Abstract:
A device for handling a load provided with a thread includes a screw assembly equipped with a gripper and capable of connecting to the load, a first screwing indicator secured to the screw assembly, a second screwing indicator movable in translation relative to the first screwing indicator, and a spring. In particular, the spring is inserted between the first screwing indicator and the second screwing indicator and has an effect of returning the second screwing indicator such that the second screwing indicator abuts against the load, so that a coincidence between the first and second screwing indicator indicates a sufficient screwing of the device onto the load.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/FR2012/051948, filed on Aug. 28, 2012, which claims the benefit of FR 11/57827, filed on Sep. 2, 2011. The disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a device for industrial handling of a load. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     Generally, during handling operations, loads are moved by means of a device for holding the load attached to the end of a lifting sling connected to a lifting device such as a winch, ensuring the lifting of a load from a low to a high position and vice versa. 
     These holding devices generally comprise a lifting shackle or a lifting ring well known to those skilled in the art. 
     The lifting shackles or rings constitute a lifting accessory associated with the lifting device and are intended to ensure the connection between the lifting sling connected to the winch and the item to be handled. 
     They are designed and shaped to withstand the work generated by the vertical movement of the load which they support. 
     A lifting ring generally comprises a substantially U-shaped ring, closed by a base on which a threaded bore is positioned, receiving a screw on which the load to be handled is fixed. 
     This fixation consists in screwing directly on the upper face of the load. This screwing is typically performed manually by an operator, who screws the lifting ring on the load, then connects the free end of the sling to the U-shaped part of said ring to cause the load to move when the winch is operated. 
     Once the lifting ring is screwed on the load, the operator must ensure that the screw is sufficiently anchored in the load before operating the winch. 
     This control is typically performed according to the manufacturer&#39;s recommendations regarding the anchoring length required depending on the weight of the item to be handled. 
     However, as they are performed manually, screwing and controlling may involve certain risks, such as the risk of not anchoring the screw deep enough into the load to be handled, which can cause said load to pull away from the lifting ring. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a device for handling a load provided with at least one thread comprising a screw assembly provided with gripping means and capable of connecting to said load, said device being characterized in that it comprises:
         a first screwing indicator element secured to said screw assembly;   a second screwing indicator element that is movable at least in translation relative to said first member, and   resilient return means,   said resilient return means being inserted between the first screwing indicator element and the second screwing indicator element and acts to return the second screwing indicator element to have it abut against the load, so that a coincidence between the two screwing indicator elements indicates a sufficient screwing of the handling device onto said load.       

     The present disclosure makes it possible to quickly and visually check that the anchoring of the screw into the load is deep enough. 
     When the screwing indicator elements coincide, the operator is assured that the load is properly secured to the lifting ring, so that it will not tear under normal conditions of use of the winch. When the screw is, however, not sufficiently anchored in the load to be lifted, when, for example, the operator has not screwed the screw deep enough or when the screw has accidentally broken loose from the load hole, the screwing indicator elements do not match; the operator upon a simple visual check is then quickly aware that the anchoring of the screw is not deep enough and that, as a consequence, the load is not firmly held and may tear when it is lifted and moved upward. 
     Advantageously, the second screwing indicator element contains resilient return means. 
     Owing to this feature of the present disclosure, these resilient return means are protected from damage when the load is lifted or moved. 
     Furthermore, according to another feature of the present disclosure, the second screwing indicator element comprises at least an area shaped to completely cover the first screwing indicator element when said second screwing indicator element abuts against the load, and the screwing between the handling device and said load is sufficient. 
     This arrangement provides through a quick visual check that the lifting ring is firmly secured to the load. 
     According to another feature of the present disclosure, the handling device comprises gripping means forming a substantially U-shaped ring closed by a base, said base being fitted with at least one threaded hole adapted to receive at least one screw on the body of which the first screwing indicator element is mounted. 
     According to another form of the device according to the present disclosure, the first and second screwing indicator elements are of different colors. 
     This arrangement has the advantage of allowing the user through a quick visual check to establish whether the ring is properly fixed to the load to be moved. If the color representing the first screwing indicator element remains visible when the lifting ring has been mounted on the load to be moved, the user is immediately informed of the improper screwing of said ring on said load. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the handling device according to the present disclosure connected to a lifting sling from one end and to the load to be handled from the other end; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the handling device according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the first screwing indicator element; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the second screwing indicator element; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the handling device according to the present disclosure, in a rest position; and 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the handling device according to the present disclosure, in a clamped position. 
     
    
    
     The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. 
     In this description, words such as “upper” and “lower” are used with reference to the position of the handling device when the latter is upright, that is to say screwed or ready to be screwed onto the load to be handled. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a handling device  1  according to the present disclosure ensures the connection between a lifting sling  2  and the load C to be handled. 
     The lifting sling is connected to a lifting device (not shown) such as, for example, a winch. A lifting sling is typically formed by one or more cable(s) connected to the handling device according to the present disclosure. Such a cable is, in a known manner, made of steel. 
     In general, when it is desired to lift and move a load from a low to a high point, an operator screws the lifting ring directly on the upper face of the load fitted with one or more threaded hole(s). The lifting ring, hitherto only connected to the load, is now ready to receive a lifting sling intended to be connected to a lifting device. 
     The handling device  1  according to the present disclosure is adapted to withstand the traction and is typically made of steel or any other traction-resistant material known to those skilled in the art. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the handling device  1  according to the present disclosure comprises in its upper part gripping means such a substantially U-shaped ring  3 , intended to be connected to a lifting device by means of a lifting sling. 
     The ring  3  is closed in its lower part by a base  4  comprising in a direction substantially perpendicular to its surface a threaded hole receiving a threaded screw  5  along its full length. 
     The assembly constituted by the ring  3 , the base  4  and the screw  5  is called the screw assembly in the following description. 
     According to the present disclosure, a first screwing indicator element  6  is screwed onto the screw  5  and tightened on the lower part of the base  4 , constituting a nut of said screw  5 . The screw assembly and the first screwing indicator element are secured to one another. 
     The handling device  1  according to the present disclosure also comprises a second screwing indicator element  7 , assembled on the first screwing indicator element  6  by the connecting means described herein after. 
     According to one form not shown, the body of the screw  5  is threaded only in its lower part over a length adapted to provide sufficient anchoring of the screw in the load to be handled to ensure a good support between the handling device according to the present disclosure and said load. 
     According to such a form, the first screwing indicator element is mounted on the screw and held clamped on the lower part of the base by any holding means making it secured to the screw assembly. Such a support can be achieved for example by glue, rivets, or other means known to the skilled person. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first screwing indicator element  6  comprises a tubular body  8  equipped with a flange  9  on its upper part. 
     The tubular body  8  of the first screwing indicator element  6  comprises on its internal face a thread shaped to be screwed onto the screw  5  of the screw assembly. 
     The second screwing indicator element  7  is shaped like a tubular sleeve  10  of a length substantially equal to that of the tubular body  8 . 
     The second screwing indicator element  7  is intended to be mounted on the first screwing indicator element  6 . To this end, the tubular sleeve  10  necessarily has a larger diameter than the tubular body  8 . 
     In fact, the tubular sleeve  10  has two different diameters, the lower part  11  of the sleeve  10  being of a smaller diameter than the upper part  12  of the sleeve  10 . 
     Furthermore, the diameter of the upper part  12  of the sleeve  10  is greater than that of the flange  9  defining the upper part of the tubular body  8 . 
     With this arrangement, the tubular sleeve  10  forming the second screwing indicator element is adapted to cover the entire length of the tubular body  8  constituting the first screwing indicator element, during the assembly of first and second screwing indicator elements. 
     Furthermore, the first and second screwing indicator elements are held together by an element providing, on the one hand, a translational locking in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the screw  5  and, on the other hand, a rotational locking. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , this locking is achieved by a grub screw  13  fitted into a slot  14  in the lower part  11  of the sleeve  10  of the second screwing indicator element  7 . 
     A threaded hole  15  receiving the screw  13  is formed on the tubular body  8  of the first screwing indicator element, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of revolution of said tubular body  8 . 
     Locking can of course be achieved by any other means known to those skilled in the art. 
     The upper part  12  of tubular sleeve  10  of the second screwing indicator element  7  includes resilient return means such as a spring  16 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The lower part  17  of said spring  16  rests against a shoulder  18  formed by the lower  11  and upper  12  parts of the tubular sleeve  10  and the upper part  19  of said spring  16  rests against the flange  9  of the first screwing indicator element  6 . 
     The operation of the device according to the present disclosure is described below, with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the device in the so-called rest position, corresponding either to a situation wherein this device is not connected to any load to be handled, or a situation wherein the device is screwed onto the item to be handled, but screwing between these two elements remains insufficient to provide that the item to be handled will not pull away from the handling device. 
     The spring  16 , in an extended position, tends to push the second screwing indicator element  7 , movable in translation relative to said first screwing indicator element  6 , in the direction of the lower part  10  of the handling device assembly  1 . 
     The extended position of the spring  16 , thus tending to move the second screwing indicator element  7  away from the upper part of the handling device  1 , makes it possible, in a rest position of the device as defined above, to permanently uncover the flange  9  of the first screwing indicator element  6 . 
     Typically, an operator who is preparing to handle a load screws manually the handling device  1  onto the load to be handled. 
     In case of insufficient screwing of the handling device into the load to be handled, corresponding to a rest position of said handling device, the spring  16  is in the extended position and holds the second screwing indicator element  7  in abutment against the load to be handled. 
     The flange  9  of the first screwing indicator element  6  remains then uncovered. 
     The operator is then informed that the handling device  1  is in a rest position and said load is clearly poorly secured onto said device. 
     According to an advantageous form of the present disclosure, the flange  9  is red colored, which makes it possible to draw the operator&#39;s attention to the fact that the handling device  1  is poorly secured onto the load and that the latter may be torn if the anchoring of screw  5  into the load is not lengthened. 
     As described above, an operator who is preparing to handle a load C screws manually the handling device  1  on the load C to be handled. 
     The spring  16  then acts in tension during the screwing operation, and tends to push the second screwing indicator element  7 , movable in translation relative to said first screwing indicator element  6 , in direction of the lower part of the handling device assembly  1 . 
     Within a certain distance of the anchoring of the screw  5  in the load C, the spring  16 , acting in tension, holds the second screwing indicator element  7  in abutment against the load C. 
     At this phase of the insertion of the screw  5  into the load C, the spring  16  is not fully compressed and the flange  9  of the first screwing indicator element  6  is still partially or totally uncovered. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , said figure illustrates an operation of the handling device according to the present disclosure in said clamped position, corresponding to a situation wherein the handling device is sufficiently screwed onto the piece to be handled, that is to say, the anchoring of the screw  5  into the load C is deep enough to provide that the item to be handled cannot be torn off during the load C handling phase. 
     The second screwing indicator element  7 , in abutment against the load C, creates a barrier to the penetration of the screw assembly secured to the first indicator screwing element  6 . 
     The spring becomes compressed, and allows the flange  9  of the first screwing indicator element  6  to penetrate inside the upper part  12  of the sleeve  10  of the second screwing indicator element  7 . 
     In such a situation, there is coincidence between the flange  9  of the first screwing indicator element  6  and the second screwing indicator element  7 , that is to say, the flange  9  is no longer visible to the user. 
     The area defined by the tubular sleeve  10  of the second screwing indicator element  7  covers completely the first screwing indicator element  6 . 
     The user then infers that the anchoring of the screw  5  of the handling device  1  into the load C to be handled is sufficiently deep. The load is then ready to be handled. 
     According to an advantageous form of the present disclosure, the upper part  12  of the sleeve  10  of the second screwing indicator  7  is green, which informs the operator, in a tight screwing situation, that the handling device is suitably secured to the load C and that the latter is not likely to come off during the handling operation. 
     With the present disclosure, the user is provided with a safe handling device. 
     With this simple-to-implement and cost effective device, the user is provided with a means to provide that the load is secured to the handling device and unlikely to come off during normal use of the lifting assembly. 
     It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited only to the forms of the handling device described above as examples, but it encompasses all the alternatives.