Patent GB-1442301-A (GB)
Title: Clamps and vehicles therefor
IPC: B66C1/44
Filed: 1972-07-13
Abstract: 1442301 Clamps REDLAND TILES Ltd 4 July 1973 [13 July 1972] 32881/72 Heading B8H [Also in Division E2] A clamp for use in lifting two rows of articles comprisies a frame 16 on which two outer gripping elements 10, 11 are pivotally mounted by means of arms 15, the elements 10, 11 being connected to a box-shaped tube (34), Fig. 2 (not shown), by means of respective bell crank levers 26, in each of which is formed a longitudinal slot 51 which receives a common pin 35 of the tube (34), such that on raising and lowering the tube (34), which in use of the clamp is attached to a crane jib, the gripping elements are moved towards and away from each other respectively, and a latch mechanism is provided between the frame 16 and the tube (34) which when released allows the tube (34) to be raised relative to the frame 16 and thus the gripping elements 10, 11 to be moved towards each other to grip a row of articles between each of the gripping elements 10, 11 and a further gripping means 12 attached to the frame 16. Each bell crank lever 26 comprises a lower arm 28, Fig. 3, which is connected to the associated gripping element 10, 11 by a removable pin 29 which engages in one of alternative holes 31 provided in a bracket 30 extending inwardly from the associated arm 15, the provision of the alternative holes 31 permitting adjustment of the initial spacing between the gripping elements 10, 11. The further gripping means 12 comprises a pair of rubber strips 17 which respectively face the elements 10, 11, each strip 17 being mounted on an arm 24 which is mounted by means of a bolt 18 on a respective hanger 21 of the frame (only one such hanger being shown), the bolts 18 passing through vertical slots in their respective hangers, and the arms 24 are located on either side of a wedge-shaped strip 19 connected to the hangers 21. When the clamp is lowered onto the articles to be lifted rubber pads 25 attached to the arms 24 engage the articles thus causing raising of the strips 17 relative to the strip 19, the strips 17 thereby moving away from one another towards their respective element 10, 11. The latch mechanism referred to above is shown in its latching condition in Fig. 2 (not shown), is used to lock the tube (34) relative to the frame 16 when the gripping elements 10, 11 are in their open condition, and comprises a projection (38) at the lower end of the tube (34) which engages with a catch (40) pivotally mounted on the frame 16, and in order to release the latch mechanism the tube (34) is lowered from its position shown in Fig. 2, thereby rotating the catch (40) into its phantom position in which it is engaged by a hook (43), so that the lower end of the tube (34) can be freely raised to close the gripping elements 10, 11. In a further embodiment the gripping means 12 are omitted so that a single row of articles may be lifted by the clamp, and in a still further embodiment, the gripping means 12 are provided but are fixed against vertical movement relative to the frame 16. If a single row of articles is to be clamped by the device as shown in Fig. 1 a spacer or dummy element may be provided between the outer gripping element 10 or 11 not being used and the gripping means 12 to counteract the off-balance.