Stabilizing mechanism for overhead crane hoist

Overhead crane apparatus for handling a load, said apparatus comprising:

• a trolley,
• a host supported by said trolley,
• a bottom block supported by said hoist for upward and downward movement relative to said trolley, said bottom block being movable relative to a secured position,
• a hook movable between a latched position wherein said hook secures said bottom block to said trolley when said bottom block is in said secured position, and an unlatched position wherein said hook allows movement of said bottom block to and from said secured position, said hook moving from said latched position to said unlatched position in response to movement of said bottom block to said secured position, and said hook automatically returning to said latched position after said bottom block moves to said secured position,
• hook means on said bottom block for supporting the bath cover, ore bucket, or crucible, and
• a selectively operable cylinder/piston assembly connected to said hook for biasing said hook toward said latched position so that said hook is returned to said latched position under the influence of said cylinder/piston assembly and for moving said hook from said latched position to said unlatched position so that said bottom block can be moved from said secured position.

Overhead crane apparatus for handling a load, said apparatus comprising:

• an overhead crane including horizontal, parallel, spaced-apart runways, horizontal, parallel, spaced-apart bridge girders extending between and perpendicular to said runways, means for moving said bridge girders along said runways, a trolley extending between and supported by said bridge girders, and means for moving said trolley along said bridge girders,
• a hoist supported by said trolley,
• a bottom block supported by said hoist for upward and downward movement relative to said trolley, said bottom block having thereon oppositely and horizontally extending first and second trunnions,
• hook means for releasably securing said bottom block to said trolley, said hook means including first and second bottom block support plates which are supported by said trolley and which have therein respective first and second downwardly opening notches adapted to respectively receive said first and second trunnions, first and second hooks movably supported by said trolley adjacent said first and second support plates, respectively, each of said hooks being movable to a latched position wherein the hook overlaps the notch in the associated support plate and extends below the associated trunnion when the associated trunnion is located in the associated notch so as to prevent the associated trunnion from moving downwardly out of the associated notch, each of said hooks also being movable to an unlatched position wherein the hook is out of overlapping relationship with the associated notch so as to allow passage of the associated trunnion upwardly into the associated notch, and each of said hooks moving from said latched position to said unlatched position in response to engagement by the associated trunnion as the associated trunnion moves upwardly into the associated notch, and means for biasing each of said hooks toward said latched position so that the hook automatically returns to said latched position after the associated trunnion moves past the hook and into the associated notched, said biasing means including first and second cylinder/piston assemblies respectively connected to said first and second hooks, said cylinder/piston assemblies also being selectively operable to move said first and second hooks from said latched positions so as to allow said trunnions to move downwardly out of said notches,
• hoist control means for slowing said hoist as said trunnions enter said notches and for stopping said hoist when said hooks return to said latched positions after said trunnions have moved into said notches, and
• a hook which is supported by said bottom block and which is adapted to support the bath cover, or bucket, or crucible.