IE44253B1 - A device for handling packs of plates particularly glass plates - Google Patents

Abstract

1529013 Cradle SOC ITALIANA VETRO SIV SpA 30 Jan 1976 [20 Feb 1975] 03683/76 Heading B8H A device for use in handling stacks of plates comprises a frame 1 which has legs 2, 3 respectively pivotally connected at 9, 10 to the upper base 5 of the frame 1, the lower ends of the legs 2, 3 being pivotally attached to a lower base 4 which comprises two square tubes slidable one within the other to permit adjustment of the length of base 4 to the length of the stack being handled, bushings 11, 12 being provided at the lower ends of the legs 2, 3 respectively, in which bushings are located respective stack supports 35, 36 having a semi-cylindrical portion extending from the bushings for engagement with the lower side of a stack being handled, a cross member 20 being integrally formed with a sleeve 19 which is slidable along an upright 16 of the frame 1 to permit adjustment of the height of the cross member 20 to that of the stack, the cross member 20 comprising a central portion 21 in which two lateral tubes 22, 23 are slidable, the latter having respective sleeves 25, 26 projecting therefrom to which stack retainer plates 31, 32 are respectively adjustably attached to accommodate for various thicknesses of the stacks which are to be handled.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for use in handling a pack of plates, especially glass plates.

The present market tendency is to provide glass in unpackaged form. Furthermore, glass is no longer restricted, as formerly, to large sized, plates, but now also includes a wide range of medium sized products. The result of this tendency has been the necessity of providing a whole series of equipment, each with different characteristics to suit different sizes of products It is an object of the invention to provide a device which is adjustable to handle a pack of plates of any dimension, particularly large and medium sized plates.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for use in handling a pack of plates, comprising a frame including a first base member, a pair of legs each having one end - 2 44353 thereof pivoted to the first base member, and a second base member pivotally interconnecting the other ends of the legs in such a manner as to permit the spacing therebetween to be adjusted, the base members and legs defining an isosceles trapezium with the bases thereof being formed by the base members; supports mounted on the frame at or adjacent said other ends of the legs and arranged to support said pack of plates; a longitudinally extensible crossmember extending parallel to the second base member and mounted on the frame so as to be securable thereto at different distances from the second base member; and retention means projecting from the crossmember for use in retaining said pack of plates on the device.

The device of the invention is versatile and can be made simple in construction and of reduced size as compared with conventional handling devices. The device can be used in conjunction with a crane or other material moving equipment.

By the term trapezium is meant a quadrilateral having two sides (the bases) thereof parallel.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a lateral elevational view of one embodiment of a device according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1.

With reference to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a frame 1 which has the general shape of an isosceles trapezium having legs 2 and 3 consisting of rectangular tubes, and a lower base formed of two square tubes of different width so that they can be telescoped into each other. The upper ends of the legs are pivoted at 9 and 10 between two plates 6 and 7 forming the upper base 5 of the trapezium the two plates being interconnected in spaced relationship by a square tube section 8 (Figure 1).

At right angles to each of the lower ends of legs 2 and 3 are fastened bushings or sleeves 11 and 12 respectively. To said ends are also fastened plates 13 and 14, to each of which respectively is hinged one free end of the two tube sections forming the lower base 4. The length of said base can be set, to suit the length of the plates to be handled, by fastening the two tube sections together by any convenient - 3 44253 means, such as by a pin 15 passed through holes provided in said tubes.

An upright or post 16 consisting of a square tube is fastened at its upper end between plates 6 and 7. A prop 17 is inserted slidably into the lower end of the upright 16, the lower end of said prop 17 ending in a head 18. The underside of the head 18 of this prop 17 is provided with a rectangular groove fitting over a part of the outer contour of that tubular section of the base 4 which has the larger cross section. A wing screw 39, threaded through a tapped hole in said prop head 18 serves to tighten the prop against the base 4, while a second screw 40 serves to fasten the prop 17 to the upright 16 (Figure 1).

A cross-member, generally indicated at 20, extends parallel to the base 4 and is fastened to a sleeve 19, which is slidable along the upright 16 and can be tightened against it by a wing nut 24 in a position determined by the height of the pack of plates.

The cross-member 20 comprises a central portion 21, which is made integral with the sleeve 19 and consists of a square tube and two lateral square tubes 22 and 23, whose external width is slightly smaller than the internal width of tube 21, so that they can be telescoped within tube 21.

Each lateral tube 22 and 23 can be fastened to the central tube 21 by a wing nut 24^ (Figure 1) in a position determined by the length of the plates to be handled.

Plate retention means (generally indicated at 27 and 28) is provided at the free end of each lateral tube 22 and 23, and comprises a square horizontal sleeve 25, 26 extending perpendicularly to the tubes, within which sleeve is slidable a square stem 29, 30 from the free end of which depends a plate 31, 32.

The front and rear surfaces of the plates 31 and 32 below the stems 29 and 30 are covered with a layer of a shock-absorbing and anti30 abrasive material, such as felt.

A pin (not shown) may be passed through a hole in each of the sleeves 25 and 26 to enter one of a row of holes provided in the corresponding stem, to fix the latter in a position adapted to the breadth of the pack of plates, which has to be retained on the device.

Plate supports 35 and 36 each comprise a cylindrical portion, which is rotatably housed in the corresponding bushing 11 and 12 respectively, and a semicylindrical extension projecting beyond said bushing and whose flat, upwardly directed surface forms a supporting base for the pack of plates. - 4 44253 From the front plate 6 of the upper base 5 extends a flange 37 perpendicularly to plate 6. At least one shackle 38 for hanging the device to a crane or other material moving equipment is passed through holes in the flange 37.

In the operation of the device, the members forming the plate supports are extracted irom their bushings 11 and 12. Thereafter the length of the base 4 and thereby the distance between the plate supports 35 and 36 is adapted to the length of the plates to be handled, by loosening the screws 39 and 40, passing the pin 15 through suitable ones of the holes in the tube sections forming the lower base 4, tightening the screw 39 and successively the screw 40 to fix in position the assembly consisting of the base 4 and upright 16, fixing the height of the cross member 20 above the base 4 by tightening the wing nut 24 to adapt said height to the height of the plates, setting the lateral tubes 22 and 23 by screws 241 to adapt the length of the cross-member to the length of the glass plates and adjusting the distance between the retention plates 31 and 32 respectively and the frame to the thickness of the pack of glass plates by inserting a pin through the hole in sleeve 25 and 26 respectively and a suitable hole in the stem 29 and 30 respectively.

Once the device has been adapted in this manner to the length, width and thickness of the pack of plates to be handled by it, it is lowered over the pack of plates till the retention means overlie its upper margin, the plate supports are reinserted into their bushings 11 and 12 and the position of their semicylindrical portions is adjusted so that their surfaces come to rest against the lower edge of the pack of glass plates. Once these few operations have been completed, the device will be able to retain the unpackaged glass plates for their successive handling.

It is clear that the invention is not restricted to its above described and illustrated embodiment, but encompasses any modification of it concerning the general shape of the frame, the extensibility of its lower base and of its cross-member the manner of varying the distance between the two, and the shape and arrangements of its support and retention means, such modification falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A device for use in handling a pack of plates, comprising a frame including a first base member, a pair of legs each having one end thereof pivoted to the first base member, and a second base member pivotally interconnecting the other ends of the legs in such a manner as to permit the spacing therebetween to be adjusted, the base members and legs defining an isosceles trapezium with the bases thereof being formed by the base members; supports mounted on the frame at or adjacent said other ends of the plates; a longitudinally extensible cross member extending parallel to the second base member and mounted on the frame so as to be securable thereto at different 1 ' distances from the second base member; and retention means projecting from the cross-member for use in retaining said pack of plates on the device.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the second base member is composed of two telescopically engaged tubes which are respectively pivoted to said other ends of the legs, and fastening means is provided to fasten the tubes against longitudinal movement relative to one another.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein each support comprises a cylindrical body which is rotatably housed in a respective bushing provided at said other end of each leg, and a semi-cylindrical extension of the cylindrical body projecting from the bushing.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the crossmember is slidably mounted on a longitudinally extensible member which is fastened at its ends to the first and second base members, respectively.

5. A device as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the longitudinally extensible member includes a post fastened to the first base member, the end of the post adjacent the second base member having a prop slidably mounted thereon, the prop having fastening means thereon by means of which it is fastened to the second base member,

6. A device as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein the cross-member - 6 10 has an integral sleeve which extends perpendicularly thereto, the sleeve being mounted on the longitudinally extensible member for movement therealong, and means is provided to tighten the sleeve on the longitudinally extensible member at different distances from the second base member.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the retention means is provided at each end of the cross-member.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cross-member comprises a central tube which is attached to the frame, and a pair of further tubes which are slidably mounted on the ends of the central tube respectively; the retention means is provided at the free end of each further tube; the fastening means is provided to fasten the further tubes at different positions relative to the central tube.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the retention means comprises a pair of sleeves mounted on the ends of the cross-member respectively, a respective stem slidably mounted within each sleeve, and a respective plate depending from each stem, means being provided to fasten each stem at different positions relative to the respective sleeve.

10. A device for use in handling a pack of plates, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.