Patent GB-221327-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to transporters and the like
IPC: B66C23/10
Filed: 1923-08-07
Abstract: 221,327. Watkins, W. H. Aug. 7, 1923. Overhead travellers and transporters.-Winch mechanism for hoisting and traversing a load suspended from a transporter and for performing operations such as tilting the load, opening and closing grab-buckets &c. is described as applied to a transporter with means for balancing the load. As shown in Fig. 4, the winch comprises drums 17, 16, for the load-lifting and load-operating ropes 12, 13, Fig. 1, and two drums 19 for the transporting ropes 18, Fig. 1. Tail ropes 20, 21 from the drums 16, 17 are wound on the drums 19 and support balance weights 24, 25 or a single weight 27 as shown in Fig. 1. The drums are operably connected with two motor-driven shafts 28, 40 through the three differential gears shown, the shaft 28 driving the planet-carrier 29, and the shaft 40 driving the two planet-carriers 38, 39 at the same speed. One member 31 of the first differential gear is provided with a brake 33. The various operations are performed as follows. (1) Hoisting or lowering. The shaft 40 is held and the brake 33 is released. The hoisting motor drives the shaft 28, and both sun-wheels 31, 32 are driven in the same direction. The planetcarriers 38, 39 and traversing drums 19 being held by the shaft 40, the drive is transmitted from the wheels 31, 32 to the gears 45, 46 and 47, 48, actuating the drums 16, 17 simultaneously for hoisting, whilst the trolly remains stationary. (2) Tilting the load or operating grab-buckets. By applying the brake 33, the wheel 32 overruns the wheel 31 and the ropes 12, 13 are wound in or paid out at different rates. (3) Transporting. The shaft 28 is held, and the shaft 40 is driven. The two drums 19 are driven in the same direction, operating the ropes 18, and the hoisting drums 17, 16 are driven by the sun-wheels 43, 44 so as to keep the height of the load constant during transporting. In order to maintain tension in the rope 12 or 13 and prevent actuation of the grab inadvertently when hoisting or lowering, the differential motion of the drums 16, 17 is caused to apply a brake 49 or 50 to one of them. For this purpose the drums are geared to wheels 56, 57 which are mounted on a shaft 55 in such manner that differential motion of these wheels adjusts the shaft longitudinally and this movement applies one of the brakes 49, 50. In a modification, the traversing drums 19 are dispensed with, and traversing is effected by manipulating the hoisting and operating ropes 12, 13. For this purpose, the ropes 12, 13 lead in opposite directions from the trolly. The shaft 58, Fig. 4, is divided and an additional bevel wheel 59 is provided so that the two parts of the shaft and the two drums 16, 17 are driven in opposite directions. Operating the shaft 40 effects traversing, whilst operation of the shaft 28 effects hoisting or tilting &c. as before. In this arrangement, the drum 19 may be retained for operating traversing ropes for moving the trolly positively in both directions. In another modification, the differential gear 29 &c. with brake 33 is replaced by clutch mechanism. The planet carriers 38, 39 may be driven from the shaft 28, or connected with the drums 16, 17, whilst the shaft 40 drives either of the sun-wheels of the differential gears.