US2262811A - Mechanical grapple - Google Patents

Description

Nov. l8, 1941. s. P. MCDANIELS ET AL MECHANICAL GRAPPLE Filed Feb, 14, 1940 I/VVEINTORS s. P. m DA N/ELS R. R. POLL/1RD ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 18, 1941 MECHANICAL GRAPPLE Shryock P. McDaniels, Maplewood, and Robert R. Pollard, East Orange, N. J., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 14, 1940, Serial No. 318,824

5 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical grapples, and more particularly to mechanical grapples for transporting heavy hollow articles.

Mechanical grapples used in transporting heavy articles must necessarily be of a sturdy and therefore heavy structure. When such grapples require manual assistance in positioning them with respect to the articles they are to transport and in operation of means to cause the engagement of the grapple with the articles, it has been found advantageous in reducing the effort required of an operator and increasing the 'efliciency of the grapple to equip it with means for easy positioning and easy operation irrespective of the position of the operator.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient and durable mechanical grapple which is easily positioned and easily operated irrespective of the position of the operator.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a mechanical grapple having articles engaging elements controlled bya member vertically reciprocable in a body, the latter having tapered guides for centering the elements with an article, a hand rail extending therearound for positioning the elements relative to the article, and a latch manually operable at any position adjacent the hand rail by a cord or the like extending circuitously adjacent the rail to releasably hold the reciprocable member against movement with the elements out of article engaging positions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the mechanical grapple in position to lift a hollow article, portions being broken away to more clearly illustrate various structures thereof;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the article engaging elements in their out of article engaging positions;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along a portion of the line 44 of Fig. 1 but looking upwardly therefrom, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view of the grapple, this view being taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

' Referring now to the drawing, a body of the mechanical grapple is indicated generally at H], consisting in general of a top or head portion and a lower or base portion joined together by vertical members.

Attention is first directed to Fig. 2, which illustrates the structure of the top portion. This structure comprises a hand rail ll circular in general as well as cross sectional contour, it being formed in the present instance of a metal tube bent into circular formation and having its ends joined by welding. Two cross pieces l2 spaced from each other and extending upon each side oflthe center of the hand rail for the full inner diameter thereof, have their respective ends secured to the rail by suitable means such as welding. Two pairs of shorter pieces or members 13 and I4 extend from the inner wall of the hand rail, where they are rigidly secured by Welding to their respective cross pieces l2, in general alignment as illustrated, where they are rigidly secured by suitable means such as welding. To reenfonce this structure angle members l5 and I6 are positioned between the pairs of members l3 and I4, respectively, where they are rigidly secured in place. Two guide blocks 1 8 are disposed at spaced positions upon each side of the center of the head portion between the cross pieces l2, where they are rigidly secured in place, to serve as guides for a vertically movable actuating member 20. This completes the structure of the head portion of the body H).

The vertical members connecting the head portion with the base of the body consist of pairs of angle members 22 and 23 having their upper ends secured to the members 13 and I4, respectively, adjacent the ends of the respective angle members [5 and 16. Two uprights 24 and 25, rectangular in cross section, are included among the vertical members connecting the head of the body with the base thereof, these members having their upper ends disposed between the cross pieces I2, where they are rigidly secured in place. While still viewing Fig. 2, attention is directed to a plurality of eyelets 21, disposed in a substantially circular arrangement adjacent the rail, for a suitable latch actuating means such as a cord 30. The term cord is intended to describe any means such as a strand, cable, rope, chain or other structure of this nature which might be used in the present instance for actuating lower portion of the body of the mechanical 55 the latch. Returning to the eyelets, it will be which illustrate the base structure of the body. I

In the base structure two cross members 33 and 34 extend the full width of the base portion and lie vertically in identical planes with their respective cross pieces l2 of the head portion.

The cross members 33 and 34 have their ends disposed upon each side of the uprights 24 and 25, where they are rigidly secured, while the lower central portions of the cross pieces project downwardly between inwardly extending tapered edges 26, the latter serving as guide members of the body to center the body and also the article engaging elements hereinafter described in an aperture 36 of an apertured article 31. In the present instance the article 31 is a hollow reel for containing strand material such as wire and is provided with an annular flange 33 positioned therein adjacent heads 39 thereof.

Returning now to the base portion of the body, which is similar in certain details to the head portion in that it has the cross members 33 and 34 similar to the cross pieces I2 but with the added structures between the edges 26 which form center guides for the body, pairs of members .46 extendin outwardly at right angles from each of the cross members 33 and 34 in vertical planes with the members I3 and I4 of the head portion have their inner ends secured to their respective cross members as shown in Fig. 6, while their outer ends are positioned between their respective angle members 22, and laterally extending angle members 4|, similar to the angle members l5 and I6, where they are rigidly secured in place. Various connections of the parts of the body in the present instance are formed by welding but it is apparent that these connections may be made by other suitable means if so desired. The lower portions of the members 40 project downwardly, providing tapered guide edges 42 (Figs. 2 and 6) which are positioned at desired angles as illustrated in Fig. 2, to cooperate with the edges 26 of the cross members 33 and 34 to complete the guide members of the body for centering the.

body and the article engaging elements in an article such as the reel shown.

A guide member 45 is positioned between the cross members 33 and 34 and cooperates with a bracket 46 to provide guide means in the base of the body for the actuating member 20. The bracket 46 projects upwardly in the form of a yoke to receive, between the upper ends thereof, a latch 41, the latter being supported by a pivot 48 carried by the bracket. The latch is of the contour illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, having a projection 49 adapted to extend into a notch 50 f the member 20 to lock the member in the position shown in Fig. 3 by the aid of a spring the latter having one end secured to the outer end of the latch with the other end fixed to a pinl52 carried by the cross members 33 and 34. The cord 30 has both ends fixed to the latch, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and extends upwardly between the cross pieces I2, where it is formed into a loop extending through the eyelets 21. 1

The upper end of the actuating member 20 is provided with an aperture 54 for receiving a hook 55 of any suitable means such as a hoist, to cause actuation of the member to actuate the article engaging elements 56 and 51 to transport the article through the aid of the entire structure from one position to another. The general structure of the article engaging elements will be understood by viewing Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5. In Fig. 4 it will be observed that each element is composed of spaced longitudinal portions, having their outer ends rigidly secured to connecting pieces 58 and 59,

respectively, while their inner ends are mounted upon a pivot pin 60 in their respective positions illustrated in this figure, namely the members of the element 51 being disposed directly upon each side of the actuatingmember 20, while the members of the element 56 are disposed adjacent the outer edges of their respective members of the element 51. The pivot pin 60 extends through and is carried by the lower end of the actuating member 20. A stationary pin 6|, that'is; stationary with respect to the body I0, extends through apertures in the cross members 33 and 34 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5) and also through an elongate aperture 63 in the actuating member 20. Pairs of 1inks'64 and 65 have their upper ends mounted upon the pin 6| and their lower-ends mounted on pins 66 and 61, the latter being carried-by their respective actuating elements 56 and 51.

In operation let it be assumed that the various parts are in positions illustrated in Fig. 3, which shows the actuating element latched in its lowermost position with the elements 56 and 51 in their out of article engaging positions. For the purpose of illustration, picture the entire unit being lowered toward the reel. The hoist, of which the hook 55 is a part, is not apart of this invention other than a means to move the grapple and cause actuation of the elements 56 and 5.1 through movement of the actuating member 20, but, to understand more clearly the importance of certain features of the invention, a mental picture of a hoist might be helpful, Reference is made particularly to hoists which may be con-, trolled by one operator, enabling the operator to control the grapple also. To control the hoist the operator must stand near the controls. He is not free to move about the grapple. Therefore, due to the limitedposition of the operator and further due to the possibility of the grapple changing its position due to' rotary movement with the hook, one way or the other, it is important that grasping positions be provided regardless of the position of the grapple relative to the operator. The hand rail ll supplies'manual grasping positions around the body so that regardless of where the operator is standing with respect to the grapple he is provided with a grasping position or portion of the hand rail, by the aid of which he may readily locate the grapple with respect to the reel. Furthermore, the positioning of the latch actuating means, namely the cord 36, circuitously adjacent the hand rail enables the operator to readily actuate the latch without changing his position with respect to the grapple or without exerting additional effort or subjecting himself to hazards in reaching elsewhere for means to actuate the latch. v

When the grapple is moved into general alignment with the aperture in the reel the grapple may be lowered, at which time the elements 56 and 51, which are positioned as shown in Fig. 3,- will serve to center themselves in the reel. It will be noted that the general positions ofv these elements as shown in Fig. 3 provide combined wedge-like outer surfaces which will engage the inner wall of the reel as the unit is moved downwardly, providing the unit is not accurately centered with the reel, forcing the unit toward the center of the reel. Furthermore, the guide edges 26 and 42 of the base portion of the body will complete what the elements 56 and 51 have started in centering the body and the elements with the reel.

When the unit has been lowered into the position shown in Fig. 3, with the base of the body l resting upon the upper surface or head of the reel, the operator may then, without changing position, move the cord 30 sufficiently to release the latch 41. By moving the actuating member 20 upwardly through the aid of the moving means or the hoist of which the book 55 is a part, the elements 56 and 51 are caused to swing outwardly about their pivot pin 60 through the control of the links 64 and 65, the latter being held against upward movement with the actuating member due to their mounting on the stationary pin 6| but free to swing outwardly following the outward movements of the elements. This movement is continued until the ends of the elements position surfaces which are then horizontal in intimate engagement with the lower surface of the annular flange 38. During this upward movement the lower end of the elongate aperture 63 engages the pin 6|, lifting the body [0 upwardly. The grapple is thus connected to the article or reel and may transport the article to any desired position and lower the article upon a surface upon which it is to rest. When this has been done the downward movement of the actuating member 20 may be continued to lower the body Ill upon the reel and a continued downward movement of the actuating member will cause the links 64 and 65 to draw the elements 56 and 51 inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, at which time the notch 50 in the actuating member will be positioned to receive the projection 49 of the latch 41, allowing the spring to move the latch into locking engagement with the actuating member. The grapple is thus in a position to be moved free of this article or reel and be moved to another which is to be transported in the same manner.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is merely illustrative and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinally movable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connecting the elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into and out of article engaging position by movement of the member relative to the body, and a hand rail supplying manual grasping positions around the body for the 'manual positioning of the elements relative to an article.

2. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinally movable therein, article engaging elements, guide members on the body to center the elements with an article, means operatively connecting the elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into and out of article engaging position by movement of the member relative to the body, and a hand rail supplying manual grasping positions aroundthe body for the manual positioning of the elements relative to an article.

3. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinally movable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connecting the elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into and out of article engaging position by movement of the member relative to the body, spring actuated means to automatically lock the elements in their out of article engaging position, and means to release the locking means.

4. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinally movable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connecting the elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into and out of article engaging position by movement of the member relative to the body, means to lock the elements in their out of article engaging position, a hand rail supplying manual grasping positions around the body for the manual positioning of the elements relative to an article, and means extending circuitously adjacent the hand rail to manually release the locking means.

5. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinally movable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connecting the elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into and out of article engaging position by movement of the member relative to the body, a latch to hold the member against movement to hold the elements in their out of article engaging position, a hand rail supplying manual grasping positions around the body for the manual positioning of the elements relative to an article, and a latch cord extending from the latch and circuitously adjacent the hand rail to manually release the latch.

SHRYOCK P. McDANIELS. ROBERT R. POLLARD.

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