US1446968A - Portable tiering machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 27, 1923.

` l 1,446,968 G, M. FRENCH PRTABLE TIERING MACHINE 'Fle Deo. 22, 1919 `5 sheets-Sheet 1 INJ/ENTOR. GEORGE /7. fQEA/@H ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1923.

G.v M. FRENCH PORTABLE TIERING MACHINE 1919 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec. 22,

H .C MN .TE me VF mM E A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1923.

' G. M. FRENCH PORTABLE TIERING MACHINE 1919 5 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR. G50/96E M. ,FRENCH A TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 27, w23.

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GEORGE IVI. FRENCH, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ECONOMY ENGINEERING COMPANY, 0E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 3. CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE TIER/ING MACHINE.

Application tiled December 22, 1919. Serial No. 346,666.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, GEORGE M. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements vin Portable TieringMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates' in general to a machine for raising and lowering heavy objects, such as boxes, bales and the like, and has especial reference to a machine for facilitating the handling of bales of cotton so as to facilitate the stacking of the bales one upon. another in warehouses, or freight cars, or upon wharves and similar platforms.

One object of the invention is to provide a tiering machine of a practical construction in which the parts are compactly arranged and are operable within a space not exceeding the floor space occupied by the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tiering machine of an advantageous character in l which the load-carrying platform is capable of being elevated to a position from which the load may be removed in any one of three directions.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for effecting the elevation of the load-carrying platform.

s. iurtner object vof the invention 1s to provide means of advantageous construction for controlling the descent of the platform.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe preferred embodiment of my tierino,` machine. Fig. 2 is another viewin side elevation, but showing the load carrying platform in raised position. Fig. 3 is a vertical fragmental sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4'is a central sectional view slightly enlarged, of one of the dash-pots employed to guide and cushion the load-carrying platform. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view, Vpartly in section, of the clutch mechanism employed in the machine.

Briefly. the machine comprises a frame-r work l. mounted on wheels 2 and having a drawing handle 8. A load-carrying platform 4 is adapted to be swung and at the same time moved bodily upwardly from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2. 5 designates, generally, the actuating mechanism for the platform.

The framework l is preferably composed of angle bars suitablyl secured together and) herein it has two supporting leg'sla. A base portion 6 carries said wheels, and rising from the base and secured thereto on oppo site sides of the framework are two uprights 7. Midway of the "length of the base are y the plates l0 has secured thereto one end of:

a brace bar ll the other end of which is se- These members, together with the cured by means of a bracket vl2 to an upright 7, while horizontal cross bars 13 and 1:4 between the channel bars 8 further serve to strengthen the framework of the machine.

The load-carrying .platform 4 herein con-V sists of a pair of kspaced longitudinal members l5. Said members vare suitably connected at their lower ends and have an out. wardly projecting toe 17 for insertion under the article vto be lifted. yOn each of the members l5 are 'secured in spaced relation plates 19 andf20 toV which are rigidly secured arms 2l and 22. Said arms are inclined toward. each other and at their intersection are secured together to form a frame or bracket. Brackets are thus provided-on opposite sides 'of the platform, and they carry at their apexes rollers 23 which. are adapted to operate in the channel irons 8, as best .seen in'Fig.. 3. To the uppertend ofthe platform 4 links 24 are pivotally secured at 25, the other end of said links being pivotally secured at 26 to. the uprights 7. Said links act to guide thefront end of the platform when it is being raised or lowi ered.

I ypreferably employ manually operable means for raising and 'lowering the loadcarrying platform' 4, although it'will be un# connection at itsopposite end With the platy Vmeans for mounting mechanism for Vactuat- .Between the pinion ing the shaft 28 and controlling the movements thereof aswill hereinafter more fully appear. The guide pulley 3.0 is preferably mounted to swing on a vertical axis, and for this pii'rposee is supported in a pivoted frame 32 mounted between the crossbar 13 in the framework and a top-crossbar 33 connecting the bars .il of the framework. The lowerV end of the cable 29 is secured to a crossbar (Fig. 3) connecting the lower ends of the upright supporting arms 22 of the platform 4. p wWithin the frame 31 at the forward end of the machine is located the actuating mechanism for the raising and lowering mea-ns. ril`his mechanism comprises a gear wheel 35 fixed upon the shaft 2S and meshing with a pinion 36 rigid with a shaft 37 carried by the frame. T he shaft 37 has also fixed thereon a gear wheel 38 "which meshes with a pinion 39fwhich is arranged to be operable by means Vof a hand. crank 40. 39 and the hand crank 40 I preferably provide clutch mechanism of a welli known construction by means of which ,the load-carrying platform may be maintained in its elevated position and, when desired, readily released for movement to *its lowerinost position. Referring to Fig. 6,

this clutch mechanism comprises generally a sleeve 4l with which the pinion 39 is rigid, said sleeve also having rigid therewith a friction drum 42. Said sleeve and associated parts are mounted upon a shaft 43 suitably journaled in the frame', the rear endof theshaft'being journaled in a bearing 44. The crank 40 is made. rigid with a traveling sleeve 45 having a screw-threaded connection with the shaft 43. Rotatably and Vslidably mounted lon the shaft 43 adjacent the friction drinn 42, is a ratchet wheel 46, and voperatively associated with said ratchet wheel is a pawl 47 carried bythe frame. On the shaft 43k is fixed the rotation of the crank 40 in the direction toV wind the drum isv adapted to effect ai movement o-f the clutch sleeve 41into operative ,engagement with the thrust collar whereby to lock the sleeve and associated partsupon the shaft, 43.

wltwill be seen that` by operating the crankvtO, the winding sheave 27 may be, caused toV rotate ina Vdirection t0 elevate'the load-carying platform. ln this operationL the platform is guided by the channel'bars 8f bodily upwardly and slightly rearwardly, and at the saine time isfswung about the rollers 23 as an axis from itslower or normal position with the platform inclined upa thrust collar 43, andY Yother object upon the platform may be from off the 'platform in Moreover, it will' moved laterally either of three directions. be seen that in its movements Athe `loadcarrying platform does not require any by the links 24 to move 'is moving upwardly nels 8.

The clutch mechanism actuated by the operation of the crank 40 to forwardly while' it as guided bythe chane greater space than the floor space occupied Y by the machine, the platform being causedV is arranged to be prevent a reverse rotation of thesheave 41,

and thus hold the platform 4 in its elevated position. Referring again to Fig. 6, this is effected by the action of the pawl V47 enlgaging the ratchet wheel 46 as the platform, bv reason of its tendency to descend, exerts anpull on the cable 29 causing the pinion 39 on the clutch shaft 43 to reverselyV rotate, y

and through its associated parts to rotate the clutch shaft so as to cause it to move forwardly Y ment the friction drum 42 is forced tightly into engagement' with'the ratchet wheel 46 which is held stationaryV by-its pawl 47,

Means are provided for preventing a sudden lowering of the load-carrying platform, Herein this means comprises a pair of dash-` pots interposed between theframewerk and the load-carrying platform.v `These dashpots each comprise a cylinder 49 pivotallyinounted upon the base 6 as zit-50 on oppositesides of the machine. Within theVv cylinders (Fig.

into the sleeve 45.. ln this moveiio 4) .are pistons 5l yhaving `rods 52 pivotally e connected to the swinging links L24. 'Each ofsaid pistonsis provided with a pluralityV of ports 53 circumferentially arrangedV (Figi.

5) and normally closed by a spring-pressed valve disk 54 on its under side. Said disk has an annular groove 55 therein registering with each of the ports 53 inthe piston, andV through the disk, vleading from such* groove is a port 56 of restricted diameter., It will be seen that as the' pistons move upwardly in thetelevation of the frame, oil or other fluid contained in the upper portion of the cylinders will flow through the ports 53 in the pistons forcing the valve disks 54Y downwardly against the action of their springs to permit the oil to flow ata comparatively rapid rate to thelower portionk ofthe cylinders. Vlihen, howeven'the pistons descend, in the lowering'inovement of standing severek usage.

the load-carrying platform, the voil in the lower portions of the-cylinders must pass through the restricted ports 56 in the valve disks, so that a sudden downwad movement of the platform'is prevented. ln their upper portions the cylinders are preferably enlarged as at 5?' to provide for displacement of the oil by the pistons as they descend into the lower ends of the cylinders.

rlhe dashpots are arranged to coact with the clutch mechanism to effect a release of the clutch and permit the platform t0 descent. Such release of the clutch is effected by a reverse rotation of the crank 40 a number of turns more rapidly than the clutch shaft is rotated by the weight of the platform acting through Y the 'cable 29 and pinion 39.

Such reverse rotation of the crank acting through the sleeve 45 and associated parts effects longitudinal movement between the clutch sleeve 41 and the shaft 43, so that the thrust collar 48 moves rearwardly into frictional engagement with the bearing 44 on the frame. The friction drum 42 is now permitted to move, under the action of a spring 58 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 46 and thus to freely rotate in the lowering movement of the platform. For a more detailed description of the specific clutch mechanism herein set forth, reference is made to Patent No. 1,177,265 dated March es, 191e.

Normally the machine is supported .at its forward end by the legs la, and when it is desired to move the machine, these legs are lifted slightly from the floor or other supporting surface. Herein this is accomplished by mounting the forward supporting wheel 2 of the machine uponan angular bracket 59 mounted to swing on a horizontal axis as well as upon a vertical axis through the operation of the handle 3. The bracket is so shaped and proportioned that when the handle is in its upright position the machine rests upon the legs la, but when the handle is moved downwardly the wheel 2 moves rearwardly and elevatesthe machine slightly from off its legs la. Obviously when the machine is supported upon the legs it is effectively held against accidental movement.

It will be seen that I have provided a machine of rigid construction so that it is capable of handling heavy loads and with- The peculiar movement which is imparted to the load-carrying platform renders the machine particularly advantageous in crowded warehouses and similar places where the operating space is limited. At the same time it is possible to elevate a heavy bale of cotton or other object to a substantial height with comparative ease, in which position the load may be readily removed in the desired direction. An especially advantageous feature of my machine is that resulting from the coaeting effect of the clutch and dashpots in permitting the practically automatic descent ofk thel load-carrying platform, the necessity of control by the operatorbeing"eliminated lafter he effects 'a' release of the platform through the reverse opera-tion of the operating crank.

l lclaim as my invention:

l.V A machine ofthe'V character described comprising, in combination, a load-carrying platform, means for guiding the platform from a lower loading position to an elevated unloading position, means for elevating the platform including an operating crank and clutch mechanism adapted to hold the platform in raised position, and cushioning means for effecting a gradual descent of the platform, said' clutch mechanism being releasable by a reverse rotation of the crank while the weight of the platform is partially sustained by said cushioning means.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a base, a loadcarrying platform having at its opposite sides a pair of supporting brackets, la pair of upright guide members mounted on the base, rollers carried by said brackets and operable in said guide members, means for effecting a. bodily upward movement of the platform, means for causing the platform to swing about said rollers as an aXis from an upright position when in its normal or lower position to a substantially horizontal position when elevated, and a dashpotinterposed between the base and the platform to cushion the descent of the latter.

3. A machine of the character described comprising, in combination, a framework including a base and an upright frame, a pair of upright guide members on opposite sides of the base, a load-carrying platform having at opposite sides thereof a pair of supporting brackets having rollers thereon operable in said guide members on the frame, a pair of links'connecting said upright frame and said load-carrying platform to guide it from anormal upright position to an elevated substantially horizontal posi-` tion, means for effecting the upward movement of said load-carrying platform, and a pair of dashpots interposed between the base and the platform on opposite sides thereof to cushion the descent ofthe platform.

4. In a machine ofthe character described, the combination of a base, a load supporting and carrying platform movable .with respect to lsaid base from a lowered platform and the frame of Vsaid base and a link connecting said platform and theframeofsaicl base. f Y

5. A portable tiering machine comprising, l

including anzoperating crank, a clutch mech- 10 ansm adapted forv holding the platform in 1,446 eee elevated position, and means for cushioning the descent of the platform, said clutch mechanism being releasable by manipulation of said hand crank While the platform is partially sus-tained by said cushioning ln testimony whereof, I have liereunto set my hand. Y

GEGRGE y M. FRENCH.

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