阅读说明：本技术 用于移动物体的系统和设备 (System and apparatus for moving objects ) 是由 克里斯托弗·科韦尔 埃利奥特·坦纳 于 2020-03-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了用于在一个或多个线上提升和/或移动负载的吊具,以及使用该吊具的的装置和方法。该吊具包括第一侧板(10)和第二侧板(12)以及多个槽轮组件。每个槽轮组件包括：槽轮轮轴(30),该槽轮轮轴包括从第一板(10)突出的轮轴芯轴(34)；槽轮盘(20),该槽轮盘被承载在板之间的轮轴芯轴(34)上。每个槽轮盘(20)包括滑轮轮子(22),该滑轮轮子可以围绕轮轴芯轴(34)的轴线在轴承(24)上旋转。芯轴的轴线彼此平行。保持紧固件(40、42)延伸穿过第二板(12),以通过轮轴芯轴(34)将第二板(12)固定到第一板(10)。一种装置包括吊具和在两个固定的锚具之间延伸的主线。在使用中,主线在吊具的板(10、12)之间穿过,从而使主线与吊具的滑轮轮子(22)或者一个或多个槽轮接触,因此吊具可以悬挂在主线上并且沿着主线行进。(A spreader for lifting and/or moving a load on one or more lines, and apparatus and methods for using the spreader, are disclosed. The spreader includes first and second side plates (10, 12) and a plurality of sheave assemblies. Each sheave assembly includes: a sheave axle (30) comprising an axle spindle (34) protruding from the first plate (10); a sheave disc (20) carried on the axle spindle (34) between the plates. Each sheave (20) includes a pulley wheel (22) rotatable on bearings (24) about the axis of an axle spindle (34). The axes of the mandrels are parallel to each other. Retaining fasteners (40, 42) extend through the second plate (12) to secure the second plate (12) to the first plate (10) via the axle spindle (34). An apparatus comprises a spreader and a main line extending between two fixed anchors. In use, the main line passes between the plates (10, 12) of the spreader such that the main line is in contact with the pulley wheels (22) or one or more sheaves of the spreader, so that the spreader can be suspended from and travel along the main line.)

1. A spreader for lifting and/or moving a load on one or more lines, the spreader comprising:

a. a first side panel and a second side panel, and

b. a plurality of sheave assemblies;

in the plurality of sheave assemblies, each sheave assembly comprises:

c. a sheave axle comprising an axle spindle protruding from the first plate; the groove wheel disc is provided with a groove wheel disc,

the sheave discs are carried on the axle spindle between plates, wherein each sheave disc comprises:

i. a pulley wheel rotatable on bearings about the axis of the axle spindle; and

a retaining fastener extending through the second plate to secure the second plate to the first plate via the axle spindle;

d. wherein the axes of the axle spindles are parallel to each other.

2. The spreader of claim 1, comprising three or more sheave assemblies.

3. The spreader of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each sheave disc comprises a sheave boss that surrounds the sheave axle spindle and is clamped between the plates by the force applied by the retaining fastener.

4. The spreader of claim 3, wherein the retaining fastener and sheave axle are in tension and the sheave boss provides a structure that can be loaded in compression to react tension in the sheave axle.

5. A spreader according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the boss is fixed to prevent rotation of the boss relative to the plate and relative to an inner race of a bearing of the sheave, while an outer race of the bearing is fixed to rotate with the sheave wheel.

6. The spreader of any of the preceding claims, wherein each sheave axle is fixed to the first plate by a releasable fixing fastener.

7. A spreader according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of the mandrel of the sheave axle extends through a hole in the first plate and protrudes from an inner surface of the first plate.

8. The spreader of any of the preceding claims, wherein the head of the sheave axle is in contact with the outer surface of the first plate.

9. A spreader according to claim 8, wherein the head is shaped and/or dimensioned such that the head cannot pass through the aperture in the first plate.

10. The spreader of any of the preceding claims, wherein axial and rotational movement of the sheave axle relative to the plate is prevented.

11. A spreader assembly comprising two interconnected spreaders according to any one of the preceding claims, the plates of the spreaders being parallel to each other.

12. An apparatus for lifting and/or moving a load, the apparatus comprising: a spreader or spreader assembly according to any one of the preceding claims; a main line extending between two fixed anchors and which, in use, passes between plates of the spreader such that the main line is in contact with one or more sheaves or sheave elements of the spreader, whereupon the spreader can be suspended from and travel along the main line.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a control line connected to the spreader so that the spreader can be pulled along the main line.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 or claim 13, further comprising a hoist line passing between the plates of the spreader and over two or more sheaves or sheave elements of the spreader, the hoist line carrying means between the sheaves or sheave elements for connection with a load.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for connecting to a load comprises a pulley.

16. Apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15, comprising a second lifting line on which are carried sheave assemblies connected to support the spreader.

17. The device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, comprising one or more fixed wires connected to the spreader.

18. A method of installing the apparatus of any one of claims 12 to 17, the method comprising:

a. installing a main line between the two fixed anchors;

b. removing the retaining fastener and removing the second plate;

c. replacing the second plate having an encapsulated portion of the main line between the plate and at least one sheave assembly pair.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein prior to step c, a portion of a lift wire passes between plates of the spreader.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system and apparatus for moving an object.

Background

The proplol crossing is performed by connecting a main line between two remote locations across a wide area and arranging carriages on the main line. The carriage has a plurality of sheaves or other low friction devices so that the carriage can travel along the main line. A control line is connected to the carriage to control movement of the carriage along the main line. The carriage also has a connection point to which a load can be connected. Since the control lines are used to move the carriage along the main line, the load connected to the carriage can be moved between remote locations. Such devices have a variety of uses, including moving inanimate objects (e.g., wood from a fallen tree) or transporting personnel to traverse space or rescue an incapacitated person.

EP 3159052 discloses a spreader for performing a propranolol traversal, which is efficient and useful. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spreader which is easier to use, lighter and has all elements replaceable than existing products. Spreaders embodying the invention may be simpler or cheaper to manufacture without reducing strength and durability.

Disclosure of Invention

To this end, according to a first aspect, the present invention provides a spreader for lifting and/or moving a load on one or more lines, the spreader comprising:

a first side panel and a second side panel, and

a plurality of sheave assemblies;

in the plurality of sheave assemblies, each sheave assembly comprises:

a sheave axle including an axle spindle protruding from the first plate; a sheave disc carried on the axle spindle between the plates, wherein each sheave disc comprises: a pulley wheel rotatable on bearings about the axis of the axle spindle, and the axes of the spindles being parallel to each other; and

a retaining fastener extending through the second plate to secure the second plate to the first plate via the axle spindle.

The retaining fastener and sheave axle serve to connect the plates together in a secure and reliable manner. For installation, a free passage is obtained by removing the retaining fastener to enable the introduction of the wire into the spreader.

Typical embodiments include three or more (e.g., four) sheave assemblies.

Preferably, each sheave disk includes a sheave boss that surrounds the sheave axle spindle and is clamped between the plates by the force applied by the retaining fastener. Thus, keeping the fastener and sheave axle in tension, the sheave boss provides a structure in compression to react tension in the sheave axle. The boss is typically fixed to prevent rotation of the boss relative to the plate and preferably relative to the inner race of the bearing, while the outer race of the bearing is fixed to rotate with the pulley wheel.

Preferably, each sheave axle is fixed to the first plate by a releasable fixing fastener. When the sheave axle is secured to the first plate, typically a portion of the axle shaft of the sheave axle extends through the hole in the first plate and protrudes from the inner surface of the first plate, and typically the head of the sheave axle is in contact with the outer surface of the first plate. In the latter case, the head is shaped and/or dimensioned such that it cannot pass through the hole in the first plate. When the sheave axle is secured to the first plate, axial and rotational movement of the sheave axle relative to the plate is prevented. Note that removing the sheave axle from the first plate does not require access to the sheave.

A spreader assembly embodying the invention may comprise two (or more) spreaders as defined above interconnected with the plates of the spreaders parallel to each other.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides apparatus for lifting and/or moving a load, the apparatus comprising: a spreader or spreader assembly embodying the first aspect of the invention; a main line extending between the two fixed anchors and which, in use, passes between the plates of the spreader such that the main line is in contact with one or more sheaves or sheave elements of the spreader, so that the spreader can be suspended from the main line and travel along the main line.

The typical arrangement further comprises a control line which is connected to the spreader so that the spreader can be pulled along the main line.

Typical arrangements further comprise a hoist line passing between the plates of the spreader and over two or more sheaves or sheave elements of the spreader, the hoist line carrying between the sheaves or sheave elements, for example, means for connection with a load.

An alternative arrangement includes a second lift line on which the sheave assemblies are carried, the sheave assemblies being connected to support the spreader.

One or more securing wires may be connected to the spreader. These fixed lines may provide additional lifting capabilities, e.g. for use as climbing lines and spare lines, enabling a person to descend and ascend in relation to the spreader, e.g. to accompany a person being rescued.

According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of installing an apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, the method comprising:

a. installing a main line between the two fixed anchors;

b. removing the retaining fastener and removing the second plate;

c. replacing a second plate having an encapsulated portion of the main line between the plate and at least one sheave assembly pair.

Typically, a portion of the lifting line may pass between the plates of the spreader before step c.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figures 1 and 2 show a spreader embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a portion of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2;

figure 4 shows the embodiment of figures 1 and 2 disassembled for installation of the working and lifting lines;

figure 5 shows an intermediate stage of the embodiment of figures 1 and 2 being installed on the working line and the hoisting line;

figures 6, 7 and 8 show details of the means for mounting the sheaves in the embodiment of figures 1 and 2;

figures 9 and 10 show the retaining bolt and sheave axle in the embodiment of figures 1 and 2;

FIG. 11 shows the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 with one of the retaining bolts partially loosened;

FIG. 12 shows the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 installed for use;

FIG. 13 shows the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 used in a lifting operation;

FIG. 14 shows the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 installed on multiple redundant mainlines;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective and partial cross-sectional views of a second embodiment of the present invention;

figure 17 shows a modification to the sheave assembly of the embodiment of figures 1 and 2; and

figure 18 shows a second modification to the sheave assembly of the embodiment of figures 1 and 2.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, a spreader for performing a proplol traversal includes first and second side plates 10, 12 of similar peripheral size and shape. The side plates 10, 12 are formed of a suitable load bearing material such as an alloy, stainless steel or composite material. In the orientation in which a spreader is typically used, the plate is approximately inverted U-shaped. The plate is symmetrical about a medial axis a (as shown in fig. 12), the plate having first and second legs on opposite sides of the axis a, and a recess defined between the legs. The various holes are formed in the plates, each of which is aligned with a corresponding hole in the other plate in the assembled spreader.

The spreader further comprises four sheave assemblies, one of which is shown in detail in fig. 3. The sheave assemblies are arranged at the vertices of a rectangle that is symmetrical about the middle axis, forming an upper sheave assembly pair and a lower sheave assembly pair. One of the upper sheave assemblies in fig. 1 is omitted to illustrate features that would otherwise be hidden.

Each sheave assembly includes a sheave wheel 20 that includes a pulley wheel 22 carried on a rolling element bearing 24. The outer race of bearing 24 rotates with pulley wheel 22 and the inner race of bearing 24 is carried on sheave boss 26. Sheave boss 26 has a central cylindrical bore centered on the axis of rotation of pulley wheel 22.

Each sheave assembly further includes a sheave axle 30. Sheave axle 30 has a cylindrical spindle 34 with a head 32 at one end of the cylindrical spindle. Spindle 34 is sized to fit snugly within the bore of sheave boss 26. The head 32 extends radially from the spindle 34 and has a protruding region with a partially circular recess 36 formed in a radially outwardly facing surface. A coaxial threaded bore 38 is formed into the spindle 34 from the end of the spindle opposite the end of the head 32. Another coaxial blind hole 35 may be formed through the head 32.

Each sheave assembly comprises a fixing bolt 40 and a retaining bolt 2, the purpose of which will be described below.

The assembly of the spreader is performed in stages, as will now be described.

A: the spindle 34 of sheave axle 30 is inserted through a hole 44 in the first plate. The bore 44 is surrounded by a recess 46 extending radially from the bore 44, the head 32 of the axle 30 being received within the recess 46. The recess 46 and the head 32 are shaped and sized such that the head 32 fits closely within the recess 46 to substantially prevent rotation of the axle 30 about the axle's spindle 34. When in place in the recess 46, a partially circular recess 36 is formed in the outer surface of the plate, surrounding a threaded hole 48 through the first plate 10. The fixing bolt 40 is threaded into the threaded bore 48 so that the head of the bolt is adjacent the recess 36 and bears against the head 32 of the sheave axle 30 on a platform 50 that partially surrounds the threaded bore 48. Thus, the sheave axle 30 is prevented from rotating relative to the first plate 10 by the interaction between the head 32 and the recess 46 of the sheave axle, and is also prevented from sliding axially from the plate 10 by the fixing bolt 40.

B: the sheave assembly is further assembled by sliding the sheave disc 20 onto the spindle 34 of the sheave axle 30 so that the sheave boss 26 of the sheave disc bears against the inner surface of the first plate 10. This is repeated for all four sheave assemblies. Fig. 4 shows an intermediate stage of assembly.

C: second plate 12 is then arranged so that an end portion of each mandrel 34 passes into a respective hole 52 in second plate 12 until the inner surface of second plate 12 bears against sheave boss 26. Each hole 52 is countersunk from the outer surface of the second plate, and a mandrel is received in each hole. The second plate 12 is held in place by passing one of the retaining bolts 42 into each of the holes so that the spindle 62 is threaded into the threaded hole 38 of the sheave axle 30. The head 60 of the retaining bolt may fit within the countersunk cavity of the bore 52 but not in the un-countersunk portion, whereby the head may clamp the second plate 12 against the sheave boss 26 when the bolt is tightened.

The fixing bolts prevent movement of the sheave axle 30 during the assembly stage described in the previous paragraph. This enables the retaining bolt 42 to be tightened using a single tool to perform this stage of assembly: no tools need be used on the axle 30 or the fixing bolt 40.

The head 60 of each retaining bolt has a circumferential groove in which an O-ring 64 is located. The O-ring 64 serves two purposes: when the retaining bolt 42 is tightened, the O-ring is compressed between the head 60 and the counterbored cavity to resist rotation of the retaining bolt 42, preventing inadvertent loosening; also, the O-ring provides a visual indication that the retaining bolt 42' is not fully tightened by remaining visible from the exterior of the plate 12, as shown on the left side of fig. 11. To improve performance for the latter purpose, the O-ring 64 is preferably brightly colored — for example, red.

In the event that the retaining bolt 42 is omitted or becomes loose, the axle 30 will not be lost as the fixing bolt 40 will prevent the axle from being removed from the first plate. The retaining bolts 42 of the other sheave assemblies maintain the overall structural integrity of the spreader, although it is believed that if one of the retaining bolts is not properly tightened or is completely missing, the strength of the spreader is not significantly affected, which is undesirable and should be avoided as much as possible.

Each plate 10, 12 includes a plurality of additional pairs of circular mounting holes 90. Each pair of mounting holes 90 may receive a removable pin 92 that locks in place in the holes until released by a user-operated trigger.

Each retaining bolt may be inserted into a blind hole, such as blind hole 35, in head 32 of sheave axle 30 when not in use.

The components of the complete apparatus for moving an article using the spreader described above will now be described.

In addition to the spreader, the device comprises a plurality of wires formed by ropes or cables. These lines are:

main line: a line carrying the majority of the load and which enables the spreader to move in a lateral direction across a wide area to be traversed. The main line is typically fixed on opposite sides of the expanse during use.

"lift line": the hoisting line is also load-bearing, but the hoisting line is controlled by the user to raise or lower the load independently of the main line. During use, the lifting line may be fixed at one side of the expanse and the length of the lifting line may be adjustable at the other side of the expanse, or may also be adjustable at both sides of the expanse.

"control line": the spreader is moved back and forth along the main line and controlled. The control line is fixed to the spreader. The line may be controlled by the user using a device that provides a mechanical advantage (e.g., a pulley system) or may be under power control (e.g., using a winch).

A typical assembly sequence is as follows:

the main line 80 and the lift line 82 are installed across a wide area.

As described above in phase a and phase B, the spreader is partially assembled to achieve the arrangement shown in figure 5.

The first plate 10 is arranged adjacent to the main line 80 and the lift line 82 such that the main line and the lift line pass between the upper and lower sheave assembly pairs, and then the second plate 12 is installed as described in paragraph C above.

A pulley block 86 is attached to the hoist line 82 between the lower sheave assembly pair.

The control wires are connected to pins 92 that are inserted into the pair of mounting holes 90.

Slackening or slackening the hoisting line 82 causes the load L attached to the block 86 to be lowered or raised relative to the spreader. As shown in fig. 12, in the raised position, the block 86 is received in a recess between the legs of the spreader. When the block 86 is in this position, the lift wire 82 follows an approximately straight path through the spreader, which minimizes friction caused by movement of the spreader.

In arrangements where the main line 82 is inclined, one control line 84 may be used to pull the spreader in an upward direction on the main line 80, or to release in a controlled manner so that the spreader moves in a downward direction along the main line 80 under the influence of gravity. Without global tilting, two control lines 84, 84' may be provided to pull the spreader in opposite directions along the main line 80.

The apparatus of figure 14 uses the same spreader as described above. Series redundancy is created by providing an additional main line 88. An additional pulley assembly 96 is carried on the additional main line 88 and is connected to the spreader using a pin 92, the pin 92 being inserted into the pair of mounting holes 90 towards the top of the plates 10, 12. Thus, if the main line 82 fails, the additional main line acts as a backup to prevent loss of the load carried. Such a device may be used with a single control line 84 or with two control lines 84, 84', as desired.

Additional lines 98 that may be used to carry loads are also shown in this embodiment. These additional wires are fixed wires that are each fixed to a spreader using a pin 92, the pin 92 being inserted into a pair of mounting holes 90 towards the bottom of the plates 10, 12. A typical use of these securing wires 98 is to enable a person to accompany a load (e.g., an injured person) being lifted on the sheave block 86. In such an application, one of the stationary wires 98 would be used as a climbing line on which a climber can move using the riser, and the other stationary wire 98 would be used as a backup line to protect the climber from the failure of the climbing line and associated equipment.

As shown in fig. 15 and 16, the spreader can be paired with another identical spreader to produce a system that theoretically has twice the strength and lifting capacity of the system, but most importantly, for some users, redundancy and back-up in the system is provided by parallel redundant systems. With such a spreader, each line and component of the apparatus that is part of the installation can be duplicated to provide redundancy to prevent failure of multiple elements in the installation. The two spreaders are connected together using a spacer and a long bolt 110 passing through the first plate 10 and the second plate 12.

When performing stage B of the above assembly sequence, the sheave disc 20 has slid onto the spindle 34 of the sheave axle 30, but the sheave disc is not held on the spindle of the sheave axle, which means that the sheave disc may slip out and may be lost. To minimize the risk of this occurring, in a modification of the above embodiment shown in fig. 17, a circumferential groove is formed on the spindle 34 of the sheave axle 30 and an O-ring 120 is held in the groove. Sheave boss 26 is captured by O-ring 120 with sufficient force so that the sheave boss does not inadvertently fall off of spindle 34 under the weight of the sheave assembly, but can be removed using slight manual force if desired.

A further alternative construction of the sheave assembly is shown in figure 18. In this arrangement, there is no sheave boss 26 and the inner race of the bearing 24 is carried directly on the spindle 234 of the sheave axle 230. The spindle 234 of the sheave axle 230 has a larger diameter than the above arrangement so that the size of the bearing 24 can be kept constant. The axial position of the bearing 24 on the axle 230 is provided by annular seats 240, 242 projecting from the first plate 210 and the second plate 212. The abutments 240, 242 closely surround the spindle 234 of the sheave axle 230 and contact the opposite side of the inner race of the bearing 24 to prevent axial movement of the abutments along the spindle 234 and thus the pulley wheel 22.

The O-ring 244 is located in the following groove: the groove is formed in the spindle 234 of the sheave axle 230 at a location radially inward of the inner race when the bearing 24 is in an operating position on the spindle 234. As with the previous embodiment, the inner race of the bearing 24 is captured by the O-ring 244 with sufficient force so that it does not accidentally fall off the spindle 234, but can be manually removed when desired.