US3334865A - Hydraulic winch with self-clamping jaws - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 8, 1967 P. E. H. GATU HYDRAULIC WINCH WITH SELF-CLAMPING JAWS Filed April 2, 1965 m m v Aug. 8, 1967 P. E. H. CATU mmnwmc wmcn WITH SELF-CLAMPING JAWS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1965 wmwwwrmzo fi Fmr warm? on? 62 m3 mmwmmrwm mw m3. MD. mm? Kw m:

59 #9 mm? mm? mm mwr mm? m3. mm? m3 Si mm? 03. Q3 Q1 mm? @3 m3 0mm m at Nb. m9 Q5 Q5 Aug. 8, 1967 P. E. H. CATU HYDRAULIC WINCH WITH SELF-CLAMPING JAWS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 2, 1965 lllll-lulnll' our rl|llllll|l l o3 mi United States Patent ()fifice 3,334,865 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 63 8 Claims. (or. 254-106) One of the objects of the invention is to produce a hydraulic winch which is strong, of compact construction, unfailing to operate and easy to handle, while being entirely automatic.

Another object of the invention is to produce a hydraulic winch which comprises auto-clamping jaws provided with clamps, moving symmetrically in relation to the axis of the winch.

Another object of the invention is to produce a winch which, while being entirely automatic is also independent.

Another object of the invention is to produce a winch automatically establishing the releasing, gripping or pregripping of the clamps, and enabling either hauling movements, or backward movements to be effected at a controlled speed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be revealed by the description and claims hereafter as well as the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an overall external view of a winch according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatical view in longitudinal section of the jack assembly, fitted with its two clamp blocks.

FIGURE 3 shows the diagram of the circuit layout for controlling'the winch. The hydraulic cable winch, according to the invention, comprises (see FIGURE 1) a cylinder 136 provided with two head elements 137, 138.

This cylinder is divided. into two parts by a partition 139 (see FIGURE :2) placed at a shorter distance from the head 137 than the head 138.

Between the head 138 and the partition 139, the cylinder accommodates a mobile assembly comprising a main piston 140 and an auxiliary piston 143.

The tubular rod 141 of this piston 140 can slide in a seal-tight manner through the head 138 for externally receiving a rocking bar 142.

The auxiliary piston 143 is placed between the piston 140 and the partition 139, and the tubular rod 144 of this piston traverses, without any clearance, the rod 141 of the main piston, and without play, the rocking bar 142 in which it can slide in a seal-tight manner, receiving a flange 145, where it comes out.

Between the partition 139 and the head 137, the cylinder 136 receives a second auxiliary piston 146. This auxiliary piston 146 comprises a hollow rod 147 which can slide in a seal-tight manner through the head 137. This rod has a flange 148 at its end.

The piston 146 and its rod 147 are integral with a :central tube 149 able to slide in a seal-tight mannenon the one hand, through the partition 139, and on the other,

through the hollow rod 144 of the auxiliary piston 143.

The end 149 of this central tube 149 is located inside the rod 144.

The cylinder 136 of the jack is thus divided into independent chambers A, B, C, D, and E.

The chamber A, for generating the hauling movement of the mobile jaw, is supplied through an orifice 150 made in the end of the cylinder 1336 close to the head 138.

The chamber B, for controlling the opening of the 'mobile jaw, is supplied through an orifice 151 made in the tree end of the rod 141 of the main piston. This orifice 151 emerges inside the rod 141 in the annular space comprised between this rod 141 and the rod 144.

The chamber C, for controlling the exit movement of the mobile assembly comprises the pistons 143 and the mobile jaw.

The chamber D controls the opening of the fixed The chambers C and D are supplied through the orifices 152 and 153, placed close to and at each end of the partition 139.

The chamber E controls the closing and pre-gripping of the fixed jaw. This chamber is supplied through an orifice 154, made in the end of the cylinder 136, close to the head 137.

The free end of the rod 141 of the main piston 140 has two lateral external side plates 155, removably fixed on the rocking lever 142 by means of two pins 156, and between which are two gripping jaws with plain bearings, 157 and 158. On each of its two lateral faces, the grip 157 carries, at an equal distance from its ends, two cylindrical semi-journals 159 and 159 whereas the grip 158 carries on its two lateral faces, two cylindrical semijournals 160 and 160 placed equidistant from its ends, while being farther apart from each other than the semijournals 159 and 159 A grip multiplying lever 161, comprising two arms enclosing the grips 157 and 158, seizes the two semi-journals 159 and 160 in corresponding cavities, and comprises a lateral journal 162 centred on the middle of the segment joining the centers of the semi-journals 159 and 160 This journal 162 can revolve freely in one of the two lateral plates 163, removably fixed to the end of the flange by means of pins 163 while being axially guided in the two external side plates 155. The main arm of the lever 161 is directed downwards and is articulated at its lower end, on to the end of a connecting rod 164, whose other end accommodates an articulation spindle 164 fixed at its ends in the two side plates 155.

In a similar way, a second lever 165, provided with two arms enclosing the grip 157, comprises a journal 166 and is placed symmetrically in relation to the lever 161.

This lever 165 takes the two semi-journals 159 and and is directed upwards and articulates at its upper end on a connecting rod 167 whose second end takes an articulation spindle 167 fixed at its ends in the two side plates 155.

The journal 166 of the lever engages in one of the coupling plates 163 placed between the gripping lever and the external side plates 155. At the entry to the jaw unit, a cable guide 174 is fixed between two side plates 155 in the axis of the jaw unit.

A fixed jaw unit, placed at the other end of the jack, is removably attached to the head 137, by means of pins 230.

This unit is composed of the same elements as the mobile jaw unit, but differs from it, however, owing to the fact that, as compared with the external side plates, the gripping clamps 168 and 169 are switched over, the same as the levers 170, 171, 172 and 173,.everything else, however, remaining the same from the assembling standpoint.

A cable guide 174 is also placed at the exit from this fixed jaw unit. The coupling plates 175 of the journals 176 and 177 of the gripping levers 170 and 171, are removably attached to the flange 148 of the rod 147 by means of pins 178.

On the upper part of the head 138 of the cylinder 136 a control unit 179, 180 (see FIGURE 1) is fixed, whose exits are connected by external piping 181, 182, 183 tothe supply orifices 152, 153 and 154, and by a flexible pipe 184 to the orifice 151 of the rod 141, for supplying the chamber B.

The orifice 150 of chamber A directly communicates with the corresponding exit from the unit 179.

The cylinder 136 is articulated on a pair of wheels 185, whose spindle 186, situated slightly below the axis of the jack, is as near as possible to the center of gravity of the winch.

On each of its sides, the head 138 has a journal for attaching the end of a cable 188 for securing the winch to a fixed point.

When passing above the spindle 186 of the wheels 185, the cable 188 is kept at the height of the axis of the jack, so as to be able then to swing it round at will around this point.

The hydraulic circuit of the winch control comprises (see FIGURE 3), a supply duct 110 with non-return valve 111, delivering into a circuit 112 supplying the chamber A, a two-position distributor 113- for reversing the movement of the mobile jaw, a two-position distributor 114 for reversing the movement of the cable holding the load, a braking valve 115, a pilot valve 116, controlling the opening and closing of the valve 115, a throttle valve 117 for limiting the delivery of the valve 116, a nonreturn valve 118, a pressure reducing valve 119 for generating a steady pressure drop between chambers A and B when the driving rod of the mobile jaw enters, the load being propulsive, a pressure compensating valve 120 connecting chamber E with the supply circuit 112 below a certain pressure prevailing in this chamber B, a valve 121 opening by differential pilotings for balancing the thrusts on both faces of the auxiliary piston 146 with a slight constant overpressure on the piston 146 of chamber E towards chamber D, a pressure limiting valve 122 for creating a slight counter-pressure between the delivery circuit 123 and the return duct to the tank 124, a throttle valve 125 ensuring a permanent supply with a very slight output from chamber E by the high pressure circuit 112, and lastly, a three-position valve 96- for automatically controlling the valve 113.

The two valves 115, 116, the throttle 117 and the nonreturn valve 118 form the device for hydraulically braking the load.

The valve 115 has a variable opening, When this valve is full open, it connects, without braking, chamber A to chamber B; on the other hand, it completely isolates these two chambers when it is closed; for intermediate positions, the valve 115 produces a throttling of the fluid which slows down its flow from A to B. When not operating, this valve is closed.

The piloting valve 116 with three ways and two positions, connects, when at rest, the control circuit 126 for opening the valve 115 to chamber B through the throttle 117. In its second position, the valve 116 connects the opening circuit 126 to the delivery circuit 123. The nonreturn valve 118 ensures the rapid emptying of the opening circuit 126 towards chamber B when the pressure at B drops below a certain value.

The passage of the valve 116 from its rest position to its working position takes place by hydraulic piloting supplied by chamber D. The valve 115 only begins to open for a pressure at 126 exceeding that of the counter-pressure circuit 123. The pressure of chamber D required for piloting at 127 of the valve 116 is slightly greater than the pressure at the end of opening for the circuit 126 of the valve 115. The balancing valve 121 comprises a small section pilotage 121 connected to chamber E and a large section pilotage 121 connected to the counterpressure circuit 123. The valve 121 closed at rest opens for connecting chamber E to the circuit 123 for a certain pressure at E that it maintains.

The compensation valve 120 which is open when at rest, ensuring the link of the circuit 112 with chamber E, cuts this link slightly before the valve 121 opens.

The distributors 113 and 114 being on the first position (positions shown) chamber A is supplied by the circuit 112, chamber B is connected to the counter-pressure cir- 4 cuit 123 through the distributor 113 and chamber C through the distributor 114. These connections generate the entry of the rod driving the mobile jaw, the pre-clamping of this jaw by counter-pressure at B and C on the unequal sections of the piston 143 and a pre-clamping of the fixed jaw by the piston 146. The load is carried. The distributor 114 being on its first position and the distributor 113'on its second position (position shown waiting in FIGURE 3), chamber B is connected to the supply circuit through the distributor 113 and to chamber C through the distributor 114. These connections generate the putting under pressure of chambers B and C entailing the opening of the valve 115 by the control circuit 126 and hence the evacuation of the fluid from chamber A to chamber B and the rapid exit of the rod whereas the cable 4 is held by the fixed jaw. During the self-clamping of the fixed jaw, the piston 146 creates a depression at E which causes the opening of the compensation valve The distributor 114 being put on its second position, and the distributor 113 on its first, chamber B is connected to chamber D through the distributor 114 and the counter-pressure circuit 123 through the distributor 113, whereas chamber C is connected to the high pressure circuit 110 through the distributor 114, the pressure reducing valve 119 and the distributor 113. These connections generate a pressure in chamber C which tends to release the grips of the mobile jaw if the latter holds the load. Owing to the pressure drop generated by the valve 119 between chamber A and chamber B the piston and its rod begin to enter taking along the mobile jaw which slides on the cable, before said jaw has been able completely to open, the cable then being held by the fixed aw.

The distributors 113 and 114 being placed on their second position, chamber B is connected to chamber D through the distributor 114 and to the supply circuit 110 through the distributor 113, whereas chamber C is connected to the counter-pressure circuit 123 through the distributor 114 and the distributor 113. The fixed jaw holding the load, the putting under pressure of chambers B and D causes the opening of the braking valve 115 without this bringing about the displacement of the main piston 140, then the hydraulic control of the valve 115, which cuts out the control pressure of the valve 115, which closes, then, the opening of the fixed jaw Whereas the mobile jaw progressively takes up the load. For a certain pressure value at D, before the complete releasing of the fixed jaw, the valve 116 resumes its rest position, the valve 115 opens and the fluid from chamber A flows to chamber B whereas the withdrawal speed of the load increases up to the moment when the delivery of the circuit 110 becomes just sufficient for supplying chamber -B under pressure. The valve 115 then stops opening and the speed of the load remains constant.

In this method of embodiment, the distributor 113 can be hydraulically controlled in both directions by the piloting valve 96 mechanically controlled at the end of the stroke and manually at any point of the stroke of the jack rod.

Of course, the invention is not restricted to the examples of embodiment described and shown above, from which other methods and forms of embodiment can be provided without going outside of the scope of the invention for that purpose.

What I claim is:

1. Hydraulic winch comprising a hydraulic cylinder, a fixed selfclamping jaw secured to one end of the cylinder, a mobile self-clamping jaw at the opposite end of the cylinder, each jaw including a body containing a pair of movable grips and clamping levers articulated on the body for moving the grips toward each other to clamp the jaw when the grips are moved lengthwise in one direction relative to the body, a plurality of pistons in said cylinder provided with central openings, hollow piston rods secured to the pistons around said openings, said rods being slidably disposed in one another and forming a central telescoping tube extending through the cylinder for the passage of a haulage cable therethrough, one of the hollow rods being connected with the grips of the fixed jaw to move them lengthwise of the fixed jaw body, another hollow rod being connected with the body of the mobile jaw, another hollow rod being connected with the grips of the mobile jaw to move them lengthwise of the mobile jaw body, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into said cylinder at predetermined points for moving the pistons in predetermined directions to move the mobile jaw toward and away from the cylinder and to clamp that jaw when it i moving in one direction and to clamp the other jaw when the mobile jaw is moving in the other direction.

2. Hydraulic winch according to claim 1, including a partition in said cylinder provided with a central opening therethrough, the hollow rod that is connected with the grips of the fixed jaw extending through said partition opening in sliding engagement with the partition, the piston that is secured to that hollow rod being disposed between said partition and the fixed jaw, and the piston connected to the hollow rods connected with the body and grips of the mobile jaw being disposed at the side of said partition opposite to said first-mentioned piston.

3. Hydraulic winch according to claim 2, in which the inlets to the cylinder for said fluid under pressure are located between the ends of the cylinder and the nearest pistons and between said partition and the nearest pistons and in the exposed end of the hollow rod connected with the mobile jaw, the hollow rods connected with the mobile jaw and the grips thereof being in sliding engagement at their outer ends but spaced apart inwardly thereof to form a passage for fluid entering said inlet in said exposed end.

4. Hydraulic winch according to claim 1, in which said fluid pressure introducing means includes a hydraulic circuit provided with a distributor for producing the reversing movement of the grips and mobile jaw, and valves controlled by the pressure of the liquid in the circuit for setting up counter-pressure on the pistons connected with the grips of the jaws and for producing their pre-gripping.

5. Hydraulic winch according to claim 1, in which said fluid pressure introducing means includes a hydraulic circuit provided with a distributor for producing the reversing movement of the grips and mobile jaw, and a hydraulic braking valve for limiting the speed of the load on the haulage cable when it is propulsive.

6. Hydraulic winch according to claim 5, in which a piloting valve subjects said braking valve to the unclamping pressure of the fixed jaw for keeping the fixed jaw slightly clamped on the cable during braking of said'load.

7. Hydraulic winch according to claim 6, including a pressure reducing valve in the hydraulic circuit to prevent complete unclamping of the mobile jaw when, the load being propulsive, the mobile jaw returns toward the cylinder empty.

8. Hydraulic winch comprising a fixed self-clamping jaw and a mobile self-clamping jaw, each of said jaws having a body containing a pair of vertically spaced movable grips and two pairs of clamping levers, the levers of each pair being pivoted together at their inner ends with the outer ends of one lever pivoted to the adjoining jaw body and the outer end of the other lever articulated on the grips, one pair of levers in each jaw being above the grips therein and the other pair being below those grips, and means for moving each pair of grps horizontally, relative to the body containing them, in directions toward and away from the other pair of grips to actuate said levers for opening and closing said grips.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,756,019 7/1956 Heidenstram et a1. 254- 3,176,961 4/1965 Glass 254-29 3,203,669 8/ 1965 Iohansson 254107 3,237,920 3/ 1966 Dohmeier 254-105 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 8. HYDRAULIC WINCH COMPRISING A FIXED SELF-CLAMPING JAW AND A MOBILE SELF-CLAMPING JAW, EACH OF SAID JAWS HAVING A BODY CONTAINING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED MOVABLE GRIPS AND TWO PAIRS OF CLAMPING LEVERS, THE LEVERS OF EACH PAIR BEING PIVOTED TOGETHER AT THEIR INNER ENDS WITH THE OUTER ENDS OF ONE LEVER PIVOTED TO THE ADJOINING JAW BODY AND THE OUTER END OF THE OTHER LEVER ARTICULATED ON THE GRIPS, ONE PAIR OF LEVERS IN EACH JAW BEING ABOVE THE GRIPS THEREIN AND THE OTHER PAIR BEING BELOW THOSE GRIPS, AND MEANS FOR MOVING EACH PAIR OF GRIPS HORIZONTALLY, RELATIVE TO THE BODY CONTAINING THEM, IN DIRECTIONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER PAIR OF GRIPS TO ACTUATE SAID LEVERS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID GRIPS.

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