US3091346A - Cotton gin lift device - Google Patents

Description

y 8, 1963 P. w. YAWN 3,091,346

COTTON GIN LIFT DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Ha rian h. Yawn May 28, 1963 P. w. YAWN 3,091,346

COTTON GIN LIFT DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 78 INVENTOR. F Hay/012 W 121402 United States Patent 3,091,346 COTTON GIN LIFT DEVICE Preston W. Yawn, 612 S. Adams St., Canton, Miss. Filed Aug. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 133,124 6 Claims. (Cl. 2129) The present invention generally relates to a lift device and more particularly to a lift specifically adapted for use in handling the breast of a cotton gin.

During routine maintenance and sometimes during emergency repair, it becomes necessary to remove the breast for cleaning of the saws, repair thereof and the like. The cotton gin breast is quite heavy and can only be lifted by using some type of crane, hoist or the like. In some instances a permanent overhead hoist is employed but this is quite expensive. Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a portable hoist that may be easily carried to the desired cotton gin so that it may be combined with the cotton gin for lifting the breast and moving it to an out of the way position in relation to the saws.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cotton gin breast lift which is adjustable for various sizes of gins and also quite stable and safe in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lift having a carrier mounted thereon for longitudinal movement on an overhead rail.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cotton gin breast lifting and handling device which is foldable and portable and provided with a releaseable brace for rigidly retaining the lift in extended position for use.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a cotton gin lift device which is simple in construction, easy to use, adaptable for use with various types of gins, lightweight but strong and generally inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the cotton gin breast lift of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the lift;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the device for attachment to the gin breast; and

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the construction of FIG- URE 4.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the cotton gin breast lift of the present invention which includes an elongated overhead rail 12 of I-beam configuration which supports a carrier 14 and a support 16 for one end thereof. The other end of beam 12 rests against the top of the cotton gin stand with the carrier 14 including a hoist 18 and a gin breast attachment 20 for lifting the gin breast.

The support 16 includes a pair of widely spaced legs 22 having converging upper end portions 24 interconnected by a top member 26 and a plurality of spaced braces 28. The lower ends of legs 22 have telescopically adjustable square sleeves 30 thereon which are retained in adjustable position by set screws 32 thereby enabling adjustment of the height of the support.

One end of the beam 12 is provided with a bracket 34 having lugs 36 rotatably encircling the top member 26 of support 16 thus pivotally attaching the beam to the support. A U-shaped brace 38 interconnects lugs 40 on the converging portions 24 of legs 22 and a bracket 44 "ice on the top surface of beam 12, the bight portion 42 of the brace 38 being received and releaseably lockedto a bracket 44. The bracket 44 includes a hook 46 and a lug 48 spaced therefrom and the bight portion includes a latch element 50 for engagement with the front of lug 48 with the latch element 50 being pivotal to retain the beam 12 rigidly in perpendicular relation to support 16.

The carrier 14 includes side plates 52 on each side of beam 12, each plate 52 having a pair of wheels 54 journalled thereon and engaging with the flanges on the beam. The plates 52 are interconnected at the bottom by a rod 56 to which is attached the chain hoist 18 by a hook 58. The hoist 18 is conventional and includes a lift chain 60 and an operating handle 62 and the chain 60 is attached to the lift attachment 20.

The breast attachment 20 includes an elongated slotted pipe 64 reinforced by brace member 66 and attached to chain 60 by a loop 68 thereon. Slida'ble in pipe 64 is a pair of circular members 70 having an inverted U-shaped clamp 72 thereon. One leg of each clamp 72 has a screw threadedly adjustable member 74 and the other leg thereof has a cam 76 mounted thereon and provided with a handle 78 for operating the cam for effectively clamping the attachment to a gin breast for secure lifting and handling thereof.

The device is used in the manner shown in FIGURE 1 and may be folded into the condition illustrated in dotted line therein for ease of storage and transporting to different gins. The wide spacing of legs 22 serves to stabilize the device and the adjustable square sleeves enable the device to be used with all gin sizes. The carrier enables the gin breast to be easily moved to an out of the way position for enabling access to the gin saws and the like.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A cotton gin breast lift comprising an elongated I-beam having one end adapted to engage the gin stand above the breast thereof, an inverted substantially U-shaped support means for supporting the outer end of said I-beam, a carrier on said I-beam, a hoist suspended from the said carrier, breast attachment means carried by the hoist for connection to a gin breast, said inverted substantially U-shaped support means including a pair of widely spaced legs, said legs embodying vertical lower end portions, converging intermediate portions, vertical upper end portions and a transverse bight portion, bracket means secured to the outer end portion of said I-beam for pivotally attaching the outer end of said I-beam to said bight portion of said support, a brace extending between the said converging intermediate portions of said legs and the upper portion of said I-beam in spaced relation to said bracket means, and means releasably connecting the upper end of said brace to the top surface of said I-bearn.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said carrier includes a pair of side plates, a rod rigidly interconnecting the side plates below the beam, rollers on each side plate engaging the beam, said hoist including a hook connected with said rod, said breast attachment means carried by the hoist for connecting to a gin breast including an elongated pipe.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said hoist includes a lift chain, and means connecting the lift chain to said breast attaching means.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said breast attaching means includes an elongated slotted pipe, and a pair of clamp means slidable on said pipe for attachment to a gin breast.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said clamp means includes an inverted U-shaped member having an adjustable abutment on one leg thereof and a cam on the other leg for locking engagement with a gin breast.

6. A portable and foldable cotton gin breast lifting device including a carrier, a hoist and telescopic support portions, the combination of at least one overhead rail of Lbeam configuration having one end adapted to engage the stationary gin stand above the breast of a cotton gin, an upright support below said overhead rail and pivotally assembled to a bracket secured to said overhead rail near its outer end, said bracket having a pair of spaced lugs depending therefrom and having transverse bores therein, said support including a pair of widely spaced legs having vertical lower end portions, converging intermediate portions, vertical upper end portions and a horizontal bigh t portion, said horizontal bight portion extending through said transverse bores in said pair of spaced lugs, the lower ends of said pair of legs arranged within and extending upwardly from a pair of longitudinal sleeves which are square in cross-section, set screws arranged in threaded horizontal bores in said sleeves to telescopically adjust and secure said lower leg portions in a selected position at a desired height relative to the ground, a movable carrier mounted on the lower flanges of said overhead rail, said carrier embodying a pair of side plates each having a pair of wheels journalled thereon and engaging with the upper side of said flanges of said rail, a rod extending between and secured to the lower portions of said plates, a hoist removably hooked on said rod, chain means carried by said hoist for connecting said hoist with the opposite end portions of a gin breast, a U-shaped brace extending between the converging irrtermediate leg portions of said support and said overhead rail in spaced relation to the outer end of said rail, the lower ends of said brace being pivotally secured to perforated lugs secured to said intermediate leg portions of said support, the bight portion of said brace releasably connected to a bracket secured to the top surface of said rail, said bracket on the top of said rail having a hook and a lug spaced outwardly therefrom, and said bight portion of said brace having a latch element pivotally arranged therewith for engagement with the far side of the said lug spaced from said hook to retain said rail rigidly in perpendicular relation to said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,997 Ogilvie Mar. 28, 1895 1,235,472 Hendrickson July 31, 1917 1,361,409 Scheid Dec. 7, 1920 2,990,788 Wallace July 4, 1961

Claims (1)

1. A COTTON GIN BREAST LIFT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED I-BEAM HAVING ONE END ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE GIN STAND ABOVE THE BREAST THEREOF, AN INVERTED SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE OUTER END OF SAID I-BEAM, A CARRIER ON SAID I-BEAM, A HOIST SUSPENDED FROM THE SAID CARRIER, BREAST ATTACHMENT MEANS CARRIED BY THE HOIST FOR CONNECTION TO A GIN BREAST, SAID INVERTED SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF WIDELY SPACED LEGS, SAID LEGS EMBODYING VERTICAL LOWER END PORTIONS, CONVERGING INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS, VERTICAL UPPER END PORTIONS AND A TRANSVERSE BIGHT PORTION, BRACKET MEANS SECURED TO THE OUTER END PORTION OF SAID I-BEAM FOR PIVOTALLY ATTACHING THE OUTER END OF SAID I-BEAM TO SAID BIGHT PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT, A BRACE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SAID CONVERGING INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF SAID LEGS AND THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID I-BEAM IN SPACED RELATION OF SAID BRACKET MEANS, AND MEANS RELEASABLY CONNECTING THE UPPER END OF SAID BRACE TO THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID I-BEAM.

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