Barrel grasping device for automatically clamping onto the pole of a barrel trolley

• US 5,405,235 A
• Filed: 07/24/1992
• Issued: 04/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles J.P. Lebre, Chrisotphe Lebre
• Original Assignee: Charles J.P. Lebre, Chrisotphe Lebre
• Inventors: Lebre, Chrisotphe, Lebre, Charles J. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, RAYMOND B
• Application Number:
  US07/918,103
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 414/490, 414/402, 414/373, 414/607, 414/467, 414/555, 414/622, 414/606, 414/607, 414/618, 414/450-456, 414/910-911, 280/47.24, 280/47.17, 280/47.28, 280/47.29, 280/47.27, 254/8 B, 254/2 R, 294/90
• US Class Current: 414/490
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/02 Cylindrically-shaped articles, e.g. drums, barrels, flasks
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/10 comprising lifting means
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/42 Grips for grasping the upper rim of the barrels
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/104 the object being of cylindrical shape, e.g. barrels, buckets, dustbins
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/187 Drum lifting devices

Abstract

A barrel grasping device with upper and lower jaws pivoted to a double yoke surrounding the pole of a barrel trolley. An auxiliary yoke imprisoning a clamping plate is slidingly mounted on the pole above a double yoke and is connected to the latter by a compression spring. A connecting rod is pivoted at one end to the double yoke and at its intermediate portion to a lever having one extremity pivoted to the auxiliary yoke around an off-set axis and engaging a clamping plate. The weight of the barrel transmitted by the jaws to the double yoke automatically pulls the connecting rod, causing the lever to pivot and push the clamping plate against the pole, thus clamping the device along the pole of the barrel trolley.

Claims

1. A device combining the pole of a barrel trolley and a grasping element to which a barrel is suspended and which automatically clamps on said pole, said device comprising:

(a) a hook-shaped upper jaw being part of said grasping element and adapted to co-act with an upper diameter of a barrel,

(b) a lower jaw being part of said grasping element and adapted to be engaged under a circumferential relief of the barrel,

(c) a yoke surrounding the pole of the barrel trolley so as to vertically slide along said pole, said upper jaw and said lower jaw being pivoted to said yoke,

(d) an auxiliary yoke surrounding said pole above said yoke,

(e) a clamping member mounted within said auxiliary yoke and engageable with said pole, a rod, a spring connection mounted between said yoke and auxiliary yoke, said clamping member being integral with said rod and being surrounded by said spring connection, said spring connection acting to force said auxiliary yoke away from said yoke, and

(f) a lever, a connecting rod pivoted to the yoke and to an intermediate portion of said lever, said lever having one end pivotally mounted to the auxiliary yoke about an off-set pivot axis and engaging said clamping member, so that the weight of a barrel suspended by the grasping element acts on the yoke through the lower jaw to apply to said connecting rod a traction force causing said lever to pivot about its off-set axis for pressing said clamping member against said pole, thus ensuring effective immobilization of the yoke along the pole.

2. Device according to claim 1 wherein said spring connection between the yoke and the auxiliary yoke comprises a compression spring tending, in the absence of any load, to separate said yoke from said auxiliary yoke and cause said lever to press said clamping member against the pole.

3. Device according to claim 2 wherein said connecting rod and said lever have extensions adapted to be manually moveable, one towards the other, in the absence of any load to ensure a counter-balancing of the effect of said spring connection and allow for an easy vertical movement of the yoke along the pole.

4. Device according to claim 1 wherein a perforation is provided in a surface of said yoke above said lower jaw so as to provide a passage for an external relief of a large diameter presented by an upper end of the barrel to be picked up.