GB2058006A

GB2058006A - Telescopic hoist

Info

Publication number: GB2058006A
Application number: GB7931772A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Standard Telephone and Cables PLC
Current assignee: STC PLC
Priority date: 1979-09-13
Filing date: 1979-09-13
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: GB2058006B

Abstract

A handling arrangement for a load 1, e.g. a suite of electrical equipment racks assembled as a unit, includes a spreader bar 3 supported by a crane sling. The ends of the bar are coupled to points on the load by two pairs of hydraulic rams 4, 5, the points of attachment of the rams defining a rectangle. To move the load sideways, e.g. into a building, the pair of rams 4 is extended while the other rams 5 are contracted, which produces lengthwise movement of the load. The leading end at least of the load is supported by frictionless bearings, skates or wheels to ensure that that end does not scrape along the floor. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Telescopic hoist This invention relates to article handling ar rangements, and especially to such arrange ments in which an article of generally rectangular form has to be moved longitudinally while suspended from the hook of a crane.

Such arrangements are needed where suites of electrical equipment have to be installed in a building by insertion into the building via a hole (door or window) in its wall. Such a suite may consist of a number of equipment racks assembled together, e.g. several racks of equipment for a telephone exchange, which may have to be placed, for instance, on the first floor of a building. In such a case some difficulty may arise in getting the equipment into the building, and an object of the invention is to provide an arrangement in which these difficulties are minimised or even over come.

According to the invention there is provided an article handling arrangement, in which the article to be handled is suspended for han dling from a spreader bar supported, for in stance by a crane hook, in which the spreader bar is transverse to one axis of the article to be handled and is coupled to each end of that article by a pair of parallel-mounted hydraulic rams, the points at which the rams are cou pled defining a rectangle whose axis is at right angles to the spreader bar, and in which to move the article lengthwise with respect to an axis at right angles to the spreader bar one pair of hydraulic rams is extended while the other pair is contracted, the combination of said extension and said contraction causing lengthwise movement of the article.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 which show two stages in the operation of an arrangement embodying the invention.

The load 1, which is a suite of racks for a telephone exchange, such as the well-known TXE4 exchange, is of generally rectangular plan-form and is to be installed on an upper floor of a building. It is delivered into the building via a hole in its wall, e.g. formed by a door or window opening, and is lifted by a crane until aligned with the hole and then moved in.

The load is hung from the crane by a cable or wire 2 at the lower end of which is a spreader bar 3 which is transverse of the longer axis of the load 1. The ends of the spreader bar are connected to the load by two pairs of hydraulic rams, one ram 4, 5, or each pair being shown. The mechanism for the rams, i.e. reservoir, pump, motor and valves, is mounted on the spreader bar, and the arrangement is powered via a wander lead from the nearest available electrical power socket. Control is exercised by a hand-held control box, also on a wander lead. In some cases chains may be used in association with the rams to extend the working range.

The crane is used to bring the load to the building and to insert as much of the load as possible into the building via the hole therein, reaching the position shown in Fig. 1. The crane stops when its hook reaches, or is close to, the outer wall of the building. With the crane remaining stationary the load is moved into the building by extending the pair of rams 4 and shortening the rams 5. This causes the load to move sideways until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2.

To ensure that the leading edge of the load does not drop to the floor and scrape there along, a frictionless support is provided at that end. This can take the form of airbearings (rather like minihovercraft), machine skates or wheels, depending on floor loading considera tions. Movement can continue until the load is entirely on the floor of the building, at which the rams are disconnected. Any further move ment on the floor can use conventional means.

The speed of movement of the rams is restricted to avoid any risk of a heavy load being moved too quickly c.g. 5Q cm per minute is a reasonable rate of movement. A gear change is included to allow faster move ment of the rams under no-load consideration, a pressure relief valve preventing this higher speed being used when the arrangement is loaded.

The rams include normal arrangements to prevent accidents in the case of a pipe frac ture or pump failure.

Note that the load is attached to the crane by all four corners throughout the operation, and and is only detached from the crane when it is fuily in the building and resting on the floor.

The present method avoids the need for simultaneous action by the crane driver and someone inside the building. Such attempts at coordination can cause difficulties: in this case the crane makes the first move and then remains stationary, leaving any further opera tion to people within the building.

Although the arrangement has been de scribed as applied to handling of electrical equipment racks, it has other applications.

Thus it could be used to deliver bulky items of furniture into buildings. It could also be used to deliver electrical racks or other loads at I ground level.

1. An article handling arrangement, in which the article to be handled is suspended for handling from a spreader bar supported, for instance by a crane hook, in which the spreader bar is transverse to one axis of the article to be handled and is coupled to each end of that article by a pair of parallel mounted hydraulic rams, the points at which

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Telescopic hoist This invention relates to article handling ar rangements, and especially to such arrange ments in which an article of generally rectangular form has to be moved longitudinally while suspended from the hook of a crane. Such arrangements are needed where suites of electrical equipment have to be installed in a building by insertion into the building via a hole (door or window) in its wall. Such a suite may consist of a number of equipment racks assembled together, e.g. several racks of equipment for a telephone exchange, which may have to be placed, for instance, on the first floor of a building. In such a case some difficulty may arise in getting the equipment into the building, and an object of the invention is to provide an arrangement in which these difficulties are minimised or even over come. According to the invention there is provided an article handling arrangement, in which the article to be handled is suspended for han dling from a spreader bar supported, for in stance by a crane hook, in which the spreader bar is transverse to one axis of the article to be handled and is coupled to each end of that article by a pair of parallel-mounted hydraulic rams, the points at which the rams are cou pled defining a rectangle whose axis is at right angles to the spreader bar, and in which to move the article lengthwise with respect to an axis at right angles to the spreader bar one pair of hydraulic rams is extended while the other pair is contracted, the combination of said extension and said contraction causing lengthwise movement of the article. An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 which show two stages in the operation of an arrangement embodying the invention. The load 1, which is a suite of racks for a telephone exchange, such as the well-known TXE4 exchange, is of generally rectangular plan-form and is to be installed on an upper floor of a building. It is delivered into the building via a hole in its wall, e.g. formed by a door or window opening, and is lifted by a crane until aligned with the hole and then moved in. The load is hung from the crane by a cable or wire 2 at the lower end of which is a spreader bar 3 which is transverse of the longer axis of the load 1. The ends of the spreader bar are connected to the load by two pairs of hydraulic rams, one ram 4, 5, or each pair being shown. The mechanism for the rams, i.e. reservoir, pump, motor and valves, is mounted on the spreader bar, and the arrangement is powered via a wander lead from the nearest available electrical power socket. Control is exercised by a hand-held control box, also on a wander lead. In some cases chains may be used in association with the rams to extend the working range. The crane is used to bring the load to the building and to insert as much of the load as possible into the building via the hole therein, reaching the position shown in Fig. 1. The crane stops when its hook reaches, or is close to, the outer wall of the building. With the crane remaining stationary the load is moved into the building by extending the pair of rams 4 and shortening the rams 5. This causes the load to move sideways until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2. To ensure that the leading edge of the load does not drop to the floor and scrape there along, a frictionless support is provided at that end. This can take the form of airbearings (rather like minihovercraft), machine skates or wheels, depending on floor loading considera tions. Movement can continue until the load is entirely on the floor of the building, at which the rams are disconnected. Any further move ment on the floor can use conventional means. The speed of movement of the rams is restricted to avoid any risk of a heavy load being moved too quickly c.g. 5Q cm per minute is a reasonable rate of movement. A gear change is included to allow faster move ment of the rams under no-load consideration, a pressure relief valve preventing this higher speed being used when the arrangement is loaded. The rams include normal arrangements to prevent accidents in the case of a pipe frac ture or pump failure. Note that the load is attached to the crane by all four corners throughout the operation, and and is only detached from the crane when it is fuily in the building and resting on the floor. The present method avoids the need for simultaneous action by the crane driver and someone inside the building. Such attempts at coordination can cause difficulties: in this case the crane makes the first move and then remains stationary, leaving any further opera tion to people within the building. Although the arrangement has been de scribed as applied to handling of electrical equipment racks, it has other applications. Thus it could be used to deliver bulky items of furniture into buildings. It could also be used to deliver electrical racks or other loads at I ground level. CLAIMS

1. An article handling arrangement, in which the article to be handled is suspended for handling from a spreader bar supported, for instance by a crane hook, in which the spreader bar is transverse to one axis of the article to be handled and is coupled to each end of that article by a pair of parallel mounted hydraulic rams, the points at which the rams are coupled defining a rectangle whose axis is at right angles to the spreader bar, and in which to move the article lengthwise with respect to an axis at right angles to the spreader bar one pair of hydraulic rams is extended while the other pair is contracted, the combination of said extension and said contraction causing lengthwise movement of the article.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, and in which the leading end of the article to be handled is supported by frictionless bearing means.

3. An article handling arrangement substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

CLAIMS (August 14, 1980)

4. An article handling arrangement in which the article to be handled is suspended for handling from a spreader bar which is supported when the arrangement is in use from a crane hook, in which when in use the spreader bar is transverse to one axis of the article to be handled and is part-way between the ends of that transverse axis, in which the spreader bar is coupled to each end of that article by a pair of parallel-mounted hydraulic rams, the two rams of each said pair being attached to the opposite ends of the spreader bar, in which the article to be handled is below the spreader bar when the arrangement is in use, the points at which the rams are coupled to the article then defining a rectangle whose axis is at right angles to the spreader bar, in which to move the article lengthwise with respect to the second-mentioned axis one pair of hydraulic rams is extended while the other pair is contracted, the combination of said extension and said contraction causing movement of the article lengthwise, i.e. handled to the second-mentioned axis, and in which the control mechanism for the rams is located on the spreader bar.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, and in which said control mechanism is electrically operated by remote control from a hand-held control box coupled to the control mechanism by an electrical cable.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 or 5, and in which the rams are so controlled as to have two speeds of operation, one which is used when handling a load being relatively slow while the other when no load is being handled being relatively fast.