US427260A

US427260A - Crane

Info

Publication number: US427260A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 1907-05-06

Description

' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. PORTER.

CRANE.

No. 427,260. v Patented May 6,1890.

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet S. PORTER.

No. 427,260. Patented May 6, 1890.

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WITNESSES INVENTORY 0am MMJL n12 "cams nnzs cm, mow-mum, wnsnmuwu, n. c.

, SSheets-Sheet 3. i S. PORTER.

CRANE.

(No Model.)

No. 427,260. Patented May 6, 1890.

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Att'yspits.

UNITED STATES 'ATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL FORTER, OF LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,260, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed March 8, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL FORTER, of Latrobe, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cranes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved crane. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. lis a side elevation of a modified form. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section on the line V V of Fig. 1.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

The object of my invention is to provide a crane designed especially for use in mills and furnace-plants for lifting and transporting heavy burdens from one place to another for example, for lifting ladles containing molten steel for the purpose of transferring the steel from the converters to the casting- The burden lifted by such cranes is very great, and it is desirable that the cranes should be very strong and yet as light as possible consistently with the requisite strength, and that the power necessary in operating the cranes should be as small as possible.

IVith such end in view I have made my present invention,which I shall now proceed to describe, so that others may apply the same to practical use.

The mast of the crane is rotary, and is stepped in a suitable socket or seat 2 at its base. Above the foot of the mast it is provided with a cross-piece or head 3, connected by means of vertical rods 41 to the end of a hydraulic cylinder 5, the plunger 6 of which is provided at its lower end with a cross-head 7, which moves in contact with and is guided by the uprights 4, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The mast of the crane extends above the cylinder 5 to a suit. ble distance, and at the top is journaled in a suitable top support of ordinary construction. Above 'the cylinder 5 the mast may conveniently be made of a section or sections of pipe. These pipe-sections, the cylinder 5, the'uprights 4, the cross piece 3 at the base of the uprights, and the Serial No. 302,460. (No model.)

foot, which is journaled in the step 2, together constitute the mast.

The jib of the crane consists of a strong frame 8, the preferable construction of which I have clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, in which it is shown composed of two parallel side pieces, each formed of a pair of flanged beams connected at the middle and at the ends by plates 9 and suitably braced. The side pieces constituted by these pairs of beams are connected by

bolts

11, 12, and 13, which serve not only to connect and strengthen the parts of the jib, but also serve as pivotal connections, as hereinafter explained. At its rear end the jib is forked, so as to fit on each side of the mast and to clear the latter in its vertical motions. For this purpose the jib is provided with a forked separating-block 30, interposed between the side pieces and bolted or riveted thereto. (See Fig. 5.) The con necting-rods 17, hereinafter described, are

pieces by bolts 11. The jib is pivotally supported 'by means of a brace 14 (consisting of two parallel bars) leading from the foot of the mast, to which it is pivot-ally connected by a bolt 15, and connected also to the bolt 12 on the jib. A brace 16, consisting also of two rods, extends from the bolt 12 to the upper portion of the mast. 'The rear end of the jib is connected with the cross-head 7 of the plunger 6 by connecting-rods 17, which are pivotally arranged on the cross-bolt 11.

with-suitable hooks 21 or with other fastening devices for holding the burden, the con-' struction of which will depend on the nature and shape of the latter. I have shown the crane designed for moving a ladle of the sort The outer end of the crane is provided pivotally joined to the ends of these side.

and they are provided at their lower ends Y commonly used in steel-plants, and for this purpose I use the hooks 21, which engage trunnions or projections 22 at the sides of the ladle.

Then the crane is thus constructed, the jib 8 is in effect a swinging beam pivoted at an intermediate point 12, on which it may be rocked vertically, so as to cause the outer end 13 to describe the are indicated by the dotted lines Z) c, and in this way to lift or to lower the ladle or other burden, as will be readily understood. The beam is thus moved by operation of the plunger of the hydraulic cylinder, the vertical motions of which are transmitted to the beam by the connecting-rods 17. The motions of the different parts of the crane which result from actuation of this plunger are clearly indicated by dotted lines in the drawings. The horizontal motions of the jib in transporting the burden from one place to another are effected by rotation of the mast, which may be done by hand or by a suitable power-engine acting on the mast in the ordinary manner.

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings that the brace 14, which extends from the foot of the mast to the pivotal point 12 of the jib, is connected with the mast in such manner that the center line of the brace intersects the center line of the mast in the middle of its bearing in the step 2, and that the center line of the brace 16, extending; from the upper portion of the mastto the pivot 12 in like manner intersects the center line of the mast in the middle portion of its bearing in the top support. The consequence of this construction is that strain on the mast tending to bind it is avoided. So far as I know the braces of all other cranes have hitl1- erto been connected to the mast at points intermediate between the top and bottom bearings, and therefore require the mast to be made of very heavy beams or castings, in order to withstand the great bending moment to which they are subjected. By extending the braces or struts from the top and bottom of the mast I am enabled to construct the mast of light material.

The water-connections leading to the cylinder 5 may be arranged in any convenient manner. I have, however, shown a very suitable arrangement in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The lower portion of the mast is made hollow and is provided with a series of perforations f, which communicate with an annular chamher 9 in the socket 2. The water-supply pipe is connected at 10 with the chamber 2, and a pipe 7) leads from the hollow bore of the maststep to the hydraulic cylinder 5. k are suitable packing-rings placed in the socket of the mast to prevent leakage of water. i

In Fig. 4E Ishow the crane provided with de vices by which the burden may be racked or moved horizontally for the purpose of shift ing it from one place to another in the manner usual in the use of cranes in steel-plants I show this construction in a separate figure of the drawings, in order that the other figures may not be obscured by multiplicity of parts. On the strut 14 is a frame or support 24, containing a hydraulic cylinder 25, the plunger 26 of which is connected by rods 27 and 28 to the suspending-rods 18 at the outer end of the jib. These rods are divided at their pivotal connections with the rods 28, so that the lower portion 18 thereof may swing freely on said pivotal connections and may hang 1n a vertical position independently of the position of the upper portions 18. The rods 27 and 28 are at their pivotal connections connected by rods 29 to the pivot 12 of the ib.

The operation of this portion of my improvement is as follows: Then it is desired to move the hooks 21 at the lower ends of the rods 18' horizontally from one position to another. this is effected by actuating the plunger of the hydraulic motor 25. The motion of this plunger in one direction will draw upon the rods 27 and 28 and will turn the rods 18 on their pivotal connections at the end of the jib, and will thereby move the rods 18', which, being loosely pivoted at their upper ends, will remain in a vertical position, so that the burden of the crane is not disturbed or made liable to be upset. In these motions, which are effected by the hydraulic cylinder, the

rods

29 and 18 remain parallel and thus strengthen and direct the several parts. By dotted lines in Fig. i I show the arcs of motion of the several parts of the crane. The motion of the piston of the hydraulic motor in the opposite direction will effect a reverse motion of the parts, as will be readily understood, and by means of this mechanisn and by the vertical motions of the jib I am enabled to use the crane in shifting its burdens from place to place with as great facility and with the use of less power as compared with cranes of the kind heretofore commonly used.

My improved apparatus may be Varied greatlyin form and proportions of the several parts without involving a departure from the principles of my invention, as stated in the broad claims of this patent. Such modifica tions will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art after an examination of my apparatus, as described in the foregoing specification.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the" art. The crane is compact in its structure, may be made very strong without requiring an excessive weight of metal, and in the work of lifting and transporting heavy burdens it re quires much less motive power per pound of burden than any other crane known to me.

I claim- 1. In a powei craile, the combination of a rotary mast, a jib-support projecting therefrom, a jib pivoted intermediate its ends on the jib-support, and a cylinder mounted on the rotary mast and connected with the jib at a TIO point back of its support and adjacent to the mast, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a power-crane, the combination of a rotary mast, a jib pivoted at an intermediate point, a power cylinder and piston mounted on the rotary mast, said piston connected with the jib, and braces connecting the jib-pivot with the mast, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a powercrane, the combination, with a rotary mast, of a jib-support, a jib pivoted on the j ib-support and adapted to straddle the mast at its inner end, and a power-cylinder and piston mounted on the rotary mast, said piston connected with the jib on opposite sides of the mast, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a power-crane, the combination, with a rotary mast, of a cylinder and piston arranged centrally therein, a jib-support which projects from the rotary mast, a jib pivoted intermediate its ends 011 the jib-support and spanning the mast at its inner end, and a link or links connecting the cylinder-piston with the inner end of the jib Where it spans the mast, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. A crane having a jib, a suspended support on the jib, and a racking cylinder by which the suspended support is oscillated,

substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. A crane having a jib, a jointed supporting rod or frame suspended therefrom, and a racking cylinder by Which said rod or frame is operated, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. A crane having a pivoted jib, a supporting rod or frame suspended from the jib, a racking cylinder, a rod connecting the plunger of the racking cylinder with the supporting" rod or frame, and rods extending to the pivot of the jib, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. A crane having a pivoted jib, a support ing rod or frame suspended from the jib, a racking cylinder, a rod connecting the plunger of the racking cylinder With the supporting rod or frame, rods extending to the pivot of the jib, and a strut connecting the mast with the pivots of the jib, said racking cylinder being mounted on the strut, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of February, A. D. 1889.

SAMUEL FORTER.

Vitncsses:

W. B. CoRWIN, '1. W. BAKEWELL.