US3695672A

US3695672A - Remote control grapple carriage operated by yarding machine

Info

Publication number: US3695672A
Application number: US47105A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Mitchell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-06-17
Filing date: 1970-06-17
Publication date: 1972-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-03

Abstract

A grapple carriage riding on a skyline capable of being slackened and tightened, and having a grapple supported thereon with means for opening and closing the grapple for gripping and releasing a log, the means includes a remote control associated with a yarding machine so that an operator may cause opening or closing of the grapple from the yarding machine and also move the carriage along the skyline and for positioning the grapple during a logging operation.

Description

United States Patent [151 3,695,672 Mitchell [451 Oct. 3, 1972 REMOTE CONTROL GRAPPLE 3,531,000 9/1970 Rennie et a1. ..2l2/89 R CARRIAGE OPERATED BY YARDING MACHINE Inventor: John H. Mitchell, 400 W. Curtis St., Aberdeen, Wash. 98520 Filed: June 17, 1970 Appl. No.: 47,105

Related U.S. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 783,015, Dec. ll, 1968, Pat. No. 3,540,770.

U.S. Cl. ..294/112, 212/84, 212/89 Int. Cl. ..B66c 21/00 Field of Search ..294/110, 111, 112; 212/83, 212/84, 87, 89, 94, 96, 98, 99

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1968 McIntyre et al. ..212/84 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry AttorneyClarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A grapple carriage riding on a skyline capable of being slackened and tightened, and having a grapple supported thereon with means for opening and closing the grapple for gripping and releasing a log, the means includes a remote control associated with a yarding machine so that an operator may cause opening or closing of the grapple from the yarding machine and also move the carriage along the skyline and for positioning the grapple during a logging operation.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PMENTEDIIM. 1972 Fig .3

Jb/m 'H. M/fchel/ REMOTE CONTROL GRAPPLE CARRIAGE OPERATED BY YARDING MACHINE This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 783,015, filed Dec. 11, 1968 for REMOTE CONTROL GRAPPLE CARRIAGE now US. No. 3,540,770, issued Nov. 17, 1970.

Carriages with grapples thereon which may be employed in various logging operations are generally well known. While such devices operate, one of the problems existent in the field is operation of a grapple on the carriage to effectively pick up the log, convey it to another desired location and then release it. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a grapple carriage having a grapple supported therefrom together with means connected with the carriage for operating the grapple.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriage in accordance with the preceding object incorporating means to enable operation of the grapple from a remote position such as a yarding machine.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriage including a cable operated assembly mounted on the carriage for operating the grapple from appropriate powered cable drums such as found on yarding machines.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a grapple carriage which is relatively simple in construction, dependable and effective in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, operate and maintain.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which: Y

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the grapple carriage of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view along section line 33 of FIG. 2 illustrating the structural details of the grapple carriage.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the grapple carriage of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 210 and is illustrated as being mounted on a skyline 212 with the grapple carriage 210 including an open frame 214 provided with a single pulley 216 in the upper portion thereof supported on a shaft 218 for supporting and rolling engagement with the skyline 212. The open frame 214 is provided with a horizontal partition 220 and vertical partitions 222 to support and position the wheel or pulley 216 and rigidify the frame. The lower portion of the frame 214 is provided with a vertical partition 224 supporting a transverse shaft 226 having a pair of pulleys or grooved

wheels

228 and 230 mounted thereon for rotational movement with the wheels or

pulleys

228 and 230 being on opposite sides of the vertical partition 224. Depending from the bottom of the frame 214 is an attaching or supporting lug 232 which supports the grapple or tong assembly generally designated by the numeral 234.

Entrained over the pulleys or

wheels

228 and 230 is a pair of

cables

236 and 238 with the cable 236 extending over the pulley 228 and down through a grommet 240 for association with the crossed pivot point of the gripping jaws of the grapple to open the grapple when I the cable 236 is moved upwardly. The other cable 238 on the side of the frame opposite from the plate 244 is remote relation to the yarder.

By employing this construction, the grapple is power opened when a line attached to the lug 246 is tensioned and pulled thus moving the pivot point between the jaws of the-grapple toward the carriage thus opening the jaws. At this time, a cable or line attached to the loop or eye 242 will be slackened so that the grapple may be opened and by slackening the skyline 212, the grapple along with the carriage to which it is attached is dropped down and engages a turn of logs. After the logs have been engaged, the skyline 212 is tightened while the line attached to the lug 246 is slackened so that the grapple is closed and grips the turn of logs. Then, the cable attached to the eye 242 is pulled in thus pulling the carriage along the skyline in a well-known manner and eliminating any possibility of the tension on the line pulling the carriage tending to open the grapple which could occur if the line pulling the carriage along the skyline were attached to the lug 246, especially if the pull line becomes entangled or if a long length of line is suspended which introduces substantial weight of the line itself which would release the gripping pressure exerted by the jaws on the grapple.

By supporting the pivot point between the jaws from lug 232 by using an appropriate shackle and swivel assembly and connecting cable 236 to the pivotal connection at the upper ends of the links, the grapple becomes power closed and is operated by appropriate tensioning of cables attached to

lugs

246 and 242. The mechanism for operating the cables attached to

lugs

246 and 242 may be a winch structure on a yarder or it may include a remote control cable tensioner such as that illustrated in Ser. No. 783,015 that is mounted on a yarder or the like.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention,

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A grapple carriage comprising a housing, means movably supporting said housing from a skyline, a grapple tong supported from said housing, means connected with said tong for opening'same, means connected with said tong opening means for remote control thereof, said grapple tong including a pair of crossed jaws, said means for opening said tong including an opening cable entrained over a first cable receiving pulley mounted on said housing for opening the jaws of the tong when the cable is moved upwardly toward said housing, said remote control means including a plate attached to the opening 'cable and con figured to abuttingly engage said housing to limit linear movement of the opening cable in a jaw closing direction, said plate including means adapted to be connected to an operating cable extending remote from'the carriage for moving the opening cable to a jaw opening position, and a second cable having one end attached to said plate and a central portion entrained over a second cable receiving pulley on the housing, the portion of said second cable between said plate and said second pulley paralleling said opening cable, said first and second cable receiving pulleys mounted for rotation about the same axis, and the other end portion of said second cable including means adapted to be connected with a pull line extending remote from the carriage for moving the plate into engagement with the housing and moving the carriage on the skyline without exerting tension on the opening cable.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means supporting the housing from the skyline includes a support pulley journalledon said housing above the cable receiving pulleys with the skyline extending under the support-pulley.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein, said housing includes an open frame having a horizontal partition disposed between the support pulley and cable receiving pulleys with the skyline received above the partition, the portion of said housing below the horizontal partition including a vertical partition between the cable receiving pulleys maintaining the opening cable and the second cable separated from each other.

Claims

1. A grapple carriage comprising a housing, means movably supporting said housing from a skyline, a grapple tong supported from said housing, means connected with said tong for opening same, means connected with said tong opening means for remote control thereof, said grapple tong including a pair of crossed jaws, said means for opening said tong including an opening cable entrained over a first cable receiving pulley mounted on said housing for opening the jaws of the tong when the cable is moved upwardly toward said housing, said remote control means including a plate attached to the opening cable and configured to abuttingly engage said housing to limit linear movement of the opening cable in a jaw closing direction, said plate including Means adapted to be connected to an operating cable extending remote from the carriage for moving the opening cable to a jaw opening position, and a second cable having one end attached to said plate and a central portion entrained over a second cable receiving pulley on the housing, the portion of said second cable between said plate and said second pulley paralleling said opening cable, said first and second cable receiving pulleys mounted for rotation about the same axis, and the other end portion of said second cable including means adapted to be connected with a pull line extending remote from the carriage for moving the plate into engagement with the housing and moving the carriage on the skyline without exerting tension on the opening cable.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means supporting the housing from the skyline includes a support pulley journalled on said housing above the cable receiving pulleys with the skyline extending under the support pulley.