Lifting Clamp

Abstract

 The invention relates to a hoisting grip for tightly gripping an upwardly projecting end edge (1) of an upright barrel (2) and for hoisting the gripped barrel, which hoisting grip is provided with two L-shaped gripping elements (3,4), which each consist of a long arm (5,6) and a short arm (7,8) enclosing an angle with each other, and which near the junction of their long arm (5,6) to their short arm (7,8) are hinged together about a hinge pin (9), which extends in the transverse direction, a gripping jaw (11,12) being connected near the free end of each short arm (7,8), a locking member (15) being movably connected to the hoisting grip and being displaceable between a position of rest and a locking position and in this locking position locking the gripping elements (3,4) in the gripping position against a displacement with respect to each other towards the disengaged position. According to the invention upon displacement of the hoisting grip towards the gripping position the locking member (15) is displaceable from its position of rest to the locking position under the influence of its own weight.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a hoisting grip for tightly gripping an upwardly projecting end edge of an upright barrel and for hoisting the gripped barrel, which hoisting grip is provided with two L-shaped gripping elements, which each consist of a long arm and a short arm enclosing an angle with each other, and which near the junction of their long arm to their short arm are hinged together about a hinge pin, which extends in the transverse direction, a gripping jaw being connected near the free end of each short arm, in such a way that in the gripping position the downwardly directed long arm of one of the gripping elements rests near its lower end against the wall of the barrel, while the short arm of this gripping element is located above the end edge of the barrel and presses with the gripping'jaw connected thereto against the inner side of the end edge, whilst the long arm of the other gripping . element is situated above the end edge and may be coupled with a hoisting means, while the associated short arm is directed downwardly beside the wall of the barrel and presses with its gripping jaw against the outer side of the end edge, a locking member being movably connected to the hoisting grip and being displaceable between a position of rest and a locking position and in this locking position locking the gripping elements in the gripping position against a displacement with respect to each other towards the disengaged position.

[0002] A hoisting grip of this type is known from Dutch patent application 71.13835.

[0003] In this known hoisting grip the locking member is displaced from its position of rest to the locking position under the influence of a resilient tensioning member, such as a tension spring. This known hoisting grip shows several disadvantages. In the first place with this known hoisting grip the locking action stops upon fracture of the spring, which is of course very dangerous. Furthermore the operation of the locking member is rather strenuous and must be implemented with both hands.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a hoisting grip of the type mentioned hereinbefore, wherein these disadvantages are removed in a simple, but nevertheless effective manner.

[0005] For this purpose the hoisting grip according to -the invention is characterized in that upon displacement of the hoisting grip towards the gripping position the locking member is displaceable from its position of rest to the locking position under the influence of its own weight.

[0006] Therefore according to the invention no resilient tensioning member, such as a tension spring, is applied, as the locking member is displaced to its locking position exclusively under the influence of its own weight. Furthermore, the operation of the locking member requires much less effort than in the known hoisting grip, as no spring pressure has to be overcome, so that the displacement of the locking member can be easily performed with one hand.

[0007] A favourable embodiment of the hoisting grip according to the invention is characterized in that the locking member has a slotted hole, through which a transverse shaft of the hoisting grip extends.

[0008] In this embodiment the transverse shaft may be practically unloaded in the gripping position.

[0009] The invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to the drawing, which shows an embodiment of a hoisting grip according to the invention.

[0010] 

Fig. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the hoisting grip according to the invention in the disengaged position resting against a barrel.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the hoisting grip according to fig. 1 in the locked gripping position.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the hoisting grip according to figs. 1 and 2.

[0011] The drawing shows an embodiment of a hoisting grip according to the invention, with which an upwardly projecting end edge 1 of an upright barrel 2 may be tightly gripped, whereupon the barrel 2 thus gripped may be hoisted with the aid of the hoisting grip.

[0012] The hoisting grip comprises two L-shaped gripping elements 3 and 4, each consisting of a long arm 5, 6 respectively and of a short arm 7, 8 respectively enclosing an angle therewith.

[0013] The gripping element 3 is made from one plate member, whilst the gripping element 4 is composed of two plate members, which define an intermediate hollow space and which are connected to each other at their free end (fig. 3).

[0014] The two gripping elements 3, 4 are hinged together near the junction of their long arm 5, 6 respectively to their short arm 7, 8 respectively by means of a bolt 9, which extends in the transverse direction and upon which a nut 10 is fitted.

[0015] A gripping jaw 11, 12 is arranged near the free end of each short arm 7, 8. The gripping jaw 11 is bar-shaped, while the gripping jaw 12 is U-shaped and interconnects the two plate members of the gripping element 4 at the end of the short arm 8.

[0016] A supporting plate 13 is hinged to the free end of the long arm 5 of the gripping element 3 and rests during operation against the wall of a barrel 2.

[0017] The long arm 6 of the gripping element 4 may be coupled to a hoisting means, for which purpose this arm is provided with a hoisting eye 14. Of course it is also possible to apply more than one hoisting eye 14.

[0018] A locking member 15 is displaceably connected to the gripping element 4. For this purpose the locking member 15 is provided with a slotted hole 16, through which a bolt 18 extends which cooperates with a nut 17.

[0019] The locking member 15 comprises a locking pin 19 and a handle 20.

[0020] In the disengaged position of the hoisting grip (fig. 1) the locking pin 19 is accommodated at least in part in a recess 21 in the end face of the short arm 7 of the gripping element 3. In this position of the locking member 15 a large portion of the handle 20 of the locking member 15 is received within the hollow space of the gripping element 4 and loads the locking member 15 in the direction of the locking position.

[0021] For the locking operation the handle 20 of the locking member 15 is swivelled slightly upwardly which can be done very lightly with one hand, whereupon the gripping elements 3, 4 can move from the disengaged position of the hoisting grip shown in fig. 1 towards the gripping position shown in fig. 2.

[0022] In this gripping position the downwardly directed long arm 5 rests against the barrel 2 by means of the supporting plate 13, while the short arm 7 of this gripping element 3 is located above the end edge I of the barrel 2 and presses with the gripping jaw 11 connected thereto against the inner side of the end edge 1. The long arm 6 of the gripping element 4 is located above the end edge 1 of the barrel 2, while its short arm 8 extends downwardly beside the wall of the barrel 2 and presses with its gripping jaw 12 against the outer side of the end edge 1. Further the locking member 15 is displaced towards the locking position (fig. 2) exclusively under the influence of its own weight.

[0023] In this locking position the locking pin 19 locks the gripping elements 3 and 4 in such a way that upon lowering the hoisting means the enclosed angle between the long arms 5 and 6 of the gripping elements 3 and 4 cannot become smaller, so that the gripping jaws 11 and 12 are forced to retain their gripping position.

[0024] The satisfactory operation of this locking member 15 is independent of the thickness of the end edge 1 of the barrel 2.

[0025] By again manually operating the handle 20 the locking member 15 may be withdrawn from the locking position, whereupon the hoisting grip may return to the disengaged position.

[0026] The bolt 18 is wholly unloaded in the gripping position and thus only serves for retaining the locking member 15.

[0027] The invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown in the drawing by way of example, which may be varied within several ways within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Hoisting grip for tightly gripping an upwardly projecting end edge of an upright barrel and for hoisting the gripped barrel, which hoisting grip is provided with two L-shaped gripping elements, which each consist of a long arm and a short arm enclosing an angle with each other, and which near the junction of their long arm to their short arm are hinged together about a hinge pin, which extends in the transverse direction, a gripping jaw being connected near the free end of each short arm, in such a way that in the gripping position the downwardly directed long arm of one of the gripping elements rests near its lower end against the wall of the barrel, while the short arm of this gripping element is located above the end edge of the barrel and presses with the gripping jaw connected thereto against the inner side of the end edge, whilst the long arm of the other gripping element is situated above the end edge and may be coupled with a hoisting means, while the associated short arm is directed downwardly beside the wall of the barrel and presses with its gripping jaw against the outer side of the end edge, a locking member being movably connected to the hoisting grip and being displaceable between a position of rest and a locking position and in this locking position locking the gripping elements in the gripping position against a displacement with respect to each other towards the disengaged position, characterized in that upon displacement of the hoisting grip towards the gripping position the locking member is displaceable from its position of rest to the locking position under the influence of its own weight.

2. Hoisting grip according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking member has a slotted hole, through which a transverse shaft of the hoisting grip extends.

3. Hoisting grip according to claim 2, characterized in that the transverse shaft is substantially unloaded in the gripping position.

4. Hoisting grip according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking member comprises a handle, a large portion of which lies in a hollow space in one of the gripping elements in the position of rest, which handle loads the locking member in the direction of the locking position.

Drawing