| 1. | Device for lifting and internally unwinding a lead or cable (103, 203) wound into a ring (102, 202), having an at least upwardly open hole (106, 206) and having at least one recess (108, 208) disposed at the bottom of the hole and around its periphery, character¬ ized by a substantially vertical rod (110, 210), a lifting apparatus (113, 213), such as a lifting eye, which is disposed at the upper end of the rod, a support ing part (116, 216) disposed displaceably along the said rod, at least two legs (126, 226), which are connected to the said supporting part, a grab hook (129, 229) disposed at the lower end of each leg, and at least one actuating member (130, 230) arranged such that, upon lifting, in the said lifting apparatus, at least the lower end of the said legs is brought to engage in the said recess (108, 208) in order to grab the ring, by means of the grab hook, when it is due to be lifted, in that the said actuating member(s) is/are constituted by an articulated link (130, 230), which is connected between the lower end of the rod (110, 210) and a point at a predetermined distance from the lower end of each leg (126, 226), the motion of the rod relative to the legs resulting in the lower ends of the legs being able to move outwards from and inwards towards the rod so as to grab the ring or detach themselves from the ring, and in that it comprises a platform (105, 205), preferably in the form of a disc, which supports the ring and which has a substantially circular centre hole (106, 206), the said grab hooks (129, 229) being arranged so as to engage beneath the said platform. |
| 2. | Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that each link (130) is connected to the rod (110) and to the leg (126) in question by means of elastic connections (131, 132) made, for example, of rubber or plastic. |
| 3. | Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that each link (230) is connected to the rod (210) and to the leg (226) in question by means of a link joint (231, 232) . |
| 4. | Device according to any one of Claims 13, characterized in that distancing members (107, 207), preferably blocks or ribs, are fastened to the bottom side of the platform (105, 205) in order to facilitate the introduction of the grab members (129, 229) beneath the said platform. |
| 5. | Device according to any one of Claims 14, characterized in that it comprises a brake member (121, 123, 221, 223), which is arranged so as to brake the rotation of the liftedup ring (102, 202). |
| 6. | Device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the said brake member is constituted by a friction clutch (121, 221) and a torsion spring (123, 223), which is fixed between the said rod (110, 210) and the said friction clutch (121, 221), so that as the ring (102, 202) rotates, as a result of a lead or cable (103, 203) being internally drawn out, the legs (126, 226) and the supporting part (116, 216) are transported along and, via the friction clutch, rotate the spring, whereby, when the spring force developed by the rotation overcomes the frictionclutch force, the friction clutch slips, whereafter further lead or cable can be drawn out. |
| 7. | Device according to any one of Claims 16, characterized in that the said legs (126), which are made of bent spring steel, are bent at the top into a flange (127) so as to fasten the legs to the said supporting part (110) and at the bottom can be bent outwards to form a further flange, constituting the said grab hook (129). |
| 8. | Device according to any one of Claims 16, characterized in that the said legs (226) are made of stiff bars or tubes, which at the top can be pivotably disposed next to the supporting part (216) and at the bottom have grab hooks (229) for engaging in the recesses (208) beneath the platform (205). |
The present invention relates to a device for lifting and internally unwinding a lead or cable wound into a ring, having an at least upwardly open hole and having at least one recess disposed at the bottom of the hole and around its periphery.
By virtue of US-A-3,041,006, a device is previ¬ ously known which is designed to support a lead wound into a ring. This device comprises a platform, which is rotatably mounted on a base, and a column, which is disposed in the middle of the platform. The wound ring of lead is arranged so as to rest on the platform, and the column disposed thereon in this case extends through the hole in the ring. The lead is led through a pivotal eye disposed at the upper end of the column, thereby enabling lead to be drawn out from the ring through the eye as the platform rotates. This device is designed for relatively small lead rings, which are laid manually on the device. In the case of heavier lead rings, a lifting device has to be used to lay the ring down onto the device. More¬ over, the bearing of the device and other constituent parts have to be dimensioned to withstand a larger -load. US-A-2,985,404 shows a similar, previously known device for supporting and unwinding a lead wound into a ring. This device comprises a rotatably mounted plate and a centrally disposed, vertically directed part, which extends through the lead ring when this is resting on the plate. By virtue of FR-A-24 28 602, two devices are previously known for unwinding a lead wound into a ring. The one device has a vertical shaft supporting the ring and the other device has a horizontal shaft. These devices, too, are designed for relatively small lead rings and are neither dimensioned nor designed for larger loads.
US-A-3,990, 653 shows and describes a trolley on which there are disposed on different storeys, for
unwinding purposes, a plurality of devices for different sorts of leads which are wound into rings. These devices, too, operate such that the lead is laid manually on a rotatable plate and has a part projecting vertically through the hole in the ring and fixed to the base, which part has disposed on it an eye, through which the lead is drawn out from the lead ring resting on the rotatable plate through the stationary eye. These devices all entail the drawback that it is difficult to support a heavier ring of wound lead. Both the devices and the trolley would need in this case to be redesigned.
SE-B-450 767 relates to an unwinding reel for a lead or similar wound into a ring, comprising a hub mounted obliquely and rotatably on a stand, and a plat- form which is disposed perpendicular to the hub and against which the lead ring bears. The diameter of the hub is, in each instance, less than the inner diameter of the ring. As a result, an automatic braking of the rotation of the ring occurs whenever the lead is drawn out of the ring. In this previously known device, too, a lifting device has to be used in order to place larger and heavier lead rings on the platform.
US-A-4, 133,435 describes a device for lifting and transporting a spool carrying cable or similar. By virtue of the fact that the lifting is carried out by means of flexible bands, the stability which would be required in the event of possible simultaneous unwinding is not obtained.
US-A-1,294,320 relates to a device for lifting tubular elements. This device is complicated in its construction, however, and cannot be placed in the open hole and grab the ring from below. Moreover, it is impossible to unwind a cable internally by virtue of the fact that the construction covers a large part of the hole of the ring above the grab hooks.
US-A-2, 634, 156 describes a device for lifting annular elements. This device does not however provide the stability which is required with regard to the engagement of the grab hooks, by virtue of the fact that
the legs are forced outwards at a considerable distance above the hooks at the lower ends of the legs.
The object of the invention is to realize a device of the type stated in the introduction, which device avoids those drawbacks which are familiar in the above-described, previously known devices and results in a simple lifting of, and internal unwinding of, a lead or cable from the lead or cable wound into a ring, without an industrial truck or other lifting device having to be used to lift the ring from below up onto the device.
In the event of larger rings consisting of wound leads or cables having to be supported in order subsequently to be able to be internally unwound, the device in question has to be provided with a powerful bearing which rotatably supports the platform on which the ring rests. The lead rings which are to be supported by the device according to the invention can weigh from about 250 kg up to 8-10 tonnes.
The object is achieved according to the invention by virtue of a device which has been given the character¬ istics evident from Patent Claim 1.
Preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention have been given the characteristics evident from the subclaims. The invention is described in closer detail below with reference to appended drawings, showing preferred embodiments, in which: Fig. 1 shows a partially sectioned side view of a first embodiment of a device according to the inven- tion, in which view certain parts have been omitted for the sake of clarity, Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the device according to Fig.
1, Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic side view of the device according to Fig. 1, which device is lifted up by means of a lifting device, in which certain parts have been omitted for the sake of clarity,
Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the lifting device in the collapsed state,
Fig. 5 shows a partial, sectioned side view of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention,
Fig. 6 shows a side view of a trolley for lifting a device having a lead or cable wound into a ring.
Figs. 1-4 illustrate a first embodiment of a device 101 according to the invention for lifting a lead or cable 103 wound into a ring 102, having a through hole
104 and having a platform 105 on which the ring rests. The platform 105 is provided with a substantially circu¬ lar opening 106 and has, on its bottom side, distance blocks or ribs 107, so that a gap 108 is formed between the platform and the foundation 109. The device 101 comprises a centrally disposed rod 110, which is mounted in a housing 111 by means of a bearing 112 such that it can be rotated along its longitudinal axis. At the upper end of the rod there is disposed a lifting eye 113 or some other suitable lifting member such as a hook. Fastened to the rod 110 there is a collar 114, which has a conical, upwardly directed face 115. The device also comprises eight arms 116, which are fastened to a central centre part 117 having a through hole 118 through which the rod 110 is led. A sleeve 119 is connected to the one side of a bearing 120, the other side of which is con- nected to the centre part 117. A friction clutch 121 has a friction disc, which is rotatably disposed around the sleeve 119, and two friction plates, which are disposed on each side of the friction disc and are connected by means of resilient bolts 122 to the centre part 117. The one end of a torsion spring 123 is fastened to the lower edge of the sleeve, and its other end is fastened to the friction disc controlled by the sleeve. A catch 124 having a handle is pivotably and resiliently fastened to the centre part 117, so that it endeavours to engage with a collar 125, which is disposed beneath the lifting eye 113.
Legs 126 formed out of bent leaf springs are shaped such that, at the one end, a flange 127 has been formed. Fastened to each arm 116, by means of bolts 128,
there is a leg 126. The lower end of each leg 126 is bent such that a grab hook 129 has been formed, which is designed to be brought to engage beneath the platform 105 in the gap 108. At the lower end of each leg, a stiff link 130 is connected to the housing 111 by means of elastic connections 131 and 132 made, for example, of rubber or plastic. The sleeve 119 is fastened, at its lower end, to a cylindrical housing 133 having an inner, conically shaped, downwardly directed face 134, which is designed to engage with the conical face 115 of the collar 114. In a refinement of the device according to the invention, the housing 111 is formed in one piece, from an elastic plastics material, with the connections 112. With dash-dotted lines, the device 101 according to the invention is shown in Fig. 1 in the position in which the lifting eye 113', the rod 110' and the housing 111' have been led downwards, so that the hook 124 engages with the collar 125 disposed on the rod 110' . The connections 131 ' and 132' of the links 130' have thereby been bent, so that the grab hooks 129' have been led inwards towards the centre of the device. In the dash- dotted position, the collar 114' is located with the conical face 115' at a distance from the housing 133. In Fig. 1 there are shown just two legs, arranged one directly in front of the other, with associated links. Other legs and links have been omitted from the drawing for the sake of clarity. In Fig. 2 it is shown that the number of legs is eight, but it is possible, of course, within the scope of the invention according to the patent claims, to design the device with two or more legs. As is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a collapsible stand 135 is used to lift a ring of electrical lead or cable resting on an annular platform 105. The stand 135 has four legs 136 and an upper frame 137 having a transverse, rotatable beam 138. On the beam 138 there is disposed a lifting device comprising a knob 139 and a screw appar¬ atus 140, at the end of which there is disposed a hook 141. In addition, the device has a projecting stop bar
142 next to the hook 141 and two stop pins 143 and 144 on the beam 138. In Fig. 4, the stand 135 is shown in the collapsed position.
The working of the device according to the invention is as follows:
In the hole 104 in a ring 102 which rests on the platform 105 on the foundation 109 there is placed the device according to the invention, which has been locked by means of the catch 124 against the collar 125' in the position shown by dash-dotted lines in Fig. 1, such that the legs 126' have been led in towards the centre of the device and its grab hooks 129' can be brought to pass through the hole 106 in the platform 105. Thereafter, the hook 124 is disengaged from the collar 125'. Over the lead or cable ring 102 there is placed the stand 135, as is shown in Fig. 3, and the lifting eye, which is now in a position between the continuously drawn eye 113 and the dash-dotted eye 113' in Fig. 1, is rotated so that it ends up directly in front of the hook 141 and is brought to engage therewith. The knob 139 is rotated and brings the housing 111' upwards in relation to the associated body comprising, inter alia, the arms 116 and legs 126', which body, by virtue of its own weight, opposes the motion of the links 130' , so that the legs move outwards to the continuously drawn position in Fig. 1, thereby causing the grab hooks 129' to move outwards, the grab hooks 129 engaging in the gap 108 beneath the platform 105. The collar 114 having the conical face 115 is led upwards and comes to bear against the conical inner face 134 of the housing 133, which is connected to the sleeve 119. Upon further lifting of the eye 113, the collar 114 and the housing 133 are locked one against the other, whereby the rod 110 is locked in rotationally secure arrangement against the sleeve 119. By further rotation of the knob 139, the platform 105 with the ring 102 is lifted up from the foundation 109, as is shown in Fig. 3. The ring 102 can now be rotated by the legs 126, the arms 116 and the centre part 117 being supported by the bearing 120, the other side of which is supported by the
lifting eye 113 via the sleeve 119, the housing 133 and the collar 114 disposed on the rod 110. The torsion spring 123, the one end of which is fastened to the housing 133 and the other end of which is fastened to the disc plate in the friction disc 121, operates together with the friction disc as a brake when a lead or cable 103 is unwound internally from the drum in accordance with Fig. 3. Upon internal unwinding, the lead or cable ring 102 is rotated and the legs and arms are transported along in its rotary motion, whereby, via the friction clutch, the spring 123 is rotated and, when the spring force developed by the rotation overcomes the friction- clutch force, releases the friction clutch, whereafter the lead can continue to be drawn out with suitable brake force.
Fig. 5 illustrates a modified embodiment of the device 201 according to the invention for lifting a lead or cable 203 wound into a ring 202, having a through hole 204 and having a platform 205 on which the ring rests. The platform 205 is provided with a substantially circu¬ lar opening 206 and has, on its bottom side, distance blocks or ribs 207, so that a gap 208 is formed between the platform and the foundation 209. The device 201 comprises a centrally disposed rod 210, which is mounted in a housing 211, by means of a bearing 212, such that it can be rotated along its longitudinal axis. At the upper end of the rod there is disposed a lifting eye 213 or some other suitable lifting member such as a hook. Fastened to the rod 212 there is a collar 214, which has a conical, upwardly directed face 215. The device also comprises at least two arms 216, which are fastened to a central centre part 217 having a through hole 218 through which the rod 210 is led. A sleeve 219 is connected to the one side of a bearing 220, the other side of which is connected to the centre part 217. A friction clutch 221 has a friction disc, which is rotatably disposed around the sleeve 219, and two friction plates, which are disposed on each side of the friction disc and are connected by means of resilient bolts 222 to the centre
part 217. The one end of a torsion spring 223 is fastened to the lower edge of the sleeve and its other end is fastened to the friction disc controlled by the sleeve. A catch 224 having a handle is pivotably and resiliently fastened to the centre part 217, so that it endeavours to engage with a collar 225, which is disposed beneath the lifting eye 213.
Legs 226 formed out of tubes have, at the one end, a hole. At each arm 216, by means of bolts 227, a leg 226 is pivotably disposed on a flange 228. The lower end of each leg 226 has a grab hook 229, which is designed to be brought to engage beneath the plate 205 in the gap 208. At the lower end of each leg, a stiff link 230 is connected to the housing 211 by means of link connections 231 and 232. The sleeve 219 is fastened, at its lower end, to a cylindrical housing 233 having an inner, conically shaped, downwardly directed face 234, which is designed to engage with the conical face 215 of the collar 214. Fig. 6 illustrates a trolley 301 for lifting a lead or cable which is wound into a ring 302 and rests on a platform 303. This trolley 301 comprises a bow-shaped frame 304, at the upper, front end of which there is disposed a hook 305 which is open in the forward direc- tion. The bow-shaped frame comprises an upper, straight section and a bent, rear section, which is connected to a bow-shaped, horizontal section 306. At the connection between the bow-shaped frame 304 and the bow-shaped, horizontal section 306 there is disposed a rotatable link wheel 307. At the ends of the bow-shaped, horizontal section 306, wheels 308 are mounted. Between the wheels of the bow-shaped section 306 there is disposed an additional bow-shaped, vertical section 309, to which the straight section of the bow-shaped frame 304 is connected at 310. When the trolley 401 is due to be hooked onto the lifting eye belonging to a device 311 according to the invention, the bent, rear section of the bow-shaped frame 304 is raised in the direction of the arrow 312, so that the wheels 308 move to the other side of the perpendicu-
lar to the ground through the hook 305. The hook is hereupon lowered so that it can be led towards and brought to engage in the lifting eye of the device 311, whereafter the bow-shaped frame 304 is pressed downwards counter to the direction of the arrow 312, so that the wheels 308 roll back over to that side of the perpen¬ dicular shown in Fig. 6, so that the ring 302 with the platform 303 is lifted up from the foundation 313, whereafter the lead or cable can be unwound from the ring 302. A preferred embodiment of this trolley is shown in Fig. 6. The essential feature of this trolley is that the wheels are brought over the perpendicular to the ground upon engagement with a device comprising a lead or cable ring, or as the said device is hooked on, and are subsequently led over to the other side of the perpen¬ dicular, so that the ring is raised from the ground level.
The invention has been described above with reference to appended drawings in which preferred embodi- ments have been shown. It is possible, of course, within the scope of the appended patent claims, to modify the invention.