US2548439A

US2548439A - Pressure fluid operated apparatus for throwing heavy objects

Info

Publication number: US2548439A
Application number: US2982A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Frank Wesley Moffett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-01-19
Filing date: 1948-01-19
Publication date: 1951-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-10

Description

F. w. MOFFETT, JR 8,439 PRESSURE FLUID OPERATED APPARATUS FUR THROWING HEAVY OBJECTS A ril 10, 1951 3 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1948 INVENTOR. Jim l Vs z jaxg/n April 10, 1951 F. w. MOFFETT, J'R 2,543,439

PRESSURE FLUID OPERATED APPARATUS FOR THROWING HEAVY OBJECTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. w. MOFFETT, JR 2,548,439 PRESSURE FLUID OPERATED APPARATUS FOR THROWING HEAVY OBJECTS A ril 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 19, 1948 Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSURE FLUID OPERATED APPARATUS FOR THROWING H'EAVY OBJECTS Frank Wesley Molfett, J r., Gates, N. Y. Application January 19, 1948, Serial No. 2,982

This'invention relates to a catapult, with more particular reference to mechanism for throwing a bale of hay upwardly or laterally at a selected angle and in a selected direction, as for instance into a barn or loft or tossing other heavy objects upwardly or laterally, and it has for its purpose to afford a practical and efficient mechanism that can be easily controlled and operates to project a bale of hay or other object upwardly or laterally with little effort on the part of the operator.

More specifically the invention is intended to afford a mechanism operated by air under pressure and so designed that the pressure operates almost instantly to project a bale or other object for the desired distance at suflicient velocity to insure a quick and satisfactory operation.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a machine in which the vertical angle and direction in which the bale or other object is delivered can be readily varied and the required-adjustments can be easily made while operating'with different air pressures.

More specifically the invention includes a bale or object carrier mounted on a piston rod which carries a piston that travels in a cylinder and is movable under air pressure, and an additional purpose of the invention is to afford a means whereby the piston is moved quickly in the cylinder against the resistance of the load and is efiectively cushioned at the end of its operative stroke, the piston being also completely restored automatically to its initial position after the bale has been delivered.

A further purpose of the invention is to afford in conjunction with a cylinder and piston operated by air pressure, an air-balancing chamber in communication with the cylinder and acting dur ing the operative stroke of the piston to receive from the cylinder a charge of air under pressure which functions to cushion the movement of the piston at the end of its operative stroke and also to return the piston to initial position when the air pressure supply has been cut off from the cylinder upon completion of an operative stroke of the piston, while an additional purpose is to insure return of the piston quickly and completely to its initial position.

Another object of the invention is to afford a structure that can be manufactured at a reasonable cost and involves comparatively few parts, the entire assembly being of compact form,

and lending itself readily for use as a portable 6 Claims. (01. 121-38) barn or higher level; or from the fioor'of'a barn to a loft or higher elevation where the bales are to be stored, and to deliver bales accurately to any selected position withoutthe use of endless or other types of conveyors traveling withthe object to its destination'point.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, thenovel features being pointed out in theclaims following the specification. 7

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation illustrating 'a preferred embodiment 'of the invention and showing the object carrier inlowered-position;

- Fig. 2 is a view inffront elevation of'th'e same;

Fig. 3 is a transversevertical sectional view taken centrally of Fig. 2, with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic-view illustrating the relation between thecylinder and air-balancing chamber-which governs cushioning of the piston and effects its return to initial position; I

Fig. 5 is a plan-view of the upper end'of the apparatus, .-showing the bale supporting and guiding frame and carrier; 1

Fig. 6is a plan view of the wheeled frame with the remaining mechanism broken away, and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the valve. Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, the mechanism herein disclosed, which is intended only as illustrative of one practical embodiment of the invention, includes an air cylinder I closed at the top by means of the cylinder head 2, while 3 designates a piston rod extending through the cylinder head 2 and movable in the cylinder I, the piston rod being provided at its lower end with a piston 4 that is moved in the cylinder! by air pressure, as will appear presently. w

At its lower end, the cylinder I is provided'with an inlet pipe 5 that connects With a valve housing 6 and a quick-opening valve 1 that may be'of any conventional form suitable for supplying a large volume of air under pressure quickly such as a Quick-As-Wink valve manufactured by C. B; Hunt & Son, Inc., Salem, Ohio. The valve housing 6 communicates by means of the pipe 8 with the air pressure chamber 9 located in close proximity to the cylinder and preferably formed by a cylindrical housing-surrounding and spaced from the cylinder l, as shown. a It is important that the valve I be adjacent to the, lower end of the cylin- 'ber I6.

der I and also that the air pressure chamber 9 be in close proximity to the cylinder I and valve I, so that when the control valve is opened, the required pressure will be transferred instantly to the cylinder I and efi'ect a high velocity quick movement of the piston and piston rod on which the bale carrier is mounted.

While the air pressure chamber 9 is shown as surrounding the cylinder I aifording a practical and compact arrangement, this disposition is not indispensable to the operation or the invention as long as the compressed air chamber 9 is adjacent to or in such close proximity to the cylinder I as to insure instantaneous transfer of the required air pressure to the cylinder when the valve is opened. I ll designates a pressure indicator, see Fig. 2, connected to air chamber 9 and operating to show the air pressure and thereby to indicate the distance through which the object can be projected. I I designates a pipe leading from the air pressure chamber 9 to any suitable air compressor, I2 designates a manual control valve in the air line II, and I3 is a pressure regulating valve disposedin the air line II and operative to maintain any desired pressure in the pressure chamber 9.

The control valve I carries and is operated by a weighted handle I 4 which is normally in lowered position, as in Fig. 7, to hold the valve I closed and is manually elevated to open the valve and thereby permit movement of air into the cylinder I and conseuuent operation of the piston 4 upwardly. To efiect this, the weighted handle I4 may be provided with a ring I5 at its outer end to which a rope can be fastened, the other end of the rope being carried over a suitable elevated support and arranged with its free end accessible to the operator, who by pulling on the rope raises handle I4 and opens the valve to operate the mechanism, and upon release of the handle I4, the latter is restored to initial position by its own weight and thereby closes the valve, per

mitting the piston and bale carrier to be restored to their initial positions, as will now be described.

When the piston is moved upwardly under a pressure sufiiciently high to project or throw a bale upwardly the required distance, which may be forty feet or more with a bale weighing from sixty to one hundred and twenty-five pounds, it is important to provide means for cushioning the upward movement of the piston at the end of its operative stroke and also for returning the piston to initial position when the air pressure supply is cut ofi, and this is accomplished by an air-balancing chamber in communication with the upper end of the cylinder I.

This air-balancing chamber which functions both to absorb the shock of the piston on its upstroke and to store a supply of air under pressure that will return the piston, is designated at I6, being preferably supported on the front of the housing 9, and I! designates a conducting pipe leading from a point adjacent to the upper end of the cylinder l to an inlet pipe I8, which contains a check valve I 9, adjustable port valve 20, and connects with the air-balancing cham- As a consequence of this arrangement. as the piston 4 travels upwardly and approaches the upper end of the cylinder I, the air pressure in front of piston 4 is forced through pipes I1 and I8, past the check valve I9 and port valve 29 into the air-balancing chamber I6 where a pressure is built up which cushions the final movement of the piston and returns it at the proper time.

2I designates an additional conducting pipe leading from a point below the pipe IT, as indicated, past a check valve 22 and thence into inlet pipe I8 and to the air-balancing chamber It in the manner previously described, so that after the piston 4 during its operative travel passes the point where pipe 2I connects with the cylinder I, the air pressure in the cylinder I below piston 4 will travel through pipe 2|, past check valve 22 to the conducting pipe I8 and to the upper end of the cylinder above the piston and also to inlet pipe I8 and to the air-balancing chamber IS in the manner already described. Thus the pressure from pipe 2I assists in building up the necessary pressure in the air-balancing chamber IB, cushioning the upward travel of the piston and assisting in returning the piston 4 when the control valve 1 is closed and the pressure below piston 4 thus relieved and reduced below the pressure of the balancing chamber I6. Thereupon the air pressure in balancing chamber I6 returns through pipe 23, adjustable port valve 24, and past check valve 25 to pipe I! into the cylinder I at a point above the piston and the pressure thus effective from the air-balancing chamber I6 is sufficient when the control valve 1 is closed to force the piston 4 downwardly and restore it to initial position.

The

port valves

20 and 24 are provided with a plurality of ports of varying size and are adjustable to regulate the amount of air passing therethrough depending on the air pressure in the pressure chamber 9, and as the pressure is increased, the

valves

20 and 24 may be adjusted to restrict the amount of air by smaller ports as required.

When the piston 4 approaches and reaches the limit of its downward travel, it is desirable to prevent'a vacuum forming above the piston so as to insure its complete return to initial position and also insure reducing any pressure above the piston to atmospheric pressure, and this is accomplished by a pipe 26 leading from the pipe I! and communicating with the atmosphere, the pipe 26 being provided with a valve that is normally closed and is operated by a pivoted lever 21 lying in the path of the object or bale carrier 28 that is mounted at the upper end of the piston rod 3, so that when the object carrier 28 reaches its lowermost position, it engages and operates the lever 21 to open the valve in pipe 26 to the atmosphere. This reduces any pressure above the piston to atmospheric pressure and if any vacuum exists in the cylinder I above piston 4 that is not automatically broken, the valve can be operated by hand to break such vacuum, and thus insure complete return of the piston to its initial position.

The final contact between piston 4 and the cylinder head 2 is cushioned by means of resilient or rubber disks or

elements

29 and 30 mounted on the piston and cylinder head respectively and preferably provided with metal plates 3I and 32 on their opposed surfaces to prevent sticking of the rubber disks when they come in contact with each other.

When a bale is positioned on the carrier 28, it is maintained by means of a supporting and guiding frame consisting of a series of parallel rods 33 partially surrounding the path of movement of carrier 28 and suitably attached to semicircular supporting bars 34 which are rigidly secured to the housing forming chamber 9 in any suitable manner.

The parts thus far described are preferably Emil-"89 mounted for vertical adjustment on a portable carrier, and to this end "the housing '9 pivotal-1y mounted on trunnions carried by a -irames'fi, While 37 designates an adjustable turn-buckle connected at its lower end to the frame? and at its upper end to the housing 8., and by turning the hand wheel 38, the vertical angular position of the housing and bale carrier can be varied to meet any particular requirements.

To provide portability of the frame 36 and permit horizontal adjustment, the frame is pivotally supported on an axle 39 which carries ground wheels 40, and 4! is an adjusting iframe pivotally attached at 42 to the front end of the frame 36 and extending over and resting upon the axle 39. Thus by pressing downwardly on the handle 43, the "forward end of the frame 36 can be lifted slightly from the ground and the mechanism can then be moved along on the wheels '40 to any desired position. The handle '43 and frame 4| can be held in such lowered position I by means of the latch member 44 pivoted to the frame 36 and controlled by the operating portion 45 to retain the handle 43 in its lowered position.

It will be understood that when the mechanism is positioned at the desired point, the pipe H may be connected with the aircompressor by a flexible hose or otherwise and the air compressor may be arranged or mounted on a truck for conveniently transporting it, as desired.

The operation of the mechanism briefly is as follows: Assuming that the device has been moved to. a particular location for convenient loading of bales of hay or other objects andadjusted to the desired vertical angle, with communication established to a source of air pressure at for instance from fifty to two hundred pounds per square inch, although higher pressures may be used, with the bale carrier 28 in lowered position, a bale is placed on the carrier resting against the rods 33 of the supporting and guiding frame. Thereupon the handle I4 is elevated to open valve '1, permitting a rush of air under pressure to move quickly from chamber 9 into the cylinder I below the piston 4, which is thereby quickly elevated.

As the piston 4 moves upwardly under impulse of the high pressure, it throws the bale upwardly to a distance of forty feet or more to the desired point, depending'on the air pressure used and upon the angle at which the mechanism is adjusted. During upward movement of the piston 4, the air thereabove is forced under pressure into the air-balancing tank It and pressure below the piston 4 also travels to a point above the piston and to the air-balancing tank I6 as the piston -,aproaches its upper limit of travel, thus cushioning the movement of the piston 4f'a't the end of its upward stroke and preventing its striking the cylinder head with a destructive force. When the main control valve 1 is closed by release of the handle l4, air pressure below piston 4 is immediately exhausted and the greater pressure of air in the balancing chamber [6 passing to the upper side of the piston 4 returns the latter quickly to its initial position. As the carrier 28 reaches its lowermost position, the valve lever 21 is operated to open the valve and establish communication between the cylinder I at a point above the piston 4 and the atmosphere, thus insuring movement of the piston to its lowermost position and adjustment of pressure above the piston to atmospheric pressure.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particula arrangement herein disclosed, this application is not confined to the details illustrated, and is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the invention and the scope er the following claims.

E claim:

1. Apparatus for throwing heav objects comprising a cylinder, a compressed air operated piston and piston rod movable in the cylinder, an object carrier mounted on the piston rod above the'cylinder, an air pressure supply pipe oomrnhii icatihg with the lower end or the cylinder and affording a body of air underth'e piston, a com-- ressed air chamber connected with said supply pipe, a control valve adjacent the lower end of the cylinder and operative to admit air pressure to said cylinder beneath the piston, the air pressure operating to 'move the piston instantly to the upper end of the cylinder when said control valve is opened, an air-balancing chamber in close proximity to the upper end of the cylinder, inlet and return pipes leading from the air-balancing chamber to the cylinder at a point adjacent the top thereof, asecond inlet pipe leading to the airbalancing chamber from the cylinder at a point beneath the piston when the latter is approaching its uppermost position, and a check valve in said second inlet pipe permitting flow thereth-rough from the cylinder to the air-balancing chamber.

2. Apparatus for throwing heavy objects com-- prising a cylinder, a compressed air operated piston and piston rod movable in the cylinder, an object carrier mounted on the piston rod above the cylinder, an air pressure supply pipe cornmunicating with the lower end of the c linder and affording a body of air under the piston, a compressed air chamber connected with said supply pipe, a control valve in said supply pipe operating to admit compressed air to the cylinder beneath the piston, an air-balancing chamber in close proximity to the upper end of the cylinder, a conducting pipe leading from the cylinder at a point adjacent the top thereof, an inlet pipe leading from said conducting pipe to the air-balancing chamber, a return pipeleading from the air-balancing chamber to said conducting pipe,

check valves in said inlet and return pipes act'- ing to permit flow toward and away from the airbalancing chamber respectively, and means for varying the rate of flow through said inlet and return pipes including a port valve in one of said pipes.

Apparatus for throwing heavy objects comprising a cylinder, a compressed air operated piston and piston rod mo'vable in the cylinder, objectcarrier mounted on the piston rod above the cylinder, an air pressure supply pipe communicating with the lower end of the cylinder and affording a body of air under the piston, a compressed air chamber connected with said supply pipe, a control valve located adjacent to the bottom of the cylinder in said supply pipe and acting to admit air pressure from said supply pipe to the cylinder beneath the piston, the air pressure operating to move the piston instantly to th upper end of the cylinder when said control valve is opened, an air-balancing chamber in close proximity tothe upper end of the cylinder, a conducting pipe leading from the cylinder at a point adjacent the top thereof, an inlet pipe leading from said conducting pipe to the air-balancing chamber, a return pipe leading from the airbalancing chamber to said conducting pipe, means for varying the rate of flow to and from 15 the air-balancing chamber including a port valve located in one-of said inlet and return pipes, check valves in said inlet and return pipes permitting-fiow toward and from the air-balancing chamber respectively, a second inlet pipe leading to the air-balancing chamber from the cylinder at a pointbeneath the piston when the latter is approaching its uppermost position, and a check valve in said second inlet pipe permitting flow therethrough from the cylinder to the air-balancing chamber.

4. Apparatus for throwing heavy objects comprising a cylinder, a compressed air operated piston and piston rod movable in the cylinder, an object carrier mounted on the piston rod above the cylinder, an air pressure supply pipe communicating with the lower end of the cylinder and afiording a body of air under the piston, a compressed air chamber connected with said supply pipe, a control valve located adjacent to the lower end of the cylinder and acting to admit air pressure from said supply pip to the cylinder beneath the piston, the air pressure operating to move the piston instantly to the upper end of the cylinder when said control valve is opened, an air-balancing chamber, an inlet pipe leading from a point adjacent to the top of the cylin der to said air-balancing chamber, a return pipe leading from said air-balancing chamber to said inlet pipe, a second inlet pipe leading from the cylinder at a point beneath said first mentioned inlet pipe and communicating with said air-balancing chamber, check valves in said first mentioned inlet pipe and return pipe permitting flow to and from the air-balancing chamber respectively, means for varying the rate of flow to and from the air-balancing chamber including a port valve in one of said last mentioned inlet and return pipes, and a check valve in said second inlet pipe permitting flow therethrough from the cylinder to the air-balancing chamber,

,5. Apparatus for throwing heavy objects comprising a cylinder, a compressed air operated piston and piston rod movable in the cylinder, an object carrier mounted on the piston rod above the cylinder, an air pressure supply pipe communicating with the lower end of the cylinder, a control valve located adjacent to the lower end of the cylinder, an air-balancing chamber, an inlet pipe leading from a point adjacent to the top of the cylinder to said air-balancing chamber, a-

return pipe leading from said air-balancing chamber to said inlet pipe, check valves in said inlet and return pipes permitting flow toward and from the air-balancing chamber respectively, a second inlet pipe leading from the cylinder at a point beneath said first mentioned inlet pipe and communicating with said air-balancing chamber,

a" check valve in said second inlet pipe permitting flow therethrough from the cylinder to the air-balancing chamber, a pipe leading iromlsaid first mentioned inlet pipe to the atmosphere, .a normally closed valve in said last mentioned pipe, and means operated by said object carrier when it reaches its lowermost position acting to open said valve and permit communication of the cylinder above the piston with the atmosphere.

6. Apparatus for throwing heavy objects comprising a cylinder, a compressed air operated piston and piston rod movable in the cylinder, an object carrier mounted on the piston rod above the cylinder, an air pressure supply pipe communicating with the lower end of the cylinder, a control valve located adjacent to the bottom of the cylinder, an airbalancing chamber, an inlet pipe leading from a point adjacent to the top of the cylinder to said air-balancing chamber, a return. pipe leading from said air-balancing chamber to said inlet pipe, a second inlet pipe leading from the cylinder at a point beneath said first mentioned inlet pipe and communicating with the air-balancing chamber, check valves in said first mentioned inlet and return pipes permitting fiow to and from the airbalancing chamber respectively, a check valve in said second inlet pipe permitting flow therethrough from the cylinder to the air-balancing chamber, means for varying the rate of flow to and from the air-balancing chamber including a port valve in one of said first mentioned inlet. and return pipes, a pipe leading from said first mentioned inlet pipe to the atmosphere, a normally closed valve in said last mentioned pipe, and means operated by said object carrier when it reaches its lowermost position acting to open said valve and permit communication between the cylinder above the piston and the atmosphere.

FRANK WESLEY MOFFETI, JR.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Scholl Apr. 4, 1950