US1457639A - Truck for handling hollow blocks and tile - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1923. 1,457,639

' M. T. STRAIGHT TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TILE Filed Sept, 27, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 5, 1923.

M. T. STRAIGHT TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TILE Filed Sept. 27. 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bweruor June 5, 1923.

M. T. STRAIGHT 'TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TI LE Filed Sept. 27, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 [:HI? IIIII EJII] CHI] :11: [I113 511 IIIII E15 IIJE] 51:1 13:1 IIII IIII :11: 1:1: C1D [31:11:15 [3m G1: :15 511mm 1,457,639 PATENT FFic.

MERTON T. STRAIGHT, OF ADEL, IOWA.

TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TILE.

Application filed September 27, 191 9. Serial No. 326,957.

those known as hollow building blocks and drain tile, or any articles formed with openings which can be piled in symmetrical piles.

Clay products of this class are generally burned in kilns and are then removed to a suitable receiving or storage yard where they are piled ready for delivery to the consumer at any convenient time, or they may be delivered directly to suitable cars for transportation. In either case, it is necessary to load blocks or tile into a rack or frame provided on a transfer truck, or cars, and then unload and pile them in the yards or in a railroad car. If the articles are piled in the yards it is necessary to handle them the second time by placing them on a transfer car and deliveringthem to the -railroad car. This work has heretofore been done manually and generally required from two to three men to each transfer car.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a truck having mechanical means for automatically loading a truck and capable of unloading and piling the stuif in suitable piles. This would require one operator such as is generally used to operate a truck. Tile or blocks are generally piled in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, with the openings of the ware running transversely of the pile, which may be any desired length and of a height limited by the vertical dimensions of the machine. The blocks may be piled in a series of vertical tiers with their ends adjacent.

A further object of my invention is to provide a truck of simple, durable and inexpensive construction particularly adapted to deliver and pile hollow tile or building blocks in symmetrical piles.

A further object is to provide in a truck adapted to deliver and pile building blocks and having a series of projecting prongs for removing and elevating the said blocks, new and improved means whereby the tile or blocks may be prevented from sliding of? the said prongs, as the truck is being operated.

A further object is to provide a self propelled truck provided with a pronged rack or receiving hollow blocks or tile and capable of being lifted or elevated vertically and alsocapable of swinging horizontally.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, which need not be pointed out in detail.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

big. 1 shows a side elevation of my improved truck showing a series of blocks in dotted lines and the manner in which the truck engages the same before they are removed from their position. The lifting member is also shown in dotted lines in its elevated position.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of my improved truck, the lifting member being shown in its normal position for receiving a load and shown" swung to one side in dotted lines.

Fl-"g. 3 is a detail sectional vie-w of the lifting' prongs showing the hooks for retaining theblocks in position taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View showing the manner in which the lifting rack is secured to the lifting frame and is taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. a

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the manner in which the lifting bars may be applied'to hollow cylindrical tile.

Fig. 6 is a'detail end elevation showing the manner in which the lifting prongs are applied to rectangular hollow tile.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of th lifting mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a pile of clay products piled in the manner necessary to be handled by my improved lifting truck.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail View showing the manner in which the driving wheels are operatively connected with the axle and the motor.

The reference numeral 10 indicates the platform of my truck which is provided with an axle 11, each end of which axle has pivotally mounted wheels 12, the said wheels being controlled by means of arms 13 and transverse guide rod 14. A battery box 15 is secured on the rear end of the platform 10 motor.

and is designed to contain storage batteries of the ordinary construction. The forward side of the box 15 is provided with a bearing 16 which is designed. to receive a vertical shaft 17, the lower end of which is provided with an arm 18, said arm 18 being operatively connected with an arm 19 by the link 20, the arm 19 being secured to one of the arms 13. The upper end of the shaft 17 has an operating handle 21. By this mechanism, I have provided means whereby the rear end of the truck may be steered, the said means being of the ordinary construction.

The axle 11 is provided with suitable driving shaft 25 by which the wheels 12 are rotated, the said mechanism being operated through a motor 22 having a vertical shaft 23 and a worm 24, which is operatively connected with the worm gear 25. By this mechanism, which is also of the ordinary construction, the truck may be advanced forwardly or rearwardly by operating said The forward end of the truck is provided with a casting 26 having an axle 27, each end of which has pivotally mounted wheels 28. The wheels 28 are operatively connected by steering links similar to those applied to the rear wheel and are controlled by means of a lever 29 mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 30 similar to the shaft 17. The position of these links are clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The castin 26 is also provided at its forward end with a bearing member 31 which is designed to carry a vertical shaft 32 and also ahorizontal shaft 33, the shaft'32 being operatively connected to the shaft 33 by means of bevel gears 34. A motor 35 is operatively connected with the shaft 32 and secured to the under side of the platform 10. The shaft 32 has its upper end screw-threaded and is designed to extend upward and is rotatively mounted in abearing member 36. This member is secured to a frame 37 which extends rearward and downward and is secured to the top side of the battery boxes 15 by means of bolts 38. The thrust bearing plate 39 is mounted upon the upper side of the bearing 26 and is designed to carry a sleeve 40 rotatively mounted in the platform 10 and secured to a guide supporting member 41. The member 41 is provided with guides 42 which extend vertically and ahead of the shaft 32, the upper ends of the guides 42 being connected to a horizontal bar 43, the rear end of which has mounted in it a sleeve 44. The sleeve 44 is pivotally mounted in the bearing member 36, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. By this construction the guide members 42 and the members 41 and 43 form a unitary structure, free to pivotally swing about the shaft 32, the said shaft being free to rotate within the sleeves 40 and 44. The guides 42 are spaced apart and thereby provide a vertical slot 45.

For receiving the material, I have provided what I shall term a lifting rack,comprising a vertical plate 46, provided with equi-distant horizontally arranged prongs 47 extendinglaterally from its forward side. Each of these prongs has its rear end rigid- .ly secured to said plate and is formed preferably of a channel iron, having in its top portion near its rear end a slot 48. The plate 46 has secured to its rear side, by a plate 46 and guide members 49 which are designed to co-act with the ide members 42 in such a manner that the plate 46 with the prongs 47, may be elevated or lowered vertically. For raisin and lowering the plate 46, I have provi ed an arm 50 which extends through the slot 45 of the swinging frame, formed by the guides 42 and the members 43, the forward end of the arm 50 being secured to the back of the plate 46 bynneans of bolts 51. The rear end of the arm 50 has a screw-threaded opening designed to co-act with the screw-threaded shaft 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Thus it will be seen that as the motor35 is rotated, the shaft 32 will be rotated through the bevel gears 34 and the plate 46 will be elevated or lowered, depending upon which direction the said shaft is rotated.

The prongs 46 are spaced and so arranged that they will enter the openings formed in the hollow blocks or tile when the said blocks or tile are piled symmetrical as shown in Fig. 8.

In this arrangement, it will be seen that if the lifting rack is in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the truck is advanced with the prongs 47 opposite the opening formed in said blocks, the prongs will enter the said openings, after which the said rack may be elevated, which will cause the blocks to be elevated therewith, the number of blocks elevated being determined by the number, of prongs in the lifting rack. After the blocks have been lifted, the truck may be moved rearwardly, which will remove the said blocks from the pile. They may then be carried to any suitable point, at which time the rack may be lowered, until the blocks rest upon the floor and the truck may be moved rearward, causing the prongs to disengage said blocks.

The guide members 42 are of a consider able length for the purpose of enabling the operator to place the blocks on a pile of a considerable height. If the machine is operated with the racks in the position shown in Fig. 1, a low pile of blocks may be removed and by elevating the said rack, may be placed on a pile considerably higher.

Sometimes it is not convenient to move the machine directly forward to pick up a bunch of tile, but would be more convenient to move it forward and sidewise. To accomplish this, I have provided means whereby trall mamas the lifting rack may be swung about the shaft 32, which is accomplished by means of a worm gear 52, in mesh with a worm 53 secured in a suitable boxing 54, the worm gear 52 being secured to the sleeve 40. The worm 53 is secured to a horizontal shaft 55 which extends beneath the platform 10 and is operatively connected with a motor shaft of the motor 56.

Thus it will be seen that if the motor 56 is operated, the worm gear 52 may be operated, causing the sleeve 40 to rotate and carry the frame member 41 with it. will cause the rack to be moved in a horizontal plane. When the rack is moved in the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 2, the supporting wheels will also be moved to take paths parallel with the longitudinal axes of the prongs, as illustrated by dotted lines. Then the motor 22 is operated, the truck will be moved obliquely and the prongs longitudinally into the openings of the blocks, after which the blocks may be lifted as above described.

For preventing the blocks from sliding ofl while they are being transported from one position to another, I have provided a hook member 57 having a hook 58 on its rear end, desi ned to extend upward into the slot 48 an the hook member 59 on its forward end designed to extend upward beyond the forward end of the prong, the member 57 being designed to rest cenbeneath the top of the prong. The mem er57 has pivotally connected to each side, a link 60, the lower end of each of which is pivotally connected to a second link 61, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to the sides of the channel 47. For operating the hook member 59, I have provided a horizontal bar 62, the forward end of which is pivoted to the links 60 and 61 by a pivot 63. The rear end of the bar 62 is connected to an arm 64 which in turn is mounted on a horizontal transverse shaft 65. A transverse pin 66 is placed beneath the rear end of the member 57 to hold the hook 58 in the slot 48. By this arrangement it will be seen that when the hook 59 is in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and is engaged by the end of-a block, as it moves longitudinally toward the free end of the prong 47, the hook 58 will engage the forward end of the slot 48 and the forward movement of the hook 59 prevented. There is a shaft for each horizontal tier of prongs 57, and each prong is provided with a hook 59, and it has operative mechanism as described.

Each of the shafts 65 is provided at one end with an arm 67 which has its free end connected toa vertical bar 68. The top one of the shafts 65 has at each end an operating This lever 69. When the prongs 47 'have been moved forward in position to pick up hollow blocks or tile and the rack has been elevated and movedslightly rearward, the top arm 69 is moved forward which causes the rock shafts 65 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in F ig. 3. This would cause the bars 62 to move forward together with the links 60 and 61. This would cause the hook member 59 to be moved forward then upward from beneath the under side of the prong 47 to a position shown in the top prong of Fig. 3, with the hook 58 against the forward end of the slot 48, thereby preventing the tile from sliding off of said prongs.

It is necessary to withdraw the hook member 59 back of the forward end of the said prongs, for the purpose of permitting the load to be elevated without engaging tile adjacent to the forward end of the tile being lifted. If the hooks were in position as shown on the top of prong of Fig. 3, the top of the member 59 would engage the adjacent tile. For that reason, it is desirable to move the hook members 59 beneath the forward end of the prongs when the rack is being loaded By this arrangement it will be seen that I have provided a mechanical meanswhereby a number of tile ma be simultaneously and automatically lifte and delivered to a second predetermined pile.

One advantage of the swinging rack is s that when tile are lifted and hauled from i one position to another, they will have a tendency to spread apart when the tile are placed on the pile, and as the rack is lowered, it is also slightly swung sideways which will cause the tile to engage each other and be properly aligned vertically.

The plate 46 may be detachably connected to the plate 46 by means of rivets 46 mounted in the said plate 46" and designed to co-act with slots 46 secured in the plate 46.

By this construction, the operator is enabled to quickly and easily remove the lifting rack and replace it with a second lifting rack having the prongs arranged and spaced different from those on the first liftin rack, for the purpose of lifting tile of difi'erent sizes and shapes, Fig. 5 being a fragment of a rack arranged to lift hollow drain tile.

I claim:

1. A device for handling hollow tile comprising a frame, having a series of horizontal prongs spaced apart so that each may enter the opening of a correspondingly spaced tile of a series of adjacent and symmetrically arranged tile, means for elevating and lowering said frame, means for swinging said frame in a horizontal plane when in any of its vertical positions of movement, and means for moving said prongs longitudinally ,into and out of the tile when said prongs are in any of their positions of movement.

2. A device for handling hollow tile comprising a frame, having a series of horizontal prongs spaced apart so that each may enter the opening of a correspondingly spaced tile of a series of adjacent and symmetrically arranged tile, each of said prongs being provided with a pivoted hook designed to rest normally beneath and back of its free end and capable of being moved forward, beyond, and above the said free end, means for simultaneously operating said hooks, means for elevating and lowering said frame, means for swinging said frame in a horizontal plane when in any of its vertical positions of movement, and means for moving said prongs longitudinally into and out of the tile when said prongs are in any of their positions of movement.

'3. A lifting rack comprising a frame having a series of prongs projecting from one side, each of said prongs being provided with a pivoted hook designed to rest normally beneath and back of its free end and capable of being moved forward, beyond, and above the said free end, and means for simultaneously operating said hooks.

4. A lifting rack comprising a frame having a series of prongs projecting from one side, each of said prongs being provided with a pivoted hook designed to rest normally beneath and back of its free end and capable of being moved forward beyond and above the said free end, and means for operating said hooks.

5. The combination of a platform, means for supporting and moving said platform in a number of directions, a battery box on the rear end of said platform, a vertical screw threaded shaft on the forward end of said platform, means for rotating said shaft, vertical guides pivotally mounted to swing around said shaft, means for swinging said guides, a slide frame mounted on said guides and operatively connected to said screw threaded shaft, a receiving rack and means for detachably connecting said rack to the said slide frame.

' 6. The combination of a platform, means platform, means for rotating said shaft, vertical guides pivotally mounted to swing around said shaft, mechanical means for swinging said guides, a slide frame mounted on said guides and operatively connected to said screw threaded shaft, and a lifting rack mounted on said slide frame comprising a vertical framehaving a series of horizontal and parallel prongs projecting from one side.

7. The combination of a horizontally arranged platform, means for moving said platform in a number of directions, a vertical support on said platform, a rack pivotally mounted on said vertical support and capable of vertical movement from the lower end to the upper end of said support, said rack being provided with a series of parallel prongs arranged and adapted to be moved longitudinally in the openings of hollow tile or. blocks when piled symmetrically, means for moving said rack vertically, and means for swinging said rack about the said vertical support when in any of its elevated or lowered positions of movement.

8. In a device .of the class described, a rack provided with a series of parallel prongs arranged and adapted to be moved longitudinally in the openings of hollow tile or blocks when piled symmetrically, the free ends of each of said prongs being provided with a pivoted hook designed to rest normally beneath and back of its free end and capable of being moved forward, beyond .and above the said free end,means for simultaneously operating said hooks, means for slidably and pivotally supporting said rack on a vertical axis, means for imparting a sliding and vertical movement to said rack,

and means for swinging said rack about said vertical axis when in any of its vertical positions.

MERTON T. STRAIGHT.

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