GB2462918A

GB2462918A - Mobile hoisting equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2462918A
Application number: GB0914851A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Mason
Original assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises LLC
Current assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises LLC
Priority date: 2008-08-25
Filing date: 2009-08-25
Publication date: 2010-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-25
Also published as: GB2462918B; GB0914851D0; SE533337C2

Abstract

A hoist comprises a trolley 15 movable inside a beam 1 which is supported at its ends by leg structures 2,3), the trolley having a pulley attachment projecting through a slot 19 in the beam, at least one of leg structures 2 is a tripod including a top plate 5' having a seat 11' for the beam end with the slot 19 extending through the seat 11' and the top plate 5, permitting the trolley 15 with the pulley attachment to be located at the vertical centre of the tripod 2. A stopper 21 may be inserted through the slot 19 and releasably locked to limit the movement of the trolley 15. A second trolley 16 may be provided within the beam 1. The beam 1 may include a spirit level 10. Legs 4 may be telescopic and include pivotal foot plates. The hoist may be used for raising submersible pumps or the like from well shafts or pump pits in the water treatment sector or for lowering personnel into a narrow shaft.

Description

I

Mobile hoisting equipment

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to hoisting equipment. More specifically, the invention refers to a mobile hoisting equipment comprising a trolley that is movable along a beam which is supported above ground by each of its ends being detachably connected to a leg support. The hoisting equipment is suitable for lifting and lowering equipment, such as pumps and other apparatuses used in installations below ground level.

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

The present invention originates from the water treatment sector, wherein submersible pumps and apparatuses operating in well shafts and pump pits need to be lifted and lowered below ground level for purposes of installation and maintenance. The lowering and lifting of pumps and other apparatuses is typically carried out by using pulley blocks and ropes. In addition, a service person is frequently lowered by means of a pulley arrangement into a narrow shaft for installation or maintenance work. In many cases the pulleys can be supported above the shaft or pit, by hanging from a structure in a building. In many other cases the installation site is void of supporting structures from which a lifting or lowering operation can be supported.

For these latter cases there is a need for a mobile hoisting equipment to assist service personnel in lifting and lowering operations. Considering the weights to be handled at the relevant scale of installations -a weight which in connection with submersible pumps may be in the order of 500 kilogram, e.g. -stability will always be an issue and a problem that needs solving by a designer of a dismountable and this way mobile hoisting equipment.

In many situations, such as where the hoisting equipment is used on open ground, other problems that need to be addressed are the uneven and sloping ground surfaces as well as the carrying capacity of the ground or soil, etc., which may cause hazardous displacement of the point of gravity in a hoisting equipment under load.

Another problem in connection with use on covered installation sites is the often limited space that is available for erecting the mobile hoisting equipment.

A hoisting equipment is previously known from US 4,296, 509, this document disclosing a portable patient's lift comprising a load bearing beam which in each of its ends is supported by a tripod having telescoping legs. A trolley is arranged to travel on rollers journalled inside the beam, the trolley projecting a winch attachment through a longitudinal slot that is arranged in the lower side of the beam. The beam ends are seated in open U-profiles provided in the top ends of the tripods, and secured by pins insertable through the beam and the U-profiles. In respect of the intended use of the hoisting equipment of the present invention, the structure of US 4,296, 509 suffers from instability in connection between the beam and the tripods, inefficient exploitation of the beam's operative length, and thus also suffers from a space-consuming design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to obviate or ameliorate at least one of the problems discussed above.

The present invention seeks to provide a mobile hoisting equipment having the stability required to lift and to displace longitudinally on a beam the weight of a submersible pump or other equipment for lowering into an installation site below ground level.

The present invention seeks to provide a mobile hoisting equipment of compact dimensions, wherein travel length or longitudinal displacement of a trolley is optimized The present invention seeks to provide a mobile hoisting equipment which is dismountable for ease of transport, and which is readily assembled and disassembled by a singular service person.

The present invention seeks to provide a mobile hoisting equipment which in addition to means for lifting/lowering of equipment provides means for simultaneous lifting/lowering of service personnel at the installation site.

The present invention seeks to provide a mobile hoisting equipment wherein the horizontal erecting of the hoisting equipment on the installation site is ensured by level indicator means integrated in the hoisting equipment.

One or several of these may be achieved in a mobile hoisting equipment as defined in the claims.

Briefly, the mobile hoisting equipment comprises a trolley that is movable along a beam which is supported above ground by each of its ends being connectable to a leg structure, respectively, the beam housing the trolley which projects with a pulley attachment through a slot formed in a lower side of the beam, wherein at least one leg structure is a tripod comprising three legs connecting at their upper ends to a top plate having a seat for the corresponding beam end. The slot in the lower side of the beam is extended through the seat and through the top plate on the tripod, permitting the trolley with the pulley attachment to be located at the vertical centre of the tripod.

This solution offers excellent control and distribution of loads from heavy equipment to be lifted from the ground for lowering into an installation site below ground level, or vice versa.

In a preferred embodiment the tripod top plate has an upper side which carries the beam's seat, and a lower side which comprises three leg mounts substantially equidistantly spaced near the periphery of the top plate, such that in the mounted position of the beam the slot in the lower side of the beam is aligned with a slot through the lowers side of the seat, and aligned also with a corresponding slot through the tripod top plate mouthing in the periphery of the top plate, and wherein all slots pass the vertical centre of the tripod top plate. Specifically, the slot through the tripod top plate runs from the periphery of the top plate between two adjacent leg mounts towards a third leg mount which extends in the vertical plane of the beam.

A stopper is advantageously applied, and insertable through the slot for releasably locking to the lower side of the beam, the stopper in locking position blocking the travel of the trolley at any desired longitudinal position on the beam.

In a preferred embodiment, the stopper is realized as a toggle-type fastener comprising an anchor member that is insertable through the slot in the lower side of the beam, and a stem connecting the anchor with a toggle-type switch and a spring washer assembly, the toggle switch in locking position clamping the lower side of the beam between the anchor and the washer assembly.

in practise, a second trolley is advantageously arranged movable along the beam independently from the first trolley, the second trolley providing a second pulley attachment projecting through the slot in the lower side of the beam.

A spirit level is advantageously arranged on the beam in the longitudinal direction thereof, and used in connection with extendable legs for horizontal positioning of the beam at the installation site.

The beam, the top plates and the leg structures are all separable for transport, and connectable through locking pins insertable into corresponding through-holes upon erection of the hoisting equipment.

It is preferred that at least one of the leg structures carries a top plate having an open-ended tubular seat for the beam's end, the beam in the corresponding end having a number of through-holes arranged at intervals for insertion of a locking pin at alternative distances from the beam's end.

In order to adapt to uneven and/or soft ground level conditions, a foot plate may be arranged pivotally in the lower end of each leg.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is more closely explained below with reference made to the drawings illustrating an embodiment of the mobile hoisting equipment. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the hoisting equipment as mounted; Fig. 2 is a partially broken, sectional view through a load-bearing beam included in the hoisting equipment as seen towards the tripod top plate and seat; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a seat for the beam, arranged on top of a tripod leg structure supporting an end of the beam as in figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a stopper designed to engage the beam and which is effective to limit the motion of a trolley, movable on the beam, at any desired location on the beam.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to fig. 1, a load-bearing beam 1 is supported in each of its ends in the top region of a leg structure 2 and 3, respectively. At least one of the leg structures 2 is a tripod, which will be further discussed below. Each of the leg structures 2, 3 includes legs 4 which are detachably mounted to a top plate 5 and 5', respectively. In the lower side of top plates 5, 5', leg mounts 6 reach downwards at an angle determining the spreading of the legs 4 as these are mounted to the top plate. Locking pins 7 reach through the legs and the leg mounts to connect the legs with the top plates. Arrangements in the leg mounts, such as a bolt received in a recess formed in the upper end of a leg, prevents the leg from pivoting about the locking pin in the mounted position. Each leg 4 has a foot 8 pivotally connected to its lower end, which prevents the leg from sinking into softer ground and which also provides stability at uneven ground conditions. Likewise, locking pins 7 may be arranged for detachably mounting the feet 8 to the legs. Preferably, the legs 4 are made telescopically extendable as illustrated at 9 in order to ensure a horizontal positioning of the beam 1 also on non-levelled ground. To aid the horizontal positioning of the beam, a spirit level 10 is preferably stationary mounted to the beam 1.

In the top side of top plates 5, 5' a seat 11 and 11', respectively, is arranged for insertion of the subject beam end. The beam 1 and seats 11, 11' preferably have corresponding, rectangular or square sections, by which the beam is prevented from rotation about its longitudinal axis when received in the seat. Each seat 11, 11' comprises two planar side members 12, 12' between which the beam is received in mounted position. A locking pin. 7, reaching through both side members and the beam, secures the beam to the seat. At least one of the seats 11 can be made open-ended, this way providing length adjustment of the assembly by running the beam through the seat as desired. To this purpose, a number of through holes 13 for insertion of the locking pin are arranged at intervals in the subject end region of the beam 1. In the seat 11, a planar top member 14 connecting to the upper edges of the side members results in a four-sided tubular structure in which the beam end is insertable longitudinally, this way ensuring a rigid connection between the beam and the corresponding leg structure 3. The arrangement permits stable support of the beam also in the longitudinal direction from the combination of a tripod and a two-leg supporting structure, which results in reduced mounting space requirements and operability in a limited space.

In figs. 1 and 2, reference number 15 refers to a trolley journalled on rollers running inside the beam 1. The trolley 15 is conventionally structured for attachment of hoisting equipment such as pulley blocks and ropes. Reference number 16 refers to an additional trolley journalled in the beam and movable along the beam independently from the first trolley, the second trolley providing a second pulley attachment projecting through the slot in the lower side of the beam.

Fig. 2 shows a section through the beam 1, illustrating the trolley 15, the trolley rollers 17 and the pulley attachment 18 reaching through a slot 19 which is formed longitudinally in the lower side of the beam 1.

Reference is now made to fig. 3, showing the seat 11' in the top side of top plate 5' of the tripod leg structure 2. Attention is specifically drawn to a slot 20, opening through the lower side of the seat and aligned with a corresponding slot 20' through the top plate. The slot 20' runs from the periphery of the top plate and passes through the vertical centre C of the top plate/tripod. In the mounted position of the beam, the slots 20, 20' are aligned with the slot 19 formed in the bottom side of the beam 1, providing an extension of the slot 19 through the seat and through the tripod top plate when the beam is received in the seat. Preferably, the beam seat 11' and slots 20, 20' are oriented such, that one leg and associated leg mount (6) of the tripod extends at an angle a in the length direction L of the beam 1 (see fig. 1), or in other words in the vertical plane of the beam, when the beam's end is mounted in the subject seat. Typically, the leg mounts 6 of the tripod leg structure 2 will be substantially equidistantly spaced about the centre of the tripod top plate 5', such that the slot 20' runs through the centre to mouth in the top plate periphery between the other two leg mounts of the tripod.

It is realized that the slotted seat 11' and top plate 5' allow the trolley 15 to be positioned in the very centre of top plate 5', offering the required control and distribution of loads from heavy equipment to be lifted from the ground into an installation site. In practise, mounting of the hoisting equipment advantageously includes erecting the tripod vertically above a load, such as a submersible pump e.g., which is resting on the ground at the side of the installation site. The trolley 15 is then shifted towards the centre of the tripod top plate, and the load is attached to the trolley by means of a pulley arrangement. The lift is thus made near the centre of the tripod, the tripod providing control and security under this critical moment.

Once the load is hanging from the trolley at the centre of the tripod top plate, the load is shifted by the trolley travelling along the beam. In order to define the trolley's position on the beam in the lowering operation, a stopper is provided which limits the movement of the trolley. The stopper will now be explained with reference to the drawing of fig. 4.

The stopper 21 comprises an anchor 22, which is formed for locking to the beam at any desired location between the leg structures 2, 3. The anchor 22 has a length somewhat shorter than the inner width of the beam, and a width which allows the anchor to be inserted via the slot 19 in the bottom side of the beam 1. A rod 23 connects the anchor to a quick release toggle-type switch 24. Between the toggle switch and the anchor, a package of washers are assembled on the rod, including at least a friction washer 25, a spring washer 26, and a seat 27 which is shaped to cooperate with the progressive radius of the toggle-type switch 24. In order to apply the stopper at any desired location on the beam, the operator merely needs to insert the anchor into the beam via the slot 19, turn the anchor 900 and press the toggle switch for clamping the beam's bottom side between the anchor and the washer package.

The mobile hoisting equipment of the present invention is advantageously made of light weight metal for ease of transport and mounting/dismounting.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A mobile hoisting equipment comprising a trolley that is movable along a beam which is supported above ground by each of its ends being connectable to a leg structure, respectively, said beam housing the trolley which projects with a pulley attachment through a slot formed in a lower side of the beam, wherein at least one leg structure is a tripod comprising three legs connecting at their upper ends to a top plate having a seat for the corresponding beam end, wherein the slot in the lower side of the beam is extended through the seat and through the top plate on the tripod, permitting the trolley with the pulley attachment to be located at the vertical centre of the tripod.
2. A mobile hoisting equipment according to claim 1, wherein the tripod comprises a top plate an upper side of which carries the seat and a lower side of which comprises three leg mounts substantially equidistantly spaced near the periphery of the top plate, wherein in the mounted position of the beam the slot in the lower side of the beam is aligned with a slot through the seat and aligned with a corresponding slot through the top plate, the slot mouthing in the periphery of the top plate, and the slots passing the vertical centre of the tripod top plate.
3. A mobile hoisting equipment according to claim 2, wherein the slot runs from the periphery of the top plate between two adjacent leg mounts towards a third leg mount extending in the vertical plane of the beam.
4. A mobile hoisting equipment according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein one leg structure carries a tubular seat in which the beam is longitudinally insertable.
5. A mobile hoisting equipment according to claim 4, wherein the tubular seat is open-ended, the beam in the corresponding end having a number of through-holes arranged at intervals for insertion of a locking pin at alternative distances from the beam's end.
6. A mobile hoisting equipment according to any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a stopper that is insertable through the slot in the lower side of the beam and arranged to releasably lock to the lower side of the beam, the stopper in locking position blocking the travel of the trolley at any desired longitudinal position on the beam.
7. A mobile hoisting equipment according to claim 6, wherein the stopper comprises an anchor member that is insertable through the slot, and a stem connecting the anchor with a switch and a washer assembly, the switch in locking position clamping the lower side of the beam between the anchor and the washer assembly.
8. A mobile hoisting equipment according to any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a second trolley which is movable along the beam independently from the first trolley, the second trolley providing a second pulley attachment projecting through the slot in the lower side of the beam.
9. A mobile hoisting equipment according to any of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a spirit level arranged on the beam.
10. A mobile hoisting equipment according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the beam, the tripod top plate and the tripod legs are all separable for transport, and connectable through locking pins insertable into corresponding through-holes upon assembly of the hoisting equipment.
11. A mobile hoisting equipment according to any of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a foot plate arranged pivotally in the lower end of each leg.
12. A mobile hoisting equipment according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the legs are telescopically extendable.
13. A mobile hoisting equipment, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.