Elevator and Transfer Crane for Storage Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: Elevator and Transfer Crane for Storage Batteries.
I, GEORGE HERBERT CONDICT, of 1684, Broadway, New York, U.S.A., Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My present invention relates to means and apparatus for mechanically hand-
ling trays of storage batteries to be attached to or removed from motor vehicles
which are electrically propelled and derive their current from storage batteries.
In a concurrent application for Letters Patent, I have described and claimed
an exceedingly efficient method of handling storage batteries in which the same
are applied to and removed from the vehicle by means of vertically moving
elevators operating from below the motor vehicle to be supplied.
In the present instance, the trays of storage batteries are applied to the
vehicles in a somewhat different manner, but however applied to the vehicle
itself, the present invention provides means for picking up the trays of battery
and carrying them about the charging room, placing them upon the charging
tables and generally handling or transporting them from the vehicle to the
charging stand and from the charging stand to the vehicle.
Generally, the invention includes the combination with a travelling overhead
crane, of a number of elevators or hoists in fixed positions and gripping or
grappling mechanism in combination with the hoisting devices, so that the
overhead crane carries a number of small elevators each of which is equipped
to pick up and carry a tray of batteries wherever desired within the line of
travel of the crane, in connection with rows of charging tables corresponding
with the elevators, as will appear from the following description taken in con-
nection with the accompanying drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, showing my improved battery hoist, batteries
being hoisted, and a transferring crane.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a part of the transfer crane and of the hoisting
mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the hoisting mechanism of Fig. 2, together
with the elevator car and gripping arms, which are hoisted by the hoist.
In the drawings, Fig. 1, A is a rail which is appropriately secured at the
desired height and there is a corresponding one on the opposite side which is

page_text: omitted for convenience of illustration. B is a travelling crane which has a
carrying wheel C at each end running upon the rails A in the usual and well
known manner. D is a motor indicated in dotted lines, and this motor is con-
nected by suitable mechanism to the wheels C C of the overhead crane for the
purpose of moving it back and forth upon the rails as may be desired. A con-
troller stand d contains proper electrical apparatus for stopping, starting and
reversing the motor D in order to effect the movement of the crane B, as desired.
The crane B consists generally of two strong plate girders E F extending longi-
tudinally across the space and connected by any desired number of cross pieces
or braces f. Between the braces f, f are placed at desired intervals, bed plates e.
Opposite the bed plates e and also between the pairs of cross pieces f f are
located vertical guides G1, G2, G3, G4 within which are placed and vertically
movable elevator frames H, each of which as indicated, comprises a frame
having upper and lower sills h h¹ united by uprights 2. To the lower sills h¹
are pivoted two sets of downwardly extending and radially movable grappling
arms I J. These arms are provided with inwardly turned or bent portions at
the lower ends i j. Crank arms G g extend inwardly from the upper ends of
the grappling arms I J and they are desirably made of sufficient weight or are
weighted to act by gravity to normally throw out the lower ends of the grappling
arms I J, substantially as indicated in Fig. 1 at table 02.
The crank arms Gy may be connected by a pair of short links g¹ and
attached to a single rope or chain K, although if desired, two separate hoisting
chains may be provided, one attached to each of the levers G g. A separate
hoisting cord or chain L is attached to the upper sill h.
M is a motor which is mounted upon the bed plate e and has its armature
shaft connected with a double winding drum N, to which are attached two hoist
chains K L one at an angle with the other, so that one will hoist when the
drum moves in one direction and the other will hoist when the drum moves in
the opposite direction. As the drum revolves, that chain which is attached in
advance of the other in the direction of motion, will hoist, while the other chain
will remain slack. At the lower end one chain is attached to the hoisting frame
while the other is attached to the upper ends of the grappling
levers
or hooks.
The latter being properly weighted, the hooks will
normally remain in their open or releasing position. When the chain
attached to the frame is hoisting or lowering the grappling hooks
will remain open, but when the chain attached to the upper ends of said
hooks is hoisting or lowering the hooks are closed. Guide sheaves m n are
mounted upon a shaft k which is journalled in the space between the vertical
guides G1, G2, G3, G4. The ropes or chains K L, extending from the drum N
pass over the sheaves m n and to the elevator frame H, and grappling arms G g
and the upper end of the rope K. which is fastened to the links y connecting
the grappling arms, is attached to the drum N at a point several inches in
advance of the similar end of the rope L attached to the frame, as stated.
01, 02, 08, 0%, represent a series of tables or stands. These stands are
arranged in rows, each row being directly underneath one of the elevator
frames H. As many of these stands may be provided as desired so long as they
are under one or other of the hoisting frames and within the limit of the travel
of the crane B.
PP are trays containing secondary batteries p p. These are substantially
of uniform construction and are designed to rest upon the stands when as
set forth in a pending application for Letters Patent, filed February 13th 1899,
No. 3182, they are automatically connected with the charging circuit. The
size, or at any rate, the width of the battery trays P corresponds with the space
between the grappling arms I J when the same are in vertical position, as
also indicated in Fig. 1. When in this position, the upturned ends ij of the
said grappling arms I J extending under the battery trays form a safe and
convenient means by which they may be raised. When it is desired to move a

page_text: tray of batteries from one part of the charging room to another, as for instance
in transferring a tray of spent battery from the receiving table to the charging
table or stand, or vice versa, the crane is brought to the desired point above the
table by operation of the motor D. The motor M is then operated through the
controller M and by revolving the drum N unwinds the rope L and lowers
the frame H and with it the grappling arms, which, as indicated in connection
with table 02, are normally spread out when rope L is lowering due to the
preponderance of weight in their crank arms G g, or to additional weights
attached, so as to produce the same effects, which effect may also be produced
by means of suitable springs if preferred. When the elevator frame H has
descended until the lower ends of the grappling arms are below the bottom edge
of the tray P, rope K begins to wind upon drum N. The effect of this will
be to close the lower ends of the grappling arms I J together and bring them
under the lower edges of the battery tray P2, securely grasping the same between
them. The two ropes or chains are provided in order that the elevator frame may
be held by one rope L while the rope or chain K is slacked off to allow the arms
to open and release the tray. Upon the reverse movement the slack of rope K
is taken up, the arms close under the tray when by continued hauling upon the
same the frame H together with the battery tray is raised from the table, the
crane is then moved upon its supporting rails by rotating the wheels C until
it is vertically above the table or charging stand upon which it is desired to
place the tray of battery, the operation is then reversed, and the tray lowered
on to the table and by slacking the rope K, the arms are permitted to separate,
when the frame H and grappling arms may be raised out of the way or moved
to another corresponding table to repeat the operation.
Having set forth the invention, it will be understood that the various details
of construction and arrangement in connection therewith may be varied or
modified if desired without departing therefrom. I therefore do not limit myself
to the exact particulars shown and described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination with a stand and a tray of batteries, of a vertically moving
hoisting apparatus, means connected therewith for grasping the batteries, and
means for moving the elevator and batteries over a predetermined course.
2. The combination with an overhead travelling erane, of a fixed vertically
moving elevator depending therefrom, and means carried by the crane for operat-
ing the elevator and a pair of laterally moving grappling arms connected to and
moving with the elevator.
3. The combination with a row of tables or supports, of a travelling elevating
device adapted to be moved along said row and provided with grappling arms,
a battery tray adapted to be grappled by the arms and to be sustained upon the
support within reach thereof, and means for actuating the grappling and elevat-
ing devices and for moving the elevator and its load.
4. The combination with a travelling overhead crane, of a fixed grappling and
hoisting mechanism adapted to be hoisted and lowered to and from the crane,
a motor for operating the same, and means for controlling the motor, a tray of
batteries or the like to be hoisted and transferred and a plurality of stands or
tables in the line of travel of the crane and adapted to receive the batteries
from the transferring apparatus.
5. The combination with an overhead travelling crane, of a plurality of ver-
tically moving elevators carried thereby, each elevator provided with hinged
radially movable grappling arms, a hoisting drum and chains thereon connected
with the elevator for raising and lowering the same and with the grappling
arms to open and close the same.
6. The combination with a plurality of rows of charging stands of substan-

page_text: tially uniform height, a plurality of trays adapted to contain storage batteries
and all of substantially the same size, an overhead travelling crane adapted to
move over the space occupied by the rows of tables, and a plurality of combined
elevating and gripping devices carried by the crane, one for each row of tables
and each having a hoisting drum having chains for operating the elevator and
for operating the gripping mechanism connected therewith, and a suitable motor
for operating the overhead crane whereby the trays containing the batteries
may be elevated and lowered and conveyed to and from the tables as desired.
7. The combination with an elevator and grappling mechanism to hold the
object to be elevated, of a hoisting drum, and chains connected respectively to
the elevator and to the grappling mechanism and attached to the drum at points
at an angle to each other, and means for rotating the drum in either direction,
whereby when the elevator chain is taut, the grappling chain is slack and vice
versa.
T
111 1
1 1000
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
Chartered Patent Agents, 60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.