GB2337983A

GB2337983A - Lifting pin assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2337983A
Application number: GB9912488A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Leslie Broad
Original assignee: MG Rover Group Ltd
Current assignee: MG Rover Group Ltd
Priority date: 1998-06-04
Filing date: 1999-06-01
Publication date: 1999-12-08
Also published as: GB9811904D0; GB9912488D0

Abstract

A lifting pin assembly 1 comprises a first elongate member 10 comprising lifting means 12 connected to a first end and an enlarged portion 15 at a second end, and a second member 20 comprising a sleeve 21 which is slit in two or more places along part of its length to form a number of resilient flexible members 24, each being formed with a lug 25. The pin assembly 1 is pushed into an aperture 2 in a face 3 of the article to be lifted, each lug 25 abutting the bottom edge 7 of the article, and as the article is lifted, the enlarged portion 15 of the first member 10 contacts the inside edge 26 of the lugs 25, preferably with a camming action. A locking plate (40; figures 3,5) may be located between the flanges 18,22 of the first and second members so as to prevent inadvertent removal of the lifting pin assembly 1 from the article to be lifted, and this locking plate may be attached to one of the flanges with a flexible strap (42; figure 3). The resilient flexible members 24 of the second member 20 may be urged towards the shaft 14 of the first member 10 using biassing means, which preferably comprises an elastically deformable member (150; figure 6) located about the resilient flexible members 24.

Description

2337983 LIMNG APPARATUS The present invention relates to lifting apparatus

and in particular to the means by which the lifting connections are attached to the object or item to be lifted.

It is known in lifting apparatus to provide chains or other shackles to connect an object to be lifted to the lifting apparatus itself. The shackles are typically connected to the object to be lifted by the use of large lugs, bars or threaded eye bolts. The use of such a connection is time consuming. There is a need for a connection means that is quick to use, while still providing the necessary degree of safety for such an application.

It is an advantage of the present invention that it eliminates, or substantially reduces, these problems.

According to a first aspect of the invention a lifting pin assembly comprises a first and a second member, the first member comprising lifting means connected to a first end of a shaft and an enlarged portion at a second end of the shaft, and the second member comprising a sleeve slit in two or more places from a free end along at least part of its length to form a number of resilient flexible members, each member being formed with a lug.

- 15 Preferably the first member is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange at the first end of the shaft. Preferably the second member is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange at an end of the sleeve remote from the free end. More preferably, the assembly additionally comprises a third member for insertion between the flanges of the first and second members. This will prevent the assembly from becoming separated inadvertently during use. The third member may be connected by a flexible member to one of the first member and the second member.

Preferably the enlarged portion of the first member and the lower inside face of the lugs are formed with mutually camming surfaces. This will assist in the locking action of the pin assembly.

Preferably the lower external faces of the lugs are provided with an inclined surface.

This will aid in the centring of the assembly onto an aperture through which the assembly is to pass.

Preferably, the resilient flexible members of the second members are urged towards the shaft of the first member by biasing means. More preferably, the biasing means comprise an elastically deformable member located about the resilient flexible members.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompany drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a lifting pin assembly according to the present invention in a first position; Figure 2 shows the lifting pin assembly of Figure 1 in a second position; Figure 3 shows the lifting pin assembly of Figure 1 in a third position; Figure 4 shows a section along W-W of Figure 2; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a locking plate for use with the invention; and Figure 6 shows in section an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown an embodiment of a lifting pin assembly 1 according to the present invention, being inserted into an aperture 2 extending through a face 3 of an article to be lifted. Two parts of the lifting pin assembly are shown.

A first member 10 comprises a lifting means 12, connected to a first end of a shaft 14 and an enlarged portion 15 at a second end of the shaft 14. The lifting means 12 is in the form of a loop, but may take any form suitable for connection to shackles of a lifting device.

A radially outwardly extending flange 18 is also provided at the first end of the shaft 14. The enlarged portion 15 is provided with a radially outwardly extending upper surface 16.

A second member 20 comprises a sleeve 21. At a first end, the sleeve is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange 22. At a second end the sleeve is provided with at least 5 two slits 23 along at least part of its length to form a plurality of resilient flexible members 24. Each member 24 is provided at a free end with a lug 25. Each lug 25 is provided on an inner surface with a taper 26 to form a camming surface. Each lug 25 is provided with a bevel or taper 27 about a lower outer circumferential portion. Each lug 25 is further provided with an upper radially outwardly extending face 28.

In usb, prior to insertion into the aperture 2, the flanges 18, 22 of each of the first and second members are held together. The second end of the first member is then inserted into the aperture 2 of the object to be lifted. The bevel or taper 27 on each of the lugs then contacts a lip 4 of the aperture 2. The bevel or taper 27 aids in the location of the pin assembly in the aperture. Exerting further downwards pressure causes each of the lugs to move inwards towards the shaft 14 of the first member. Once each of the lugs has passed through the aperture, each lug 25 will move outwards once again to resume its original position relative to the shaft 14 of the first member. The pin assembly continues to be inserted until the flange 22 of the second member abuts a top surface 6 of the item to be lifted.

The item can now be lifted by raising the first member 10 relative to the second member 20. As the first member is raised relative to the second member the enlarged portion 15 of the first member enters the free end of the sleeve. On further movement, the upper surface 16 of the enlarged portion comes into contact with the camming taper 26 on the radially inner face of each lug 25. The lugs are moved radially outward as the first member 10 continues to be moved upwards in relation to the second member 20. The outward movement of the lugs causes the upper radially outwardly extending face 28 of each lug to extend beyond a lower lip 5 of the aperture 2.

Yet further movement of the first member 10 will induce upward movement of the second member 20. However, the second member cannot now pass back through the aperture 2. Instead, the upper radially outwardly extending face 28 of each lug 25 abuts a lower surface 7 of the item to be lifted. Preferably, the upper radially outwardly extending face 28 is flat and parallel to the lower surface 7 to aid abutment with the lower surface 7 of the item to be lifted. This will also serve to prevent the lower surface 7 being damaged by the pin assembly. Further movement of the first member 10 relative to the second member 20 will cause the enlarged portion 15 to become wedged within the sleeve 21 of the second member 20, thereby wedging each lug 25 between the enlarged portion 15 of the first member and a wall 8 of the aperture. After this point, attempting further movement of the first member 10 serves only to tighten the grip of the lifting pin assembly 1 on the item 3 to be lifted.

To remove the lifting pin assembly 1 from the item 3, the first member 10 is moved back downwards relative to the second member 20 until the flanges 18,22 of the two members once again abut. This has the effect of removing the enlarged portion 15 from within the sleeve to a position in which the lugs 25 are free once again to move radially inwards towards the shaft 14 of the first member 10.

The two members may then together be moved upwards relative to the item 3. The lugs meet the lower lip 5 on the lower side of the aperture. The upper radially outwardly extending face 28 of each lug 25 now acts as a camming surface to urge each lug 25 inwards towards the shaft 14 of the first member to allow the second member together with the first member to be removed from the aperture 2.

To prevent inadvertent removal of the lifting pin assembly from the item, a locking plate 40 may be inserted between the flanges of each member to hold the members in a position in which the lugs extend beyond the lower rim 5 of the aperture. The locking plate may be of any convenient shape having a channel to allow the plate to be placed about the shaft 14 of the first member. For example the locking plate may take the form of a forked member or of a generally "U" shaped plate. Preferably the thickness of the locking plate 40 is at least as great as the difference in length between the shaft of the first member and the length of the resilient members of the second member. This will keep the pin assembly 1 in a locked position. The locking plate 40 may have a slight taper to aid insertion of the plate between the flanges 18,22. Removal of the locking plate 40 allows the subsequent removal of the lifting pin assembly 1 from the item 3 to be lifted.

1 The locking plate 40 may additionally be fitted with a holding device, such as a spring loaded plunger 41 (Figure 4). This is provided to prevent the inadvertent removal of the plate from about the shaft 14 of the first member 10. Alternatively, this may be achieved by the presence of a pip formed on a wall of the channel in the locking plate, the natural resilience of the plate allowing the pip to be deflected away from the shaft only after a given pressure has been brought to bear.

Further, the locking plate 40 may be attached to one of the first member 10 and the second member 20 by way of a flexible connector. In Figure 3 the locking plate 40 is attached to the flange 18 of the first member by a flexible strup 42.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 6. Resilient flexible members 124 of a second member 121 are urged towards a shaft 114 of a first member 110 by biasing means comprising an elastically deformable member 150 in the form of an elastic spring located about lugs 125 formed on the resilient flexible members 124. The resilient members 124 may be urged into contact with the shaft 114.

In a further embodiment (not shown) the pin assembly (including the first member, the second member, the third member and the resilient connector) or parts thereof may be formed from a unitary plastics moulding.

Claims

A lifting pin assembly comprising a first and a second member, the first member comprising lifting means connected to a first end of a shaft and an enlarged portion at a second end of the shaft, and the second member comprising a sleeve slit in two or more places from a free end along at least part of its length to form a number of resilient flexible members, each member being formed with a lug.
2. A lifting pin assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the first member is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange at the first end of the shaft.
3. A lifting pin assembly according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the i second member is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange at an end of the sleeve remote from the free end.
4. A lifting pin assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that the second member is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange at an end of the sleeve remote from the free end and in that the assembly additionally comprises a third member for insertion between the flanges of the first and second members.
5. A lifting pin assembly according to claim 4, characterised in that the third member may be connected by a flexible member to one of the first member and the second member.
6. A lifting pin assembly according to any previous claim, characterised in that the enlarged portion of the first member and the lower inside face of the lugs are formed with mutually camming surfaces.
7. A lifting pin assembly according to any previous claim, characterised in that the lower external faces of the lugs are provided with an inclined surface.
8. A lifting pin assembly according to any previous claim, characterised in that the resilient flexible members of the second members are urged towards the shaft of the first member by biasing means.
9. A lifting pin assembly according to claim 8, characterised in that, the biasing means comprises an elastically deformable member located about the resilient flexible members.
10. A lifting pin assembly substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.