US3343861A

US3343861A - Lifting grapple for reels and the like

Info

Publication number: US3343861A
Application number: US513030A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sinicki Leon
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1965-12-10
Filing date: 1965-12-10
Publication date: 1967-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1984-09-26

Description

sept. 26, 1967 Filed Deo.

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United States Patent C) 3,343,861 LIFTNG GRAPPLE FOR REELS AND THE LIKE Leon Sinicki, Bremen Township, Cook County, Ill., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 513,030 2 Claims. (Cl. 294-67) The present invention relates generally to material handling equipment and more particularly to .an improved lifting grapple especially suitable for use with an overhead crane for handling reels and the like.

Rope and cable reels are made in a range of sizes and usually include an arbor having a center opening therethrough and a circumferential flange at each end.

Prior to my invention, when it was desired to lift a reel by an overhead crane to transport it, a steel pipe or other rigid, elongated member was first inserted through the center opening of the arbor longitudinally of the reel with its ends projecting outwardly of the anged ends of the arbor. A conventional sling attached to an overhead crane was then secured to the projecting ends of the pipe and lifted by the crane to lift the reel and transport it to a desired location.

The reels are normally stored in a horizontal position with the edges of the arbor flanges resting on a floor or ground surface. Prior to my invention, the necessity of inserting an elongated member in the arbors of the reels before they could be lifted required that the reels be positioned with suicient space between adjacent reels to permit insertion of the relatively long lifting member through the arbor of each reel. This, of course, made it necessary to provide an excess amount of space for storing and handling the reels.

Another disadvantage inherent in the practice of lifting reels by a crane with a sling and an elongated arborinsert was the danger of the sling slipping from one or both ends of the arbor-insert when the reel was suspended in midair.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of my invention to provide an improved lifting grapple for lifting reels having arbors with a central opening therethrough and circumferential flanges at each end thereof which requires a minimum amount of working space adjacent the reel and which positively engages the reel for lifting by an overhead crane.

lt is another object of my invention to provide a lifting grapple of the character described by the above object which is readily adjustable for reels of various sizes.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved lifting grapple of the character described which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture but is rugged in construction.

It is a more specialized object of my invention to provide an improved lifting grapple of the character described which includes a beam; a pair of spaced load hanger bars suspended from the beam, each of the bars including a flexible and rigid portion to facilitate manipulation thereof relative to a reel being handled; .and pin members and latch members on each of the hanger bars for positively engaging the arbor and circumferential flanges of a reel for lifting by an overhead crane.

The above objects will become more apparent after referring to the following `specification and attached drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevational view;

FIGURE 2 is an end View of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line lll-Ill of FIGURE l.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates a spreader beam having an upright 3,343,861 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 bail 4 intermediate its ends whereby the beam can be attached to the hook of an overhead crane (not shown) for suspension in a horizontal plane. The spreader beam 2 is formed by a pair of elongated channel sections 6 arranged in spaced back-to-back relation and secured together by means of transverse straps 8 welded to the tops and bottoms of the sections 6 and channel sections 9 rigidly connected with and extending transversely between channel sections 6 at their ends and intermediate the lengths thereof. The spaced arrangement of the channel sections 6 provides a central opening '10 extending longitudinally of the beam. Seating racks 12 having transverse notches in the upper portions thereof are rigidly connected with the backs of the channel sections 6 and extend longitudinally therealong in spaced relation to each other on either side of the central opening 10. A pair of racks 12 is provided on each side of the bail 4.

A pair of spaced load-hanger bars 14 is carried by the beam 2 by means of mounting pins 16. Each of the hanger bars 14 normally depends from the beam 2 in a vertical plane and includes a relatively long, rigid lower portion 18, which is provided with a center opening 19 extending longitudinally substantially along the length thereof; and a relatively short flexible upper portion 20. The rigid lower portion 18 and flexible upper portion 20 of each hanger bar is connected by a split thimble 22.. The body of each thimble 22 is attached to the flexible portion 2.0 of each bar while the split portion of the thimble is connected to a longitudinally extending lug 24 on the rigid portion 18 of each bar by means of a pin 26 and a Cotter pin 26a. The upper end of the flexible portion 2t) of each of the hanger bars is fitted with 1a thimble 28 which has a mounting pin 16 integral therein.

inwardly directed, laterally-extending, work-engaging Vpins 30 are formed on the lower end of the hanger bars d4. A latch, designated generally by reference numeral 32, is adjustably mounted on the rigid portion '18 of each of the hanger bars 14 by means of a mounting bracket 34 for adjustable movement longitudinally thereof. Each of the mounting brackets 34 is substantially rectangular in shape and tits slidably on the hanger bar. Each of the latches 32 includes a shank 36 which extends from the mounting bracket 34 through and beyond the center opening 19 of each hanger bar toward the opposite bar. The projecting end of each shank 36 is formed with a hook portion 38. The end of each shank 36 remote from the hook portion 38 is provided with a threaded portion 40 which fits through a suitable opening in the mounting bracket 34 and is assembled therewith by means of a washer 42 and a wing nut 44. Each of the portions 40 is of suiiicient length to permit a degree of adjustment of the hook portions 38 of the Shanks 36 relative to the hanger bars on which they are mounted so as to accommodate circumferential reel flanges of various thicknesses as will become apparent. The wing nut 44 serves to lock each of the latches 32 in adjusted position.

A handle 46 may be formed on the lower ends of each of the hanger bars 14 on the sides thereof remote from the pins 30 to facilitate applying or removing the hanger bars from a reel.

In operation, to lift a reel R having an :arbor A with a circumferential flange F at each end thereof and a central opening C extending through the arbor A, the beam 2 is lowered by the hook of an overhead crane (not shown) until the pins 3i) of the hanger bars 14 are level with the ends of the central opening C of the reel R. The hanger bars are adjusted along the length of the beam 2 in accordance with the length of the reel by seating the pins 16 in the notches of the seating racks 12 which will provide the proper spacing between the hanger bars. It is preferable that the bars be spaced an equal distance from the center of the beam. The handles 46 are then grasped and the bars manipulated to insert the pins 30 into the ends of the center opening C of the reel. The latches 32 are held above the anges F while the pins 30 are inserted into the ends of the opening C. Each of the latches 32 is then adjusted along the lengths of its respective bar 14 and the Shanks 36 adjusted to engage and clamp an edge of each of the circumferential anges F. The wing nuts 44 are tightened on the portions 40 to lock the latches in clamping engagement with the i'langes F. With the reel thus positively engaged by the lifting grapple of the invention, the hook of the overhead crane is raised to lift the grapple and the reel and transport them to a desired destination.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modiiications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A lifting grapple for a reel having an arbor with a longitudinal center opening therethrough and a circumferential flange at each end which comprises a horizontally extending beam adapted to be raised and lowered, a pair of vertically disposed spaced load hanger bars carried by and depending from said beam, said hanger bars being adjustable longitudinally along said beam, the lower ends of said hanger bars being provided with opposed laterally-extending work-engaging pins adapted to be inserted into the ends of the longitudinal center opening of the arbor of said reel, latches projecting laterally from opposed sides of said pair of hanger bars spaced from said pins adapted to detachably engage and clamp the flanges of said reel, and means mounting said latches for adjustable movement longitudinally along said hanger bars, said latches each including a hook portion and a shank portion, said shank portions extending substantially normal to said hanger bars and said hook portions being normal to said shank portions and extending in a plane substantially parallel with said bars, said shank portions being connected with said mounting means for longitudinal adjustable movement in a horizontal plane substantially normal to said bars whereby said hook portions are adjustable laterally toward and away from said bars.

Z. A lifting grapple for a reel having an arbor with a longitudinal center opening therethrough and a circumferential flange at each end which comprises a horizontally extending beam adapted to be raised and lowered, a pair of vertically disposed spaced load hanger bars carried by and depending from said beam, said hanger bars being adjustable longitudinally along said beam, said beam having a center opening extending longitudinally therealong, each of said hanger bars having a mounting pin laterally projecting from opposite sides of the end thereof remote from said pin adjustably disposed in said beam astride said center opening, a series of notches in said beam extending therealong adjacent each side of said center .opening for removably receiving the ends of said mounting pins, the lower ends of said hanger bars being provided with opposed laterally-extending work-engaging pins adapted to be inserted into the ends of the longitudinal center opening of the arbor of said reel, and latches projecting laterally from opposed sides of said pair of hanger bars spaced from said pins adapted to detachably engage and clamp the flanges of said reel, each of said hanger bars including a rigid lower portion and a ilexible upper portion, said exible upper portions depending from said mounting pins, and said latches and said workengaging pins being disposed on said rigid portions.

FOREIGN PATENTS 809,070 12/1936 France.

GERALD M. FORL-ENZA, Primary Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner.