Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5387148?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-04-21 23:59:43
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Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 13', 'art 19', 'art 19', 'art 14', 'art 13', 'art 14', 'art 13', 'arts 13', 'art 11', 'arts 11', 'arts 11', 'arts 11', 'art 14', 'arts 19', 'art 19']

Patent US5387148 - Grab for a toy crane - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA grab for a toy crane is provided with two two-armed levers having a common axis of rotation. Portions of the levers overlap each other at the axis of rotation about which the levers are mutually hinged at at least two places. Each lever has a first arm and a second arm which are mutually contiguous...http://www.google.com/patents/US5387148?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5387148 - Grab for a toy craneAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5387148 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/070,436PCT numberPCT/DK1991/000370Publication dateFeb 7, 1995Filing dateDec 3, 1991Priority dateDec 4, 1990Fee statusLapsedAlso published asDE69114722D1, DE69114722T2, EP0560844A1, EP0560844B1, WO1992010257A1Publication number070436, 08070436, PCT/1991/370, PCT/DK/1991/000370, PCT/DK/1991/00370, PCT/DK/91/000370, PCT/DK/91/00370, PCT/DK1991/000370, PCT/DK1991/00370, PCT/DK1991000370, PCT/DK199100370, PCT/DK91/000370, PCT/DK91/00370, PCT/DK91000370, PCT/DK9100370, US 5387148 A, US 5387148A, US-A-5387148, US5387148 A, US5387148AInventorsErling T. Dideriksen, Kim PagelOriginal AssigneeInterlego A.G.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (14), Referenced by (9), Classifications (10), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetGrab for a toy crane
US 5387148 AAbstract
A grab for a toy crane is provided with two two-armed levers having a common axis of rotation. Portions of the levers overlap each other at the axis of rotation about which the levers are mutually hinged at at least two places. Each lever has a first arm and a second arm which are mutually contiguous solely on one side of a central plane of the grab perpendicular to the axis of rotation.
1. A grab for a toy crane, comprising two, two-armed levers, said levers having a common axis of rotation and arranged to overlap so as to engage in a releasable, rotatable snap-fit connection with each other at the axis of rotation, said arms being mutually hinged at at least two points along the axis of rotation, wherein each lever comprises a first arm and a second arm each said lever comprising engagement means to engage suspension means from a toy crane, said arms of each lever being contiguous essentially on one side of a central plane of the grab which is perpendicular to said axis whereby the grab is adapted to grip an object by mutual movement of the levers about the axis of rotation.
2. A grab according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinges are constructed as integral parts (25, 17; 26, 18) of respective ones of the levers.
3. A grab according to claim 2, characterized in that each lever has hinge parts (26, 24; 17, 18) mutually complementary in pairs for cooperation with the corresponding hinge parts of the other lever.
4. A grab according to claim 1, characterized in that the engagement means is adapted to hang in a U-shaped loop on an endless cord (28).
5. A grab according to claim 4, characterized in that both levers are adapted to cooperate with the cord (28).
6. A grab according to claim 4, characterized in that the engagement means cooperates freely movably with the cord (28).
7. A grab according to claim 6, characterized in that each of the levers has a pulley (16) for cooperation with a cord (28) from a toy crane.
8. A grab according to claim 1, characterized in that each lever features a gripping face (12) with a friction increasing part (19).
9. A grab according to claim 8, characterized in that the gripping faces has a friction increasing shape (20).
10. A grab according to claim 1, characterized in that its two-armed levers (11) are constructed as substantially identical parts.
The invention concerns a grab for a toy crane, said grab having two two-armed levers adapted to grip an object by mutual movement above their axis of rotation, said levers being hinged at at least two places along their axis of rotation.
The DE Patent 833 169 discloses such a grab which is suspended from a crane arm in two separate cords. The grab can be raised and lowered with operating means on the crane with simultaneous rolling up or rolling out of both cords, and the grab can be closed or opened by shortening or extending one of the cords with respect to the other. This known grab requires a separate cord for its opening/closing function and cannot therefore be retained in a closed state without this separate cord.
Also U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,854 shows such a crane grab, but whose jaws have suspension points outside their common pivot shaft, and the jaws are connected in these points with a common, carrying cord. Another cord is connected with the pivot shaft, and the jaws of the grab can be opened and closed by different pull in these cords. However, the jaws of the grab have no mutually intersecting parts like in the present invention.
GB 619 367 shows a toy crane with a grab whose parts intersect each other in a common fulcrum, and these parts are just hinged in this single fulcrum.
The present invention provides a grab which is inexpensive to produce, is functional and is realistic in use.
It is first and foremost possible to manufacture the two two-armed levers of the grab as identical parts, which is an advantage in terms of production. Further, it is hereby possible to let the two levers intersect each other seen in projection along the axis of rotation, so that their mutual movement about the axis of rotation will be a scissors-like movement. This movement makes it possible to use the gravitational pull from the object which the grab carries to intensify the grip of the grab of the object, which can hereby be retained safely by the grab at any time.
When the hinges are constructed as integrated parts of the levers, an additional productional advantage is obtained since no separate shaft or other hinge device is needed.
The grab of the invention lends itself for use with a crane where a U-shaped loop on an endless cord carries the grab.
The gripping face of the grab, which is advantageously so constructed as to provide relatively great friction between the gripping face of a grab and the objects which is gripped.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grab of the invention carrying an object,
FIG. 2a shows the two halves of the grab of FIG. 1, seen from the side,
FIG. 2b shows the assembled grab, seen from the side,
FIG. 3a shows the two halves of the grab, seen from above, and
FIG. 3b shows the assembled grab, seen from above.
A grab 10 consists of two identical halves 11 preferably made of plastics. Each half 11 has a gripping member 12 formed as a rectangular plate. Two substantially box-shaped parts 13 and 14 are provided from the upper edge of the gripping member 12, said parts extending mutually in parallel at a certain distance from each other and forming an angle with the gripping member 12 which is approximately a right or a slightly obtuse angle. The inner side of the gripping members 12 is formed with a part 19 which has ribs 20 on the part of its face which is directed away from the gripping member 12. The part 19 is preferably made of rubber or another material having a relatively great coefficient of friction.
From the free end of the box-shaped part 14, a bracket 15 extends further forwardly and offset toward the other box-shaped part 13. The bracket 15 carries two uprights 23 which have depressions 22 at the top serving as bearings for the shaft 21 of a pulley 16.
An incision 24 is provided at the free end of the box-shaped part 14, said incision being defined by a flap 25 at one side. The flap 25 carries a circular projection 17 on the side of it which faces inwardly toward the incision 24. The other box-shaped part 13 is formed with a projecting flap 26 having on its outwardly facing face a circular depression 18 with dimensions enabling the projection 17 to fit in it. The flap 26 has a thickness so as to fit in the incision 24.
As mentioned, the assembled grab 10 consists of two uniform halves 11. FIG. 2a shows how the two halves 11 are placed one above the other before being assembled. During assembly, the central brackets 15 of the respective halves 11 are moved up and down, respectively, into the gap between the box-shaped parts 13 and 14 of the opposite part 11, and the flaps 26 are passed into the incisions 24. When the flap 26 touches the projection 17 on the flap 25, it will flex outwardly owing to the flexible properties of the material and open the incision 24 so that the flap 26 can be completely engaged with the incision 24. When the depression 18 on the flap 26 is opposite the projection 17 on the flap 25, the flap 25 moves resiliently backwards, and the projection 17 retains the two parts 11 with respect to each other by snap cooperation with the depression 18.
Thus, the flaps 25 with the projections 17 and the flaps 26 with the depressions 18 define a hinge with an axis of rotation through the two pairs of projections 17 and depressions 18 in engagement with each other, so that the two parts 11 of the grab can perform a mutual movement about the axis of rotation thus defined.
The pulleys 16 has a peripheral depression or groove 27 disposed in the central plane of the assembled grab perpendicular to the axis of rotation through the hinge elements 17, 18, 18, 17.
FIG. 1 shows how the grab 10 is suspended in a cord 28 forming a U-shaped loop and being engaged with both pulleys 16. The grab 10 grips an object 29, with the ribs 24 on the gripping faces engaging the object 29, which is retained owing to the friction between the ribs and the upper face of the object 29.
The cord 28 exerts a pull in both pulleys 16, and the central bracket 15 with the pulley 16 constitutes one arm of a two-armed lever for each of the parts 11, while the box-shaped part 14 constitutes the other arm. The cord 28, when pulling the pulleys 16, will thus cause the assembled grab 10 to grip the object 29.
In the shown embodiment, the rubber parts 19 with ribs 20 are adapted to grip the object 29 and retain it by means of friction between the ribs 20 and the surface of the object 29, the part 19 may also be provided with means in the form of projections and/or recesses adapted to engage corresponding complementary parts on the object 29, which is then retained by purely mechanical means and not by friction.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS149143 *Mar 3, 1874Mar 31, 1874 Improvement in grUS987418 *Mar 14, 1910Mar 21, 1911J M Dodge CompanyFreight-hoist.US1488210 *Apr 21, 1923Mar 25, 1924Lewis Charles WTie-handling machineUS2166854 *Jul 5, 1938Jul 18, 1939William D BartlettBucket for miniature digging and hoisting machinesUS2399547 *Apr 10, 1945Apr 30, 1946American Mono Rail CompanyArticle handling deviceUS2590188 *May 7, 1946Mar 25, 1952Ira LandreeToy swinging craneUS3115361 *Jul 13, 1961Dec 24, 1963Miles Ray PPallet slingUS3245712 *Jul 21, 1964Apr 12, 1966Mitchell John HPower operated grapple tongUS3788694 *Jul 19, 1971Jan 29, 1974Hall GArticle handling systemUS4261133 *Jan 24, 1980Apr 14, 1981Marvin Glass & AssociatesToy car crushing apparatusDE833169C *Oct 28, 1950Mar 3, 1952Hans Biller Metall Und SpielwaSpielzeug-GreiferkranGB619367A * Title not availableNL14254C * Title not availableSU1740301A1 * Title not available* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5865661 *Oct 3, 1997Feb 2, 1999Parvia CorporationToy vehicular drive apparatusUS5924905 *Sep 24, 1997Jul 20, 1999Parvia CorporationModular terrain for a toy building setUS5947787 *Sep 24, 1997Sep 7, 1999Parvia CorporationModular lattice substructure for a toy building setUS5951356 *Oct 27, 1997Sep 14, 1999Parvia CorporationModular lattice substructure for a toy building set having columns and foundationsUS5993283 *Sep 30, 1997Nov 30, 1999Parvia CorporationModular buildings for a toy building setUS6007401 *Oct 3, 1997Dec 28, 1999Parvia CorporationOptoelectric remote control apparatus for guiding toy vehiclesUS6012957 *Oct 27, 1997Jan 11, 2000Parvia CorporationSingle beam optoelectric remote control apparatus for control of toysUS6102770 *Oct 3, 1997Aug 15, 2000Parvia CorporationToy vehicular electromechanical guidance apparatusUS6129605 *Sep 24, 1997Oct 10, 2000Parvia CorporationModular base units for a toy building set* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification446/424, 446/425, 294/112International ClassificationA63H17/045, A63H17/12, A63H33/04Cooperative ClassificationA63H17/12, A63H33/042European ClassificationA63H33/04B, A63H17/12Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionApr 8, 2003FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20030207Feb 7, 2003LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesAug 28, 2002REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedJul 17, 1998FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jun 29, 1993ASAssignmentOwner name: INTERLEGO A.G., SWITZERLANDFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DIDERIKSEN, ERLING THUE;PAGEL, KIM;REEL/FRAME:006733/0869Effective date: 19930608RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services