U.S. patent number 3,809,270 [Application Number 05/256,592] was granted by the patent office on 1974-05-07 for lateral container grabber having carrying pins at the upper corners of the containers.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Valmet Oy. Invention is credited to Lahja Arvid Peltonen.
United States Patent |
3,809,270 |
Peltonen |
May 7, 1974 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
LATERAL CONTAINER GRABBER HAVING CARRYING PINS AT THE UPPER CORNERS
OF THE CONTAINERS
Abstract
A lateral container grabber has at least two supporting pins for
the container which are pushed from the side of the long vertical
side of the container into the corner pieces. Power cylinders act
between the frame structure of the lateral grabber and securing
levers. A spring is used to move the securing levers into their
closed position while power cylinders move the securing levers into
their open position.
Inventors: |
Peltonen; Lahja Arvid (Tampere,
SF) |
Assignee: |
Oy; Valmet (Helsinki,
SF)
|
Family
ID: |
22972821 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/256,592 |
Filed: |
May 24, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/608;
294/81.51; 414/621; 294/104 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B66F
9/186 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B66F
9/18 (20060101); B66f 009/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;214/621,620,653,654
;294/67R,67B,67BC,67DA,104,106 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Spar; Robert J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Richards & Geier
Claims
1. A carrier vehicle having a lifting carriage and a lateral
container grabber connected with said carriage for holding a
container, means for vertically shifting said carriage, said
grabber comprising a vertically extending frame structure, at least
two supporting pins, vehicle drive means for moving the vehicle
forward and thereby pushing said pins into the corners of a
container, securing levers pivotally mounted upon said frame
structure directly above said pins and adapted to engage the same
corners of the container, power cylinders connected between said
frame structure and said securing levers, and at least one spring
connected with said securing levers for biasing them toward and
holding them in a closed position, said power cylinders moving said
securing levers against the
2. A lateral container grabber in accordance with claim 1,
comprising automatic release means moving said securing levers into
a closed position under the action of said spring when said
supporting pins are located in
3. A lateral container grabber in accordance with claim 2, wherein
said release means comprise a releasing pin carried by said frame
structure and a valve connected with one of said power cylinders,
said releasing pin being shifted when said supporting pins are
moved into the corners of the container and transmitting an
actuating pulse to said valve causing said valve to release the
pressure of the power cylinder, whereby securing
4. A lateral container grabber in accordance with claim 3,
comprising a disengaging valve adapted to apply pressure to said
power cylinders for moving the securing levers into said open
position.
Description
The present invention concerns a lateral container grabber, with
securing means, wherein the pins supporting the container engage
with two corner pieces on the upper corners of a long side of the
container, and which lateral grabbers are intended, above all, for
use in connection with the lifting carriage of a carrier.
In previous practice, containers have commonly been lifted with
so-called top lift means, by which the container is grabbed from
above by the corner pieces on its four top corners. The gripping
means together with their securing means have been mounted in
connection with a special lifting frame. Since the spacing of the
corner pieces on containers tends to change in the course of time,
difficulties have been experienced in making four separate gripping
means simultaneously enter the corner pieces. A contributory
circumstance has been the fact that the mutual fit of the gripping
elements and of the apertures in the corner pieces has to be rather
close in order that reliable securing might be achieved by turning
the supporting pins of the gripping means about their axis. Owing
to the above, and other, reasons a practice has been adopted
wherein the containers are lifted, particularly, by the aid of
carriers with side grabbers, which most commonly have been arranged
to support the container by the lower edge of its long side, in
which instance the upper edge of the container is only acted upon
by supports which prevent the container from turning during the
lifting process.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a simple and
reliably operating lateral container grabber with securing means,
with which the container is lifted only by the corner pieces of two
of its upper corners, whereby deformations of the container have
less effect than before on the ease of engaging the grabbers with
the corner pieces. The invention is mainly characterized in that
the lateral grabber consists of two container supporting pins
having a guiding surface tapering at its end, which are pushed into
the corner pieces from the side of the long vertical side of the
container, and that to the lateral grabber securing levers have
been pivotally attached immediately above the supporting pins,
these levers having a securing member which enters from above into
positive engagement with the same corner pieces of the container as
said supporting pins.
The invention is described in detail with reference to the
embodiment example presented in the figures of the attached
drawing.
FIG. 1 shows, in elevational view, a carrier with its lifting
equipment, in connection with which a lateral grabber for the
container according to the invention has been employed.
FIG. 2 shows the same as FIG. 1, as seen from above.
FIG. 3 is a lateral view, partly sectioned, of a detail of the
invention.
FIG. 4 shows the hydraulic circuit diagram of the automatic
releasing arrangement of the lateral grabber according to the
invention.
The lateral grabber according to the invention with its securing
means is intended to be used, in particular, in connection with the
lifting attachment 2 of a carrier 1. The lateral grabber 5 is
attached to the lifting carriage 3, previously known in itself, of
the lifting attachment. The lateral grabber 5 has been composed of
a frame structure substantially vertical in its position of use, on
both upper corners of which supporting pins 6 for the container 4
and securing levers 7 have been fitted, by which the container 4 is
grabbed from the side of its long side by its corner pieces. The
corner pieces are standard components known in prior art and
therefore no clarification of their detailed design is required.
The supporting pins 6 enter the apertures in the corner pieces of
the container 4 from the long vertical side. The securing levers 7
ensure positive attachment of the supporting pins 6 by engaging
with the same corner pieces as the supporting pins, from above. The
lower part of the vertical side of the container 4 rests against
the frame structure of the side grabber 5, and no other supporting
means are required in this case.
FIG. 3 illustrates a more detailed embodiment example of the
supporting pins 6 and of the securing levers 7 and other securing
means. The supporting pins 6 have been provided with a tapering,
most appropriately conical, guiding surface, which centres the
supporting pin 6 in the aperture of the corner piece of the
container 4. The securing levers 7, which are located immediately
above the supporting pins 6, have been pivotally attached to the
frame structure of the lateral grabber 5. The securing levers 7 are
acted upon by action means, by the aid of which the securing levers
7 can be made to assume their open and locked positions. The
securing levers 7 have on their end opposite to the pivotal point,
projections which constitute securing members, these members
entering in their locking position the apertures of the corner
pieces of the container 4 from above.
The action means operating the securing levers 7 may be carried
out, for instance, by inclusion of a spring-loaded power cylinder
8. The power cylinder 8 has been mounted to act between the frame
structure of the lateral grabber 5 and the securing lever 7. When
pressure is supplied to the power cylinder 8, the spring 11 is
compressed and the securing lever 7 goes into the open position,
thus permitting the supporting pins 6 to be pushed into the corner
pieces of the container 4. When the pressure of the power cylinder
8 is released, the traction exerted by the piston rod 10 and spring
11 causes the securing lever 7 to be thrown into its closed
position, whereby the securing member enters the aperture of the
corner piece. Both securing levers 7 with their power cylinders and
other action and control means have been arranged to operate
separately, independent of each other.
In the scope of the present invention such means are included which
constitute an automatic release receiving its action pulse when the
supporting pins are in their places in the supporting position
(FIG. 3) in the corner pieces of the container 4. The sensing
element of the automatic release consists of a releasing pin 9
mounted with slide fit in the frame structure of the lateral
grabber 5 and urged into its outer position e.g., by a spring, one
such releasing pin being placed immediately adjacent to each
supporting pin. When the supporting pins 6 are pushed into the
corner pieces, the releasing pins 9 are pushed inwardly by the
sides of the container 4. When one or the other supporting pin 6
has been pushed fully in into its supporting position, the
releasing pin 9 has simultaneously been pushed fully in, whereby it
delivers an actuating pulse to means which release the pressure
from the power cylinder 8, whereby the securing lever is released
to go into its closed position. This can be arranged, for instance,
by providing a mechanical connection between the releasing pin 9
and the valve 13 of the automatic release (FIG. 4). In the
hydraulic circuit diagram of FIG. 4 the entity constituted by the
spring-loaded power cylinder has been denoted with 12. It is a
characteristic of the automatic release device that both securing
levers 7 are independently released into their closed positions,
whereby reliable securing of the load is attained even if the
supporting pins 6 should enter the corner pieces at different
times, when the frame structure of the lateral grabber 5 is
obliquely positioned with reference to the container 4.
The automatic release may be carried out by means of a hydraulic
circuit according to FIG. 4, comprising an automatic release valve
13, which releases the pressure of the power cylinder 8 when
release occurs, a disengaging valve 14, which is operated by the
driver of the carrier 1 when it is desired to move the securing
levers 7 into the open position, a pressure accumulator 15, a check
valve 16, a pressure valve 17, a pump 18, a filter 19 and a tank
20. The mode of operation of the hydraulic circuit is entirely
self-explanatory and is not more closely described for this
reason.
It is a characteristic of the automatic release according to the
invention that even if for some reason, such as conduit failure,
the pressure should fall, the securing levers 7 will not open but
instead remain in their closed position under effect of the springs
11, and the container obviously cannot fall in this event
either.
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