VACUUM LIFTING APPARATUS

Abstract: Vacuum lifting apparatus 1 comprising a lift tube 2 which is extendable and retractable in length, and is adapted to be located in an upright disposition with an upper end 3 connectable to a fixed or movable anchorage point or support 4, the lift tube interior 6 being connectable to a vacuum generating means and each end 3, 7 or the tube 2 provided with air sealing means, valve means 10 to connect the interior of the lift tube 2 at a controllable level to atmosphere to regulate the vacuum therein and hence the axial extension of the lift tube 2, and a relatively rigid device 11 located within the lift tube 2, which device 11 is axially displaceable or extendable and retractable with the lift tube 2 and carries at a lower end a means 14 for engaging a load to be lifted, transported and lowered.

Description: This invention relates to a vacuum lifting apparatus of the general type described in GB 2080764B. Whilst this known apparatus has been used for lifting all manner of objects its use has always been limited to lifting from directly above the load, as the lift tube is a flexible bellows which cannot accommodate side loading. Hence it has been impossible to offer a solution to lifting loads from a lateral location e.g., from inside a machine press or from under pallet racking or shelving or from inside a machine guard. Also it has become increasingly apparent that, when handling large boards and planks, unless the load is picked up exactly on centre-line it will not remain horizontal and, in un-trained hands, can be somewhat unnerving in operation. According to the present invention, there is provided vacuum lifting apparatus comprising a flexible bellows lift tube which is extendable and retractable in length, has a longitudinally extending centre line, and is adapted to be located in an upright disposition with an upper end connectable to a fixed or movable anchorage point or support, the lift tube interior being connectable to a vacuum generating means and each end of the lift tube provided with air sealing means, valve means to connect the interior of the lift tube at a controllable level to atmosphere to regulate the vacuum therein and hence the axial extension or retraction of the lift tube, characterised in that a device is located within the lift tube, the device serving to rigidise the lift tube and being axially displaceable, or extendable and retractable, with the lift tube, and carrying at a lower end a means for engaging a load to be lifted, transported and lowered, whereby the rigidised lift tube provides a capability of lifting and lowering lateral loads remote from the centre line of the lift tube. A basic advantage of installing the axially displaceable or extendable device within lift tube is to ensure no additional bulky structures are required surrounding the lift tube. Also there is no fundamendal reduction in the lifting capacity of the apparatus in accordance with the invention, except for that resulting from the weight of the additional components attached to the load engaging means, but basically the invention results in a rigidised lift tube, whereby the apparatus is capable, inter alia, of lifting and lowering lateral loads, remote from the centre line of the lift tube. The load engaging means may be attached directly to the lower end of the lift tube. Alternatively the load engaging means may be attached indirectly to the lower end of the lift tube, via a beam, which may be symmetrical, extending equally to opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the lift tube e.g., with a load engaging means at each end, and possibly intermediate the two ends, (which arrangement is suitable for lifting sheets of timber, glass etc), or which may be asymmetrical, extending to one side only of the longitudinal axis of the lift tube, with a load engaging means carried at the end of this beam distal from the lift tube (which arrangement is suitable for penetrating pallet racking or shelving for instance). In detail, the flexible bellows lift tube is preferably reinforced by a spiral spring. The axially displaceable or extendable device may, in one embodiment, be constituted by a telescopic device e.g., generally of piston and cylinder form, with an inner elongate member axially displaceable with respect to an outer elongate member, preferably with friction reducing or eliminating bearing means between the inner and outer members. Thus, if the inner member is of square section the bearing means may comprise four rollers located 90° apart around the inner member, the periphery of each roller engaging one face of the member, while if the inner member is tubular, four balls instead of rollers may be employed, also located 90° apart, to engage around the inner member. Preferably, two sets of rollers or balls are provided, the sets being axially spaced apart. With a square section inner member, a rotating connection, also preferably incorporating axially spaced-apart bearing means, is required between the lower end of the inner member and the laterally extending member, if a facility for arcuate movement of the load engaging means, e.g. a laterally extending member, is required. The same principles can be used on an apparatus incorporating double or triple lift tubes, while if four, six or eight lift tubes were involved, preferably a piston and cylinder type extendable device would be replaced by an inverted scissor device to ensure complete rigidity e.g. when handling up to 1/2 ton loads on fully automated equipment. The apparatus may be floor mounted on a vertical column with at least one, and preferably two, arms interposed between the column and the apparatus. With one arm arrangement, the latter is pivotally attached to the column, while with a two arm arrangement a second arm is pivotally attached to a first arm which is pivotally attached to the column. Alternatively, the apparatus may be rendered mobile by being mounted on an overhead conveyor system. Preferably the laterally extending member is constituted by a beam. The load engaging means preferably takes the form of a suction foot. If however, this is unsuitable for the particular load to be handled, then this may be supplemented or replaced by mechanical and/or electromagnetic grippers. The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view through a first embodiment of vacuum lifting apparatus in accordance with the invention, being a section on the line I-I of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 1 but shows a second embodiment and is a section on the line III-III of Figure 4; Figures 3A illustrates an alternative attachment of the load engaging means. Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4 attached to a static mounting in the form of a column; Figure 6 shows the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4 attached to a mobile mounting, and Figures 7 to 9 detail the valve unit. In the drawings, vacuum lifting apparatus 1 comprises a lift tube 2 of known construction comprising an extendable and retractable bellows reinforced by a spiral spring. The lift tube 2 is adapted to be located in an upright disposition, as indicated in Figures 1, 3, 5 and 6, with an upper end 3 connected to a fixed support 4 (as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) or a mobile support 5 (as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6). The lift tube 2 has an interior 6 connectable to a vacuum generating means (not shown) and the upper and lower ends 3, 7 of the lift tube 2 are provided with air sealing means, being an upper, rotary seal 8 and a lower seal 9. A valve means 10 is connected to the interior 6 of the lift tube 2, to connect the interior 6, in a controlled manner, to atmosphere, whereby the vacuum level within the interior 6, and hence the axial extension of the lift tube, is controlled, to provide the up and down movements required during load handling operations. Within the lift tube 2 is located a relatively rigid device in the form of a rod 11, e.g. of lightweight alloy, which rod 11 is axially displaceable, or extendable and retractable, simultaneously with the lift tube 2, as indicated by the arrow 12. The rod 11 carries at a lower end 13 means for engaging a load to be lifted, transported and lowered, which means is constituted by a suction foot 14 of known construction. The foot 14 may be attached to the rod 11 indirectly, via an interposed, laterally extending beam 15, as illustrated in Figures 1, 3, 5, and 6; or alternatively may be attached directly to the rod 11, as illustrated in Figure 3A. The beam 15 may be a symmetrical, as illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 5, with the valve means 10 located diammetrically opposite the beam to assist counterbalancing of the latter, or alternatively may be symmetrical, as illustrated in Figure 6. The rod 11 is located within an outer, elongate casing 11A which, together with the rod 11, constitutes a piston and cylinder telescopic device. In this embodiment, the upper end 3 is attached to the casing 11A, which is in turn attached to the support 4 or 5. In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the rod 11 is of square section, and a friction-reducing bearing means is provided, comprising two axially-spaced sets of four rollers 16, located 90° apart, and carried by the casing 11A, the periphery of each roller 16 engaging one of the four faces of the square rod 11. In the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, the rod 11 is tubular, and two axially spaced sets of four balls 16A, also located 90° apart, are carried by the casing 11A and engage around the rod 11. In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, a rotating connection 17, also incorporating axially spaced-apart bearing means 18 is provided between the lower end of the rod 11 and the beam 15. The apparatus 1 is particularly adapted for manual operation, for which purpose a square "U"-shaped hand grip 19 is attached to a housing 20 of the valve means 10, whereby the apparatus 1 may be manually manoeuvred, particularly by rotation about the longitudinal axis 21 of the lift tube 2, while a similar, square "U"-shaped valve actuation lever 22 is pivotally attached to the housing 20, for one-handed control by the operator. As illustrated in Figure 5, the apparatus 1 may be floor mounted on a vertical column 23, with two arms 24, 25 interposed between the column 23 and the apparatus 1, the second arm 25 being pivotally attached to the first arm 24, which is pivotally attached to the column 23. As illustrated in Figure 6, the apparatus may, alternatively, be mobile by being mounted on an overhead conveyor system 26, and furthermore, as indicated in chain-dotted line, the beam 15 may be extended equally to opposite sides of the lift tube 2, with each end of the beam provided with a suction foot 14.

Claims: 1. Vaccum lifting apparatus (1) comprising a flexible bellows lift tube (2) which is extendable and retractable in length, has a longitudinally extending centre line (21), and is adapted to be located in an upright disposition with an upper end (3) connectable to a fixed or movable anchorage point or support (4,5), the lift tube interior (6) being connectable to a vacuum generating means and each end (3,7) of the lift tube provided with air sealing means (8,9), valve means (10) to connect the interior of the lift tube at a controllable level to atmosphere to regulate the vacuum therein and hence the axial extension or retraction of the lift tube, characterised in that a device (11) is located within the lift tube (2), the device (11) serving to rigidise the lift tube (2) and being axially displaceable, or extendable and retractable, with the lift tube (2), and carrying at a lower end a means (14) for engaging a load to be lifted, transported and lowered, whereby the rigidised lift tube provides a capability of lifting and lowering lateral loads remote from the centre line of the lift tube. 2. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the load engaging means (14) is attached directly to the lower end (7) of the lift tube (2). 3. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the load engaging means (14) is attached indirectly to the lower end (7) of the lift tube (2), via a beam (15). 4. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that the beam (15) is symmetrical, extending equally to opposite sides of the longitudinal axis (21) of the lift tube (2) with a load engaging means (14) provided at each end of the beam (15). 5. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that the beam (15) is asymmetrical, extending to one side only of the longtitudinal axis (21) of the lift tube (2), with the load engaging means is carried at the end of the beam (15) distal from the lift tube (2). 6. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, characterised in that the device (11) is constituted by a guided rod or telescopic device (11, 11A). 7. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the device (11) is of piston and cylinder form, with an inner, elongate member (11) axially displaceable with respect to an outer, elongate member (11A). 8. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, comprising friction reducing or eliminating bearing means (16, 16A) between the inner and outer members (11, 11A). 9. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 characterised in that, the bearing means (16, 16A) comprises four rollers (16) or balls (16A), located 90° apart, around the inner member, the periphery of each roller (16) or ball (16A) engaging the member (11). 10. Vacuum lifting apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, characterised in that the load engaging means (14) takes the form of a suction foot.

Inventors: BENNISON, STEWART PALAMATIC HANDL. SYS. LTD UNIT 8
Applicants: PALAMATIC HANDLING SYSTEMS LIMITED
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B66C1
IPC codes: F16K11, B66F3, B65G47, B66C1, B25J9