US1569269A - Traveling bridge crane - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,269

F. w. .EAsELsToN TRAVELING BRIDGE CRANE Filed Jan. 1, 192s sheets-sheet 1 .4 rromfrs Jan.. 12 1926. 1,569,269

F. w. EAGELsToN TRAVELING BRIDGE CRANE Filed Jan. l, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 laus Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

.UNITED srATtsrA FRANK W. EAGELSION, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA;

TRAVELING- BRIDGE CRANE'.,

Application led January 1, 1923. Serial No. 610,084.

To all tti/1,0m it may concer/1i.'

Be it known that I, FRANK W. EAGEL- s'roN, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident of Berkeley, in the county of AlamedaI and State of California, have invented a new and useiull improvement in Traveling Bridge Cranes, et which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in process and means for switching railroad cars, and it consists in the steps hereinafter disclosed, and in the combinations, constructions,' and arrangements herein described and claimed. Y

An object-of my invention is to provide a traveling` crane which will quickly and with safety pick up-and set down a railroad ca r or other standard shaped object.

A further object of my invention is to provide a crane tor pickingupand setting down a railroad car which will cause no undue or dangerously abnormal strain or pressure to be Lbrought upon a car or any of its parts.

A further object of my invention is to provide a crane for picking up and setting down a railroad car which will engage with all of the trucks and wheels ot a car so as to posi tively hold them in unaltered position and in alignment with the body .of the car throughout the complete cycle of operation.,

A further object o my invention is to provide a crane tor picking up and setting down railroad cars which will work with equal'rapidity, positiveness, and safety, etc., alike on all cars permitted in Interstate Coinmerce Commission service.

A further objectV of my invention is to provide a means for said crane which will afford maximum security against derailment or other accidents through all phases of operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism which will befree from hooks, chains, or ther pendulous parts which project below the horizontal plane of the lowest part oi therigid construction of the crane, after a load has been landed whereby the crane may be readily moved over the topsfot cars.

A further object of my invention is'to pro vide a crane which will pick up and set down a car or other load evenly.

A further object of my invention is to provide a crane 'which with its load acts as a ballistically solid mass in its reactions to horizontally applied accelerating or decelerating forces which may be applied to the loaded crane for purposes of horizontal propulsion along the tracks ot its bridge.

A further object of my invention is to provide a crane which will be able to accurately land its load more promptly at destination.

A further object of my invention is to make possible use of greatly increasedfrrates ot acceleration and deceleration in normal operation of said crane; also higher speed of crane-travel.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means' which will increase rapidity of attachment and detachment of load by making apparatus self-adjusting. Y Y

A further ob `ect of mv invention is to provide acrane which will be able to pick up a railroad car directly beneath the end of the car-bolster. Y

A further object of my invent-ion' is to provide a crane which can pick up a railroad car either by its bolsters or by the bottoms of its journal boxings, or by distributing the weight of said car in any desired ratio between these points of support.

Arfurther object ot my invention is to provide a a novel construction for bridge cranes for heavy service which will'v increase the rigidity ofthe crane and will at the same time decreasethe cost ot its construction by permitting the insertion ot' rigid cross-diaphragms or .diaphragm trames that connect the two main girders ot the bridge crane at intermediate points-'ot' the span.

A further object of, my invention is to provide a mechanism of such nature that the operator riding on top of the bridge crane may have such complete control of his load that he can safely pick up a vrailroad car standing on one track under his crane and transfer the car to. another track also under the crane Without help from any one else, and without risk of derailing the car or damaging it.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and vthe novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims'.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings yforming a part vof this application, in which-y Figure 1 is an end elevation of 'the device, and

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device. One form of my invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and is shown handlinga standard railroad box car which is to be transferred laterally from one track to another. It will be noted that this manner ot suspending a load from a crane is easily adaptable for loads ot any other standardized shape and l therefore do not wish to be confined to this particular shape and detail ot service.

A plate-girder bridge 1. extends at right angles across a number o t parallel railroad tracks 13. in a yard and is supported by steel brackets 2, carried by structural steel columns S. which in turn rest on masonry bases 4i. 15 is a latticed steel cross-girder at a height sutiicient to clear all parts ot the moving crane at all times, and is riveted to the structural columns 3 to maintain the plate girders 1 at the proper distance apart. 5 is a traveling bridge crane movable laterally on its supporting wheels 6, which rest upon track rails 7 which are fastened to top of bridge gil-der 1. The wheels 6 are driven by a power mechanism (not shown) and their speed is controlled by an operator riding in a cage 8 through controlling means t not shown) 9 is a boX-girder frame which is a part ot' the traveling crane 5. 10 is a railroad track rail supported by the boX- girder f). 11 are crane trolleys carried by flanged wheels 12 which run on the rails 10. The trolleys 11 are moved by the wheels 12, these wheels being driven b y mechanism t not shown); this mechanism being controlled by the operator in the cage S. 111 are plate diaphragms strengthened by structural angles 38 and riveted to the trolleys 11. Said diaphragm plates and their strengthening angle irons project below the bottoms ot girders f) in order that they may be better used tor points ot' attachment for an auxiliary set of lifting mechanism 20. 16 are U-shaped sections which are riveted to the tace ot the trolleys il and to the '[aec ot the diaphragm plates lrlto make vertical grooves iu which pivot-carrying platos 17 may freely slide and be firmly guided. 1S are forged steel screw members which are flattened into p ttes at their lower ends tor riveting to the Ytace of the pivot-li earing plate 17. 'lhe screw members 1S pass through the load bearing members in the top ot the trolleys 1l and receive bronze nuts 10 whose outer rims are 'Formed into gear teeth. l l

nose nuts are rotated in unison by gearing (not shown) and driven by a power source (not shown)j that is controlled by the operator in the cage 8.

2O are built up structural members 'formed of channel irons on their inner and outer faces, these channel irons being latticed together with steel straps throughout their length, but having cover plates at and near their ends. The members 20 are fashioned as mav be required to fit the size of the load (in the drawings, l have shown the load as consisting olf a railroad box car) the crane is designed to handle so that they will litt the load without the load touching the sides ot the members 20. rlhe members 20 are strong enough to Carry the maximum load that will ever be put upon the L-beam members 25. 21 a slot in the upper end ot the structural member 2() and receives and pivots about a pivot pin 22 which is in turn carried by the pivot bearing plate 1T. 2S is a forged steel member' appropriately shaped and riveted to the tace of the pivot. bearing plate 1T to provide an outer bearing` for the pivotpin 22. 25 is an l-beam having a specially forged L-section 25 riveted to its top so that the l-loeam 25 is adapted to lit as closely as desired against the sides of the car wheels 27 at the same time engaging beneath the outside ot the frame 26 of the car truck to lift the car. 25 is riveted firmly to the lower end ot two adjacent structural members 2t) and is the load receiving member. 28 is a chain competent to carry the maximmn load that willever come upon the -beam 25. 29 is a tnrnbuckle that is set in the chain 2S for adjustment of the length of the chain in such a manner that the weight of the load on the I-beam 25 will be jointly borne by the chain 28 and the structural member 20 when the crane 5 is loaded and motionless. 8O is a steel forging riveted to the pivot bearing plate 17 and forms the pivot holding upper end of the chain 2S. 31 is a steel forging similar to 30 but is riveted to the cover plate at the lower end of the member 20, and torms a pivot holding lower end Ytor the chain 28.

3? is an ll-beam extending horizontally across the structure ot the trolley 11 and at right angles to the crane 5 to provide tackle points `for pulleys and 3G through which cable 37 is threaded. Cables 37 are wound on drums (not shownl that are carried re spectively on trolleys 11 and between diaphragms 14. each drum boing actuated by machinery (not shown) all ot the machinery beingl controlled by the operator in the cage 8. is a pulley attached to the I-heam 25 and carries the cable 37. 32 are tension braces from the tops ot the trolley frames 11. and from the top of the diaphragm struc ture 14 respectively to the outer ends ot the I-beams Arrowheads on the cable 37 show the direction of motion oil the various sections as the cable is wound upon a 'drum (not shown). ylhis cable raises the struc'- ture comprising members 25, 20, and 28 from the 'tull line position into the dotted line position. The dotted lines in Figure 1 show the raised position ot the principal moving parts ot the load-lifting mechanism and ot the load after the bronze nuts 19 have been actuated sU-.fi'iciently so as to clear the car trucks from the railroad track rails. The

entire installation' is new' readyfor the traveling crane 5 to commence' horizontal movement alongV the rails '7. Members 38 are structural braces for the' trolleys'll and the' diaphragms 11i. n

From the foregoing description of .the various parts of the device, the'oper'atlon thereof may be readily understood.` It 1s evident that when thefpivoted construction composed ofmembers 25, 20, and 28 is in raised (inoperative) position shown by the dotted lines in Figure l, the automotive crane 5' may move freely along the bridge rails 7 even though obstructions such asrailroad cars or other droppec'l'loads'are dis'- posed immediately under the crane 5; Conversely it is evident' that the crane standing'in its open position does not'obstruc't'the movement ofthe cars' on *the tracks 13 immediately beneath the craneA 5.

It is evident that the. crane 5 with the members 25,- 20, and 28 in inoperative position, may move freely from any position on thev `lS-ridge structure ly to anyL other position on the structurel when'a car is standing on any on@ of the trac-ks 13, and'that the erane5 may be stopped' in` a precise position-immediately above the'ca'r onthe4 track: If'new, the c'able 3f? be slackedaw'ay on its winding drum (not shown) it is evident that the structure 25,l 20, and y28 will' swing downwardly and inwardly until the I-'beafl'n- 25 is inthe position'close to the outer face-olf the ear wheels; 2"(l and beneath the sideframe 26 of the rail-car truck.'v Now, if chains 28 shall have been previously adjusted by use "of theturnbuckle's 29 tothe exactl lengthfo'r the desired' service, it is evident that the I- beam 25 will automatically come to rest with th-e'weight ofthe I`-beam 25 jfointl'yfborn'e by the chains 28 and by the structuralmembers 2O,y and that the I-beam 25 will niet exert any inward pressure onthe car wheel' 27. The I-beam 25doe's' not necessarily havetotouch thev car wheels.v If now the bronze screw nuts be properly rotated simultaneously by the gfeai-fin'g (not shown) the pivot bearing plates 17' will be raised' vertically in the guides 16, and theI-bea-ms- 25' will engage with the' bcrttlom side of the end frame of the car truck 26 and' will lift the entire car and its' truck clear of the railroad track 13 and will at the sa'me time prevent any tendency of the car truck-s yto get out ofalignment with the railroad tracks. If'v now they entire crane 5 beset in motion along the bridge rails 7, as by actuating its supporting wheels 6, it is' evident that the crane load (car 24)' will not oscilla-te or lag appreciably, but will maintain its fixed positionwith relation to the; pivot bearing plate 17'and consequently to the entire crane 45,-'sin'ce the form of' suspension is such tirati"v thepifvot bearing' plate' 1-7', confined by imnvable guide members i6, canndt rotatie, a'nd the provided for;

component of inertia of the load 24 tending to'reta'rd ymotiorrof the load is instantly assinnedy by the chain 28 on the side of the 'crane 5 toward which the accelerating force is tending, and also bythe structural member 20 on that side of the crane 5 away from which the accelerating force .is tending. At the same time, theother structural member 2() andthe other chain' 28 will have their respective parts of pressure. oi load 24 temporarily reduced by like amounts as their mates are increased. lllhcn a decelerating or braking force is applied yto the crane ,5* to stop its motion, the suspension members prevent the pendu-lous oscillation of' the' loadin va similai'inanner except that an excess load is in'that case assu'medby the leading structural member 2 0 'and by the following (rear) chain '28, while leading (forward) chain 28 following (rear) member 20' are relieved of a-'portion offtheir loadings; This shifting of the loadings from one suspension member to its matewill be' instantaneous and without appreciable lateral movement o'f the load under the crane due to the fact that all suspension members are at the time already under tension and ac'- cordin'gly a' very slight lateral displacement 'of' loading" laterally will cause al very great propertioralf transferenceVA of strains@I from vone suspension member to" the other.'-

When the' crane ifs moved, the load carried by tll'ef crane tends to'lag. In case the acceleration of-y the' crane is too rapid, the entireweig-htf of the load will come on the forward leading) chain and the rear" (following) rigidarm 20; actingl jointly. The rear chain 28willharmlessly slacken. The forward rigid arm 20 will be under al compressive strain, unless" it is permittedto move upwardly, and? to" allow for this movement, so asjto' avoid damage, Iyliaveprovided the slots 2l inl the upper endA of each structilralY member 20. `The same safety result might b'ea'ccompli's'hedby incorporating a properly designed hinge joint inthe structural menibersfu2`0i to relieve' the'comp'ressive strains thus occurring? in said-'members 20'. An eX- ce's'sive de'c'elerating'" (braking) force would produce a like effect but on; the opposite set of members" a'nd is similarly providedl for.

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In either of thel above cases this form of suspension woul'dfsuifer no damage and displacement o'f loading would vanish almost instantly witl'ioju't shockl when the aceelerat ing (er d'ecelerating) force' has dropped to a mfrgnitudc l'es's than the offsets 'of-centers- 2'2 and Ohin that particular structure have Harmonic pendulum action of load will not maintain in aY load with this constri'fction in practical(operation.l Since the load is thus held unalter'ably to its rela'- tive position with regard to the Xed points of the' cran-e 5, and' since the trucksand the wheels of the cars" ar`e"-'held` rigidly to4 line is brought to rest in precise agreement with a predetermined index vertically above a desired track 13, the car V24 can be lowered directly upon the track 13 by properly actuating the bronze nuts 19 and thus lowering the pivot plate 17. This precise dropping of the loading of the crane 5 will occur without loss of time and with a great certainty that all of the wheels of the car 24 will rest in propeil ruiming position upon the track Especial attention is called to the fact that in landing a car from the crane to the track with this invention, the doubly competent weight carrying members of suspension and the load receiving member 25 are in best possible position to catch the car should the wheels not be landed quite right, that the weight would in such case be caught directly by that part of the car construction which normally bears the weight and the shocks of travel, and that the displacement of the center pivot of the bolster of the car in lifting or landing the same is impossible in operation except by most gross negligence on the part of the operators of the apparatus.

After the car is properly seated upon the desired track, the power is applied to the drums (not shown) and the cables 37 are wound on the drums, thus raising the structural members 20, 28, and 25 to the positions shown by the dotted lines of Figure 1 and the crane 5 is then free to move along the bridge structure 1 without hindrancefrom or damageto its lately dropped load, i. e., the car 24.

It is evident from the relative location of the pivots, chains 28, and the structural members 20, that unless some special means were provided to lift the slack from the chain 28 as the structural members 2O are swung outwardly and upwardly about their pivot 22, the chain 28 would sag deeply and might become seriously in the way. For this reason the end of the'cable 37 is attached to a mid-point of the chain 28 and is carried through a series of pulley blocks 34, 35, and 36, in such a way that thel cable 37 automatically lifts the sag out of the chain 28 at the same time that it lifts the members 2O and 25. It is evident that cranes of different sizes and proportions for different services will require variation in number of pulleys used and in detail of threading the cables. Accordingly I desire not to be restricted to the specific detail as shown herein for accomplishing this very important combined result.

It is at once evident that the hereabove described method of grasping and raising objects which are to be moved by overhead movable bridge crane is readily applicable to any other standard shaped load and I do not wish to be limited to its application to railroad cars.

In the mechanism as shown in Figure 1, both thc opposed members 2O are secured to a single pivot 22. It is evidently immaterial whether these two members use a single pivot or whether they use separate pivots so long as lcach unit of one flexible member and one structural member non-collapsible in tension 20, share the load 24 between them as above described, and so long as the upper pivots of the chain 28 and of the member 2() are rigidly conlined by guide members to vertical motion over an immovable surface, and so long as both pivots of the aforesaid unit of one flexible member 28 and one structural member 20 never alter their relative positions, one from the other. My invention only requires the unchanging relative position of pivots rigidly confined to vertical motion and movable as a unit.

Therefore I desire not to be confined to the construction shown.

It is at once evident that the necessary safety feature provided by the slotted hole 21 may be equally served by a number of mechanical expediente of which this is the preferred form in the nature of hinged Joints which shall render member 20 collapsible under compression without aifecting its rigidity under tension. Accordingly I desire not to be confined to the slot though this is a preferred form of the construction.

It 'is evident that other methods of actuating the pivot bearing plate 17 in a vertical plane would serve .equally as well as the screws 18 and nuts 19 shown herein; I accordingly desire not to be restricted to the particular detail as shown.

It is levident that wheels or rollers may be used in place of guide slides 16 without affecting the basic end sought and accordingly I desire not to be restricted to the slides as shown, though they are the preferred construction. f a It is at once evident that my improvement is equally adaptable to faces of trolleys or to fixed diaphragms in traveling bridge cranes, dependent on span of crane and loads it is intended to handle. The construction as shown, two movable trolleys and one pair of diaphragms, is the preferred form for a railroad switching crane of long span that is required to handle both passenger and freight equipment. It is evident that the crane might be equipped with fixed diaphragms only or with single movable trolley or with any combination thereof. Accordingly I desire not to .be restricted to particular construction shown. i

It is at once evident that this form of suspension of load from a traveling crane whereby their points of attachment are a considerable distance below the main body 0f the cran@ .instead of being pivoted messes through ropes or -chains to suspension points located above v.the crane structure proper as in the ordinary construction of bridge cranes, makes it practical to apply power for horizontal impulses much more favorably and at lower points than is practical. with the ordinary construction, and also to use more intense applications of force in accelerating and retarding the crane without giving rise to any dangerous tendency of strain that might upset the crane or set its load into dangerous or uncontrollable oscillations. This results in practicabilityot use of accelerating and decelerating increments of speed far greater than is Vpracticable with other forms of construction, or employed 1n present practice with large cranes under heavy loads. This results also in higher traveling speed limit for the crane.

It will be. noted from Figure 2 thatl the end trolleys 11 Vare movable, i. e., they are mounted nponthe wheels 12 which are adapted to carry the trolleys along the crane 5. The vcentral lifting member, however, is not movable, but is rigidly secured to the crane In this central device, the frame 14- is riveted to the crane' and not to the trolley trarne 11 as is the case with the end trolleys. In case thev freight car or other object is relatively small, the central lifting member and either one of the end members areused to lift the ear from one track and dispose the car upon the desired track. In the drawing the crane is shown lifting a relatively long freight car and in this case the two end trolleys are being used. The two end members may be moved on their wheels 12 by any mechanism not sho-wn) so as to positionthese members in the desired place withrespect to the railroad car.

I claim:

A L Atraveling bridge crane comprising a support, a lframe movably carried by said support,'armscarried by said frame and arranged to engage with a load to lift the latter, and flexible means connecting said arms to said frame to steady the suspended load.

Q. A traveling` bridge crane comprising-a support, a frame movably carried by said support, arms carried by said frame and arranged to engage with a load to lift the latter, and jointed means connecting said arms to said frame to steady the suspended load.

3. A traveling bridge crane comprising a support, a frame movably carried by said support, arms carried by said frame and arranged to enga-ge with a load to lift the latter, and suspension means, yieldable under compression, for connecting said arms to said frame to steady the load.

4. A traveling crane comprising a support, a frame movable vertically on said support, arms pivotally carried by said frame for suspending a load, each of said arms being movable, within limits, nnder an upwardly directed c `n`npressi`o-nV fierce(y y5. A traveling v,crane comprising av support, a frame' l,movable vertically ,on said support, arms pivotally `,carried by saidv crane is carrying the load, and jointed means connecting said frame with said 'arnis for steady'ing the load.

7. A traveling bridge crane comprising ,a support, pivoted arms arranged .to suspend a load, jointed means for steadying the load when suspended, and means for raising thel arms vertically.

.8. Atraveling bridge crane comprising a support, pivoted arms arranged tosuspend a load, jointed means for steadying the lo'ad when suspended, and means vfor simultaneously 'raising the arms and the steady- .ingvmeans, vertically. l

9. In a travelingcrane, a movable frame, movable member" carried byKV said frame, means lfor raising and lowering said member, arms lcarried by said member and being adapted to'engage with a car toilift the latter when said member is moved, and jointed ymeans connecting said frame to said member tov steady the load.

10. In a traveling crane, a movable frame, a ,plate l,slidably Vcarried `by said frame, means for raising and lowering isaid plate, arms carried by said plateand 'being adapt- .ed to engage with a car toy lift the latter.

when said plate is moved, and y,means connecting the free ends of said arms with said plate to prevent movement of said arms toward each other when they have engaged with a load.

11. A traveling crane comprising a movable frame, plates slidably carried by said frame, means for moving said plates, arms hingedly secured to said plates, jointed means connecting said arms to said plate for steadyingv the load and means for swinging said arms into inoperative position.

12. vA traveling crane comprising a movable frame, plates slidably carried by ySaid frame, pins carried by said plates, arms having slots adapted to receive .said pins, whereby said arms are adapted to moveso as to cause said-pins to slide in said slots.

13. A traveling crane comprising a movable frame, plates slidably carried by said frame, arms oivotally carried by said plates, tension mem ers connecting said arms to said plates, and means for swinging said izo arms into inoperative position, said means also being attached to said tension members to swing said tension members into inoperative position when said arms are swung.

14. A traveling crane comprising a fixed frame and movable trames, plates carried by each frame, arms carried by each plate and adapted to be swung into a position to engage with a railroad car, said movable frame adapted to be moved toward or away from said iXed frame. and means for moving said plates whereby the car will be lifted.

15. A traveling crane comprising a snpport, a frame movably carried by said support, and being adapted to be moved in any direction in a given plane. arms carried by said frame and being adapted to engage with a car to litt the latter and jointed means connecting the tree ends of said arms with said frame.

16. In a traveling crane. a frame, a plate slidably carried by said frame, means for.

raising and lowering said plate, arms carried by said plate and being adapted to engage with a car to lift the latter when said plate is moved, and means connecting the free ends of said arms with said plate to prevent movement of said arms toward each other when they have engaged with a load( 17. A traveling crane comprising a support, arms carried by said support and being adapted to engage with a railroad ca r to lift the latter, jointed means connecting the free ends of said arms with said support and means for swinging said `jointed connections above the top of the car, when said arms are swung into inoperative position.

18. A traveling crane comprising a support` a trame carried by said support, arms secured to said trame and being adapted to engage with a railroad car to lift the latter, auxiliary trames carried by said support and being adapted to move toward or away from said first named frame, and car lifting arms carried by said auxiliary frames.

19. A traveling crane comprising a support, a 'frame carried by said support.r pivot pins carried b v said 'frames and car lifting arms pivotally carried by said pins, said arms having slots therein, whereby they are adapted to move slightly with respect to said pins.

20. In a traveling crane, a frame, movable members carried by said frame, arms carried by said members, and rigid car engaging members secured to the free ends of said arms and joining said arms into pairs.

21. A traveling bridge crane comprising a frame, supports carried by said frame and arranged to engage with a load to lift the latter, and fiexible means connecting said supports to said frame to steady the sus pended load, said flexible means and said supports being connected together so as to prevent the swinging of said supports with respect to the frame, when said supports engage with the load.

Q9. A traveling bridge crane comprising a trame, supports carried by said frame and arranged to engage with a load to lift the latter', and jointed means connecting said supports to said frame to steady the suspended load, said jointed means and said supports being connected together so as to prevent the swinging et said supports with respect to the frame, when said supports engage with the load.

:23. A traveling bridge crane comprising a frame, supports carried by said frame and arranged to engage with a load to lift the latter, and jointed means connecting said supports to said trame to steady the suspended load, said jointed means and said supports being connected together so as to prevent the swinging of said supports with respect to the frame, when said supports engage with the load, and means for moving said supports and jointed means above the load whereby the crane is adapted to move over the load.

24. A traveling bridge crane comprising frames adapted to be moved toward or away from each other, supports carried byrsaid trame and arranged to engage with a load to litt the latter, and means connected to the free ends of said supports for preventing the movement of said supports relative to said iframes whereby said supports and said means are adapted to steady the suspended load.

25. In a device ot the type described, load engaging members, and means connected to said members adjacent to the point at which the member is engaged with the load for preventing the swinging of said members, whereby said members together with said means will steady a suspended load.

FRANK W. EAGELSTON.

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