Abstract:
A hoist ring assembly includes an annular body, a first axial bore generally concentric with a longitudinal axis and including diametrically opposed first and second sockets. A mounting assembly is provided for facilitating the mounting of the annular body onto an object. A U-shaped hoist ring member is provided and has remote ends formed into integral stub shaft members, the stub shaft members extending generally coaxially with and spaced from one another to define a co-axis therebetween. The stub shaft members are relatively rotatably received in the sockets. The peripheral surface of the stub shaft members each has an annular groove therein located within the socket. A radially inwardly extending member in each socket is received in each of the grooves to prevent the legs of the hoist ring member from spreading apart as well as removal of the stub shaft members from the sockets while maintaining the ability of the hoist ring to pivot about the aforesaid co-axis.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a hoist ring assembly and, more particularly, to a hoist ring assembly which is composed of easily manufactured components which are subject to easy assembly. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Hoist rings are widely known in industry to facilitate the placement of attachment locations on heavy objects so that cranes and the like may be connected to the attachment locations to lift and move the objects from one location to a second location. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,352,056 and 5,405,210 are representative examples of known hoist ring assemblies. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A preferred embodiment of the hoist ring assembly according to the present invention includes an annular body having first and second ends and diametrically opposed first and second coaxial sockets, each of the sockets having a radially inwardly projecting segment. A U-shaped hoist ring member is provided having remote ends formed into integral stub shaft members, the stub shaft members extending generally coaxially and are spaced from one another to define a co-axis therebetween. The stub shaft members are relatively rotatably received in a respective one of the first and second sockets in the annular body. Each of the stub shaft members has an annular groove therein oriented in a theoretical plane extending perpendicular to the annular grooves each received therein a respective radially inwardly projecting member. A securement mechanism is provided for securing the annular body to an object. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring particularly to the drawings for purposes of illustration and not limitation: 
       FIG. 1  is a partially sectioned side elevational view of a first embodiment of a hoist ring assembly embodying the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along the line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a partially sectioned side elevational view of a second embodiment of a hoist ring assembly embodying the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a view of an axially facing end of one piece of a two piece annular body construction; and 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  both illustrate a first embodiment of a hoist ring assembly  10  embodying the invention. The hoist ring assembly  10  includes a unitary annular body  11  having a centrally disposed axial bore  12  extending therethrough. Diametrically opposed sockets  13  and  14  are provided in the outer peripheral surface of the annular body  11 . In this particular embodiment, the socket  13  is defined by a hole  16  which is circular in cross section and extends between and opens outwardly at an outer surface of the annular body  11  and inwardly into the axial bore  12 . An axis of the hole  16  is contained in a theoretical first plane P 1  that is oriented perpendicular to an axis of the axial bore  12 . 
   The socket  14  is defined by a second hole  17  having a first part  18  that is semicircular in cross section and a second part that includes opposed parallel walls  19  and  21  that are each contained in a theoretical plane P 2  that is oriented perpendicular to the plane P 1 . The axis  22  of the first part  18  of the hole  17  is oriented in the plane P 1  and is coaxial with the axis of the circular hole  16 . The planes P 2  are furthermore parallel to the axes  20  and  22  of the holes  16  and  17 , respectively. The hole  17  extends between and opens outwardly at the outer surface of the annular body  11  and inwardly into the axial bore  12 . 
   Pilot holes  26  and  27  are provided in the annular body  11  and intersect with the respective sockets  13  and  14 , respectively, and extend along respective parallel axes that are oriented in a common plane P 3  extending perpendicular to the axis of the axial bore  12 . The plane P 3  is oriented a finite distance X from one end surface  28  of the annular body  11 . The axis of the pilot hole  26  intersects on a chord of a wall surface of the circular socket  13  and the axis of the pilot hole  27  intersects the opposing parallel walls  19  and  21  of the socket  14 . 
   A U-shaped hoist ring member  46  is provided and has remote ends  47  and  48  formed into integral stub shaft members  49  and  50 , respectively. The stub shaft members  49  and  50  extend generally coaxially with and are spaced from one another so as to define a co-axis coaxial with the axes  20 ,  22 . The stub shaft members  49  and  50  are relatively rotatably received in a respective one of the sockets  13  and  14 . Each stub shaft member  49  and  50  includes an annular groove  51  and  52 , respectively, therein oriented in planes P 4  containing the axis of a respective pilot hole  26  and  27 . 
   To assemble the hoist ring member  46  to the annular body  11 , the hoist ring member  46  is rotated 180° from the position illustrated in  FIG. 1  so that a reduced thickness region  56  on one of the legs of the U (both legs have the aforesaid region of reduced thickness whose thickness is slightly less than the spacing between the walls  19  and  21 ) becomes aligned with the socket  14  and between the walls  19  and  21  to enable the ring to be shifted first rightwardly to enable the axis of the stub shaft member  49  to be aligned with the axis of the socket  13  and then subsequently shifted leftwardly to enable the stub shaft member  49  to enter the socket  13  and enable the hoist ring member  46  to be returned to the position illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Thereafter, a pin  53  can be inserted into the pilot hole  26  and a pin  54  inserted into the pilot hole  37 . The pins will enter a fragment of each of the grooves  51  and  52  to prevent disassembly or pulling out of the stub shafts from the interior of the annular body  11 . 
   The annular body  11  is secured to a surface  31  of an object  32  by a fastener assembly  33 . More specifically, the fastener assembly  33  includes an annular bushing body  34  having a radially outwardly extending flange  36  at the upper end thereof. The bushing body  34  is sized to be snugly slidably received into the axial bore  12  and to support the annular body  11  for rotation about the axis of the axial bore  12 . The shank  37  of the bushing body  34  extends a length longer than is the axial thickness of the annular body  11  so that, when assembled, the underside of the flange  36  will be oriented immediately adjacent the top end surface  29  of the annular body  11 . The diameter of the flange  36  is greater than the diameter of the axial bore  12 . A screw (or bolt)  38  is received in the centrally disposed axial bore  39  in the bushing body  34  with the threaded part of the screw  38  being received into the material of the object  32 . Since the length of the shank  37  of the bushing body  34  is greater than the thickness of the annular body  11 , and since the lower end surface  41  of the bushing body  34  rests on the surface  31  of the object  32 , sufficient clearance will be provided between the undersurface of the flange  36  and the surface  31  of the object  32  to facilitate a relative rotative movement of the annular body about the axis of the axial bore  12 . 
     FIGS. 4–7  illustrate a second embodiment of a hoist ring assembly  10 A embodying the invention. The hoist ring assembly  10 A includes an annular body  11 A composed of two pieces  11 B and  1 C. It will be assumed for purposes of this disclosure that the two pieces  11 B and  11 C are identical to each other even though  FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the pieces to have differing thicknesses. The annular body piece  11 B has a centrally disposed axial bore  12 A extending therethrough. Diametrically opposed semicircular-shaped sockets  13 A and  14 A are provided in the outer peripheral surface of the body piece  11 B. In this particular embodiment, the sockets  13  and  14  are both defined by a semicircular cut that extends between and opens outwardly at an outer surface of the annular body piece  11 B and inwardly into the axial bore  12 A. The axes of the semicircular-shaped sockets  13 A and  14 A are coaxial. Each piece of the annular body  11  includes a flat surface  11 D so that when the surface  11 D on each piece is oriented to oppose each other and brought into engagement with each other, the semicircular-shaped sockets  13 A and  14 A will form a circular-shaped hole. Each socket has a radially inwardly projecting bead  11 E. 
   A U-shaped hoist ring member  46 A is provided and has remote ends  47 A and  48 A formed into integral stub shaft members  49 A and  50 A, respectively. The stub shaft members  49 A and  50 A extend generally coaxially with and are spaced from one another so as to define a co-axis coaxial with the axes of the sockets  13 A and  14 A. The stub shaft members  48 A and  50 A are relatively rotatably received in a respective one of the two sockets  13 A and  14 A formed by the joined together two pieces  11 B and  11 C of the annular body  11 A. Each stub shaft member  49 A and  50 A includes an annular groove  51 A and  52 A, respectively, therein and are configured to receive the radially inwardly projecting bead  11 E in each of the two sockets  13 A and  14 A formed by the two pieces  11 B and  11 C of the annular body  11 A. 
   To assemble the hoist ring member  46 A illustrated in  FIG. 4  to the annular body  11 A, the hoist ring member  46 A is oriented relative to one of the pieces  11 B of the annular body  11 A so that a stub shaft member  49 A and  50 A are received into a respective half socket  13 A and  14 A. Thereafter, the second piece  11 C is oriented so that the face  11 D thereof mates with the face  11 D of the other piece  11 B and so that the sockets  13 A and  14 A receive the other half of the stub shaft members  49 A and  50 A. Thereafter, the annular body  11 A is secured to a surface  31 A of an object  32 A by a fastener assembly  33 A. The fastener assembly  33 A includes an annular bushing body  34 A having a radially outwardly extending flange  36 A at the upper end thereof. The bushing body  34 A is sized to be snugly slidably received into the axial bores  12 A in each piece  11 B and  11 C of the annular body  11 A and to support the annular body  11 A for rotation about the axis of the axial bores  12 A. The shank  37 A of the bushing body  34 A extends a length longer than is the axial thickness of the two pieces of the annular body  11 A so that, when assembled, the underside of the flange  36 A will be oriented immediately adjacent the top end surface  29 A of the upper piece  11 B of the annular body  11 A. The diameter of the flange  36 A is greater than the diameter of the axial bores  12 A. A screw (or bolt)  38 A is received in the centrally disposed axial bore  39 A in the bushing body  34 A with the threaded part of the screw  38 A being received into the material of the object  32 A. The radially inwardly projecting beads  11 E on each annular body piece  11 B and  11 C received in the respective annular grooves  52 A will prevent the legs of the hoist ring member  46 A from spreading apart. 
   It is to be considered within the scope of this invention that the bushings  34  and  34 A can be assembled upside down to that illustrated in the drawings so that the flanges  36  and  36 A rest on the surface of the objects  32  and  32 A. In this instance, a not illustrated washer would be provided between the head of the screws  38  and  38 A and the material of the bushings  34  and  34 A. 
   Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.