AU571663B2 - Latchable platform attachment to crane boom - Google Patents

Description

AUS WULIA

Patents Act 1952

DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF A CONVENTION OR NON-CONVENTION APPLICATION FOR A PATENT OR PATENT OF ADDITION In support of the application made by FMC Corporation, a Delawaro Name( of Applicant (s) corporation of the United States of America, Title for a patent for an invention entitled HYDRAULIC CRANE AERIAL PLATFORM ATTACHMENT Name(s) and I R. K. Loan of 200 East Randolph Drive, Chicago, Illinois address (es) 60601 United States of America of person(s) making declaration do solemnlj and sincerely declare as follows:- 1. I am Assistant Treasurer authorised by the abovementioned applicant to make this declaration on its behalf. 2. The basic application as defined by Sect 4 on 141 of the Act was made in the following country on the following date by the following applicant(s) namely:.- Country,filing date and name in the United States of America on 05 April 19-84 of Applicant(s) under Serial No. 597,010 by: fo- the or Kenneth D. McDaniel, Jr., Douglas W. Endres, Francis J. Griebel each basic application

3. The basic application was the first application made in a Convention country in respect of the invention the subject of the application. Name(s) and 4. The actual inventor(s) of the said invention-4/are add.-ess(es) Kenneth D. McDaniel, Jr., 232 W. Higgins Midway, Kentucky 40347; of che or Douglas W. Endres, 2412 Southview Dr., Lexington, Kentucky 40503; each actual Francis J. Griebel, 3543 Niagara Dr., Lexington, Kentucky 40502. inventor See reverse 5. The facts upon which the applicant is entitled side of this to make this application are as follows: form for Applicant is the assignee of, the inventor named in Paragraph 4 guidance in by virtue of an Assignment dated 25 April 1984 completing this part

DECLARED at Chicago, Illinois this 8th day of March 19

FMC CORPORATION

R. KaL A T reasurer

This form may be completed and filed after the filing of a patent application but the form must not be signed until after it has been completely filled in as indicated by the marginal notes. The place and date of signing must be filled in. Company stamps or seals should not he used. No legalisation is necessary

S(12) PATENT ABRIDGMENT (11) Document No. AU-B-39809/85 (19) AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE (10) Acceptance No. 571663 II (54) Title LATCHABLE PLATFORM ATTACHMENT TO CRANE BOOM (51)4 International Patent Classification 666F 011/04 A47L 003/02 A62B 001/00 (21) Application No. 39809/85 (22) Application Date 13.03.85 Priority Data (31) Number (32) Date (33) Country 597010 05.04.84 US UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (43) Publication Date 10.10.85 (44) Publication Date of Accepted Application 21.04.88 (71) App.licant FMC CORP.; (72) Inventor KENNETH D. MCDANIEL, JR. DOUGLAS W. ENDRES FRANCIS J. GRIEBEL (74) Attorney or Agent CLEMENT HACK CO. (56) Prior Art Documents US 4334594 US 3830556 (57) Claim 1. A latchable aerial platform attachment for a crane having two relatively extendible and retractable inner and outer boom sections, comprising, a basket pivotally mounted to said outer boom section to suspend therefrom and swingable between a suspended operating position and an inactive position adjacent said boom, means for swinging said basket to said inactive position while said boom sections are relatively extended, first latch means carried by said inner boom section for interengagement with cooperating second latch means on said basket to secure said basket in said inactive position for storage and crane transport, said first and second latch means having elements connectable and detachable solely by axial movement of said basket when in said inactive position prior to final retracting telescoping movement of said inner and outer boom sections,

i.

(11) AU-B-39809/85 -2- 571663

whereby, upon swinging of said basket to said inactive position, further telescoping movement of said boom sections will secure said basket to said crane for storage and transport, while axial seuarating movement of said boom sections while said basket is in said inactive position will permit said basket to swing to said operation position.

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4 AUSTRALIA

Form PATEN1S ACT 1952

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) FOR OFFICE USE Short Tit.:

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Application Number: Lodged: 571'^563 57 /'3 4

Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: 3^7-gI- Published:

Priority:

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'R31at3dArt:

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Nime of Applicant: FMC CORPORATION

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o A dcfdress of Applicant: 200 Eas.t Randolph Drive, a Chirago 60601, Ill., U.S.A. 0 0 0 o 9

Actual Inventor:

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Address for Service: CLEMENT HACK CO., I T .*140 William Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3000. Australia. Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "HYDRAULIC CRANE AERIAL PLATFORM ATTACHMENT"

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:-

PF/CPlF/2/80

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This invention relates generally to aerial platforms and, more particularly, to such plitforms which may be attached to and used with hydraulic cranes. According to the present invention there is provided a latchable aerial platform attachment for a crane having two relatively extendible and retractable inner and outer boom sections, comprising, a basket pivotally mounted to said outer boom section to suspend therefrom and swingable between a suspended operating position and an inactive position adjacent said boom, means for swinging said basket to said inactive position while said boom sections are relatively 0° 9 extended, 15 first latch means carried by said inner boom ~section for interengagement with cooperating second latch eta' means on said basket to secure said basket in said inactive position for storage and crane transport, said first and second latch means having elements connectable and detachable solely by axial movement of said basket when in said inactive position prior to final retracting telescoping movement of said inner and outer boom sections, whereby, upon swinging of said basket to said inactive position, further telescoping movement of said boom sections will secure said basket to said crane for storage and tran'gort, while axial separating movement of said boom sections while said basket is in said inactive position will permit said basket to swing to said operation position. Other attributes and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a perusal of the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

39809/85 0N

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Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a hydraulic crane with the present invention attached thereto; Figure 2 is a detailed view of the attachment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2 with portions broken away and eliminated; and Figure 4 is an expanded view of a preferred

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v 39809/85 embodiment for the brake mechanism utilized in the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a hydraulic crane, indicated generally at 10, having a multi-section, extendable boom 12 pivotally mounted on the crane's upper 14. The upper is rotatable about a vertical axis on the lower 16. As illustrated in Figure i, the entire crane is supported for stability on outrigger jacks 18, which may be retracted to permit the wheels 20 on the lower 16 to engage the ground for transport in a conventional manner. Hydraulic cylinder means 22 is connected between the boom 12 and the upper 14. With both the boom and the cylinder means 22 fully retracted, the boom 12 is oriented as indicated by solid lines and when both the boom and the cylinder means are fully extended, the boom 12 is configured as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. An aerial platform 23 is pivotally suspended from 1 a boom tip 24 secured on the free end of the outer section 'of the boom 12. An auxiliary hoist 26 mounted on the upper 14 has a wire rope 28, commonly referred to as a whipline, wound thereon and trained over a sheave 30, as shown in Figure 2, rotatably carried on a cross-shaft between the side plates, one of which is shown at 32, of the boom tip 24 and an auxiliary sheave 34 on a shaft cantilevered from the tip 24 by means of arm 36. A hook 38 is attached to the free end of the wire rope 28. Since both the platform 23 and the auxiliary sheave 34 are suspended from the boom tip 24, the hook 38 will, as it approaches the boom tip as a result of the auxiliary hoist reeling in the wire rope 28, be in close proximity to the platform 23 to enable a worker on the platform to remove or attach material from or to the hook. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, a pair of cross-shafts 40 and 42 project beyond the side plates 32. A bracket 44 has a pair of tubes 46 and 48 secured thereon, which tubes engage the ends of the cross-shafts 40 and 42 respectively. The tubes are cross-bored in alignment with bores provided in end fittings on the cross-shafts, one of which is shown at 50. A pair of pins, one of which is shown at 52 inserted through the tube 48 and the fitting releasably secure the bracket 44 to the boom tip 24. The aerial platform 23 includes a basket 54, preferably constructed of an electrically non-conducting material, such as fiberglass, secured to a suspension link 56. The link 56 is pivotally connected to the bracket 44 by means of a pivot pin 58 attached to the link 56 and rotatably retained within a bushing 60 provided in the bracket 44. A dash pot, which may be an automotive shock absorber 62, is pivotally attached at 64 to the bracket 44 and at 66 to an arm 68 secured to the link 56. Rotation of the link 56 clockwise, is viewed in Figure 2, will cause extension of the shock absorber 62, and rotation in the opposite direction will cause retraction. The shock absorber 62 will control the rate of such rotation, and hence will preclude any sudden rotational movement to the ,basket 54 while the boom is being elevated or lowered. Thus, the basket 54 will remain virtually vertical when l' moved to and from a working position. Movement of the occupant and the shifting of his or her center of gravity resulting therefrom will not cause an unsettling and unexpected sudden rotation of the basket. A brake, indicated generally at 70, is provided to lock the link 56 relative to the bracket 44. When so locked by engagement of the brake 70, an occupant of the basket is provided with a stable platform from which work I 0 may be performed on elevated structures or lines. The brake 70 includes a rotor sector 72 secured to the bracket 44. Calipers 74 carried by an actuating member 76 secured o to the link 56 are capable of engaging the rotor sector 72 to lock the link 56 to the bracket 44. An actuating lever 78 rotatably mounted on the member 76 has a central position, wherein the caliber 74 are out of engagement with sector 72 permitting pivoting of the link 56 relative to the bracket 44, and movement in either directon from its central position causes the caliber 74 to engage to sector 72 thereby locking the link 56 to the bracket 44. Movement of the actuating levers 78 is controlled by a one way control device 80, such as that made by Quadrastat Controls Corp. The control 80 has an input mean 82 and output means 84. A hand lever 86 is affixed to the input means 82 and the link 06 is pivotally connected between the output means 84 and the actuating lever 78. The control permits rotation of the output means 84 when a force is applied to the lever 86, but precludes such movement when forces are applied to the output means 84. Consequently, the brake 70 can be released or engaged only through manipulation of the lever 86, and unintentional release or engagement as a result of vibration or other forces applied tc the output means 84 will be precludted. The position of the hand lever 86 when the brake 70 is e444 released is shown by solid lines in Figure 2 and movement I a. of this lever to either of the dotted line positions will cause the break to engage. Thus, should an occupant need to quickly apply the brake 70 he or she would not have to consider which direction to rotate the hand lever; the e 4 brake 70 will be engaged with movement in either direction. 4 4 44 *4 In order to store the basket 56 along side the boom 12, a loop 90 is attached to the side of the basket 54 adjacent to the boom and along the basket's bottom 4. 4 edge. A stabber member 92 is formed on a bracket 94 .4 attached to the boom 12. The stabber member 92 engages the loop 90 when the basket is held parallel to the bottom of the boom and the boom is then fully retracted. An 4 inclined surface 96 on the stabber member 92 cams the basket 54 upward to facilitate full engagement of the loop #4 4 4, 5 90 by the stabber member 92 should the basket 54 not be 4 4 perfectly parallel to the bottom of the boom 12. In order 4 4 4 4 4 '4 to move and hold the hasket in the proper position for engagement of the stabber member 92 with the loop 90, a rope 95 may be attached to a second loop 98 secured to the basket 54 and passed through a third loop 100 attached to r -r~ra3~r~:

-6- bracket 94. Tension force applied to the rope 95 permits rotation of the basket 54 to its proper position for engagement of the stabber 92 with the loop 90 from a remote position. When the boom is then fully retracted, the stabber 92 will engage the loop While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

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Claims (3)

1. THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: i. A latchable aerial platform attachment for a crane having two relatively extendible and retractable inner and outer boom sections, comprising, a basket pivo-ally mounted to said outer boom section to suspend therefrom and swingable between a suspended operating position and an inactive position adjacent said boom, means for swinging said basket to said inactive position while said boom sections are relatively extended, first latch means carried by said inner boom section for interengagement with cooperating second latch means on said basket to secure said basket in said inactive position for storage and crane transport, said first and second latch means having elements connectable and detachable solely by axial movement of said basket when in said inactive position prior to final retracting telescoping movement of said inner and outer boom sections, whereby, upon swinging of said basket to said inactive position, further telescoping movement of said boom sections will secure said basket to said crane for storage and transport, while axial separating movement of or said boom sections while said basket is in said inactive position will permit said basket to swing to said operation position. o
2. 2. The latchable aerial platform attachment of Claim i, wherein said basket swinging means includes a S flexible line attached thereto adjacent the bottom thereof, and means guiding said line proximate said inner boom section latch means.
3. 3. The latchable aerial platform attachment of Claim 2, wherein said line guiding means includes a loop adjacent said inner boom means through which said line is trained.

   39809/85 i I

   4. The latchable aerial platform attachment of any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein said first and second latch means comprise a fixed rigid projecting member and an open loop, whereby when axially interengaged, swinging movement of said basket is precluded. The latchable aerial platform substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

   DATED this 15th day of February, 1988.

   FMC CORPORATION By Its Patent Attorneys

   CLEMENT HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia.

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