US2547502A - Lifting rig - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1951 1 D. sMlTH ET AL LIFTING RIG Filed Aug. l0, 1945 l, ff j a ,i MM

Patentecl Apr. 3, 1951 churn) STATES f ,2,547,5012,r s n LrrrlNG RIG Leathem D. smith, can RL oilgisuapscn, Richard 1A; steam, ane'ricwara H;Hut;sturgeofay;

Wis.; Vsaid 'Qhristian'som said Steam, and said Hunt assignors to sfaid SmithfAlva Smith ad# ministratrizl'bf Leatheln deeveliseiige Auges? .10 194,5. Serial $0 6.10448 Y This invention pertains to lifting and hoisting mechanism and' has as' its principal cbiect the provision of a lifting' rigadapted'" to cooperate with an especially designed'containe'r such that the'histing rig' may be quickly loware uponthze container for automatic coupling wi 'e'latter to"facilitate the' loading and 'unloading of cargo and transport freight; i

A more particular object is the prcyision of a simplied rig and cooperating container means characterized by the'fact that the container has especially formed Asocket or receptacle means whicl' receive formations on the' rig for quickly and accurately lcating the latter in ,cmupling the Same .with the' @entamer- `A vfurther object is'thrformation and disposition of locating receptacles on a cargo, freight, or package container in a' `manner'which shall eliminate'projections from the body .Of 4the container,` while' utilizing a niinimun'ifof space upon and in saidV contanertoprovide Vla Satisfactory locating :and coupling means.

r'Another objectfisthe'provision of a simplified uncouplingmeans` on the rig 'which shall' been# tirelyreliable in mechanical operationg 'which shall effect the 'uncoupling operation quickly'and positively; and Lwhichfshall be of character to v reduire the minimum ,of servicing orrpirfi t Yet another obje t is t je provision of`lo'cating formations l'on tuerig adaptedto shield' the pling nxembers against accidental'releaserv 0r"'ip terference from obstructionsori 'the like'wfithout Y complicating "the construction or otherwise "rene deringthe coupling"means inaccessible'. Additional objects and aspects of novelty relate to detailsof the constrctifh fand operation of the preferred embodimenfherein scribed, including a quick manuallrele: accessible for Operationfromadjoining des "1f the rig', andV a' simpued combination ctn erf- L balance and spring means for' assuring'ipos i/ e coupling action automatically upon locating he rig onthe container; allV of which will "ap more fully as the' following "specicationproceeds in view of the annexed drawing in'whicn: Figure 1 is a Atop plan view 'ofthe(lifting` rig; Figure l2 is a side" elevation of the lifting rig; Figure 3 is a vertical section along lines I3-43 of Figure lgand Figure 4 is a Vperspective fragment, to enlarged scale, of the container locating and lcoupling means. j:

One satisfactory form of construction of the lifting lmeans orri'g is shown in Figure l, and

consists essentially of a frame lc' "f forxned'of 7 clams. (C1. zar-67)y E flanged plates H (see also Figure 2) secured together, as by weldingr other suitable means, rectangular" or gliadrilateral array so as to conforrnto the shape of the top portion l2 (Figure 3) of a container I3 with which the rig is intendedto be used.

"The "corner junctures of side plates ll are reinforced with gussets i4 welded to flange portions l5 on Vthe upper edges of saidplates. f

"Load carrying'rnmbers in the nature of I- beam Sections i6 and `llextend diagonally of the frame'for attachment, as by welding or the like, to plates ll and, if desired, to gussets I4, there being additional g'usset's i8 (Figure) secured to the 'undermost ahg'e faces and Vplates ll at the ends of said beams'. At the intersection of the beams lt'andf'll (Figures l, 2 and 3) is a bolt i9 extending through tie plates 2B and 2i to afford al central tie for said beams and also an eye for engagement with a crane or hoisting l'l'OOk. v Y

At the corners of the rig vframe are depending locating orguiding members or legs 25` (Figures 2 and?) having inwardly projecting horizontal seating portions Zt'KFigure 3) adapted to rest uponv the bottom portions 2l 'of combination lo eating and coupling recesses provided at the corners of the container 13, as in Figure il. f" Means for automatically couplingthe rig to a container `designed for cooperation therewith, includes aV plurality, in this instance four, of coupling hooks SlKFigure `3)v each fast on a rod 3l f(Figure l) mounted for rocking movement in trunnions 32 on members i8, rods3l, it being noted,"extending in parallelism between opposite sides ofthe rig, and there being ytwo coupling hooks on each rod.

Also fast on rods 3^! are levers 35 disposed rat or ,near corresponding vends of their respective r`ods""adjacent one particular side` of the rig. Each 1ever`f35 has connected'thereunto one end offa normalizing' 'springen the respective opposite ends yof which "springs are connected oranfzheed t0' 'the tiene@ es t0 'yi@ ldfvgly oek rds .3! e V,C,.0,1. ,1.,r1f1@1f-,010ckruse directionc Means orreEasabh actuating .the Coupling meansincludes a ,pair of shafts and ,4i each provided at its outer end with a small' operating handle ,4,2 A(Figures l and2) disposed in a recess .43 formed Lin adjoining plates I {,the inner end portions of .these shafts being journaled' 1in the Vweb partof onebf'theI-bearns I5, said end portions of Lthe shafts having iixed 'thereon coacting -gears and 4,5, whereby rotative or rock"- 3 ing motion of one shaft will be transmitted to the other.

The shaft 40 extends in parallelism with the coupling shafts 3|, while the remaining release shaft 4I extends transversely of coupling shaft 3| and release shaft 4D, and motion for rocking of the coupling shafts 3| is accordingly taken from release shaft 40 by means of a small sheave 48 (Figures 1 and 3) fast thereon and having a cable 49 wound thereon with opposite ends attached to the free end portions of rocking levers 35 for shafts 3|.

Thus, a clockwise turning of either operating handle 42 will result in a movement of the levers 35 inwardly of the frame, and a consequent rocking of the coupling hooks 30 in a direction outwardly of the frame, for purposes hereinafter described.

In Figure 4 is shown the combination locating and coupling formation and means for the container I3, the same consisting of adjoining plate portions 5E] and 5| sloping downwardly to a juncture with the seating plate or formation 21, and having contiguous edge portions 52 disposed inwardly from the corner 53 of the container. A coupling recess 5d is provided in plate 5I, said recess having a sloping wall portion 55 pitched downwardly toward seating portion 2l, and a coupling lug 56 extending across the upper margin of said coupling recess in plate 5|, and under which hooks 3E! engage in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

The construction of the locating and coupling formations is uniform excepting that they are made in right and left hand sets for cooperation with right and left hand hooks 35, as will be apparent from Figure 3, there being one of these coupling devices at each of the four upper corners of the container I3.

In the use of the novel lifting rig, containers I3 loaded with freight are handled safely and quickly by lowering the rig from the usual crane, hoist or the like, by means of a hook engaged in eye I9, onto the top of the container and manually guiding the rig so that the locating projections or legs seat in locating and coupling recesses in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 with flange portions 26 of these legs seated upon portions 2l of the recesses.

As the rig seats home on the container, hooks 3Q, and particularly the downwardly depending counterbalance portions 35a thereof, which are pitched or cammed inwardly of the hook, engage lugs 5S, causing the hooks to rock so that the hook portions thereof will engage under the lug portions by action of springs 36 in restoring the hooks to normal position as soon as the rig is fully seated upon the container. iIhus, the coupling operation is automatic, as also is the locating operation once the rig is properly oriented by the craneman or stevedore for descent upon the container, it being evident in this connection that the pitching of recess walls 5I and 54, and consequent location of lugs 55, causes the rig to be guided into proper position coincidentally with the slippage of hook portions 35a over lugs 5E, as can be visualized from inspection of Figure 3.

When it is desired to release the rig from the container, it is merely necessary to turn one of the handles 42 a fraction of a revolution clockwise, thereby winding in cables 49 a small amount to rock levers 35 in a direction inwardly of the rig, with a consequent rocking of hooks out of engagement with lugs 56, whereupon the rig 4 is free to be hoisted, hooks 30 being restored to normal position by actions of springs 36 as soon as handles 42 are freed.

The novel rig, inclusive of the container and coupling means thereon, greatly simplifies and expedites cargo handling by reason of the automatic locating and coupling features described. There are no parts exposed to injury or obstructively disposed either on the container or rig, so that the device is especially suited to operation in close quarters such as are encountered in cargo holds and the like, and the containers, by reason of the absence of obstructive projections or parts, lend themselves readily to the most eflicient and economical stowage. The foregoing advantages, together with the simplicity and rugged structural and functional qualities of the device, render the same a considerable improvement over prior devices of this class which are objectionable, among other things, because they involve relatively complexv structural and operative features, or because of the presence of obstructive parts which are exposed to injury or interfere with stowage in one way or another.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and wish to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A hoisting rig comprising a freight container having upwardly open recessed leg sockets having coupling elements therein mounted at upper corner parts thereof, aframe adapted to lit onto the top of said container and having downwardly depending legs adapted to seat in said leg sockets to guide the frame into predetermined coupling position on said container, and coupling elements mounted on the frame and guidedly engaged with said coupling elements on the container and responsive to movement of said frame into said predetermined position.

2. In a hoisting rig, in combination, a freight container, upwardly open recessed leg sockets having coupling formations therein mounted at upper corners of said container, a rig formed to fit closely against the top of said container, depending guide legs on the rig arranged to seat in said container sockets, and coupling elements associated with each leg on said rig and automatically engageable with said coupling formations on the container by action of lowering of the rig onto the container, together with means on said rig operable to uncouple said coupling means.

3. In a hoisting rig, in combination, a container having a top with corner portions thereon, said corner portions being inwardly recessed with vertically extensive wall portions, a vertically pitched recess in said wall portions at ,each said corner portion, lug means across each said pitched recess for coupling purposes, and a rig adapted to be lowered upon said top and provided with a plurality of pendant locating projections each receivable in one of said recessed corner portions, together with hook means adjacent each said locating projection and each releasably engageable with one of said lug means when said rig is positioned on said container top to couple the rig to the container.

4. In a hoisting rig, a substantially rectangular frame, hollow locating legs pendant from corner portions of said frame, hook means pivoted within said locating legs, spring means yieldingly pivo ting said hook means to a normal coupling position, mechanism movable with said frame and operable to pivot said hook means from normal position to released position, and, container means including coupling elements engageable by said hook means when said frame is disposed on said container means, said coupling means of the container being disposed within leg sockets thereof, said locating legs being disposed in said leg sockets when said hook means is engaged with the coupling means as aforesaid.

5. In combination, a hoisting rig and a cargo container having a top portion adapted for intertting relation with said rig, upwardly open recesses in said top portion, a hook lug in each said upwardly open recess, hooks on said rig each engageable with one of said lugs for coupling the rig with the container, locating legs depending from the rig intertting with said upwardly open recesses respectively to dispose the rig in a predetermined coupling position with the container, and means accessible on at least two adjoining sides of said rig for moving said hooks out of coupling relation with corresponding hook lugs.

6. In a hoisting rig, a substantially rectangular frame adapted to be lowered upon a cargo container, a plurality of rock shafts extending in parallelism between opposite sides of said frame, coupling elements on said shafts' and movable with their respective shafts in a direction inwardly of the frame and toward the elements on the opposite shaft to a coupling position, means yieldingly urging said shafts to dispose corresponding coupling elements in coupling position, a rst release shaft extending from one side of said frame in parallelism with said rock shafts, manipulating means for said first release shaft disposed in a recess in said last-mentioned side of the frame, means operatively interconnecting said rst release shaft with said rock shafts whereby the latter may be moved in uncoupling operation, at least, by actuation of said manipulating means, a second release shaft extending in a sense transversely of said rock shafts and having manipulating means disposed in a recess in a second side of said frame adjoining that of said first-mentioned manipulating means, and

means drivingly interconnecting said release shafts whereby manipulation of either in a predetermined manner will eect rocking movement of all said rock shafts and the corresponding hook means for `the purpose set forth.

7. In a cargo handling device, a cargo container having a substantially rectangular top with sockets at the corners thereof and respectively opening into said top and two adjoining sides of said container, said sockets each having a bottom v portion constituting a seating ledge and side walls sloping convergently toward the corresponding ledge, each said socket having a recess in one of the said sloping wails thereof, a hook engaging bar across each said recess, together with a substantially rectangular rig adapted to seat down upon said container top and having locating legs at the corners thereof and each adapted to seat home upon one of said seating ledges, and hook means adjacent each said leg and situated for engagement with one of said bars by seating of the corresponding leg in the corresponding socket.

LEATHEM D. SMITH. CARL R. CHRISTIANSON. RICHARD A. STEARN. HOWARD H. HUNT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

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