US3349978A - Load hanger - Google Patents

Description

1957 c. R. LITTLE ETAL 3,349,978

LOAD HANGER Filed March 16, 1966 CLIFFORD R. LITTLE ROBERT J. OVERY,SR.'

BUCKHO/P/V, BLORE, KLARbu/sr a SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent M Sr., Rte. 1, Box 1048, Beaverton, Oreg. 97005 Filed Mar. '16, 1966, Ser. No. 534,805 8 Claims. (Cl. 224-43) The present application relates to a device for suspending loads from a supporting bod-y and more particularly to a load hanger for supporting and suspending generally rectangular loads such as, for example, blocks of salt from pack horses and other pack animals.

Blocks of salt for sustaining wild life and livestock in remote roadless areas, particularly in the winter months, are usually carried into such areas on pack animals. In the past, this has required loading two of such salt blocks, weighing about fifty pounds apiece, into a knapsack and then carrying two of such knapsacks on a pack animal. The transportation of salt blocks in the foregoing manner is a two-man operation since two men are required both to load and unload each knapsack on the animal. Knapsacks for this purpose are also costly and wear out rapidly in use.

The present invention eliminates the need for knapsacks and two-man loading and unloading in transporting salt blocks by the provision of the simple yet unique rigid load hanger comprising a pair of load-engaging arms and a single cross member capable of supporting a single block of salt and suspending the same from a horse or other pack animal. The load hangers can be used in multiples by hooking the same together one above the other, thus enabling a single pack animal to carry the same number of salt blocks as before, but enabling the blocks to be loaded and unloaded singly by one man.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a rigid load hanger for supporting loads and suspending the same from a primary supporting body.

Another primary object is to provide a load hanger especially adapted for'suspending rectangular loads from pack animals.

A more specific object is to provide a load hanger which can be used in multiples so that a series of such load hangers can be easily attached to and detached from one another for easy loading and unloading of portions of a load at a time.

Another specific object is to provide a load-hanging device which quickly and simply engages and releases a load without necessitating removal of any parts therefrom.

Still another object is to provide a load hanger of a novel and simplified construction which replaces more complex, expensive and hard-to-handle load-carrying means such as conventional rigid containers and flexible pack bags.

A further object is to provide a load hanger which can be disassembled easily and transported in a very compact disassembled state when not in use.

A further object is to provide a load hanger as aforesaid which is especially adapted for carrying blocks of salt but which can also be used to carry other loads of comparable size and shape.

The above and other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a series of load hangers in accordance with the invention suspended in their operative positions from a pack horse and supporting blocks of salt;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the horse of FIG. 1 showing a pair of the load hangers on a slightly enlarged scale;

3,349,978 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a single load hanger on a scale greatly enlarged from that of FIG. 2 and showing one arm of the load hanger in both its loadengaging and load-releasing position;

FIG. 4 is a View taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3 showing the inside face of one of the two arms of the load hanger and showing in section the pivotal connection between such arm and the base member of the hanger;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3 showing an upper outer surface portion of one arm of the load hanger;

FIG. 6 is a partial bottom view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5 showing one-half of the base member of the load hanger;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 3 showing the cross-sectional configuration of an upper portion of one of the arms of the load hanger; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 3 showing an upper surface portion of the base member of the load hanger.

With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a horse H on the back of which is mounted in the usual manner a conventional alforja 10 having a pair of metal rings 12 attached thereto on each side of the horse. As shown in FIG. 2, a load hanger in accordance with the invention, indicated generally at 14, is hooked to a pair of the rings 12 on each side of the horse, and an additional load hanger 14' is hooked to the bottom of each of the firstmentioned load hangers so that the horse carries a total of four such hangers. Each load hanger supports a standard size block of salt S in a manner to be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Referring now to the enlarged view of FIG. 3, each load hanger 14 includes a base, or cross member 16 disposed generally horizontally in its operative position, and a pair of side, or arm members 18, 19 pivotally and releasably attached at their lower ends to the opposite ends of the cross member in a manner so that each arm can be swung from a generally vertical load-engaging position as shown in solid lines outwardly to a load-releasing position as indicated by the dashed line position of arm 19.

The upper end of each arm is fromed into a hook 20 with the hook of the arm 18 extending in a direction opposite that of the hook of arm 19, as indicated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, so that when the arms are hooked to a pair of the rings 12, the load hanger will not be jolted loose from the rings when the horse is in motion. The hook portions are preferably of circular cross section, and, if formed of metal, such portions are coated with a wearresistant plastic such as Teflon to reduce wear and noise at these points.

The lower end of each arm includes an eye portion 22 which projects beneath the cross member when the arms are attached thereto so that the hooked upper ends of the arms of one load hanger can be hooked to the eyes of another load hanger, thereby enabling a series of load hangers to be hooked together and also enabling easy attachment and detachment of the load hangers from one another when desired.

As shown in FIG. 7, each arm is generally T-shaped in cross section and includes a flat inwardly facing surface portion 24 on a flange 26 of the T and an outwardly directed rib 28 forming the stem of the T and increasing in length in a direction toward the lower end of the arm. Intermediate the upper and lower ends of each arm a generally cylindrical hub portion 30 projects outwardly from the inner surface 24 in a direction toward the opposite arm. The purpose of the hub portion is to provide a load-engaging means which, when the arms are generally normal to the cross member, project into similarly shaped recesses in the opopsite ends of the salt block S to retain the block between the arms and above the cross member as indicated. When it is desired to release the block from the load hanger, the arms are simply swung outwardly away from one another to disengage the hubs from the recesses of the block. It will be noted that each hub tapers inwardly slightly toward its central axis as it extends outwardly from the inner surface 24 of the arm so that it will enter and exit easily from the recess in the salt block. As indicated by the partially sectioned portion of the hub of arm 19 in FIG. 3 and by FIG. 4, each hub is hollow and open at its outer end and may be cast as an integral part of the arm which, like the cross member, is preferably made of light-weight metal such as aluminum alloy or high-strength plastic. The rib 28, of course, adds strength and rigidity to the arm.

It will be evident from the construction of the load hanger as described thus far that with a block of salt between the arms 18 and 19 and the arms hooked either to an upwardly adjacent load hanger or ther etainer rings 12 so that the arms are generally normal to the cross member and the hubs are within recesses in the block, the block will be locked between the arms and cannot be removed therefrom without first unhooking the arms from the members from which they are suspended.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the cross member 16 includes a horizontally extending upper flanged portion 40 having a fiat top surface 41 and a central vertical flange 42 extending downwardly from the upper flange intermediate the opposite ends of the cross member. The vertical flange includes a curved outer handle portion 44 which defines a central aperture 45. This aperture and handle portion on the lowermost one of a pair of attached load hangers on each side of a pack animal provides a means used to secure the opposite ends of a rope R extending beneath the horse to stabilize the load as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The flat upper surface 41 of upper flange 40 helps support the salt block or other load mounted between the arms.

As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 6, vertical flange 42 of the cross member forks adjacent each end thereof into a pair of parallel flanged hook portions 46, 48 which provide a space 50 therebetween for receiving a tang portion 52 of each arm, such portion extending laterally from adjacent the lower end thereof. The hook portions 46, 48 open upwardly to provide recesses 54 for receiving and retaining pivot projections 56 which extend laterally from the opposite sides of each tang 52 near the outer end thereof. In order that the projections 56 can be inserted in the recess 54 formed by the hook portions of the base member, a pair of longitudinally extending slots 58, one near each of the opposite ends of the cross member, extend through the upper flange thereof. These slots enable insertion of the pivot projections into the recesses of the hook portions by receiving an outer portion of the tang during such insertion.

Another important function of the tangs is that they support the cross member when the arms are hooked to a supporting body. Outward pivoting movement of the arms is provided by rotation of the projections 56 within the recesses of the hook portions. Abutment of the upper edge 60 of each tang against the undersurface of upper flange 40 of the cross member limits upward pivoting movement of the arms relative to the cross member to an extent such that the arms upper limit positions are substantially normal to the cross member. Abutment of the flange portions 26 of the arm members against the ends of the cross member also has a limiting effect on the inward pivoting movement of the arm members toward one another.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that with the foregoing attaching means the arm members can be quickly attached and detached from the cross member and pivoted relative thereto without the insertion or removal of any retaining pin or other fastening means,

and yet when the arms are suspended from a supporting body with the load hanger supporting a load, the arms cannot become detached from the cross member.

The opposite ends of the base members also include a pair of ears 64, 65 which depend from upper flange 40 and have aligned openings 66 therethrough into which a removable pin (not shown) can be inserted if desired for locking the arms to the cross member with the arms normal thereto and without permitting pivotal movement of the arms relative to the cross member. In using the load hangers for transporting salt blocks and other similarly shaped loads on pack animals, insertion of a pin through the opening 66 would not be necessary, and therefore the ears could be eliminated if desired. Nevertheless, for certain other applications such as, for example, in using the load hangers as permanent holders for suspending salt blocks from fixed objects such as a fence to enable animals to utilize the salt, the ears and cooperative pins would be desirable to prevent accidental dissassembly of the hanger.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the illustrated load hanger could, if desired, be used to support loads other than salt blocks such as, for example, any load having the indicated shape and recesses at the opposite ends thereof for receiving the hubs 30. In fact, boxlike containers having recessed ends could be constructed of the indicated shaped and supported by the load hangers on pack animals for packing supplies placed within such boxes instead of using conventional pack saddles for this purpose. In such instances the cross member could, if desired, be made an integral part of the bottom of the box. The upper flange of the cross member could also be pan shaped to support salt blocks while the same are in use.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modification in arrangement and detail. We claim as our invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A load hanger for suspending a load from a supporting body comprising:

:1 biase member for extension horizontally beneath a one pair only of opposite side members, each having an upper end and a lower end,

means for pivotally attaching said side members to said base member so that said side members extend generally upwardly from opposite ends of said base member on opposite sides of said load and so as to permit swinging movement of each side member from an upright position for engaging said load outwardly to a second position for releasing said load,

a load engaging projection on each side member intermediate the opposite ends thereof and extending inwardly toward the opposite side member for interengaging a corresponding recess in a load to be carried.

and hook means at the upper end of each side member for suspending said side members and their supported base member and load from said supporting body, so that the weight of said side members, base member and load maintains said side members in a substantially normal relationship to said base member to prevent release of a load between said side members with said side members thus suspended.

2. A load hanger according to claim 1 wherein hook means of one said side member extends in an opposite hooking direction from the hook means of the other side member when said side members are attached to said base member so as to prevent accidental removal of said side members from said supporting body even though said supporting body might be in motion.

3. A load hanger according to claim 1 wherein said means for pivotally attaching said side members to said base member includes a tang extending laterally inwardly from adjacent the lower end of each side member toward the opposite said side member and beneath an end portion of said base member,

and hook-and-pin type attaching means, one part of which is on said base member and the other part of which is on said tang for releasably interengaging one another and permitting limited pivoting movement of each side member relative to said base member, said side members and said base member including means permitting outward swinging movement only of said side members relative to said base member from positions generally normal to said base member.

4. A load hanger according to claim 3 wherein said hook-an-pin type attaching means are so arranged that said side members can be released from said base member only when said side members are pivoted outwardly relative to said base member so as to prevent accidental disengagement of said side members from said base member when said hanger is supporting a load.

5. A load hanger according to claim 1 wherein the upper end of each side member defines a downwardly opening single hook and said side members are detachably pivoted one to each of the opposite ends of said base member, the hook of one side member extending in an opposite hooking direction from the hook of the other side member when said side members are pivotally attached to said base member, said side members being identical to each other to an extent such that they can both be cast from a common mold.

6. A load hanger for suspending a load from a supporting body comprising:

an elongate, rigid cross member including a planar top surface portion for at least partially supporting a load thereon,

upwardly opening hook means on said cross member near the opposite ends thereof and beneath said top surface portion,

aperture means on said cross member between the opposite ends thereof and beneath said top surface portion,

said top surface portion including a pair of elongate slots extending therethrough, one adjacent each of said hook means,

a pair of rigid arm members, each including an integral hook at one end thereof and an eye at the opposite end thereof,

each said arm member including a laterally projecting tang portion above said eye,

said tang portion including pivot projections extending laterally from the opposite sides thereof for interengaging one of the hook means of said cross member,

the hook means of said cross member and the pivot projectioins on said arm members permitting the swinging of said arm members relative to said cross member while said arm members remain attached to said base member from load-engaging positions generally normal to said cross member to positions outwardly of said load-engaging positions for releasing a load positioned between said arms,

each said arm member including an enlarged loadengaging portion extending laterally toward the opposite arm member intermediate the opposite ends of each side member for interengaging a load placed between said arm members and above said cross member when said arm members are in their loadsupporting positions.

7. A load hanger for suspending a load from a supporting body comprising,

a base member for extension horizontally beneath a load,

a pair of opposite side members, each having an upper and a lower end,

means for pivotally attaching said side members to said base member so that said side members extend generally upwardly from opposite ends of said base member on opposite sides of said load and so as to permit swinging movement of each side member from an upright position for engaging said load outwardly to a second position for releasing said load,

fastening means at the upper end of each side member for suspending said side members from a supporting body,

load engaging means intermediate the upper and lower ends of each side member for interengaging a load position between said side members,

and means at the lower end of each side member projecting beneath said base member for permitting the attachment and suspension of other load hangers therefrom.

8. A load hanger for suspending a load from a supporting body comprising,

an elongate rigid generally horizontal cross member including a load engaging top surface portion for at least partially supporting a load thereon,

upwardly and laterally outwardly opening hook means on said cross member near the opposite ends thereof and beneath said top surface portion,

said top surface portion including a pair of longitudinally elongated slots extending therethrough and spaced inwardly of the opposite ends of said cross member, one above each of said hook means,

a pair of rigid arm members, each including an integral fastening means at an upper end thereof,

each said arm member including a laterally projecting tang portion at a lower end portion thereof,

said tang portion including pivot projections extending laterally from opposite sides thereof for pivotally interengaging one of said hook means of said cross member,

said hook means on said cross member and the associated said tang portion and projections of each said arm member being sized relative to each other so that said projections can be inserted within the disengaged from the associated said hook means only by first swinging the upper portion of said arm member outwardly relative to said cross member and inserting a free end portion of said tang portion within the one of said pair of slots positioned above the associated hook means,

each said arm member including load retaining means intermediate the opposite ends thereof for retaining a load between said arm members when said arm members are generally normal to said cross member and suspended by said fastening means from a sup porting body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,175,024 3/1916 Thorson 22449 1,380,994 6/1921 McNary 22443 1,462,831 7/1923 Schuman 22449 1,777,394 10/1930 Coe 29467 2,272,314 2/ 1942 Williams 224-49 X 3,020,078 2/ 1962 Ray V 29463 3,095,989 7/1963 Morrison 214 3,157,132 11/1964 Floehr 283 X GERALD M. F ORLENZA, Primary Examiner. F. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A LOAD HANGER FOR SUSPENDING A LOAD FROM A SUPPORTING BODY COMPRISING: A BASE MEMBER FOR EXTENSION HORIZONTALLY BENEATH A LOAD, ONE PAIR ONLY OF OPPOSITE SIDES MEMBERS, EACH HAVING AN UPPER END AND A LOWER END, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY ATTACHING SAID SIDE MEMBERS TO SAID BASE MEMBER SO THAT SAID SIDE MEMBERS EXTEND GENERALLY UPWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BASE MEMBER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LOAD AND SO AS TO PERMIT SWINGING MOVEMENT OF EACH SIDE MEMBER FROM AN UPRIGHT POSITION FOR ENGAGING SAID LOAD OUTWARDLY TO A SECOND POSITION FOR RELEASING SAID LOAD, A LOAD ENGAGING PROJECTION ON EACH SIDE MEMBER INTERMEDIATE THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD THE OPPOSITE SIDE MEMBER FOR INTERENGAGING A CORRESPONDING RECESS IN A LOAD TO BE CARRIED. AND HOOK MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF EACH SIDE MEMBER FOR SUSPENDING SAID SIDE MEMBER AND THEIR SUPPORTED BASE MEMBER AND LOAD FROM SAID SUPPORTING BODY, SO THAT THE WEIGHT OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, BASE MEMBER AND LOAD MAINTAINS SAID SIDE MEMBERS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BASE MEMBER TO PREVENT RELEASE OF A LOAD BETWEEN SAID SIDE MEMBERS WITH SAID SIDE MEMBERS THUS SUSPENDED.

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