Handling: hand and hoist-line implements – Grapple – Load shifting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-20
2001-06-12
Kramer, Dean J. (Department: 3652)
Handling: hand and hoist-line implements
Grapple
Load shifting
C294S082230, C901S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244643
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a grapple device which may be attached to the lifting arms of a loading vehicle.
More particularly, the invention relates to an improved “tree picker” apparatus for use primarily in the nursery industry in the movement and loading of the trees.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various kinds of grappling apparatus have been used in the plant nursery industry to lift and move balled trees and shrubs. All are characterized by some form of arrangement of movable jaws for gripping bagged root ball of a tree and powered means for lifting the tree and moving a rotating clamped jaw in various angular and linear degrees of freedom.
Unfortunately, many of these kinds of apparatus suffer from the practical shortcomings of limiting the operator visibility during use, by reason of a complete lack or insufficiency of ability to rotate the clamping arrangement in the vertical plane so as to raise the plant (or other load) out of the operator's line of sight.
A number of known devices exhibit a fair degree of maneuverability of the clamped article, but employ undependable or costly articulation means, such as pivot rotary actuators for moving the clamped tree about. The present arrangement also develops greater power and is easier to repair than prior such devices to a virtual height where the vehicle operator has a clear view of the load being carried and can satisfy himself that the lad is properly gripped by the clamping means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a grapple device which is durable, economical and adapted for use within any conventional truck, tractor, loader or vehicle of the kind used in tree transplanting operations.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a grapple device of this kind, which, by the use of interchangeable gripping blades or paddles can be adapted for use in moving rocks, skids, logs and other loads.
I have found that by an arrangement in which the vertical pivoting mechanism is forwardly displaced (relative to the operator) from the horizontal-plane pivoting arrangement of the grapple device the aforementioned mentioned desirable ability to rotate the clamping arrangement in the vertical plane so as to raise the load sufficiently to be clearly viewed by the operator may be achieved.
The material-handling device disclosed and claimed herein is capable of rotating the load by a full 190° about a vertical axis and of tilting vertically in a range of a full 100°, thereby affording the vehicle operator a far better opportunity than hitherto available to carry out the grappling operation with a clear view of the load being moved and of its immediate surroundings.
The present invention provides a grapple device for attachment of the lifting arms of the loading vehicle in which a linearly extended rear frame section of the device is mounted to the lifting arms of the vehicle, an intermediate frame section is pivotably mounted to the rear frame section for rotational motion in the horizontal plane (when the lifting arms of the vehicle are horizontally disposed).
A transversely extending front frame section pivotably mounted to the intermediate frame section for rotational motion in the vertical plane, about an axis appreciably forwardly displaced from the first rotational axis. The front frame section carries the gripping paddles, which are opened and closed by hydraulic cylinder actuators and there is a bumper plate to assist in the gripping operation. The bumper plate is positioned between the paddle arms and connected by a toggle linkage to the interior of the arms so that the plate extends as grapple paddles or blades close together and retracts as they open up, to release the load.
Preferably, angular motion in the horizontal and the vertical plane are separately driven by conventional piston-and-cylinder hydraulic actuators.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by means of the drawings and detailed description below.
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Chin Paul T.
Dutchmaster Nurseries Ltd.
Kramer Dean J.
Ridout & Maybee
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