US2572499A - Grapple - Google Patents

Description

F. J. LEGHT Oct.. 23, 1951 GRAPPLE 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed Jan. 2l, 1948 @Gt 23 195 v F. J. MGMT 2572,49

' GRAPPLE Filed Jan. 21, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE Y 2,572,499v I GRArPLE v Frank J. Light, Sandusky, Mii .'j

Application January 21, 1948, Serial No. 3,611 1 claim. (o1. 294-107) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in grapples and more particularly to a device of this character for use in hoisting baled or loose hay, straw or the like, to a stack or in storing the same in barns or other buildings.

An important object of this invention is to provide a grapple to be used in conjunction with a conventional type of trip and hoist mechanism and including a main hoisting bar to which a plurality of oppositely extending grapple hooks are pivotally attached for grabbing engagement with the load by a hoisting movement of the bar and in which the hooks at each side of the hoisting bar are connected to each other for uniform engaging and releasing movements, whereby a trip device attached to the hooks will simultaneously release all of the hooks to drop the load.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view showing the hooks raised for grappling a load.

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the hooks lowered in grappling position, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the central hoisting bar taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a central grapple bar having pairs of spaced apart collars or rings 6 secured thereto and at longitudinally spaced apart intervals. Each pair of collars is provided with a pivot pin 'I on which eyes 9 at the inner ends of oppositely extending jaws I0 are pivotally mounted, the jaws comprising substantially straight bars having Adownwardly and inwardly inclined prongs I I at their outer ends.

Any desired number of the jaws I0 are carried by the central grapple bar 5, the present embodiment of the invention illustrating ve pairs of such jaws.

2 Each of the jaws, adjacent the junction thereof with the prongs II, is provided with an eye or loop I2 in which a connecting bar I3 is loosely positioned to connect all of the jaws at each side of the grapple bar 5 to each other for simultaneous raising and lowering movement while permitting the jaws IIJ to spring laterally to facilitate embedding the prongs II in tightly packed bales of hay, or the like. Heads I4 are formed at the ends of the connecting bar I 3 to limit endwise movement thereof in the eyes I2.

The central grapple bar 5 is provided with a pair of apertured hoisting rings I5 to which the ends of a hoisting rope or cable I6 are attached. the hoisting cable being raised and lowered by a conventional type of hoist mechanism (not shown).

Each of the connecting rods I3 are also provided with apertured ears Il to which trip cables or ropes I8 are attached, the cables I8 also being connected to a conventional type of trip mechanism (not shown), which may be used with a loading and unloading grapple of this character.

In operation of the device, the grapple is hoisted above the load, such as a number of bales of hay or the like indicated at I9 arranged in side by side relation, as shown in` Figure 2 of the drawings and the grapple is then lowered and the prongs I I imbedded in the respective bales.

The hoisting cable I6 is then pulled upwardly which raises the central grapple bar 5 and causes the prongs II to bite into the load. The prongs I I may engage a group of end bales while one or more additional bales may be placed between the end groups of bales, as shown at 20, and without being grappled by one of the prongs, the prongs and hooks having a tendency to pull the end bales inwardly toward each other to grip the center bales 20 and thus hoist all of the bales.

The prongs II of the hooks are released by pulling on the trip cables IB in the usual manner which thereby lifts the prongs from the bales to drop the load.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clearunderstanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

. It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention thesame is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A grapple comprising a central hoisting bar, pairs of collars secured to the bar at longitudinally spaced apart intervals, a pair of grappling hooks pivoted at their inner ends to each pair of collars and extending outwardly at opposite sides of the bar, aligned eyes on the hooks, and rods loosely positioned in the eyes to connect the hooks at each side of the grapple for uniform raising and lowering movement while permitting the hooks to spring laterally, said bar having a hoisting cable attached thereto, and said rods having releasing cables attached thereto.

FRANK J. LIGHT.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 812,617 Thornton Feb. 13, 1906 2,049,679 Whiteman et al` Aug. 4, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 122,304 Great Britain Jan. 23, 1919

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