Traversing hoists – Having counterweight or counterbalancing means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2001-06-26
Brahan, Thomas J. (Department: 3652)
Traversing hoists
Having counterweight or counterbalancing means
C212S178000, C212S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250484
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to monorail hoists.
Monorail hoists include a single support beam and a suspended hoist assembly for engaging and moving a load. Because the hoist assembly hangs from the single support beam, it is necessary to balance the overall weight distribution of the hoist assembly in order to prevent the hoist assembly from being cocked. It is known to weld counterweights to a hoist assembly to balance the hoist assembly.
As generally known, a hoist assembly may be imbalanced for a number of reasons such as, for example, a difference in weight between the various components of the hoist assembly, or how the various components of the hoist assembly are assembled. One problem with the noted known manner of balancing a hoist assembly is that welding counterweights to the hoist assembly adds additional expense to the overall manufacturing and assembling costs for the hoist assembly. Another problem with this known manner of balancing a hoist assembly concerns repairs to or replacements of various components of the hoist assembly in the field. It is not uncommon that from time to time various components of a hoist assembly such as, for example, a motor or a gearcase, may need repairing or replacing. As can be appreciated, such a repair or replacement may alter the overall weight distribution of the components making up the hoist assembly. When the overall weight distribution is changed, some of the counterweights already welded to the hoist assembly will have to be removed and/or additional counterweights will have to be added. In any event, the removal of counterweights which have previously been welded to a hoist assembly, or the welding of additional counterweights to the hoist assembly, involves the use of costly equipment and requires time-consuming processes which also results in nonprofitable increased labor costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a counterweight for monorail hoists that alleviates the noted problems and other problems of the prior art. More particularly, the invention provides a counterweight that is slidable along a support member of a hoist assembly so that the counterweight can be properly located along the support member to optimally balance the hoist assembly. Once properly located, the counterweight is held in place along the support member by means other than welding.
In one aspect of the invention, a releasable locking device is used to secure the counterweight to the support member. If the overall weight distribution of the hoist assembly is later changed, in order to balance the modified hoist assembly, the locking device is simply released so that the counterweight can be moved to or removed from any desired location along the support member. If additional counterweights are needed, the additional counterweights are simply mounted on the support member and moved to the appropriate location where they are then secured to the support member by their associated locking devices.
Preferably, the locking device includes a locking bolt which is threaded into a threaded hole in the counterweight to engage a portion of the support member. In order to adjust the location of the counterweight along the support member or remove the counterweight from the support member, the locking bolt is simply unthreaded from the threaded hole to disengage the support member.
The nonwelding locking device and adjustable counterweight of the present invention allow for optimum balancing of a hoist assembly in a more cost effective and efficient manner than previously known.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features.
REFERENCES:
patent: 529751 (1894-11-01), Reefy
patent: 3261477 (1966-07-01), Powell
patent: 3312434 (1967-04-01), Simon
patent: 3572803 (1971-03-01), Pompe
patent: 3762755 (1973-10-01), Saether
patent: 3842745 (1974-10-01), Jones
patent: 4030747 (1977-06-01), Morse et al.
patent: 4260319 (1981-04-01), Motoda et al.
patent: 4449634 (1984-05-01), Buzzichelli et al.
patent: 4525128 (1985-06-01), Baker
patent: 4537423 (1985-08-01), Nau et al.
patent: 4569290 (1986-02-01), Hecht et al.
patent: 4705447 (1987-11-01), Smith
patent: 4759674 (1988-07-01), Schroder et al.
patent: 4969789 (1990-11-01), Searle
patent: 5033705 (1991-07-01), Reagan
patent: 5188342 (1993-02-01), Oellette et al.
patent: 5213045 (1993-05-01), Gersemsky
patent: 1307677 (1973-02-01), None
patent: 10-167674 (1998-06-01), None
Brahan Thomas J.
MHE Technologies, Inc.
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
LandOfFree
Counterweight for monorail hoists does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Counterweight for monorail hoists, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Counterweight for monorail hoists will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2510749