A BREAKING OR LIFTING DEVICE

Abstract: A breaking or lifting device (1) incorporating an expanding member (2) arranged to form an integrated unit with a gas holder (10) arranged for introduction of pressurized gas into the interior of the expanding member (2) and control means (11) being arranged in the unit for controlling the supply of gas in said expanding member (2).

Description: A BREAKING OR LIFTING DEVICE Background of the invention The present invention refers to a breaking or lifting device incorporating an expanding member i.e. a cushion, a bladder or the like, in which -pressurized gas can be introduced. Breaking or lifting devices are today used in a plurality of different working moments such as wood felling, building works and as lift jacks for cars and for building struc- tures etc. Such devices are for instance described in Swedish patent specification 391.109, US patent specifications . 2.609.177 and 3.822.861 etc. and all of these devices incorpo¬ rate an inflatable member designed as a cushion, a bladder or the like which is connected to an inflating device e.g. a combustion engine, a compressor or a hand operated pump. Such devices however are bulky and clumsy and each one of ' them is intended for a specific limited work purpose. Those devices which are inflated automatically, i.e. without the requirement that a manual work must be excerted, have further- more a complex design and they are therefore expensive to manufacture. The designs hitherto known are furthermore not suited for use where the space available for breaking or lifting devices is limited and where rapid operation is required e.g. at car accidents, accidents with collapsing buildings, or in other emergency situations. Summary of the invention The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the abovementioned drawbacks at a reasonable cost and to provide a small-dimensioned breaking or lifting device which is easy to carry and which can preferably be used by the crew in different types of emergency vehicles at breaking or lif operations e.g. for freeing persons who have got stuck in car accidents or at other breaking or lifting operations where the space for the breaking or lifting device is limit This problem is solved thereby that the expanding member via at least one control valve is connected or connectable to a rechargeable and/or exchangeable gas holder arranged to form an integrated unit with the expanding member. Brief description of the drawings The invention will hereinafter be further described with reference to some embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows in an axial section a breaking or lifting device according to the invention, Figure 2 ' shows a mounting bar in a section along line A - A in figure 1, Figure 3 shows a modified breaking or lifting device .with a preset inflation pressure, Figure -i shows a further embodiment of a breaking or liftin device equipped with a rechargeable gas holder, Figure 5 shows a filling central for the breaking or liftin device shown in figure *., Figure 6 shows another embodiment of a breaking or lifting device having a laterally mounted, rechargeable gas holder, Figure 7 shows an expanding membemore in detail, Figure 8 shows another embodiment of an expanding member and a clamping device for the gas holder, and Figure is a section along line B - B through the gas holde and the clamping device shown in figure 8. Description of some preferred embodiments An expedient embodiment of a breaking or lifting device 1 according to the invention incorporates an expanding membe OM 2 which by means of bolts or screws 3 at one of its ends is fixedly mounted in a mounting bar , which is also shown in cross-section in figure 2. The internal expandable space of the expanding member 2 communicates via a tube 5 with a control valve 6 provided with a control member 11 and located in a handle-like casing 7 encasing a connecting element 8 with a bayonet joint to which is connected a knob- provided 9 gas holder 10. When the breaking and lifting device shall be used the expanding member 2 is introduced in evacuated state between the parts which are to be separated, e.g. in a back cut at wood felling, whereupon the control member 11 is pushed down to a first active position. Pressurized gas thereby will pass from the gas holder 10 via the connecting element 8, the control valve 6 and the tube 5 into the expanding member 2 whereby this is expanded. The control member 11 is pushed further downwards to its second active position when the desired effect has been reached and the gas contained in the ex- panding member 2 will thereby be evacuated via the outlet 12 and the breaking and lifting device can be removed from its working position. In figure 3 is shown an alternative breaking or lifting device in which an exchangeable gas holder 20, provided with a screw joint 13 is connected to a support and control unit 1 , in which is mounted a (not shown) pressure reduc¬ tion valve which via a setting device 15 is adapted to limit i.e. to maximize the pressure to be excerted by the gas in the expanding member 2 to a desired level. An operating member lβ is adapted during hand-operation to allow supply of gas under pressure to the expanding member 2 and an evacuation member 17 is adapted during manual actuation to evacuate the gas present in the expanding member 2. The control unit 1*4 is connected to the mounting bar 4 in a manner similar to that described hereabove and it is therebv also connected to the expanding member 2. It is also possible to use with advantage a fixed, rechargeable gas holder such as shown in figure k. The handle-shaped casing 21 is thus incorpora a rechargeable gas holder 22 provided with a filling valve 19, which is of course also equipped with a (not shown) no return valve, and a control valve 23 which communicates with the gas holder 22 and is equipped with a control memb 2k . , The control member 2 k can by manual actuation be put in two active positions (not shown), one first active positio where the control member 2 is acted upon in the direction of arrow 25, whereby gas from the gas holder is allowed to pass into the expanding member 2, and a second active p ' osition when the actuation .takes place in -the direction of arrow 2β, whereby the gas is evacuated from the expandi member 2. In cases where the breaking or lifting device according to figure k is filled with compressed air is it possible to use a filling station according to figure _. . A compressor 27 is via a conduit 30 connected to a panel 28 equipped with a plurality of filling sockets 29, throug which compressed air can be supplied to several breaking or lifting devices simultaneously. In figure 6 is shown an alternative embodiment of a breaki or lifting device with a rechargeable gas holder 21. The gas holder 31 is fixedly mounted perpendicularly to the handle-shaped casing 3β, which is provided with a filling valve 33, a non-return valve 3*4 and a control valve 35« The control member 37 is hereby controlling the supply and evacuation of gas to/from the expanding member 2. The expanding member 2 shown in figure 7 preferably compri a supporting base 38 made from a rigid material, which has been provided with ducts 39 and openings k0. A pliable or flexible material, such as a rubber compound covered with nylon cord, forms the side portions kl t k 5 of the expandin member 2, whereby mounting bars k 2 , k ~ 5 delimit the expandi member 2 longitudinally. Compressed air or another gas und _OM . IP pressure is supplied to the expanding member 2 from the gas holder k k via the ducts 39 and the openings 0 whereby is obtained an expansion of the internal expanding member space between the mounting bars 42, 43 and the side portions kl , 45. A force mainly proportional to the pressure excerted by the compressed air or the gas will thereby be obtained perpendicularly to the side portions 2.1, 5 of the expanding member 2 and a breaking or lifting moment will result. Another embodiment of an expanding member is shown in figure 8 whereby a gas holder kβ will supply gas under pressure to a bellows-formed expanding member 7, provided with two legs 48, 49, which are pivotably supported relative to each other in a pivot 58. The leg-s 48, 49 can be provided with grooves or jags 50 intended for giving a good grip against the work surfaces. An exchangeable gas holder .46 is retained in a clamping device 59 made for instance from thermoplast and it is safely retained in place via springy side elements 51, 52. A quick-coupling which is supported rotatably about a shaft 53 connects the gas holder via a duct 55 and a (not shown) control valve to the expanding member 47. At exchange of the gas holder 46 the. handle 56 of the breaking or lifting device is manually pushed downwards to make the side elements 51, 52 of the clamping device 59 to release their grip about the gas holder 46. The gas holder 46 and the σuickcoupling 54 are thereupon turned upwards/outwards about the shaft 53 until the rearward wall 57 will not hamper the pulling out of the gas holder 46 from the quick-'coupling 5 k . A new, fully charged gas holder 46 can thereupon be placed in the quick-coupling 54 to be pushed down and be fixed in the clamping device 59.

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS (received by the International Bureau on 23 July 1979 (23.07.79)) 1. A hand-operated breaking or lifting device incorporating an expanding member i.e a cushion, a bladder or the like, which in its inactive position is disc-shaped and thin and which can be connected to a pressure source, c h a r a c t e r i z e d h e r e b , that the expanding member (2) is provided with a mounting bar (4) having connecting elements (8,13) for a rechargable ancYoiexchangeable gasholder (10,20,22,31, kk _.46) and that at least one control valve (11,14,23,35) is arranged in the m'ounting bar (4), said control valve having a cut-off function in a first position, establishing communication between the expanding member and the gas holder in a second position and connecting the expanding member with the atmosphere in a third position. 2. A breaking or lifting device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e b y, that the gas holder is designed and arranged as a handle. 3- A breaking or lifting device according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e b y, that the gas holder is connected to or connectable to a carrier or a clamping device designed as a handle. 4. A breaking or lifting device according to one or " more of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e b y, that the gas holder is equipped with a filling valve (19) and/or is intended for connection to a filling central. 5. A breaking or lifting device according to one or more of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e r e b y, that the gas holder can be placed in a clamping device having at least two springy _-- ' l ' i •

Inventors: RONNFORS L, STROEM H
Applicants: JONSEREDS FABRIKERS AB, RONNFORS L, STROEM H, JONSEREDS AB
Application year: 1979
Main classification: B66F3
IPC codes: B66F3