US1553439A - Crane-rail lock - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 15,1925. 1,553,439

M. WLGOLDBERG CRANE RAIL LOCK Filed.Feb. 20. 1925 IN VEN TOR.

TTORNEYS VMM Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX W. GOIJJBERG, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 'MODERN POUR- ING DEVICE 00., OF PORT WASHINGTON, vWISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CONSIN.

CRANE-RAIL LOCK.

Application filed February 20, 1925. SerialN'o. 10,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MAX WV. GOLDBERG, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Port Washingtomin the county of Ozaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crane-Rail Locks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crane rail locks.

Modern foundries are now usually equipped with overhead cranes for conveying crucibles filled with molten metal to different parts of the foundry to be used in pouring molds in forming castings; Overhead cranes are ordinarily adapted to travel along straight lines and to reach all desirable portions of the building, branch rails of the monorail type are provided, so that the crane rail can be moved to a position in alinement with one of the branch rails and the trolley and its load can be easily transferred from the crane to the branch rail for further movement to its point of discharge. Careless workmen in moving the trolley and its load from place to place do not always see that the crane rail is in register with the branch rail, or even that thevcrane is near the said rail, with the result that the trolley runs off the end of the rail and falls, causing great injury and possibly loss of life.

It is one of the objects of the present in.- vention to overcome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide a crane rail lock which will lock the two rail ends together when in alined position, and when out of alinement, the ends of-the rails will be automatically guarded in a manner to prevent the trolley from running off the ends there of.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crane rail lock which may be easily controlled from a point beneath the crane to unlockthe rail sections when it is desired to move the crane to another point.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crane rail lock having. means for automatically guiding the locking member to locking position and to automatically move the guard members to positions to per-' mit the free passage of the trolley from one rail end to the other. A further object of the invention .is to provide a crane rail lock which is of simple construction, is strong and durable, and is well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the improved crane rail lock and its parts and combinations as set'forth in'the claims, and all equivalents thereof. v

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a side View of adjacent rail ends of an overhead crane and'a branch track having the improved rail lock mounted thereon; and

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates the end portion of an overhead crane rail which is carried by the crane (not shown). The crane is adapted to travel crank type and its shorter arm 11 extends upwardly at an angle, and at its end portion is provided with a downwardly extending pin 13 which is surrounded by coiled springs 14 and 14 to yieldingly hold the lever in its locking position. The lower spring engages the bracket and a washer 15 is interposed between the two'springs to hold the springs spaced apart. By using two springs in place of one, buckling of the spring is prevented. The outerrfree end of the lever is flanged on its side edges to form locking shoulders 16 which are adapted to extend downwardly on both sides of the upper portions of the adjacent rail ends 5 and 6 to lock the rail ends together. The free end portion of the lever .11 is also provided with laterally extending cam projections 16 which are adapted to engage the upper'side cause saidends to ride upwardly and over the ends of fixed rails to permit the lever to swing downwardly into locking position with the said .fiXed rail end.

The bracket 9 isv also provided with an.- other pivot pin 17 upon which is mounted a U-shaped stop guard member 18 "and a controlling arm 19. 'lfhe arms of the member 18 are positioned on opposite sides of therailfi and when swung downwardly Q a s 'tl 'lev 1 he i f ms l 9?: tend ownwardlytp ott d. ne posi ion shown in Eigfl and serve as stops -to-"prevent the trolley Tfrom running oil the end of the crane rail. upper portion of the shaped gua d em er s P vided w a. recess and shouldered portion 18 which is adapte to en sho lde ed por n 21 f r eden lewe Si e ofthe l v t Ifliseand d said la filq l PQ itiQ when it is to unlock the'ti ack ends. operating means in the form of a rod 22 connected at'its upper end to the free end of the controlling arm and depending downwardly therefrom and is provided with a handle 22" at its lower end for convenience in handling. i

a The lever is also formedwith an angular extension 23 having a rounded end adapted toengage roller 24; journaled' on a braoket25 which is bolted to the upper p r ib f. l e sediafl n ifia b a et is also provided with a 'U-shaped stop guard member 26 which is pivotally connected to the bracket 2 5 a transversely extending pivot piii 26. The arms 2 of this guard member are positioned on opposite sides of the fiXed railand are ada ted to drop downvar 'y hj t in f it en b W vent trolleys travelling on said; rail from un in of t e nd h x ra l W theoranerail is not in register with said fixed rail. The'rounded end and, inclined a th xtens 28, wh n th o e tr s fi r dvi o i g W hftl fli track, will engage the upper portion 26" o f thelguard membr 2 6 and force said portion andthe guard arnis 27 up: wardly, asindficated in Fig 1', and thus permit the travelot the trolley when 'therails are inregisterf Th i r' p o id s for t P rts be ing proper distance apart when the entension engages the g uard member 26'.

It will be n'oted that the guard arms swing dqwnwe d r' i a d rect e il d th re? peet e. mi end q- 1 a he. m P i ns of, the guard members will abut againstp or;

. tions of the brackets or levers and thereby held the a -ms. aw d n piQ iti is SW1 e t a 3; the t l ey he eby Froin the foregoingdescription, it will be r seen that the crane rail lockis of very simple construction and is lwell adapted for the purpose described.

il ha la e y n en i n 1-. The combination with a fixed and a movable trolley rail, of a means for locking he rails t g h r in ll-med pos t n, prising a lever memb wanted on on of the rails and movable to lockingly. engage the other rail, means controlling the movement of thelever, and means carried by each fail for blocking" the travel of a trolley off either rail end when the rails are not alinement. I r i i 2- The b nat n with a fle a d a movable r ley o a mea s for lo k- 118' the ra tos he n an main comprising a lever member mountedbn one of the rails and movableto lockingly engage the other rail, a rotary member moiinted the movable rail for controllinglthe novement of the lever member and" for b10cl;ing the travel of a trolley off the of the movable rail, and a trolley blocking men er carried by the fixed railandf controlled' by the movement of th e lever member;

3. The combination with a fined and a movable trolley rail, of a means for look} ing the rails together in .alined position comprising a lever member mounted on the movable rail and movable to lookingly engage the fixed rail, a rotary member mutied on the movable rail for eontrollingjthe movement lofthe lever member and having a P r o which w n i 'e ewe l r ey mov men en th e ir iil be is in its upper position, and a trolle y block} ing member carriediby the fixedraillarid s r l y the; Mame he l i memberQ 4- The comb on w h fixe a a movable trolley rail, of a nieans for locking the m le to e he in Mi ed .i a b K 61i prisinga lever member, mounted on the mot e tail n c-vale Q1 eg enga h fixe m tary m mb r-mo nted 611 th m vab e rajo q itr lie th mo n of th e e member id havin a portion 7 which swings into the path trol li y m em n Wllfi he l ve embe is its upp 1 i t s n hd' troll .bleekieg memb r ar ie y th 'fixe a andilme a le qwnva tq t o ley block n Posi ion when the lever member disengage s the fixed rail. l

The combination with a fixed and a mo a le acne mi qr ip 'k s the a s Weat in al i meta Comprising a edia m im d r the'fmb able. rail, a lever member. pivoted to the br k and movab e 9 Qkin' y' e the fixed rail whenbot rails arein alifned position, a trolley locking member pivoted e ra k an movab be tr i y'b kne" p o we n i h i ioni t d i gages the. lever member from the rail, a bracket mounted on the fine digail; anda trolley blocking member pivoted to the fixed rail bracket and engaged by the lever member and movable to blocking position when disengaged by the lever member.

6. The combination with a fixed and a movable trolley rail, of a means for looking the rails together in alined position, comprising a bracket mounted on the movable rail, a lever member pivoted to the bracket and yieldingly movable to lockingly engage the fixed rail When both rails are in alined position, a trolley locking member pivoted to the bracket and movable to trolley blocking position and in which position it disengages the lever member from the fixed rail, a bracket mounted on the fixed rail, and a trolley blocking member pivoted to the fixed rail bracket and engaged by the lever member and movable by gravity to bloc-king position when disengaged by the lever member,

7. The combination with a fixed and a movable trolley rail, of a means for locking the rails together in alined position, comprising a bracket mounted on the movable rail, a lever member pivoted to the bracket,

a spring for normally holding the lever member in looking position, a trolley looking member pivoted to the bracket and having a locking arm which swings in the trolley path of movement when the member is turned to disengage the lever member from the fixed rail, a bracket mounted on the fixed rail, and a trolley blocking member pivoted to the fixed rail bracket and engaged by the lever member when said lever member is in engagement with the fixed rail but movable to trolley blocking position when the lever member disengages the fixed rail.

8. The combination with a fixed and a movable overhead trolley rail, of a means for locking the rails together in alined position, comprising a bracket mounted on the movable rail, a lever member pivoted to the bracket, a spring for normally and yieldingly holding the lever member in looking position, a Ushaped trolley locking member pivoted to the bracket and having locking arms which swing in the trolley path of movement when the'member is turned to disengage the lever member :from the fixed rail, means for controlling the U-shaped member, a bracket mounted on the fixed rail, and a trolley blocking member pivoted to the fixed rail but movable to trolley blocking position when the lever member disengages the fixed rail.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

MAX W. GOLDBERG.

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