Patent Publication Number: US-10329126-B2

Title: Device for manipulating flat objects etc

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national phase filing under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/NL2016/050451 filed Jun. 27, 2016, which claims priority from Netherlands application number NL1041385, filed Jul. 2, 2015, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     The invention relates to a device for manipulating flat objects, etc., for example, (large) windows, wall-covering plates, roof plates etc. 
     Such a device comprises a lifting hook with lifting eye, by which the device can be connected to the hoisting cable of a movable lifting device. Furthermore, the device comprises a suction cup frame, commonly referred to as traverse or crossbeam, provided with a number of suction cups, which can engage on a flat object to be moved by the device (and lifting device). The connection with the flat object is established by evacuating the suction cups by means of a vacuum pump, which is also part of the device. 
     The traverse is connected to the hoisting hook in such a way, via a bearing structure, that the traverse can be rotated in the plane of the object to be manipulated, but also can be tilted in the transverse direction; even in such a way that (horizontally extending) floorboards and (in a tilted plane extending) roof panels can be transported and manipulated with the device 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for manipulating flat objects, etc. having an improved manipulability and an improved reliability of the operation of the vacuum pump. 
     According to the invention, these objects are achieved by providing a device for manipulating flat objects, comprising a lifting hook which is adapted to be able to be connected to a hoisting device, further comprising a suction cup frame, hereinafter referred to as traverse, provided with a number of suction cups, which can engage said flat object, wherein the connection with the flat object is established by evacuating the suction cups by means of a vacuum pump, which also forms a part of the device; wherein the traverse is connected to the hoisting hook in such a way, via a bearing structure, that the traverse can be rotated in the plane of the object to be manipulated, and also can be tilted in the transverse direction, wherein the bearing structure comprises a rotary bearing and a pivot bearing, which rotary bearing comprises an outer bearing member connected with the traverse and an inner bearing member, wherein during use of the device the rotary bearing is positioned within the thickness of the traverse and/or in the space between the traverse and the surface of the object to be manipulated, and wherein the pivot bearing is connected with the lower end of said lifting hook by means of a first bearing portion, and wherein the pivot bearing is connected to said inner bearing member of the rotary bearing by means of a second bearing portion, which is tiltable relative to the first bearing portion. 
     Preferably, by means of a mounting frame the vacuum pump is connected to said second bearing portion of the pivot bearing and/or with said inner bearing member of the rotary bearing, in such a way that, in use of the device, the vacuum pump co-tilts with the traverse and the object to be manipulated, but does not rotate together with the traverse and the object to be manipulated. As a result of this bearing structure, because the vacuum pump does not co-rotate with the traverse and the object to be manipulated, the reliability of the vacuum pump (driven by an electric motor) is increased. 
     Preferably, the lower end of the lifting hook, and preferably also the upper end, is bent in the direction of the surface of the object to be manipulated, during use of the device. Due to this form, together with the special design of the bearing structure as described hereinabove, it is achieved that the pivot point of the device is close to the object to be tilted, so that the object can be tilted better and more accurately than with similar devices, which are known as prior art. 
    
    
     
       The invention will now be further discussed by means of the following figure description. 
         FIG. 1  schematically shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a CAD drawing of the same embodiment, in more detail. 
     
    
    
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a device for manipulating a flat object  1 , comprising a (removable) lifting hook  2 , which is adapted to be able to be connected to a hoisting device, for instance by means of a sling  3 . The device further comprises a suction cup frame, hereinafter referred to as traverse  4 , provided with a number of suction cups  5 , which can engage on the said flat object  1 , wherein the connection with the flat object is established by creating a vacuum (by evacuating) the suction cups  5  by means of a vacuum pump  6  which is also part of the device. 
     The traverse  4  is connected to the lifting hook  2  via a bearing structure  7 , in such a way, that the traverse  4  can be rotated (R) in the plane of the object  1  to be manipulated, and also can be tilted (K) in the transverse direction. 
     The bearing structure  7  comprises a rotary bearing and a pivot (tilting) bearing. The rotary bearing comprises an outer bearing member  8  being connected to the traverse  4 , and an inner bearing member  9 . This rotary bearing  8 / 9  is positioned within the thickness a 1  of the traverse  4  and/or in the space a 2  between the traverse  4  and the (inner) surface  10  of the object to be manipulated  1 , during use of the device. 
     The pivot bearing is connected to the lower end  12  of the lifting hook  2  by means of a first bearing portion  11 , and to the inner bearing member  9  of the rotary bearing  8 / 9  by means of a second (for example, shaft-like) bearing portion  13 , which is tiltable with respect to the first bearing portion  11 . 
     The vacuum pump  6  is connected to the second bearing portion  13  of the pivot bearing by means of a mounting frame  14 , and/or is connected to the inner bearing member  9  of the rotary bearing  8 / 9 , such that during use of the device the vacuum pump  6  (and the batteries) tilts (K) congruent with the traverse  4  and with the object  1  to be manipulated, but does not co-rotate (R) with the traverse  4  and the object  1  to be manipulated. 
     It is observed that hereinabove is assumed that the shaft-like bearing portion  13  is movably (tiltably bearingly) mounted within the first bearing portion  11  and immovably mounted onto the inner bearing member  9 . Consequently, the portions  11  and  13  form the pivot bearing. In an alternative embodiment the first bearing portion  11  of the pivot bearing is provided with a shaft, which extends to both sides and which is immovably connected with (the remainder of) said first bearing portion  11 . The outer ends of said shaft are movably (pivotably) mounted onto the inner bearing member  9 . In that embodiment, the member  9  as shown in  FIG. 1  acts as a (rotatable) inner bearing member for the rotary bearing, as well as a second bearing portion for the pivot bearing. Accordingly, the pivot bearing is formed by part  11  and part  9  (which then in fact constitutes a single part with part  13 ). 
     The lower end  12  and, preferably, also the upper end  15  of the hoisting hook  2 , are bent in the direction of (the surface  10  of) the object to be manipulated  1 . 
     Due to the rotating/tilting structure of the device, the point of engagement P is located at a short distance (in the embodiment shown, at a distance ½a1+a2) of the inner surface  10  of the object to be manipulated  1 , whereby an optimum ease of manipulation is obtained. As a result, a more reliable operation of the vacuum pump  6  is obtained because this pump co-tilts (K) with the object  1 , but does not co-rotate (R) with the object  1  (rotating could affect the reliability of the operation of the vacuum pump  6 ). After all, the vacuum pump is connected to a point of the bearing structure  7  (namely, with part  9 ) which can tilt but can not rotate. This is contrary to the object  1 , which is connected to a point of the bearing structure  7  (namely, to part  8 ), which is able to tilt as much as rotate.