WO1996037715A1

WO1996037715A1 - Turnable and pivotable round link chain locking device

Info

Publication number: WO1996037715A1
Application number: PCT/SI1996/000013
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alojz S^¿EGA; Joz^¿e HARINSKI
Original assignee: Veriga-Proizvodnja Verig In Vijakov D.O.O.
Priority date: 1995-05-26
Filing date: 1996-05-24
Publication date: 1996-11-28
Also published as: SI9500177A

Abstract

The invention relates to the turnable and pivotable round link chain locking device, which is foreseen for the connection of the round link load chain and the hauling cable, in particular with towing away cut timber in forestry. By the device according to the invention, the locking stirrup (10) equipped with the opening (12) for the acceptance of appropriate round link chain and moreover with a cutout (14) for a desired locking of the chain, is connected with the slider (30) provided by a stirrup (31). The convex inner surface (32) of said stirrup (31) is equipped with rounded end areas (33, 34) and is moreover adapted to fit to appropriate hauling cable in such a way, that it can be freely turned and pivoted. The front surfaces (39', 39') of the stirrup (31) of the slider (30) are essential inclined, which prevents a longer lasting resting of end edges (35, 36) of the adjacent slider (30) placed on the hauling cable and consequently the mutual overlapping of adjacent sliders (30) on the cable. By the embodiment described in more detail, the turnable and pivotable, i.e. in more than one plane movable mutual connection of the locking stirrup (10) and the slider (30), is obtained in such a way, that the locking stirrup (10) is chained through the ring eye (22) of the swivel (20) by means of appropriate link (40) of the round link chain, to the pivot pin (38) which is placed between the legs (37', 37') of the stirrup (31) of the slider (30). The result of such a conception is a correct load condition of the locking device and consequently an optimum fitting of the surface (32) of the slider (30) to the surface of the hauling cable without regard to the intensity and direction of the load impact exerted on the locking stirrup (10) and without regard to the presence of other locking devices or their sliders (30) in the direct vicinity on the same hauling cable.

Description

Turnable and pivotable round link chain locking device

The invention relates to a turnable and pivotable link chain locking device. The devices of this type can be used, among others, in forestry, in particular in towing away logs. In such a case logs are bound together in bundles, namely with a sling of a round link load chain, while on the other hand, several such log bundles are hooked to a cable or a suitable sling of the cable which can be tightened by mere winding it up on the drum of the corresponding winch, or if necessary, also by hauling it by means of a haulage device, especially a suitable tractor or some other hauling machine. The device according to the invention is intended for setting up the connection between the hauling leg of the round link load chain with which logs are tied up into bundles, and the said hauling chain, in particular steel rope. According to the International Patent Classification (IPC⁶), the invention of this kind can be comprised by various classes, , e.g. to F 16 G 15/06 or F 16 G 1 1/00 or even to the class B 66 D 1 / 36.

In observing the deficiencies found with the known devices of this kind, which will be dealt with in detail in the continuation, the invention is based on the problem, how to conceive a handy chain locking device, the locking stirrup of which will be adapted to grip the usual round link load chain which will be fixable to appropriate hauling cable thus enabling the chain to slide or move freely along and/or around such hauling cable, in which the otherwise unavoidable and highly undesirable overlapping of sliders of two or more parallely placed locking devices on certain parts of the hauling cable will be prevented by providing a possibility to put any of the sliders of the locking device immediately back into the correct and optimum position on the hauling cable, namely with regard to the position and load conditions of the load chain, i.e. the locking stirrup, which will prevent, that local damages of the hauling cable and also of the locking device itself could occur.

In the existing patent bibliography many devices are known which have been foreseen to enable a turnable connection of the parts fixed on steel cables or chains.

In the US 5.381.650 a swivel embodiment with a ring eye has been described, in one part of which - i.e. in the reinforced part - a turnable stem of a two-leg stirrup is inserted into the adequate opening; the legs of the stirrup are crossed by a pivot pin being arranged in a transverse position with regard to the main axis of the stem. In principle, the round link load chain could be fixed to the pivot pin, too. however, in this case the problem of tightening the cable around a load or burden, e.g. a bundle of logs, would remain unsolved, and a special device, foreseen exactly for this purpose, should be added to the locking device obtained in this way. Furthermore, in the case of fixing the above mentioned ring eye to the hauling cable, in particular to a steel one, it shall be reckoned with the possibility of the stirrup sliding along and or around the cable and, together with this, with a possibility, that such a locking device would move along and/or around the hauling cable. In spite of the excellent, almost unrestricted mobility of the locking device obtained in this way and besides, also a turnable mutual connection of the 3 load chain and the hauling cable obtained by means of said swivel, a problem of intolerable local overload of the hauling cable would be encountered in practice. The position of the ring eye on the hauling cable is limited to such an extent, that it is possible to speak about a point contact, or in the best case, a line contact between the surface of the ring eye and the surface of the hauling cable. Therefore the solution of this type would be acceptable for smaller loads, where very flexible cables can be used, e.g. cables made of hemp or artificial fibres, but it is not acceptable at all for the case of heavy loads. In such cases the hauling cable is usually made of steel; the steel cable is very sensitive to sharp bending on one hand, i.e. bending over the objects having a relatively small diameter, and on the other hand, also to too strong local loads in transverse direction. The use of this kind of solution, e.g. in forestry, would be against all the rules and standards, and moreover, there would be a risk that the cable would be damaged, that its lifetime would be therefore shorter, and even, that the cable will be torn apart, which could be followed with numerous inconvenient consequences.

The same or very similar findings would be true for a series of other known devices of this type which are described in WO 90/10803, EP 0 300 660, EP 0 588 537 Al, DE-GM 77 11 880 or DE-G 89 12 532.0 and which would all provide turnable connection between the two elements on which the round link chain could be fixed on one hand and the locking device would be hanged on the hauling cable, so that it would be also movable along the cable on the other hand; however, in certain cases the problem of insufficient mutual mobility would be encountered and in connection with this, also the consequences which would reflect predominantly in the inconvenient transmission of loads to the hauling cable. However, following said solutions it can be stated, that the use of a classical chain swivel with an adequately adapted concept alone will not solve the problem described at the beginning. From a brochure of VERIGA Lesce (SI) No. 9/92, the so called "forestry chain locking device" being a part of a hauling chain assembly, is known. For the needs of further description let it be called simply "a tumable locking device". This locking device consists of a slider connected to a tumable locking stirrup; this connection is made by means of a pivot pin inserted through two apprppriate coaxial holes in the legs of the slider on one side, and on the other side, through the hole of the locking stirrup which is hanged or fixed link-wise between the two legs of the slider. The inner surface of the slider is convex, which should enable the correct position of the slider on the cable. Further, the locking stirrup has a centrally placed opening, through which the round link chain can be guided, and besides also with a suitable cutout ninning from said centrally placed opening in the direction away from the said pivot pin; in the area approximately in the middle of the said cutout the stirrup is bended. On one hand, it enables free, i.e. unimpeded guiding of the round link chain through the centrally placed opening, and on the other hand, it enables that the belonging chain link gets stuck when the chain is pulled in the opposite direction.

This kind of locking is very practical and no doubt it enables a satisfactory connection of each round link load chain with a hauling cable, especially by means of a chain sling tying up a bundle of logs. The hauling cable used with moving away cut timber, can be wound up to a winch of a suitable device, especially a tractor or some other similar towing vehicle. Besides, the link-wise, and in this way tumable mutual connection of the locking stirrup and the slider should ensure a correct position of the slider on the hauling cable also at a changeable direction of load impacts on the locking stirrup, which should mean, that the slider with its convex surface should, in any case, fit uniformly on the outer surface of the cable. Unfortunately, the use of the device in practice shows, that it is not quite always true. For example, when there are more locking devices placed on a steel hauling cable of appropriate thickness and when the cable is tied up into a sling, it sometimes happens, that in tightening of the cable by means of a winch or a similar device, or merely due to hauling it by means of a tractor or a similar vehicle, a number of chain locking devices placed on the steel cable, are concentrated in the same area, above all at a place where the steel cable sling is most distant from the winch. In this case the sliders of individual locking devices are put in various positions, which is the consequence of the loads exerting their impacts in a certain moment, in which it happens, that the sliders overlap one another. The need to turn the slider and the cable from time to time, due to the tendency of releasing the arising torsion loads of the cable, contribute to this even more, for releasing is very often impossible for a certain time due to the friction and pressure of the slider on the cable surface when loaded. On one hand, these mutual turns can be also a result of the extension of the wire and at the same time the winding off of wires or steel cable strands in winding up to the drum of the winch, while on the other hand it often happens, that when towed from the wood, a bundle of logs or bundles of logs tumble, especially when drawn aslant down a slope, due to the impact of the tensile force. In both cases this means, that tensile and torsion loads which have occured in this way, reflect so much more in an inadequate arrangement and in wrong positions of the sliders of individual locking devices on the hauling cable.

Each slider position of this kind, when the slider does not fit correctly or rest in an optimum position on the steel cable, means a serious problem from the viewpoint of the cable load and, as a result of this, its safety. In this case, the contact surface between the slider and the cable is reduced; an inclination or a turn of the slider usually means also, that instead of a comparatively great part of the slider convex surface, an essentially smaller surface is in contact with the outer surface of the steel cable, which is true also for the edge of the slider contact surface itself.

Those skilled in the art will be immeditaly aware, that such a position of the slider on the rope is intolerable. The consequences of this deficiency have been solved in practice up to now by frequent replacing of damaged hauling cables. Such a measure, however, does not represent a satisfactory solution of the described problem; last but not least, the question, whether once such a cable will not be replaced in due time from objective or subjective reasons, still remains open. It is easy to imagine how severe the consequences would be, if such a steel cable, comparatively heavy on one hand, and comparatively elastic on the other hand, would break when loaded with some bundles of logs hauled along a slope.

Based on the above described deficiencies, a tumable pivotable coupling has been described in the SI short-term patent No. 9300379. This solution should enable the prevention of the above presented inconvenient torsion load impacts exerted upon the steel hauling rope. Within appropriate tumable pivotable coupling, a locking stirrup is foreseen having an adequate opening and cutout intended for the insertion and when necessary also for locking of the round link chain; the locking stirrup is bent in the area of the cutout and by means of a pivot pin connected linkwise with the swivel, so that their mutual turning is enabled; the swivel has a ring eye intended for fixing or hanging the coupling to the hauling rope. Thereby the pivot pin is inserted through the legs of the swivel on one side, and on the other side, through the adequate opening in the locking stirrup, which is thus placed and fixed linkwise between said swivel legs. The ring eye has a stouter part, arranged as a sleeve, through which a screw is inserted and tightened up in an adequate thread hole in the interior of the said swivel. It has to be admitted, that the use of such a coupling or locking contributes to the elimination of the torsion loads to which the hauling cable would be otherwise exposed due to its extension in winding up onto the drum of a certain winch or in tumbling of the loads hauled, e.g. a bimdle of logs, in which the load turns round its axis in the direction of the tensile force impact.

On the other hand the use of the screw connection between the ring eye, with which the coupling is hanged on the hauling cable, and the swivel, can arise certain doubts about its reliability and safety. It is especially true due to a deficient, or in some cases questionable mutual mobility between the locking stirrup and the ring eye, which is ensured only in one plane (around the pivot pin). Theoretically, it could be assumed, that a sufficient mobility in the other plane (transversely to the pivot pin) is ensured already by the mere mode of hanging the coupling or the locking device by means of the ring eye to the hauling cable, which is, unfortunately, no more true, when a greater number of couplings or locking devices concentrate at the same place of the hauling cable sling, in the case of which the ring eyes of the parallel couplings are pressed tightly to one another. In the case of a thrust in a direction which would comply approximately with the longitudinal direction of the pivot pin, in which there would not be any possibility for the ring eye to move, the whole coupling would be easily loaded so much, that it would bend. The loads with this could become easily so high, that the screw connection would be damaged or that the pivot pin would be loosened in its position.

In accordance with the solutions, described above and existing on the present level of technique, as well as the problems of local overloads of the steel cable which have been dealt with in detail, it is possible to characterize the hanging of the coupling or the locking device on the steel cable by means of the ring eye as inadequate also in this case, for all those fields of application which are connected with heavy loads and so also with danger. It can be established, that the locking device of this kind is not adequate for use in forestry.

Although the ring eye mentioned in the solution according to SI-P-9300379 would be replaced, due to a more adequate load of the steel cable when the locking device or the coupling is hanged onto it, with an adequate slider, it would not be possible to avoid all the intolerable load conditions of the coupling or the locking device, in particular by means of the pivot pin of the embodied linkwise or movable connection between the locking stirrup and the slider placed on the hauling cable. If only the field of forestry is taken into account, it could happen, that in hauling a certain number of round link chains locked by means of adequate locking stirrups within locking devices, a great number of sliders of these locking devices could concentrate at a place on the hauling cable sling, i.e. a steel cable, in the case of forestry works. In the case of such a concentration of the sliders, it would come to the movements of sliders in various directions and as a consequence of this to a partial overlapping of individual sliders, which would happen on one hand as a result of tightening of the cable and with this its deformation, and on the other hand as a result of the load impacts onto the sliders in different directions in spite of the possibility of their turning in the sense of releasing torsion loads of the cabl. Above all, the mutual movements of the sliders would be made difficult, and therefore the sliders would be put in various mutual positions, which would prevent their correct fitting on the hauling rope. Therefore it would not be possible to exclude the possibility of harmful and consequently intolerable direct contact of the edges of the sliders with the steel rope surface, and on the other hand, in the case of any load of the locking device in the direction which would correspond approximately to the longitudinal direction of the pivot pin, the load impact on the locking device would be so powerful that it would bend it. This kind of load conditions would result in local deformations of the area and further in the loosening of the pivot pin to such an extent, that the connection between the locking stirrup and the swivel or a slider would be damaged or loosened, although the condition with regard to a partial or total collapse of the material would, maybe, not be critical yet. With the loads unforseeable in this way, which are encountered with removing cut timber from woods, this hypothetical solution on the basis of the use of a slider which could be evidently derived from the present level of technique, would not enable a complete mastering of the problem dealt with.

According to the invention the said problem is soluble in a surprisingly elegant way by means of a locking device embodied with a slider and a locking stirrup which is connected with the said slider through a swivel in such a way that it can be turned freely; besides, the free movement of the coupling is ensured by means of fixing the swivel and further the locking stirrup to the said slider of the locking device in the simplest possible way by a link of a usual round link chain.

Further, the said slider is embodied in such a way, that by ensuring that the locking device itself can be freely moved and turned in the case of mutual overlapping of the sliders of the locking devices arranged adjacent on the hauling cable, without regard to the load conditions of the load chain and locking stirrup or in essence even thanks to these loads themselves, the slider itself slips back into the position of a correct and optimum seat on the hauling cable, in which the slider without regard to the load conditions of the load chain or locking stirrup, rests with its convex inner surface uniformly on the outer surface of the hauling cable.

In general, the tumable and pivotable round link chain locking device is conceived in its essence with a saddle-shaped slider, foreseen for sliding or guiding of an appropriate bent locking stirrup, and consequently with a round link load chain which is held with the locking stirrup along and or around a hauling cable, in particular a steel one. By means of the swivel the turnable slider is conceived, with regard to the said locking stirmp, in such a way, that it rests with its convex inner surface on the outer surface of the hauling cable, while the round link load chain is put through a centrally placed opening of the locking stirrup in the area of the stirrup bending or of an appropriatee cutout, so that when hauled into one direction its links run freely through said opening, and when pulled in the opposite direction, the chain link enters the said cutout thanks to the bending in the area of the cutout; in this way, with the locking device according to the invention further mnning of the chain links is prevented and the chain gets stuck automatically.

With the locking device according to the invention, the stirmp is turnable with regard to the slider and equipped by an essentially central arranged opening foreseen for recieving appropriate round link chain. Furthermore, said locking stirrup is equipped by appropriate bended area arranged adjacent in the area of cutout placed near to said opening. Moreover, the locking stirmp is equipped by a reinforced neck having an opening through which a tumable stem of said swivel is inserted. The swivel is provided by appropriate ring eye and protected against pulling out of said opening in the neck of the locking stirmp. Said locking stirmp is connected at least essentially free movable, i.e. with the possibility of sufficient mobility in the given space in more than one plane, to the slider. Appropriate connection between said locking stirmp and the slider is obtained by the swivel and the ring eye available thereon. The slider is equipped by a stirmp having a convex inner surface, provided for appropriate resting on the outer surface of the cable, and moreover also by rounded end areas preventing any possibility of resting outmost edges on the surface of the cable. Furthermore, the stirmp of the slider is provided by two essential inclined front surfaces. This surfaces are inclined at least to such an extent, that in the case of the overlapping of the parallel sliders on the hauling rope, it is ensured that the outmost edges of the belonging slider slip along the belonging inclined front surface.

In the sense of ensuring free mobility, i.e. free moving of the stirmp with regard to the slider in more than one plane, the locking stirmp is chained to the slider by means of ring eye, which is arranged on the swivel, which is protected against pulling out through appropriate opening in the neck by means of appropriate protective rest.

Moreover, the locking stirrup is preferrably chained to the slider by means of a link of the round link chain; on one side the link is chained to a ring eye of the swivel which is inserted with its tumable stem in the adequate openings of the reinforced locking stirmp neck, and protected against being pulled out, on the other side it is fixed to the pivot pin, built in between the legs of the slider.

Furthermore, the locking device according to the invention, provides the possibility, that more links of the round link chain are chained between the slider and the stirmp, i.e. between the adequate pivot pin of the slider and the adequate ring eye of the swivel and consequently indirectly to the locking stirmp.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail in the continuation on the basis of the attached drawings, where on

Fig. 1 a tumable and pivotable round link chain locking device according to the invention, is shown in perspective view;

Fig. 2 the locking device is shown in elevation view; and

Fig. 3 said device is shown in the cross-section in the plane HI - EH, according to

Fig. 2. The tumable and pivotable round link chain locking device as shown in Fig. 1 - 3 consists essentially of a locking stirmp 10, in the reinforced neck 11 of which a stem 21 (Fig. 3) of a tumable swivel 20 equipped with a ring eye 22 is inserted and protected against being pulled out, as well as of a freely movable slider 30 which is connected, in this case, to said swivel 20 through the link 40 of an ordinary round link chain, i.e. with its ring eye 22. Thereby, said slider 30 is provided by a saddle-like stirmp 31 , between the legs 37', 37" of which a pivot pin 38 is fixed, to which at the one hand the link 40 of a round link chain is chained, to which on the other hand the swivel 20 is chained by means of its ring eye 22.

The locking stirmp 10 in the given case is embodied as a preferably forged uniform piece, while in its essence it is conceived, generally, as a flat, uniform piece with a centrally placed, in essence, round through hole 12 having dimensions selected in such a way, that a round link load chain, which is not separately shown in the drawing, can be easily, i.e. without hindrances, guided therethrough. Furthermore, said opening 12 in the direction towards the above mentioned reinforced neck 11 of the locking stirmp 10 is extended, in the given case, by a rectangular cutout 13. In diametrical oppositon to this cutout 13, or accordingly to the neck 11 , the opening 12 is moreover extended by another cutout 14, mnning away from the before mentioned cutout 13 or accordingly from the neck 11 of the locking stirmp 10. Said cutout 14 in the given case is noticeably narrower than the cutout 13; in general, its dimensions are selected in such a way, that the width of the cutout 14 is a little greater than the thickness of appropriate link of the round link load chain - which is not shown, as it has been already mentioned - but anyway much smaller than the width of the same link, while the length of the cutout 14 is a little greater than the width of the link of the round link load chain. It is of great importance, that the locking stirmp 10 is bent in the area of the cutout 14, namely at about a half of its length and in the transverse direction with regard to the longitudinal direction of the cutout 14 (Fig. 3). The area of the said bending is marked with number 15 in the drawing. For the needs of further explanation it shall be stated, that the stirmp 10 is bent in the direction away from its convex side 17 and towards its concave side 18.

The stem 21 of the above mentioned swivel 20 is inserted through an appropriate opening 16, with a slight tightening and so with the possibility of being turned and pivoted. On the opposite end 23 of the stem 21 , which is, on one side, namely outside the area of the locking stirmp 10, rigidly connected to the ring eye 22. a protective, in general non-removable rest 24 is placed. The purpose of this rest 24 is to prevent the stem 21 to be pulled out from the opening 16 in the neck 11 of the locking stirmp 10 and to preserve, at the same time, the possibility of the locking stirrup 10 and stem 21 or the swivel 20 to be turned.

According to this idea, the protective rest 24 of the stem 21 of the swivel 20 is arranged in the cutout 13 of the locking stirmp 10 and is therefore not projecting to the area of said central opening 12 of the stirmp 10; herewith is in any case ensured free and unimpeded moving or smooth running of appropriate links of the round link load chain through the opening 12.

Furthermore, thanks to embodiment of the locking stirrup 10 itself, and in particular the bent area 15, with this solution of the locking device the desired locking of appropriate link of the round link load chain - not shown - in the cutout 14 is possible, which happens, in fact, automatically, when the tensioned part of the chain is pulled through the opening 12. Namely, if appropriate round link load chain is pulled through the opening 12 in the direction away from the concave surface 17 towards the convex side 18 of the stirmp 10, the links of the said chain, thanks to said bending 15, slip easily one after the other through the opening 12. If the chain is pulled in the opposite direction, i.e. from the convex side 18 towards the concave side 17 of the stirmp 10, that link of the chain, which happens to be parallel to the convex side 18 in the area of the bending 15, sits down to the concave side 18 and gets stuck there, due to which the preceding link to this one is put into a perpendicular position with regard to the before mentioned link and slips into the cutout 14, by which an automatically locking of the chain in the said cutout 14 is achieved, in fact, in a moment. After this, further moving of the chain can be achieved only if wanted, namely by means of a repeated pulling a free part of the chain, therefore by pulling that end of the chain, which remains free, i.e. which is released within said locking, and directly after this, by pulling the link out of the cutout 14 in the area of the opening 12. In the described phenomenon the basic purpose of the use of this type of the locking stirmp 10 within the locking device of this type can be seen, for in this way, it is possible, also in forestry, in particular with removing cut timber from woods, to tie up reliably several bundles of logs together by means of tightening and releasing of the sling obtained in this way from an usual round link load chain. It will be clear to those skilled in the art, that also by placing the sviwel 20 to the locking stirmp 10, in particular in the above described way, the execution of said measures generally should not be endangered in any case.

As further shown in Fig. 1 - 3, the slider 30 is provided by a saddle-shaped stirmp 31 having smooth and convex inner surface 32. It is especially important, that both end areas 33, 34 of the surface 32 are sufficiently curved, whereby the radius of the curvature depends mainly on the diameter of the cable used thereby - not shown in the drawing - on which the stirmp 31 of the slider 30 rests with its inner surface 32 during the use of the locking device. The curvature of the end areas 33. 34 is with regard to the selected cable determined in such a manner, that whenever the cable is wound along the inner surface 32 and at the same time through the stirmp 31 of the slider 30 and round said slider 30, the outmost edges 35, 36 of the stirmp 31 of said slider 30 can not come in contact with the surface of the cable.

Thanks to such an idea, the possibility of sliding or free moving of the slider 30 along the steel cable, along various trajectories with regard to the longitudinal direction of each cable, is ensured, e.g. due to mere translation, or mere rotation or also - which is the most frequent case in practice - the combination of both of them.

The slider 30 is conceived in such a way, that the saddle-shaped stirmp 31 consists of two, in essence, parallel and appropriate rounded legs 37', 37", between which the pivot pin 38 is placed through two adequate mutually co-axial holes, which are not shown in detail in the drawing due to obvious understanding and consequent simplification of the drawing. In the given case the pivot pin 38 is a common used pivot pin provided by a hexagonal head which is protected against falling out in any relevant way, known to those skilled in the art.

The front surfaces 39', 39" of said slider 30 which are placed essentially between the legs 37', 37" and directly at the outmost outmost edges 35, 36 of curved end areas 33, 34 of the inner surface 32 of the slider 30, are expressively inclined. The inclination angle of said front surfaces 39', 39" is - taking into account the conditions in connection with friction and self-locking effect - selected in such a way, that in the case, if, between the two sliders 10 placed directly one adjacent to another on the same cable, mutual overlapping or resting of one of the outmost edges 35, 36 of one of the sliders 10 on the front surface 39', 39" of another slider 10, would occur in a moment from whatever reason, in that very moment the end edge 35, 36 would slip along the belonging front surface 39', 39" of the slider 10. so that in any case both adjacent sliders 10 would soon be placed into a position of their optimum fitting, in which the inner surface 32 uniformly fits on the outer surface of the cable available in each case. In this connection it shall be noted, that even in the case, when one of the outmost edges 35, 36 temporarily fits onto the inclined front surface 39', 39" of the adjacent slider 30, that means of the slider 30 of the adjacent coupling on the same cable, with the slider 30 according to the invention no impact or pressure of the opposite outmost edge 35, 36 of the slider 30 would be involved on the surface of the cable. Furthermore, let be known, that everything that was said for the case of eventual mutual overlapping of the sliders 30 of two parallel locking devices according to the invention on the hauling cable, can be used also by another, more complicated, however quite a frequent case in practice, when there are used three or at least more than three locking devices, whereby several locking devices are arranged on a relativelly short section of the hauling cable and mostly, a tendency occurs to overlap the slider of the locking device with the sliders of the two parallel couplings.

According to the invention, such a solution being tumable and pivotable in all directions and obtained by connection of a locking stirmp 10, a swivel 20 and a slider 30, is enabled by means of a surprisingly simple solution, namely in such a way, that the ring eye 22 of the swivel 20, which is, as said, connected in a tumable way with the locking stirmp 10, in which the chaining up in the given case is performed by an appropriate link 40 of an usual round link chain, chained on the said pivot pin 38 of the stirmp 31 of the slider 30 in such a way, that it can freely move in the space.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art, that no doubt it would be possible to chain several links 40 between the slider 30 and the swivel 20 instead of only one link 40, which is not necessary in general, however it could be reasonable in some cases of its use. This really efficient solution enables free mobility or movements in the space, or movements of the locking stirrup 10 with regard to the slider 30 in all necessary directions, i.e. left-right according to Fig. 2, left-right according to Fig.3 and at the same time also free turning, i.e. the turning of the stirmp 10 with regard to the slider 30 around the longitudinal axis of the stem 21 of the swivel 20 or in the opening 16 of the neck 11 of the stirmp 10. In this way free movement of the slider 30 is ensured in any case without regard to the position and loadings of the locking stirrup 10, which eliminates each possibility, that bending would occur in the area of the swivel 20 or in the area of the pivot pin 38 and in its legs 37', 37". which would cause deformations which might make the reliability of such tumable and pivotable connection of the slider 30 and the locking stirmp 10 questionable. Furthermore, independently from the intensity and direction of the loadings of the locking stirrup 10 on the cable, the slider 30 can be put in an optimum position with regard to its inner surface 32 fitting on the outer surface of the cable, and there is no possibility that its outmost edges 35, 36 would come into contact with the surface of the cable. Thanks to the inclined front surfaces 39',39" as well as to the rounded legs 37', 37" of the sliders 10 of the locking devices placed adjacent each to another on the cable, and with the consequent inconvenient load conditions of the belonging locking stirrups 10, it is prevented, that the overlapping of parallel sliders 30 of the locking devices lying next to each other would occur.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Tu able and pivotable round link chain locking device having a saddle-shaped slider (30), foreseen for sliding or guiding a locking stirmp (10) and consequently a round link load chain, held with the locking stirmp (10), along and or around appropriate hauling cable, in particular of steel, whereby the slider (30) being tumable with regard to said locking stirmp (10) by means of appropriate swivel (20) is arranged in such a way, that it fits with its convex inner surface (32) on the outer surface of the hauling cable, while appropriate round link load chain is put through a centrally placed opening (12) of the locking stirmp (10) in the area of the stirmp bending (15) or of an adequate cutout (14), so that when hauled in one direction the links run freely through the opening (12), and when pulled in the opposite direction, the belonging chain link enters the said cutout (14) thanks to the bending (15) in the area of the cutout (14), which enables the automatic locking of said round link chain in the said cutout (14) of the locking stirmp (10). characterized in that the locking stirmp (10) being tumable freely with regard to the slider (30) and equipped by an essentially central arranged opening (12) foreseen for recieving appropriate round link chain and furthermore equipped by appropriate bended area (15) arranged in the area of the cutout (14) placed near to the opening (12) and moreover equipped by a reinforced neck (11), through an opening (16) in which a tumable stem (21) of a swivel (20) provided moreover by a ring eye (22) and protected against pulling out is inserted, is connected at least essentially free movable, i.e. with the possibility of sufficient mobility in the given space in more than one plane, and by means of the ring eye (22) of said swivel (20) to the slider (30), and where said slider (30) is equipped by a stirmp (31) having a convex inner surface (32), which is provided for appropriate resting on the outer surface of the hauling cable and moreover, in the sense of preventing any possibility of the outmost edges (35, 36) to rest on the surface of the hauling cable, equipped with rounded end areas (33,34), and whereby the stirmp (31 ) of the slider (30) is provided by two essential inclined front surfaces (39', 39") being inclined at least to such an extent, that in the case of the overlapping of the parallel sliders (10) on the hauling cable, it is ensured that the outmost edges (35, 36) of the belonging slider (30) slip along the belonging inclined front surface (39', 39").

2. Tumable and pivotable round link chain locking device as claimed in Claim 1. characterized in that the locking stirmp (10), in which the freely tumable stem (21) of the swivel (29) being protected against pulling out by means of the protective rest (24), in the sense of ensuring free mobility, i.e. free moving of the stirmp (10) with regard to the slider (30) in more than one plane, is chained to the slider (30) by means of ring eye (22) being arranged on the swivel (20).

3. Tumable and pivotable round link chain locking device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the sense of ensuring the mobility of the connection, the locking stirmp (10) is chained on the slider (30) by means of the link (40) of the round link chain, which, on one side, is chained to the ring eye (22) of the swivel (20), which is inserted into appropriate opening (16) of the reinforced neck (11) of the locking stirmp (10) in such a way, that it can turn freely, and on the other side on the pivot pin (38), built in between the legs (37', 37") of the slider (30).

4. Tumable in pivotable round link chain locking device as claimed in Claims 1 , 2 or 3, characterized in that several links (40) of the round link chain can be chained between the slider (30) and the stirmp (10), i.e. between appropriate pivot pin (38) of the slider (30) and appropriate ring eye (22) of the swivel (20) and consequently, indirectly, the locking stirmp (10).

5. Tumable and pivotable round link chain locking device as claimed in Claim 1. characterized in that the locking stirmp (10) is provided by a cutout (13), which extends from the essentially central arranged opening (12) enabling acceptance of the round link chain, towards the reinforced neck (11) provided by through hole (16) for inserting the stem (21) of the swivel (20), and which is moreover adapted for the acceptance of the protective rest (24) arranged on said stem (21) of the swivel (20).