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United States Patent: Bauvin
United States Patent: Bauvin
weight and resulting increase in the cost of the beam. 25 Motive power means (not shown) which is controlla
The primary object of the present invention is to ble from a remote point is utilized to drive the drums 8
overcome the aforementioned disadvantage by provid and 17.
ing a balanced lifting beam wherein the winch is ?xed I claim: 7 ' >
on one end of the beam, the trolley only traveling over 1. In an overhead crane installation including spaced
the beam with the hoist block being divided on each apartparallel rails mounted on a supporting structure,
side of the trolley and moved by the cable of the winch. a single traveling beam spanning the space between
This eliminates any torsional effect on the beam, thus said rails, said beam including spaced apart parallel
allowing a lighter beam structure and the most simple rails, a carriage at each end of said beam, wheels
type of construction possible. mounted on said carriage and riding on said installation
The other end of the winch cable can be ?xed to the 35 rails, a trolley mounted on said beam, said trolley in- .
beam or to the drum of a second winch in order to eluding a frame, a pair of wheels mounted on each side
increase the lifting speed without employing a clutch or of said frame and movable over the rails of said beam,
any mechanical control devices. a ?rst rotatable drum mounted at one end of said trav- '
Thebalanced lifting beam according to the present eling beam, a ?rst cable having one of its ends secured
invention solves all the inconveniences previously re 40 to said first drum and the other end secured to said
ferred to which are found in overhead traveling cranes trolley, a pulley mounted at the opposite end of said
and gantry cranes by providing reduced cost and beam, a second cable having one of its ends secured to
weight, reduced loss of space and reduced dead weight said first drum, said cable returning around said pulley
on the center of the beam. The inertia of the traveling at the opposite end of said beam and having the other
trolley is almost nil and no power supply is required to 45. of its ends secured to the opposite end of said trolley, a
keep the trolley in movement over the beam. _ hoist block mounted on said trolley frame, said hoist
In the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals block comprising a pair of pulleys mounted on each
are used to designate similar parts: side of said trolley frame, a transverse hoist beam in
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a lifting beam embodying eluding a pulley mounted at each end thereof and a
my invention; and hook suspended therefrom, a second drum mounted on
FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the lifting beam shown one of said carriages at one end of said traveling beam,
in FIG. 1. a pair of return pulleys mounted on the other of said
Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 carriages at the opposite end of said traveling beam, a
show a preferred embodiment of a balanced beam for third cable having one end ?xed to said drum and pass
overhead traveling cranes with a simple hoist block in 55 ing over one pair of said hoist pulleys, then passing over
accordance with my invention. The cables shown can one of saidtransverse hoist beam pulleys around each
be doubled, tripled, etc., in order to increase the me of said return pulleys and over the other pair of hoist
chanical advantage and to increase the lifting capacity pulleys and the other of said transverse hoist beam
without increasing the traction cable for the trolley. pulleys and connected at its opposite end to a ?xed
A beam 1 is mounted on two carriages 2,2 movably 60 point on said carriage on which the second drum is
mounted on spaced apart parallel rails 3,3 by means of mounted, and power means for rotating one of said
pairs of wheels 4,4 ?xed to the carriages. A trolley 5, drums to raise and lower said hook as required.
including a frame F, is provided with four wheels 6, 2. An overhead crane installation according to claim
mounted on said frame. The trolley is mounted for 1 wherein a pair of drums are mounted on one of said
transverse travel on rails R of beam 1 and its movement 65 carriages and said third cable has one of its ends con
can be controlled by a motor (not shown) which drives nected to one drum and the other of its ends connected
the wheels 6 or by an endless cable 7, one end of which to the other drum.
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is secured to a drum 8 mounted on the carriage at one