CA2313584A1 - Grapple clamp - Google Patents

Grapple clamp Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2313584A1
CA2313584A1 CA 2313584 CA2313584A CA2313584A1 CA 2313584 A1 CA2313584 A1 CA 2313584A1 CA 2313584 CA2313584 CA 2313584 CA 2313584 A CA2313584 A CA 2313584A CA 2313584 A1 CA2313584 A1 CA 2313584A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
clamp
grapple
pivot
tong
arm
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2313584
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Jacques Pedneault
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SCP 89 Inc
Original Assignee
SCP 89 Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SCP 89 Inc filed Critical SCP 89 Inc
Priority to CA 2313584 priority Critical patent/CA2313584A1/en
Publication of CA2313584A1 publication Critical patent/CA2313584A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B66HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
    • B66CCRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
    • B66C1/00Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles
    • B66C1/68Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles mounted on, or guided by, jibs
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B66HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
    • B66CCRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
    • B66C1/00Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles
    • B66C1/10Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles by mechanical means
    • B66C1/42Gripping members engaging only the external or internal surfaces of the articles
    • B66C1/58Gripping members engaging only the external or internal surfaces of the articles and deforming the articles, e.g. by using gripping members such as tongs or grapples
    • B66C1/585Log grapples

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Shovels (AREA)

Abstract

A grapple clamp to be mounted on an arm member, and comprising a clamp member and a universal joint assembly mounted between the arm member and the clamp member will be described herein. The clamp member comprises opposite side clamping tongs pivotally interconnected. The universal joint assembly comprises two joints. Each of the two joints has a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the other for articulating the clamp member in a variety of directions. Hydraulic devices may be used to articulate both the clamping tongs and the clamp member.

Description

' CA 02313584 2000-07-07 TITLE OF THE INVENTION
GRAPPLE CLAMP
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a grapple clamp. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a grapple clamp having a universal joint.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of grapple clamps on logging skidders and similar vehicles is well known. However, grapple clamps can be used for a variety of purposes to securely clamp objects such as logs, dirt, pieces of concrete and other refuse during excavation work and the like.
In brief, grapple clamps are used to clamp heavy objects and to transport them usually to a stack of similar objects.
Grapple clamps usually include a relatively long and mobile mechanical arm with a pair of opposite side tongs pivotally secured thereto defining a clamp head or clamp hand. Usually a hydraulic device such as piston cylinder device acts on one of the tongs so as to move it from a clamping to a non-clamping or release position.
Figures 1 and 2 show an example of a prior art grapple clamp 10 which includes an arm 12 having opposite side tong members 14 and 16 pivotally mounted thereto. An extensible hydraulic actuator 18 is pivotally mounted between the backside 20 of tong member 16 and the arm 12 at pivot attachments 22 and 24, respectively. The hydraulic actuator 16 includes a cylinder 26 and a piston rod 28.
Tong member 14 is pivotally mounted to one end 15 of a pivot assembly 30; the pivot assembly being pivotally mounted on the other end 17 to the arm 12. A joint support 35 is pivotally mounted between the pivot assembly 30 and the arm 12. Tong member 16 is pivotally mounted to the arm 12 via pivot attachment 32.
In this way, tong member 14 can move between a clamping position, extending the joint support 34, as shown in figure 1, and the unclamping position contracting the joint support 34, as shown in figure 2. The hydraulic actuator 18 may move tong member 16 between positions shown in figures 1 and 2 by extending and contracting the piston rod 28, respectively. A hydraulic actuator (not shown) similar to actuator 18 may also act on tong member 14 so as to pivot tong 14 between the clamping and non-clamping positions shown in figures 1 and 2, respectively.
A drawback with prior art grapple clamps, such as the one described above, is that the clamp head area or clamp hand is rigid as it only performs clamping and releasing movements, hence, the efficiency of the grapple clamp to reach objects is limited to the agility of the arm. Therefore, the insufficient mobility makes it difficult and sometimes impossible to clamp objects in tight corners or to place them in a desired precise area.

' CA 02313584 2000-07-07 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The general object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved grapple clamp.
Another object of the invention is to provide a grapple clamp free of the above-noted disadvantages.
A further object of the invention is to provide a grapple clamp comprising a universal joint between the grapple clamp arm and the clamp tongs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a grapple clamp to be mounted to the end of an arm member, the grapple clamp comprising:
a clamp member comprising opposite side tongs; and a universal joint assembly mounted between the arm member and the clamp member, universal assembly the joint comprising two joints, of these joints havingpivot each two a axis substantially perpendicularto the other,for articulatingthe clamp member.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

' CA 02313584 2000-07-07 BRIEF DESGRIPTI~N OF THE DRAWINGS
In the appended drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a prior art grapple clamp in a non-clamping position;
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the prior art grapple of figure 1 in a clamping position;
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the grapple clamp according to the present invention in a clamping position and with the clamp hand member being in an upward position.
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the grapple clamp according to the present invention in a clamping position and with the clamp hand member being in a downward position;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the grapple clamp according to the present invention in a non-clamping position;
Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the grapple clamp according to the present invention in a non-clamping position;

' ~ CA 02313584 2000-07-07 Figure 7 is a top elevational view of the grapple clamp according to the present invention with the clamp hand member being in a leftward position; and 5 Figure 8 is a top elevational view of the grapple clamp according to the present invention with the clamp hand member being in a rightward position.
DESCRIPTION OP THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning now to figures 3 to 8, a preferred embodiment of a grapple clamp 36 according to the present invention will be described.
Figures 3 and 4 show grapple clamp 36 comprising an arm 38, a clamp head or hand clamp member 40 and a universal joint assembly 42 therebetween, all of which will be described in detail hereinbelow.
The clamp hand member 40 comprises a pair of opposite side tong members under the form of a fingerplate tong 44 and a thumb tong 46. Of course, other types of suitable tong members for grabbing logs and the like may be contemplated. Preferably, tongs 44 and 46 are made of strong metallic material capable of clamping and lifting large and heavy objects.
As better shown in figure 5, the fingerplate tong 44 has five inwardly curved fingers 48 with webs 50 therebetween near their respective fingertips 52. Advantageously, the fingertips 52 are tapered so as to easily pierce through a stack of objects that are to be clamped, while the inward curvature of the fingers facilitates scooping up and holding therein a large amount of these objects. The fingerplate tong 44 also defines an upper palm area 54.
Again with particular reference to figure 5, the thumb tong 46 is inwardly curved and preferably has a toothed inner surface 56 which provides the clamp hand member 40 with a better grip when clamping. The thumb tong 32 is pivotally mounted to the fingerplate tong 44 via a thumb pivot assembly 58. The thumb pivot assembly 58 includes a longitudinal pivot rod 60 pivotally mounted at its longitudinal ends 61 and 63 to both the thumb tong base 62 through apertures (not shown) formed therethrough, and to the thumb tong pivot brackets 66 and 68 respectively, so as to pivot about a pivot axis 64. Brackets 66 and 68 are fixedly mounted to the upper palm area 54. In this way, the thumb tong 36 can move, preferably by way of a hydraulic actuator 35 acting thereon, between a non-clamping position, shown in figures 5 and 6, and a clamping position, shown in figures 2 and 3. Preferably, the hydraulic device 35 is a conventional cylinder piston assembly.
Referring now particularly to figures 3, 4 and 6, the universal joint assembly 42 comprises, with respect to the clamp hand member 40, a proximal portion 70, a distal portion 72, and an intermediate portion 74 therebetween. Portions 72 and 74 provide a respective joint area, as will be described hereinbelow. The universal joint assembly 42 has similar left and right sides hence, only one side will be described hereinbelow since the other side is a mirror image thereof.
The distal portion 72 is pivotally mounted to the arm 38 and includes a pair of similar opposite side double brackets 77 with first apertures 79, for pivotally mounting thereto a first pivot rod 80, and second apertures 81 for pivotally mounting thereto a second rod 82 (see figures 3 and 4). These first and second pivot rods 80 and 82 are pivotable about their respective longitudinal axis with each axis being generally parallel to the other. The first rod 80 is also horizontally journalled to the lower portion 84 of the arm 38. In this way, the clamp hand member 40 can move between an "upward" position, as shown in figure 3, and a "downward" position, as shown in figure 4.
With particular reference to figure 6, joint supports 86 are pivotally mounted at one end 85 to the second pivot rod 82, near each longitudinal end thereof, so as to support the distal portion 72 during movement of the clamp hand member 40, as shown in figures 3 and 4. The joint supports 86 are pivotally mounted at their other end 87 to arm 38. Joint supports 86 are moved between a contracted position when the clamp hand member 40 is in an "upward" position, as illustrated in figure 3, and an extended position when the clamp hand member 40 is in a "downward" position, as illustrated in figure 4.
Furthermore, the joint supports 86 include a pair of similar and pivotally interconnected joint support bodies 88.
Referring back to figure 5, the proximal portion 70 is mounted to the clamp hand member 40 and includes a pair of similar proximal portion opposite side brackets 90 with first apertures 91 for mounting a first proximal portion rod 92 thereto, and second apertures (not shown) for mounting a second proximal portion rod 94 thereto.
Furthermore, the first and second rods 90, 94 are mounted to brackets 68 and 96; brackets 68 and 96 being fixedly mounted to the fingerplate tong 40. Bracket 68 also has a lower portion, which serves as part of the thumb tong pivot assembly 58, as described above. Other known ways to mount the proximal portion 72 to the clamp hand member 40 may also be used.
The proximal 70 and distal 72 portions are pivotally linked at the intermediate portion 74 of the universal joint 42. The intermediate portion 74 includes inner and outer pairs of intermediate pivot brackets 100 and 102, respectively. The inner pivot brackets 100 are fixedly mounted to the distal portion brackets 80, defining a single multi-bracket unit, and the outer pivot brackets 102 are fixedly mounted to the proximal portion brackets 90, also defining a single multi-bracket unit. An intermediate pivot rod 104 is pivotally mounted at each longitudinal end thereof to the intermediate pivot brackets 100, 102 through their aligned pivot rod receiving apertures. The pivot axis of this intermediate pivot rod 104 is substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis of the distal portion pivot rods 80, 82. In this way, the hand clamp member can move from side to side, as shown in figures 7 and 8.

' CA 02313584 2000-07-07 The present grapple clamp 36 may also include an extensible hydraulic actuator 106, which acts on the hand clamp member 40. These types of hydraulic devices commonly include a cylinder 108 provided with a piston rod 110 extending outwardly of the cylinder 108. The hydraulic actuator 106 is mounted only on one side of the universal joint 42 with the cylinder 108 being securely mounted on one of the distal portion brackets 90 by means of attachment 112, and a pivot assembly 114 being mounted on one of the proximal portion brackets 90 for pivotally connecting the piston rod 110 thereto. The hydraulic actuator 106 can therefore move the hand clamp member 40 from side to side by acting on the proximal portion bracket 90 by either extending to move the hand clamp member to one direction, as shown in figure 8, or by contracting to move the hand clamp member to the other direction, as shown in figure 7.
Hence, the universal joint member 42 acts like a wrist and provides for the clamp hand member 40 with sufficient agility to be articulated in a variety of directions with respect to the arm. The grapple clamp 36 can therefore easily reach and grip hard-to-reach areas in a stack of articles such as logs and the like with relative ease.
Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of preferred embodiments thereof; it can be modified without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A grapple clamp to be mounted to the end of an arm member, said grapple clamp comprising:
a clamp member comprising opposite side tongs; and a universal joint assembly mounted between the arm member and the clamp member, said universal joint assembly comprising two joints, each of said two joints having a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the other, for articulating the clamp member.
CA 2313584 2000-07-07 2000-07-07 Grapple clamp Abandoned CA2313584A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2313584 CA2313584A1 (en) 2000-07-07 2000-07-07 Grapple clamp

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2313584 CA2313584A1 (en) 2000-07-07 2000-07-07 Grapple clamp

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2313584A1 true CA2313584A1 (en) 2002-01-07

Family

ID=4166664

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2313584 Abandoned CA2313584A1 (en) 2000-07-07 2000-07-07 Grapple clamp

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2313584A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005123564A1 (en) * 2004-06-16 2005-12-29 Australian Skyreach Equipment Pty Limited An attachment for a mobile material handler
EP2014602A1 (en) * 2007-05-23 2009-01-14 Alfred Märzinger Method and device for mounting wood discs

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005123564A1 (en) * 2004-06-16 2005-12-29 Australian Skyreach Equipment Pty Limited An attachment for a mobile material handler
EP2014602A1 (en) * 2007-05-23 2009-01-14 Alfred Märzinger Method and device for mounting wood discs

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6742291B2 (en) Thumb for scooping tool arm
US4413945A (en) Grapple rake for backhoe
US7377739B2 (en) Jig assembly
RU2000122625A (en) METHOD FOR CAPTURE OF OBJECTS AND TRACTOR ATTACHMENT FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION (OPTIONS)
JP3073839B2 (en) Clamping device for transferring building materials
CA2313584A1 (en) Grapple clamp
JP2690829B2 (en) Joint movement type robot
JPH086151Y2 (en) Clamp device
JP2020536825A (en) Grapple
CN111558950A (en) Arch clamping manipulator
EP0887475B1 (en) Linkage for a power shovel arm
JP3258239B2 (en) Parallel link
EP0897881A1 (en) Lifting apparatus
US4131210A (en) Backhoe jaw attachment
JPH07196297A (en) Grabbed object dropping prevention mechanism in clamp device
JPH08219U (en) Master arm
DE69514973D1 (en) Quick coupling for attaching work tools to an excavator boom
JPH0450302Y2 (en)
JPH0324711Y2 (en)
JPS6022060Y2 (en) clamp device
JPH057356Y2 (en)
GB2266438A (en) Double handled tools.
JP2528750Y2 (en) Grapple equipment
JPH07267572A (en) Grasping device
GB2127772A (en) Grapple rake for backhoe

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Dead