US923376A - Shelf-tongs. - Google Patents

Description

E. S, SAVAGE SHELF TONGS. APPLIUATIDN FILED APR.13.1908.

Patented June 1, 1909.

UNITE STATES PATENT oFFioE.

EDWARD s. SAVAGE, or RocnEsTER, N W YoRK, ssIGNoR TOAMERIGAN .GHEMlO-AL MANU- FAoruRINe & MINING COMPANY, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A ooRroR TmN or NEW YoRK.

SHE LF-TONGS Patented June 1, 1909.

. Application filed April 13, 1908. Serial No. 426,803;

- To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. SAVAGE,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of'New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in; Shelf- .Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

j This-invention relates to shelf tongs, and consists in the apparatus hereinafter describedand claimed.

' The object of the invention is to provide shelf ton sthat are "easy to' adjust to the article to e lifted by one hand only, both for releasing and for seizing such article.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a deviceembodyingthis invention, art being broken away for compactness of 'lluse tra'tion; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation'of a f portion of, the device, showing the parallel- Iriovement mechanism thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the handle and lock- 111g apparatus, showing the arts in their positions when the jaws of t e device are ov en; Ijig. fl is aview of the same parts. 8 own in Fig. 3, but showing their positions when the jaws are closed; andFig. 5 1s a section onthe staggered line 5-5 of Fig. 8.

In the drawings, 1 is a handle of any suit-' able material, and of any desired dimensions. Upon the upper end of the handle is apivot support 2, to which a pair of ja'ws 3, 3 are pivoted on the pins or pivots 4,4. In the present form of the device, the jaws are on the opposite sides of the head. and each jaw 3 has its own pivot; and each jaw has an eX- tensionjend 6 beyond the pivot, which isv connected by a link 7 and a common connecting bar or wire 8to a lever apparatus ,that'willlbe' described below. A' spring 9 is connected at one end with the links, and at the other end with the handle by a pin 10.

The normal tension of this spring tends to hold the jaws open.

Upon the end of each jaw is pivoted a grip ng piece or plate 11, having .on its grippingface, if desired, a roughened or impressible pad. The pivot pins 12 connect the gripping plate 11 with the jaw 3. 'To the gripping plateis also pivoted, by the pivot 13, abar 14, which, with the jaw 3, constitutes a parallel-movement mechanism for maintaining. the jaws 11 either parallel to each other, or at aniyflselected and definite" the, present form" of angle toeach other,

pressed .gIlP

-0f;the detent'20, whereby, when t the device, the faces of the gripping plates 11 are always parallel, so that the gripping faces are maintained in a fixed relative relation. The jaw 3 on one side of the apparatus is connected to the .pivot 4, and to the gripping plate 11 by the pivot 12. The bar 14 is connected at one end to thepivot 4', and at the other end to the pivot 13. The pivots 12 and 13 are at the same distance apart as;

the pivots 4, 4, and a line passingthrough the pivots 12 and 18 'is parallel toa line passing through the pivots 4, 4. This constitutes a well known form of parallel-moveme'nt mechanism. Hence, as the connecting rod 8 is reciprocated, and the spring 9-;expands and contracts, the jaws 3, 23 approach or re'cede from each other, and the gripping plates 11 move with the jaws andparallel to each other.-

The jaw 3 may be hollow orU-shaped in cross-section, and the bar 14' may lie in the hollow or U-shaped jaw 3 as shown in Fig.2; thereby producing light and strong jaws3, and preventing the buckling of the bar 14 while guiding and supporting it. 7

The handle apparatus comprises a lever- 15 operating on one side of the handle 1,- and having depending arms 16 straddling the handle 1 and ivoted attheir lower ends by, a pin 17 to a lock 18 fastenedyon the lower or opposite side of the handlel. The lever 15 is therefore in the form of a bell crank,

and the connecting rod. or wire 8 is fastened to it in any suitable way, such as lay-the loop 19 which passes around the handle and is connected ma manner described below.

To the lever 15 is pivoted a detent 20, Of a.

bell-crank .form, by a transverse, pivot 21. A spring abutment on the lever 15, and theother end resting against one arm'of the detent 20, tends to pull said detent in one direction.

The loop 19 is connected to-the other arm of 22 having one end resting, Ol1y2tl'l said detent, and whenthe. lever 15; is; de

toward the handle 1-, and the-jaws an object, the detent20is tilted and the spring 22 is'cornpressedl Thus the detent is controlled by the gripping pressure which must overcome the spring 22., l

Upon the lever 15 is pivoted also aspawl 24 on a transverse pivot 25, forlockingthc The said pawl edge said jaw. engages the notch, the pawl24'is field jaws in grippingposition, has a face or notch 26 for engaging an it is allowed to operate, and the spring'27 "t moves the pawl when the latter is released, so that it engages the rack.

The operation of the device is as follows:

' If one desires to lift a package, book, or other article from a high shelf, the jaws are laced one on each side of the article so to be lifted,- and the lever 15 is tilted 'so as to move it toward the handle 1. This closes the jaws and gripping plates upon the article in ques tion. The gripping piece is pivoted to the jaw, and is tilted in order to maintain the parallelism above mentioned around an aXis transverse to the plane 'of movement of the jaw, and is therefore automatically adjusted to objects grasped by the apparatus.

As soon as the article to be fted is graspe by the gripping pieces and jaws, and the lever 15 is further depressed, the pull-of the connecting rod 8 and loop 19 upon the detent 2'0 tilts the latter, compresses the spring 22 until the parts take the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby causing the detent 20 to recede from the notch 26 in the pawl 24, and by the action of the spring 27, the pawl-thereupon engages the rack 23 and locks the jaws in the position to which they have been set. But until the selected gripping pressure is reached, which permits the compression of the spring 22, the pawl 24 remains inactive and the jaws may e o ened and closed freely by the action of the ever 15 and spring 9. When, however,

' the grippin pressure is reached, the pawl 24 automatical y engages its rack, and the parts are locked in gri ping position.- This device, therefore, by a justment of the spring 22, is inoperative for gripping purposes until a predetermined gripping pressure is attained,

u-t when that gripping pressure occurs, the

. jaw mechanism is automatically locked.

It is obvious that if one of the jaws becomes fixed, the other jaw will operate. What I claim is i 1;. In a shelf tongs, the combination of a handle; jaw mechanism carried b said han-' dle; and means for automatica y locking said jaw mechanism upon the occurrence of a predetermined gripping pressure.

2. In a shelf tongs, the combination of a handle; j aw mechanism carried by said handle; operating means for said jaw mechanism; and means for automatically locking said operating'means upon a predetermined gripping pressure of said jaw mechanism.

' I 3. In a shelf tongs, the combination of a handle; jaw mechanism carried by said han dle; operating means for said jaw mechanism; a two-part locking mechanism for looking said jaw mechanism in gripping position, having one part carried by the operat- 4. In a shelf tongs, the combination of a handle; jaw mechanism carried by the handle a hand lever pivoted on the handle and connected to said jaw mechanism; a locking device carried by said lever; means on the handle for engagement with said locking device; a detent for preventing action of said locking device; and means controlled by the I gripping pressure for releasing said detent.

.5. In ashelf tongs, the combination of a handle; jaw mechanism carried by the handle; a hand lever pivoted on the handle; a pawl carried by said lever; a rack on the han-- dle for engagement with said pawl; a detent carried b said lever for preventing action of said paw a connection from said detent to said jaw mechanism; and a spring com pressed by the pull of the connection u on said detent by movement of said detent t at releases said pawl.

6. In a shelf tongs, the combination of a handle; hollow jaw mechanism carried thereby; gripping pieces carried by Sald' 1j&W mechanism; means lying within said hollow jaw mechanism for maintaininga fixed relative position of the grip ing pieces as the jaw mechanism opens and c oses; and means for 1%.

operating said jaw mechanism.

7. In a shelf tongs, the combinationof a handle; hollow jaw mechanism pivoted to said handle; one or more gripping pieces .piv-, oted to said jaw mechanism; a arallel movement bar pivoted to said hand e and to each gripping piece and lying in said hollow jaw mec anism and me ans for operating said jaw mechanism. Y

8. In --a shelf tongs, the combination of a handle; jaw mechanism comprising a hollow movable jaw pivoted to said handle; a grip ping piece pivoted to said jaw; a parallel movement bar pivoted to said handle and to said gripping piece and lying in (said hollow aw; and means for operating said jaw.

' 9. Ina shelf tongs, the combination of a handle; j'aw mechanism, comprising a movable jaw U-shaped in cross-section and pivoted to-said handle; a gripping piece pivoted. to said movable jaw; a parallel movement bar pivoted to said handle-and to said gri oping piece, and lying in the U-shaped jaw; and means for operating said movablejaw.

EDWARD SSAVAGIJ. Witnesses:

H. L. Oseoon, D. GURNEE.

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