US2503689A - Brick handling fork - Google Patents

Description

April 11, 195o Filed Dec. 21e, 1 946 S. E. RIKE BRICK HANBLNG FORK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 if@ Pl. L M 12 50 Z 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :|21- :mrd

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Filed Dec. 26, 1946 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRICK' I IANDLING Folug: r silesgalmermke, oentertorgflnd; AppIi'cat'o'nDecember 26, 1946, Serial No.

brickand; like packsame have been suitably deposited" layer upon-y layer and the unit'l simultaneously elevatedv andv transported by a tow-motor and carrier known as: a fork, the latter" including parallel lingers,y same being elevated prior. to tow-motor vtravel and lowered when the unit' has been transported tov its initial destination.

vTo expedite operations and; eliminate waitingv periodsA so that the fork and tow-motor' can: be utilized substantiallyy continuouslyf or transportation purposes only certain of the brick are arranged; in'A parallel rowrelation.v These are known as skid brick and the=rowsasfs1iidirows.v Thereafter brick are stacked thereon.

A tow-motor with its fork' is then. presented to these lowermost' skid bricks soy that same are disposed between the fork'ngers. Coextensive with each brick confronting face of a nger is a brick gripping element. Asv the brick mass Weight is applied to the fingers thev brick gripping element', substantially coextensive with each, is projected into skid row engagement so that the skid brick and supported pile` can be picked up by the fork for transportation. and when. transported deposited at the new location for storage or shipment. In the former case, the mass-readily can be picked' up again and again asrequired or desired. f

Devices of this latter type: have certain disadvantages. Ifthe' skid-rowy bricky be misaligned slightly there is Wearing and tearing ofA the skid brick clampingy member'- This is especially pronounced near the-free end ofthe iinger located` portion thereof.

' A- second and even more disadvantagev results from lack of brick uniformity. One thick brick inask-id: row'or one or morey thinI bricks therein will result in imperfect gripping of all skid brick.

When all brick is picked up-and transported',.

evenif all skid brick be initially gripped, the thin ones will drop out during transportation and when the unit mass is deposited, the. package arrangement frequently is; destroyed. Sometimes',A the droppedy (released).A skid brick evenmomentarily stops `transpx'ortation so the mass topples from the ngers. y

The'present invention has for its chief object the retention of all the advantages of. the. towmotor and.` fork previously described and, none af', thedisadvantages of. same,v especially those specically mentioned hereinbefore;

chief feature ofthe present: invention. ref

sides in the segmentation of the skid brick; ping: means on any brick confronting linger face.

Another feature of the presenty invention re.-k sides: in the utilization of single power means;` for opposite face mountedl skid" brick gripping means this: only being possible, with safety, when; the: latter'a-re segmented:

A. further` feature of the.' invention resides; in the use of a hydraulic orl uid pressure mea-n3;

deriving pressure ui'dfrom the tow-motor for skid brick' gripping, etc.

Other obj ectsf and features:` of. the invention'will be setl forth: more: fully hereinafter.

The.v full', nature. of ther invention will be underh stood fromthe accomps'myingf.` drawings and the following description andrclairns.:

In the drawings Fig: l=; isf a vertical sectional view of a portion of. a bricky fork; including. the invention.

Fig'. 2- is: a; front elevation: of same withA back plate: removed..

Fig. 3 is a top? plan view'. ofv the; fork shown in Figs; l` and 2k andzwith back plate' removed;

Fig'. 4; is anr enlarged.' longitudinal. sectional. View through a finger' of thefork; one of the gripping; segments; or, elements being shown in. elevation; andiitsf power' and. base.

Fig. 5- is: a transverse 'sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4 and in the direction of: the:

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational View ofthe power for a single' andf a double. gripping finger;

Fig. 9' is a sclienlatic'` rear'elevational' Viewx of a five r fingers fork 'hydraulicV power: system wherein; the endiingers7 are of single grippingl type and? the intermediate fingers: are of' dual gripping;

type.

Figl l-0 is:` a similar View of amodied formf of power mechanism.- 4 Since: th'etoyvI motory is conventional to,` the art no specific reference need 'be' had thereto` except tostatefit'is a self-propelled vehicle upon which the operator'm'ay ride? and control theetravel thereof, saidvvehicle being; reversi-ble ands steerableit Such a vehicle inclu-des- 'ai motor operable; manually controlled "power-takefhofi and in many instancesaypair, oi* lparallel chains raise andlower the fork upon the tow motorcarryingsame.- Theiork main support is usually equipped with manually :controlled l-luid.. pressure operablesubstantially vertically disposed spaced members suitably secured to the main support that is laterally shiftable as aforesaid. To each is secured a parallel track I I. Straddling the upper portion of each member I is a U-shaped structure comprising plates I2 and axle I3, the latter supporting roll I4 disposed forwardly of track II and spaced therefrom. L

Interposed between the track II and roller I4 is a floating frame member I5 which at its rear slides upon the track and at its front bears on ro1lI4.- '.f

AvProjecting forwardly from each member I0 below the aforesaid is the angular'member I6 suitably secured to said member and having the laterally directed confining portion I I in spaced relation to member I0. Thus the two members I5 or the floating frame is prevented, relative to the base, from any other than up and down sliding movement on tracks I I.

` Disposed between and suitably connected at opposite ends to members lIl) is the channel I8. Disposed between the same members, or more particularly the confronting members l2, see Fig. 3, and suitably secured thereto at opposite ends is the angle I9. The horizontally disposed webs thereof are suitably apertured as at l2|] and 2| respectively.

f The lower ends of floating frame members I5 are suitably connected as at 22, see Fig. l, and gussetted as 23, see Fig. 2. Cross member 22 may include upwardly directed tongue 24, the gussets and tongue being apertured at 25.

A load spring 26 is hooked at one end in each aperture and into eye 21 at its opposite end, said eye being the termination of a bolt 28 seated in aperture 2| of cross member I9. A nut 29 retains the bolt upon member I9 and determines the adjusted force of the associated load spring 26.

Suitably secured to floating frame members 'I5 and to the top thereof is the cross member 30 which projects forwardly therefrom an appreciable distance to serve as an upper anchoring base for a vertically disposed back plate 3I lsuitably secured thereto.

When frame members Il) are chain or like elevated by the tow motor, springs 26 elongate if a suicient load be imposed upon the fork, If the load be greater than the capacity of springs 26, member 30 will engage' the upper edges of the U-shaped structures I2, etc., and prevent further or excessive lowering of the load. There is therefore relative movement provided between what might be termed the main frame and the floating frame of the fork.

To the forward face of cross-member 21 is suitably secured, as at 32, the bases 33 and 34 of the single and dual fingers 35 and 36, same having tapered free ends 35's and 36a as shown. Each of the finger bases is suitably apertured at 31 to pass an oscillatory rod 38, see Fig. 4, and same at its rearward end terminates in a polygonal or like head 39. l

` In member 22 there is rotatably supported at a short shaft 4I aligned with shaft 38. The

4 bearing 40 is counterbored at 42 to nest the socket type head 43 on the end of shaft 4I. This socket seats head 39 so that shafts 4| and 38, while connected and movable angularly as a unit, are axially separable whenever the finger base is detached from its support 22.

The shaft 4I projects rearwardly from member 22 and has its exposed end shaped to mount or be mounted upon a lever arm for arm operation of the aligned shafts. Herein exposed end 44 is polygonal and projects through a complementary hole 4-5 in a, lever 46, the two being secured against separation as by cotter key 41.

Each link 46 is slotted longitudinally as at 48. Therein is slidably secured angular end 49 of rod 50, said end being retained by washer 5I-52 and cotter key 53. Referring more particularly to Fig. l it will be observed that each rod 50 slidably extends through registering apertures fore the angular end moves from a lower position to a higher position. This end slides in slot 48 in the associated lever 46 so that it and the shaft 4I-38 rock. The purpose thereof is to effect clamping of the skid brick.

Reference will now be had to the right hand portion of Fig. 3 and Figs, 4 to 8, inclusive. In the left hand portion thereof is illustrated the rod and arm connection to the uppermost finger 35, see Fig. 3. The right hand portion illustrates the rod 5D connection to the two shafts 4I--38 of the topmost dual finger 36, see Fig. 3. Fig. 8, accordingly, shows a single rod actuating the finger gripping means of the associated flnger. Note in the latter connection end 49 of rod 5D rides in both slots 48 of both levers 46 for a dual finger and rocks the shafts thereof oppositely. In said figure the projected position of the finger gripping means is indicated by dotted lines and the lever positions corresponding thereto are similarly indicated.

Reference will now be had more particularly to Figs. 4 to '7 inclusive. As shown in Fig. 3 each finger 35 or 36 has a base detachably secured to cross-member 22 and when detached shafts 38 and 4I simultaneously separate.4 `'This permits :linger replacement vatA will with no other work than removal and replacement.

Herein the several skid brick confronting faces of the fingers are suitably channeled as at 59. Shaft 38 extends substantially coextensive therewith. see Fig. 1. While Fig. 4 illustrates a single finger, Figs. 5 to 7 illustrate so-called dual fingers.

Suitably secured in the pocket or cavity are a plurality of bearing structures for shaft 38. Each includes a block base 69 pinned as at 6I to the finger and4 having shaft bearing portion 463. Cap 64 is pin aligned at 6 5 with theblock and secured to same by'screw 66 as shown. It includes cap shaft bearing and retaining face 61. Removal of all screws 65 -releases shaft 38.

Each shaft 38 between a pairof bearings has see Figs, 4 and 6, a'rocker element 69 so that it rod and spring utilized instead of the five rods and springs shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' A lmodification of the foregoing but utilizing the basic principle thereof, as well as that shown in Fig. 8, in other Words, a positive pressure and single spring or relative frame movement and single spring type of power is illustrated in Fig. 10.

Herein bars 290 and 20| are connected to levers 246 carried by shafts 244. Herein bar 200 mounts lateral extension 202 and bar 20| mounts lateral extension 203. Rod 250 is vertically slidable as before.

Pivotally supported on xed points 280 and 28| are the angle levers 232 and 283. Lever 282 at one end is-link connected as at 284 to extension 202; Lever 283 at one end is link connected as at 285 to extension 203. Each of the other ends of said levers is longitudinally slotted as at 286 and therein is pin 281 carried by the lower end.

of rod 250,

Whenever rod 259 is raised all shafts 244 connected to bar 200 rotate clockwise and all shafts 2M connected to bar 20| rotate reversely and both rotate for projection of the skid brick gripping means. Lowering of rod 259 retracts the gripping means to brick release position.

Whenever the brick gripping means is segmented as shown herein any number of brick can be picked up and transported and the capacity is not limited to a full area unit of brick.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is -to be considered 'as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. In a brick packaging unit having a pair of relatively movable frames and spaced substantially parallel elongated fingers carried by and projecting from one frame, the combination of a plurality of elongated brick clamping segments disposed in` longitudinal alignment along each brick confronting face of each finger for skid brick clamping, each brick confronting face of a finger being longitudinally chambered, the longitudinally aligned segments being mounted thereon, means for simultaneously moving all segments in any one alignment into positions parallel to that alignment and corresponding to brick clamping and release, and oppositely movable means for moving said last mentioned means for substantially simultaneous clamping and releasing respectively of all skid brick.

2. A unit as defined by claim l wherein certain of said fingers are of dual opposed gripping character and other of said fingers are of singular gripping character, all of the first mentioned means being substantially coplanar, means connecting alternate first mentioned means together, other means connecting the other first mentioned means together, the said oppositely movable means having connection to each of the said connecting means. 3. A unit as defined by claim 2 wherein spring means constrain said oppositely movable means to one direction. i

Cil

4. In a brick packaging unit having a pair of.l

other of said fingers being of singular gripping character, all of the rst mentioned means being substantially coplanar, means connecting alternate first mentioned means together, other means connecting the other first mentioned means together, the said oppositely movable means having connection to each of the said connecting means, spring means constraining said oppositely movable means to one direction, and fluid pressure operable means opposing said spring means oppositely moving said oppositely movable means.

5. In a brick handling fork the combination of a base, a plurality of spaced parallel elongated fingers detachably secured at one end thereto, a rock shaft carried by each finger and disposed longitudinally thereof, brick gripping means associated with each finger and operatively supported thereby and rockable into and out of brick gripping position when the shaft is rocked correspondingly, each shaft being exposed by the finger at the base anchored end thereof, a shaft for each first mentioned shaft and projecting beyond the base, the shafts being axially aligned and complementary head and socket connectinz means between the confronting ends Aof aligned shafts and separable upon finger-base separation.

6. In a brick handling fork the combination of a linger supporting base, an elongated finger secured at one end thereto, an elongated shaft means disposed adjacent each of two opposite brick confronting faces of the finger, a lever carried by each shaft means on the base exposed end thereof, and a single means operatively associated with both levers for simultaneously actuating both shaft means oppositely each lever including an elongated longitudinally disposed slot therein, the slotted ends of the levers lapping each other, said single means including a member simultaneously seatable in both slots.

SILES ELMER RIKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 967,663 Penfield Aug. 16, 1910 975,713 Peniield Nov. 15, 1910 1,064,594 Barnes June l0, 1913 1,221,765 Penfield Apr. 3, 1917 1,649,343 Fuller Nov. 15, 1927 2,033,746 Sullivan Mar. 10, 1936 2.250273 Priester July 22, 1941 2,403,356 Francis July 2, 1946

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