GB2210948A

GB2210948A - Load hook assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2210948A
Application number: GB8822948A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dipl-Ing Klaus-Jurgen Winter
Original assignee: Mannesmann AG
Current assignee: Vodafone GmbH
Priority date: 1987-10-13
Filing date: 1988-09-30
Publication date: 1989-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-30
Also published as: JPH01145413A; IT1227250B; FR2621572B1; IT8822137A0; FR2621572A1; GB2210948B; JP2660347B2; GB8822948D0; DE3735021C1

Description

LOAD HOOK ASSEMBLY 221094m The invention relates to a load hook assembly

in which the shank of the hook is formed with an annular groove of approximately semicircular cross- section for receiving bearing components. These components, and thereby the hook are supported in a housing on a bearing surface of a bearing shell mounted in the housing. An assembly of this kind is disclosed in US Patent No. 2,625,005, in which the hook is supported via a split ring at a support ring and via the latter at the housing. Mounting this split ring is a complicate procedure and further, the shank can move out of place due to the necessary gap between the ring parts. As a consequence, only part of a surface may be available as the bearing surface.

According to German Patent No. 32 20 253 the shank of a load hook in a load hook assembly is formed above the roller bearing with a long groove for a_support member which is split in its longitudinal direction and by means of which the load hook is secured to a coupling sleeve. This coupling sleeve is comparable with a simple load hook housing, for direct attachment to an hoist such as a lifting cable or the like. As the roller bearing surrounds the shank, the housing diameter is large, while the support sleeve arranged above increases the overall height of the housing, thus reducing the available lift of the load hook.

The present invention is directed at a load hook assembly in which the overall assembly dimensions may be kept small. while preserving an high safety factor. To 2 this end, the invention provides a load hook assembly comprising a multi part housing with a bearing shell having a running surface supported between the housing parts; an hook with a shank extending within the bearing shell and being formed with an annular groove of substantially semicircular cross-section; and roller members disposed in the annular groove of the hook shank and against the running surface of the bearing shell to support the hook against movement away from the housing, means being provided for securing the parts of the housing around the bearing shell. Thus, the annular groove on the shank is adapted to the roller members, and the counterbearing of the roller members is the running surface of the bearing shell, which is held in the housing. By the location of the roller members directly in the annular groove of the shank, both the diameter and the length of the hook suspension are reduced, without affecting safety or increasing costs. In order to prevent the load hook from rising in the housing the shank may be provided with a collar externally of the housing of diameter greater than that of the opening in the housing through which the shank passes to the bearing shell.

The bearing shell may be provided with a form-fitting centering collar received in a complementary annular groove in the housing to secure the housing parts around the bearing shell. In order to facilitate assembly, the bearing shell and shank can be secured in the fitted position by a snap ring inserted in an additional annular groove in the shank before being surrounded by the 3 housing. For protection against soiling, the end of the shank, together with the roller members and the bearing shell,'can be covered by a cap, which is pushed over the bearing shell with a tight press fit.

From the above it will be appreciated that, before being fitted into the housing, the load hook and the bearing shell can form a pre-finished structural unit, which can be transported and stored in this form. There will normally be only a narrow gap between the shank and the bearing shell, and it is thus not readily possible for dust to penetrate or bearing lubricant to escape through this cap.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way fo example and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial cross-section through a load hook assembly according-to the invention; Figure 2 shows the hook shank and bearing shell before assembly; and Figure 3 shows the next stage in the installation of the bearing shell on the shank, and the insertion of the roller members.

As shown in Figure 1, a load hook 1 bears from below via a collar 3 of its shank 2 against the housing 9, leaving a small gap, the housing being split in its longitudinal direction and its halves abutting against one another at the dividing point 10. The halves of the 4 housing 9 are pressed against one another by a tension band 16, so that the bearing shell 13, together with the load hook 1, can be securely connected to a cable or the like, which is not shown.

At the beginning of the assembly operation as illustrated in Figure 2 a snap ring 7 and the bearing shell 13 are pushed over the shank 2 of the load hook 1 until they reach the level shown in Figure 3. The roller members 5 are then inserted in the ring groove 6 of the shank 2 and the bearing shell 13 is raised until its running surface 14 bears against the roller members 5 and stops in this position, as shown in Figure 1. The snap ring 7, which is inserted in a second ring groove 8 of the shank 2, secures the bearing shell 13 at this level. A cap 4 for sealing the bearing is then pressed onto the bearing shell 13 and the two halves of the housing 9 are placed by way of a central bore 12 around the preassembled load hook such that the annular groove 11 encircles the shank 2. When the load hook 1 is subsequently lowered in the housing 9, a centering collar 15 of the bearing shell 13 engages the groove 11 and holds the halves of the housing 9 together in the lower region. A band 16 is then additionally placed around the housing 9 or the halves arescrewed together. The load hook 1 is prevented from rising in the housing 9 by the collar 3.

In the illustrated embodiment the bearing shell comprises a running surface which is open towards the top. However it is also possible to use a reverse arrangement, with an appropriately adapted longitudinal shell.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A load hook assembly comprising a multi part housing with a

bearing shell having a running surface supported between the housing parts; an hook with a shank extending within the bearing shell and being formed with an annular groove of substantially semicircular cross-section; and roller members disposed in the annular groove of the hook shank and against the running surface of the bearing shell to support the hook against movement away from the housing, means being provided for securing the parts of the housing around the bearing shell. 2. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the bearing shell is received in an annular groove formed by the housing. 3. An assembly according to Claim 2 wherein the bearing shell is formed with a centering collar which engages the annular groove. 4. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the radial cross-sections of the annular groove on the hook shank and the running surface on the bearing shell enclose the roller members around an arc greater than 1800. 5. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the bearing shell is located on the hook shank by means of a snap ring disposed in an additional annular groove on the shank with a portion of the bearing shell axially between the two annular grooves. 6. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the hook shank has a collar externally of the housing for

6 restricting movement of the shank into the housing. 7. An assembly according to any preceding claim including a cap enclosing the ends of the hook shank and bearing shell, and the roller members therebetween. 8. A load hook assembly substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.

1 PublIC.ed 1958 W se 66 71 lx.,,Ch HzIt:rn. Lzndon WC1R 4TP rjrher c:p,.eE znk%, be obtained C= The Patent Otice.

n- c p -enj 0!!:e. Sta.

c lie_ Sales Branch. St. mary Cray, Orpington. Kent BRS 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Maxy Cray. Kent. Con- 1157.