US2260631A

US2260631A - Swing crane mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2260631A
Application number: US141850A
Authority: US
Inventors: Holger L Mitchell
Original assignee: Koehring Co
Current assignee: Koehring Co
Priority date: 1937-05-10
Filing date: 1937-05-10
Publication date: 1941-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1958-10-28

Description

Oct. 28, 19 41. H. MITCHELL 2,260,631

SWING CRANE MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1937 3 Sheets- Sheet l Snow Oct. 28, 1941. H. L. MITCHELL SWING CRANE MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u v I Oct. 28, 1941. H. L. MITCHELL 2,260,631

SWING CRANE MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1957 3 She ets-Sheet 3 swam/011 /7'0LG/? A 1/70/544 Patented Oct. 28, 1941- SWING CRANE MECHANISM Holger L. Mitchell, Milwaukee, Wis., asslgnor to Koehrin'g Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation Application May 10, 1937, Serial No. 141,850

. 6 Claims.

This invention appertains to .the art of excavating machines of the crane type used ordinarily in conjunction with shovel, dragline, clamshell, and similar excavating equipment. The present invention comprises improvements in cranes of this class of'the full revolving or part revolving types in which the crane body is adapted to rotate about its turntable axisfor the swinging of the boom and cable apparatus and working mechanism which is usually carried by said body.

The primary object of the invention has been to design a novel construction of two-speed gearing whereby the rotation of the crane body, termed in the art the swing thereof, may be accomplished by operation at either of two different speeds.

A secondary objective achieved by the particular construction ofgearing employed. forthe purposes of the invention has been to combine thetwo-speed gearing combination bfparizs'employed for the swing operation above referred to with certain of the parts of other two-speed gearing at present utilized in certain types of cranes for the purpose of driving the crane at two trac tion speeds and for the purpose of operating cable drum mechanism at two diflerent speeds.

A preferred construction of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a crane of the shovel type, embodying the invention, the cab or swing body of the crane being disposed transversely to the traction means or path of travel of the machine.

Figure 2 is a general top plan view of certain of the gearing, shafts, and drums carried by the platform of the crane body and part of which forms the driving means for the swing gearing to be hereinafter described.

Figure3 is a sectional view taken about on the line 3-4 of Figure 2, illustrating details of the gearing and operating means forming features of the invention.

Figure 4 is aview taken in horizontal section about on the line 4-4 in Figure 3, showing the swing and traction shaft and driving connections between the same and motor, also certain gearing which participates in the swing-function of the machine.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing certain lever parts employed to operate clutches of the swing and traction gearing.

' shafts, respectively.

B supporting the swing body A, the boom C, shovel D and-its dipper stick or handle E, and suitable cable means between the machinery on the body A and the boom and dipper features. The cable means includes the boom hoist cable I and the crowding out and racking in cable 2,

the former cable leading to a suitable drum 3 on a boom hoist shaft 4 and the latter cable leading to a cable drum 5 on the drum shaft 6. In rear-of the shaft 4 and its supportedparts is disposed a swing and traction or jackshaft 1 operated by a sprocket chain 8 connected with the-driving shaft O-of a motor F of any sit table I the rear portion of the body and 1 are geared together byl0, and il carriedby said type mounted at A. The shafts 8, 4 means of. gears 9,

fGenerally speaking,- the above partsare conventional parts of cranes of heretofore known construction.

Describing the features of the invention, and referring particularly to Figures 3 and 4, it will be observed that the swing and traction shaft 1 is. equipped with bevel gears spaced meshing with a driven bevel gear I: carried by the swing and traction or dual gear shaft l4 disposed vertically in relation to the shaft 1. The gear I; is fixed to the shaft i4 and said shaft. i4 carries a spur gear liloose thereon and in mesh with the toothed gear lli carried by the two-speed shaft II which is disposed parallel to and forward of the shaft i4. The gear i6 is directly supported by a sleeve is rotatable upon the shaft W, said sleeve in carrying a low speed gear I! near its lower end. The gear l9 meshes with a spur and clutch gear 20, the latter having a clutch member 2i for cooperation with the clutch member 22 which is carried by the low- In Figure 1 the crane illustrated is of the I shovel type comprising the swing body or cab A,

thetraction base including the endless crawlers v ing yoke 23 is supported by a shaft 24 and engaged with the clutch member 2| and gear 20 so as to raise or lower said combination member. The shaft 24 has an actuating arm 25 connected by a rod 26 to theclutch operating lever 21 which will be located at the lever stand on the platform of the swing body A of the crane.

The gear it not only meshes with the gear IE but also meshes with the upper swing gear 28 mounted on the swing shaft 29 which parallels the shafts l1 and I! by vertical arrangement, said shaft 29 carrying the swing clutch member 30 cooperative with a clutch member 3| on the hub of the gear 28. At its lower end the swing shaft 28 carries the swing pinion 82 that meshes with the swing orturntable gear 33 fixed to the.

apart and I frame 34' of the traction base which is disposed below the frame 35 that forms the base or platform of the swing body A. The cooperation of the swing pinion 32 with the swing gear 33 is, as usual, for the purpose of causing the rotation of the frame 35 and the crane body A around the centerpin axis of the machine.

At the centerpin or axis of the machine above referred to is located the vertical traction shaft 36 carrying at its lower end the driven bevel gear 31 meshing with an associated bevel gear 38 on the horizontal driven traction shaft 39. The traction shaft 36 is equipped with a vertically slidable splined gear 40 adapted to engage with the gear 28 but movable into an elevated position to unmesh it from said gear and render it idle. For the purpose of moving the gear 40 it is provided with a grooved hub 4| with which coacts the yoke of a shipper lever 42 disposed at one end of the lever. The lever 42 is carried by a shaft 43 and its other end is equipped with a yoke to cooperate to move upwardly and downwardly the clutch member 30 previously mentioned as the swing clutch. The shaft 43 is operable by a main operating lever 44 located at the lever stand of the body A.

With the above construction and arrangement of the parts in mind, it is notable that the swing gear 32 may be operated at either of two speeds, and the traction gears 31 and 38 may likewise be operated at either of two speeds. speed differential is obtained by utilizing the gear l5 of a larger size than the gear 20, the gears l8 and I9 coacting with the gears l5 and 20, respectively, and being of different sizes.

It is known to those versed in the art that it is unnecessary for the operating means for the swinging of the crane body to be used while the crane is moving under its own traction or power. Therefore, the mechanism of the invention has been designed so that the yoke lever 42 is shiftable to one position to render the traction gearing operative and to another position in which the traction gearing is disconnected or inoperative while the swing gearing is rendered operative.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Power from the motor or engine plant of the crane is transmitted to the horizontal swing and traction shaft 1. The direction of turning of the vertical swing and traction shaft H by the drive from the traction shaft 1 is controlled by using one or the other of the gears l2- which mesh with the bevel gear l3 by connecting either of the gears l2 with the jack shaft 1. Power being transmitted in the desired direction to the shaft l4, through the adjustment of suitable clutch .means on the shaft I, if the parts are adjusted according to the positions of Figure 3, the yoke 23 holds the combined gear and clutch member 20-2! in the low speedpositionof said parts. Thereby power is transmitted from the shaft I through the gears 20 and I3 to the gear l8. At this time the gear I5 is inoperative and idles loosely on the shaft I4. From the gear I6 power is transmitted to the gear 28 and also to the gear 40 in the position of the parts now treated. This is due to the fact that the lever 42 is adjusted so that the gear 40 meshes with the gear 28, under which conditions power is The two transmitted for the driving of the vertical traction shaft 36 at the low speed.

If the yoke lever 42 is tilted so as to raise the gear 40 and lower the clutch member 30, see Figure 3, the drive from the gear l6 will be discontinued, so far as the traction shaft 36 is concerned, and the gear 28 will be connected by the clutch 30 to the swing shaft 29 and cause rotation of the swing gear 32 at low speed.

To cause the swing gear 32 to operate at high speed, or correspondingly cause the vertical traction shaft 36 and its gears 31 and 38 to operate at high speed,- the lever 21 is operated to rock the yoke 23 upwards, disengaging the gear 20 from the gear [9 and clutching the clutch member 20 with the clutch member 22 of the gear l5. In this manner the gear I5 is connected by means of the gear 20, which is slidable or splined on the shaft 14, to said shaft I4, and driven therefrom to correspondingly transmit a driving effect to the gears i6, 28, and 40, depending upon the adjustment or position of the last mentioned gear and the clutch 30. As previously suggested, the driving of the swing and traction gearing described may be reversed by alternately connecting one or the other of the bevel gears l2 with the gear 13.

The high speed transmission gear l6 and the low speed transmission gear 19, with the sleeve I8, constitute a differential gear set by reason of the cooperation of the said gears with the high speed gear l5 and the low speed gear 20.

Recapitulating the controlling operations of the mechanism described, the high speed gear l5 when rendered operative by raising the parts 20 and 2| to clutch the parts 2| and 22 together will permit the driving of the swing pinion 32 at the higher speed when the clutch member 30 is dropped into engagement with the clutch element 3|. With the parts so arranged, if the clutch member 2| is disengaged from the member 22 and the gear 20 lowered to engage the gear IS, the swing pinion 32 will be driven at the lower speed.

The foregoing operations may of course be entirely independent of any driving operations between the motor and the traction devices B, but, according to the invention, as previously indicated, the elevation of the clutch member 30 will incapacitate or render inoperative the swing mechanism and place in operative condition the traction driving mechanism so that the two speed gears l5 and 20 may be availed of for the driving of the vertical traction shaft 36, the horizontal traction shaft 39, and the traction crawlers B. The two-speed gear mechanism of the invention therefore is adapted to perform a dual function as respects the swinging of the crane body and the traction driving devices or gearing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a crane of the class described, in combination, a traction base, a crane body revolvably supported on said base, swing gearing for swinging said crane body relatively-to the base, comprising a swing shaft, a-swing pinion operable by said shaft, a swing gear on the base coacting with the swing pinion, a motor, a driven shaft operated by the motor and a plural speed differential gear set interposed between said driven shaft and the swing shaft, and means for selectively operating the gears of the differential gear high speed and low speed gears operable by the driven shaft from the motor, and'means to establish a driving connection between the last mentioned shaft and either one of the high speed and low speed-gears carried thereby,

2. In a crane of the classdescribed, incombination, a traction base, a crane-body revolvably supported on said base, swing gearing for swinging said crane body relatively to the base, comprising a swing shaft, a swing pinion operable by said shaft, a swing gear on the base coacting with the swing pinion, a motor, a driven shaft operated by the motor and a plural speed from the motor, a driving high speed gear on differential gear set interposed between said driven shaft and the swing shaft, means for selectively operating the gears of the differential gear set for driving the swing shaft at selected of plural speeds from said driven shaft, comprising a dual gear shaft operable from the motor by said motor driven shaft, 9. high speed gear loose on said dual gear shaft, a low speed gear splined to said dual gear shaft, the last mentioned high speed gear coacting with the high speed gear of the differential gear set, the low speed gear comprising a clutch for clutching the same to the high speed gear of the dual gear shaft, and operating means for moving the low speed gear on the dual gear shaft so that it may engage the low speed gear of the 'difierential gear set and for shifting the low speed gear on the dual gear shaft into clutched engagement with the; high speed gear on the dual gear shaft, whereby the driving action of the dual gear shaft is communicated to the dual gear shaft high speed gear and therefrom to the corresponding gear of-the differential gear set.

3. In a crane of the class described, in comthe dual gear shaft cooperable with the high speed gear of the differential gear set and loosely carried by the'dual. gear shaft, a clutch memher on the high speed gear of the dual gear shaft, a slidable low speed gear on the dual gear shaft rotatable with said shaft and coacting with the low speed gear of the differential gear set, a clutch member on the slidable low speed gear a last mentioned, an operating device for shiftin said slidable gear so that it engages the low speed gear of the differential gear set when in one position and for shifting said slidable gear so that its clutch member is engaged with the clutch member on the high speed gear on the dual gear shaft, whereby different speeds may be communicated from the dualgear shaft to the swing pinion through the cooperation of the gears of the differential gear set, a driven gear on the swing shaft coacting with the high speed gear of the differential gear set, and means for connecting and disconnecting the driven gear of the swing shaft relatively thereto.

5. In a crane of the class described, in combination, a' traction base, a crane body revolvably bination, a traction base, a crane body revolvably supported on said base, swing gearing for swinging said crane body relatively to the base, comprising a swing shaft. a swing pinion operable by said shaft, a swing gear on the base coacting supported on said base, swing gearing for swing-- ing. said crane body relatively to the base, comprising a. swing shaft, a'swing pinion operable by said shaft, a swing gear on the base coacting with the swing pinion, a motor, a driven shaft operated by the motor and a plural speed differwith the swing pinion, a motor, a driven shaft operated by the motor and a plural speed differential gear set interposed between said driven shaft and the swing shaft, means for selectively 4 operating the gears of the differential gear set for driving the swing shaft at selected of plural speeds from said driven shaft, the last mentioned means comprising a dual gear shaft operated from the motor, a driving high speed gear on the dual gear shaft cooperable with the high speed gear of the differential gear set and loosely carried by the dual gear shaft, a clutch member on the high speed gear of the dual gear shaft, a slidable low speed gear on the dual shaft rotatable with said shaft and coacting with the low speed gear of the differential gear set, a clutch member on the slidable low speed gear last mentioned, an operating device for shifting said slid able gear so that it engages the low speed gear of the differential gear set when in one position and for shifting said slidable gear so that its clutch member is engaged with the clutch member on the high speed gear on thedual gear shaft, whereby different speeds may be communicated from the dual gear shaft to the swing pinion through the cooperation of the gears of the differential gear set.

4. In a crane of the class described, in combination, a traction base, a crane body revolvablysupported on said base, swing gearingfor swingential gear set interposed between said driven shaft and the swing shaft, means for selectively operating the gears of the differential gear set for driving the swing shaft at selected of plural speeds from said driven shaft, the last mentioned means comprising a dual gear shaft operated from the motor, a driving high speed gear on the dual gear shaft cooperable with the high speed gear of the differential gear set and loosely carried by the dual gear shaft, a clutch member on the high speed gear of the dual gear shaft, 9. slidable low speed gear 'on the dual gear shaft rotatable with said shaft and coacting with the low speed gear of the differential gear set, aclutch member on the slidable low speed gear last mentioned, an operating device for shifting said slidable gear so that it engages the low speed gear of the difierential gear set when in one position and for shifting said slidable gear so that its clutch member is engaged with the clutch member on the high speed gear on the dual gear shaft, whereby different speeds may be communicated from the dual gear shaftto the swing pinion through the cooperation of the gears of the differential gear set, a driven gear on the swing shaft coacting with the high speed swing shaft in one position, with means for simultaneously disconnecting said gear of the traction shaft from the driven gear on the swing shaft and connecting the driven gear on the swing shaft with the latter shaft.

6. In a crane, in combination, a crane body, a traction base upon which the crane body is rotatably supported, a traction gear on the traction base, a swing gear coacting with the traction gear, a swing shaft carrying the swing gear, a traction shaft parallel to the swing shaft for driving traction members or the traction base, a gear on each of the swing andtraction shafts, one of said gears being shiftable into and out of meshing relation with the other, clutch neans l0 controlling said gearing and operatively connected with the shiftable gear for shifting the latter so that when the gearing is drivingly connected with the traction shaft said gearing is inoperative in relation to the swing shaft and vice versa, and two-speed mechanism coacting with said gearing for driving either the swing shaft or traction shaft at diflerent speeds.

HOLGER L. mum-I...