Patent GB-843620-A (GB)
Title: A cable-way mounted on swinging lattice structures
IPC: B61B12/02
Filed: 1957-07-30
Abstract: 843,620. Rope railways; grabs. CENTINE E BLONDINS CRUCIANI S.p.A. July 30, 1957 [April 27, 1957], No. 24173/57. Classes 78 (4) and 104 (2).' In a cable-way comprising at least two derricks connected one to the other by a loadcarrying rope and arranged to be inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the loadcarrying rope, each derrick is formed of lattice metal-work with a base and a top element, the base element being arranged to be swingably connected to a supporting member fixed to the ground, the top element being formed of two parts, one part of which is rigid with the derrick and supports the driving and lifting ropes and the other part being pivoted with respect to the rigid part and supports the load-carrying rope, the load-carrying rope having its ends beyond the derricks anchored to the ground, and each derrick being transversely enclosable by brace ropes arranged perpendicular to the load-carrying rope and anchored at one end to the derrick top and at the other end to the ground. The derricks shown in Fig. 1 have a central column 1 formed by a set of tubes connected end-to-end and in register with their joints 2 are fastened cross-arms 3 to the ends of which arms 3 are connected tie-rods 4 connected at their ends to adjacent joints 2 and tensioned by any conventional tensioning-device. In a further modification, Fig. 4 (not shown), additional arms and tie-rods are connected to the base and top elements of the column. The ends of the arms 3 are provided with projections which engage rings connected to the tie-rods 4. The base element has a rounded lower end which rolls on a bearing-surface when the derrick swings and in one embodiment spherical teeth on the bottom of the base element engage a rack anchored to the ground. The top element 9, Fig. 11, is formed as a frame 81 on which are mounted grooved idling pulleys 15 and 16 for driving and lifting-ropes while the load-carrying rope is located on an arcuate saddle 18. The saddle 18 has a flared groove 19 to allow transverse deflection of the load-carrying rope and is provided with a bearing about which it rocks on the frame 81. The load-carrying rope is locked to the saddle 18 by a clamp 19<1>. The saddle 18 also carries an idler pulley 17 and is provided with two arms 221 for brace ropes 22. In the cable-way arrangement shown in Figs. 12 and 14 derricks 20 support a load-carrying rope 24 anchored each end at 25 and are in turn supported by transverse brace ropes 22 anchored at 23. A dolly 26 is mounted on the loadcarrying rope 24 and is connected to a driving- rope 27 operated by winch 28. The forward run of the rope 27 passes over an idler pulley 29 and the return run 27<1> over an idler pulley 30. The two runs of the rope 27 lead to a gear 31 provided with a counterweight 32. The dolly 26 has pulleys 33 over which move a load (37) lifting-rope 34 passing over an idler pulley 36 and operated by a winch 35. The load-carrying rope 24 is held under tension by a counterweight 38 acting on the rope through a saddle-shaped sector 39. The derricks 20 may swing between the limits 201, 20<11> shown in Fig. 14. In a modification, Fig. 15 (not shown), brace ropes are attached to the load-carrying rope 24 between the derrick and the ground anchor 25. The brace ropes may be adjusted to hold the derricks in a desired position by means of a winch. Counterweights suspended from the brace ropes 22 serve to hold one derrick in the inclined position determined by the inclination of another derrick tilted by the arrangement shown in Fig. 18. The derrick 20, Fig. 18, is inclined by a single double-acting drum winch 42 acting on a single rope 43 which is attached to the top of the derrick and passes about an anchor pulley 44 and a pulley 45 on the derrick to rewind on a second drum of the winch 42 in a reverse winding direction. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 19, which is used for great spans and in order to avoid excessive lowering of the lifting-rope 34, the rope 34 runs on movable pulley supports 48 moved by a driftrope 49 connected by one or more wheels 50 fastened to the shaft of a winch 28 controlling the movement of the dolly 26. The diameter of the wheel or wheels 50 in relation to drum of winch 28 is such that the supports 48 in front of the dolly 26, in its direction of movement, moves away from the dolly and the support 48, behind the dolly, moves towards the dolly 26. The drift rope 49 is held under tension by pulleys 51 and a counterweight 52. When a grab bucket is used, Fig. 20, the dolly 26 is provided with two pairs of pulleys 53, 54 over which move ropes 55, 56 leading to a double drum winch 57 controlling the lifting and lowering of the bucket, while one end of the rope 56 is wound on a winch 58 controlling the opening and closing of the bucket jaws 59. To allow the load-carrying rope to deflect, the rope 24 is anchored to the ground in a shaped recess. The arrangement shown in Fig. 22 for handling great loads when building structures of considerable length has at its disposal two movable derricks 20, one derrick 20 being transferred from the pier 62 to the pier 63 after a reinforced concrete beam 64 has been moved to the operative position 65. In a further embodiment, Fig. 23, the movable pulley support 67 (shown as 48 in Fig. 19) are fastened at intervals on the loadcarrying rope 24 by clamps 66 which are shaped to allow the passage along the rope 24 of the dolly 26. The dolly 26 is provided with a shaped rail 69 which, when the dolly passes the pulley support 67, bears against the side of a pulley 70 on the pulley support bracket 67 to pivot the support 67 in a clockwise direction about a pivot 68 to allow passage of the dolly 26. If the cable-way is to have a curved path, the load-carrying rope is clamped to a plate anchored by transverse ropes. If the curves are severe the plates are provided with rollers for changing the direction of the driving and lifting- ropes 27, 34. An articulated dolly may be provided for use on curved cable-ways and, as shown in Fig. 29, the dolly is formed by two elements 26, 26<1> interconnected by a bar 74 provided at its ends with rings 75 fitting over stems 76 on which are mounted swivelling sheaves 77.