US840525A - Grab. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTEi) JAN. 8, 1907.

A. SUCK.

GRAB.

APPLICATION FILED rmme, 1906.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JT k OOOO OOOOQU /ITHESEEZ 5 No. 40,525. PATENTED JAN. 8,1907.

, A.SUGK.

GRAB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.26. 1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

A. SUCK.

GRAB.

APPLICATION FILED P3126, 1900.

7 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITHEEEEE:

v I PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907. A. SUCK.

GRAB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2 6, 1900.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITHE'E-EE'EJ &

PATENTBD JAN. 8, 1907.

A. SUCK.

GRAB.

APPLICATION 11mm PEB.26. 1906.

'! SHEETS-SHEET 5- WITIJEEEEE No. 840,525. PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

A.SUGK.

GRAB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1906.

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\X/IT J E5 5 E5 v5.6 Q f No. 840,525. PATENTED JAN. 8 1907. A. SUCK.

GRAB.

APPLIOATION EILED FEB. 26. 1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

ADOLPH SUCK, OF'BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

' GRAB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

' Application filed February 26, 1906. Serial No. 802.828.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known thatI, ADOLPH SUoK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grabs, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

M improvement is intended to render it possible to hang and operate a grab, such as is used in coal-hoisting apparatus and other like machinery, by means of a single rope, the grabs shown in the drawings being so operated; but I do not mean to limit my invention to mechanism in which only one rope is used.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of construction embodying myinvention and showing also the trolley from which the grab is supported and the rail upon which the trolley runs in side elevation. Fig. 2 shows in side elevation, partly broken away, the grab in its open position just after it has -dis charged its contents. tion, partly broken away, of the grab still in its open position and resting upon the pile of coal from which it is about to take its load,

7 same to this extent, that each jaw is its hoisting-rope being relaxed. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the grab in the osition shown in Fig. 1. latch mechanism; Fig. 6, a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section of the housing inclosing one of the hoisting-sheaves. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are views of a modification of my operating apparatus corresponding, respectively, to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the jaws themselves being omitted. These figures will be understood from description given below. Fig. 11 is a detail of the tripping mechanism. I

'In both forms of the grabshown in the drawings the general construction is the vided with means for closing it and that t ere is a hoisting-mechanism which may be latched to said jaw-closing mechanism for the purpose of closing the jaws and holding them Y closed and may be detached therefrom for the purpose of allowing the jaws'to open-to dump the load and toftake up the new load.

The difference between the two forms of my' invention hereinafter described lies in the dif-.

ference between the forms of latch shown. The mechanism is also shown as operated by a single rope, which serves both as a hoisting- Fig. 3 is a side eleva-'- Fig. 5 is a detai of the rope and as a means for causing the grab to secure its load and also to a certain extent may operate the trolley to. cause the operation of the latch-tripping mechanism.

Turning now to the drawings, in Fi 1, A is the trolley-rail, on which runs the trifiley B, the trolley-rail also carrying a stop A, which 'islocated over the point where the discharge of the grab is to be effected. It is so constructed as to engage with the trip ing mechanism of the grab, as below described. The trolley B, in addition to its supportingwheels B, has an eye I) at its forward end, to which is-attached one end of the hoistingrope B and it also has a large sheave B over which the hoistingrrope passes after running through the various sheaves in the ab mechanism. The grab itself in the form shown consists of two jaws C C, each pivotally supported from a pyramidal frame composed of rods D, connected by braces D D near their base and at their top by the brace D? and also attached to the housing E for the sheavee. The jaws of the grab are connected together by arms a c, which arms are pivoted together, one of the arms 0 being also pivoted to its jaw C, so that while the jaws can only open a given distance there .may be otherwise perfect freedom of movement between them. In addition each jaw has mounted upon it means, such as an arm F and a chain f by which it is connected to its operating mec anism.

G is a tie-rod which is mounted in the braces D D. On this tierod are carried two segments H H. Each segment is free to turn on the tie-rod and has attached to it by the pinf the other end of the chain f, these parts beingso arranged that the rotation of the segment in one direction winds its chain f upon it, and so draws the correspondin jaw in a closing direction, (see Figs. 1, 4, and 8,) and the releasing of the segment allows the jaw to open by lts own weight,

draigging the segment into the osition shown in igs. 2, 3, 9, and 10. Eac se ment also carries a latchin -arm J, which in t e form of my invention s own in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, is segmental in shape and is notched at 1', (see. Figs. 2 and 5,) the notch forming one member of a latch, the other member of which comprises a pin is, grooved at k and mounted in bearin s in an arm K, also mounted upon and cc to' swing about-the shaft G, (see Fig. 6,) these bearings be' slotted at 70. Each pin 7c carries adog 7c fast to it and Weighted at one end k so that each dog tends to turn its pin into the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, where it Wlll be seen that the pin is in en agementwith the notch j. The roove k in the pin is sufiiciently wide and deep to ride over the curved peri hery of the arm J when the pin is unatc ed from the notch j in the arm J. The mechanism for turning the dogs 7: from their latching position to cause the unlatchin of the pins from the notch 3' will be des'cri ed below.

In addition to its latch each arm K carries bearings m for a sheave M M, eachcarried in a suitable housing M This housing is provided with openings, through which the hoisting-rope B ipasses. As shown in the drawings, the hoisting-ropepasses from the eye 1) down into the housing M of sheave M and around the said sheave, then up and around the sheave e, down again into the housing M for the sheave M and around that sheave, and up a ain around the sheave B and from it to the hoisting-engine.

The tripping mechanism com rises two levers N N, one on each side of t e grab, and each of which swings on a pin n, carried on an upright 12/, forming part of or mounted on one of the braces D. Each lever is suitably shaped at the-bottom to engage one of the dogs 7c and when pro erly moved to cause the dog to turn its pin 2, so as to disengage it from its notch j, and hence release the segment H, the periphery of the latching-arm J as it moves passing through the groove lc in the pin is. One of these levers being located on each side of the grab and it being necessarv to move them in opposite directions to perform the'unlatching operation, I provide one of them, N, with an operatin lever N mounted to turn on the pin n, w 'ch forms .theaxle-for the sheave e, the lower end of this arm bein connected to the lever N by an ordinary pivoted slotted connection. By thus making it possible to trip the latches by mo the upper end of the lever N and the operatmg-lever N 2 in the same direction I am enabled to utilize the movement of the trol-' ley toward the stop A for the pur ose of tripping the latches and dumping the oad.

e operation of the apparatus is as fol-.-

lows: The grab having been filled, as below described, it is hoisted "by the rope B which passing over the various sheaves M e M eeps the various parts in the osition shown in Fig. 1 by the weight of t e load. The

trolley is drawn over toward the stop A,

which is located over the dump-pile, whenthe levers N N will strike the stop and disengage the latches, so that the parts will fall;

i into the position shown in 2, being impelled thereto by theirown we1ght,.as'wellas' the Wei htof the coalwhicht'he grab is'carrying, t us .dumping the coal. The grab isthen returned to its original position over the coal to be moved and is dropped by releasing the rope B, so that it lands on the coal'pile. The rope B being still further relaxed, the arms K and the parts carried by them fall into the position shown in Fig. 3, the dogs k being thus brought into such position that when the slack of the rope B is taken up the sheaves M M and their bearings m, together with the arms K and the dogs is k, are drawn up into the position shown in Fig. 1, the engagement of each pin k with its notch j j causing the temporary uniting of the arm K' with the segments H and their rotation in unison with the arms K and the consequent windingup ofthe chains f on the segments H and the closing of the jaws, the jawsthus gathering between them their load of coal. The continuing pull upon the rope B then hoists the grab, and the operations as above described are repeated.

I'have shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10 a form of construction which is similar in many respects -to that; above described, the main difference being that the latches instead of being positivein their operation are springlatches. For this purpose the arms J are not necessarily curved, as in the form of device first above described, nor are they notched; but each carries a spring-latch 2, each latch being pivoted at Z to one of the arms J, its free end being pushed upwardly by means of a spring Z also attached to said arm J each spring-latch being provided with a suitable stopfor example, a pin 1 to prevent it from being thrown out too far by its spring. In this form of my invention each arm K carries a projection L, located to engage the end of the spring-latch Z when that spring-latch Z is in its outward position. When, however, the latch has been depressed against the force of the spring, this projection is enabled to ride over the outer edge of'the latch, so that the weight of its jaws isno longer sustained by it. In order to depress the latches at the proper time, so as to open the grab, mechanlsm is provided similar to that referred to above viz., a crosspin n, mounted in uprights 12,, and simiof' late es which connect parts'otherwise disconnected,so that when all the parts are in active coo eration' the grab is closed and is kept close 'bythe weight ofits load until the hoisting function of the rope is completed, when its dragging function is utilized to trip the latches, so as to dump the load, and

later it is relaxed to enable the latches to be reset andthe grab to take its load, and thus to close the grab and hoist the load. So far as I know, this cycle of operations has never been possible in any grab operated by a single hoisting-rope, and it is evident to or less protected from dust.

feature is, however, to so protect the rope those skilled-in.the art that the simple and easy locking and unlocking of a grab is a great assistance to it commercially, especially when it can be accomplished with a simplicity such as is shown 1n the accompanying drawings, and it is also apparent that the invention may be embodie in other forms and may be accomplished by two ropes, one on each side, as well as one.

'I have shown in Fig. 7 a cross-section of one of the sheaves M M and its housin M From this view and from Fig. '5 it wil be seen that the housing comprises not only side disks m, but a peripheral casing m in whlch are two slots m one on each slde, to

allow the rope to pass down and around the sheave, up, and out again. By this means the rope is kept centered in the groove in the sheave, and the mechanism is also more The important and keep it in the'sheave that it or arts of it cannot catch as it wears between t e sheave and the interior of the housing, especially when the rope is relaxed. The same construction is adopted in regard to the sheave e and its housing E, the housing in this case also servingas a means for bracing the upper part of the frame formed'by the rods D, the cross-bar D serving, if necessary, as a stop or buffer to engage the under surface of the.

trolley. I

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A grab having jaws, means by which said jaws may be operated, a hoisting mechanism operatable by a single rope and con- .necting to automatically engage with said means by which the jaws of the grab may be operated, and connecting means by which such automatic engagement maybe obtained.

2. A grab having jaws, means by which said jaws may be operated, hoisting mechanism operatable by a single rope and connect- -ing with said mechanism by which the jaws of the grab may be operated to close said jaws and hold them closed during the act of hoisting, and means by which such connection may be obtained.

, 3K At grab having jaws, means by which said jaws may be operated, hoisting mechanism operatable by a single rope and connecting to automatically engage with said means by which the jaws of the grab may be-op'er ated and become released therefrom, connecting. means by which such automatlc engagement may be obtained, and means wherey' a release thereof may be obtained.

1. A grab having jaws, meansby which said jaws may be operated, holstmg means operatable by a single rope connecting with to automatically engage said means by which the jaws of the grab may be operated to close and hold closed said jaws while the hoistingrope is under stress, means by which such automatic engaging connection may be obtained, and means whereby said jaws of the grab may be released to open when said grab has-reached a predetermined position. 5. A grab having jaws, means by which said jaws may be 0 erated, a hoisting mech-' anism operatable y a single rope, means whereby said hoisting mechanism may automatically be connected with said means by which said jaws of the grab may be 0 erated to close, for closing said jaws and olding them closed during the act of hoisting, and means whereby said jaws may automatically be released to open, when said grab has reached a predetermined position;

6. In a grab having jaws, a hoisting mechanism, a jawoperating mechanism, and meansv operated by said hoisting mechanism adapted to engage said j aw-o crating mechanism to close and hold close said jaws during the act of hoisting, and means adapted to 'disengage said engaging mechanism whereby said jaws areallowed to open as set forth.

7. A grab having jaws adapted to assume a normally open osition, means whereby said jaws may be c osed, hoisting mechanism mdependent of said means, releasable means I adapted automatically to connect said hoistsaid jaws maybe operated, movable armscarrying pulleys adapted to receive a hoistingrope, latches adapted to connect said arms with .said means by which the jaws may be operated, whereby strain u on the hoistingrope moving said arms wil operate to close said jaws, and means whereby said latches may be released to allow said jaws to open.

10. In a grab having jaws, jaw-operating mechanism comprising segments and chains connecting said segments with said jaws, and means for operating said segments comprising swin in frames carrying hoistingpulleys and ate es adapted to engage with IIO said segments upon the beginning of the hoisting o eration and lock said segments and said oisting mechanism during the hoisting operation, and means adapted to unlock sald latches to allow said aws to open as described.

11. In a grab having jaws and means for operating them such as segments and chains,

swingable arms carrying latches adapted to engage said jaw-operating means and'also carrying sheaves whereby a hoisting-rope may be reeved through saidsheaves and the draft upon it may be utilized to cause the closing of said jaws as well as the movement of said grab.

12. In a grab having jaws, means connected therewith by which said jaws may be operated, movable sheave-carrying members adapted to have operative engagement with said means by which the jaws maybe operated, releasable means by which such engagement is made when said sheave-carrying members have assumed a predetermined position and which releasable means. is adapted to hold such engaging position during a predetermined movement of said sheave-carrying members whereby said jaws are closed and held closed, and means for obtainin the release of said jaws to open.

13. n a grab having jaws, a stationary I sheave and pivoted arms each carrying a sheave through which a hoisting-rope is adapted to run, means by which the jaws of the grab may be operated, means for latching said movable sheave-carrying arms to said means by which the aws may be operated, and means for obtaining the release thereof. v

14. In a grab having jaws adapted to swing to a normally 0 en position, means connecting therewith which said jaws may be closed, pivoted arms bearing sheaves for receiving a hoistin -rope, said arms be-- ing adapted when sai hoisting-rope is relaxed to assume a position by which they may engage with said means by which the arms may be operated, releasable latchforming means b which said engagement may automatical y be obtained, w ereby upon lifting the grab said hoisting-rope will move said arms, closing said jaws and hold- .ing them closed, and means for releasing said latch-forming means by which said jaws may be released to open. v

'15. In a grab havm jaws adapted to assume a normally close osition, means connecting therewith by which said jaws may be closed, a stationary sheave, pivoted arms bearing sheaves through all of which sheaves a hoisting-rope is adapted to run, said arms bein adapted when said hoistingrope is relaxed to assume a position by which they may engage with said means by which the jaws may be operated, releasable latches adapted to assume normally engagin positions and connecting said arms with said means by which the jaws may be operated when said hoisting-rope is relaxed as aforesaid and to assume such osition during the subsequent movement 0 said arms, whereby said jaws are closed and held closed during the hoisting of the grab, and means adapted to release said latches when the grab has been lifted to a predetermined po- -sition.

' 16. In a grab mechanism, a sheave pro-.

vided with a housing comprising disk-like sides and a peripheral rim having slots therein through which the rope passes to the sheave, said slots serving to center the rope with relation to the groove in the sheave.

'ADoLPH 'sUoK. Witnesses:

GEORGE O. G. CoALn, M. E. FLAHERTY.

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