GB2257684A - Handling device. - Google Patents

Abstract

A handling device (1) for picking-up and moving an article, such as a reel, has interconnected support bars (15, 16). The bars are gravity-biased towards each other and can be freely displaced away from each other. The article can therefore be picked up by dropping the bars from above onto the article so that the bars move apart to pass around the article and then move together into a supporting position beneath the article. The bars (15, 16) may be mounted transversely between pairs of swinging front and rear arms (13, 14). The handling device (1) may be mounted on a wheeled trolley (2) provided with a lifting unit (7). <IMAGE>

Description

HANDLING DEVICE This invention relates to a handling device, particularly although not exclusively for lifting and handling reels.

Copending application 9009581 (2231026) describes a handling device which can be used to pick-up and transport large reels of material. The device has projecting arms mounted on a wheeled trolley. The arms can be manoeuvred beneath a reel so as to extend axially of the reel beneath and in contact with its lower periphery. A manual or power operated mechanism is provided for lifting the arms and the trolley can then be pushed, or power driven with the reel supported on the arms with its axis parallel to the direction of transport.

In this way, for example, a heavy reel of sheet material or the like can be transported from a storage rack to a machine where it can be delivered to a mounting spindle.

With this arrangement, there is the advantage that the reel can be securely supported from below whereby the core of the reel is free and can be readily presented to the machine spindle. However, it is, of course, necessary to have good access to the underside of the reel to enable the arms to be inserted axially into position.

An object of the present invention is to provide a handling device which can be moved into position to support an article, such as a reel, without necessarily requiring good access from below for axial insertion of support arms.

According to one aspect of the invention - therefore there is provided a method of handling a reel using a handling device having adjustably interconnected first and second support members, wherein the support members are moved from above into positions at which they extend beneath and in supporting contact with the underside of the reel, said members being moved apart relative to each other transversely of the reel axis to pass over the reel and then being moved back towards each other into said support positions.

In this way it will be appreciated that the handling device can be moved into supporting position from above whereby there is no need to provide good access beneath the reel. The reel can be picked-up and transported by manoeuvring the handling device over the reel, dropping the device down on to the reel into supporting disposition, lifting the device with the reel supported thereon, and then moving the device to the desired location to which the reel is to be transported.

The arrangement is preferably such that the reel is picked-up and transported with its axis transverse to the direction of transport. Both members may be moved towards and away from the other, or only one may be moved with the other being fixed.

The handling device may take any suitable form. Preferably, however, and in accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a handling device, which can be moved into supporting disposition with an article to be handled, comprising first and second support members which are adjustably interconnected so as to be movable towards and away relative to each other, said members being biased towards each other and being displaceable against such bias away from each other, whereby said members can be displaced away from each other by contact from above with said article so as to be capable of passing around said article until the members can return towards each other to support the article from below. Both members may be movable or only one may be movable, the other being fixed.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the members are carried by mounting structures which are pivotally interconnected so that the members can swing one towards and away from the other. The members may be elongate elements such as bars or rods, and the mounting structures may comprise arms. Most preferably the arrangement is such that the members are spaced apart when in their nearest positions and thus a stop may be provided to limit the travel of the members towards each other, or one or both of the aforesaid mounting structures may be appropriately cranked or otherwise shaped to hold the members at a minimum distance from each other.

The said bias is preferably effected by a gravity arrangement, i.e. by arranging the members such that they tend to move one towards the other due to weight. This can be achieved where the members are mounted on pivotally interconnected mounting structures as mentioned above, where the pivot axis is above the members and there is a greater weight for at least one such movable member below such axis.

In one embodiment there is a rear said member mounted at the lower end region of a fixed said mounting structure, and a forward said member mounted at the lower end region of a forward said mounting structure, the forward structure being pivotally connected at its upper region to the upper region of the rear structure and being freely pivotable forwards and rearwards relative to the fixed structure. The fixed rear structure and preferably also the front structure, may be inclined forwardly towards its lower region to facilitate retention of the positions of the members when they are gravity biased towards each other. The front structure may be cranked forwardly towards its lower region to maintain a minimum separation between the members.

The handling device may be mounted on a wheeled trolley and may be connected to a lifting device so that the handling device, and any article supported thereon can be lifted and transported. The lifting device and/or the trolley may be manually or power operated as desired.

The handling device may be incorporated in or provided as an attachment to any suitable kind of wheeled trolley andlor lifting device. One suitable arrangement is described in copending application 9009581 (2231026) particularly with reference to Figs. 8 to 10. however, the device may be used with other arrangements and thus, for example, may be used as an attachment to a conventional fork lift truck.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of a handling device according to the invention mounted on a wheeled trolley; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the arrangement of Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings, there is shown a handling device 1 mounted on a wheeled trolley 2.

The trolley 2 has a lower supporting frame 3 having side-by-side beams 4 which are fixed at rear ends to an upright rear frame 5 which supports handle bars 6, and a hydraulic control unit 7. Ground wheels 8, 9 are provided at front ends of the beams 4 and at the bottom of the rear frame 5.

It will be seen that the beams 4 are wide apart and without connection therebetween in front of the rear frame 5. Also, the rear end portions 10 of the beams 4 which converge towards each other to meet the frame 5 are inclined upwardly. This enables the trolley 2 to be pushed over a pallet with the beams 4 clearing the pallet surface.

The handling device 1 is mounted on the trolley 2 above and between the beams 4 by connection to an upper swing arm 11 and a lower pair of parallel swing arms 12.

The handling device 1 comprises front and rear arm structures 13, 14 which are pivotally interconnected at their top ends. Each arm structure 13, 14 supports a respective transverse horizontal support bar 15, 16 at its bottom end.

In more detail, the rear arm structure 14 comprises a frame made up of two generally upright side members 17 rigidly linked at their top ends by an upper horizontal cross member 18 and at their bottom ends by the support bar 16. The front arm structure 13 comprises two side members 19 which are pivotally mounted at their top ends on brackets 20 fixed to the top ends of the side members 17 of the rear frame 14, and which are rigidly linked at their bottom ends by the respective support bar 15. The side members 17 of the rear frame 14 are straight, whereas the side members 19 of the front structure 13 are cranked, having a straight generally upright upper portion 21 and a straight forwardly directed lower portion 22.

The rear frame 14 is pivotally linked, via brackets 23, 24 to the ends of the arm 11 and the arm pair 12 which are pivotally mounted at their opposite ends to the upright support frame 5. The arms 11, 12 with the rear frame 14 and the upright support frame 5 define a parallelogram linkage whereby the frames 13, 14 can be moved up and down whilst retaining their angular dispositions. As shown in the drawing the angular disposition is such that the side members 17 and the upper portions 21 are inclined forwardly towards their lower ends.

A hydraulic cylinder 25 is provided between the upright support frame 5 and the upper arm 11. This cylinder 25 can be operated from the hydraulic unit using a manual lever 26.

In use, to pick-up and transport a large, heavy axially horizontal reel 27, such as a reel of sheet material to be used by a machine, the hydraulic unit 7 is operated to lift the handling device 1 higher than the top periphery of the reel 27. The trolley 2 is pushed into a position at which the beams 4 straddle the ends of the reel 27 (which may be on a pallet), and the bars 15, 16 extend parallel to the axis of the reel on opposite sides of a vertical plane containing the reel axis. In this position it will be appreciated that the upper straight portions 21 of the arms 19 of the front structure 13 are resting against the rear arms 17 due to the action of gravity.

The handling device 1 is now lowered downwardly until the bars 15, 16 contact the sides of the reel 27. This causes the front structure 13 to be pivoted forwardly moving the front bar 15 away from the rear bar 16 whereby it is possible for the handling device 1 to pass around the reel 27.

As the bars 15, 16 pass over the maximum horizontal dimension of the reel (equal to its diameter) the front structure 13 moves back towards the rear frame 14 and the bars 15, 16 take up supporting positions beneath and in contact with the lower periphery of the reel 27.

Using the hydraulic unit 7, the reel 27 can now be lifted (e.g. off its pallet), and the reel 27 can be transported, by pushing the trolley 2, to a desired location. For example, the reel 27 can be transported to the machine where it is to be used. At the machine, the reel 27 can be lifted or lowered to the appropriate height and then mounted on the spindle of the machine intended to receive the reel. This can be achieved easily because the reel 27 is supported from below without obstruction of the reel core.

With this arrangement it will be appreciated that the reel 27 can be picked up and transported in transverse disposition in a particularly simple and convenient manner without requiring good access beneath the reel for insertion, from below, of supporting arms.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Claims (19)

1. A method of handling a reel using a handling device having adjustably interconnected first and second support members, wherein the support members are moved from above into positions at which they extend beneath and in supporting contact with the underside of the reel, said members being moved apart relative to each other transversely of the reel axis to pass over the reel and then being moved back towards each other into said support positions.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the handling device is manoeuvred over the reel, the device is dropped down on to the reel into supporting disposition, the device is lifted with the reel supported thereon, and the device is then moved to a desired location to which the reel is to be transported.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the reel is picked up with its axis transverse to the direction of transport.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the members are moved towards and away from each other.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein only one member is moved with the other being fixed.

6. A handling device, which can be moved into supporting disposition with an article to be handled, comprising first and second support members which are adjustably interconnected so as to be movable towards and away relative to each other, said members being biased towards each other and being displaceable against such bias away from each other, whereby said members can be displaced away from each other by contact from above with said article so as to be capable of passing around said article until the members can return towards each other to support the article from below.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein both members are movable.

8. A device according to claim 6 wherein only one member is movable, the other being fixed.

9. A device according to any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein the members are carried by mounting structures which are pivotally interconnected so that the members can swing one towards and away from the other.

10. A device according to any one of claims 6-9 wherein the members are elongate elements and the mounting structures are arms.

11. A device according to any one of claims 6-10 wherein the members are spaced apart in the nearest positions.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein a stop is provided to limit the travel of the members towards each other.

13. A device according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the mounting structures is cranked to hold the members at a minimum distance from each other.

14. A device according to any one of claims 6 to 13 wherein the said bias is effected by a gravity arrangement.

15. A device according to any one of claims 6-14 wherein there is a rear said member mounted at the lower end region of a fixed said mounting structure, and a forward said member mounted at the lower end region of a forward said mounting structure, the forward structure being pivotally connected at its upper region to the upper region of the rear structure and being freely pivotable forwards and rearwards relative to the fixed structure.

16. A device according to claim 15 wherein at least the fixed rear structure is inclined forwardly towards its lower region.

17. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 16 which is mounted on a wheeled trolley and is connected to a lifting device.

18. A method according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A handling device according to claim 6 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.