US3616949A

US3616949A - Loading equipment

Info

Publication number: US3616949A
Application number: US20164A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kaspar Klaus; Georg Felkel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-03-17
Filing date: 1970-03-17
Publication date: 1971-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-02

Abstract

An operating agency, for instance, a piston-cylinder unit, is connected to the hoist arm of a loading appliance through a coupling system comprising at least two links which are pivotally connected to the hoist arm at positions spaced in the direction of hinging of the arm, and are pivotally connected to the connecting member, which itself is acted on by the operating agency, at positions offset in the opposite direction. This provides for a greater angular range of efficient operation by the hoist arm.

Description

United States Patent Inventors Kaspar Klaus FOREIGN PATENTS 894 Memmingen mersmsse 14; 1 168 341 4/1964 German 214/778 Gem Be'kheim '245'123 6/1960 Australia 214/77 Germany App]. No. 020,164 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Filed Mar. 17, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Robert J. Spar Patented Nov. 2, 1971 Attorney-Holman & Stern LOADING EQUIPMENT 8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 214/77, ABSTRACT: An Operating agency for instance, a piston 74/105- 214/130 cylinder unit, is connected to the hoist arm of a loading ap- InLCl 860]) 1/48 pliance through a coupling System comprising at least two Fleld 0f Search. 78, links which are pivotally connected to the hoist arm at osi- 80, 130,778, 765; 7 tions spaced in the direction of hinging of the arm, and are R Cled pivotally connected to the connecting member, which itself is e I acted on by the operating agency, at positions offset in the op- UNITED STATES PATENTS posite direction. This provides for a greater angular range of 3,524,560 8/1970 Hall 214/130 efficient operation by the hoist arm.

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I 1 Hrra/Q Na r L LOADING EQUIPMENT FIELD OF INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART In loading appliances of this kind the load is usually engaged with the free end of the hoist arm while the aforesaid operating means act on the hoist arm in the vicinity of the hinging axis with a smaller lever arm. When these operating means are constituted by a fluid pressure operated piston cylinder unit there is the problem that the range of hinging movement of the hoist arm over which the operating means can act with the most efficient turning moments is comparatively small. Even when the range of hinging movement is increased by accepting unfavorable turning moments the hinging range is still very restricted. As a result the usual hoist arm constructions have a working range of less than a right angle.

These problems not only apply to hoist arms with a horizontal hinging axis. Similar difficulties apply also to cases where arrangements exist for pivoting the whole or a substantial part of the loading appliance, for example, about a vertical axis.

It is an object of the invention to provide equipment for the purpose referred to in the preamble above which enables the range of hinging of the hoist arm to be substantially enlarged. In particular it is an object of the invention to devise an arrangement in such a way that efficient lever arms are retained even when maximum torque is to be applied thereto. This applies particularly when the range of hinging of the hoist arm is so large that this arm, with or without a load, can be swung from a substantially horizontal position into a vertical position and then into a horizontal position to the other side of its hinge mounting, and can be used as a bilateral loading appliance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention, then, relates to the provision in loading equipment of the kind comprising at least one loading appliance incorporating a hoist arm and operating means for hinging said am to raise a load, of the improvement wherein said operating means is operatively connected to the hoist arm through a coupling system comprising at least two links and a connecting member, said links being pivotally connected at one end to the hoist arm at positions which are offset relatively to one another in the direction of hinging of said hoist arm, said links being pivotally connected at the other ends to the connecting member at positions which are offset in the direction opposite to the first-mentioned direction, and said connecting member being mounted for guided movement in the appliance and operatively connected to said operating means.

It has been found that it is possible with equipment of this invention to maintain an amplitude of hinging of the hoist arm which is even more than one half a full circle. This caters for swinging of the arm through a central upright position and a bilateral operation.

Using the invention a wide range of most favorable lengths of lever arm can be freely selected, for example, in such a way that in a substantially horizontal position of the hoist arm, that is to say when the moment of the load is at a maximum, the most favorable lever arm is available for effecting the hinging. When the hinging takes place from one side to the other side through a substantially vertical mean position, on the other hand, as a rule only a smaller length of lever arm is required for effecting the hinging.

In particular the invention proposes the use of the equipment according to the invention is connection with side loading appliances on load-carrying vehicles, particularly those used for container transport. In this event use will be made of at least two hoist arms, one of these being in front of the load and the other being arranged behind the load, as related to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the range of hinging of the two hoist arms being substantially equal at the two sides of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention are diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a load-carrying vehicle to which the invention may with advantage applied,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vehicle according to FIG. 1 in the transporting condition, this being shown on an enlarged scale,

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate two operating positions of the equipment according to the invention, and

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the invention in three different operating positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The load-carrying vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown supporting a load 1. Arranged to the front: and rear of this load 1 are two loading appliances 2 and 3, which are of substantially like fonn and are combined with support legs 4. The loading appliances 2 and 3 act on load 1 through cables 5 to enable it to be loaded and off-loaded on and from a vehicle.

FIG. 2 gives a rear view of the loading appliance 2. This latter is mounted on a subframe 6 which also carries the support legs 4. The complete subframe is preferably mounted for displacement on the chassis 7 of the vehicle to enable the distance between loading appliances 2 and 3 to be adjusted to suit the length of the load to be handled.

As can be seen from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the subframe 6 caries a supporting upright 8 which can be swung over by means of a piston cylinder unit 9 about an axis parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle. At its upper end the upright 8 has the pivot 10 for a hoist arm 11 which can be hinged by means of a piston cylinder unit 12. This unit 12 is buttressed at 13 against a projection on upright 8 and acts on a connecting member 23. The lower end 24 of the latter is pivotally guided in a slideway 14 in upright 8 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The piston cylinder unit 12 engages the connecting member 23 at 15.

Two

links

16 and 17 extend between the hoist arm 11 and the connecting member 23. The link 16 is connected to the hoist arm 11 at pivot 20 and link 17 to arm 11 at pivot 21. The

links

17 and 16 are connected to the connecting member 23 at pivots l8 and 19.

The operation of the equipment according to the invention and particularly that of the links and the connecting member will now be described below with reference to the illustration in FIGS. 5 and 7 which, although it illustrates a slightly modified version of the appliance seen in the earlier figures,

clearly discloses the principles involved. It is to be noted that in the illustration of FIG. 5, the two

links

16 and 17 are crossed with the result that the articulations at the pivot on the hoist arm on the one hand and the articulations at the pivots of the connecting member 23 are offset in opposite directions relatively to one another.

While FIG. 5 shows the position of the hoist arm 11 in which this arm points to the right, FIG. 7 shows an approximately op posite position of this arm directed leftwards. FIG. 6 shows an approximate median position. It is to be noted that both in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7 further depression of the hoist arm is still possible.

When the piston cylinder unit 12, for example, in its posi' tion in FIG. 5, is supplied with pressure fluid the piston rod of this unit acts on the connecting member 23 at 15 and pushes this upwards, whereby the pivot 24 of the connecting member slides upwards in the slideway 14, as indicated by arrow 22. During this movement the link 17 is acting as a pressing agency, while the link 16 has more of a guiding function and ensures positive guidance of all the parts.

In the region of the position of the parts shown in FIG. 6 the thrust effort of the piston cylinder unit is conveyed to the hoist arm 11 more by the link 16 than by link 17. Link 17 has assumed more of the guiding function.

By appropriate positioning of the

articulations

20 and 21 relatively to one another and to the pivot 10 it is possible to cater for specific turning moments in specific positions of the hoist arm.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. to 7 the distance between the

pivot point

18 and 19 on the connecting member 23 is different, and in particular is smaller, than the distance between the

pivot points

20 and 21 on the hoist arm 11. It has been found that this enables favorable transmission ratios to be achieved.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4, on the other hand, the aforesaid distances are the same and the lengths of

links

16 and 17 also correspond in this case. If this condition is maintained the result is that in the FIG. 3 position link 16 does not move relatively to hoist arm 11, while contrariwise the link 17 performs no relative movement in relation to the connecting member 23. In FIG. 4 position, on the other hand, link 16 behaves as if it were rigid with connecting member 23, while link 17 performs no movements relatively to the hoist arm 1 1. During the transit from one operative position to the

Claims

1. In loading equipment comprising at least one loading appliance incorporating a hoist arm and operating means for hinging said arm to raise a load, the improvement wherein said operating means is operatively connected to the hoist arm through a coupling system comprising at least two links and a connecting member, said links being pivotally connected at one end to the hoist arm at positions which are offset relatively to one another in the direction of hinging of said hoist arm, said links being pivotally connected at the other ends to the connecting member at positions which are offset in the direction opposite to the first-mentioned direction, and said connecting member being mounted for guided movement in the appliance and operatively connected to said operating means.