US2286388A - Hoist - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1942.

R. E. SMITH I HoIsT Filed June 2e, 1941 CHT-rozarl Patented June 16, 1942 HOIST Ralph E. Smith, Muskegon Heights, Mich., as-

signor to Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Inc.,

Muskegon,

Mich.r a corporation of New Jersey Application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,845

5 Claims.

The invention pertains to 'hoists of the typewith the load; and the invention concerns more especially means for receiving and supporting the portion of the chain interposed between the sprocket and the anchored end of the chain and gradually increasing in length as the load is elevated, this portion being commonly referred to as the tail" of the chain.

The primary object of theinvention is to provide a hoist of the character indicated having a container of novel construction and arrangement adapted effectually to receive and store the chain tail in a compact form so as to avoid interference with an ascending load.

A further object is to provide a container constructed and arranged relative to the driven sprocket so that the tail portion of the chain is eiectually guided in its passage into the con tainer.

Another object is to provide a chain container having means operative in the passage of the chain into the container to 'cause the same to assume a pattern consisting generally of a series of overlying loops.

The objects` of the invention thus generally stated together `with other and ancillary advantages are attained by the construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof in which Figure l is a perspective view of a hoist and chain container therefor', embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the manner in which the chain is guided in its passage into the container.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a larger portion of the general pattern formed thereby.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of ing member for the container.

In its preferred embodiment the invention is ilwith a portable electric hoist comprising an electric motor 'I supported in lustrated in connection a suitable frame structure a having a gear housing 9 in the lower portion of which is journaled a sprocket Il driven by the motor 1 through the the supportchain fed'into thecontainer and the I4, the hoist is medium of suitable gearing (not shown). II designates a roller chain reeved over the sprocket I0 and having one end suitably anchored to the housing at I2, the portion of the chain between the anchored end I2 and the sprocket constituting the tail portion generally designated I3. The opposite end of the chain is heein shown as equipped with a load engaging hook Il.

To govern the operation o! the motor in raising or lowering the load attached to the hook I provided with a suitable reversing controller generally designated I5 and having an operating arm I6 to the opposite ends of which are attached manually operated pull cords I'I and I8. To limit the raising and lowering movements a pair of limit stop levers I9 and 20 are pivoted on a shaft 2i suitably mounted upon the gear housing 9, the free ends of said levers being s disposed in operative relation to the controlleil arm I6.` For a more detailed disclosure general construction and arrangement thus far described, reference is made to the copending application of Preston Whitcomb, Serial No. 228,509, iiled September 6, 1938, Patent No. 2,274,175 dated February 24, 1942.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the roller chain II in passing over the driven sprocket IIJ forms a vertical loop the opposite side portions of which depend respectively through openings in the stop leversk I9 and 20 in order that these levers may be actuated at the extreme upper and lower'limits of the raising and lowering operations to stop the motor 1, all as set forth in said copending application. In providing the openings in the I levers I9 and 20, the latter are shaped to provide opposed guide walls 22 and 23 of substantial depth.

For the purpose of receiving and supporting the tail portion I3 of the chain as it gradually increases in length while the load is being lifted, I have provided a container generally designated 2l having an elongated open upper end and suit.

ably mounted for the entrance of the chain as it passes downwardly from the sprocket I0. In the preferred embodiment the container is made of substantial length and depth but relatively thin with opposed iiat side walls 25 and 2 spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the width of the chain, thereby defining a narrow chamber having an upper elongated opening 2l. The contaneris herein conveniently although not necessarily, 22 which for this purpose is formed with a depending arm 28 formed as a continuation of the guide wall 23 of the limit stop lever (Fig. 4) and of the supported by the limit stop lever Vpin 29.

curved downwardly and outwardly, the lower end of the arm being entered between the side walls of the container at the inner upper end thereof and pivotally connected to said walls by a pivot away at its upper inner end to accommodate the arm 28 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. To support the outer end of the container, a exible element such as a chain 3i is preferably employed. Herein this chain has its upper end anchored at I 2 together with the upper end of the roller chain to the supporting structure 8. thus pivotally supported so as to be capable of swinging upwardly in the event it is struck by an ascending load carried by the hook I4.

i In its passage downwardly into the container from the sprocket l the chain is guided by the opposed walls 22 and 23 defining the opening in the limit stop 20; and in order further to guide the chain, the arm 28 is formed at one side with an upstanding guide flange 32 which also serves to stiifen or strengthen the arm. Moreover the upper or outer face of the arm is preferably formed with a central rib 33` (Fig. 2) upon which the rollers 34 of the chain may ride while supporting the connecting side bars 35 of the chain out of rubbing contact with the face of the arm.

An important feature of my invention resides in shaping the container and more especially the inner portion of the edge wall 30 so as to insure that the chain will be received and stored in compact form within the container out of the way of The edge wall 30 of the container is cut- The container isA an ascending load and yet capable of easy with-1 drawal unrestricted by kinks,l etc. To this end the edge wall is inclined and preferably curved downwardly and outwardly as shown clearly in- Fig. 4. Experience has shown that with this construction the tail portion i3 initially forms a loop A (Fig. 3) which gradually continues to increase,

in length downwardly and outwardly along the curved edge wall of the container until the rigidity of the chain is no longer capable of extending the loop further. Thereupon relatively small substantially horizontal loops A' are formed successively beginning first a short distance below the `ipper end of the container and gradually moving downwardly, with the succeeding loops piling one upon the other and simultaneously forcing the outer run of the original loop A outwardly. After the formation of a series of loops A', a second relatively large loop B is formed (Fig. 4) followed by the formation of a second series of small substantially horizontal loops B', the latter acting as in the case of the loop A' to displace the outer portion of the chain outwardly still farther. This operation continues with the result that the chain assumes a pattern consisting generally of a series of overlying loops gradually shifting outwardly in the container, the later formed loops being positioned uppermost so that free and unrestricted withdrawal of the chain from the container in the reverse operation is insured.

As seen in Fig. 5, the depending arm 28 upon which the container is mounted depends vertically from the limit stop lever 20 which normally occupies a position inclined somewhat downwardly from its pivotal support. Thus the container is supported coplanar with the sprocket ID while the load is being raised or lowered, the limit stop lever 20 being rocked on-its pivot-only at the lower limit of the lowering operation.

It will be seen that by the construction and arrangement set forth provision is made for the effectual reception and storage of the tail portion of the hoisting chain. In use it is espethe Chain.

cially advantageous when the'load being lifted presents a broad flat surface upon which the chain would, if permitted to hang, pile up in an uncontrolled manner with a. resultant kinking of In the appended claims the term roller chain is employed to signify a chain of the general type herein shown, it being contemplated that the chain pintles need not be equipped with rollers in so far as the present invention is concerned. l

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination with a hoist having a housing, a lifting sprocket journaled on a horizontal'axis in the housing and a roller chain having one end fixed to said housing and reeved over said sprocket; of a container for receiving `end thereof and the sprocket as a load is lifted,

said container being of substantial length and depth and having one end pivotally supported for tilting movement on a horizontal axis adjac nt the sprocket, and a connection between the other end of said container and said housing to support the container, said connection [being adapted to permit upward swinging movement of the container, and the upper end of the container providing a narrow opening for receiving and guiding the chain.

2. A hoist having, in combination, a housing, a roller chain with one end anchored to the housing and a sprocket journaled on a horizontal axis in the lower portion of the housing and over .which said chain is reeved so as to form a tail portion of gradually increasing length between the sprocket and the anchored end of the chain when the load is ascending, a container providing a chamber of substantial depth and of a width approximately corresponding to the width of the chain and open at its upper edge, and means for suspending said container from said housing substantially coplanar with the hoisting sprocket and offset laterally to one side thereof, the edge wall of the receptacle adjacent the sprocket being inclined downwardly and outwardly in such a direction away from the sprocket and cooperating with the side walls as to guide the descending chain to form a series of loops.

3. A hoist having, in combination, a housing, a lifting sprocket journaled in said housing, a roller chain reeved over said sprocket and having one end anchored to the housingand its other end adapted for connection to a load to be lifted, a member mounted on said housing below said sprocket, a container having one end pivotally attached to said member -for receiving the tail portion of the chain between the sprocket and the anchored end of the chain, and a flexible -connection between the other and of said container and said housing, said member having an opening therein for the passage of said tail portion of the chain and an arm depending at one side of said opening and operative to guide the chain into the container.

4. A hoist having a housing, a roller chain with one end anchored to the housing, a sprocket iournaled in the housing and over which said chain is reeved to form a gradually increasing loop between the sprocket and the anchored end of the chain when the load is ascending, a container of substantial depth and having an elonopening substantially coplanar with and below said sprocket, and said container having a curved guide extending downwardly from the end of and the anchored end of the chain -when the load is ascending, said container being elongated in form and adapted to be supported substantally coplanar with said sprocket, and having opposed side members spaced apart so as to form guides for the side edges of the chain, and an edge wall so inclined and operative in cooperation with said side members as to guide the chain in its movement downwardly away from the sprocket into a pattern of `predetermined character.

' f RALPH E. SMITH.

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