US2996196A - Portable derrick having lateral movement - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 15, 1961 J. A. PODLESAK 2,996,196

PORTABLE DERRICK HAVING LATERAL MOVEMENT Filed Dec. 25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JOHN A. PODLESAK Aug. 15, 1961 J. A. PODLESAK PORTABLE DERRICK HAVING LATERAL MOVEMENT Filed Dec. 25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 15, 1961 J. A. PODLESAK PORTABLE DERRICK HAVING LATERAL MOVEMENT Filed Dec. 25, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG 3 FIG .5

RfSERVO/R FIG 6 INVENTOR. JOHN A. PODLESAK BY M MWM United States Patent 2,996,196 PORTABLE DERRICK HAVING LATERAL MOVEMENT John A. Podlesak, San Leandro, Califl, nssignor to Utility Body Company, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of Cali- Filed Dec. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 7 82,456 2 Claims. (Cl. 212-35) erable degree of mobility and versatility is desired. Derricks of this type are conventionally provided with an elongated boom having a head sheave at the outer end thereof for supporting a hoist line connected to a drum hoist or the like carried by the vehicle. The boom is generally mounted on the vehicle for swinging through a generally vertical are for positioning the head sheave at various heights in a vertical plane generally bisecting the vehicle.

This conventional construction constitutes a limitation on the versatility of the vehicle mounted derrick due to the fact that the movement of the head sheave and thereby the effective line of action of the hoist is restricted to suchvertical plane. In order for the head sheave of the conventional utility derrick to be positioned properly for Patented Aug. 15, 1961 FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged sectional view of a portion of one of the side legs of the derrick boom as seen generally from line 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged side elevational view of the base portion of the derrick of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged isometric view of the means connecting the third leg of the derrick to the base member and the hoist line guide rollers supported on said base member; and,

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged side elevational view of the head sheave assembly of the derrick of this invention.

In detail, the derrick of this invention, generally designated 1 (FIGS. 1, 2), is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body 2 having ground wheels 3. Vehicle 2 may beof the utility service type adapted to carry both men and equipment to job sites for installation and repair of utility poles and various other equipment.

The derrick I mounted on vehicle 2 adds considerably to the utility of such vehicle by performing such useful tmksas loading and unloading the vehicle bed, lifting and moving various loads, and supporting various tools and the like during their operation. Since vehicles of the type herein referred to are intended to travel under a wide variety of circumstances both on and elf conventional roads and highways, the derrick is preferably mounted on the upper portion of the vehicle body 2 and is capable some lifting jobs it becomes necessary to move the entire vehicle to an effective position. Not only does such movement of the vehicle entail more time and effort on the job but it may beimpossible in restricted locations where movement of the vehicle is limited or prevented by obstructions. v

It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide a vehicle mounted derrick .having substantially greater posltioning versatility than has heretofore been possible.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a portable derrick capable of both longitudinal and substantial lateral movement.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a three-legged derrick, adapted to be carried by'a vehicle,

in which all three legs are capable of independent, power driven elongation and contraction.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a derrick, pivotally mounted on a vehicle and having .a head sheave, which head sheave may be positioned both vertically in line with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as well as substantially laterally of such vehicle axis.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a vehicle mounted derrick having a head sheave at the outer end thereof capable of both up-and-down and sideto-side swinging movement and inwhich said head sheave is automatically aligned in a vertical plane by the tension on the hoist cable extending thercover.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the derrick of this invention mounted on a vehicle, showing the vertical or longitudinal range through which the derrick may be operated and extended;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the vehicle and derrick of FIG. 1 showing the lateral range through which the derrick may be operated;

FIG. 3 is a semi-schematic view of the hydraulic operating and control means of the derrick in FIG. 1; J a

' pivots of assuming a generally horizontal stored position over the top of the vehicle body 2 as shown in FIG. 1.

In general, derrick 1 includes a base member 4, a pair of elongated, extensible boom legs 5, and a third, or middle, extensible leg or cylinder means 6.

The base member 4 (FIGS. 1, 2, 5) is a generally U-shaped frame formed from tubular members or pipes welded together and including a pair of side members 7, 8 with bracket extensions 9, 10 at one end, and a transverse member 11 rigidly connecting the other corresponding ends of each side member. Braces 12 (FIG. 2) may extendbetween the side members 7, 8 and member 11 for providing strength and rigidity to base member 4.

Base member 4 is adapted to be mounted on the upper portion of vehicle body 2 for tilting movement between a generally horizontal stored position to an angular position inclined to the horizontal (FIG. 1). Means for so mounting base member 4 are provided by a pair of brackets 13, 14 supported at spaced points on the upper rear end of vehicle body 2 and having axially aligned 15 (FIGS. 1, 2, 5) which extend through the bracket extensions 9, 10 on members 7, 8. In this manner base member 4 is supported for swinging movement in a generally vertical are about the common horizontal axis of pivots 15, which axis extends generally transversely of the vehicle body 2.

Means for so swinging base member 4 is provided in the preferable form of an hydraulic cylinder 27 (FIGS. 1, 3, 5) including an internal piston 28 having its piston rod 29 projecting outwardly of one end of said cylinder.

" The other end of cylinder 27 and the outer end of rod 29 may be respectively pivotally connected to a bracket 13, at a point spaced from pivot 15 as by pivot 30, and a bracket 31 secured to cross member 11, as by pivot 32.

The range of extension of cylinder and piston 27-29 is such that in its fully contracted position base member 4 extends generally horizontally over the top of vehicle 2 in a stored position, indicated at 33 in FIG. 1. With rod 29 projecting to its fullest extent from cylinder 27 base member 4 is supported in an operating position projecting angularly upwardly from vehicle body 2 (FIGS. 1, 5). The above described structure is generally similar to that disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 735,880, filed May 16, 1958 by Howard C. Hansen. It

'5 will be understood that the booster cylinder mechanism 27-29 herein described may be applied to either or both sides of base member 4 and that the connection of the lower end of cylinder 27 may be made at any suitable location on vehicle body 2 or its superstructure. It will be further understood that the improved derrick, to be hereinafter described, does not rely on the particular base member structure described but may be generally applied to various derrick forms. The purpose of providing swingable base member 4 and its associated power tilting means is for the purpose of increasing the range of swinging of boom 5 from the horizontal stored position 33 (FIG. 1) to an extreme operating position 34 substantially more than 180 removed from said stored position, as described in said co-pending application.

Boom 5 comprises a pair of elongated, diverging legs, each including outer and inner portions 16, 17, respectivcly (FIGS. 1, 2, 4). The adjacent ends of portions 16,, 17 of each boom leg are received in a sleeve 18 which is secured as by welding to one of. said portions 17 (FIG. 4) permitting the other portion 16 to be longitudinally, telescopically slidable with respect. to said sleeve. In this manner, each of the boom legs 5 may be extended or contracted in length between its opposite ends by longitudinally sliding one of its portions 16 with respect to its other portion 17.

Means for so extending and contracting each boom leg 5 is preierably provided by double acting hydraulic cylinder means including an hydraulic cylinder 19 (FIGS. 3, 4), secured to a portion 17, having an internal. piston. 2.0. from which a rod 21 extends outwardly ofv one end of cylinder 19 and is secured, as by a welded crosspiece 76 (FIG. 4) to the adjacent endof a corresponding porden 16. Obviously, cylinder means 19-411 may be in? verted or positioned externally of portions 16, 17.,it being necessary only that opposite ends of said cylinder means be connected between adjacent ends of said portions for the described purpose of sliding said portions apart and together for extending and contracting a boom leg 5. It will be noted that mounting cylinder means 19-21 axially within portions 16, 17 permits rotation about. their common longitudinal axes of one portion with respect to the other.

The diverging ends of portions 17 of. boom legs 5 are connected to bracket extensions 9 by universal pivot means or universal pivotal connections, generally designated 22 (FIGS. 1, 2, S). Said connections each provide for rotation about a pair of pivot pins 23, 24 (FIG. 5) having mutually perpendicular axes. The pivot pins 23 are aiigned or have a common, generally horizontal axis extending transversely of vehicle 2 and generally parallel to the common axis of pivots 15. The boom legs 5 are, by this construction, swingable together as a unit about the common axis of pivot pins 23 or each separately swingable about the axis of one of pivot pins 24. It will be understood that spherical hearings, or the like may be used for connections 22 instead of, the specific form pivots shown.

The opposite, adjacent ends of portions 16 of boom, legs 5 are pivotally connected to the shaft 26 (FIGS. 1, 2, 7) of a head sheave assembly, generally designated 25. This connection permits boom legs 5 to swing as a unit thereby variously positioning head sheave assembly 25 in a vertical plane (FIG. 1) extending longitudinally of vehicle 2 or, upon extension of one of said boom legs, laterally of said vertical plane (FIG. 2).

Means for so swinging said boom legs about the com,- rnonaxis of pivot pins 23 may be provided by thirdleg 6 which preferably comprises elongated hydraulic cylinder means including an h draulic cylinder 40 (FIGS. 1-3), an internal piston 41, and its piston rod 42 projecting outwardly of one end of cylinder 40. For purposes of swinging boom legs 5 in both directions under power, cylinder means 40-42 is preferably double acting and heads-opposite ends respectively connected to boom legs extending 5 and base member 4 at points remote from pivotal connections 22.

The outer end of cylinder 40 may be secured, as by welding, to head sheave assembly 25, whereas the opposite or inner end of piston rod 42 is preferably connected by universal pivot means, generally designated 35 (FIGS. 2, 6) to cross member 11 of base member 4. Pivot means 35 may be in the form of a sleeve 36 (FIG. 6) journalled on a tubular member 37, forming a portion of cross member 11, for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof. Sleeve 36 is provided with a yoke 38 to which the end of rod 42 is swingably connected as by pivot pin 39. It will be noted that the axis of pivot pin 39 is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of sleeve 36 thereby providing for universal swing of said piston rod in much the same manner as portions 17 of boom legs 5.

It will be noted that extension and contraction of hydrauliccylinder means 40-42 will cause boom legs 5 to swing about the generally horizontal common axis of pivot pins 23. It will be further understood that this swinging as well as the side to side swinging caused by extension. or contraction of boom legs 5 may be accomplished by power means other than hydraulic cylinder means, Although pulley and cable or gear means may be used to power the boom legs through their various described movemen the,hydra'ulic cylinder means herein described are believed to be the simplest and most practical expedient.

We pair of bracket links 43, one of each pair of whichis secured to sleeve 36, may support a pair of parallelspaced idler rollers 44 for rotation about axes generally parallel to cross member 11. The hoist cable 45. fr,om'a powered winch drum 46, conventionally carried by vehicle 2, is adapted to extend between rollers44 (FIG. 6) so as to be guided over cross member 11 units way to head sheave assembly 25. It will be noted that bracket links 43 and thereby rollers 44 swing about the axis of tubular member 37 with yoke 38 so as to maintain the proper clearance spacing of cable 45 over cross member 11 and sleeve 36 no matter what the angularity of cylinder means 40-42 with respect to base member l.

A pair of spaced, parallel guide rollers 47 are preferably mounted for rotation about axes generally perpendicular to the axes of rotation of idler rollers 44 by a bracket 48, supported on yoke 38. Hoist cable 45 further extends between said guide rollers so as to not be pulled to the ends of idler rollers 44 and bind against bracket links 43 upon swinging head sheave assembly substantially to one side of the vertical longitudinal plane of vehicle 2. 'In other words, since winch drum 36 is mounted generally centrally of vehicle '2, guide rollers 47 train hoist, cable 45 in the central plane of the vehicle from said winch drum to the inner end of third leg 6 and then generally parallel to said third leg to head sheave assembly 25.

By thus guiding hoist cable 45 the pull thereon is always parallel withthird leg 6 and the load on the cable is substantially equally distributed between side legs 5.

The head sheave assembly 25 at the outer ends of legs 5 and 6 includes a sheave or pulley 49 which car ries hoist cable 45 over its periphery (FIG. 7). Pulley 49 is rotatably supported on a shaft 26 in a housing comprising a pair of plates in spaced parallel relation to opposite sides of said pulley, said plates may be held in such spaced relation by a bolt.51 and sleeve spacer 52 at one corner and end brackets 53, 54 at the other corners thereof. The outer sides of plates 50 are pref-L orably provided with stifiening members 55 and spacer channels 56 welded thereto and through which shaft 26 projects. An eye- 57 at the outer end of the outer portion 16'of each boom leg 5 rotatably receives opposite ends of shaft 26 therethrough for pivotally mounting head sheave assembly-25 to said boom legs, as previously described- The lower end bracket 54 preferably extends across and is welded to the lower ends of plates 50 and stiflentioned connection between said third leg and head pulley assembly 25.

Since the two portions 40 and 42 of the hydraulic cylinder means comprising third leg 6 are rotatable with respect to each other and since portions 16 of boom legs 5 are pivotally connected through head sheave assembly 25, said head sheave assembly may tilt or swing to some degree about the longitudinal axis of third leg 6. Especially when one of the side legs 5 is extended to position assembly 25 laterally of the vehicle (FIG. 2), said head sheave assemby may be tilted out of its normal vertical plane generally bisecting the angle between side legs 5. In order to return the cocked head sheave assembly to a vertical plane to prevent hoist cable 45 from running off the periphery of pulley 49, a pair of elongated, parallel, spaced rollers 58 are rotatably mounted between brackets 53, 54. The space between rollers 58 in a plane with the periphery of head sheave 49 and hoist cable 45 extends through said space. Since any free load on the downwardly extending run of hoist cable 45 will tend to bring said run to the vertical, said run of the cable will be urged against one of the rollers 1 58 to tend to align head pulley 49 in a vertical plane lincluding said run of cable. be used for pulling at an angle olf the vertical, it will If hoist cable 45 should in a like manner, tend to align assembly 25 and thereby lgread pulley 49 with the runs of cable extending there- Included in a hydraulic system ous, previously described hydraulic cylinder means are a hydraulic reservoir 59 (FIG. 3), a pump 60 drawing fluid from said reservoir through a conduit 61 and pumping it out through a high pressure conduit or line 62, and operating valves 63, 64, 65, respectively for each of the two side leg cylinders 19 and the third leg cylinder 40. Each said valve receives high pressure hydraulic fluid through a branch line 66 and is provided with a branch return line 67 connected by main return line 68 to reservoir 59.

Valves 63, 64, 65 ing an inoperative position, hydraulic fluid from the pump to the reservoir and two, opposed operative positions. Each said valve is provided with a control handle 69, which is spring urged to said inoperative position and may be manually on erated to move the valve to either of its said operative positions. The operating ports of each of said valves are connected by conduits or lines 70, 71 to the opposite ends of its respective hydraulic cylinder means. In addition, a branch line 72 is provided to booster cylinder 27 from one of the lines 70 to third leg cylinder 40. 'In operation, assuming that all the hydraulic cylinder means are in the collapsed position of shortest length whereby the derrick will be in the stored position 33 (FIG. 1), operation of valve 65 to one of its operative positions will cause high pressure fluid from pump 60 to flow through lines 70 and line 72. As described in said co-pending application Serial No. 735,880 the resistance to movement of piston 41 of hydraulic cylinder means 40 is greater than the resistance to movement of piston 28 in booster cylinder 27. The high pressure fluid in lines 70, 72 will therefore first cause outward movement of piston rod 29 thereby lifting base member 4, and the derrick legs 5, 6 that are resting thereon, from the stored position 33 (FIG. 1) to the upright position indicated at 73. It will be noted that cylinder means 27-29 is lifting the weight of base member 4 and legs 5 and 6 against gravity and therefore need only be a single acting cylinder, since the dern'ck will be returned to the stored position 33 by gravity. The provision of supports 78 (FIGS. 1, 2) toward the forward end of vehicle 2 for supporting the derrick in its stored for operating the variare of the conventional type havin which they circulate the 6 position, and the provision of coil springs 74 (FIG. 5) to cushion side'legs 5 against base member 4 are desir* able adjuncts to this invention.

Once cylinder means 27-29 has reached the end of its stroke and supports the derrick in the position 73' of FIG. 1, the flow of further high pressure fluid in conduit or line 70 will cause moveme tof piston 41 thereby extending rod 42 of third leg 6. During this movement return flow from the opposite side of piston 41 will be through line 71 and valve 65 to reservoir 59. This extension of third leg 6 causes swinging of boom side legs 5 through a generally vertical arc to a variety of operating positions including the extreme position 34 of FIG. 1.

Operation of either of the valves 63, 64 to one of its operating positions causing flow of high pressure fluid in its respective conduit 70 will cause movement of the corresponding piston 20 and thereby elongation of the corresponding side leg. Return fluid from the opposite side of piston 20 will flow through line 71, the valve 63 or 64, and lines 67, 68 to reservoir 59. This extension of one of the side legs 5 will cause the derrick to move laterally of the vehicle thereby positioning head sheave assembly 25 to the side of said vehicle (FIG. 2) depending upon which of said side legs is elongated.

Elongation of both side legs 5 to the same degree causes overall extension of the derrick, that is, positioning of head sheave assembly 25 at a distance more remote from vehicle 2, as indicated at 75 in FIG. 1. Obviously, operation of valves 63, 64, 65 to their other operating positions will cause reversal of the movement previously described, since the cylinders 19 and 40 are double acting. In the reverse operation the function of lines 70 and 71 carrying high pressure fluid and return fluid will also be reversed.

It will be noted that with the structure and controls herein described the derrick of this invention possesses great versatility. Not only may the head sheave be positioned through a substantial range of vertical movement but it may also be swung laterally of the vehicle on which the derrick is mounted. Further, the length of the derrick boom may be increased by extending both the side legs in the manner described.

Although it has been described and illustrated in detail it is not intended that the invention disclosed herein should be limited beyond the spirited scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable derrick comprising: a base member, a pair of elongated exteus'ble side legs extending from spaced ends adpacent said base member convergently toward the outer ends thereof remote from said base member, universal pivotal connections connecting each said side leg to said base member for swinging about mutually perpendicular axes, a head sheave assembly including a housing and a pulley rotatably mounted on a shaft extending through said housing, means connecting said outer ends of said side legs to said assembly at opposite ends of said shaft for rotatably supporting said pulley in a plane generally bisecting the angle between said side legs; an elongated, extensible third leg, universal pivot means connecting one end of said third leg to said base member at a point spaced from said pivotal/connections for swinging said third leg about mutually perpendicular axes, means securing the other end of said third leg to said housing, double-acting hydraulic cylinder means connected to each of said legs for extending and contracting said legs for respectively swinging said legs about said axes of said pivotal connections and said pivot means, and a pair of generally parallel, spaced rollers mounted on said housing with the space therebetween positioned in said plane whereby a hoist cable extending over said pulley will extend through said space between said rollers for aligning said pulley with said cable.

2. In combination with a vehicle having a load carrying body, a derrick comprising: a base member pivotally 7 mounted at one end on said body for swinging about a first horizontal axis extending transversely of said body, an extensible boom pivotally connected at one end to said base vmember at a point spaced from said axis for universal movement about a horizontal axis and about an axis perpendicular to said horizontal axis, a pair of extendable legs pivotally connected together at their corresponding ends and to the end of said boom opposite said one end, said pair of extendable legs being pivotally connected at their opposite ends to said base member at spaced points along said transverse axis and on opposite sides respectively of the point at which said boom is connected for universal movement of said legs about a horizontal axis and about an axis perpendicular to said last mentioned horizontal axis, means for selectively extending the effective length of. said. boom and said legs to permit swinging said boom through a vertical plane extending longitudinally of said body and laterally of said plane, and means for swinging said base in said vertical plane independently of said boom and legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,601,927 Frenzel July 1, 1952 2,838,182 Brown June 10, 1958 2,919,035 Troche Dec. 29, 1959 2,925,922 FrenZel Feb. 23, 1960

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