Carriage for selectively and remote positively suspendingly engaging and disengaging a load in transporting same from one location to another

Improved carriage means for selectively engaging load means so as to positively couple stone together for transporting the load means to a desired location and for selectively disengaging the carriage means from the load means once the load means has been transported by the carriage means to a new location, the improved carriage means comprising:

• selectively movable boom means, the boom means at its forward end having carriage means for selectively engaging and disengaging load means to be transported by both the boom means and carriage means from one location to another despite movement of the boom means in any direction about any longitudinal, transverse, rotary axes or any combination thereof,
• upstanding lug means affixed to surface means of the load means and in centered relation to the center of gravity thereof,
• the carriage means having A-shaped plate means, the A-shaped plate means having convergent and divergent ends at opposed ends thereof and being affixed to the forward end of the carriage means such that the longitudinal axis of the A-shaped plate means is arranged in centered relation both longitudinally and transversely of the carriage means, the A-shaped plate means having slot means between the ends thereof such that the A-shaped plate means in being affixed to the carriage means the slot means is alignable with the upstanding lug means affixed to the load means and it is dimensioned for freely receiving the lug means when the carriage means engages the load means,
• the carriage means having a pair of relatively spaced guide block means, the pair of guide block means being affixed to a major exposed surface of the A-shaped plate means such that the pair of guide block means depend from the A-shaped plate means and are interposed between the divergent/convergent ends of the A-shape plate means and lie on a first axis transverse of the A-shaped plate means while at the same time the first axis of the pair of guide block means is laterally offset and spaced from the slot means,
• the carriage means also having pivotally mounted pawl means rotatable in either direction about an axis such that the pawl means is insertable through the aperture of the lug means upon the pawl means being rotated in one direction from a retracted biased position to an advanced position for insertion in the aperture of the lug means and engagement therewith when the lug means is inserted through the slot means of the A-shaped plate means, and
• a pair of guide plate means affixed to opposed surface means of the load means such that the upstanding lug means in being affixed to surface means of the load means is interposed and spaced from the pair of guide plate means, each of the pair of guide plate means having upwardly facing channel-shaped recess means for slidably receiving and engaging its associated guide block means of the pair thereof when the carriage means is advanced into engagement with the load means, each of the guide plate means in being affixed to its opposed surface means is alignable with a second axis transverse of the opposed surface means and extends therebetween while at the same time the second axis is laterally offset and spaced from the lug means in the same direction and in corresponding fashion as the first axis of the pair of guide block means is laterally offset and spaced from the slot means of the A-shaped plate means whereby the pair of guide block means initially and slidably engage the channel-shaped recess means of the opposed guide plate means for initially engaging and aligning the carriage means to the load means prior to the pawl means being pivoted from a retracted position to an advanced position through the aperture of the lug means into engagement therewith as the carriage means continues into engagement with the load means throughout advancement of both the boom means and the carriage means for positively coupling the carriage means and the load means together before transporting the load means in suspended balanced fashion to another location.

Improved carriage means for selectively engaging load means so as to positively couple same together for transporting the load means to a desired location and for selectively disengaging the carriage means from the load means once the load means has been transported by the carriage means to a new location, the improved carriage means comprising:

• selectively movable boom means, the boom means at its forward end having carriage means for selectively engaging and disengaging load means to be transported by both the boom means and carriage means from one location to another despite movement of the boom means in any direction about any longitudinal, transverse, rotary axes or any combination thereof,
• upstanding lug means affixed to surface means of the load means and in centered relation to the center of gravity thereof,
• the carriage means having base means affixed to the outer end of the boom means, post means having opposed ends with one end affixed to the base means, A-shaped plate means having a convergent apex end and an opposed divergent end with opposed apex ends thereat, the divergent end of the A-shaped plate means being affixed to the other end of the post means and spaced from the base means, such that the longitudinal axis of the A-shaped plate means between its convergent/divergent ends is arranged in centered relation both longitudinally and transversely of the base means, the A-shaped plate means having slot means interposed between its convergent/divergent ends thereof, such that the A-shaped plate means in being affixed to the post means the slot means is laterally offset and spaced from the post means in a direction towards the convergent apex end thereof while it is alignable with the upstanding lug means affixed to the load means and it is dimensioned for freely receiving the lug means when the carriage means engages the load means,
• the carriage means having a pair of relatively spaced guide block means, the pair of guide block means being affixed to a major exposed surface of the A-shaped plate means such that the pair of guide block means depend from the A-shaped plate means and are interposed between the divergent/convergent ends of the A-shaped plate means and lie on a first axis transverse of the A-shaped plate means while at the same time the first axis of the pair of guide block means is laterally offset and spaced from the A-shaped plate means slot means in a direction towards the divergent end of the A-shaped plate means,
• the carriage means also having pivotally mounted pawl means rotatable in either direction about an axis such that the pawl means is insertable through the aperture of the lug means upon the pawl means being rotated in one direction from a retracted position to an advanced position for insertion in the aperture of the lug means and engagement therewith when the lug means is inserted through the slot of the A-shaped plate means upon engagement of the carriage means with the load means, and
• a pair of guide plate means affixed to opposed surface means of the load means such that the upstanding lug means in being affixed to surface means of the load means is interposed between and spaced from the pair of guide plate means, each guide plate means of the pair thereof having upwardly facing channel-shaped recess means for slidably receiving and engaging its associated guide block means of the pair thereof when the carriage means is advanced into engagement with the load means, each of the guide plate means in being affixed to its opposed surface means is alignable with a second axis transverse of the opposed surface means and extends therebetween while at the same time the second axis is laterally offset and spaced from the lug means in the same direction and in corresponding fashion as the first axis of the pair of guide block means is from the slot means of the A-shaped plate means whereby the pair of guide block means initially and slidably engage the channel-shaped recess means of the guide plate means for initially engaging and aligning the carriage means to the load means prior to the pawl means being pivoted from a retracted position to an advanced position through the aperture of the lug means into engagement therewith as the carriage means continues into engagement with the load means throughout advancement of both the boom means and the carriage means towards the load means for positively coupling the carriage means and the load means together before transporting the load means to another location.