US2380069A - Heavy-duty portable crane - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1945. o. R. PETERSON 2,380,069

HEAVY DUTY PORTABLE CRANE Filed Sept 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l L INVENTOR BY Osbar-RayaiwdPeiarsou y 0, 5- 0. R. PETERSON. N v 2,380,069

HEAVY'DU'iY PORTABLE CRANE Filed Sept. 18, 1943-. -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ikg. 2

Q INVENTOR Oscar Raymond Pe Zerson HTTYS time July 10, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAVY-DUTY PORTABLE CRANE Oscar Raymond Peterson, Peoria, 111., assignor to R. G. Le Tourncau, Inc., Stockton, Calif., a cor- Doration of California Application September 18, 1943, Serial No. 502913 wheels H at the ends'of said housing; the body 8 Claims.

.This invention is directed to an improved heavy duty portable crane of the type which is wheel supported and self-propelled.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a portable crane which is very stable when in useand is capable of lifting extremely heavy oads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crane, of the type described, which includes a counterbalancing weight movable lengthwise along the boom supporting body; such weight being advanced when the crane is in use and retracted toward the rear wheels when the crane is being transported from place to place.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a heavy duty crane in which the boom is mounted for horizontal adjustment in a manner to vary the reach of said boom without inaterially altering the height thereof.

A further obiect of the invention is to Produce a simple; inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effectiv for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved crane..

V Figure 2-is an enlarged fragmentary rear end view of the crane.

7 Figure 3 is an enlargedfragmentary plan view showing th rear wheeltruck and adjacent body portion.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section on line H of Fi ure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan of the body or centralbeam of the crane. I

Referring now mor particularly to the characters of reference. on the drawings, the crane comprises a horizontal, elongated body l of rigid box beam construction, and this body is formed at its forward end with a forwardly opening yoke 2 having vertically spaced legs 3 and 4 connected with the rear end of a two-wheel tractor 5 by a coupling means shown in part at 6; the yoke and tractor being connected in vertically inflexible but horizontally swiveling relation whereby the tractor is steerable relative to body being attached to housing Ill centrally of its ends, and the .assembly being braced as at it.

An elongated heavy duty boom it, of skeleton construction, is normally disposed at an upward and rearward incline from connection with body intermediate the ends of the latter and adjacent the forward end; the boom projecting rearwardly to a termination at its upper end at a point some distance to the rear of wheels M. Intermediate its ends the boom I3 is supported by an upstanding post unit which includes transversely spaced posts l4 rigidly secured together by cross members IS. The lower ends of the posts are pivotally and detachably connected to and supported by rear axle housing II] as at It, while the upper end of the posts are pivotally connected to corresponding portions of the boom as at IT. As so mounted the postunit is swingable lengthwise of the implement.

The lower end of boom is is connected to extend thru said plates and matching holes 2| formed in sets along the body and thru lateral top flanges 22 thereof. Lips 23 on opposite sides of plate It engage corresponding edges oftop flanges 22 and maintain such plate against lateral displacement. I

By adjusting the plate I8 to different positions along body l, the reach of the boo is correspondingly varied without materiall its height; the post unit swinging forwardly or rearwardly as the boom is adjusted.

When the crane is to be transported from place to place, the plate l8 is set at the forward end of body l and pivotal connections it are released, whereupon the post unit is folded forwardly. This permits the boom l3 to be lowered to the position shown in. dotted lines in Figure 1; such lowering movement being controlled by a block and tackle unit 2t connected between the'top of yoke Z and v an adjacent point on the boom. This block and I. The tractor 5 includes transversely spaced supporting and drive wheels I, a forwardly pro.-

, jeeting ground overhanging frame 8 on which transversely extending azle housing l0 and tackle unit is connected to and actuated by one drum of an operator controlled two drum power control unit 25 mounted on the rear of tractor 5. When the boom is in lowered or transport position it is supported by rests 26 upstanding from the rear axle housing H).

A heavy duty counterweight 2'! of substantially U shape transversely of the implement and of considerable length, is disposed horizontal with the body extending therethru as shown in Figure 4. This counterweight is supported from the body I :by means of front and back rollers 28 which ride on the laterally extending bottom flanges 29 of said body.

altering When the crane is in use, the counterweight 21 is positioned adjacent the forward end of body I, and is moved to the opposite end adjacent wheels II when the implement is being moved from one job to another. The counter- Weight is shifted along the body I by means of a hand actuated winch 30 mounted on the rear axle housing l and which winch is connected with a pull cable 3|. To retract the counterweight the pull cable 3| is connected to an eye 32 on the rear end of said counterweight, while to advance the latter said cable is carried.forward, engaged about a direction changing pulley 33, and thence extended rearwardly to connection with an eye 34, on the front, end of said counterweight. The winch actuated cable 3| may also be attached to the boom adjacent its lower end whereby, in cooperation with the block and tackle unit 24, to control said boom for adjustment of the longitudinal position of plate I 8 along body I r; The main lifting cable of the crane is indicated at 35 and extends from a drum of the power control unit in sheave guided relation upwardly and thence rearwardly thu, and to the outer end of the boom l3. At said outer end, cable passes over a swinging sheave block 36, depends downward to and about the pulley of a crane hook 31, and then extends upward to a dead end connection on the housing of sheave block 38.

The gauge of the wheels I l is variable whereby a relatively wide gauge can be had when the crane is in use and to provide great lateral stab lity; such variance in gauge being accomplished .by means as shown, for example in copending application, Serial No. 533,550, filed May 1, 1944.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the clined longitudinal boom, means arranged to releasably secure the lower end of said boom selectivelyat different points along the body adjacent one end thereof, and an upstanding post unit mounted on the body adjacent the other.

end and supporting the boom intermediate its ends, said post; unit being pivotally mounted for swinging movement lengthwise of the implement;

, the body comprising a substantially horizontal beam, and said means including a base plate 4. A portable crane comprising an elongated body disposed above the ground and wheel supported, a boom mounted inponnection with the body adjacent one end portion thereof and thence extending lengthwise at an upward incline" to a termination in a plane beyond the other end portion of the body,v a counterbalancing weight, and means mounting said weight on the body for movement between said end portions of the latter, said bod being a beam having laterally projecting bottom flanges, the weight being of U shape transversely of the implement and the beam extending thru the weight, and rollers riding said flanges and suspending the weight therefrom.

5. A crane comprising a longitudinally extended body, a boom mounted at its lower end on the body for sliding movement along the length of the body, such boom inclining upwardly over and along the body, means to slide the boom longitudinally of the body, means to selectively sec the boom at different points along its line of tra el on the body, and an upstanding post unit mounted on the body and supporting the boom in its inclined position, such unit being swingable in a plane lengthwise of the body with the sliding movement of the boom along such body.

6. A crane comprising a longitudinally extended body, a base plate slidable along the length of the body, means to selectively secure the plate at different points along its line of travel on the body, a boom mounted on the plate and inclining upwardly over and along the body, and an upstanding post unit mounted on the body and supporting the boom in its inclined position, such unit being swingable in a plane lengthwise of the body with the sliding movement of the plate along such body; there being power means connected with the boom adjacent the plate for effecting the sliding movement of the plate.

'7. A portable crane comprising an extended body, wheels supporting the body at its rear end,

a propelling tractor supporting the body at its forward end, a boom mounted on the body at a point between the rear wheels and the tractor,

such boom when in use inclining upwardly, over and along the body and being adapted when not in use-to be lowered to rest substantially lengthwise on the b'ody, a counter-weight movable along the body, and means to move the counter, weight to a position adjacent the tractor when the boom is in use and to a point adjacent the rear wheels when the boom is lowered to rest lengthwise on the body.

8. A crane comprising a longitudinally ex tended body, a boom mounted at its lower end resting on and adapted to be secured at said different points,

2. 'A crane as in claim 1 in which the base plate includes guide lips on opposite sides depending in cooperative relation to corresponding spending edges of said top flanges.

'selectively secure the boom at different points along its line of travel'on the body, and an up-, standing post unit mounted on the body and supporting the boom in its inclined position, such unit being-swingable in a plane lengthwise of the body with the sliding movement of the boom along such body. I I

oscAa RAYMOND PETERSON.

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