GB2267690A - Means for bundling elongated articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A means for enabling elongated articles to be assembled into bundles includes a frame with two upstanding sides 11 and 12, between which two or more flexible support members 25, for example chains, are suspended to form an arcuate cradle which may be semicircular if the chains are constrained to pass through tubes 30. One of these sides 11 of the frame is fixed and the other 12 is pivotable downwardly and outwardly to cause the support members to assume the form of a chute, down which a banded bundle can roll off the bundling means. The support members 25 may be attached to arms 18 which are pivotably attached to posts 16 of side 12, bars 21 acting to move arms 18 parallel to the posts 16 when the side 12 is moved outwardly and downwardly. The pivoting side 12 may be secured in position by a removable pin 31. <IMAGE>

Description

Means for bundling elongated articles This invention relates to means for enabling elongated articles such as wooden stakes and lengths of piping to be assembled into bundles.

Wooden stakes are commonly assembled into bundles in a rigid frame having suitably spaced-apart end portions which are X-shaped, the stakes being laid parallel to one another between the upper arms of the end portions and secured together by bands when each bundle is the desired size. A crane or hoist is then required to lift the bundle from the frame.

U.S. Patent No. 4377362 discloses means for bundling short lengths of cylindrical items, such as firewood, comprising a frame rotatably supporting a semi-circular bottom rack about its horizontal axis, said rack normally being retained in an upper open position, and a semi-circular top rack of the same internal dimensions removably attached to the bottom rack to form a circular area in which firewood can be stacked. When a cylindrical bundle has been completed, a band is secured around the bundle, the top rack is removed, and the bottom rack is rotated about its horizontal axis to enable the bundle to be easily removed from said rack.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for enabling bundles of elongated articles such as wooden stakes and lengths of piping to be assembled and banded and then to be easily removed from said means without the need for a crane or hoist.

According to the invention, means for enabling elongated articles to be assembled into bundles comprise a frame, between upstanding opposite sides of which a plurality of parallel flexible support members are suspended so as to form an arcuate, preferably generally part-circular, cradle, one said side of the frame being fixed and the other said side thereof being pivotable downwardly and outwardly about its lower end so as to cause the support members to assume the form of a chute down which a banded bundle can roll to remove it from the means.

Preferably, one end of each flexible support member is anchored to said one side of the frame and the other end thereof is secured to a respective arm connected to said other side of the frame so as to occupy a cantilevered position when the support members form a cradle.

Preferably, also, each of the arms connected to said other side of the frame forms part of a respective linkage pivotally connected to said side which operates as said side is pivoted downwardly and outwardly to pivot said arm into a generally parallel relationship to said side, and in so doing to lengthen in effect the associated support member.

Preferably, each flexible support member passes near said other end thereof through a shackle at said other side of the frame.

Preferably, also, said shackle is carried by another part of the associated linkage.

Preferably, said other side of the frame is normally secured in position by retaining means which are releaseable to enable said other side to be pivoted downwardly and outwardly.

Preferably, also, the retaining means comprise a removable pin which locks together two mutually pivotable parts of one or each of the linkages.

Each of the flexible support members preferably comprises a chain.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig.l is a perspective view of elongated article bundling means in bundle assembling condition; and Fig.2 is a perspective view of said means in banded bundle removing condition.

Referring now to the drawings, means for enabling elongated articles such as wooden stakes and lengths of piping to be assembled into bundles comprises a fabricated frame of rectangular-section mild steel tubing having a base 10, a side 11 fixed to said base, and a side 12 pivotably mounted on said base about pins 13. The side 11 includess two vertical posts 14 to the upper end of each of which there is rigidly secured an inwardly cantilevered arm 15. The side 12 includes two posts 16 rigidly interconnected by a member 17.Associated with each of the posts 16 is a linkage comprising an arm 18 pivotably connected at one end by a pin 19 between a pair of lugs 20 welded to the normally upper end of said post, and a bar 21 pivotably connected at its normally upper end by a pin 22 between the ends of the arm 18 and near its normally lower end by a pin 23 between two plates 24 which form part of the base 10 and also carry the pin 13. Between the plates 24 there is welded a stop member (not shown) against which the lower end of the bar 21 abuts when the side 12 is in its normal vertical position shown in Figure 1.

The arrangement is such that the arms 18 are normally cantilevered inwardly and the bars 21 are parallel to but spaced from the posts 16. A flexible support member comprising a chain 25 is suspended between a shackle 26 pivotable on the free end of each of the arms 18 and an anchorage 27 at the free end of the adjacent one of the arms 15 which anchorage is adapted to permit adjustment of the effective length of said chain. Each of the chains 25 passes through a shackle 28 pivotable on the associated post 14 and through a shackle 29 pivotable on the associated bar 21. Between the shackles 28 and 29 each chain 25 passes through a series of plastics tubes 30 which constrain it to hang substantially in a semi-circle.Either the two shackles 28 or the two shackles 29 can be connected respectively to the posts 14 or the bars 21 by short lengths of chain (not -shown) to vary the diameter of the cradle formed by the chains 25. Due to the weight of the chains 25 (and of the elongated articles assembled into bundles therein) the side 12 is self-supporting in its normal vertical position, but as a safety precaution removable retaining pins 31 lock together the arms 18 and the bars 21. The bundling means specifically described and illustrated is designed for wooden stakes of approximately two to five inches diameter, the distance between the sides 11 and 12 is approximately four to five feet, and the links of the chains 25 have an overall width of approximately one inch.

In operation, with the side 12 locked in vertical position by the pins 31, wooden stakes or other elongated articles such as lengths of piping are stacked in the cradle formed by the chains 25 until a substantially cylindrical bundle has been assembled. The bundle is secured together by peripheral bands, and the retaining pins 31 are then removed and the side 12 is manually pivoted downwardly and outwardly about the pins 13 into the position shown in Figure 2. The linkages constituted by the arms 18 and the bars 21 are thereby caused to take up the position shown in said figure in which the arms 18 are parallel to the posts 16 and the bars 21 are in close parallel relationship to said posts. This pivoting of the arms 18 relative to the posts 16 in effect lengthens the chains 25 which as shown assume the form of a chute down which the banded bundle rolls to remove it from the bundling means. Said pivoting of the arms 18 also places them temporarily in a position in which they do not obstruct the removal of a banded bundle.

The side 12 is then re-erected and locked by the pins 31 in readiness for the assembly of the next bundle of stakes or the like.

In a modification which is within the scope of the invention, the flexible support members consist of ropes or steel cables instead of chains. In another such modification, the shackles 28 are dispensed with, and even the shackles 29 can be omitted although their retention is much to be preferred. In a further such modification, only one of the linkages is provided with a retaining pin 31. In yet a further such modification, the shackles 29 are pivotable on the posts 16 and circumvent the bars 21.

Claims (9)

1. Means for enabling elongated articles to be assembled into bundles, comprising a frame, between upstanding opposite sides of which a plurality of parallel flexible support members are suspended so as to form an arcuate cradle, one said side of the frame being fixed and the other said side thereof being pivotable downwardly and outwardly about its lower end so as to cause the support members to assume the form of a chute down which a banded bundle can roll to remove it from the means.

2. Bundling means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cradle is generally partcircular.

3. Bundling means as claimed in either of the preceding claims, wherein one end of each flexible support member is anchored to said one side of the frame and the other end thereof iS secured to a respective arm connected to said other side of the frame so as to occupy a cantilevered position when the support members form a cradle.

4. Bundling means as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said arms forms part of a respective linkage pivotally connected to said other side of the frame, which linkage operates as said side is pivoted downwardly and outwardly to pivot said arm in a generally parallel relationship to said side.

5. Bundling means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each flexible support member passes through a shackle at said other side of the frame.

6. Bundling means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said other side of the frame is normally secured in position by retaining means which are releasable to permit said pivoting of said side.

7. Bundling means as claimed in claim 6, wherein said retaining means comprise a removable pin which locks together two mutually pivotable parts.

8. Bundling means as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each flexible support member comprises a chain.

9. Means for enabling elongated articles to be assembled into bundles, said means being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.