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US 7,611,022 B2Granted
Upper block
AssigneeMHE Technologies, Inc.
InventorSteven K. Waisanen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A crane having an upper block, a lower block, a drum, and two ropes. The upper block includes an equalizer having a yoke to which the ropes are connected. The connections between the ropes and the yoke include load cells that measure the forces carried by each of the ropes. The upper block includes a fail-safe system that prevents failure of the upper block in overload conditions.
Claims20
A crane having a drum, an upper block, and a lower block, the crane comprising:
- a support wall;
- a first rope having a first rope end;
- a second rope having a second rope end;
- an equalizer yoke pivotally mounted to the support wall by a pivot pin and having two load pins, each rope end being coupled to one of the load pins;
- wherein each of the load pins includes a load cell which measures forces carried by the coupled one of the first and second ropes;
- wherein the first and second rope ends are substantially parallel to one another in a direction substantially perpendicular to a line running through the two load pins;
- a yoke pin mounted to the yoke and extending through a slot in the support wall;
- wherein the yoke pin is spaced apart from the pivot pin so that the yoke pin pivots about the pivot pin and moves along the slot when the yoke pivots relative to the support wall to equalize loads between the first and second ropes;
- and
- at least one damper extending between the yoke pin and the support wall to dampen motion of the yoke by providing resistance on the yoke pin when the yoke pivots relative to the support wall due to failure of one the first and second ropes.
7 more elements
An equalizer for a crane having a drum, a lower block, an upper block, and at least two rope ends, the equalizer comprising:
- a support wall;
- an equalizer yoke pivotally coupled to the support wall and including two load pins, each rope end being coupled to one of the load pins;
- wherein each of the load pins includes a load cell which measures forces carried by the coupled one of the rope ends;
- a yoke pin mounted to the yoke and extending through a slot in the support wall;
- wherein the yoke pin is spaced apart from the pivot pin so that the yoke pin pivots about the pivot pin and moves along the slot when the yoke pivots relative to the support wall to equalize loads between the rope ends;
- and
- at least one damper extending between the yoke pin and the support wall to dampen motion of the yoke by providing resistance on the yoke in when the yoke pivots relative to the support wall due to failure of one the rope ends.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.