Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
  • B66C1/00—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles
  • B66C1/02—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles by suction means
  • B66C1/0237—Multiple lifting units; More than one suction area
  • B66C1/0243—Separate cups
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
  • B66C1/00—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles
  • B66C1/02—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles by suction means
  • B66C1/0212—Circular shape
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
  • B66C1/00—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles
  • B66C1/10—Load-engaging elements or devices attached to lifting or lowering gear of cranes or adapted for connection therewith for transmitting lifting forces to articles or groups of articles by mechanical means
  • B66C1/105—Lifting beam permitting to depose a load through an opening

Definitions

• Cable carried lifting device e.g. for picking up lying metal plates from a plate rack.
• the present invention relates to a hoisting cable carried lifting device, mainly for picking up plate members from from a plate rack.
• the lifting device should be brought into a carrier connection with the goods to be lifted in a position which is located entirely or mainly outside the hori ⁇ zontal position of the vertical hoist cable, which, by the taking out of articles from a rack, cannot be brought to initially assume a position just above the point of gravity of the article to be picked up, i.e. the load will be pronounced unbalanced relative the hoist cable.
• Lifting devices have previously been proposed, by which there is provided above a gripping part a hori ⁇ zontal carrier part, along which it is possible to dis ⁇ place a suspension eye for the hoist cable, such that it is thereby achievable that the load is substantially balanced, all according to the location of its point of gravity.
• a hori ⁇ zontal carrier part along which it is possible to dis ⁇ place a suspension eye for the hoist cable, such that it is thereby achievable that the load is substantially balanced, all according to the location of its point of gravity.
• Such a device will for natural reasons be exploitable for the taking out of plate mem ⁇ bers from plate racks, where it is impossible to have the suspension eye located way in above the middle of a plate member underneath an overlying rack shelf.
• the purpose of the invention is to provide a lift ⁇ ing device which is advantageous for the said particular use, but also generally advantageous.
• the device or implement according to the invention has a basically horizontal gripping portion, by way of example a frame having lower suction cups for engaging a plate member to be lifted out of a plate rack, this gripping portion at its rear end having an upstanding carrier arm, which is topwise provided with means for its connection with a hoist cable, and which is pivotal- ly or displaceably connected with the gripping portion such that its upper end is movable forwardly over the gripping portion, servo controlled adjustment means being arranged between the gripping portion and the carrier arm for adjusting the positioning of the upper end of the carrier arm, said adjustment means being operatively connected with a controlling level sensor mounted on the gripping portion and adapted to affect, via a control unit, the adjustment means to move the upper end of the carrier arm inwardly over or outwardly from the gripping portion all according to this portion being inclined to one side or the other, in such a man ⁇ ner that the end of the carrier arm by this movement will approach the location at which the carrier portion will be suspended in a substantially horizontal or balanced position of
• the gripping portion At the initial lifting, where the gripping portion is located mainly inside the rack and is cable suspended at its rear edge, the gripping portion as lifted at the rear edge will of course assume an inclined position, but with the described arrangement the adjustment means will hereby force the upper end of the carrier arm in ⁇ wardly towards the rack, as this will be the natural direction of displacement for achieving a balanced posi ⁇ tion. If the plate to be gripped is located in an upper, upwardly open section of the rack the said displacement may proceed until the balanced condition has been reached, but normally the plate will lye underneath another shelf in the rack, whereby the said displacement will be excluded.
• the system may be raised and conveyed further, with the gripping portion located in a well controlled horizontal position, e.g. for delivery of a gripped metal plate member to a receiver table.
• the carrier arm which may optionally be embodied as an elongated carrier frame, may be pivotally con ⁇ nected with the rear edge of the gripping portion, but preferably it is arranged as an upstanding arm member, which, by means of a driving motor or cylinder, is dis- placeable relative to the gripping portion without being tilted.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lifting device according to the invention, shown next to a plate rack,
• Fig. 2-4 are side views illustration the operation of the device
• Fig. 5 is a diagram of a control system belonging to the device.
• Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified embodi ⁇ ment of the device
• Fig. 7 is a detailed view of a part thereof.
• Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a preferred embodi ⁇ ment of the device.
• a storage rack 2 having side portions 4 and shelves 6, on which piles or packs 8 of plate members 10 are placed, e.g. metal plates to be worked in a workshop.
• a lifting device 12 is shown suspended in a crane cable 14 and consisting of a horizontal carrier frame 16, provided with lower suction cups 18, and a frame member 20, which is up ⁇ standing from the rear end of the carrier frame and is pivotally connected therewith, through pivot bearings 22, the top part of the frame member 20 having connector means 24 for Y-shaped sub portions 26 of the crane cable
• a projecting arm 28 At the middle of the frame portion 20 there is rigidly mounted a projecting arm 28, which at its outer end is pivotally connected with a piston rod 30 of an upstanding cylinder 32, the lower end of which is pi ⁇ votally connected with a rigid portion 34 of the carrier or gripping frame 16.
• the arm 28 When the cylinder 32 is actuated the arm 28 is swung upwardly and forwardly by a concur ⁇ rent forward pivoting of the cylinder, whereby the frame portion 20 is swung inwardly over the carrier frame 16.
• a level sensor housing 36 On this frame, e.g. near the cylinder 32, there is mounted a level sensor housing 36 holding a level sensor that controls the actuation of the cylinder, as ex ⁇ plained in more detail in the following.
• the cylinder 32 viewed from the suspension means 24 forms a counterweight rela ⁇ tive to the forwardly projecting part of the carrier frame to the effect that the latter, in a freely sus ⁇ pended condition of the device, will assume a horizontal position when the frame portion 20 assumes a vertical position, which will only be a question of a suitable balancing. Therefore, by means of a crane or a crab the operator may introduce the horizontal gripping frame 16 into any desired rack compartment between the side por ⁇ tions 4 and thereafter lower the device until the suc ⁇ tion cups 18 engage the top side of the plate member 10 to be gripped. As indicated in Fig.
• the frame portion 20 is hereby located imme ⁇ diately next to the front plane of the rack, such that the outer end of this frame portion projects horizontal ⁇ ly outwardly past the side portions 4 of the rack.
• the crane cable 14 will be located just outside the front of the rack.
• the crane cable 14 is raised somewhat, whereby the gripping frame 16 as shown in Fig. 2 will be brought to assume a slightly inclined position. This inclination is sensed by the said level sensor, which will thus cause the cylinder 32 to be actuated for forcing the piston rod 30 upwardly.
• the frame portion 20 is hereby forced to pivot inwardly over the carrier frame 16, and as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 this will result in the carrier frame 16 being drawn out of the rack, as the upper end of the frame portion 20 will engage the front edge of the rack sides 4. As shown in dotted lines this with ⁇ drawal may be brought still further, and optionally the crane cable may be slightly further raised.
• the suspension means 24 relatively, are moved correspondingly forwardly, until they reach a location just overhead the new, common center of gravity of the device and the plate member, and when this happens the gripping frame 16 will be swung to a horizontal posi ⁇ tion, whereby the level sensor will stop its actuation of the cylinder 32 and cause it to be blocked in the attained position.
• This position which can be e.g. as shown in Fig. 4, allows for a free retraction of the remaining part of the device and the carried plate member from the rack and thereafter for a well controlled movement of the plate member to a desired loading place, where the plate member can be lowered and released in its horizontal position.
• the said level sensor housing 36 is also shown in Fig. 5, which illustrates a practical embodiment based on the use of compressed air.
• the housing contains an arched level tube 38 holding a steel ball 40, which, at either end of the tube, can cooperate with an actuator pin 42 of a switch over valve 44, all of well known design.
• the valves 44 serve to operate respective pri ⁇ mary control valves 46 for feeding compressed air to the respective ends of the cylinder 32, and for closing and venting the opposed cylinder chambers.
• the valves are fed with compressed air from a source 48 through respec ⁇ tive pressure regulators 50 and check valves 52.
• this unit will act as an automatic control unit for achieving that the gripping frame 12, when tilted to one side or the other, will be returned into a stabilized horizontal position.
• the left hand level valve 44 When the plate 10 is unloaded and the device there ⁇ after tilts to the other side, the left hand level valve 44 will be actuated to cause a return tilting of the device to its balanced normal position.
• the upstanding carrier arm may be mounted displaceably rather than pivotably, and in practice this can even be preferred.
• the principle is illustrated in Fig. 6, where the car ⁇ rier arm designated 54 is rigidly mounted on a slide block 56, which is slidable mounted on a pair of steel shafts 58 extending between opposed end blocks 60 and 62 on the carrier frame 12.
• the rear block 62 carries a lying, rearwardly projecting working cylinder 64 having a piston rod 66, which projects through a hole in the block 62 and is rigidly connected with the sliding block 56.
• the level sensor is mounted in a box 68.
• the operation of the device shown in Fig. 6 will be identical with that already described, except that the carrier arm 54 will be displaced rather than pivoted. For the discussed forced withdrawal from the rack the arm will cooperate with the front edge of the overlying rack shelf.
• the carrier arm be mounted on the block 56 in a cross displaceable system thereon, such that the carrier arm is laterally displaceable, manually or automatically, for reestablishing lateral equilibrium, should the load hang down at one side.
• Fig. 7 is illustrated another design of the level sensor.
• the two control valves are each associated with a pendulum arm having a lower weight body, and preferably there is mounted, under each weight body, a damping plate depending into an underlying oil bath for damping the pendulum movements, so that undesired fluc ⁇ tuations in the control function will not arise.
• Fig. 8 is shown a preferred embodiment, which corresponds to Fig. 6 except that the cylinder 64 may here be replaced by a gear motor contained in a housing 70 and driving a screw spindle 72, which replaces the piston rod 66 in Fig. 6 for moving the carrier arm 54.
• the gear motor contained in a housing 70 and driving a screw spindle 72, which replaces the piston rod 66 in Fig. 6 for moving the carrier arm 54.
• a pneumatic cylinder in lieu of the gear motor, as the block 56 may be mounted on a slide that is reciprocally drivable by means of an underlying air cylinder.
• this arm should not necessarily be particularly highly up ⁇ standing from the carrier frame 16; the crane cable may even be secured directly to the block 56.
• Fig. 8 it is highly advantageous to incorporate the gripping and lifting device in a local transport system between a specific plate working machine and an associated storage rack for the plates.
• the system here shown comprises a swivel crane that will provide for a particularly easy handling.
• the lift ⁇ ing device is provided with a handle making it easy for the operator to orient the plate correctly for delivery to the machine table.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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Family Cites Families (5)

• 1990
  • 1990-01-09 DK DK4990A patent/DK4990D0/da not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1991
  • 1991-01-07 EP EP19910901703 patent/EP0536131A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1991-01-07 WO PCT/DK1991/000004 patent/WO1991010614A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1991-01-07 AU AU70456/91A patent/AU7045691A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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