Crane scale anti-torque and protection housing

A protective housing and scale structure for use with a crane boom is disclosed. The housing enclosure includes an upwardly extending crane link compartment that allows for the enclosure and the scale to be attached simultaneously and the enclosure also includes a pair of stabilizers and an aperture in its bottom portion. A load bearing member depends from the scale, extends through the aperture, and engages with the stabilizers to prevent torque and/or compression from affecting the scale. The enclosure also includes a locking means as an anti-vandalism or theft feature and the invention incorporates a wireless remote readout.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to scales and, more specifically, to a crane scale protective housing designed to prevent damage and minimize torsional forces that can affect the accuracy of the scale. The housing comprises an enclosure having a top and bottom wall and additionally includes front, back and side walls.

A crane boom link compartment extends from the top wall having a boom attachment bore passing through the compartment's front and rear wall with a compartment interior access aperture that serves as receptacle for a scale hanger.

Extending from the bottom of the protective housing is a pair of stabilizers positioned on each side of a large aperture in the bottom wall with each stabilizer having a recess located proximate its base.

Interiorly, the scale protective housing has a scale with a hanger that is positioned within the crane link compartment where the hanger is aligned with the compartment's throughbore so that a connection between the scale protective housing and a crane boom supports both the housing and the scale hanger. Projecting from the base of the scale is a load bearing eye bolt with the eye having the jaw portion of a jaw and eye swivel joint attached to it. The swivel joint extends through a large opening in the bottom of the protective housing and between the stabilizer's recesses where a long bolt passes through the swivel joint eye and projects to the left and right beyond the recesses at the stabilizers bases. The long bolt also passes through a pair of hydraulic rotator attachment plates having a pair of apertures for pinning the jaws of a hydraulic rotator that will support a load.

The scale's protective housing stabilizers and the large bolt serve a critical protective function for the scale by preventing damage that can happen when the scale's load bearing eye bolt is forced back into the scale, which is easily done when the scale is compressed between the crane boom and load.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There are other devices which provide for weight scale protection. While these devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they where designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

It is thus desirable to provide a crane scale protective housing that prevents compression of the scale components.

It is further desirable to provide a stop for a crane scale so that when a crane scale having a load hits the ground or other solid surface the force is not directed to the scale components.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing to prevent any possible rotation and compression to the scale assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing having a top and bottom wall with front, back and side walls.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing wherein said front wall is detachable, having a lock thereon to form an anti-vandalism cover.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing wherein said top wall has an exteriorly disposed crane link compartment with a boom attachment bore whereby said protective housing can be fixedly attached to a crane boom.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing wherein the crane link compartment has an interior access aperture that forms a receiving area whereby a scale hanger support can be positioned therein.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing wherein said bottom wall has a pair of exteriorly depending stabilizers positioned on opposing sides of a large aperture within the bottom wall.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing wherein each of the stabilizers has a recess positioned proximate the base.

A still yet further object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing having a scale with a support hanger located within the housing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing where the a scale hanger can be inserted into the crane link compartment receiving area so that the support hanger aperture coaligns with the top compartment crane boom attachment bore thereby when the unit is fixedly attached to a crane boom the scale protective housing and scale are independently supported by the crane boom fastener.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a scale protective housing having a scale with a load bearing eye bolt located on its base.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protective housing having a jaw and eye swivel fixedly attached to said scale load bearing eye bolt and extending through the bottom wall aperture of the housing.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a protective housing where the eye of the jaw and eye swivel is positioned between the scale housing stabilizers and is substantially aligned with the stabilizers recesses.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a protective housing having a long bolt positioned within the swivel joint eye that extends beyond the ends of the stabilizer recesses.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a protective housing having a pair of hydraulic rotator attachment plates that are also mounted on the long bolt.

A still yet further object of the present invention is to provide a protective housing wherein the hydraulic rotator attachment plates have a pair of apertures whereby the jaws of a hydraulic rotator can be pinned to the plates.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective housing that further provides a pair of washers and cotter pins mountable to the long bolt to fix it in place.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a crane scale having a protective housing wherein said scale has a remote handheld wireless receiver incorporating a control panel and display for remotely displaying the functions and results of a weighing task.

The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a crane scale having a protective housing comprising an enclosure having a top and bottom wall with front, back and side walls. Extending upwards from the top wall is a crane link compartment with an interior access aperture that serves as receiving area for a hanger supporting a scale. Extending from the bottom of the protective housing is a pair of stabilizers positioned on each side of a large aperture in the bottom wall with each stabilizer having a recess located at its base. The scale hanger is positioned within the top wall crane link compartment receptacle with the hanger coaligned with a compartment s crane boom attachment bore so that a fastener attaching the scale protective housing to a crane boom supports the housing and the scale hanger. Projecting from the base of the scale is a load bearing eye bolt with a jaw and eye swivel joint attached to it. The swivel joint extends through the large opening in the bottom of the protective housing and between the stabilizer's recesses where a long bolt is inserted through the swivel joint eye and projects beyond the ends of the stabilizer recesses. Also attached to the long bolt is a pair of hydraulic rotator attachment plates having a pair of apertures for fixedly attaching the jaws of a hydraulic rotator that is adapted to support a load.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the use of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.10Anti-torque protection enclosure12Stabilizers14Enclosure top wall16Enclosure bottom wall18Enclosure front wall20Enclosure side walls22Enclosure back wall24Crane link compartment26Crane boom attachment bore28Crane link compartment front wall30Crane link compartment rear wall32Crane link compartment interior access aperture34Enclosure bottom wall aperture36Stabilizer recess38Scale40Scale hanger42Load bearing eye bolt44Load bearing eye bolt eye46Jaw and eye swivel joint jaw portion48Jaw and eye swivel joint50Long bolt52Swivel joint eye54Hydraulic rotator jaws56Hydraulic rotator58Load bearing eye bolt fastener60Long bolt washers62Cotter pins64Lock66Front wall pins68Front wall receiving apertures70Scale top72Scale hanger aperture74Scale base76Hydraulic rotator attachment plates78Hydraulic rotator attachment plate apertures80Handheld wireless unit82Crane boom84Hook86Hook attachment88Hook attachment jaws90Hook attachment jaw eyes92Hook attachment boltL LoadC CraneH Protective housingS Operator stationO Outrigger

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIG. 1, shown is an illustrative view of the present invention. The present invention is an anti-torque protection box10for crane scales comprising a steel box encapsulating the crane scale having a lift ring (discussed further below) which stops any possible rotation and compression to the scale assembly. Stabilizers12at the bottom of the box prevent the pin from rotating and from being pushed back up into the scale. As can be seen in the Figure, the device can operate using a grapple/bin or a hook to attach loads L for weighing.

Referring toFIG. 2, shown is an illustrative view of the present invention in use. Shown is the crane scale protective housing of the present invention for crane scales mounted to a crane C comprising a steel box or enclosure10that encloses the crane scale38and that further has a crane boom attachment aperture (see below) which stops any possible rotation and compression to the scale assembly. Stabilizers12depending from the bottom of the box10prevent the long pin (discussed below) from rotating and from being pushed back up into the scale. The device is shown operating a grapple/bin.

Referring now toFIG. 3, shown is a perspective view of the crane scale protective housing indicated generally at H. The housing comprises an enclosure10having a top wall14, a bottom wall16, front wall18, side walls20, and a back wall22(seen inFIG. 6). The enclosure10also includes a crane link compartment24extending outwardly from the top wall14, the crane link compartment24having a crane boom attachment bore26passing through its front and rear wall28,30.crane link compartment24also includes an interior access aperture32that serves as receptacle or receiver for a scale support hanger (discussed in more detail below). Extending from the bottom of the protective housing is a pair of stabilizers12positioned on each side of a large aperture34in the bottom wall16with each stabilizer12having a recess36located proximate its base. Another feature of the present invention is the anti-vandalism or theft feature seen in this Figure. The front wall18is detachable from the enclosure10and is provided with front wall pins66and cooperating front wall receiving apertures68to secure it in place. A lock64is provided, as seen, to prevent unauthorized access to the scale38.

Referring toFIG. 4, shown is an exploded view of the present invention. The scale protective housing H encloses a scale38with a scale hanger40that is positioned, through the crane link access aperture32, to be within the crane link compartment24such that the hanger40is coaligned with the crane link attachment bore26. Thus, the attachment of the scale protective housing H to a crane boom (not shown) supports the housing H, the scale hanger40, and the scale38. Projecting from the base of the scale38is a load bearing eye bolt42with the eye44having the jaw portion46of a jaw and eye swivel joint48attached to it by means of the load bearing eye bolt fastener58. The swivel joint48extends through the large aperture34in the bottom wall16of the enclosure10and between the stabilizer recesses36with a long bolt50passing through the swivel joint eye52projecting to the left and right beyond the stabilizer recesses36. The long bolt50also passes through the jaws54of a hydraulic rotator56that will support a load and is held in place by washers60and cotter pins62.

Referring toFIG. 5, shown is a perspective view of the crane scale protective housing of the present invention illustrating an assembled view of the main components that comprise a crane scale having a protective housing.

Referring toFIG. 6, shown is a frontal view of the present invention. The housing H comprises an enclosure10and shown in this Figure are top wall14, bottom wall16, side walls20and the back wall22. The crane link compartment24extends from the top wall14and has a crane boom attachment bore26passing through the compartment's front and rear walls, as seen inFIG. 3. Also seen inFIG. 3is the crane link compartment interior access aperture32that serves as receiving area for a scale hanger40. Extending from the bottom wall16of the protective housing10is a pair of stabilizers12positioned on each side of a large aperture34in the bottom wall16with each stabilizer12having a recess36located in or near its base. The scale38has, again, a scale hanger40located on its top, indicated here at70, and the hanger40is positioned within the crane link compartment access aperture32with the hanger aperture72(seen inFIG. 4) aligned with the crane boom attachment bore26such that a fastener or line connecting the scale protective housing10to a crane boom engages both the crane boom attachment bore26and the scale hanger aperture72. Projecting downwardly from the base74of the scale is a load bearing eye bolt42with a jaw and eye swivel joint48attached to it by means of load bearing eye bolt fastener58. The swivel joint48extends through the large opening34in the bottom of the protective housing10and between the stabilizers12recesses36where a long bolt50is inserted through the swivel joint eye52such that bolt50projects beyond the ends of the stabilizer recesses36. Also attached to the long bolt is a pair of hydraulic rotator attachment plates having a pair of apertures78for fixedly attaching the jaws54of a hydraulic rotator56that will support a load.

Referring toFIG. 7, shown is an illustrative view of the present invention. Shown is a wireless hand held indicator80unit for the scale38of the anti-torque protection box H of the present invention. Additionally seen in this Figure is the crane boom82.

Referring toFIG. 8, shown is an illustrative view of the present invention in use. The crane C is manipulating a load L using a hook84and the anti-torque protection box is indicated at H. The crane C is steadied by outrigger O and the user would most likely be in station cabin S. The weight of load L, in this situation, could be determined by the handheld wireless unit80(shown inFIG. 7).

Referring toFIG. 9, shown is an exploded view of the present invention in an embodiment wherein it is using a hook84. The load bearing eye bolt42, depending from the bottom of scale38is attached to the hook attachment86through the hook attachment jaws88.