Bottom block assembly with pivoting trunnion paddles

A bottom block assembly for an overhead crane, said bottom block assembly comprising, in combination:

• a main bottom block;
• an outer frame carried by the main bottom block and rotatable relative to the main bottom block about a vertical axis of rotation;
• a pair of paddles carried by the outer frame and downwardly extending from the outer frame on opposed sides of the main bottom block;
• wherein upper ends of the paddles are pivotable relative to the outer frame about horizontal axes so that lower ends of the paddles pivot toward and away from each other;
• and
• wherein each of the paddles has a closed-section opening near its lower end;
• wherein the paddles are pivotable between a closed position wherein each of the paddles is substantially vertical and an open position wherein the lower end of each of the paddles is outwardly pivoted away from a vertical central axis;
• and
• wherein springs bias the paddles to the closed position.

A bottom block assembly for an overhead crane, said bottom block assembly comprising, in combination:

• a main bottom block;
• an outer frame carried by the main bottom block and rotatable relative to the main bottom block about a vertical axis of rotation;
• a pair of paddles carried by the outer frame and downwardly extending from the outer frame on opposed sides of the main bottom block;
• wherein upper ends of the paddles are pivotable relative to the outer frame about horizontal axes so that lower ends of the paddles pivot toward and away from each other;
• wherein each of the paddles has a closed-section opening near its lower end;
• a drive system for selectively rotating the outer frame relative to the main bottom block;
• and
• wherein the drive system is engaged and disengaged depending on a vertical position of the main bottom block.

A bottom block assembly for an overhead crane, said bottom block assembly comprising, in combination:

• a main bottom block;
• an outer frame carried by the main bottom block and rotatable relative to the main bottom block about a vertical axis of rotation;
• a pair of paddles carried by the outer frame and downwardly extending from the outer frame on opposed sides of the main bottom block;
• wherein upper ends of the paddles are pivotably secured to the outer frame about horizontal axes so that lower ends of the paddles pivot toward and away from each other;
• wherein the paddles are pivotable between a closed position wherein each of the paddles is substantially vertical and an open position wherein the lower end of each of the paddles is outwardly pivoted away from a vertical central axis;
• and
• wherein each of the paddles has a keyhole-shaped closed-section opening near its lower end;
• and
• an actuator system for selectively pivoting the paddles including ropes and levers.

A bottom block assembly for an overhead crane, said bottom block assembly comprising, in combination:

• a main bottom block;
• an outer frame carried by the main bottom block and rotatable relative to the main bottom block about a vertical axis of rotation;
• a pair of paddles carried by the outer frame and downwardly extending from the outer frame on opposed sides of the main bottom block;
• wherein upper ends of the paddles are pivotably secured to the outer frame about horizontal axes so that lower ends of the paddles pivot toward and away from each other;
• wherein the paddles are pivotable between a closed position wherein each of the paddles is substantially vertical and an open position wherein the lower end of each of the paddles is outwardly pivoted away from a vertical central axis;
• wherein each of the paddles has a keyhole-shaped closed-section opening near its lower end;
• and
• wherein springs bias the paddles to the closed position.