US3421643A - Ingot handling assembly - Google Patents

Description

G. G. BARBEE INGOT HANDLING ASSEMBLY Jan. 14, 1969 Sheet Filed Sept. 21, 1967 INVENTOR.

GAIL 6. BARBEE 9' BYf a} 94- ,mwel ML,- +211 2 1476? ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,421,643 INGOT HANDLING ASSEMBLY Gail G. Barbee, Aurora, 11]., assignor to Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, 111., a corporation of California Filed Sept. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 669,487 U.S. Cl. 214147 Int. Cl. B66c 3/00 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE It is well known in the prior art to dispose a clamping lift assembly on the lift arms of an end loader for lifting and transporting of ingots, barrels and the like. Such clamping assemblies have also been adapted to provide for side shifting motion of the clamping members. For example, in one configuration, the clamping members are secured for lateral motion upon a rack with a separate double acting hydraulic jack interposed between the rack and each clamping member. By appropriate separate or simultaneous operation of the two jacks, the clamping members could be moved in either clamping or side shifting motion. However, to permit the operator to manipulate the assembly, a very complex hydraulic control system is required to effect the necessarily numerous combinations of actuating fluid flow to the jacks.

The present invention overcomes the above difficulties by pivotally securing the clamping members to a parallelogram linkage. A support structure slidably secures the clamping members and pivotally secures the parallelogram linkage. Thus, a double acting motor directly interposed between the clamping members may be separately actuated to provide for clamping motion. A separate doubleacting motor is interposed between the parallelogram linkage and the support structure to provide for side shifting motion.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation of an end loader having the present ingot handling assembly;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned side view of the ingot handling assembly; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views of the ingot handling assembly which respectively illustrate side shifting and clamping motion of the assembly.

Referring now to FIG. 1, ingot handling assembly '11 is illustrated as an attachment disposed on the lift arms 12 of a conventional end loader 13. The lift arms are pivotally connected to the end loader with a hydraulic jack 14 interposed between the loader and each lift arm to control the elevation of the ingot handling assembly. Although the invention is described as an ingot handling assembly disposed on a conventional end loader, it will be apparent from the following description that the invention more broadly pertains to a clamping lift assembly which may be employed as an attachment for an end loader or any similar vehicle.

In FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the ingot handling assembly is shown as comprising a pair of clamping members or tongs 16 which are pivotally secured at 17 to a parallelo- "ice gram linkage 18. The parallelogram linkage is pivotally connected by pins 19 to a support structure 21. The tongs are slidably secured upon the support structure by brackets 22, as is best illustrated in FIG. 2, while a stabilizing linkage, generally indicated at 23 in FIG. 3, controls the relative position of the tongs. Actuation of a double acting hydraulic jack 2'4 interposed directly between the tongs moves them between their clamping positions, as at 16 in FIG. 3, and their release positions as at 16. An ingot being clamped between the tongs is represented with broken lines at 26. A second double-acting hydraulic jack 27 is interposed between the support structure and the parallelogram linkage to effect side shifting motion of the tongs while in either clamped or unclamped relation.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a member 28 is disposed at each side of the support structure for connection to the lift arms by means of pins 29, see also FIG. 1. A U-shaped channel member 31 is secured between the side members 28 at the rear of the assembly. A crossbeam member 32 is also disposed between the side members at the front of the assembly, as is best shown in FIG. 2. The parallelogram linkage 18 has a link 33 at each side thereof pivotally secured to the channel member at one end by pins 19. A pair of cross links 34 are pivotally connected between the forward ends of the side links 33 by pins 17 to complete the parallelogram linkage. Each pivot pin 17 pins together one of the tongs, a cross link 34 above and one below the tong, one of the side links 33 and a bearing member 36 which is disposed across the bottom of the side links for sliding engagement with the cross beam 32. The support structure also includes an end plate 37 (best shown in FIG. 1) at each end of the cross beam 32 and a top plate 38 which is of coextensive length with the cross beam 32. There is sufficient clearance between the cross beam 32 and the top plate 38 to permit lateral motion of the tongs and parallelogram linkage. A rearward end 39 of each tong is disposed within the U-shaped channel member, while the brackets 22 hold the tongs in sliding engagement with the channel member.

To provide for clamping motion of the tongs, the double acting hydraulic clamping jack 24 is pivotally connected by pins 41 and 42 to tabs 43 and 44 projecting respectively from the two tongs. To control the relative position of the two tongs, the stabilizing linkage 23 comprises a pair of links 45 and 46, each pivotally connected at one of the pivot points 41 and 42. A pin 47 passes through the forward ends of both stabilizing links 45 and 46 and through a slot 48 formed in a rearward projection 49 of the upper cross link 34. Thus the stabilizing links and the clamping jack form a variable triangular structure between the tongs and the cross link 34 so that the position of the tongs are controlled relative to each other while being free to be moved in clamping or releasing motion in response to operation of the clamping jack.

To provide for side shifting of the tongs, the double acting hydraulic side shifting jack 27 is pivotally connected by a pin 51 to a tab 52 on the channel member while its rod end is pivotally connected by a pin 53 to a tab 54 on one of the side links of the parallelogram linkage. Side shifting motion of the tongs is illustrated in FIG. 3 where the tongs are shown in a rightwardly side shifted position in response to extension of the side shifting jack 27. A leftward side shifted position of the tongs in response to retraction of the jack 27 is illustrated in phantom at 16". FIGS. 3 and 4 show that operation of the side shifting jack causes the parallelogram linkage to pivot about points 19 causing the cross link 34 and the tongs to slide laterally on the cross beam 32 while the rearward end of the tongs are caused to slide along the channel members. Points 56 are provided on the tongs for gripping of the ingot.

Thus, the present invention provides a mechanically simple ingot handling assembly wherein clamping or sideshifting motion of the tongs may be readily effected by standard double acting hydraulic jacks. As described above, the clamping motion is simply achieved by extension or retraction of the clamping jack 24. Sideshifting motion of the two tongs together is accomplished by extension or retraction of the sideshifting jack When the tongs are in either clamped or released relation.

I claim: 1. A clamping assembly to provide both clamping and sideshifting action, comprising in combination a support structure, a parallelogram linkage pivotally connected to said support structure, a pair of clamping members pivotally connected to said parallelogram linkage, stabilizing means interposed between said clamping members and said parallelogram linkage to control the relative positions of said clamping members, motor means interposed between said clamping members for controlling clamping motion of said members, and motor means interposed between said support structure and said parallelogram linkage for controlling sideshifting motion of said members. 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said support structure is suitable for attachment to lift arms of a vehicle.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said clamping and sideshifting motor means are double-acting hydraulic jacks.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said support structure has a rearward channel mem ber thereacross and a forward crossbeam,

said parallelogram linkage has a pair of side links forwardly extending from pivotal connections with said channel member and a cross link, said side links and cross link being pivotally connected to a midportion of said clamping members adjacent said crossbeam,

said clamping members have brackets at their rearward ends for sliding engagement with said channel member, and

said stabilizing means comprises a link pivotally connected to each clamping member, said stabilizing links extending forwardly to be pivotally connected to a slotted projection at a midpoint of said cross link.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein a bearing member is disposed between said pivotal connections of said side links, cross link and clamping members to be in sliding relation with said crossbeam.

6. The assembly of claim 4 wherein said clamping members are tongs having means for gripping surfaces of articles to be clamped.

Images