WO2009058071A1

WO2009058071A1 - A lift for shaft

Info

Publication number: WO2009058071A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/050759
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard HOLMSTRÖM
Original assignee: Hofpartner Aktiebolag
Priority date: 2007-10-31
Filing date: 2008-06-24
Publication date: 2009-05-07
Also published as: EP2214993A4; EP2214993A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a shaft lifting device comprising a support structure (30, 31), an manual arm device (32, 34A, 34B) movably connected to said support structure (30, 31), a gripping unit (4) arranged on said arm device (32, 34A, 34B) and a powering device (33) arranged merely to move said arm device (32, 34A, 34B) vertically, wherein said arm device (32, 34A, 34B) comprises a first arm (34A) fixedly attached to a base device (32) and a second arm (34B) attached to said first arm (34A) by means of a hinge device (34C), wherein said first arm (34A) and said second arm (34B) are pivotally movable in a horizontal plane and said base device (32) is movable in a vertical plane.

Description

A LEFT FOR SHAFT

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates in general to a lifting device for shafts and the like, and, in particular, to a lift for reel shafts. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiments hereinafter described, in accordance with the best mode of practice, this invention relates to a lift for shafts, wherein the lift is simple and cost effective.

PRIOR AJRT

The invention will described in relation to lifting devices for reel shafts, but without any restriction to that field, since as will be clear by the following the invention may solve similar problems also in other fields where shafts or similar objects are handled. Hence also the term shaft is intended to be used in broad meaning.

Reel shafts are used to carry, wind up and wind off sheet foπned material, e.g. paper. Due to the size of rolls that such shafts normally shall handle, the shafts as such may be relatively heavy, in the area of 20-40 kilos. As a consequence many countries do not allow the staff to perform operations like lifting of the shaft to insert the shaft into a new core and then position the core and the shaft into a winder.

A variety of reel shaft handling devices are known in the art. For example, a first known type, attempt to provide shaft lifters that are powerful, safe and easy to use. The shaft lifters are supplied with built in hoist controls for easy operation or with separate pendant control. These ranges of shaft lifters comprise pneumatic shaft gripper system to grip the reel shaft. Although, these shaft lifters are powerful and relatively easy to use, the same are expensive due to the pneumatic shaft gripper system and complex hoist mechanism. Even more expensive and complex machines are known, machines which are fully automatic e.g. as shown in EP 1 10275. However, as is understood these kind of machines may merely present a commercially viable alternative in limited, specific applications (that may include shaft lifting) e.g. a doffer in a highly automated production line. Accordingly it is far too expensive and complex to present an alternative to eliminate non-ergonomic lifting of shafts and the like. Another known type in the market, in the form of a shaft-extracting lifting trolley, is designed for the extraction and handling of expanding shafts and chucks from a of wound material and for the re-insertion of these components into prepared cores. It is both self- propelled and self-powered. The trolley comprises a base frame mounted on wheels, an electro-hydraulic pump and a piston that drives a vertical carriage which in turn supports a hydraulically powered vice in which the shaft is clamped. Power is provided by a high capacity battery. The driver's/operator's position is at the back of the machine in the direction of movement. Although, this shaft-extracting lifting trolley is relatively simple, no movement is provided to the vice to which the shaft is clamped. Thus, to position the shaft to an operational position the complete trolley will have to be moved. This requires a substantial amount of labor energy and is also time consuming.

Thus, the use of traditional lifting machines for this purpose makes it often both expensive and time consuming. Therefore, many kind of reel up and winding machines do not use shafts but instead an automatic gripping device including a chuck. However, as is evident, such automatic chuck provided re-winders, winders and reel machines, etc. are more expensive than the simpler form to use reel shafts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to eliminate or at least minimize the above mentioned problem which is achieved by means of a shaft lifting device in accordance with the appended claims.

Thanks to the invention a shaft lifting device is provided that it is relatively cheap, easy to handle and flexible, which provides considerable advantages in the handling of shafts and the like in many different situations/fields, e.g. in the handling of reel shafts.

Further advantages and aspects of the invention will be prepared in the following part of the description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects of the present invention together with additional features contributing thereto and advantages accruing therefrom, will be apparent from the following description of the a preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawing with like reference numerals indicating like components throughout, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a shaft lifting device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the shaft lifting device of Fig. 1, in more detail,

Fig. 3 illustrates a gripping unit in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates the backside of the gripping unit.

Fig. 5 illustrates a powering device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an assembly of a shaft lifting device, a reel shaft, and a paper roll in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, there is shown a paper roll 1, a reel shaft 2 and a shaft lifting device 3. The reel shaft 2, used for carrying, winding up and winding off the paper roll 1, is easily gripped, extracted and handled by the shaft lifting device 3, using simple and inexpensive mechanism, thanks to combining a simple, vertically acting power mechanism and manual horizontal positioning. As shown in Fig. 1, the reel shaft 2 is securely gripped by the shaft lifting device 3 in order to extract the shaft 2 from the wounded paper roll 1.

Use of the shaft lifting device 3, for handling reel shafts 2 in applications for winding and unwinding rolls comprising sheet material other than paper, is well within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the shaft lifting device 3 of Fig. 1. As illustrated, the lifting device 3 comprises a vertically extending support beam 30 with an anchoring plate 31 for attachment to the floor. A vertically extending shaft 32 is rotatably fixed within brackets 30A, 3OB provided on the support beam 30. A powering device 33 is arranged within the support beam 30 to move and position the shaft 32 vertically. A first arm 34A is fixedly attached to the rotatable shaft 32, which first arm 34A by means of a hinge device 34C at its other end together with a second arm 34B, are pivotally movable in a horizontal plane, i.e. manually moveable. At the end of the second arm 34B, there is a gripping unit 4. A handle 5 is also positioned on the second arm 34B, wherein the handle 5 is connected to a control unit (not shown) which in turn controls the powering device 33, to move and position the arms 34A, 34B₅ such that the gripping unit 4 is suitably positioned to extract the reel shaft 2 from the wounded paper roll 1.

After the reel shaft 2 is extracted, the reel shaft 2 may be inserted into a core and lifted with the core into a winder.

Thus, the shaft lifting device 3 provides movement of the reel shaft 2 with minimal effort.

In Figs.3 and 4, the gripping unit 4 is shown in more detail. It is shown that at the end of the second arm 34B there is a further hinge 34D and a further extension 34E. The extension 34E is pivoted around the shaft 34D by means of a second handle 6. The second handle 6 is used manually to provide pivoting motion to the extension 34E around the hinge 34D.

The gripping unit 4 includes a first lower 40 and a second lower 41 gripping pin and also an upper gripping pin 42. The two lower pins 40,41 are fixedly attached to the base body 43 of the gripping unit 4. The upper pin 42 is fixedly attached to a plate device 44, which by means of a threaded shaft 45 may be moved upwards and downwards in relation to the body 43, within a vertically extending opening 47 of the base body. A pivot handle 46 is provided for rotation of the shaft 45. This movement of the plate device 44 along the vertical plane enables easy engagement of the reel shaft 2 between the upper 42 and the two lower pins 40, 41 of the gripping unit 4. By turning of the threaded shaft 45 the plate device 44 is moved downwards (with the help of the handle 46) so that the shaft 2 is securely gripped by the upper pin 42 and the two lower pins 40, 41 of the gripping unit 4. By rotation of the threaded shaft 45 in the other direction the grip is loosened.

Thanks to forming the pins 40, 41, 42 with a waist (see 41 A in Fig. 4) the shaft 2 may be securely gripped by the gripping unit 4. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the gripping unit 4 is relatively simple in construction.

Accordingly the invention provides a low cost device that in a flexible and ergonomic manner facilitates secure gripping and extraction of reel shafts 2 from wounded paper rolls 1. In Fig. 5 there is shown a preferred embodiment of the powering device 33 for controlling the movement and position of the shaft 32. The powering device 33 controls the vertical movement and position of the shaft 32 using a cable 33A connected to the shaft 32 via pulleys 48. The translatory motion provided by the cable 33A is achieved by means known per se, which in the preferred embodiment is in the form of a pneumatic power device provided with a piston device (not shown) having the cable 33A secured thereto since, the pneumatic power device will provide some resiliency enabling an operator to make minor adjustments manually (by pressing/lifting) also vertically. The movement/position of the piston device is controlled by activation of the handle 5, as is known per se (e.g. SE 453598, US 4917360 and WO 07/032735 which are introduced herein by way of reference), i.e. when the operator pulls the handle upwards a control unit (not shown) will cause the powering device 33 to pull the shaft 32 upwards, in the other direction if the handle is pushed downwards and to keep the shaft still if the handle is in its neutral position. Accordingly, the power handle 5 is used in conjunction with the control unit to control the powering device 33, to move position of the arms 34A, 34B in the vertical, whereas the second handle is used to position the gripping unit 4 in such a manner that a reel shaft 2 can be easily handled, e.g. extracted. As is evident both the second handle 6 and the power handle 5 may be used to manually move/position the arms 34A, 35B in the horizontal plane, and of course also to adjust vertically.

While this invention has been described in detail with reference to a (certain) preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments. Rather, in view of the present disclosure which describes the current best mode for practicing the invention, many modifications and variations would present themselves, to those of skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes, modifications, and variations coming within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be considered within their scope. Hence it is evident that a powering device 33 comprising e.g. a cam mechanism may be deployed to convert the translatory motion of the cable, as also other principles known per se. Further it is evident that the support structure may be positioned on a movable means, e.g. trolley. Moreover it is evident that the function achieved by the powering device 30, cable 33A and shaft 32 arrangement 32 described above may be obtained in many other ways, e.g. by using an electric positioning device and/or instead of a rotatable shaft 32 have a non-rotatable base device 32 and a further hinge between the latter device and the inner end of the first arm 34A.

Further, it is evident that various designs, known per se, may be used to provide the desired function of the hinge devices, a cheap design that enables swinging/rotation in one plane (here the horizontal plane) and may carry load/torque in a perpendicular plane.

Finally, it is evident that the content mean 5 may be designed in various manners to provide combined manual pushing/pulling of the arms 34A, 34B and electronic control of the power device 30, e.g. a handle having a two-way button (up/down) at the end thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A lifting device, comprising a support structure (30, 31), an arm device (32, 34A, 34B) movably connected to said support structure (30, 31), a gripping unit (4) arranged on said arm device (32, 34A, 34B) and a powering device (33) arranged merely to move said arm device (32, 34A, 34B) vertically, ch aracter ize d by said arm device (32, 34A, 34B) comprising a first arm (34A) fixedly attached to a rotatable base device (32) or hingedly attached to a non-rotatable base device (32) and a second arm (34B) attached to said first arm (34A) by means of a hinge device (34C), wherein said first arm (34A) and said second arm (34B) are pivotally movable in a horizontal plane and said base device (32) is movable in a vertical plane.

2. The lifting device according to claim 1, ch aracterized by including a control means (5) positioned on any of said arms (34A, 34B), preferably on said second arm (34B) to control said powering device (33).

3. The lifting device according to claim 2, ch aracte riz e d by said control means including a handle (5) positioned on said second arm (34B) to also provide means to control the position of said first and second arms (34A, 34B).

4. A lifting device according to claim 3, ch aracter ized i n th at said extension (34E) comprises means (34D) for pivotal motion, preferably including a second handle (6) to control the position thereof.

5. A lifting device according to claim I₅ character ized in that said support structure includes a support beam (30) comprising a hollow structure to enclose said powering device (33) and preferably an attachment plate (31) for attachment to the floor.

6. A lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in th at said base device is in the form of a shaft (32) rotatably and slideably fixed on said support structure (30, 31), preferably by means of brackets (30A, 30B).

7. A lifting device according to claim 1, c h aracterize d i n th at said powering device (33) is pneumatically powered.

8. A lifting device according to claim ^ ch aracterized by said gripping unit (4) being arranged on an extension (34E) at a distal end of said second arm (34B).

9. A lifting device according to claim 7, ch aracteri zed in th at said gripping unit (4) includes a base body (43) having a lower gripping portion (40, 41) fixedly attached thereto and an upper gripping portion (42, 44) movably arranged thereto.

10. A lifting device according to claim 9, characte rized i n th at said lower gripping portion includes a first lower pin (40) and a second lower pin (41) fixedly attached to said base body (43) and that said upper gripping portion includes an upper pin (42) fixedly attached to a plate device (44), wherein the plate device (44) is movable in a vertical plane within a guiding means (47) fixedly attached to the base body (43).

11. A lifting device according to any preceding claims, c haracterize d i n that it is a shaft lifting device.