load platform and is adapted to carry one or a plurality of cylinders.

Preferably the cylinder carrying means comprises a frame having a series of peaks and troughs each trough surrounded by a peak on either side, the peaks and troughs arranged such that the cylinder(s) lie in the troughs and is or are prevented from rolling off the frame by the peaks.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows in perspective view a hoist according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows in side view the hoist, having a carriage positioned at an upper level in which position a load can be loaded onto the carriage; Figure 3 shows a side view of the hoist, having the carriage in a position between the upper level and a lower (ground) level; Figure 4 shows the hoist having the carriage lowered to the ground level; Figure 5 shows a more detailed side view of the carriage when at the upper level; Figure 6 shows a more detailed side view of the carriage in a position between the upper and lower levels;; Figure 7 shows in a side view the carriage when in an upper position, the carriage having a cylinder carrying frame attached.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a hoist 1 for raising or lowering a load between an upper level 2 and a ground level 3 comprises a track 4 having first and second rails 5, 6 fixed parallel to each other by cross bars 7; a carriage 8 comprising first and second elongate arms 9, 10 respectively, the first and second elongate arms being connected by a plate 11 extending therebetween to form a load platform, the carriage having a ramp 13 connected pivotally to the ends of the arms 9, 10 furthest away from the track, and having a first bogey 14 pivotally connected with the first arm 9, and a second bogey 15 (not shown in Figure 1) pivotally connected to the second arm 10; and the hoist comprising an electric motor drive means 16 for powering the carriage for movement up and down the track between the upper and ground levels.

Referring to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, a side view of the hoist is shown with the carriage 8 positioned at the upper level such that a load, for example a beer barrel 20, can be loaded or unloaded onto the carriage by rolling the beer barrel onto or off the load platform. When at the upper level, the arms and load platform of the carriage tilts such that the arms extend upwardly, cradling the load between the load platform, and the track. A tilt mechanism for tilting the carriage at the upper level is described in more detail hereunder with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

Referring to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, the carriage 8 is shown at a position between the upper and ground levels, in which position the arms and load platform are disposed horizontally, at a first angle to a main length of the track. In this position, the arms and load platform pivot with respect to the bogeys 14, 15 about a pivotal axis 21 (shown marked with a cross in Figures 2 to 4). With the arms in the substantially horizontal position, the ramp 13, which is pivotally hinged about the ends of the arms, hangs downwardly having one end 22 extending upwardly to provide a guard against the barrel rolling off the end of the carriage. The ramp is balanced such that it hangs downwardly when the carriage is in transit between the upper and lower levels, and when the carriage is at the upper level.

Referring to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings, the hoist is shown with the carriage lowered to ground level. With the carriage at ground level, the arms and load platform are substantially horizontal and parallel to the ground. A lower end 23 of the ramp 13, which is provided with wheels, slides horizontally along the ground as the carriage is lowered to the ground position, such that when the carriage is fully lowered, the ramp extends along the ground. The upper end 22 of the ramp lowers with respect to the load platform, such that the barrel can be rolled down the ramp and onto the floor 40.

Preferably, an upper surface of the ramp makes an angle of around 15 to 30 with the horizontal floor, when the ramp is fully extended along the floor.

Referring to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings further detail of the carriage is shown, with the carriage at the upper level. The load platform is tilted at an angle with respect to the main length of the track. The bogey 14 comprises a bogey plate 31 which is attached across the rail 5 by three wheels or roller bearings 32, 33 and 36. The two wheels 32, 33 roll along an upper surface of the rail 5, whilst the third wheel 34 rolls along an under surface of the rail 5. The positioning of the wheels 32, 33 and 34, ensures that the bogey can only run up and down the rail in a fixed angular relationship transversely with respect to the rail.

The bogey is ~drawn up and down the rail by a conventional chain and sprocket arrangement driven by the electric motor 16, the chain and sprocket arrangement being situated within the rail 5 which is hollow. A drive lug extends from the chain within the hollow rail and is attached to the bogey.

The arm 9 comprises a base plate 30 which is pivotally attached to the bogey about the pivotal axis 21 by a roller bearing 34 between the far end of the arm which holds the ramp 13 and the upper surface of the rail 5 and an extension plate 41 which extends away from the track. As the bogey is driven up and down the rail, the arms, being attached to the bogey at the pivot axis 21 by the roller bearing 34, is also driven up and down the track.

The base plate 30, which extends across the rail 5, has another end 35 at which a wheel 36 is provided, the wheel 36 being urged against the underside of the rail 5 by a pivoting action of the arm 9 about the bearing 34 caused by the weight of the arm 9, the plate 11 and the load.

The extension plate 41 is pivotally attached to the base plate 30 at a pivot point 40, such that the angle of the main length of the extension plate 41 is adjustable in relation to the angle of the main length of the base plate 30, by tightening of a nut, bolt and washer arrangement which acts in an adjustment slot 42 in the extension plate. This adjustment is useful in altering the attitude of the load platform to a horizontal position, to accommodate a range of inclinations of the track to the vertical, depending on the particular circumstances of an installation of the hoist in a cellar. Usually, once the hoist is fitted with the track in a fixed inclination, the bolt and slot adjustment 42 are set once so that the load platform is horizontal when the carriage is between the ground and upper levels, and thereafter not reset.

In Figure 5, the carriage is shown in a tilted position, at the upper level. Tilting is achieved by the action of a wedge shaped rail plate 50 attached to the underside of the rail 5 on the wheel 36 at the end of the base plate 30. As the bogey is driven up towards the wedge plate 50, the end 35 of the base plate 30 is held at a lower position with respect to the pivot bearing 34, than when the end 35 of the carriage is running along the straight edge of the underside of the rail 5. The wedge plate 50 pivots the base plate 30 about the pivot point 34, causing the arm 9 to tilt upwardly into the position shown in Figure 5.

When the carriage reaches the upper level, a limit switch 70 is pressed by the base plate 30, which deactivates the electric motor, stopping the carriage from being driven further up the track. The position and actuation of the limit switch in relation to the base plate 30 determines the maximum tilt of the load platform.

The setting of the limit switch is adjustable so that the tilt of the load platform, and the angle which the load platform makes to the main length of the track, can be adjusted.

Referring to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, the carriage is shown in a position between the upper and ground levels, in which the arm 9 and load platform is substantially horizontal making another angle to the length of the track. In this position, the wheel 36 at the end 35 of the base plate 30 runs along the underside of the rail 5, and the arm is balanced about pivot point 34, by the weight of the load platform and the ramp 13.

The ramp 13 pivots about a ramp pivot point 60 such that at the upper level, and between the upper and ground levels, the upper end of the ramp 22 projects upwardly, to prevent the load falling off the end of the carriage arm.

The lower end of the ramp 23, which is provided with wheels 61 hangs downwardly.

Referring to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings, a modification to the carriage as shown, in which the carriage is converted to carry three gas cylinders 80. A cylinder carrying frame 100 is shown schematically in side elevation and comprises side plates 101 having cut out trough sections 102 for cradling the gas cylinders 80, and a plurality of and support legs 105, 106. The gas cylinders are laid across the frame 100, which has a corresponding plate 101 at the other side of the frame (not visible in Figure 7). The frame 100 rests on the carriage on the legs 105, 106, the legs 105 resting on the load platform 107 shown dotted, and the legs 106 resting on the pivot points 40.One of the legs 106 has an extending arm 108 which triggers the limit switch 70 before the wheel 36 of the carriage reaches the wedge plate 50 and thus prevents the carriage being tilted backwards at the upper level.

When the cylinder carrying frame 100 is fitted to the carriage, the carriage moves up and down the track, with the load platform, and gas cylinder carrying frame maintaining a substantially horizontal attitude between the ground and upper levels. Because the extent of travel of the carriage is limited by the action of the arm 108 on the limit switch 70, such that the wheel 36 does not reach the plate 50, the carriage does not tilt upwards when the frame reaches the upper level. The number of troughs and/or peaks may be varied in manufacture to hold a variable number of cylinders.

Operation of the ramp 13 is unaffected by the cylinder carrying frame 100, but the ramp is redundant when the frame is used.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any navel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAINS

1. A hoist for raising or lowering a load between an upper level and a lower level, the hoist comprising; a track extending between the upper and lower level; and a carriage which travels up and down the track between the upper level and the lower level, the carriage having a load carrying platform which extends outwardly from the track, wherein a main length of the load platform adopts a first angle to a main length of the track when the carriage is at the lower level and when the carriage is between the upper and lower levels, and adopts a second angle with respect to the main length of the track when the carriage is at the upper level.

2. A hoist according to claim 1, in which the load platform extends in a substantially horizontal plane when the carriage is at the lower level or is between the upper and lower levels.

3. A hoist according to claim 1 or 2, in which the load platform tilts upwardly from the track when the carriage is at the upper level.

4. A hoist according to claim 1, 2 or 3, in which, when the carriage is at the lower level, the load platform substantially reaches a ground level, such that the load can be rolled or slid off the load platform on to the ground without need for the load to fall freely.

5. A hoist according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the load platform is provided with a ramp for loading or unloading the load.

6. A hoist according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is provided with means for tilting the load platform between the first and second angles when the carriage reaches the upper level.

7. A hoist according to claim 6, wherein the tilt means includes a wedge shaped projection which protrudes from the track.

8. A hoist according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the carriage comprises: a bogey which travels up and down a rail of the track; and an elongate rigid arm for supporting the load platform, the arm being pivotally connected to the bogey, to allow tilting of the load platform between the first and second angles.

9. A hoist according to claim 8, wherein the arm has a bearing end which bears on an underside of the rail and follows a path defined by the underside of the rail, and the pivot connection follows a path defined by the travel of the bogey up and down the rail.

10. A hoist according to claim 9, in which one of the path followed by the pivotal connection or the path followed by the arm is a straight line and the other one of the path followed by the pivotal connection or the path followed by the arm includes a curve.

11. A hoist according to claim 9 or 10 as appendant to claim 7, in which, as the carriage travels up the track, the wedge shaped projection depresses the bearing end of the arm as the bogey drives the arm up the track, such that the arm tilts about the pivot connection

12. A hoist according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the bogey maintains a fixed angular relationship to the main length of the track as it moves along the rail.

13. A hoist according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the elongate arm comprises: a base plate having one end pivotally connected to the bogey and a bearing end which bears on an underside of the rail; and an extension plate adjustably fixed to the base plate such that the orientation of the extension plate with respect to the base plate can be altered to allow the extension plate to adopt a horizontal attitude over a range of orientations of the base plate.

14. A hoist according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the carriage is provided with a ramp for loading or unloading the load onto the load platform, the ramp being pivotally connected to the carriage and balanced such that when the carriage is between the upper and lower levels, the ramp hangs downwardly, an upper end of the ramp projecting upwardly to prevent the load sliding or rolling off the load platform, and when the carriage is at the lower level, the ramp extends along a surface of the ground for unloading or loading of the load.

15. A barrel hoist for raising or lowering a barrel between an upper level and a ground level, the hoist comprising: a track inclined to the vertical and extending between the upper and ground levels; and a carriage having a load carrying platform for carrying the barrel, the carriage travelling up and down the track between the upper and ground levels, the carriage having a load platform which extends outwardly from the track, wherein the load platform maintains a substantially horizontal attitude at the ground level, the load platform capable of being lowered substantially to the ground level to allow rolling Qf the barrel onto or off the load platform, and the load platform maintaining the horizontal attitude when travelling up or down the track between the upper and ground levels.

16. A hoist according to any one of claims 1 to 15, comprising a detachable cylinder carrying means which rests on the load platform and is adapted to carry one or a plurality of cylinders.

17. A hoist according to claim 16, wherein the cylinder carrying means comprises a frame having a series of peaks and troughs, each trough surrounded by a peak on either side, the peaks and troughs arranged such that the cylinder(s) lie in the troughs and is or are prevented from rolling off the frame by the peaks.