US2085012A - Automatic hooking device - Google Patents

Description

June 29, 1937. A. c.

7 AUTOMATIC HOOKING DEVICE DIXON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1, 1935 4/?77/1/2 6'. Dixon INVENTOR BY vzM/ ATTORNEY June 29, 1937. A. c. DIXON AUTOMATIC HOOKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lRTl/l/R 6. fl/m/v INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 29, I937 UNHTED STATES @FFEQE 3 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

5 This invention relates to an automatic hooking device for use with hoists, cranes, or other lifting devices, and particularly to devices that are required to automatically engage or disengage their load from its placement.

The device to be hereinafter described in detail, relates specifically to attaching means for use with cranes or the like, whereby emergency gates, stop logs or the like embodied in looks or dams may be automatically engaged, then moved to a predetermined position, and then automatically disengaged from the load; and the various engagements and disengagements controlled by elevating or lowering the attaching means with reference to the load.

This device may be used singly or in multiples in conjunction with a conventional lifting beam or the like.

A general reference may be made to the prior art of load attaching means which have been used for handling heavy equipment in relatively inaccessible, or submerged locations.

In the prior art referred to the relative vertical positions of the load attaching means and its load is indefinite in-the load engagement position; and the load disengaging position is relatively lower than the load engagement position. In some installations it has been necessary to attach mechanism to the load to facilitate disengagement.

The primary object of this invention is to obtain a load attaching means to be used in connection with hoists, cranes, or the like, whereby it is possible to engage or disengage the load by the operation of raising or lowering the device with reference to the load, and without manual assistance or additional mechanisms attached to the load.

A further object of this invention is to provide a load attaching means that is self-con- -tained and that may be utilized in connection with existing elevating means to automatically engage or disengage submerged, or otherwise inaccessible loads.

A further object of this invention is to provide a load attaching means which engages or disengages its load at definite and identical relative positions between the load and the load attaching means-and in a cycle of a fixed sequence of operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic load attaching means so constructed that in case of failure of the automatic mechanism the device will act in a manner analogous to that of a simple hook.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be apparent and will, in part, be obvious from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which disclose a preferred embodiment of my device:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of my device.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of my device taken on the line 22 of Fig. l and in the direction indicated.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of my device shown in the unloaded position.

Fig. 4 is a schematic View of my device shown in the load engaging position.

Fig. 5 is a schematic View of my device shown in the load lifting position.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of my device shown in the load releasing position.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of my device shown in the load disengaging position.

My device is to be used in conjunction with a hoist, crane or other similar elevating means not here shown.

In the following specification, similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring .to Figs. 1 and 2, I provide a pair of similar side members i and 2 which are maintained in fixed, spaced, parallel relationship by suitable means as shoulder pin 3 and shaft 4 and which comprise the frame A of my device. This frame is provided by means, not here shown, whereby it may be operatively connected to a block, fall line, crane hook or other means, likewise not here shown, capable of imparting vertical motion to it in order to effect engagement with, or release from, a load as hereinafter described. It is to be understood that the block, fall line, crane hook or other means above referred to need not be constrained to vertical travel per se, but it is essential that they be capable of travel in the direction of action of my device, which in the preferred embodiment requires substantially vertical manipulation.

Vertically disposed notches 23 are disposed in each of the side members I and 2 and are in mutual alignment. I preferably flare the entrance to the notches, as at 23a, to facilitate engagement of my device with a pin 29, to which the load to be moved is attached.

A pair of similar cheekplates 5 and 6 are unitarily assembled in fixed spaced relationship by suitable pins 8, 9, and H1, and is pivotably suspended about the shaft 4. Aligned recesses 5a and 6a are provided in the plates 5 and 6, whereby a suitable lifting pin, as pin 29 fixed to the load, may be securely retained, the cheekplates functioning as a unit forming in efiect a lifting hook B. It is essential for the proper functioning of my device that the load pin 29 be' rigidly attached to the load to be lifted, and

that its longitudinal axis be substantially normal to the vertical plane of rotation of the hook assembiy B. In the present embodiment of my device, the center of gravity of the lifting hook B, together with its attached parts hereinafter described, is solocated that in its normal position of repose it bears against pin 3 which acts as a stop. The book may be swung about the shaft t in a direction away from the pin 3, but is free to return to its initial position upon removal of the force tending to rotate it. It is to be understood that means other than gravity, such as a spring, might be employed to maintain the hook in the desired position of repose. The cheekplates are each p ovided with similar, arcuate'surfaces l, which, when lowered for load engagement against pin 29, cause the hook B to be swung about the shaft 4 a sufiicient amount to permit entrance of the pin 2!. into the notches 23, the hook returning to its position'of repose when the pin 29 has entered the notches a distance sufficient to clear the trigger mechanism.

The cheekplates are further provided with twopairs of vertically disposed slots, i3 and Is, in which the extremities of shafts l5 and I6 are slidably mounted. Trigger plates ll and I2 are fixed to shafts l5 and it, sliding with them as a trigger unit C. The trigger is normally maintained at the upward limit of its travel in slots l3 and. It by suitable reactance means as compression spring ll, retained in position by stub shafts l8 and i9, hich are mounted respectively upon the hook and the trigger. The trigger is provided with a notch 22 similar in contour to the notches 5a and 6m in the cheekplates and. with which it registers when the trigger assembly is at substantially the lower limit of its travel in slots l3 and It. A convexextension 28 is provided adjacent the notch 22.

A latch 28, disposed between trigger plates H and i2, is pivotally mounted upon the pin s. An integral arm 20w extends radially from the latch and beyond the shaft 55, with which it is normally held in contact by a suitable reactance means as torsion spring 2|. latching recess 25 is provided in the periphery of the latch 29, and an upper camming surface 24 extends from the root of the arm 26a to the latching recess 25. A releasing recess 25 is provided adjacent the arm Ziia on the side remote from the upper camming surface 2d. A lower camming surface 21 is provided along the edge of the latchsubstantially opposite the upper camming surface 25.

Figure 3 shows my device in the unloaded position and in condition to engage a load. The hook B is in its normal position of repose in the frame A which is supported from operative means not here shown, the trigger C is positioned at the upward limit of its travel and the latch 20 is in its normal released position in which its arm Zila is in contact with the shaft I5. The load pin 29, fixedly attached to the load (not here shown) is in position to be engaged.

Figure 4 shows the relation of my device relative to the load pin 29 when it is in the load engaging position. The frame A has been lowered hook has resumed its position of repose, the load pin being restrained above the trigger notch 22.

Figure 5 shows my device in the load lifting position, the load pin 29 being engaged by the hook B. To reach this position from the phase shown in Figure 4, the frame A and its associated mechanism has been elevated by means of the hoisting mechanism to which it is operatively attached, causing the load pin 29 to be contacted by the trigger notch 22. The trigger C then becomes stationary relative to the load pin 29, the remainder of the lifting mechanism continuing to rise. The shafts l5 and I6 are thus caused to move relative to the slots l3 and I4, and shaft l5 and pin 8 are made to approach each other, caus ing impingement of shaft 1 5 upon the upper camming surface 2d of the latch 20 and the consequent angular displacement of the latch 29 about its axis, pin 8. The angular displacement of the latch continues as the hook B approaches the load pin 29, until the shaft l5 has been engaged by the latching recess 25 which upper camming surface 24. The reactance means, torsion spring 2i, associated with the latch Zil has by this operation become increas-. ingly stressed, as has compression spring H. The engagement by the latching recess 25 of the shaft 15, coupled by the force exerted by reactance elements I1 and 21, causes trigger C and latch 20 to be mutually latched against spontaneous return to their initial position. Slight further elevation of the frame it brings the mechanism into the position delineated in Figure 5, wherein recess 5w of cheekplate 5 (likewise Ba. of check late 6) has contacted the load pin 29 which is then caused to move in unison therewith, the cheekplates 5 and 6 (combined to form hook B) supporting the load pin 29 as would a conventional hook. When thus engaged the trigger notch 22 is in registry with recesses 50. and 5b.

terminates the The load having been moved to the desired 10- I cation and lowered to position, my device is released therefrom by continuing to lower the frame A relative to the load pin 29 until the position disclosed in Figure 6 is reached, wherein the load pin 29 has been passed by the latch 20,

the lower caniming surface 2'1 of which having contacted the load pin 29 has. caused the hook B and the latch 2K] to be displaced angularly about shaft 6 by an amount sufiicient to permit the upper portion of notches 23 to receive the load pin 29. It is to be noted that in the position shown in Figure 6, the latch 20 and the trigger C remain in the same relative position which they were caused to assume in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows my device in the load disengaging positions. Load disengagement is accomplished by elevating the mechanism, relative to the load pin 29, from the position shown in Figure 6. As the mechanism is thus elevated, the releasing recess 26 of the latch 20 engages the load pin 29. Continued elevation of the mechanism causes the latch 20 to be angularly'displaced about its axis, pin 8, thus releasing the shaft "I5 from the latching recess 25. Release of the shaft l5 permits the trigger B to'resume its initial'elevated position through the action of spring [1. Angular displacement of the latch 20 about its axis also causes angular displacement of the hook B about the shaft 4, thus placing the convex extension 28 of the trigger C in such position relative to the notch 23 that continued elevation of the mechanism permits complete disengagement from the load pin 29. When the load pin 29 is contacted by the convex extension 28, the hook B is further displaced angularly about the shaft 4, releasing the latch 20 from engagement, with the load pin 29, and permitting its return, by torsion spring 2| to the initial position, with arm 20a contacting shaft I5. Complete disengagement of the load pin 29 is followed by return of the hook B to its initial position against the shoulder pin 3, which acts as a stop. My device is now in the initial position disclosed in Figure 3, ready for another cycle of operations. It will be noted throughout the several views that the slot 23 acts to position the load attaching means over the load engaging pin 29 and to maintain that relationship throughout the cycle of operation. It will be obvious from the above discussion that this slot maintains the load attaching means in an operable position at all times, which is a distinct advantage when working with loads in submerged or restricted areas where it is not possible to ascertain by inspection the relationship between the lifting device and the load. The top of the slot 23 determines the lowest position which can be assumed by the lifting device, relative to the load, which is the load engaging and/or the load disengaging, position. It is thus obvious that any excessive slacking of the hoisting line can have no untoward effect on the operations of my device, it containing Within itself the means for self limitations of its relative downward displacement. I

It will be readily apparent and appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made in the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. It is desired therefore that only such limitations shall be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. An elevating device including a gripping and releasing mechanism adapted to operate upon alternate engagement with a load pin, said elevating device comprising an elevating frame provided with a slotted opening adapted to engage said load pin, a hook pivotally mounted to said frame adapted to support said load pin and retain the same within the slotted opening, a trigger unit slidably mounted on said hook and a latch pivotally mounted on said hook, and coacting with said trigger unit, said trigger unit adapted to engage said load pin to rotate the latch into the path of said slotted opening on the initial elevation of the frame, and said latch adapted to engage said load pin on the second 3 elevation of the frame to rotate the hook out of the path of the slotted opening to allow for free passage of the load pin.

2. An elevating device including a gripping and releasing mechanism adapted to operate upon alternate engagement with a load pin, said elevating device comprising an elevating frame provided with a slotted opening adapted to engage said load pin, a hook pivotally mounted to said frame and adapted to support said load pin and retain the same within the slotted opening, a trigger unit slidably mounted on said hook adapted to be displaced by said load pin on the initial upward movement of the frame, and a latch pivotally mounted on said hook and cooperatively united with said trigger unit adapted to be moved into the path of said slotted opening upon displacement of said trigger unit, and further adapted to engage said load pin on the second upward movement of the frame to rotate the hook out of engaging position to release said load pin.

3. A device of the class described comprising; a frame having a slotted opening adapted for the passage of a load pin, cheek plates forming a hook and provided with aligned slotted openings, said cheek plates pivotally mounted on said frame and adapted to close said passage when in position of repose, each being formed with an arcuate convex surface and an engaging notch; a trigger unit provided with laterally projecting shafts slidably mounted within the slots of said check plates and means adapted to retain said trigger unit in elevated position between said plates, said trigger unit being formed with an engaging notch and a convex displacing surface, said displacing surface being aligned with the convex surfaces of said cheek plates to form a cam adapted to displace the hook out of the path of said frame upon entrance of said load pin on the initial downward movement of the frame, and said engaging notch of the trigger unit and cheek plates adapted to prevent the release of said load pin upon return of the cheek plates to their position of repose upon initial upward movement of the frame; a latch pivotally mounted on said hook and formed with upper and lower camming surfaces, the upper camming surface adapted to react against the laterally projecting shaft of the trigger unit to rotate the latch into the path of the slotted opening in said frame upon initial upward movement thereof and relative downward 'movement of the load pin; the latching recess adapted to retain the latch in said position, the releasing recess adapted to engage the load pin on the second upward movement of said frame to rotate the cheek plates out of the path of the slotted opening in said frame, and the lower camming surface adapted to engage the load pin on the next initial downward movement of said frame to return the latch to its initial position.

ARTHUR C. DIXON.

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