Lifting and lowering devices

Abstract

 A device for lifting and lowering beer kegs and other articles from and into a cellar comprises a vertically extensive tube (4;52) and a carriage (8;55) which can be moved along the tube between upper and lower positions by means of an hydraulic ram (20) housed inside the tube. Cables (18;59) attached at one end of the carriage and at the other to a fixed anchorage extend around pulleys (19,29,30,32,33) which constitute velocity multiplying means so that any movement of the ram causes greater movement of the carriage. A damper (40,41) operates as the carriage approaches and leaves its lower position. Load-carrying means (16;57) is provided on the carriage. The load-carrying means (16) may be immovable relative to the carriage or the load-carrying means (57) is movable relative to the carriage (55) between upper and lower states so that it can be disposed close to the floor (47), in its lower state, when the carriage is in its lower position, or can be disposed as high as possible, in its upper state, when the carriage is in its upper position.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to lifting and lowering devices. It has been developed with the aim of providing a device which can be installed in a cellar and can be used to lift empty beer kegs and the like from a cellar up to street level and to lower full beer kegs and the like from street level into the cellar. Nevertheless, devices in accordance with the invention can be used for a wide variety of other purposes.

[0002] The present invention consists in a lifting and lowering device comprising vertically extensive guide means of tubular form, a carriage which can be moved to and fro along the guide means between an upper position and a lower position, the carriage being provided with load-carrying means, and power-driven lifting means operative to move the carriage from its lower position to its upper position, the lifting means being at least principally disposed inside the tubular guide means.

[0003] A device in accordance with the present invention has the advantage that the lifting means is at least largely protected by the guide means.

[0004] The guide means may be formed or provided with a longitudinal slit through which extends connecting means serving to connect the carriage to a part of the lifting means which moves in unison with the carriage and is disposed inside the guide means. In a preferred arrangement, however, there is flexible and inextensible traction means which is connected to the carriage, extends to a location at or near the top of the guide means and at that location extends into the interior of the guide means where it is connected to the lifting means. The traction means may comprise one or more cables, chains or the like. With this preferred arrangement there is no need for any longitudinal slit to be formed or provided in the guide means.

[0005] The power-driven lifting means preferably comprises an extensible ram which is connected to said traction means. There is preferably velocity multiplying means within the guide means, the arrangement being such that on movement of the ram through any given distance the carriage moves through a greater distance. This makes it readily possible to enable the distance travelled by the carriage in moving from its lower position to its upper position to be equal or substantially equal to the length of the guide means even though the ram remains wholly within the guide means when it is extended. The velocity multiplying means preferably comprises at least one pulley wheel connected to the ram and around which the traction means extends.

[0006] The carriage preferably embraces the tubular guide means so that it is located against movement relative to the guide means in any horizontal direction.

[0007] The device preferably includes transfer means adjacent to an intermediate part of the path of the load-carrying means, the arrangement being such that in use when the carriage is lowered to its lower position a suitably shaped load can be automatically transferred from the load-carrying means to the transfer means, and when the carriage is raised from its lower position a suitably shaped load can be automatically transferred from the transfer means to the load-carrying means. The transfer means may be fixed in position and may be inclined so that a load of circular cross-section resting on it may roll gravitationally from the transfer means. Alternatively the transfer means may be movable from the lifting and lowering device; it may, for example, comprise a trolley.

[0008] The load-carrying means may be movable relative to the carriage between an upper state and a lower state. An advantage of that arrangement can well be understood by considering the use of a lifting and lowering device in a cellar of the kind having an access opening at street level. The guide means can be permanently mounted in the cellar so as to extend upwards from the floor of the cellar substantially to street level. The carriage mounted on the guide means can be moved between a lower position in which its lower end is substantially level with the cellar floor and an upper position in which its upper end is substantially at street level. The carriage, however, necessarily has some vertical height or thickness, so that its lower end is spaced significantly below its upper end. If load-carrying means were mounted in fixed relationship to the carriage, a difficulty might sometimes be experienced, particularly in the absence of transfer means of the kind described above. If, for example, the load-carrying means were fixed adjacent to the lower end of the carriage, so as to enable a load such as a keg to be rolled from the cellar floor onto the load-carrying means without the need to raise it more than a minimal height, then when the carriage was raised to its upper position the load-carrying means would be disposed at a level substantially below street level so that it is possible that difficulty would be encountered in raising the load from the load-carrying means up to street level. The provision of load-carrying means that is movable relatively to the carriage enables that problem to be overcome or at least reduced. When the carriage is in its lower position and the load-carrying means is in its lower state, a load can be moved from the cellar floor onto the load-carrying means with only a minimal rise in height; likewise, when the carriage is in its upper position and the load-carrying means is in its upper state, a load can be moved from the load-carrying means onto a surface level with the street without any need to raise it at all or without the need to raise it more than a minimal distance.

[0009] The power-driven lifting means may be operative both to move the load-carrying means from its lower state to its upper state and to raise the carriage from its lower position to its upper position.

[0010] Latch means is preferably provided, the latch means being operative to retain the carriage in its lower position while the lifting means moves the load-carrying means from its lower state to its upper state. The latch means is preferably released in response to the operation of retaining means which serves to retain the load-carrying means in its upper state. The retaining means is preferably such that it operates automatically when the load-carrying means is moved into its upper state. Release means is also preferably provided, the release means being operative automatically to release the retaining means during the final stages of downward movement of the carriage to its lower position.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a front view of one form of lifting and lowering device embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a rear view, to a larger scale, of power-driven lifting means forming part of the device shown in Figures 1 to 3,

Figure 5 is a portion of Figure 2 shown to a larger scale,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a ramp which can optionally be used in conjunction with the device shown in Figures 1 to 5,

Figure 7 is a simplified side view of a second form of lifting and lowering device embodying the present invention,

Figure 8 is a side view of a carriage constituting part of the device shown in Figure 1 and of associated parts of the device, the carriage being shown in an intermediate position between upper and lower positions,

Figure 9 is a side view similar to Figure 3 but showing the carriage in its lower position; and

Figure 10 is a rear view of latch means shown in side view in Figure 9.

[0012] The first form of device, illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is intended for installation in a cellar of a public house and for lifting and lowering kegs of beer and other loads. The cellar is shown as having a floor 1 and a wall 2 which extends from the floor to the roof of the cellar (not shown). In the roof there is an opening which extends to one side of the wall 2 and can be closed in the usual way be hinged doors (not shown). The top of the wall is at street level, which is indicated at 3.

[0013] The device comprises guide means which is in the form of a square-section steel tube 4 with its upper end secured to a horizontal plate 5 which constitutes one limb of a bracket of which the other limb 6 is secured to an upper part of the wall 2. The upper surface of the plate 5 is at street level. The lower end of the tube 4 is welded to a plate 7 secured to the floor 1. The axis of the tube 4 is vertical.

[0014] A carriage 8 embraces the tube 4 and incorporates rollers (described in more detail below) which locate it against movement relative to the tube in any horizontal direction while enabling it to be moved to and fro between a lower position shown in full lines and an upper position (not shown) in which it is closely adjacent to the underside of the plate 5.

[0015] The carriage 8 comprises a front plate 9 and side plates 10 extending rearwards from it. Inwardly projecting brackets on those plates support horizontal spindles 11 carrying freely rotatable rollers 12 which engage the front and side walls of the tube 4. Both at the front and at each side there are two vertically spaced spindles 11 each carrying rollers 12. To the rear of the tube there is a single horizontal spindle 13 which extends between the side plates 10 and carries freely rotatable rollers 14 which engage the rear wall of the tube 4. The upper spindle of the pair of spindles 11 in front of the tube 4 also carries two freely rotatable grooved pulleys 15.

[0016] The carriage is provided with load-carrying means comprising a pair of rigid arms 16 which project forwards from the front plate 9 of the carriage. Each arm presents a relatively narrow upper edge face for carrying a load. In side view, as clearly shown in Figure 2, each of those upper edge faces is in the shape of a very shallow letter V. A wear strip 17, which may be made of a tough plastics material, is secured to the top of each of the upper edge faces of the arms and can be replaced when it becomes worn.

[0017] In use the carriage 8 is raised and lowered by means of a pair of steel cables 18 which constitute flexible and inextensible traction means of the kind referred to above and which overlie the front face of the tube 4. The cables pass round pulleys 19 mounted close to the upper end of the tube and are connected to lifting means housed inside the tube. The lifting means is shown in Figures 2 and 4, the tube 4 being omitted from Figure 4 for clarity of illustration. The lifting means comprises a ram in the form of an hydraulic piston-and-cylinder unit 20 with a cylinder 21 and a piston rod 22 projecting from the lower end of the cylinder. A square plate 23 is secured to the upper end of the cylinder 21 and a similar plate 24 (not shown in Figure 2) is secured to the lower end thereof. A structure connected to the upper plate 23 and projecting upwards from it comprises a pair of parallel outer plates 25 and a pair of inner plates 26 topped by a transverse plate 27. A pair of spaced parallel plates 28 extends vertically above the transverse plate 27.

[0018] The pulleys 19 are rotatably mounted on a spindle extending between the plates 28. To the rear of the pulleys 19 is a second pair of pulleys 29 mounted on a spindle which also extends between the plates 28. The cables 18 pass rearwards over the pulleys 19 and 29 and then extend downwards. Thence they extend beneath pulleys 30 mounted on a spindle attached to a block 31 fixed to the downwardly projecting end part of the piston rod 22. The cables then extend upwards and over pulleys 32 mounted on spindles between the inner and outer plates 26 and 25. The cables extend downwards again and pass beneath pulleys 33 mounted on the same spindle as are the pulleys 30. Finally the cables extend upwards again and their ends are anchored to brackets welded in place just below the plate 23. At each place where a cable passes one of the horizontal plates 23, 24 and 27 it extends through a locating hole or locating groove in the plate, those holes and grooves not being illustrated. Moreover, at each place where a cable passes round a pulley it may also extend through a fixed arcuate guide of channel-shaped cross section (not shown), the presence of the guide preventing the cable accidentally leaving the groove in the pulley.

[0019] During assembly of the device the lifting means is slid into the tube 4 from the upper end thereof, the plates 23, 24 and 27 being sliding fits in the tube. The lifting means is secured in position by a rod 34 which extend horizontally through holes in the side walls of the tube 4 and through the plates 28. This enables the lifting means to be readily removed for inspection and if necessary for repair.

[0020] End parts of the cables 18 extend from the lifting means to the carriage and are secured to eye bolts 36 which are attached to a horizontal cross-beam 37 which is secured between the arms 16.

[0021] Pipework 35 for conveying hydraulic fluid to and from the cylinder 21 extends upwards from the upper and lower ends of the cylinder, to a level just below the top of the tube 4 and thence through openings in the rear face of the tube, between the plate 5 and the uppermost position reached by the rear part of the carriage 8. Rapid-release connections (not shown) that incorporate self-closing valves are provided in the pipework, at the upper end of the lifting means, to enable the pipework to be readily disconnected when the lifting means is to be removed for inspection etc. and to enable the pipework to be readily reconnected when the lifting means is replaced. A conventional control unit (not shown) is provided to enable hydraulic fluid to be supplied under pressure to either end of the cylinder at will. The control unit is preferably mounted on a wall in the cellar at a location within sight of the lifting and lowering device but sufficiently far from it to avoid any danger of injury to an operator that might result from a keg rolling from the device when the operator operates the control device so as to cause a keg to be lowered into the cellar.

[0022] The arrangement of pulleys described constitutes velocity multiplying means of the kind referred to above and has the effect of reducing the velocity ratio to one quarter, so that for any given extension of the ram 20 the carriage 8 moves through a distance four times as great.

[0023] In order to prevent the carriage accelerating too rapidly as it approaches its lower position or decelerating too rapidly as it leaves its lower position, the lifting means may include a damper which comes into operation as the ram unit 20 approaches and leaves its fully retracted state. Details of the damper are shown in Figure 5. The piston rod 22 is provided with a piston 38, having piston rings 39, and with an upward extension 40. An upper end portion 41 of the cylinder 21 is of a reduced internal diameter which is only slightly greater than the external diameter of the extension. Hydraulic fluid is introduced into the cylinder and leaves the cylinder through a port 42 at the top of the cylinder. In use, when the ram is fully retracted and fluid is then introduced into the cylinder through the port 42, the rate of flow of the fluid is relatively slow as the fluid has to pass through the narrow annular gap around the extension 40 in order to reach the piston 38. As the ram extends, the axial length of the gap is progressively reduced, with a consequent increase in flow rate, until the extension 40 is clear of the end portion 41 of the cylinder. As the ram retracts, the flow rate is progressively reduced.

[0024] The device is also provided with transfer means; this comprises a pair of supporting arms 43 which project forwards on either side of the lower end part of the tube 4. The rear end of each arm 43 is pivotally secured between lugs 44 upstanding from the plate 7, while the forward end thereof is supported by a leg 45. An upper part of each leg is threaded and engages a nut 46 secured within the associated arm so that the length of the leg can be adjusted. The upper surface of each arm is provided with replaceable wear strips 87 which may be similar to the wear strips 17. In normal use the arms 43 are slightly tilted forwards and downwards. When the carriage is in its lower position the arms 16 are just below the supporting arms 43.

[0025] In use, when it is required to raise a keg from the cellar, the keg is manoeuvred onto the supporting arms and the lifting device is operated to raise the carriage from its lower to its upper position. The arms 16 lift the keg from the arms 43 and the keg rests securely on them owing to their V-like shape. When the carriage is in its upper position the keg can be rolled from the carriage over the plate 5 onto the adjacent street surface 3. The reverse procedure is used to lower a keg into the cellar. As the carriage approaches its lower position the projecting ends of the keg engage the arms 43 and are automatically transferred to them from the carriage. As the arms are slightly inclined, the keg can roll from the arms onto the floor. In order to assist the user in manoeuvring kegs onto and from the arms 43, use may be made of a ramp 85 of the kind shown in Figure 6. The ramp has two inclined rails 86 which extend from the arms 43 to the floor. The ramp is not secured in place but can be moved to and from its position of use as required.

[0026] The arms 43 can be pivoted to a retracted position in which they lean back against the wall 2, alongside the tube 4. Loads to be raised and lowered can then be placed on or removed from the arms 16 without being obstructed by the arms 43.

[0027] Referring now to the form of device shown in Figures 7 to 10, the device is shown mounted in a cellar having a floor 47, and end wall 48 and a roof 49 in which there is an opening 50 which can be closed by hinged doors (not shown). The top surface 51 of the roof is at street level.

[0028] The device comprises a square-section steel tube similar to the tube 4; the tube 52 is inclined to the vertical but is vertically extensive. Its upper end is secured to a plate 53 projecting from the end wall 48 and its lower end is welded to a plate 54 secured to the floor 47.

[0029] A carriage 55 largely similar to the carriage 8 embraces the tube 52 and incorporates rollers similar to the rollers 12 and 14. Brackets 56 project from the front of the carriage. A load-carrier 57 is pivoted to the brackets and is movable between a lower state shown in full lines and an upper state shown in chain-dotted lines. When, as shown in full lines, the carriage is in its lower position and the load-carrier is in its lower state, a keg can readily be rolled from the floor 47 onto the load-carrier, the keg rising only a minimal height when passing onto the load carrier. When the load-carrier is raised to its upper state and the carriage is then raised to its upper position, the keg 58 (shown in chain-dotted lines) is substantially at street level and can be rolled off the load-carrier without difficulty.

[0030] The tube 52 contains lifting means, similar to that illustrated in Figure 4, with cables 59 similar to cables 18. End portions of the cables extend beneath pulleys resembling the pulleys 15, extend forwards through holes in a front plate of the carriage and are anchored to a horizontal cross-beam similar to the cross-beam 37. The cross-beam constitutes part of the load-carrier 57, its ends being welded to a pair of spaced, parallel arms 60 which also constitute part of the load-carrier. As shown in Figure 7, each of the arms 60 has an upright rear portion 61 which is pivotally mounted at its lower end between an associated pair of the brackets 56 so that the load-carrier can pivot about an axis 62. Each of the arms also has an intermediate portion 63 and a front portion 64 which portions are at an obtuse angle to each other, as illustrated. The load-carrier 57 can be pivoted between a lower state, shown in full lines near the bottom of Figure 7, and an upper state, shown in chain-dotted lines near the top of Figure 7. When the load-carrier is in its lower state, the front portion 64 thereof is substantially horizontal and can rest on the floor 47 of the cellar when the carriage 55 is in its lower position. When the load-carrier is in its upper state, the intermediate portion 63 thereof is substantially horizontal and its upper edge is substantially on the same level as the surface 51 when the carriage 55 is in its upper position. The front portion 64 then projects forwards and upwards and assists in retaining a load such as a keg on the load-carrier.

[0031] Retaining means is provided on each of the arms 60 to retain the load-carrier 57 in its upper state. The retaining means of one arm is shown in Figures 8 and 9, the retaining means for the other arm being similar. For clarity of illustration the retaining means is not shown in Figure 7. The retaining means comprises a hook 65 pivoted at 66 to an adjacent one of the arms 60. The hook co-operates with a complementary formation 67 formed at the upper edge of a lateral extension of the front plate 68 of the carriage. An operating arm 69 is secured to the hook 65. A tension spring 70 operates between the arm 60 and the operating arm 69 to urge the hook into a position in which it can co-operate with the formation 67. A stop 71 on the arm 60 prevents the spring moving the hook beyond that position. A rearward extension of the operating arm 69 carries an adjustable abutment 72.

[0032] Latch means and release means are mounted on the floor-plate 54, on either side of the tube 52. The latch means and release means on one side are similar to those on the other side. Those on only one side are shown in the accompanying drawings, and for clarity of illustration they are shown only in Figures 9 and 10. A bracket 73 of L-shaped configuration in plan is welded to the plate 54. The latch means comprises a latch 74 pivoted to the rear of the bracket 73 by a horizontal pivot pin 75. A head 76 of the latch is directed towards the tube 52. The latch is urged to an engaged position by a spring 77; a lower end portion of the latch engages an adjustable stop 78 when the latch is in its engaged position (as illustrated in Figure 10). The stop is mounted on an arm 79 welded to the bracket 73. A guide 80, of L-shape in plan, is also welded to the bracket 73 and serves to guide the latch 74 between a retaining position (illustrated) and a release position. An operating arm 81 projects horizontally from the latch 74 and is aligned with the pivot pin 75.

[0033] As shown in Figure 9, release means is also mounted on the bracket 73, the release means comprising a pawl 82 pivoted at 83 to the bracket and resting on a stop 84 projecting from the bracket.

[0034] The operation of the lifting and lowering device will now be described. When the device is as shown in Figure 9, the carriage 55 is in its lower position and load-carrier 57 is in its lower state. The latches 74 are in their retaining positions with their heads 76 engaging upper edges of side plates of the carriage. The front portions 64 of the arms 60 rest on the cellar floor and a keg can readily be rolled onto them. When the keg is on the load-carrier, the lifting means is operated and causes those parts of the cables 59 outside the tube 52 to be pulled upwards.

[0035] During the initial stages, the cables apply tension to the cross-beam and cause the arms 60 to pivot about the pivot axis 62. As the load-carrier is thus moved towards its upper state, the hooks 65 abut the formations 67 and ride over them, thus causing the operating arms to move away from their stops 71 and the springs 70 to be extended. As the load-carrier reaches its upper state the hooks 65 engage the formations 67 and retain the load-carrier in its upper state. As the hooks 65 engage the formations 67, the springs 70 cause return movement of the arms 69 to their stops 71. This movement causes the abutments 72 to engage the operating arms 81 of the latches 74 and to move the latches to release positions in which they move free of the carriage and permit the carriage to rise. The forces exerted by the springs 70 are considerably greater than those exerted by the springs 77 so the latter so not prevent release of the latches. As the carriage rises, pulled upwards by the cables 59, the hooks 65 lift the pawls 82 temporarily from their stops 84 as they pass.

[0036] When the carriage 55 reaches its upper position, as shown in chain-dotted lines in Figure 7, the keg can readily be rolled from the load-carrier. Normally the keg would be empty or only partially full. It can then be replaced by a full keg which can be lowered by appropriate operation of the control unit.

[0037] During the end part of the downward movement of the carriage 55, lower edges of the side plates of the carriage engage chamfered upper edges of the latch heads 76 and urge the heads outwards to enable the carriage to continue its downward movement. During the final stages of that downward movement of the carriage the hooks 65 engage the pawls 82. This causes the hooks to be released and prevents the abutments 72 being lowered onto the operating arms 81 of the latches. When the carriage reaches its lower position the latches operate to retain it in that position while further movement of the cables 59, which continue to be fed out of the tube 52, enables the load-carrier to be lowered to its lower state. That pivotal movement of the load-carrier moves the keg further away from the carriage and thus gently propels it from the load-carrier.

[0038] In a modified construction (not illustrated), latch means, retaining means and release means are provided on only side of the carriage. On the other side of the carriage there may be provided a damper, such as a damper of the hydraulic piston-and-cylinder kind, that is operative between the load-carrier 57 and the carriage 55 so as to regulate the rate at which the load-carrier is moved from its lower state to its upper state so that that movement is relatively smooth. Such a damper would normally be provided only if the damper; illustrated in Figure 5, were omitted.

[0039] Either of the devices illustrated can, of course, be used to lift and lower articles other than kegs from and into the cellar. For example, cases for containing cans or bottles can be handled with the aid of a fitment temporarily attached to the load-carrier. The fitment may comprise a rectangular tray. In a device of the kind illustrated in Figures 7 to 10 the fitment may be provided with means for preventing the load-carrier moving to its lower state when the carriage reaches its lower position. That means may be operative to lift the pawls 82 to positions such that are not engaged by the hooks 65, or it may be operative to hold the cross-beam in fixed relationship to the front plate 68 of the carriage. Alternatively it may merely comprise a downward extension which engages the floor 47 as soon as the carriage reaches its lower position.

[0040] It will also be appreciated that numerous other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lifting and lowering device characterised in that it comprises vertically extensive guide means (4; 52) of tubular form, a carriage (8; 55) which can be moved to and fro along the guide means between an upper position and a lower position, the carriage being provided with load-carrying means (16; 57), and power-driven lifting means (20) operative to move the carriage from its lower position to its upper position, the lifting means being at least principally disposed inside the tubular guide means.

2. A lifting and lowering device according to claim 1 characterised in that there is flexible and inextensible traction means (18; 59) which is connected to the carriage, extends to a location at or near the top of the guide means and at that location extends into the interior of the guide means where it is connected to the lifting means.

3. A lifting and lowering device according to claim 2 characterised in that the power-driven lifting means comprises an extensible ram which is connected to said traction means.

4. A lifting and lowering device according to claim 3 characterised in that there is velocity multiplying means (30, 32, 33) within the guide means, the arrangement being such that on movement of the ram through any given distance the carriage moves through a greater distance.

5. A lifting and lowering device according to claim 4 characterised in that the velocity multiplying means comprises at least one pulley wheel (30, 33) connected to the ram and around which the traction means extends.

6. A lifting and lowering device according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the carriage embraces the tubular guide means so that it is located against movement relative to the guide means in any horizontal direction.

7. A lifting and lowering device according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that there is transfer means (43) adjacent to an intermediate part of the path of the load-carrying means, the arrangement being such that in use when the carriage is lowered to its lower position a suitably shaped load can be automatically transferred from the load-carrying means to the transfer means, and when the carriage is raised from its lower position a suitably shaped load can be automatically transferred from the transfer means to the load-carrying means.

8. A lifting and lowering device according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the load-carrying means (57) is movable relative to the carriage (55) between an upper state and a lower state.

9. A lifting and lowering device according to claim 8 characterised in that the power-driven lifting means is operative both to move the load-carrying means from its lower state to its upper state and to raise the carriage from its lower position to its upper position.

10. A lifting and lowering device according to claim 9 characterised in that there is latch means (74) operative to retain the carriage in its lower position while the lifting means moves the load-carrying means from its lower state to its upper state.

Drawing