This invention generally relates to lifting equipment, and more specifically to lifting beams.
Lifting beams are utilized in various applications to aid in lifting a load. Typically, a lifting beam is attached to an end of a lifting apparatus such as a crane or the like. The lifting beam provides connection points for connecting it to the load. The lifting beam is thus interposed between the end of the lifting apparatus and the load itself, and functions to distribute the forces of the load to effectuate safe and efficient lifting and movement of the load.
Unfortunately, contemporary lifting beams tend to be relatively heavy given the primary use of steel in the construction thereof as well as their overall complexity. It has been found that use of such beams adds an undesirable amount to the overall loading of the lifting apparatus when the combined weight of the lifting beam itself and the load are considered. Further, such lifting beams tend to be quite costly given the use of steel in their construction and their complexity. Yet further, such lifting beams are relatively heavy from the standpoint of manual handling.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a lifting beam that advantageously performs its load bearing and balancing functionality but without the significant added weight and cost of contemporary beams.
The invention provides such a lifting beam. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.
In one aspect, the invention provides a lifting beam that includes a plurality of plate elements that allow for the quick and efficient connection of the lifting beam between a lifting apparatus and a load. An embodiment of a lifting beam according to this aspect includes at least one beam element. A plurality of plate elements are mounted to the at least one beam element. One or more of the plurality of plate elements provide a first connection arrangement for connecting the lifting beam to a lifting apparatus. One or more of the plurality of plate elements provide a second connection arrangement for connecting the lifting beam to a load.
In certain embodiments, the plurality of plate elements are secured to the at least one beam element by an adhesive. The at least one beam element can include a first and a second beam element. The first and second beam elements are arranged in an imposed-spaced relationship such that a clearance gap is formed therebetween. The plurality of plate elements are mounted to each of the first and second beam elements within the clearance gap, and in some embodiments, may be mounted as such using an adhesive.
In embodiments including a first and a second beam element, the first beam element may be arranged such that it is slidable relative to the second beam element such that the lifting beam has an overall adjustable length. The first beam element is slidable within an interior hollow space of the second beam element. A locking arrangement is also provided for locking the first beam element relative to the second beam element at a fixed position.
In certain embodiments, the plurality of plate elements may include a pair of plate elements and a bail plate positioned between the pair of plate elements. In such an embodiment, the first connection arrangement may be provided by the bail plate, and the second connection arrangement may be provided by the pair of plate elements. The first connection arrangement may also be provided by the pair of plate elements and the bail plate, and the second connection arrangement may be provided by the pair of plate elements.
In certain embodiments, the plurality of plate elements includes a pair of plate elements. The pair of plate elements provide the first connection arrangement and the second connection arrangement.
In another aspect, the invention provides a lifting beam that advantageously minimizes material usage while maintaining the desirable characteristics of a lifting beam. An embodiment according to this aspect includes at least one beam element formed from a composite material. A plurality of plate elements are mounted to the at least one beam element. The plurality of plate elements are mounted to the at least one beam element spaced apart from one another along a length of the at least one beam element.
In certain embodiments, the at least one beam element may include a first and a second beam element arranged in an opposed-spaced relationship such that a clearance gap is formed therebetween. The plurality of plate elements are mounted to the first and second beam elements within the clearance gap using an adhesive.
In certain other embodiments, the at least one beam element includes a first and a second beam element which are slidable relative to one another such that the lifting beam has an overall adjustable length.
In certain embodiments, one or more of the plurality of plate elements provide a first connection arrangement for connecting the lifting beam to a lifting apparatus, and one or more of the plurality of plate elements provide a second connection arrangement for connecting the lifting beam to a load. The plurality of plate elements may include a pair of plate elements and a bail plate positioned between the pair of plate elements. The first connection arrangement may be formed on the bail plate, and the second connection arrangement may be formed on the pair of plate elements. In another embodiment, the first connection arrangement may be formed on the bail plate and the pair of plate elements, and the second connection arrangement may be formed on the pair of plate elements.
In certain embodiments, the plurality of plate elements includes a pair of connection plates. The first connection arrangement and the second connection arrangement are formed on the pair of connection plates.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Turning now to the drawings,
Further, multiple beam assemblies 12 may be connected between lifting apparatus 14 and load 16. These multiple beam assemblies 12 may be arranged sequentially, or alternatively, may be arranged in the same plane and connected to one another in a variety of arrangements when viewed from above, e.g. a square or rectangular shape, a T-shape, an H-shape, an I-shape, etc.
Lifting beam assembly 12 may also include a sensor 70 for sensing a load of beam assembly 12. More specifically, sensor 70 is operable to provide a visual indication of the stress condition of a beam element of lifting beam assembly 12. Such a visual indication may be, for non-limiting example, a color indication on a sticker, a sticker that will tear at a given deformation of beam assembly 12, a capillary tube that will break at a given deformation of beam assembly 12, etc. Alternatively, sensor 70 may be an electronic sensor, e.g. a strain gauge, which is connected to a load sensing feedback and control arrangement (LSFCA) 72. LSFCA may include a programmable controller configured to receive and interpret a signal from sensor 70, and thereafter provide an indication of a load state of lifting beam assembly 12 to an output device.
Turning now to
Beam elements 18 may be advantageously made from a pultruded composite material, i.e. a composite material formed by pultrusion. These materials have been found to exhibit a good temperature rating, and also provide significantly high strength to accommodate applications of the lifting beam assembly 12. As an example of such a material, Pultex 1625 series thermoset vinyl-ester class 1 may be utilized. It has been found that such a material advantageously meets the required strength parameters of beam assembly 12, while overcoming existing problems in the art by providing a significant reduction in overall weight. However, composite beams formed by other processes not limited to pultrusion may also be utilized. Further, other composite materials may also be utilized to achieve the advantages herein, and thus the specification of Pultex 1625 above is only one, non-limiting, example. As such, the beam elements herein are not limited to any specific process of manufacture or any specific composite material, but may be formed by a variety of composite materials and composite manufacturing processes recognized by those of skill in the art.
As shown in
Each of load plates 24 and bail plate 26 are positioned within a clearance gap 48 defined between interiorly facing surfaces 44, 46 of each beam element 18. Load plates 24 and bail plate 26 may be formed from metal, composites, or any other suitable material depending upon application. Load plates 24 and bail plate 26 have a common thickness and are secured to interiorly facing surfaces 44, 46 of beam elements 18 via adhesive. Various adhesives are contemplated, for example but not limited to methacrylate adhesive, as well as urethane-based adhesives. Additionally, in the case of composite material plate elements, these may be joined to beam elements 18 by any known composite-to-composite joining technique.
It will be recognized that depending upon the specific type of adhesive used, surface preparation of the bonding surfaces may be required. For example, a light abrasion may be necessary on the interior surfaces of beam elements 18 and/or the outer surfaces of load plates 24 and bail plate 26. Due to the advantageous use of composite materials for beam elements 18, as well as the use of adhesives as opposed to conventional mounting hardware, beam assembly 12 exhibits a high strength and low weight unlike contemporary designs. Indeed, the overall weight of beam assembly 12 permits for manual handling, which has been to this point difficult if not impossible via contemporary beam assemblies. It should be noted that the adhesive utilized is not limited to the specific examples described above, and various adhesives may be employed depending upon application.
With reference now to
Load plate 24 extends between opposed outer surfaces 38 and 40 and has a generally constant thickness. Additionally, load plate 24 has a generally flat top surface 42 as shown in
Turning now to
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With reference now to
With reference to
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Further, multiple beam assemblies 112 may be connected between lifting apparatus 114 and load 116. These multiple beam assemblies 112 may be arranged sequentially, or alternatively, may be arranged in the same plane and connected to one another in a variety of arrangements when viewed from above, e.g. a square or rectangular shape, a T-shape, an H-shape, an I-shape, etc.
As shown in
Turning now to
Beam elements 118 may be fabricated from a composite material for example a vinyl-ester material, or other composite materials, which may or may not be formed by pultrusion. In other words, beam elements 118 may be formed from the same materials and present the same advantages as that discussed above relative to beam elements 18. Also, it will be recognized that each beam element 118 has a generally C-shaped cross-sectional profile, also similar to beam elements 18 described above, although other profiles (for non-limiting example those discussed above) are entirely possible depending upon application and expected loading characteristics, for non-limiting example square/rectangular, round, angle, W-shaped, I-shaped, H-shaped etc. Further, although the following description will discuss the use of a pair of opposed beam elements 118, it is entirely possible to mount the below discussed plate elements to a single beam element at any suitable location thereon. As such, it will be understood that beam assembly 112 may incorporate at a minimum at least one beam element, as opposed to a pair of beam elements 118.
Turning now to
Body portion 130 includes a centralized body opening 136 which advantageously reduces the overall weight of connection plate 124. Connection plate 124 extends between exposed outer side surfaces 138, 140. Additionally, body portion 130 defines a generally flat top surface 142.
Turning now to
As can also be seen in
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Turning now to
Further, multiple beam assemblies 212 may be connected between lifting apparatus 214 and load 216. These multiple beam assemblies 212 may be arranged sequentially, or alternatively, may be arranged in the same plane and connected to one another in a variety of arrangements when viewed from above, e.g. a square or rectangular shape, a T-shape, an H-shape, an I-shape, etc.
As shown in
Turning now to
Beam elements 218 may be fabricated from a composite material for example a vinyl-ester material, or other composite materials, which may or may not be formed by pultrusion. In other words, beam elements 218 may be formed from the same materials and present the same advantages as that discussed above relative to beam elements 18, 118. Also, it will be recognized that each beam element 218 has a generally C-shaped cross-sectional profile, also similar to beam elements 18, 118 described above, although other profiles are entirely possible, depending upon application and expected loading characteristics, for non-limiting example square/rectangular, round, angle, W-shaped, I-shaped, H-shaped etc. Further, although the following description will discuss the use of a pair of opposed beam elements 218, it is entirely possible to mount the below discussed plate elements to a single beam element at any suitable location thereon. As such, it will be understood that beam assembly 212 may incorporate at a minimum at least one beam element, as opposed to a pair of beam elements 218.
Turning now to
With brief reference to
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As can also be seen in
Turning now to
Having described the structural attributes of the above three embodiments, a description will now be provided of a general method of fabricating a beam assembly as described above. First, a pair of composite beam elements is provided. These beam elements may be formed by any known composite fabrication technique and material, including but not limited to pultrusion. Thereafter, a plurality of plate elements are also provided, and arranged within a clearance gap between the beam elements. These plate elements are then adhered to opposed inner side surfaces of the beam elements as discussed above. Thereafter, and depending upon type of adhesive used, a curing process may also be performed.
Turning now to
Further, multiple beam assemblies 312 may be connected between lifting apparatus 314 and load 316. These multiple beam assemblies 312 may be arranged sequentially, or alternatively, may be arranged in the same plane and connected to one another in a variety of arrangements when viewed from above, e.g. a square or rectangular shape, a T-shape, an H-shape, an I-shape, etc.
As shown in
With reference now to
Beam element 318 includes a plurality of apertures 336 extending through its opposed sidewalls. Likewise, beam element 320 includes a plurality of apertures 342 extending between its opposed sidewalls. Apertures 336, 342 are selectively alignable with one another and constitute an adjustment arrangement of beam assembly 312. A pin 350 may be inserted through the aligned apertures 336, 342 to adjust the overall length of beam assembly 31. The particular number of apertures 336, 342 illustrated is non-limiting, as those skilled in the art will recognize that fewer or greater apertures may be employed. Further, instead of alignable apertures, an adjustment arrangement in the form of elongated slots may be formed in each sidewall which will permit an infinite number of adjustable positions, as opposed to the finite adjustable positions defined by alignable apertures 336, 342.
Connection plates 324 include load connection portions 332 and bail connection portions 326. Load connection portions 332 include apertures 334 and define the connection arrangement for connecting beam assembly 312 to load 316. Bail connection portions 326 include apertures 356 and define the connection arrangement for connecting beam assembly 312 to lifting apparatus 314. Connection plates 324 are seated within slots 338, 340 of beam elements 318, 320, respectively. More specifically, and with reference to
Turning now to
Having described the structural attributes of this fourth embodiment, a description will now be provided of a general method of fabricating a beam assembly as described above. First, a pair of composite beam elements is provided. These beam elements may be formed by any known composite fabrication technique and material, including but not limited to pultrusion. Thereafter, a pair of plate elements is also provided and arranged one in each slot in each beam element. These plate elements are then joined to their respective beam element.
As described herein, embodiments of the instant invention overcome existing problems of lifting beams in the art by providing a light composite lifting beam assembly which minimizes its overall weight and assembly complexity while providing the necessary strength requirements for contemporary lifting beam applications.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
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