US2382227A

US2382227A - Automatic ingot tongs

Info

Publication number: US2382227A
Application number: US507400A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hopkins James Hutson; Kendall Edgar Homer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-10-23
Filing date: 1943-10-23
Publication date: 1945-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1962-08-14

Description

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 AUTOMATIC INGOT TONGS James Hutson Hopkins and Edgar Homer Kendall, Alliance, Ohio Application October 23, 1943, Serial No. 507,400

2 Claims.

The invention relates to automatic tongs, and more particularly to automatic tongs adapted for suspension from the end of a crane cable and for being raised and lowered thereby for'automatically engaging an article or releasing an engaged article. More particularly, the invention relates to automatic ingot tongs for handling hot steel ingots and the like.

In the processing of steel ingots and the like,

vertical heating furnaces are frequently used,-

and a vertical heating furnace for relatively long articles, such as ingots, may include an inner elongated article'receiving vertical tubular compartment, which may be as deep as 15 feet and have an upper opening with removable covers.

1 The elongated article, such as a steel ingot,

is lowered into and raised out of the vertical compartment through the upper opening by automatic tongs suspended from the hook on the end of a crane cable, the tongsfengaging and releasing the upper end of the ingot or the like, by raising and lowering operations of the cable.

After the ingot or the like has been heated to the required extent, the temperature in the vertical compartment may be as high as 2400 F.

It is, therefore, necessary that suitable, tongs for handling an ingot or the like into and out of a vertical heatingfurnace must be not only automatic in operation, but must alsobe capa-Z ble of automatic operation at a temperature of: as high as 2400 F. a I

It is also desirable that such automatic ingot tongs adapted for high temperature use should have as long a life as possible, and should be .of such construction as to permit rapid as" wellas economical manufacture and maintenance:

Automatic tongs for handling, ingots-and-the like available prior to the present improvements have not met all of, the foregoing enumerated requirements to the degree desired 'by' users of; automatic tongs. r

The objects of the present invention include the provision of improved automatic tongs par-; ticularly adapted for handling ingots during heating operations in vertical heating furnaces,: and which are operative in-an improved manner by relative straight line movement of the principal parts of the automatic tongs controlling the relative positions and movements of the tong so that they may be manufactured and maintained with facility and economy.

Further objects of thepresent invention include the provision of improved automatic tongs in which the parts are arranged for positive, certain, and repeating cyclical operation. The foregoing and other objects are obtained by the automatic tongs, apparatus, parts, improvements, combinations, and sub-combinations which comprise the present invention, and the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of which together with their mode of use are set forth in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming a part hereof. l

The nature of the present invention may be stated in general terms as including in automatic tongs, upper head means for suspension from the rods operatively connecting the tong levers with the upper head means, and automatic push and pull actuated cyclically engaging and releasing latch and catch means operative between the upper head means and the tong lever mounting means for controlling the action of the tang levers by successive lifting connections and nonlifting associations of the head means with the tong lever mounting means.

When the tong levers are in gripping position, as on opposite sides of an ingot, they are suspended by the rods from the upper head means.

When the gripped ingot is located at the desired position, the automatic tongs are lowered so that the lower tong lever mounting means seats upon the upper end of the ingot, and the.

upper head means are further lowered to engage the upper latch means on the upper head means with the lower catch means on the lower tong mounting means, in such a position that the tong levers are locked in the open position.

When it is desired to pick up another object,

such as another ingot, thetongs with the levers in the locked open position are lowered so that the tong lever mounting means seats on the upper end of the ingot to be picked up, after which the upper head means are further lowered and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation View with portions broken away and illustrated in longitudinal axial section of one embodiment of the improved automatic tongs, the tong gripping bits and other parts being shown in their relative positions when the tong gripping bits are maintained open; a

Fig. 2 a similar view illustrating the relative positions of the parts of the improved automatic tongs at the end of the first push action necessary for releasing the tong gripping bits from the locked open position;

Fig. 3 a similar view illustrating the relative" positions of the parts of the improved automatic tongs when the tong gripping bits-are in gripping and lifting positions;

Fig. 4 a transverse sectional view as on line 4-4, Fig. 3; and t Fig. 5 a fragmentary longitudinal axial sectional view, illustrating a second embodiment of the improved automatic push and pull actuated cyclically releasing latch and catch means adapted for being included in improved automatic tongs which are otherwise similar to the automatic tongs of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The improved automatic tongs are indicated generally by ID, and include upper head means indicated generally by l I, lower tong lever mounting means indicated generallyby i2, tong levers indicated generally by; l3a and l3!) pivotally mounted on the mounting means I 2, andtong lever actuating rods indicated generally by Ma and Mb operatively connecting the tong levers [3b and Ba respectively with the upper head means II. v r

The upper head means H and the lower tong lever mounting means l2 furthermore include in operative association with each other improved automatic push and pull actuated cyclically engaging and releasing latch and catch means indicated generally by l5 for controlling the ac-.

tion of the tong levers l3a and lv3bby successive lifting connections and non-lifting associations of the head II with thetong lever mounting means 12.

The upper head means I l includes as shown a pair of spaced preferably parallel upwardly elongated and taperingouter plates 16, the upper apex endsl'l of'which are spaced and connected by lift pin means indicated generally by l8. Below the lift pin means l8 and parallel therewith, 'a stop bolt 19 extends between the plates l6 and through opposite apertures therein, and is secured therein by the usual bolt head and nut.

The longitudinal axis of the tongs i0 is indicated by the dot-dash line Y, and at equal disshown perpendicularto the plates l6. Each of the trunnions, 22a and 225 has formed therein a slide bore '23at right angles to the axis of its bearings, each slide bore 23 being preferably cylindric. The upper ends. of 'thepreferably. cylindric rods Ma and Nb extend through the slide bores 23 of the trunnions 22a and 22b'respecproved automatic tongs of the present invention tively. Upper end portions of each rod Ida. and Mb are externally threaded, and nuts 24a and 242) are screwed respectively on the upper threaded ends of the rods Ma and Mb above their respective slide trunnions 22a and 22b.

' The tong lever mounting means l2 includes preferably as shown a yoke indicated generally by 25 having an upper tubular shank 26 whose bore is co-axial with the axis Y and having an outwardly flanged lower end 21 from opposite sides of which, preferably parallel with the head plates [6, depend inverted spaced T oke legs 28. Each inverted T yoke leg 28 includes an upper elongatedzstem 29 extending downwardly from one side of the shank flange 21 and terminatin in a crossbar 30.

At equal distances from opposite sides of the longitudinal center plane extending through longitudinal axis Y and perpendicular to the plates I6, the crossbars 30 of the yoke legs 28 have formedtherein opposite pairs of registering apertures in which are located oppositeends of fulcrum pins 3la and 31b. 'Each fulcrum pin 3m and 3 lb preferably includes at each end a threaded outer end 32 extending through one of the mounting apertures in one of the crossbar 30 and beyond the outer face thereof, where a se curing nut 33 is screwedthereon.

, The tong levers l3aand B1) are preferably angled as shown. The tong lever l3a includes a longer upper arm 34a located between the yoke legs 28 and having formed therein a bearing aperture through'which the fulcrum pin 31a extends. From the pin Sla, the arm 34a extends towards the pin 3Ibwhere the arm 34 terminates above the pin 3lb in a clevis 35a having registering apertures formedin its U side members. I

The lower end of the rod. Mb has secured thereon a sleeve cap 3617 from the lower end of Which extends a tongue .311) between the U side arms of the clevis 35a, the tongue 31b having formed therein an aperture registering with-the clevis arm apertures, and the registering clevis arm apertures and the tongue aperture are connected bya pin 38.

The tonglever .arm- 34a extends a short distance beyond the outer side of the fulcrum pin 3la to a curved apex 390. from which depends a shorter tong lever arm 40a near the lower end of which is located a tapered aperture 41a in the central plane parallel with the plates l6 and passing through the longitudinal axis Y. The tapered aperture Ma has its larger end adjacent the axis Y and receives the tapered end of a tong bit 4211 having a pointed inwardly directed conical gripping head 43a.

Similarly'the tong lever l3b includes a longer upper arm 34b located between the yoke legs 28 and having formed therein a bearing aperture through which the fulcrum pin 3H2 extends. From the pin 3lb, the arm 34b extendsalong one side'of the arm 34:: towards the pin am, where the arm 34b terminates above the pin 31a in a clevis 351) having registering apertures formed in its U side members.

The lower end of the rod Ma has secured thereon a sleeve cap 36a from the lower end of which extends a tongue 31a. having formed therein an aperture registering with the clevis arm apertures, and the registering clevis arm apertures and the tongue apertures are connected by a pin 38.

The tong lever arm 34!) extends a short distance from the outer side of the fulcrum pin (ill) to a curved apex 392) from which depends a shorter The automatic cyclically engaging andi release ing'latch and catch means I5 operative between the head H and the tong lever mounting means I2 includes in the head -r I I slide bearing and latch mounting means indicated generally by 44 and comprising spaced elongated rectangular connecting plates .45 each having a. longitudinal axis in the longitudinal centerplane passing through the longitudinal axis Y and perpendicular to the plates I6, and each connecting plate 45 having an outer face in abutment With the inner face of one of the plates I6. The connecting plates 45 are thus located between the head lift plates I 6.

Between the connecting plates 45 there is secured as by welding a longitudinally extending slide guide. and latch mounting preferably cylindric tube 46 having its longitudinal axis coinciding with the longitudinal axis Y. At each pposite side of its longitudinal axis, each plate 45 has formed therein a row of longitudinally spaced apertures registering with a similar row of apertures in the abutting plate I6 and with the directly opposite rows of apertures in the other plate 45 and its abutting plate I6. Through each set of registering apertures in the plates I6 and 45, a removable connecting bolt 41 extends, each bolt 41 having on the outer opposite sides of plates I6 a usual bolt head and nut.

At the upper end of the tube 46 is secured a cap 48 from which depend within the bore of tube 46 a plurality of latch hooks 49 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Upon the upwardly extending yoke shank 26 is telescoped a slide tube 50 which extends upwardly, and slidably fits in the bore of the guide and latch mounting tube 46. Within the upper end of the bore of the slidetube 50 is located a catch or detent preferably as shown in the form of a cylindric tube fitting in the bore of the tube 50 and having at its upper end a downwardly sloping inwardly extending frusto-conical catch or detent flange 52. At thelower end of the bore of the tube 5| is fitted a cylindric connector plug 53, and the connector plug 53 and the tubes 5| and 50 have formed therein registering apertures through which extends a connector pin 54.

The plug 53 extends below the lower extremity of tube 5| and is provided co-axial with the axis Y with an internally threaded socket in which is screwed the upper threaded end of the shank of a tie bolt 55. The yoke shank 26 is provided with a central aperture and the shank of the-tie bolt 55 extends through the central aperture of the yoke shank 26, and there is preferably provided between the lower head of the bolt 55 and the lower end of the shank 26 a centering washer 56. Within the bore of the catch tube 5 I, there is slidably located a preferably tubular and preferably externally cylindric cam 51. l

Each of the latch hooks 49 includes as shown an upper elongated spring stem 58 depending from the cap 48 and a lower hook end 59 extending outwardly from the lower end of the stem 58 away from the axis Y in a direction generally perpendicular thereto for engagement and disengagement'of its upper hook face with the lower frustog conical hookttace' of the flange 52. The lower camiace 60. of each h0Qk"nd'5a' iS curvedand preferably spherical. "llhepreferably tubular ,cam 51: longitudinally jslidable in the hereof the tube 5| between the flange 52 and the pl 3 includes at 'itsup er end an inwardly extending annular cam. flange 6| which in cross sectionhas a ridge contour in; a plane passingthrough the axis Y. the apex of the ridge being adjacent thelaxisY andbeing preferably flattened.- t 1 Accordingly, when the lower spherical camface fill and the hook ends of the latch hooks-49 are pushed, into ,thetubular or sleeve cam Blythe hookends 359. on the spring stems 58 will be sprung inwardly toward the axis Y by the camming ac:

tion of the spherical ,faces .60 being pusheddowlll wardly through the throatof the invva iily exv tending annular ridge cam flange 6|.

In operation the improved automatic tongs ID are usually suspended from a crane cable attached at its lower end to the lift pin means l8 of the upper head means II. The crane cable, not shown, is a part of a usual crane and is raised and lowered by the usual operation of the crane to raise and lower the automatic tongs.

When the automatic tongs I0 have theirparts in the relative positions hown in'Fig. l, the tong levers 311 and 1 3b and their gripping bits are maintained open, the latch hooks 49 being engaged beneath the frusto-conical catch or-dee tent flange 52.

When the automatic tongs II] are lowered with the tong levers in their locked open position so that the tong lever mounting means I2 strikes against the upper end of an object to be lifted, such as an ingot, the tong lever mounting means I2 is pushed with respect to the upper head means II, and the head means II is dropped with re-. spect to the lever mounting means I2, so that the latch hooks 49 are pushed into the tubular or sleeve cam 51 below the cam flange 6|, as

shown in Fig. 2. l

Upon next raising the head means I2, the sleeve cam 51 is raised by the hook ends 59 of the latch hooks 49 till the upper end of the sleeve cam 51 abuts against the lower end of the catch or detent annular flange 52, when the hook ends 59 are sprung inwardly from the axis Y and displaced from engaging position with respect to the catch 52 and are permitted to be pulled upwardly through the annular catch or detent flange 52, so

that the parts of the automatic tongs I I) may assume the gripping or closed positions of the tong levers and gripping bits shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated a second embodiment of the improved push and pull actuated cyclically engaging and releasing latch and catch means adapted for being included in improved tongs which otherwise are similar to the automatic The latch and.

tongs in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. catch means of Fig. 5 are indicated generally by M5 and generally are similar to the latch and catch means I5, with the exception that in the latch and catch means I I5 the latch hooks I49 inwhich may at any time properly under theUIlit'ed States patent lawsbe set forth in the claims hereof'or originating herein,- and the elements of any such claims are intended to include their rea sonable, mechanical and functional equivalents;

1'. In automatic tongs and the like, upperhead means, lower tong lever mounting meansftong levers pivotally mounted on the-mountingmeans, tong lever suspension and actuating rods operatively connecting the tong levers with the upper head means, and push and pull actuated cyclically engaging and releasing latch an'd catch means operative between the upper head means and the lower tong lever mounting means and controlling the positions of the to'ng levers, and each rod having a lower pivotal connection with one of the levers and an upper slidable and pivotal connection with the head means.

tion with the head means.

"JAMES HUTSON HOPKINS.

EDGAR HOMER