US2006868A - Material handling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 2, 1935. J. J. NEUMAN MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 23, 1935 Q m iiiiliinii Q m a r Patented July 2 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE M TERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS JacobIJ. Neuman, South Salem, N. Y. 7 Original application February 23, 1933, Serial No. 658,069. Divided and'thi's application February f" 26,1934, Serial sm-712,992 I 7 Claims. (01. 212-47) My present invention relates to material handling apparatus, the invention being more'par ticularly related to a trolley crane or the like, having a pivoted load hoist, and this application 5 for patent is a division ofmy copending application for patent filed' February 23, 1933, Serial No. 653,069, which has matured into Patent No. 1,988,855, granted January 22, 1935.

In general, the object of my invention istopro- 10 videa relatively simple apparatus whereby commodities, such as raw sugar, may be expeditiously handled at the dock or pier for the purpose of first weighing the same, and then transporting the weighed bags or packages to a conveyer, stor- 15* age elevator or other relatively remote point so that the manual labor heretofore incident to the handling of such materials may be reduced to a minimum. f

To the above end, it is one of the important 20-objects of the invention to provide one or more traveling trolleys or cranes suitably mounted on a pier or dock, each trolley or crane being provided with a pivoted load hoist for raising and lowering a plurality of bags of sugarfor other material. Electrically operated means are provided for controlling the travel of the trolleys and the operation of the pivoted hoists whereby the load of each hoist is first positioned upon the weighing scale, and after being weighed, is then transpick up a loadof bags from aposition at oneside of the hoist and automatically, operable. for,such

purpose so that heavy bags can be hoisted from one position and carried to a distant point with greater speed than has heretofore-been possible.

With the above and'other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved trolley apparatus, and in the form, construction andrelative arrangement of its several parts aswill be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in" the accompanying drawing and'subsequentlyincorporated in the subjoined claims.

'In the drawing wherein I have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of my present in which similar rrefer- 55 improvements, and

acterized in that it is transversely swingable to' ence characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a trolley provided with a pivoted bag hoist in a 'ccordance with'my present invention; 5 .Fig. 2'is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and V Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View illustrating one installation of my present invention and showing a plurality of hoists arranged upon a pier. or dock for handling the bags of material as they are unloaded from the hold of a Vessel. V

Referring in detail to the drawing, I: have shown, for the purpose of illustrating the ap plication and use of my present invention, a con tinuousmonorail track 5, preferably though'not necessarily, having a cross sectional I-beam' form which is suitably supported upon the water front dock or other place where the bags of material are to be unloaded, transferred or other wise handled, An electrically controlled hoist' generally indicated at 6 is mounted/in suspended relation from the continuous -monorail 5 for longitudinal traveling movement therealong.

Preferably, the hoist at the top thereof, is suspended from the rod or trunnion! mounted in the trolley frame 8, so that said hoist has transverse swinging movement relative to said trolley frame. The elongated frame 8 is in turn suspended from the monorail 5 by the front and,30"

rear trolleys 9 and-l0, respectively, the former being power-driven by a reversible electric motor indicated at H. Y i

The hoist 6 is also operated byja reversible electric motor I2 movable as a unit with said opposite sides thereof with upwardly extending arms I8-and l9,'respectively, a pair of the arms l8 at one side of said frame being. slotted as at 2D to receive spaced guide bolts 2i projecting from the housing of the hoist 6. 1

The arm [9 at the opposite side of'the, frame I! is movable in, a vertically disposed guide 22 suitablyattaohed to the hoist and is provided at its pperend with a bracket 23, on which a vertically' adjustablebolt orlstud. Z4 is :mounted; This studisadapted to actuate a switch 25 and-: break theihoisting circuit ofiflthe motor l 2to automatically limit the upwardmovement of the load. A'coil spring attached to "the bracket kepttaut by the provision of a leaf spring memmotion from a neutral position closes the motor 23 and to a bracket 21 on the lower end of guide 22 moves the frame I I downwardly to its normal position and thereby urges rollers 28 on the lower end of said frame under pressure against the upper bags B carried by the sling l5 to thus stabilize the load and prevent swinging or swaying motion thereof relative to the hoist.

It will be understood that any desired number of electrically controlled hoists such as 6 may be mounted in suspended relation from the continuous monorail 5 for longitudinal traveling movement, one after the other. In this case, a trailer trolley 28 is spaced a short distance rearwardly from the frame 8 of each leading trolley and is connected therewith by a chain or other flexible element indicated at 29. This trolley 28 at its rear side carries an arm or projection 38 with which a switch operating button 35 on the forward end of the following trolley frame 8 is adapted to engage to operate the switch and break the travel motor circuit for the latter trolley frame. Any slight forward motion of said trolleyafter its motor circuit is broken will result in the forward motion of the trailer trolley 28 of the advance trolley frame 3, and thus produce slack in the chain connection 29. This relative movement between frame 8 and the trolley 28 is essential, since it is not possible to bring the trolley to an instant stop upon the breaking of its motor travel circuit. Chain 29 is normally ber 3i having frictional bearing engagement upon the wheels of the trailer trolley 23 which results in a breaking action and causes said trolley to drag behind the main trolley. Com- ,said current conductors being connected with the 'motors through the connection indicated at 35 extending between the main trolley frame 8 and the trailer trolley 28. The switch unit for the control of motor I I has a. manually operable arm indicated at 36 which when moved in one dicircuit for forward travel, and when moved in the opposite direction, closes the motor circuits for rearward-travel of the trolley. This switch arm or lever will remain set in the forward position but preferably is returned by means of a suitable spring upon release from the reverse to the neutral position.

The switch unit for the control of the hoist motorl2 includes an up-button 31 closing the motor circuit in one direction to hoist the load;

'matically operating limit switches for controlling the motor circuits independently of Said manually operable switches as will be presently de scribed. v

At a suitable point upon the dock beneath one side of the monorail 5, the Government and merchant scalesgenerally indicated at S upon which the bags of sugar are to be weighed, are suitably positioned. At a proper point so as to stop the traveling hoist and its load above the scales S, a solenoid 40 is mounted at one side of the monorail 5 and operates when energized to lift a shoe 4| on the lower end of the solenoid core 42. This shoe when in its normal position is adapted to actuate a normally closed switch 43 carried by the trolley frame 8 to open the circuit of motor H and thus stop further travel of the hoist. A similar switch actuating shoe is also mounted at a suitable point in advance of the scales S and is actuated to switch releasing position by the solenoid indicated at 46. The circuits of these solenoids 4G and 44 may be closed by the operation of a common push-button or other type of switch arranged at the office or house of the scale attendant.

There is also fixed to one side of the monorail 5, a shoe 45 which operates a normally open switch 46 on the trolley frame 8 to close the lowering circuit of the hoist motor i2, when the hoist arrives at the unloading position. In suitably spaced relation from the shoe 45, a lever 4'! is fulcrumed in spaced relation to one of its ends as at 48 at the top of monorail 5, and has suspended from said end thereof a shoe 69 which engages the movable element of switch 43 and opens said switch to break the circuit of motor ll, thus bringing the trolley to a stop,

When the trolley is automatically stopped above the weighing scales by the operation of switch 33 by the shoe ll, the button 38 of the manually controlled switch unit for motor 12 is then pressed so as to operate said motor and lower the load carried in sling i5 to the scale platform. The lowering movement is stopped by breaking the motor circuit by actuation of push button 39 or an automatically acting limit switch may be provided in the motor circuit for this purpose. After weighing, the button 3'! is pressed so as to again raise the load into contact with frame I? whereby switch 25 is operated in the manner above explained to automatically break the motor circuit. The scale attendant then presses the button to energize the solenoids 40 and 44, thus lifting the shoes 4i and permitting switches 43 to return to normally closed positions so that the travel motors ii are energized. Thus the hoist with the weighed sugar bags progresses towards the unloading station and the succeeding hoist takes its place above the scale platform.

As herein shown, there may be arranged below one end of the rectangular track or monorail 5, the end of a load-receiving endless conveyor 51! driven by the motor 5! When the hoists arrive above the end 'of the conveyor 50, switches 63 and 46 are actuated in the manner above explained so as to stop the travel of the hoist trolley and close the lowering circuit of hoist motor I2, thereby lowering the load of sugar bags upon the end of conveyor 50, where an operator is stationed to release said bags from the sling l5. Upon lifting the shoe 49 by means of operating element 47" connected to lever 41, the switch 43 will return to closed position to close the circuit of motor I! and continue the travel of the hoist. The sugar bags may thus be deposited upon this conveyer 50.

An important desideratum of my present invention resides in the fact that due to the trunnion l by which the hoist is mounted on the trolley frame, the hoist has transverse swinging movement relative to the trolley frame, and further due to the mounting of the operating motor i2, upon them pivoted hoist, the said motor and hoist have as a unit swinging movement relative to the trolley frame. By this simple arrangement the hoist is given a wide range of load pick-up movement without the exertion of excessive strain either upon the hoist or upon the monorail. This simple arrangement is also 5. v t posited upon an endless conveyor-or the like for aooases.

" as herein disclosed willbe clearly and fully understood. It will be seenthat I have provided a simple and reliably Operatingapparatus whereby such heavy bags of sugar or other material may be expeditiously handled, weighed and detransport to. a suitable predetermined destination. The automatic control means herein referredto enables the several operations to be carried outwith absolute safety, both to the ap- {p aratus and to the necessary attendants in charge thereof, and enables themanual labor which has heretofore been incident to the handling ofsuch materials to be reduced to a mini mum. Since the means which I provide for preventing swinging movement of the load during the travel of the pivoted hoist is highly effective for this purpose, the weighing and conveyance of the load are greatly facilitated and the apparatus relieved of excessive strain, while possible accidental release of the load from the hoist is obviated.

In the foregoing description of the accompanying drawing, I have disclosed one embodiment of the essential features of my present invention, which I believe to be entirely practical for the purpose in view. It is nevertheless to be understood that my invention is capable of embodiment in many different environments and may also be incorporated in various other alternative structural forms, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: 7 V

1. In combination with a trolley movable along a monorail, which trolley includes front and rear trolley parts rigidly supporting 'an elongated horizontal frame between them, a vertically elongated rigid box like hoistframe providing a plurality of rigid downwardlyprojecting members at its lower extremities for contact with the load, a pivoted connection between the top end of said hoist frame and said horizontal frame at a point between said trolley parts and below the monorial, an operating motor carried by the hoist frame and a load-supporting mount upon the latter operated by the motor, said hoist frame having a vertical passage in which the load-supported mount is accommodated for operation, means connected with the load-supporting mount for sustaining the load in firm abutment against the lower, downwardly projecting members on the hoist frame, the pivoted connection between the hoist frame and horizontal frame providing for transverse swinging movement of the hoist frame, motor, load-supporting mount and sustained load, all as a unit and relative to the horizontal frame.

2. In material handling apparatus which includes spaced trolley parts rigidly connected by an elongated horizontal trolley frame and mounted to travel longitudinally on an overhead monorail, atrunnionmounted in the frame longitudinally thereof and centrally below the monoraiha vertically disposed rigid box like hoist frame carrying an electric motor and hoist, gearunder the control of the motor, said frame providing a plurality of rigid projecting members at its lower, extremities for contact with the load, the hoistframe being centrally suspended at its top end from the trunnion for transverse swinging movement relatively to -thetrolley frame and havinga vertical interior passage in which the hoist gear is accommodatedfor operation, said hoist gear includinga cable sheave adapted to j be raised and lowered in the operationof the motonand means in association, with the sheave extending downwardlythrough the bottom open:

end of the passage for securing the load to be,

supported by the. sheave in abutment against the end of the plurality 'ofprojecting' members 1 on the lower end of the hoist frame whereby the supported load will swing as a unit with the transversely swinging movementpf'the hoist frame.

3. In material handling apparatus whichdincludes a trolley device mounted to travel longitudinally on an overhead monorail and having a frame body rigidly connected to the same, an elongated vertically disposed rigid box like hoist frame work suspended at its upper end from a pivot pin on said frame body and having awork passage in the direction of its length, a plurality of vertically depending load engaging members on the'lower end of said frame, operable hoisting mechanism carried by the hoist framework and including load hoisting and carrying gear movable in said work passage, said gear having a portion extending from the work passage below the lower end of the hoist framework and adapted to hold the load in abutment against the plurality of load engaging members on the lower endportion of the hoist framework, and means adapted to be controlled from the ground for controlling ably suspended therefrom, hoist tackle arranged in the hollow interior of the framework for raising and supporting a load, and means on the framework for supporting and operating the hoist tackle, the lower end of the framework being provided with a plurality of spaced abutments for engagement by the load.

5. A monorail trolley of the type which includes a trolley frame having wheels engaged with the monorail to travel therealong, a hoist' with an electricmotor pivotally suspended from the trolley frame, an elongatedbox-like load stabilizing frame disposed vertically below the end therewith, the connections comprising vertical arms extending upwardly from the stabilizing frame, and guide means on the hoist slidably v engaged bythe arms, said connections operating to compel the stabilizing frame and the hoist with the motor to swing together and, at the same time to permit vertical movement of the stabilizing frame relative to the hoist and motor,

hoist gear disposed for operation within the hollowinterior of the stabilizing frame and com hoist and connected by connections at itsupperf 6 y nected with the motor for operation thereby to raise and lower the load, roller means provided on the lower edge of the stabilizing frame, said hoist gear, when operated to raise the load, being efiective to raise and maintain it against said roller means.

6. A monorail trolley comprising a trolley frame with wheels adapted to engage the monorail to travel therealong, an electrically controlled housing including an electric motor pivotally supported as a unit from the trolley frame to swing laterally with respect to the direction of travel of the trolley frame, a hollow elongated box like load stabilizing frame disposed vertically below the hoist and having its upper end slidably connected therewith so as to swing in unison with the swinging movement of the hoist and to have 'vertical movement relative thereto, and load trolley frame disposedbeneath the monorail and between front and rear trolleys thereon and having a hoist with a controlling electric motor suspended as a unit from the trolley frame, for lateral swinging movement relative thereto, hoist gear connected with the motor for operation thereby and to swing with the hoist and motor, a hollow elongated box like under frame extending in the direction of its length downwardly from and below the hoist and in which the hoist gear is disposed and maintained for vertical operation to hoist a subjoined load against the lower edge of the underframe, vertical side arms constituting the sole means for supporting the underframe from and vertically below the hoist, said arms extending upwardly above the top end of the underframe in parallel with its vertical sides and supported by the hoist so as to have freedom of vertical movement relative thereto, and so as to compel the hoist and motor to swing with the transverse swinging of the underframe, hoist gear and subjoined load. V

JACOB J. NEUMAN.

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