US1636591A - Log-unloading machine - Google Patents

Description

M. F. CRAWFORD LOG UNLOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. '7, 1926 3 Sheets-Shani gmxmkm aid/40 062 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwu 1 4to'v M/ O/ewwr'a/ea July 19,1927. V V

M. F. CRAWFORD nos UNLOADING MACHINE Flled Sept 7 1926 July 19, 1927. 1,636,591

M. CRAWFORD 'LOG UNLOADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1926 I 3 snags-sheet P w o Patented July 19, p 1927.

l'iED STATES MILLARD FILLMORE CRAWFORD, OF NATALBANY, LOUISIANA.

LOG-UNLOADING MACHINE.

Application filed September 7, 1926. Serial No; 134,041.

The present invention relates tolog unloading machines, and has for-an object to provide a novel means for controlling the position of a ram cylinder, such as is disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No.

110,941, filed May 22, 1926.

Another object of the invention is to provide controlling means for the ram cylinder, which is located adjacent to the throttle lever,

so that one operator may not only control the thrust of the ram cylinder but may also from the same position control the angular movements, or the swinging of the ram cylinder either before or during its operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tilting or swinging means for a ram cylinder which may be actuated by a fluid, such as air, steam or the like under suitable pressure, so that both the ram cylinder and the tilting device may be controlled from a single source of fluid pressure and be under the complete control of one operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tilting cylinder for connection with the ram cylinder for holding the latter in any position of adjustment desired andin which the ram cylinder is to be used so that the latter may be operated from any desired position and the operation of the ram cylinder and the tilting cylinder do not interfere with one another.

The invention still further aims to provide an improved tilting device which is capable of swinging the ram cylinder into an upright position, and'providing means for locking the ram cylinder in such position, so that it may be carried out of the way when not in use, and to further provide a fluid actuated tilting cylinder, which is capable of fieXi-- bility in use, and to further provide the cylinder with means for reducing the pressure when the latter reaches a predetermined degree to prevent injury to the mechanism when the ram cylinder is swung out of adjusted position by abnormal weights imposed thereon, such as by logs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, I I

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a log unloading machine constructed according to the present invention, the top or cover beingremoved.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, and i Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device in position for unloading logs from a car.

In the pre:ent instance the invention is shown as applied to a log unloading machine of the portable steam operated type, such as shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 110,941, above referred to. It is understood, however, that'the present invention may be'applied to any type of log unloading machine utilizing a ram, and which may be operated by other pressure than steam and which may be self-contained and otherwise than portable if desired.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a platform supported on the wheels 11, which in the present instance are mounted on a track 12, so that the device may be of a portable nature if desired. The platform 10 may have a steam boiler 13 thereon with a water tank 14 and a fuel tank 15 suitably disposed on the platform, and the platform may also be provided with an engine 16 adapted to be connected to the boiler 13 by a steam'supply pipe 17.

These elements so far described are merely for the purpose, of illustration and, of course, may be substituted by any other suitable frame work or support, and any other suitable means of supplying fluid under pressure.

The platform 10 is providedwitha pair of uprights 18 between the upper ends of which is mounted a ram cylinder 19, the latter being supported on trunnions 20, which have bearing in the upper ends of the standards 18, and the standards 18 are preferably reinforced by braces 21, which extend from the upper ends of the uprights 18 downwardly to the base 22 of the frame so formed.

The ram cylinder 19 is adapted to swingon the axis of its trunnions 20 and is provided with a head 23 of suitable construcslight upon the pivotal movement. or swing ing of the ram cylinder 19. A throttle lever. 29. projects from one side of the throttle and terminates adjacent to the axis otthe' trunnion 20 to facilitate manipulation of the ram cylinder 19.

The throttle valve-26 is connected by. pipes 30 to the opposite ends oi the ram cylinder 19 for controlling the intake and exhaust of steam into} and fromthe' opposite ends of the ram cylinder. The ram cylinder 19 is adapted to --be swung upwardly 1 from the horizontal position, shown in Figure 3 into a substantially vertical position, and the rain cylinder carries a pin 31 near its rear end adapted to interlock with a latch 32 mount ed on the base22- and the lower ends of the standards 18, so as to lock and hold the rain cylinder invertical position out of the 'way. Furthenthe standards 18 are provided inter mediate. their ends with a cross brace carrying-a bulter spring el'adapted to engage the rear end of the rain cylinder19 when the latter is swung upwardly at its forward end.

-The present i veritionproVides a means for swinging andholding theram cylinder in the desired. position upon its axis 20. For this purpose, the rain cylinder frames are provided with upstanding brackets 35, which'inay be oi Aiorm or otherwise; and which aredisposed at opposite sides of the ram cylinder 19at its rear end. The brackets '35 carry in their upper ends bearings 36 supporting trunnionsB? carried upon the lowerhead ot a cylinder 38 adapted to swing upon. the trunnions into different. angular positions upon the brackets'85. The cylinder 38 is the swinging cylinder for operating the rain cylinder 19 andisprovided with a piston 39 having a piston rod 40, which p-rojectsdownward through the lower head of the cylinder 38 and is pivotally connected to a yoke 4-.l'ha-ving its arms pivoted at 42 to-t-lietorward portions of the brackets 35 at opposite sides otfthe rain cylinder 19.

The free end of the yoke 41 has a roller 43, which bears upon. a spring wear plate 44 secured'to the upper side oi the ram cylinder 19 and extending from apoint near the rear end otthe ram cylinder forwardly thereof the spring wear plate 4-4 being hentupwardly at an angle -at-its forward end to maintain the same in engagement with the'roller' 43 38 leads to a controlling valve d'Zinounted interme'd'iately upon the cylinder. '38; and

whichis.connected by pipes 48 to the opposite ends of theieylinder 38. It will also be noted that the controlling valved? has an exhaust piped-9 which leads to the-o posite trunnion'S'? and steam is carried there through to the outlet or exhaust pipe 50.

The controlling valves? isprovidedwitlr an operating lever 51 atone side which normally extends outwardlyjand upwardly at a slight angle, and whichis connected to a differential lever 52. The lever .52'isl of suitable length and'is pivotally connected at 58 to an upstanding rod" 5 which is pivot'ally mounted upon "the yoke 41"intermediate the pivotal and free ends thereof. The swinging. movement o'fthev yoke .41 raiscsand lowers the rod 54 and thus swings the di'tlerential'lever 52. v f

The differential lever 52 is pivotallyconnected intermediate its ends, and preferably toward the valve controlling lever 51; with an anchoring link 55, which is pivotally carried uponan arm 56 mounted on a 'shaithf supportingupon a bracket' 58 whi'clris car:

ried by the cylinder'l38.

"The shaft 5( projects laterallyflrom the arm 56 and carries a 'secondjilonger arm 59,

w'hicl extends downwardlyand -across the axis oi the trunnion 37Jand is pivotally. connected'a short distance below the triinnion 87 with push rod '60. IThe'rodGO is relatively long and extendsdownwardlythrough he adjacent bracket '35 and'into the-ram cylinder frame, and is pivotally c'onn'ected'to an arinlll of a. rock shaft62..inounted"in a bracket carried bythe latfor -"10' and ad jacent to one of the standai'ds18. The rock shalt 62 extends upwardly from the "standard '18 into a'suitable position for-supporting an upright tiltin lever '63 adj'acent the operator. i

In 0peration,'when 'it"is desi'red to tilt the ram cylinder 19; itis only necessary ior the operator to 'swing tlie' tiltingle'ver 63 through a desired angle and maintain the lever 63 in such adjusted-position. Thisoperat-ion causes the puslrrod 'tiO-to move upwar'dly and swing the arms 59, and 5611pwardly to move the anchoring link 55 in an upward directionand swing the-differential lever 52 upwardly about-itspivot This action causes the'difierential-lever 552 to not only move inwardly toward thenontrolling valve 47, but to also swing the throttle'lever As the ram cylinder 19 is swung clownwardly at its rear end, the yoke 41 swings the tilting cylinder 88 into an angle about its trunnions- 37, so that the piston rod 40 may exert a more nearly direct thrust upon the top of the cylinder 19. This action of the yoke 41 causes the same to swing downwardly and draw the rod 54. downwardly therewith, swinging the ditl erential lever 52 about its pivotal connection with the anchoring link 55 and operating the throttle lever 51 to close off the supply oii steam to the cylinder 38. This operation also holds the ram cylinder 19 in adjusted position until the lever 63 is swung into a new posi tion or back into its original normal position, as shown in Figure 3.

The mechanism, therefore, allows the, operator to move the lever (53 into a desired position and leave it in such position whereupon the valve mechanism automatically etifec'ts the entrance of the fluid under pressure into the desired end oi the cylinder 38 and to the desired extent to move the ram cylinder into the angle desired, andthen cutting off the supply of fluid pressure to the cylinder 38 for yieldingly holding or locking the swinging mechanism in position. The-end of the cylinder 38 may be provided with a pressure relief valve 64 adapted to relieve pressure in the cylinder when an abnormal load or pressure is placed upon the head 23, such as by the falling of logs or the like thereon, and which would otherwise damage the apparatus. I

This arrangement and location of the pressure relief valve 64 thus serves to protect the mechanism, and may be adjusted so as not to interfere with the normal working of the cylinder.

Figure 3 of the drawings shows one work ing position of the ram cylinder 19 wherein the head a3 is disposed opposite to a load of logs 65 mounted on a truck or car 66, which is disposed adjacent to the log unloading machine, anchoring chains 67 being utilized if desired for holding the platform 10 and the car 66 from spreading apart under pressure of the ram cylinder.

It will be noted particularly from Figure 3 that the ram cylinder 19 has its trunnion 20 between the ends 01 the ram cylinder, but nearer the inner end thereof, so that the weight of the outer end or" the rain cylinder with the head 23'is sutficient to at all times inder upwardly against the work member 41. Thus the'piston 39 need act only in a downward direction.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may bemade in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being'restricted only by the scope of the tollowing claims. a

What is claimed is 1. In a log unloading machine, a ram cylinder, means for pivotally supporting the ram cylinder intermediate its ends but at a point toward its rear end whereby to normally urge the rearend of the ram cylinder to extend upwardly, a tilting cylinder mounted above-the rear end of the ram cylinder and having a piston rod projecting downwardly toward the ram cylinder, a yoke member pivotally mounted between the cylinders and having'one end pivotally connected to said piston rod for urging the end of the yoke against the upper side of the ram cylinder, a sprmg wear plate carried upon the upper side of the ramcylinder beneath the yoke for receiving impact thereof and absorbing shock incident to the pounding of the piston rod, and means for con trolling admission of fluid under pressure to the tilting cylinder. 7

2. In a log unloading machine, a ram cylinder, means for pivotally supporting the ram, cylinder near its rear end, a tilting cylinder disposed above the rear end of the ram cylinder, means for pivotally supporting said tilting cylinder, means for convey ing fluid under pressure through the sup porting means to the tilting cylinder, a controlhng valve mountedon the tilting cylin- .der for admittting fluid under pressure to and from the opposite ends thereof, a differential lever connected to the controlling valve, a supporting rod pivotally connected to the differential lever in spaced relation to the valve, hand controlled means connected to the differential lever for swinging the same upon its pivotal connection with said rod, and automatic means connected to the rod, and between the cylinders for swinging the differential lever into a normal position incident to the movement of the tilting cylinder into a position corresponding to that in which said hand controlling means is adjusted. v

3. In a log unloading machine, a ram cylinder, means for pivotally supporting the ram cylinder at a point near its inner end, a tilting cylinder pivotally mounted above the rear end of the rain cylinder. a swinging member having a fixed pivotadja cent the ram cylinder and engaging at its free end the rear end of the ram cylinder, a piston rod carried in said tilting cylinder &

and connected to suidpi'voted Enemby f0:- urging the same downwardly against the ram cylinder, fluid con'ti'ollingymeans can riedby the tilting cylinder, manua1 '1nem1s for setting the fluid control means forge-perating the tiltingcylinder to tilt the ram cylinder, and automatic means connected to V justment;

said pivoted member and to said fluid c0ntrollinglneans and suidmanual means to bring the, fluid, controlling means into nor mal moperatlve posltlon when Szud tiltmg cylmder reaches the damned posltlon of ad- MILLARD 'FILLMQ RE @mwmee. V

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