US1245186A - Balanced crane or derrick. - Google Patents

Description

W. F. BROTHERS.

BALANCED CRANE 0R DERRICK. APPLICATION FILED MAR 9. 1914. RENEWED APR. 12,1917.

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BALANCED CRANE OR DERRICK. APPLICATION FILED Mme, 1914. nsnzwzo APR. 12. 1911.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

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BALANCED CRANE 0R DERRICK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

- Application filed March 9, 1914, Serial No. 823,349. Renewed April 12, 1917. Serial No. 161,678.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, VVILLIAB'I F. Bnorriass, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Balanced Cranes or Derricks, of which the following is a description.

The object of this invention is the production of a crane or derrick constructed and arranged whereby its parts arerin equilibrium or counterbalanced relation, whether the crane or derrick be loaded or unloaded.

More particularly my invention is directed to cranes or derricks having a base and operating parts-related to said base whereby such operating parts in the positions of raising and lowering or transferring the load are in balanced equilibrium. More specifically my invention: in certain particular forms thereof, comprises a support, 'a counterweight base, said base being pivotally carried by said support, a boom pivotally connected with said counterweight base, and chains or the like passing over the. free end of said boom together with means for operating the chains whereby to raise or lower the load. Preferably, such support is mounted to be movable on a fixed or movable support, such as the truck or platform of a car, a foundation or. the like, and the chain operating means is carried on the base. Preferably, also, the effective distance of the free end of the pivoted boom from the pivotal center of the counterweight base, is arranged to be variable as by means of chains or the like operated by suitable actuating means. By reason of the construc-. tion and arrangement of my invention, cranes and derricks embodying my invention. are operated without requiring any support or bracing other than thatafforded by the platform of the car or the foundation, etc., on which the crane may be carried or placed. v

Other features and objects of my inven tion will be more fully understood from the following description and accompanying drawings in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of a crane embodying my invention suitable as a locomotive crane Fig. 2 is a side view of the crane shown in Fig. 1 in the position of raising a load;

"Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are side elevations of modifications. 1

Referring to Figs. 1, Qand 3, the support 1 of the crane is shown mounted on a central step 2 and rollers 3, 3 to be rotatable on the platform 4, of a railway car or truck. The standards 5, 6 are fixed at their lower ends to the movable support 1, and carry the shaft 7 at their upper ends. The counterweight base 8 is hung by arms 9, 10 from the shaft 7. As shown, the arms 9, 10'are pivoted at opposite pivotsll, 12 to counterweight base 8 proximate the central line thereof. The, counterweight base '8 is designedly weighted to a predetermined weight, or constructed to have any desired variable weight up to a predetermined maximum, dependent upon the maximum load and other conditions as willmore fully appear hereinafter. As also shown and as more fully described hereinafter, the weight of the counterweight base 8 may include the operating drum or drums,the actuating 'motor or motors, and the source of power such as a boiler if the game be desired to be used, and such other, auxiliary means as may be employed, and the counterweight base is arranged to provide for sufficient space for carrying the said parts.

The boom 13 is shown pivoted to counterweight base 8 at the opposite pivots 11, 12 alongthe vcentral line of said base. 8; such construction of common pivotal means for the counterweight suspension means and the boom pivotal means affords simplified construction, though of course, said two pivotal means may be separate. The boom 13' is shown as of a general V-shaped frame comprising outer members 14;, 15, with transverse 'bracemembers 16, and latticed cross members 17. i l

The distance of the free end of the boom 13 from the pivots of arms 9, 10, maybe controlled, as shown, by the chains or rope 18 operated by suitable controlling mechanism. In these figures I have indicated the chain or rope 18 secured at one end to the dead eye 19 carried by shaft'7, said chain or rope 18 extending over the sheave 20 carried by shaft 21 disposed at the free end of the boom 13, and passing thence over the sheave with respect to speed and direction of-rotation by the control lever 25 and suitable regulating apparatus. By operating the drum 23 to wind thereon the chain or rope 18, the. effective distance between the free end of boom 13 and the pivots of arms 9, 10, will be shortened; likewise, when the chain or rope 18 is unwound from the drum 23, the effective distance of the free end of boom 13 from the pivots or' arms 9, 10 will be increased.

I have shown the hoisting chain or rope 26 controlled by the drum 2? shown also operated by the motor 2i geared thereto by suitable gearing and regulating arrangement for deriving variable rotation in speed and in direction. As indicated, one end of the hoisting chain or rope 26 may be secured to the drum 2?, the chain or rope 26 thence passing over the sheave 29 carried by shaft 21 disposed at the free'end of boom 13, over sheave 30 of block 31, thence passing over the sheave 32 carried by shaft 21 and finally having its other end secured to the "dead eye 33 on block 31. The block 31 is shown provided with the hook 3a to facilitate attachment thereto of the load. By mounting the sheaves 29 and 32 carrying the hoisting chain or rope 26 on shaft 21 and on opposite sides of the sheave 20, 'carrying the chain or rope 18, also mounted on shaft 21, the thrust of the load borne by the load chain or rope 26 will be balanced with respect to the boom or frame 13, and stresses tending to twist or distort the boom or frame 13 will be precluded.

l have shown the support 1 as provided with a circumferential rack cooperating with the gear 36 driven by the motor .3? whereby the circular support 1 may be turned in either direction by suitably con trolling the motor 37. It will be understood that the same motor may be employed for turning the movable support 1 as well as for operating the drum 23 and the drum 2?; also, if desired, it will be clear that separate motors may be employed for separately driving the drum 28 and the drum 2?.

The operation of the crane shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 will be understood from the description hereinbefore set forth taken in connection with the following. After suitably operating the drum 2?) to secure, the positioning of the boom 13 with respect to the load to be raised, the block 31 is then lowered by letting out the hoisting chain or rope 26 and the load is then secured to the-hook As soon as any appreciable strain is exerted in the hoisting chain or rope 26 upon operating the drum 27 to wind thereon the chain or rope 26, such strain will tend to move the counterweight base from the vertical plane away from the load, as is indicated in 2. Upon further increase in tension in the hoisting chain or rope 26, the counterweight base 8 will move farther and farther from the vertical until the load has been raised and is wholly carried by the hoisting chain or rope 26. During such movement of the crane, the operating parts will be at all times in counterbalanced position whereby there is no tendency otsupport 1 or the standards 5, 6, carried thereby to be tilted or otherwise displaced from the vertical. Such relationship of the cooperating parts of my inven tion obviates the necessity of guy ropes or other lateral supporting or bracing means. The degree to which the counterweight is moved from the vertical when the load is wholly carried by the hoisting chain or rope, will be dependent on the weight of the load, the weight or the counterweight and the effective distance of the sheave of the boom from the pivot of the counterweight.

In the specific crane illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, l have show-nthe counterweight or counterweightbase to be suspended by being pivoted in a plane passing. throughits cen. ter of gravity, and the drum, motor and such other operating devices disposed on the counterweight base so that the counterweight base remains substantially horizontal. This condition will still obtain notwithstanding movement of the operator over thecounterweight base or the varying weights of (litterent operators, who may operate the" crane,

since the combined weight of such devices and the counterweight base itself will ordinarily be ample to prevent any material deviation of the counterweight base from the horizontal plane. 7

Much construction 18 pieiei able when it desired to install a boiler on the counterweight base, in which case it is desirable to maintain horizontal condition of the counterweight base. In such cases where the crane is made portable or otherwise capable of being bodily transported, it is desirable to lock the counterweight 8 to prevent the same from being set in vibration. Such tendency toward vibration will be prevented by reeling in the boom 13 until the boom 13'comes into contact with the shaft 7 or, if desired, a suitablelocki-ng means such as the latch comprising the hook 38 carried by the standard 5 and latch bar 37 carried by the counterweight 8 may be employed.

In Fig. t I have shown the counterweight or counterweight base 8 to be suspended from oppositely disposed cables to, -lO respectively, passing about the grooved rollers ll, il, carried by shaft 7 and about grooved rollers 42, e2, pivoted or otherwise secured to the counterweight or counterweight base 8. Under certain circumstances, the counterweight base may be suspended by .rms rigidly secured thereto, in which case the counterweight base will departfrom "the horizontal plane when deflected laterally by the load. Such construction is indicated in Fig. 5, wherein the counterweight is suspendedby means of the frame which is fixed at its lower end to counterweight base Sand pivoted at its upper. end to shaft 7. In Fig. 5, the boom 13 is indicated as pivoted to the counterweight 8 at points without the central line thereof, or out of the plane passing through the center of gravity of the counterweight. However, the boom maybe pivoted on the central line and in the plane of the center of gravity of the counterweight when the counterweight is hung from suspension arms which are rigidly connected to the counterweight.

It will be understood that the counterweight may be varied in weight by forming the counterweight of a body or frame to which may be added additional weighting parts to increase the counterweight effect; such parts may be taken off to lessen the counterweight efi'ectto any desired amount. The types of crane shown in the drawings are adapted to be thus varied in counterweight effect; thus, in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 4c, the length of the suspension cables 40,40, may be varied in accordance with the .mass of the counterweight. The counterweight may also be built in the form of a tank the interior of which may be filled more or less with a weighting substance such as water, sand, etc.

In Fig. 6 I have shown another form of my invention comprising a support of concave or saucer-shaped construction mounted on a railway car by means of the central step 51, and adapted to be rotated by means of the circular rack 52. The countel-weight 53 is supported by the support 50, preferably by the use of bearing rollers 54. The boom 55 is pivoted to the counterweight 53, the free end of the boom 55 being controlled by the chain or rope 56, having one end secured to the dead eye 57, and the other end wound on the operating drum 58. The chain or rope 59 for raising and lowering the load passes from the operating drum over the sheave 60, thence through the block 61 and finally to the dead eye 62. The counterweight 53 is shown to be variable in weight by adding or taking off one or more of the weighting parts 63. In this construction, my invention is carried out without the use of standards or other pivotal suspension means for the counterweight.

lVhen transporting the crane or derrick constructed in accordance with my invention, the vehicle or platform of the car on which the crane is mounted, may be made of sufiicient length to allow the boom to be lowered on the same, and thus prevent the counterweight from being set in vibration which may arise while being bodily transported.

In addition to the advantages set forth above, my crane does'not require skilled labor to operate the same, since the counterbalancing relation of the parts thereof precludes possibility of overturning or wrecking the crane evcn'in' the hands of an inexperienced operator. Q

It will be understood that many. changes and modifications in the specific apparatus described herein may be made without departing fronr my invention. i

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a crane or the like, the combination of a support, a standard in fixed relation thereto and carried thereby, a counterweight pivoted to said standard, and a boom pivoted to said counterweight.

2. In a crane or the like, the combination of a support, a standard in fixed relation thereto and carried thereby, pivotal means carried by said standard, a counterweight base pivoted to said pivotalmeans and a boom pivotally connected with said counterweight base.

3. -In a crane or the like, the combination of a support, standards carried thereby and in fixed relation thereto, a shaft carried by said standards, a counterweight base pivoted to said shaft and a boom pivotally connected with said counterweight base.

4%. In a crane or the like, the combination of a support, a standard carried thereby, a counterweight hung from the standard, a boom pivotally connected with said counterweight and means for controlling the rela tion of the free end of said boom to the point of suspension of said counterweight.

5. In a crane or the like, the combination comprising a support, a standard carried thereby, a counterweight hung from the standard, a boom pivotally connected with said counterweight and means for adjustably controlling the distance of said boom from the pivot of said counterweight.

6. In a crane or the like, the combination comprising a support, a standard carried thereby, a counterweight pivotally supported from the standard, means for varying the effective counter-balance produced by said counterweight, a boom pivotally connected with said counterweight, and means carried by said boom for raising and lowering the load.

7. In a crane or the like, the combination of a support, a standard carried thereby, a counterweight pivotally supported from the standard, said counterweight being constructed of two parts of variable weight to vary the eii'ective counter-balance produced by said counterweight, a boom pivotally connected with said counterweight, and means carried by said boom for raising and lowering the load.

8. In a crane or the like, the combination of a support, a standard carried thereby, a-

counterweight pivotally supported from the standard, means for varying the counter-, balance effect produced by said counterand means carried by said boom for raising a and lowering the load.

9. In a cranecor the like, the combination of a support, standards mounted on said support, a shaft carried by said standards, a counterweight, means for yieldingly mounting said counterweight on said shaft, a boom, means for yieldingly connecting one end of said boom to said counterweight, means for yieldingly connecting the other end of said boom with said shaft, and means for raising and lowering the load.

10. In a crane or the like, the combination of a support, standards 'inoiuited on said support, a shaft carried by said standards, a

counterweight base, means for suspending said counterweight base from said shaft,

said suspension meagns maintaining said counterweight base substantially horizontal,

withsaid boom for raising and lowerng the load and means carried by the support permitting the counterweight and boom to be oscillated relative to the support.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN BROTHERS,

Witnesses S. M. BAEDERL HENRY J. Luann.

floyiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 5 Commissioner of Eatenm,

Washington, D. Q.

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