Load indicating apparatus

A load indicator usable with load lifting machinery having a rated load capacity and connectable between a load line and a load handling member of the machinery, said indicator including:

• a housing having a generally upright side wall partially defining a chamber, said housing having a lower end closed by an end wall and an upper end connectable to a load line;
• said housing end wall being provided with an opening;
• first connecting means securing a load line to said housing;
• a deflectable plunger assembly located in said chamber and extending therefrom;
• said deflectable plunger assembly being vertically movable in said chamber relative to said housing and freely rotatable in said chamber relative to said housing;
• said housing side wall being provided with at least one sight opening permitting viewing said plunger assembly in the chamber from outside of the housing;
• said plunger assembly having a transverse head with a side wall portion visually distinct from the outside of said housing side wall adjacent the sight opening and vertically intermediately movable in said chamber between a position toward the upper end of the chamber out of view through said opening and a position toward the lower end of the chamber totally covering said opening from within the chamber;
• said plunger assembly having rod means secured to the head and extending outward of the chamber and housing through said end wall opening such that vertical movement of that portion of the rod means located outward of the chamber and housing results in directly corresponding movement of the transverse head in the chamber;
• second connecting means on the rod means connecting it to a load handling member, said second connecting means including a threaded opening in said rod means in engagement with a threaded shank of the load handling member;
• bias means in said chamber disposed between said head and a portion of the housing biasing said head toward the upper end of the chamber to locate said visually distinct side wall portion in the out-of-view position, said bias means including a disc spring located in said chamber assembled in said chamber under a percentage of spring deflection when said side wall portion is in the out-of-view position;
• swivel bearing means disposed between said bias means and said portion of the housing to facilitate free rotation of the plunger assembly in said chamber relative to said housing when said plunger assembly is vertically deflected responsive to a load;
• said head being vertically movable in said chamber against the action of the biasing means responsive to a tension load between the load line and the load handling member a distance representative of the extent of loading on the load handling member as compared to a rated load capacity toward said position with said side wall portion totally covering said opening;
• said bias means being linearly calibrated to provide biasing force equal to a preselected load value upon movement of said visually distinct side wall portion from said out-of-sight position to said position totally covering said opening;
• and
• a circumferential shoulder located on the side wall in the chamber in position to intercept said head and prevent further movement thereof after said side wall portion moves to said position totally covering said opening.