US1576702A - Electrically-operated bridge crane - Google Patents

Description

March 16 1926.

F. ACKERMAN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED BRIDGE CRANE Filed Dec. 31 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w V w jfg m w M m m V 1 M M f M. Q .N m 7 w Mk V m M March 16,1926. 1,576,702 F. ACKERMAN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED BRIDGE CRANE Filed Dec. 31 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fA/VfA/TOH fkA/wr HCHEHMAN Vi BY '6, 7

HTTORNEYS Patented Mar. 16, i926.

UNITED. STATES PATENT was;

FRANK AcKEnMAn, or s'r. Louis, rrrssoonr, Assrenon 'ro cnlrrrs & co. Mrs 00., or

\FIEILSTON, MESSOUBI, A

conronarron' or rarssonnr.

ELEGTRICALLY-OPEEATED BRIDGE CRANE.

Application filed December To all 21:71am may concern.

Be it known that ll, FRANK nonmetal-Y, a citlzen of the United States lGSlfllH at St.

equipped with wheels which travel on an overhead track, and a mechanism for propelling the-crane along its track, composed usually of an electric motor and a speed reducing gearing mounted on the bridge and operatively connected with a transverSelydisposed shaft th drives the wheels of the crane. I

Notwithstanding the fact that the bridge and end frames of a crane of the type mentioned are rigidly connected together, there is considerable twisting and weaving of the crane members when the crane is in operation, due to variations in the elevation of the rails of the track and irregularities in the wheel tread surfaces of the rails, and there is also considerable deflection or sagging of the bridge, due to changes in the amount and position of the load carried by the trolley that travels on said bridge. In conventional cranes of this type the motor and speed i. d b

reducing gearing of the propelling mechag nism are mounted stationarily on the bridge and rigidly connected to the same. Conse quently, the twisting and weaving of the crane members and the variable deflection or sagging of the bridge causes the co-operating parts of the propelling mechanism to bind and to be thrown out of proper alignment, resulting in undue wear and loss of power. Moreover, as the housings of the motor and the speed reducing gearing are connected together and secured to the bridge by numerous fastening devices, it is a difficult task, requiring considerable time, to replace either-the motor or speed reducing gearing, if either of said elements becomes defective. 4

One object of my invention is to provide an electrically-operated bridge crane in which the propelling mechanism for the 31,1924.-. Serial No. 759,952.

combined'as a single power unitfthat is mounted on the bridge of the crane in such a way that it is capable of practically universa Accordingly, when the crane is in service the twisting and weaving of the crane memhers and the deflection of the bridge merely causes a change in the relative position of the power unit and the bridge without, however, destroying the operative relationship between the motor and the speed reducing gearing, or between said gearing and the wheel operating shaft which it drives. In order that the propelling mechanism may be repaired quickly and easily, the wheel operating shaft is composed of sections that are joined by coupling devices to thespeed reducing gearing, and the power unitls movement relatively to the bridge retained in position on the bridge by a single fastening device that can be removed quickly.

nnitcan be uncoupledfrom the wheel oper and a perfect power unit quickly. substituted for same and connected tothe wheel operating shaft in 'a fraction of thetime that is required to disassemble the parts of the propelling mechanism of a conventionalelectrically-operated bridge crane.

Figure 1 of thedrawings is a top plan view of abridge crane constructed in 2.0

cordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectionalviewof. said crane, taken approxlmately on the hne,

2-2 of Figure 1. r I

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure blocking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a portion of the crane, partly in sectlon, taken on the line 4:4c of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is an enlarged detall sectlonai Consequently,- if the propelling. mechanism becomes defective, the power.

ating shaft and removed from-the bridge view of the eye bolt on the supporting plate of the power unit through which the supporting shaft on the bridge passes.

In the drawings, A designates the two end frames of my improved crane, B designates the wheels on said end frames which travel on therails 1 of an overhead track and C designates the bridge of the crane that may be of any preferred construction but which is herein illustrated as composed of two transversely-disposed, parallel members connected at their ends to the end frames A. The propelling mechanism of the crane is composed of an electric motor D, a speed reducing gearing E and a wheel operating shaft that transmits movement from the gearing E to the wheels B of the crane, the particular type or kind of motor, speed reducing gearing and wheel operating shaft being immaterial, so far as my invention is concerned. I prefer, however, to use a wheel operating shaft that comprises two sections 2 whose inner ends are joined by couplings 3 to a shaft or spindle 4t secured to the driving element 5 of the speed reducing gearing and whose outer ends are joined by couplings 6 to shafts or spindles 7 secured to two of the wheels B of the crane.

The motor and speed reducing gearing are connected together by a shaft 8 or other suitable means and are attached to a supporting member G which is mounted on the bridge of the crane in such a way that said motor and gearing constitute a power unit which is capable of practically a universal movement relatively to the bridge. In the crane herein illustrated the bridge C is provided with a pair of laterally-projecting supports 8 that extend parallel to the end frames A. and the supporting member G of the power unit is rockably mounted on a horizontallydisposed shaft 9 carried by the supports 8 and arranged parallel to the bridge of the crane, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The supporting member G, in addition to being capable of rocking vertically with relation to the bridge about the shaft 9 as an axis, is also capable of a slight vertical rocking movement relatively to the bridge about a horizontal axis at right angles to the shaft 9. It is also capable of a slight horizontal movement relatively to the bridge longitudinally of the shaft 9 in either direction, and is constructed in such a way that it is capable of a slight horizontal movement transversely of the shaft 9 in either direction, and a slight rotary movement in the plane in which said supporting member Gr lies. The above described movements of the supporting member G of the power unit relatively to the bridge of the crane are made possible by arranging the shaft 9 in an eye bolt 10 on the supporting member G that is provided with an opening for said shaft whose end portions are flared at 10, as

shown in Figure 5, the internal diameter of said end portions being enough greater than the external diameter of the shaft 9 to permit the supporting member G to which said eye bolt is attached to wobble in all directions. The intermediate portion of the hole in the eyebolt 10 through which the shaft 9 passes has a sufficiently loose fit on said shaft to permit the supporting member G to slide longitudinally of the shaft 9 in either direction, and said eye bolt is attached to said supporting member by a shank 10 thereon that projects through a slot 11 in the supporting member G and which is provided with a retaining nut 10. The slot 11 in the supporting member G through which the shank of the eye bolt 10 passes is of considerably greater length than the diameter of said shank, as shown in Figure 3, and accordingly, as the retaining nut 10 is not set up tight, the supporting member G is capable of a slight movement transversely of the shaft 9 in either direction and is also capable of a slight rotary movement about the shank of the eye bolt as an axis. If desired, the slot 11 can be made wider than the shank of the eye bolt 10, as shown in Figure 5, so as to permit the supporting member G to move slightly relatively to said eyebolt, longitudinally of the shaft 9.

If, when the crane is in operation, the bridge is subjected to a strain tending to deflect it downwardly intermediate its ends, as indicated by the arrow 00 in Figure 2, the supporting member G of the power unit will move relatively to the shaft 9 sufficiently to compensate for this deflection and cause said member G to assume such a position that no injurious strains are set up in the speed reducing gearing or in the wheel operating shaft connected to said gearing. As the deflection of the bridge varies both as to location and degree, the supporting member G of the power unit automatically adjusts itself to the deflection, and conse quently, maintains the parts of the propelling mechanism in a position wherein they are not subjected to undue wear or to friction that diminishes the power transmitted to the wheels of the crane. Likewise, when the end frames A and the bridge C of the crane twist and weave, due to variations in the elevation of the rails of the track or inequalities in the surfaces of the rails over which the wheels travel, the supporting member G of the power unit automatically adjusts itself to each changed condition of the crane members, and thus prevents injurious strains being set up in the propelling mechanism. lVhile I have stated that the supporting member G of the power unit is provided with an eye having a flared opening which receives a shaft 9 that is carried by supports 8 on the bridge of the crane, it will, of course, be obvious that the wear eye couldbe mounted on the bridge of the. crane and the shaft that co operates'with said eye mounted on the support of the power unit without depart the spirit of my invention, In fact, is in'i material, so far as my invention is concerned what particularfltype of dev ce is" used for said (a o r also makes it possible to quicl-i.. 5 ie propelling mechanism the motor speed reducing gearing becomes detective, due to the fact that the motor and gearing are both rigidly mounted on a supporting member that is retained in position on the lnidge by a single element, to wit, the shaft 9. In the -form of my inv tion herein illustrated the shaft 9 is positioned in holes 1 supports 8 that are large enough to p said shaft to he slipped out of the suppo Squickly and it is retained in operative position in said supports by cotter pins 9 or other suitable retaining devices.

lVhile my invention is particularly applicable to the mechanism of the crane that is used to propel the crane along its track, it is also applicable to the mechanism rfsed in a crane for operating the trolley ll that travels on the bridge oi'the crane. lnercfore, in Figure 1 otthe drawings l have illustrated the'motor D and the spoon reducing gearing E that are used to operate the trolley as being rigidly mounted on a supporting member G that is located at one end of the bridge and sustained on same by a horizontally-disnosed shaft 90, carried by the bridge, and an eye. belt 100 on the supporting member G that is provided ith a flared opening through which the she passes, said shaft 90 and eye belt 100 being so disposed that the supporting member G is capable of practically universal movement relatively to the bridge of the crane.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A crane provided with a bridge, and a power unit mounted on said bri in such a manner that it is capable of practically a universal movement relatively to the l oo'e.

2. A crane provided with a bri a power unit on said bricge consistii or" a 1 member .directly connected to A crane provided with abridge, a owernnit, and means for mounting sa d power unit on the bridge in such a way that the deflection of the bridge and the iJWlSil g and weaving oi the crane members when crane is in service exerts no force on power unit in a way tending to set up or in the parts e aid unit. no provided with a bridge, a a gearing combined to term a JOWGI unit, and a universal connection between said power unit and bridge.

' A crane provided with a'br'dge, power unit, and auniversal pending said power unit from the b 6. A crane provided w th power unit, and connection betwc elements comprising sh on one or said elements and a. part on the other element that is oscillatingly mounted and slidingly mounted on said shalt.

7. A crane provided with. a brids'e, a

power unit comprisinga motor and a ll c gearand a connection between said bf and supporting member arranged to permit 5 id nember to rock vertically in a plurality of different directions at substantially right angles to each other. i

8. A crane provided with a bridge, a power unit comprising'a motors; a gearing directly connected togetheiga supporting member which carries said motor and gearing, and a connection'between said bridge and supporting member arranged to permit said member to reel: verticallyin a pin ality of di'l'lerent directions at right angles to each other and also twist or turn slightly in horizontal plane.

9. A crane provided with a bridge, a power unit consisting of a motor and a gearing, asupporting member that carries said motor and gearing, and a part on the bridge on which said member is oscillatingly mounted and slidingly mounted.

10. A crane provided with a bridge, a power unit, and means for mountin said power unit on said bridge comprising a horizontal shaft on one of said elements and an eye on the other element slidingl mount ed on said shaft and provided with an opening for said shalt that is flared at its ends.

11. A crane, comprising a bridge, end frames equipped with wheels, and propelli i mechanism for driving said heels comprising a transverselydisposed s? t and a power unit operatively connected with said shaft and mounted on said bridge in such a way that it is capable of moving relatively to the bridge to compensate for the deflection t the bridge and the twisting and weaving of the crane members when the era ,0 service.

is in 12. A crane provided with a bridge, end frames connected to said bridge and equipped with wheels, a transversely-disposed wheel operating shaft arranged substantially parallel to the bridge, and a power unit operatively connected with said shaft and joined to the bridge by a universal connection, for the purpose described.

13. A crane provided with a bridge, end frames connected to said bridge and equipped with wheels, a propelling mechanism comprising shaft sections connected to wheels of the crane, and a power unit detachably connected to said shaft sections and mounted on the bridge in such a way that it is capable of moving relatively to the bridge in a sufiicient number of different directions to compensate for the deflection of the bridge and the weaving and twisting of the crane members when the crane is in service.

14. A crane provided with a bridge, end frames connected to aid bridge and equipped with wheels, a propelling mechanism comprising a power unit and a transversely-disposed wheel operating shaft, and means for pivotally mounting said power unit on said bridge comprising a part that is adapted to be removed so as to enable said power unit as an entirety to be disconnected from the bridge.

15). A crane provided *ith a bridge, end frames connected to said bridge and equipped with wheels, a propelling mechanism comprising a transversely-disposed w reel operating shaft and a power unit detachably connected to said shaft, and means for mounting said power unit on the bridge in such a Way that it is capable of rocking vertically relatively to the bridge in a plurality of different directions and is also capable of a slight horizontal movement relatively to the bridge in a plurality of different directions.

16. A crane provided with a bridge, end frames connected to said bridge and equipped with wheels, a wheel operating shaft arranged substantially parallel to the bridge, 'a power unit detachably connected to said shaft composed of a motor and a gearing directly connected together, a supporting member for said motor and gearing, a supporting shaft on the bridge arranged at one side of same in parallel relation thereto, and an eye on said supporting member surrounding said supporting shaft and provided with an opening that is flared at both ends.

17. A crane, comprising a bridge, end frames connected to said bridge and equipped with wheels, supports projecting laterally from the bridge, a wheel operating shaft disposed substantially parallel to the bridge, a power unit detachably connected to said shaft, and means for mounting said power unit on said supports in such a way that it is capable of rocking vertically relatively to the bridge in a plurality of different directions and is also capable of moving horizontally relatively to the bridge in a pluality of different directions.

FRANK ACKERMAN.

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