US3008750A

US3008750A - wansley

Info

Publication number: US3008750A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1961-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-14

Description

Nov. 14, 1961 w, w Ns 3,008,750

GRAPPLE Filed Jan. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m5 INVENTOR.

1 2. 10m )olh A/vszzy ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1961 1.. w. WANSLEY GRAPPLE Filed Jan. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. [0 Y0 14! h ANSLE) ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 3,008,750 GRAPPLE Loyd W. Wansley, 8124 E. Concord Blvd., Jacksonville, Fla. Filed Jan. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 784,485 Claims. (Cl. 29492) This invention relates to a grapple and more particularly to a grapple specifically adapted for the lifting of I-beams.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved object lifting grapple and particularly an improved I-beam lifting grapple.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a grapple which will be self-releasing from a lifted object after the object has been set down in its desired position, thereby to eliminate the need for manual intervention at the place where the object is set down.

Certain self-releasing grapples have been heretofore suggested which tend to be complicated in construction and which require careful adjustment of the self-releasing mechanism at the time of lifting the load. Such mechanisms are subject to malfunctioning, either from wear or damage to parts, or from incorrect setting by the crane follower, and involve an expensive plurality of special parts.

Accordingly, a particular object of the invention is to provide a self-releasing grapple which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which has a minimum of moving parts which may wear or jam and which is substantially failure proof in operation.

Another object is to provide a self-releasing grapple which is so easily manipulated as to permit the employment of unskilled workmen as the crane follower to aid in the attachment of the grapple to the load.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a selfreleasing grapple particularly adapted for the lifting of I-beams, which has no moving jaw element and of which the correct setting is clearly visible from a distance, and, more specifically, a grapple so arranged that it will not lift the I-beam until correctly set and positioned with respect thereto.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the grapple illustrating its normal suspended position prior to grappling engagement with the flange of an l-beam, which is indicated in broken lines, certain component members of the grapple being duplicated in broken lines to illustrate positions which are assumed thereby during the manipulation of the grapple;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the grapple shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the positions assumed by the grapple and its elements during the lifting of an object, such as the L beam which is indicated in broken lines; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1, showing details of the construction.

The embodiment of the grapple illustrated in the figures will hereinafter be described with respect to its use in lifting an I-beam. While only one grapple is shown, it will occur to those skilled in the art that such grapples may be employed either singly or in pairs depending upon the length of the beam and on like circumstances, and that, when used in pairs, the grapples may be spaced one from the other so as to balance the load of the beam and they may be interconnected to a lifting cable by a suitable sling mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grapple 1 comprises a body portion 2 which includes a plate portion 5 and spaced parallel jaw element portions 3 and 4 which are carried by and joined to the plate portion 5. The jaw 3,008,750 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 portions define therebetween an inverted U-shaped objectreceiving opening 6 extending generally upwardly into the body portion, and include a pair of fixed gripping elements 7 and 8 which extend inwardly from each of the respective jaws into this opening. Gripping element 7 includes a sharp peripheral edge inwardly of the opening, as shown at 9, which edge, as seen in FIG. 1, is formed at the juncture between the flat inner end surface 10 of the element and a diverging outer surface portion 11 thereof, whereas element 8 includes an object penetrating sharp peripheral inner edge 12 formed at the intersection of the cylindrical outer surface 13 of the element 8 and an inner frustro-conical outwardly diverging end surface 14 of the element 8. In lifting an object, such as the I- beam shown in broken lines at 15, the use of the circular sharp penetrating edges on the elements 7 and 8 results in the gripping of the object by the elements 7 and 8 regardless of some swinging of the grapple in a direction along the I-beam or other object.

A pivot in the form of a bolt 16 connects the lower end 36 of a lifting arm 17 to the plate portion 5 of body 2 substantially directly above and in alignment with the jaw opening 6, and a pivot bolt 18 connects the upper end 19 of the lifting arm 17 to a flexible lifting cable means in the form of chain links 20 through an interconnecting shackle 21.

The laterally extending plate or wing portion 5 of the body 2 includes an elongated downwardly and outwardly inclined slot 22 which extends from an area closely adjacent pivot 16, as indicated generally at 23, to an outer end portion 24 of the plate which is disposed spacedly behind the inner jaw element portion 3, and slightly inwardly of this outer end portion 24. A tab portion 25 of the plate extends downwardly into the slot 22 and defines together with end portion 24 and end socket portion 26 of the plate. The slot 22 is adapted to receive a pin in the form of bolt 27 which, it will be seen, is caged Within the slot 22 and which is carried by the lower end 38 of a link 28. The upper end 39 of the link 28 pivotally connects by means of pivot pin 29 to lifting arm 17 between the

pivots

16 and 18 of the lifting arm 17 and preferably approximately interrnediately thereof. Bolt 27 is arranged to traverse the slot 22 and to engage in socket 26. More particularly, when link 29 is lowered, lifting arm 17 pivots on pivot 16 and swings generally in the direction of arrow 30 into the broken line position shown at 31, thereby disposing pin 27 in position 32. When lifting cable means are again raised, the pin 32 may be manually directed into socket 26, whereby a tilting force is imposed on the grapple.

It will be noted from FIG. 2 that the jaw element portions 3 and 4 of the body 2 comprises a heavily reinforced portion integrally connected to plate portion 5, and that lifting arm 17, link 28 and shackle 21 are arranged as

double elements

17 and 17, 28 and 28' and 21 and 21', respectively, and are symmetrically disposed with respect to the plate portion 5 of the body 2. It will be additionally seen from FIG. 2 that pin 16 is provided, conveniently, with a handle extension 33 by means of which it may be readily manipulated into and out of the socket 26.

FIG. 3 is demonstrative of the use of the grapple in lifting the I-beam 15, shown in broken lines thereon, and the parts of the grapple are, of course, in accord with the description thereof heretofore given.

To employ the grapple for the raising of an object such as the I-beam 15 the grapple is first lowered in the condition shown in FIG. 1 onto the flange 34 of the I- beam 15 and the lifting cable is sufficiently "slackened to permit pin 27 to travel along slot 22 into the position shown at 32. This, of course, disposed the lifting arm 17 into the position shown at 31. Thereafter, by manipulating handle 33, the pin may be brought under the socket portion 26, and as the lifting force is applied at the shackled upper end 19 of the lifting arm 17, the arm 17 swings upwardly and pin 27 engages in the socket 26 spacedly behind the inner jaw element 3. The grapple 1, upon further lifting, then tilts toward the right as viewed in FIG. 1 or in FIG. 3, and edges 9 and 12 of the jaw toothed elements 7 and 8 engage and penetrate slightly into the flange portion 34 and tend to twist the I beam 15 in the same clockwise direction in which the grapple tends to rotate when lifted with the pin 27 engaged in the socket 26. As the lifting action continues, the I-beam 15 is raised from the ground, or from the position in which it has been supported, and imposes its weight upon the grapple 1. It will be understood that the center of gravity of the I-beam is offset to the left of its flange 34 as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3 and that the center of gravity of the I-beam will be located behind jaw element 3 and that as the complete Weight of the I-beam is imposed on the grapple, and on the lifting cable 66, the center of gravity of the I-beam will fall substantially vertically below pivot 18. In this position, with the inner and outer jaws 3 and 4 being offset to the right of pivot 18 and of the center of gravity of the I-bearn, as seen in FIG. 3, a substantial twisting force is applied against flange 34, which causes the jaw toothed elements 7 and 8 to dig into the flange 34. This twisting force is static when the I beam is suspended by the grapple since the twisting force exerted on the flange by the offset center of gravity of the beam is counteracted or opposed by the offset force applied to the lifting arm 17 of the grapple, the lifting arm 17 under these conditions being in a position in which it extends from the jaw teeth toward the left along the I-beam being lifted as viewed in FIG. 3.

Upon placement of the lifted I-beam in a ground resting position, the lifting force is released and the lifting arm 17 falls toward the socket 26 and carries downward with it the link 28 and the bearing pin 27 to which it is joined at its lower end. Accordingly, the pin 27 disengages from the socket 27 and is free to pass into the inner portion 35 of the slot 22. Thereafter, upon the subsequent application of the lifting force, the lifting arm 17 pivots on pin 16 and swings upwardly, carrying with it the link 28 and the bearing pin 27, the latter of which returns to the area 23 adjacent to the inner end of slot 28 as shown in FIG. 1, whereby grapple 1 assumes the position, shown in full lines in FIG. 1, in which it may be raised free of the I-beam. 7

From the foregoing it is apparent that upon the release of the lifting force the grapple 1 releases itself from the object transported and that grappling engagement with the flange 34 of the I-beam 15 and freedom from such grappling engagement, as shown in FIG. 1, depend'upon whether the bearing pin 27 is engaged in the socket 26 or is freely movable in the intermediate portion 35 and up to the inner portion 23 of the slot 22.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A grapple comprising a body member having first and second downwardly extending toothed jaws with said second jaw facing and spaced in a predetermined lateral direction from said first jaw, said jaws defining therebetween an object receiving opening, a lifting arm member having a lower end pivotally connected to said body member generally aligned above the opening between said jaws, said arm member having means at its upper end for securing a lifting cable thereto, said body member further having a slot therein and an inclined tab extending into said slot for dividing said slot into outer and inner portions communicating below said t-ab, said inner portion of said slot being adjacent said lower end of said arm member, said outer portion of said slot being spaced from said first jaw in a direction therefrom opposite to said predetermined lateral direction, a linking member pivotally attached at one end to said arm member spacedly above said one end of said am member and having its other end disposed adjacent said slot, a hearing element connected to said other end of said linking member, said bearing element being caged in and adapted to traverse said slot, said linking member adapted and arranged to dispose said cable securing means toward said outer slot portion when said bearing element is selectively disposed therein and to release said cable securing means to swing generally in alignment above the opening between said jaws when said bearing element is disposed in said inner slot portion.

2. A grapple comprising a body member including first and second jaws with said second jaw facing and spaced in a predetermined lateral direction from said first jaw, said jaws defining therebetween a generally inverted U- shaped object receiving opening, a plate integrally formed with said jaws and extending from said first jaw in a direction opposite to said predetermined lateral direction, said plate being interrupted by a slot having a tab extending downwardly into said slot dividing said slot into an inner portion adjacent said first jaw and an outer portion disposed laterally away in said opposite direction from said first jaw, a jaw toothed element mounted on said first jaw extending into said opening and having a flat inner end surface and a diverging outer surface juncturing with said end surface and forming a sharp peripheral edge at said juncture, another jaw toothed element mounted on said second jaw extending into said opening having a cylindrical outer surface and an outwardly diverging inner frustro-conical surface juncturing with said outer surface and forming a sharp peripheral edge thereof, a lifting arm pivotally attached at one end to said body member above and in alignment with said opening and connected at its other end to a lifting cable, a link pivotally connected at one end to said lifting arm intermediate the ends of said arm and having a second end opposite thereto, a pin joined, to said second end of said link caged within and adapted to traverse said slot and to move between said inner and outer portions thereof, said link being proportioned in length to dispose said other end of said lifting arm laterally away from said first jaw in said opposite direction when said pin is disposed in said outer portion of said slot and to dispose said other end of said lifting arm generally above said opening when said pin is disposed in said inner portion of said slot.

3. A self-releasing grapple for lifting a flanged beam comprising a generally flat vertically arranged body member having an upper pivotal connecting portion, a lower jaw portion aligned below said pivotal portion and a laterally extending wing portion extending in a predetermined lateral direction from said pivotal and jaw portions, said jaw portion having a generally inverted U- shaped opening extending upwardly thereinto for the reception of a flange of a beam to be lifted, a pair of spaced, facing jaw elements disposed on said jaw portion on respectively opposite sides of said opening, a lifting means pivotal connection on said upper portion comprising a pivot axis disposed generally horizontally and perpendicular to said body member, said laterally extending wing portion having an elongated slot therein terminating at one end adjacent said connection and at the other end spacedly outwardly in said predetermined direction from said pivotal and jaw portions, said wing portion including means forming a socket at said other end of said slot and communicating therewith, a link having a first portion caged in said slot slideable therealong and selec- J tively engageable upwardly in said socket, and lifting means coupled to said connection extending upwardly from said upper portion, said link having a second portion spaced from its said first portion coupled to said lifting means at a point spacedly above said connection.

4. A self-releasing grapple for lifting a flanged beam comprising a body member having a pivotal connecting portion and a jaw portion, said jaw portion comprising first and second facing jaw elements with said second jaw element spaced from said first jaw element in a predetermined lateral direction, said jaw elements defining therebetween an opening in said member for the reception upwardly thereinto of a flange of the beam to be lifted, said pivotal portion being generally aligned above the opening said body member further comprising a laterally extending slotted wing portion extending outwardly from said first jaw element in a lateral direction opposite to said predetermined lateral direction said wing portion having a slot therein terminating at one end adjacent said pivotal portion and at the other end spaced laterally away from said first jaw element, said wing portion including means forming a socket at said other end of said slot and communicating therewith, a link having a first portion caged in and slideable along said slot and selectively engageable in said socket and retained therein during lifting of the beam and selectively disengageable therefrom upon depositing of the beam, lifting means pivotally connected to said connecting portion of said body member, said link having a second portion spaced from said first portion coupled to said lifting means at a point spacedly above said pivotal connecting portion.

5. A grapple comprising a body member having a pivotal connecting portion and a jaw portion, said jaw portion comprising first and second facing jaws with said second jaw spaced from said first jaw in a predetermined lateral direction, said jaws defining therebetween an opening in said member for the reception of a flange of a beam to be lifted, said pivotal portion being generally aligned above the opening, said body member further comprising a laterally extending slotted wing portion extending outwardly from said first jaw in a lateral direction opposite to said predetermined lateral direction, said wing portion having a slot therein terminating at one end adjacent said pivotal portion and at the other end spaced laterally away from said first jaw, said wing portion including means forming a socket at said other end of raid slot and communicating therewith, a lifting arm member having a lower end pivotally connected to said connecting portion of said body member and an upper end adapted and arranged for connection with lifting cable means, link means having a first end portion connected to said arm member above said lower end thereof and having a second portion spaced from said first portion, and means including said second portion to cause said second portion to be selectively engageable in said socket for oflsetting said upper end of said arm member toward said socket when said second portion is engaged in said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,011,660 Strathern Dec. 12, 1911 1,390,650 Smith Sept. 13, 1921 1,406,704 Varicle Feb. 14, 1922 2,324,361 Chandler July 13, 1943 2,412,555 Baker Dec. 17, 1946 2,523,434 Johnson Sept. 26, 1950 2,542,289 Robbins Feb. 10, 1951 2,619,372 Gardner Nov. 25, 1956