US967662A - Device for handling bricks. - Google Patents

Description

R. U. PENPIELD. DEVICE FOR HANDLING BRICKS.

APPLIOATION FILED 00w. 9, 1908.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. C. PENPIELD.

DEVIGE FOR HANDLING BRICKS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 190B.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

By {a ATTORNEY v UNITED STATES PAT NT F10.

nan/roan o. rnNrIELn, or new YORK, 1v. Y.

DEVICE FOR HANDLING BRICKS.

aeaeea.

Specification, of IettersQflatent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Zdpflication filed October 9, 1908. Serial No. 456,994.

tion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention refers to a new and useful device for handling bricks. Its principal object is to avoid the repeated manipulation ofthe bricks by hand over and over again, and, therefore, to save labor and reduce expense.

The invention consists essentially in means whereby a stack of bricks built up in suitable formation may be lifted bodily and transferred from point to point, as, for instance, from the brick machine to the kiln or elsewhere; and the invention also comprises numerous details and peculiarities in the construction, combination and arrangementof parts substantially as will be here inafter des ribed and claimed.

This machine provides another and diflerent means for what has heretofore been known for carrying into effect a method covered by Letters Patent granted to l villiain H. Francis, No. 874,582, dated December 24,

1907, Improvement in the method of trans porting bricks. This method consists essentially in stacking up the bricks with uniform spaces between the unitsof the basic layer, so as to permit projectingarms to en:-

ter these spaces to carry the superposed load,

while the basic layer is itself picked up and carried along with the superposed load by the lateral pinching action of clamping de vices; and in said method either the lifting strain is applied at a point below the center of gravityof the bulk, but above the basic layer of the material, simultaneously with the application of a pinching strain "to the basic layer, or else the application of the horizontal or lateral pinching or clamping strain to the basic layer exerts so strong a pressure on the latter that in lifting it the superposed load is likewise lifted, the action in this latter case being in efi'ect a single lifting strain without having the lifting arms perform any direct lifting action above the basic layer. The mechanism of the present invention, therefore, simply provides additional novel means for accomplishing the same object, through either the single clamping power or the combined strains mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved brick handling machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of two clamping members, one of which is stationary and the other movable, one belonging to one pair of clamps and the other to the next pair. Fig. 4 is a partial top plan view of the clamping mechanism at the bottom of the frame.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the difierent. figures of the drawings.

a Q The frame of my improved machine may vary within wide limits, provided only it has the necessary principal parts to enable it to performits function of accommodating the mechanical features'of the device and permitting them to operate in the specified way. In the specimen frame shown, there is a vertically-disposed bar 1 of suitable size and strength, which is connected at its lower end to a horizontal member 2 whose ends 3 are turned laterally at right-angles to. the main direction of the member 2 so as to con device is placed alongside of a stack of stitute a stiff rectangular frame at the base The upper end of the bricks, the laterally-turned upper end 4 of 1 the frame will be situated at a point over the top of the stack, while the projecting ends 3 of the horizontal member 2 will lie alongside the base of the stack vertically below the laterally-turned upper part 4 Above the horizontal member 2 is a movable horizontal frame 5 consisting of an upper horizontal plate 6, a lower horizontal plate 7, and a vertical connection 8 between them, said parts 6, 7 and 8 being made preferably integral with each other as a channel piece. This movable channel frame is arranged in connection with a series of vertical stems 9 passing loosely through the upper and lower plates 6 and 7. Each pin is surrounded by a spiral spring 10 which is tensioned against a regulating nut 11 at the top just below the plate 6 and also against the plate 7 so that the movable frame when lifted will carry with it the series of vertical stems9, but with a yielding lift due to the interposed springs 10, so that the lifting of the series of stems 9 takes place with a certain degree of elasticity which allows certain of the clamping devices to operate in a compensatory way, providing for inequalities, etc., as will be presently explained. On the lower end of each of the stems 9, below the plate 7 of the channel piece is a block 12 which enables the pin 9 to be effectively connected tothe movable clamp 13, as I shall more fully explain. This movable frame is supported by -means of vertical bars 14, 14: connected together by a horizontal strut 15 which is held in place by a guide strap 16 that is secured firmly to the face of the central bar 1 of the main frame. Said strap 16 is of sufficient length to allow the strut 15 to move up and down the necessary distance during the up and down movement of the channel frame. The lower ends of the bars 14: are bolted at 17 to the upper plate 6 of the channel frame.

Braces 18 are bolted both to the bars 1 1 and also the channel frame near the outer ends of the upper plate 6, as shown in Fig; 1.

The upper ends of the bars 14 are pivotedby means of which a-lifting crane or other supporting means is applied to the machine for the purpose of raising it together with the mass of brick which it is designed to carry. The pivoting of the lever 19 to the laterally-turned end 4 of the main frame is accomplished by means of a suitable pivot pin or bolt 21,- while the pivoting of the upper ends of the bars 14 to the lever 19 is accomplished by means of a suitable pin or i bolt 22, see Fig. 2.

Secured to the horizontal member 2 of the base frame are a plurality of equidistant relatively stationary plates 23 arranged to stand vertically edgewise, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. These plates 23 are spaced from each other, and from the right-angled ends 3 of the horizontal member 2 a distance which will be greater than the thickness of a brick. Alongside of the relatively stationary plates 23 are arranged a plurality of equidistant movable plates 13 of a somewhat diflferent construction, but they are arranged to stand vertically 'edgewise and to be moved relatively to the stationary plates 23. Thus I provide pairs of plates, one member of each pair being relatively stationary, and the'other being'relatively moveev,ee2

able. When the members of each pair are brought close together the clamping of the bricks is relieved, but when they are spread apart the action results in tightly gripping the adjacent faces of the bricks between which these pairs of plates are arranged. In Fig. 3, the stationary plate 23 belongs to one pair, and the movable plate 13 belongs to the next pair in the series.

Each of the stationary clamping plates 23 is preferably provided with a horizontal bar 24 secured thereto near the upper edge, see Fig. 3. This ban-has the function of a lifting bar when it rests beneath the superposed mass at the time that the clamping members are between the spaced units of the basic layer. Ido not desire to restrict myself to the use of this lifting bar, for in most cases the probability is that the horizontal clamping action of the pairs of clamping plates upon the basic layer will be sufiicient to lift the entire mass without employing lifting fingers, but should the latter be deemed desirable, I provide a simple and easy method of furnishing the lifting fingers by thus enlarging or broadening the upper edge of the stationary clamping plates 23 throu h the addition of the lifting bar 24 as state Proceeding now to further describe the detailed construction of the stationary clamping plates 23 and the movable clamping plates 13, it will be noted that the plates 23 are provided at one end with a rightangled plate 25 having at one edge an oblique offset or angular incline 26 which provides a vertically-inclined face, and alongside of this inclined face 26 is a guiding extension 27, which is parallel to but offset from the plate 25. The end of the movable clamping plate 13, nearest the aforesaid inclined face 26 of the stationary plate 23, is provided with a right-angled plate 28 having an inclined edge 29. This inclined edge 29 of the movable plate 13 is designed to ride upon the inclined face 26 of said adjacent stationary plate 23, when the members of a clamping pair are being spread apart to perform the clamping action, and after the clamping is finished, and it is desired to replace the parts in their original position where the members of the clamping pair will be close together, the said inclined edges by their engagement with each other cause said members to be brought into close association with each other; for, as the movable member 13 drops and the inclined edge 29 slips back down the inclined surface 26; it is evident that the movable member 13 will be brought closer into contact with the corresponding stationary member 23 of the clampin air. The inclined surface 26 may,- there ore, be termed a replacing incline, for, in association with the e aaeee is ready again to perform the clamping function when the spreading operation is per-' formed therewith. Further, one longitudin'al' side of each of the stationary'members 23, as also of each of the movable members 13,'is perfectly plain and smooth, this being the side next to the brick with which it is tocome into contact, while the opposite side of each of the clamping members 13 and 23 is provided with a certain number of wedge-shaped projections, those on the sta tionary members 23 being inclined in the same direction as those on the adjacent movablemembers 13, so that when the two mem-i bars .which are in contact with each other are caused to move relatively, I they will be spread apart. @n nearer the stationary members 23 are mdicated in the drawings four -wedge-shaped projections 30, and on each of the movable clamping plates 13 l have indicated four similar .Wedging projections 31. These wedging projections are placed thus in two horizontal lines. Ob-

viously, the two horizontal lines will be sufficient to clamp two rows of brick, if the wedges are a suflicient distance'apart, but if desired, and they are placed close enough together, there may be two rows ofwedges .for't'he same row of brick. Details-of this kind will be subject to change to meet the exigencies of individual cases, and l 'clo'not wish to be restricted to any particular 'number orarra-n'gement of the wedges. It is important, however, that the thin ends of plate;13 will spread horizontally away from one stationary plate 23 at thistime, but to-- ward another on the opposite side of the intervening brick, and thiswill cause an efiicient clamping action a to take place against the sides of the adjacent brick, that is to say, the brick at the side of the movable clamping plate 13 and that at the side of the corresponding stationary clamping plate 23, said spreading action takingplace in the direction shown by the arrows inFig. 4:.

lVlien each movable clamping plate 13 is in its lowermost position, 6., that of close contact with the companion fixed plate 23, the inclined edge 29 reposes on the angular face 26 with the guide 27 alongside of the plate 28; and when the movable plate 13 is lifted, the contact of the edge 29 with the face 26 continues, while, at the same time,

will then be brought up ithe wedges 31 are co-acting with the wedges 30. Of course, the lifting of the movable plate 13 is only for a short distance, and only enough to enable the wedgesto spread the plates apart, so that the adjacentbricks may be tightly caught thereby, "-When the movableplates 13 are releasedand are permitted to resume their normal place,-they obviously will drop or be forced down by the action of the leverage mechanism, and at this time the inclined contacting faces 29 and 26 will bring the movable plate 13, again into as close contact as possible wit'h the companion fixed plate 23. 1

rick, or other suitable hoisting-mechanism,

caused to lay hold of the lifting-device, grappling the bail 20, and raising the device' after-the airs of clamping members'have The operation of the machine proceeds. as follows: As the bricks are hacked up, the lowermost tier or tiers will bespaced apart with uniform distances between. The der-1 to the stack and:

first been inserted in the uniform spaces between the units of the basic layer The lifting force applied to the bail 20, raises the movable channel frame and the entire device. The lifting strain thus applied to raise the machine automatically operates the clamps, for as'themovable channel frame is raised, its lower plate 7 will compress the 'springsl0 to a greater or less extent, and

lift the stems 9 which are attached, as I l have shown, to the movable plates 13, "thereby lifting said plates and spreadingthelnaway from their fixed companion plates 23, so as to e'fi'ecta clamping action on the adjacent devices of the bricks. The springs 10, which are introduced in the lifting process, allow a yielding character to be imparted to the movement of the movable clamps so as to take up any inequalities in the space between the bricks. In consequence, however, of the movement of the plates 13, the bricks of the lowermost tier or tiers will" all'be firmly clamped between a movable plate and a fixed plate, or, as at the ends, between the movable plate and the rectangular arms "3 of the horizontal member 2. After the plates .havebeen thus firmly clamped against the several bricks 'of the lowermost heror tiers, there will be no further movement of the movable members 13 with respect to the frame; but the entire device, with the stack of bricks thereon, will be lifted bodily and transferred to the kiln or other desired place. Thus it is seen that during this op.- eration, the entire weight of the stack is utilized in the clamping action. Of course,

in those cases where it is thought desirable to have a direct vertically-acting lifting strain under the superposed mass to act in conjunction with the horizontal clamping strain, theiauxiliary bars 24 at the top of ing-a vertical frame, and a series of pairs of the fixed clamps 23 will serve the'purpose of lifting fingers as I have already pointed out.

Many changes in the precise construction and arrangement of the various parts may I be made without exceeding the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1.' A device for handling bricks, comprising a frame having pairs of clamping members adapted to be inserted between adjacent bricks of a stack, means for spreading said members apart, and wedging means for returning said members to their normal position.

2. A device for handling bricks, comprising a frame having a clamping mechanism at the base, a wedging mechanism for opening the said clamping mechanism, and cooperating inclines for closing it.

3. A device for handling bricks, comprising a vertical frame having pairs of clamping members adapted tobe inserted between adjacent bricks of a stack, means for spreading the members apart consisting of wedge devices cooperating with each other, and

means for restoring the clamping members into close association consisting of cooperating inclined parts.

i l 4. A device for handling bricks, compris- A ing; a frame and a plurality of pairs of clamping members at the. base thereof, wedges on said clamping members cooperating with each other to spread the membersjapart to clamp the bricks, and inclines v for replacing theclamping members in their closed position again.

' 5i A device for handling bricks, comprisclamping members adapted to be inserted between adjacent bricks of a stack, means I fortspreading the clamping members apart toclamp the bricks, and means forreplacing .the clamping members in close association, consisting of inclines on the two members cooperating with each other.

. 6. device for handling bricks, comprising pairs of clamping members, one member ofeach pair being fixedly mounted, and the other being movable relatively thereto,

means on the fixed and movable members for spreading them apart, and means on the fixed member for causing the adjacent movxfabl'e member to be brought back into close association with the next fixed member atively movable, a wedging mechanism for opening the clamping members, means for lifting the movable member, and means for restoring the said members totheir normal closed position consisting essentially of an inclined surface on the stationary member and acooperating inclined part on the movable member. i j

9. A device for handling bricks, comprising a frame having a plurality of spaced pairs of members adapted to be inserted between adjacent bricks of a stack, wedges on said members co-acting directly with each other for spreading said members apart to,

clamp the bricks, and means for causing the action of each clamp to be-elastic to provide.

for bricks of different thickness.

10. A device for handling bricks, compris ing a frame having a plurality of pairs of members adapted 'to be inserted between admem ers apart to clamp the bricks and. means consisting of individual lifting springs interposed in the train of the expanding devices for each clam ing device;

11. A device for "handling bric s, compris-- a frame havin pairs of members a apted to be inserted bea plurality of spaced tween adjacent bricks of a stack, and means on the members operating in direct contact with each other at the time the members are moved in the clamping operation for spread ing said members apart to clamp the bricks,

together with elastic mechanism to, compen-j' sate for variations in the bricks and the spaces between them.

12. A machine for handlin bricks, comprising a vertically disposed ame, a later-. ally-extended arm at the top thereof, suspend-ing means connected to the outer end of said arm, clamping devices having di' rectly coacting wedges thereon and arranged at the bottom of the frame, and means for operating said clamping devices by the initial movement of the lifting strain, said means including individual elastic devices for the clamping mechanism to compensate for variations in the thickness of the bricks and the width of the spaces between them.

13. A device for handling bricks, comprising a vertically-disposed frame having a laterally-turned upper end, supporting means carried by the outer part of said u per end, laterally-extending clampin evices carried by the lower end of said rame and consisting essentially of spaced pairs of 70 being relatively stationary and the other relv members adapted to be inserted between adjacent bricks of a stack, said members having directly co-acting wed s thereon, and means for operating said 0 emping devices with an elastic effect which provides for variations in the thickness of the bricks and the width of the spaces between them.

RAYMOND C.-' PENFIELD.

Witnesses:

FRANK PAUL, C. B. SGHBOEDEB.

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