US 4,749,328 A · Auxiliary hoist grapple

Abstract

A crane and lift apparatus for controlling the operation of primary hoist and bridge structure, and gantry drive functions of the equipment. There is provided an auxiliary hoist grapple apparatus to unload containers stacked one above another from one location to another parallel thereto, from one roadway to a parallel roadway, or from one flat bed railroad car to another flat bed railroad car disposed upon a track that is parallel to and adjacent to the track on which the first railroad car is located. The apparatus is adaptable to straddle two locations, parallel roadways, or parallel railroad tracks and effect interchange of containers to and from trucks or railroad cars positioned on the parallel roadways or tracks. The apparatus permits locking of the main stabilizing beam at an uppermost position to clear double stacked containers and provides secondary vertical motion so as to reach down adjacent the stacked container and pick up a container from a lower most position resting on the ground or from a truck or a flat bed railroad car. The apparatus permits selective raising and lowering of cable supported containers up to as much as thirty feet from ground level.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A crane and lift apparatus including

frame means having a pair of lower beams supporting four corner beams in turn supporting a pair of vertically movable upper stabilizing beams forming generally parallel track means transverse to said lower beams,
wheel means rotatably supported beneath said frame means, drive means operatively coupled to said wheel means for causing movement of said frame means,
auxiliary hoist means mounted underside and between said stabilizing beams for rectilinear movement therealong, said auxiliary hoist means comprising
upper frame assembly means movably mounted on said stabilizing beams and having rotatably mounted hoist drum means,
cable means operatively attached to said hoist drum means and suspended downwardly therefrom,
lower frame assembly means attached to a lower most portion of said cable means adaptable for vertical movement relative to said upper frame assembly means, and
grapple arm assembly means depending from said lower frame assembly means for attaching to, carrying and releasing one or more containers,
power drive means operatively coupled to said drive means, said upper frame assembly and said hoist drum means, said power drive means acting selectively to operate said drive means to cause movement of said frame means, to move said upper frame assembly along said upper stabilizing beams, and to rotate said drum hoist means for lifting and lowering said containers, and
operator control means connected to said power drive means for independently controlling the operations of said drive means, said upper frame assembly and said drum hoist means.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Auxiliary hoist grapple

Life of this patent

Auxiliary hoist grapple

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6