US3207323A

US3207323A - Pivotal boom assembly with latch means for securing a load supporting member to the boom

Info

Publication number: US3207323A
Application number: US290782A
Authority: US
Inventors: Langdon D Bates
Original assignee: MEMPHIS MACHINE WORKS
Current assignee: MEMPHIS MACHINE WORKS
Priority date: 1963-06-26
Filing date: 1963-06-26
Publication date: 1965-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-21

Description

L. D. BATES Sept. 21, 1965 PIVOTAL BOOM ASSEMBLY WITH LATCH MEANS FOR SECURING A LOAD SUPPORTING MEMBER TO THE BOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1963 INVENTOR, Langdon D. Bales Sept. 21,- 1965 L. D. BATES 3,207,323

PIVOTAL BOOM ASSEMBLY WITH LATCH MEANS FOR SECURING A LOAD SUPPORTING MEMBER TO THE BOOM Filed June 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

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INVENTOR, 2 Langdon 0. Bates United States Patent 3,207,323 PIVOTAL BOOM ASSEMBLY WITH LATCH MEANS FOR SECURING A LOAD SUPPORTING MEM- BER TO THE BOOM Langdon D. Bates, Memphis, Tenn., assignor to Memphis Machine Works, Memphis, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Filed June 26, 1963, Ser. No. 290,782 9 Claims. (Cl. 212-64) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in material handling devices, and particularly relates to a material handling device which is adapted for use in close storage spaces especially for the handling of elongated objects such as bombs and other similar devices.

There have heretofore been many forms of lift trucks which have included means for engaging remote objects, and which have sought an answer to the problem of moving in the narrow aisles of a warehouse for engaging with an object closely stacked adjacent to such narrow aisle, .the removal of the object from its stack and the subsequent carriage along the narrow aisle. Attempts have been made to provide lift trucks with some sort of turntable or boom seeking to attack this very problem. These prior devices, however, have not been commercially successful, and have proven relatively ineflicient in the accomplishment of the task to which dedicated.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of a conventional industrial truck, such as a lift truck or other related type of device, including lifting means at the forward end of the truck. The present device includes an elongated substantially horizontally disposed boom, which is fixed .to a shaft turna'bly mounted upon the lift means of the industrial truck, and adapted to be turned from side to side through an overall arc of 180 degrees for adjustment of boom position as desired.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved material handling device.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which is especially adapted for use in the handling of materials in inconvenient and narrow places, such as narrow warehouse aisles and other restricted areas.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which is mounted upon an industrial truck, and which includes an elongated substantially horizontally extending beam which is connected with the lift means of the industrial truck for vertical movement, and which is provided with means for swinging from side to side.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the boom means is provided adjacent its distal end with a turntable which is connected to the boom and is provided with means for effecting rotation of the turntable.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which includes a vertically reciprocaible beam having means for grasping a desired object for handling, and which couples to the turntable for relative rotary movement to establish the desired position of the object being handled relative to the remainder of the device; and

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the design, construction and efliciency of material handling devices The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the material handling device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device as seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on an enlarged scale as on the line Il-I--III of FIG. 2, and with certain parts being shown in elevation.

FIG. 4 is an inverted sectional plan view with broken away 'for purposes of illustration.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken as on the line VV of FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 6 is an additional cross sectional view taken as on the line V-I-VI of FIG. 2.

FIG, 7 is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic system relative to the various instrumentalities of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the material handling device of the present invention is shown as mounted in combination with a conventional industrial truck 11. Truck 1&1 is powered to move from place to place and includes a conventional source of hydraulic pressure v13.

Carried by the front end of truck -11 is an upstanding substantially vertical t-rackway 15 upon which is mounted for vertical reciprocation a carriage 17. Carriage 17 comprises a lowermost platform 19, upright bracing members 21 and an upper plate 23. All of the carriage is rigidly connected together and conventionally mounted in the trackway for vertical reciprocation along the trackway in response to the hydraulic system of the industrial truck.

Turnably mounted upon carriage 11 is a shaft 25 which is seated at its lower end upon platform 19 and extends substantially vertically upwardly therefrom. Preferably a suitable thrust bearing (not shown) is mounted upon the platform and supports the shaft lower end for turning movement. Intermediate the length of the shaft a bearing 27 is secured to upper plate 23, and shaft 25 is journaled and supported therein.

Mounted upon shaft 215 above plate 23 is a pinion 29. Pinion 29 is fixed to shaft 25 in order to elfect shaft rotation as desired. For that purpose a rack 31 is horiz-ontally and reciprocably mounted upon a hydraulically operated assembly 33, assembly "33 being carried by the upper plate 23 of carriage '17 and being hydraulically connected for operation to hydraulic source 13.

Rigidly connected to the uppermost end of shaft 25 is the rear end of a substantially elongated horizontally and forwardly projecting boom 35. Boom 35 projects substantially radially away from shaft 25 and in a generally forwardly direction and is swingable with the shaft in order to move the boom from side to side during operation of the device. Boom 35 is preferably made up of a pair of substantially flat longitudinally extending

web members

37, 39, disposed on edge. To each of the

webs

37, 39,

flanges

41, 43, are respectively connected and project horizontally inwardly. The flanges are supported from such connection which is intermediate the depth of

webs

37, 39, and

flanges

41, 43 extend substantially throughout the length of the webs. At the forward end of boom 35,

boom members

37, 39 are interconnected by a transversely disposed plate 45, which is seated upon the

respective flanges

41, 43, and is rigidly secured thereto, thus interconnecting the boom members together adjacent the forward ends above the level of the flanges.

The underside of the boom is interconnected by an additional plate 47 which is substantially disc-like in shape preferably, and which extends between the lower edges of the webs of the boom members and is rigidly secured thereto. Thus the boom members at their outer ends are rigidly interconnected in order to maintain the boom in its proper operating condition.

Mounted on and rigidly secured to the upper surfaces of

flanges

41, 43, intermediate the length of boom member 35, is a longitudinally disposed hydraulic piston and parts cylinder assembly 49 which is horizontally reciprocable and which is connected by

hydraulic lines

50, 51 to hydraulic pressure source 13. Hydraulic assembly 49 has connected to its piston rod 53 the rearward end of a chain 55.

Chain 55 extends forwardly from the assembly 49 toward the forward end of boom 35. Adjacent its forward end chain 55 passes over and depends substantially vertically from a roller 57, roller 57 being rotatably supported from a pair of upstanding brackets 59, which are rigidly fixed to and extend substantially vertically upwardly from plate 45 between

webs

37, 39.

Adjacent roller 57, plate 45 and

flanges

41, 43 are cut out to receive a vertically disposed hollow collar 61. Collar 61 is rotatably supported in a roller bearing 63 mounted in plate 45. To the lower end of collar 61 is rigidly fixed a rotatable disc 65, disc 65 being disposed below plate 47 and being closely slidably engaged thereagainst. Disc 65 includes an upstanding ring portion 67, which embraces the lower portion of collar 61 and is fixed thereto. Ring portion 67 extends upwardly through plate 47. A bearing 69 mounted upon the upper surface of plate 47 rotatably supports disc 65. Thus collar 61 is rotatably supported adjacent the forward end of boom 35.

Chain 55, passing over and depending from roller 57, extends downwardly through the hollow interior of collar 61, and at its lower end chain 55 is secured to a swivel 71 which is fixed to an elongated beam 73.

A sprocket 75 is fixed to the exterior of collar 61 intermediate the depth of the collar and between

plates

45, 47, for rotation of collar 61. Trained about sprocket 75 is a chain 77, which is connected at one end to the piston rod 79 of a hydraulic assembly 81, hydraulic assembly 81 being a two-way reciprocable assembly and being mounted on the underside of boom 35. Assembly 81 is offset from the center line of the boom in order to accommodate the movements of the chain 77 with respect to sprocket 75. Hydraulic assembly 81 is connected as by

lines

83, 84 to hydraulic pressure source 13 for the operation of the assembly.

Chain 77 extends rearwardly from sprocket 75 and is trained about an idler 85 which is supported from boom 35 rearwardly of the hydraulic assembly 81. The chain extends forwardly from idler 85 and is connected as at 87 to the rear end of assembly 81. The operation of assembly 81 effects shift of the chain 77 in such manner as to rotate or counter-rotate sprocket 75 and effect tuming movement of collar 61 as well as of disc 65 secured to the lower end of collar 61.

Mounted upon the under side of disc 65 and depending therebelow are opposed pairs of latch members 89, which in the embodiment here shown comprise angle members disposed in spaced relation so as to provide an entrant area below disc 65. A pair of bars 91 are mounted on the upper surface of beam 73 and project upwardly for alinement with the space between latch members 89. For the purpose of engaging objects to be handled by the present device, beam 73 is provided at its opposite ends with suitable grab hooks 93, which may be varied to serve differing purposes, and which are here shown in the simple form.

In the use of the device, beam 73 is elevated upwardly through the operation of hydraulic assembly 47, raising beam 73 closely into adjacency with disc 65, and with the latch members 89 on disc 65 being alined with the bars 91 on beam 73, the beam is locked to the rotational assembly. When so elevated and locked into position the device may be prepared for movement to and from the use area. Preferably the entire boom structure and the means supported thereby will be elevated above the level of the materials to be encountered as by the elevation of carriage 17 through the operation of the lift structure of the industrial truck 11 upon which the device is mounted. When the device has been moved approximately to the location of use desired the boom may be raised or lowered through the operation of carriage 17 to establish a horizontal position of the boom with vertical relationship to the articles to be handled.

Thereafter the boom may be swung from side to side through the operation of hydraulic assembly 33 engaging rack 31 with pinion 29, and effecting swinging movement to a desired extent of the assembly. When thus positioned hydraulic assembly 49 may be activated to extend chain 55 so as to pass beyond roller 57 and permit the movement of beam 73 downwardly away from latching engagement with latch members 89.

When so lowered and released, beam 73 may be manually manipulated into such position as may be desired in order to engage an article to be handled by the device, and the grab hooks 93 are engaged with such an article and the beam 73 is ready to return upwardly to the device. When returned upwardly the beam is alined so that bars 91 enter between latch members 89.

With the beam lock-ed in position against undesired rotation the device may be moved from place to place and controlled rotation of the beam and of the material handled thereby may be accomplished to provide a proper positional disposition thereof, and the elevation of the device may be controlled through the elevation of the carriage 17. Thus an object to be handled may be selected from a supply, engaged by the grab hooks and elevated with the beam into locked position through the retraction of chain 55.

The truck 11 may be driven to a new location and the boom may be swung conveniently to a position in which the material is to be deposited, rotation of the beam being effected through the operation of hydraulic assembly 81, moving chain 77 and manipulating sprocket 75 so as to aline the material being handled to its desired position. Thereafter it may be lowered into position through the reverse operation of chain 55 and the grab hooks may be released when the object being handled has been positioned.

I claim:

1. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending radially away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation comprising a pinion on said shaft, a horizontal rack engaging said pinion, hydraulic means connected with said pressure source for reciprocating said rack, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc comprising a sprocket fixed on said collar, a hydraulically operated chain trained about said sprocket, hydraulic means coupled to said chain and connected to said pressure source supported by said boom for operating said chain to effect sprocket rotation, latching members comprising spaced angle members depending from the underside of said disc, a material engaging beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, said beam on its upper side including a bar entered between said latch members to lock said beam against rotation independent of said disc when said beam is vertically shifted upwardly, means for raising and lowering said beam comprising a hydraulic assembly connected to said pressure source and mounted on said boom, a tension member coupled to the latter said assembly extending downwardly through said collar and disc, and swivel means connecting said tension member to said beam for beam rotation when said beam is freed from locking with said latch members upon lowering away from said disc.

2. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending radially away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc comprising a sprocket fixed on said collar, a hydraulically operated chain trained about said sprocket, hydraulic means coupled to said chain and connected to said pressure source supported by said boom for operating said chain to effect sprocket rotation, latching members comprising spaced angle members depending from the underside of said disc, a material engaging beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, said beam on its upper side including a bar engageable with said latch members to lock said beam against rotation independent of said disc when said beam is vertically shifted upwardly, means for raising and lowering said beam comprising a hydraulic assembly connected to said pressure source and mounted on said boom, a tension member coupled to the latter said assembly extending downwardly through said collar and disc, and swivel means connecting said tension mem ber to said beam for beam rotation when said beam is freed from locking with said latch members upon lowering away from said disc.

3. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending radially away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc, latching members comprising spaced angle members depending from the underside of said disc, a material engaging beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, said beam on its upper side including a bar entered between said latch members to lock said beam against rotation independent of said disc when said beam is vertically shifted upwardly, means for raising and lowering said beam comprising a hydraulic assembly connected to said pressure source and mounted on said boom, a tension member coupled to the latter said assembly extending downwardly through said collar and disc, and swivel means connecting said tension member to said beam for beam rotation when said beam is freed from locking with said latch members upon lowering away from said disc.

4. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, .a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending radially away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc, latching members comprising spaced angle members depending from the underside of said disc, a material engaging beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, said beam on its upper side including a bar engageable with said latch members to lock said beam against rotation independent of said disc when said beam is vertically shifted upwardly, means for raising and lowering said beam mounted on said boom, a tension member coupled to the latter said means extending downwardly through said collar and disc, and swivel means connecting said tension member to said beam for beam rotation when said beam is freed from locking with said latch members upon lowering away from said disc.

5. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending radially away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation comprising a pinion on said shaft, a horizontal rack engaging said pinion, hydraulic means connected with said pressure source for reciprocating said rack, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc comprising a sprocket fixed on said collar, a hydraulically operated chain trained about said sprocket, hydraulic means coupled to said chain and connected to said pressure source supported by said boom for operating said chain to effect sprocket rotation, latch means connected to said disc, a material engaging beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, beam carried means engaged with said latch means to releasably lock said beam and disc against relative rotation, means for raising and lowering said beam comprising a hydraulic assembly connected to said pressure source and mounted on said boom, a tension member coupled to the latter said assembly extending downwardly through said collar and disc, and swivel means connecting said tension member to said beam for beam rotation upon lowering away from said disc.

6. In material handling means, an industrial truck having lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending radially away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, latch means connected to said disc, means for turning said collar and disc, a material supporting beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, beam carried means releasably engaging said latch means for locking said beam and disc against relative rotation, means for raising and lowering said beam mounted on said boom, a tension member coupled to the latter said means extending downwardly through said collar and disc, and swivel means connecting said tension member to said beam for beam rotation when said beam is lowered away from said disc.

7. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, an elongated horizontal boom connected to said carriage, said boom extending radially away from said carriage and being swung selectively from side to side, means for effecting swing of said boom, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc, latching members comprising spaced angle members depending from the underside of said disc, a material engaging beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, said beam on its upper side including a bar entered between said latch members to lock said beam against rotation independent of said disc when said beam is vertically shifted upwardly and for rotation with said disc under operation of said turning means, means for raising and lowering said beam mounted on said boom.

8. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated .at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated substantially horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation, a turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc, latching members comprising spaced angle members depending from the underside of said disc, a material engaging beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, said beam on its upper side including a bar entered between said latch members to lock said beam against rotation independent of said disc when said beam is vertically shifted upwardly and for rotation with said disc under operation of said turning means, means for raising and lowering said beam mounted on said boom.

9. In material handling means, an industrial truck having a source of hydraulic pressure and lift means, a carriage mounted on said truck lift means for vertical reciprocation therewith, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft seated at its lower end on and carried by said carriage, an elongated substantially horizontal boom fixed to said shaft adjacent the upper end of the shaft, said boom extending away from said shaft and being swung selectively from side to side upon rotation of said shaft, means for effecting shaft rotation, at turnable collar extending downwardly through the distal end of said boom, a disc fixed to the lower end of said collar and turnable therewith, means for turning said collar and disc, latch means connected to said disc, a material supporting beam supported below said disc for vertical shift toward and away from said disc, said beam including means releasably engaging said latch means to lock said beam against rotation independent of said disc when said beam is vertically shifted upwardly and for rotation with said disc under operation of said turning means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,842 8/05 Hoffman et a1. 214658 1,855,862 4/32 McCann et al. 2l4652 2,486,479 11/49 Kennedy 212-42 2,699,879 1/59 Bertram 214-653 2,760,661 8/56 Wight 214-620 2,812,070 11/57 Delzer 214--658 X 2,828,880 4/58 Perry 214-653 X 2,990,074 6/61 Berquist et al 214620 3,045,852 7/62 Boyd 214653 FOREIGN PATENTS 714,071 8/54 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner.

Claims

9. IN MATERIAL HANDLING MEANS, AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK HAVINGA OSURCE OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE AND LIFT MEANS, A CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON SAID TRUCK LIFT MEANS FOR VERTICAL RECIPROCATION THEREWITH, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED ROTATABLE SHAFT SEATED AT ITS LOWER END ON AND CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE, AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BOOM FIXED TO SAID SHAFT ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF THE SHAFT, SAID BOOM EXTENDING AWAY FROM SASID SHAFT AND BEING SWUNG SELECTIVELY FROM SIDE TO SIDE UPON ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS FOR EFFECTING SHAFT ROTATION, A TURNABLE COLLAR EXTENDING DOWNARDLY THROUGH THE DISTAL END OF SAID BOOM, A DISC FIXED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID COLLAR AND TURNABLE THEREWWITH, MENAS FOR TURNING SAID COLLAR AND DISC, LATCH MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DISC, A MATERIAL SUPPORTING BEAM SUPPORTED BELOW SAID DISC FOR VERTICAL SHIFT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID DISC, SAID BEAM INCLUDING MEANS RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID LATCH MEANS TO LOCK SAID BEAM AGAINST ROTATION INDEPENDENT OF SAID DISC WHEN SAID BEAM IS VERTICALLY SHIFTED UPWARDLY AND FOR ROTATION WITH SAID DISC UNDER OPERATION OF SAID TURNING MEANS.