US1940057A - Apparatus for ascertaining weight of materials - Google Patents

Description

1933- R. MCLAUGHLIN I APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING WEIGHT OF MATERIALS Filed Aug. 2, 1952 2 SheetsSheet 1 Dec. 19, 1933- R. MOLAUGHLIN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING WEIGHT OF MATERIALS Filed Aug. 2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v m 3 Q N w 3 i t an W9 Wm 4 UHF I I I I I IHHHHHHHHXW Patented Dec. 19,

r 1,940,057 V ,.APPABATUS ron ASCERTAINING WEIGHT r 'OFMATERIALS Robert McLaughlin, Philadelphia, Pa. Application August 2, 1932. Serial l lo. 627,281

-11 Claims. (01, 265-'52 f gin of error is, however, so small as to be negligible for all practical purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus ,of the character describedwherein the tension of but a certain'predetermined pro- 1Q portion of the entire loadwillbe imparted to the weight recording means so that the latter need not beof such massive' chara'cter' as though the full tension was-imparted'thereto. .A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which will be possessed of but a minimumnurnb'er of parts and consequent economy of manufacture.

With these and other objects in'view, as will hereinafter be mademanifest, the inventionre- 26 sides, in general, inthe manner of operation,

structural characteristics and combinations of elements illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, described in the following specificationand specifically pointed out in the ap-' pended claims; I

- In the drawings, wherein likecharacters of reference indicate like parts inthe several views,

Figure 1' is a side elevation, somewhat diagrammatic in nature, of a'traveling crane and attendant weight indicating apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of this invention; V

. Figure? is aside elevation, on a larger scale, I of the weight'indicating apparatus shown in Figure1'; 1

Figure 3 is avertical section on the line III-III oIFigure2; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure '2, bothlustrating a modification of the'invention; and,

18c! atrolley 1'7:

" outer-"end, in acr'ank handle- 31'.

, mo'Fixedly mounted upon theface of the frame Figure 5 is an exaggerated diagrammatic viewv are manipulated to bring the load to a point in Suspended from the bridge 14 at a point ta jacenti one end of the same is-the customary operators cage 18, and mounted upon and carried by the trolley 17, in the usual manner, is

a winding drurn19 for-a suspension cable 20. so- The' ways in which the bridge, the trolley and the drum are contr'olled and operated from the operators cage form no part of this invention andno effort is made toward illustration oi the same.-x3 a a 5 Secured to the lower end of the suspension cable 20 is a suspension block 21 and pivotally mounted to this block, at 22, is a hook 23 for engagement with the crane load. j While this lead .may be orany nature, such as a pot'or ladle 1') for the reception and transportation of molten metal, a casting, -a piece of machinery", or any other article of a kind adaptedto' be handled by a traveling crane, itis merely conventionally indicated ,at 24,=in the drawings, for the purpose of illustration. a

Rigidly isecured to one of the side pillars 10, is a frame 25, in which is slidably mounted-a hollowyblock-26 and slidably mounted in the latter'is-"a cross-head 2}1. Revolvably secured to the outer face of the block '26 is the head 28 of a screw stem 29, which passes through andis threadedly engaged within a bearing 30' formed on the frame 25' and. which 'terminates,'- at its Inwar'tlly projecting from the cross heafd; 2'1 is a rod 3'2, to the inner end of which is, i 'vfitally mounted, as at 33, one endoi a link 34-, the other end oi which is provided with a hook 35 adapted to be engaged with the-pivot pin 22 of the suspension block 21. 'Interposed between the inner face of the" cross-head 27 and the corresponding innerface" of the hollow block 26 andsurrounding' the rod 32, is acoiled spring 36'. l r

96 25 3s an indicator 3-1 adapted'to cooperatewith 'a similar indicator 38,; whichis fixedly mounted upon the face of; the block 26, and fixedlymountr ed upon the cross-head 2'7 is an indicator 39 adapted to cooperate with apounda'ge scaled upon the face of the block 26. f

'Projectinglaterally from the inner and outer members of thehollow block 26 are sightalig'ning pins-41 and projecting laterally from the suspension block 2 1, at a point above the pivot pin 22,'is asimilar sight aligning pin- 42.

flheoperation of the apparatus isas 'follows:

It is desired to ascertain the approximate weight of the load 24. The bridge and trolley line with the weight indicating means upon the pillar 10. The suspension cable drum is then operated to so raise or lower the load that the sight pin 42 is brought into horizontal alignment with the two sight pins 41, this condition being ocularly determined by the operator sighting along the line of the two pins 41. With the parts in this position, the length of the suspension cable 20 is definitely known. The hook 35 of the link 34 is then engaged with the pivot pin 22 of the suspension block 21 and the crank arm 31 is rotated, feeding the screw stem 29 through the bearing 30 and retracting the hollow block 26 in the frame until the indicator 37 is in line with the indicator 38. This swings the load 24 to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 with the suspension cable 20 pulled to an angle from the vertical. Inasmuch as the amount of retraction of the block 26 to insure registry of the indicators 37 and 38 has been predetermined, the degree of departure from the vertical by the suspension cable 20 is now known.

It is to be understood that, as the hollow block 26 isretracted in the frame 25, theweight of the load has exerted a longitudinal pull upon the link 34 and rod 32 with consequent inward movement of the cross-head 27, against the pressure of the spring 36, within the hollow block 26 and consequent movement of the indicator 39 along the face of the poundage scale 40. With the parts at rest in their thus attained positions, the indicated poundage reading is taken from the scale 40 and this, in connection with the other known factors, may be resolved into the approximate weight of the load 24 by a sim-, ple mathematical calculation.

For example, and with especial attention to Figure 5, let it be assumed that, with the parts in initial positions, the distance from the suspension point A to the laterally swinging point B (the length of the suspension cable .20 to the pivot pin 22) is sixty inches. It is desired to cause the cable to be swung ten degrees from the vertical. To determine the necessary retraction of the block 26 to effect this, the'sine of 10,,which is .17364, is reckoned for sixty inches. This calculation produces 10.419 inches, which is substantially 104% inches. Hence, it is necessary that the retraction be such that when the indicators 37 and 38 are in registry, the distance along the chord at a right angle to the vertical from the initial line A-B to the point C (to which the pivot pin 22 is pulled) be 104% inches. 'I'hisis predetermined, and proper adjustment is initially positioned. The indicated poundage reading is now taken on the scale 40. Let it be assumed that this reading is one thousand two hundred six pounds. Inasmuch as the angle B A C is known as 10 and the right angle between the line A B and the established chord is 90, the angle between the line A C and the established chord must necessarily be The poundage reading of 1206 is now multiplied by the tangent of 80, which is 5.67128, andthe product, 6839.56368, is the approximate weight, in pounds, of the load 24.

It is, of course, obvious that by varying the length of the link 34, the apparatus may be adapted for use when the trolley 17 is disposed otherwise than centrally upon the bridge 14, as, for instance, against either of the stops 15*, see Figure 1.

Other variations in construction readily suggest themselves. For instance, the retraction of the hollow block 26 in the frame 25 might be effected electrically rather than manually. In this case, construction such as illustrated in Figure 4 could be adopted. In this modified structure, the screw stem is eliminated and a cable 43, fast to the outer face of the hollow block 26, passes about a drum 44 mounted on a shaft 45, which may be rotated by means of an electric motor 46 through the interposition of a worm 47 on the motor shaft 48 and intermeshing worm wheel 49 on the drum shaft 45.

Many other modifications will as quickly suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that all such are contemplated as forming a part of this invention insofar as they fall within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A load weighing apparatus, comprising supporting means to freely and pendulously suspend said load at rest to the action of gravity from a single fixed point at a predetermined distance from said load, means for laterally displacing in a vertical plane said pendulously suspended load through an arc of a circle of predetermined angular degree, and force measuring means cooperating with said displacing means.

2. A load weighing apparatus, comprising supporting means to freely and pendulously suspend said load at rest to the action of gravity from a single fixed point at a predetermined distance from said load, means for directly engaging the lower extremity of said supporting means to laterally displace in a vertical plane said suspended load through an arc of a circle of a predetermined angular degree, and force measuring means in:

terposed between said supporting means and load displacing means to determine the pull exerted to sustain said load in its displaced position.

3. A load weighing apparatus, comprising means for pivotally, pending a load, a fixedly mounted frame, a member adjustable in respect to said frame, load engaging means slidably mounted on said member, and force indicating meanscooperating therewith and disposed laterally of said load to displace the same upwardly in an are about the pivot from which it is suspended.

' 4. A load weighing apparatus, comprising means for pivotally, vertically and freely suspending a load, a fixedly mounted frame, a member adjustable in respect to said frame, means for adjusting the same, load engaging means slidably mounted on said member, and force indicating means cooperating therewith and disposed laterally of said load to displace the same upwardly in an arc about the pivot from pended.

5. A load weighing apparatus, means for pivotally,

which it is suscomprising vertically and freely suspending a load, a fixedly mounted frame, a load measuring means adjustably mounted thereon and disposed laterally of said load, and load engaging means attached to said load measuring means to displace said load upwardly in an arc about the pivot fromwhich it is suspended.

6. A load weighing apparatus, comprising means for pivotally, vertically and freely suspending a load, a fixedly mounted frame, a spring scale adjustably mounted thereon and disposed laterally of; said load, means for adjusting the same,'and load engaging means attached to said spring scale to displace said load upwardly in an are about the pivot from which it issuspended.

7. A load weighing apparatus, comprising means for pivotally, vertically and freely suspendvertically and freely susing aload, a fixedly mounted frame, a hollow block slidable thereon, load engaging means slidable in said hollow block disposed laterally of said load to displace the same upwardly man are about the pivotfrom which it is suspended, yield ing means acting upon said load engaging means and urging it in one direction, and force indicating means cooperating therewith.

8. A load weighing apparatus, comprising means for pivotally,vertically and freely suspend means for pivotally, vertically and freely sus-- pending a load, a fixedly mounted frame, ahollow block slidable thereon, a cross-head slidable in said hollow block, yielding means for urging said cross-head in one direction, means for connecting said cross-head'with the load disposed laterally of said load to displace the same upwardly in anaro I about the pivot from which it is suspended, a

graduated scale on said hollow block, and a co operating indicator on said cross-head. 10. A load weighing apparatus, comprising ,means for pivotally, vertically and freely suspending a load, a fixedly mounted frame, a hollow block slidable thereon, means for adjusting the relation therebetween, a cross-head slidable in saidhollow block, yielding means for urging said cross-head in one direction, means for connecting said cross-head with the load disposed laterally of said load to displace the same upwardly in an are about the pivot from which it is suspended, a graduated scale on said hollow block, and a cooperating indicator on saidcross-head.

11. A load. weighing apparatus, comprising means for pivotally, vertically and freely suspending a load, force indicating means provided with sight aligning meansthereon for insuring proper positioning-of the same in respect to the load, and

with said load and disposed laterally of said load to displace the same upwardly in an are about the pivot from which it is suspended.

ROBERT McLAUGHLIN.

, means for connecting said force indicating means

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