US3746385A

US3746385A - Cable grip grapple

Info

Publication number: US3746385A
Application number: US00233926A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Mitchell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-03-13
Filing date: 1972-03-13
Publication date: 1973-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-17
Also published as: CA946879A

Abstract

A grapple for handling logs embodying a pair of pivotally interconnected jaws which are power opened by a cable arrangement. The grapple includes as its novel improvement, the incorporation of a log gripping cable which extends between the jaws and engages a log or logs in opposed relation to the gripping components of the jaws.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Mitchell CABLE GRIP GRAPPLE [76] Inventor: John R. Mitchell, 1005 N.

Broadway, Aberdeen, Wash. 98420 221 Filed: Mar. 13, 1972 21 Appl. 190.; 233,926

[52] US. Cl. 294/112, 294/111 [51] Int. Cl. B66c 1/10 [58] Field of Search 294/106, 111, 112, 294/118; 37/183 R, 184, 185, 187; 212/81, 84, 89

[56] References Cited I UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,690,716 9/1972 J0hnson.... 294/111 3,245,712 4/1966 Mitchell 294/112 1451 Jilly 17, 1973 2,279,570 4/1942 Kamppi 294/112 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,500,906 10/1967 France 294/112 Primary Examiner- Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D, Cherry AttorneyHarvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A grapple for handling logs embodying a pair of pivotally interconnected jaws which are power opened by a cable arrangement. The grapple includes as its novel improvement, the incorporation ofa log gripping cable which extends between the jaws and engages a log or logs in opposed relation to the gripping components of the jaws.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures I PATENTEUJUH mu 3.746.385

SHEU 1 1F 2 CABLE GRIP GRAPPLE BACKGROUND OF TI-IEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a grapple for use in handling logs and more particularly relates to a grapple having a gripping cable oriented thereon in a manner to retentatively engage the upper surface of a log or logs generally in opposed relation to the gripping engagement of the grapple jawswith the log or logs.

2. Description of the Prior Art Power operated grapples are used extensively in the logging industry to facilitate the handling of logs during various operations such as skidding, yarding or loading. One type of grapple that has been used extensively in the industry is disclosed in .prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,712 issued Apr. 12, 1966. While this grapple is effective in use, conditions sometimes exist in which it is desirable to more effectively clamp the log or logs being handled. For example, when the grappleis used to grip a plurality of logs or when the bark on the log or logs is slipping or when trash or small limbs are encompassed by the grapple along with the log or logs, there is a possibility that the log or logs will slip in relation to the grapple jaws which creates an undesirable if not hazardous conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE'INVENTIQN An object of the present invention is to provide a grapple that incorporates a gripping cable extending between the jaws of the grapple inwardly of the gripping areas of the jaws for engagement with the surface of a log or logs in opposed relation to the gripping engagement between the jaws and the log or logs thereby enhancing the ability of the grapple to effectively hold and grip multiple logs and also hold logs effectively when the bark is slipping and also prevent logs from slipping out of the jaws when trash or limbs encompass the logs or encompassed by the jaws when the logs are being gripped sothat the logs may be effectively skidded, yarded or loaded.

A further object, of the invention is to provide a grapple with a gripping cable which enhances the operation of the grapple due to improved spotting and hooking of multiple pieces or logs as well as a single log and has virtually eliminated slipping or dropping of the logs from the grapple during the, yarding or skidding of logs and the improved grapple may be employed with various types of apparatus such as grapple yarding cranes, crawler tractors, rubber tired skidders and the like all of which are presently employed in the logging indusltill another object of the invention is to provide a cable grip grapple in which the gripping cable extends between the jaws of the grapple inwardly of the gripping ends thereof and is associated with the grapple linkage in a manner to effectively grip a single log or a turn of logs when the grapple jaws are grippingly engaged with the log or logs.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts through-out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the cable grip grapple of the present invention on a reduced scale.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the grapple.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the grapple with the jaws spaced from each other illustrating the position of the gripping cable when the grapple is open.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the grapple in use illustrating the cable grip in engagement with the logs being carried by the grapple.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view illustrating the manner in which the end of the opening cable is anchored to the grapple.

FIG. 6 is a detailed sectional view of the pivotal connection between the jaws and] the pulley sheave mounted thereon receiving the opening cable.

FIG. 7 is a detailed view illustrating the manner in which one end of the gripping cable is detachably connected to one of the jaws of the grapple.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now specifically to the drawings, the nu meral 10 generally designates a grapple adapted for various uses in the logging industry and adapted to be supported 'by a supporting member 12 including a swivel 14 if desired. The grapple 10 includes a pair of pivotally interconnected jaws l6 and 18 which cross each other and are pivotally interconnected to each other by a pivot shaft or pin 20 having a head 22 on one end and a retaining nut 24 on the other end secured in place by a through bolt or pin 25. The two jaws l6 and 18 include

upper end portions

26 and 28 above the pivot shaft 20 and lower and inwardly curved gripping

portions

30 and 32 which have concave

facing edges

34 and 36 for receiving a log or a plurality of logs 38. The inner surface of the

lower portions

30 and 32 of the jaws l6 and 18 are each provided with inwardly extending teeth 40 for grippingly engaging the logs 38. A rotatable pulley 44 is mounted on the shaft 20 between the jaws l6 and 18 and receivesan opening cable 46 therearound. A spacer strip 48 is mounted along an edge portion of the jaw 18 to retain the jaws 16 and I8 in parallel relation during their pivotal movement about the pivot shaft 20 and to retain the cable 46 in the groove in the pulley 44 as shown in FIG. 6. 'Also, the jaw 18 is provided with a stop lug 50 on the inner surface thereof to limit the movement of the jaws l6 and 18 toward each other when the jaws l6 and 18 are closed without gripping a log.

The upper end portion 26 of the jaw 16 is provided with a pair of parallel links 52 that are rigidly interconnected by a top plate 54 with the links 52 being pivotally connected to the jaw 16 by a pivot bolt assembly 56. Correspondingly, the upper end portion 28 of the jaw 18 is connected to a pair of parallel rigidly associated links 58 rigidly interconnected by a top plate 60 pivotally connected to the jaw 18 by a pivot bolt assembly 62. The upper ends of the

links

52 and 58 are pivotally interconnected by a pivot bolt assembly 64 with the portion of the pivot bolt assembly 64 between the links SZand 58 providing space for connection with a supporting structure such as a swivel link or any other suitable supporting device.

Also, the links 58 have a pivotal cable guide 66 mounted thereon for receiving the cable 46 as it extends upwardly to an actuating device by which the grapple may be power opened. The cable 46 extends down through the pivotal guide 66 under the pulley 44 and then back up and around a transversely extending rounded member 68 interconnecting the links 52 at the inner edge of the plate 54. The cable 46 then extends through a tapered socket 96 on the plate 54. A wedgeshaped anchor 98 is received in the socket 96 and the terminal end of cable 46 extends around the anchor 98 in the manner shown in FIG. 5 which securely anchors the end of the cable 46 to the plate 54. With this construction, tension exerted on the cable 46 will force the pivot bolt assembly 64 and the pivot shaft or pivot pin toward each other thus power opening the grapple. When the cable 46 is slackened and the grapple is supported from the pivot bolt 64, the pivot shaft 20 between the

jaws

16 and 18 will move away from the axis of the bolt 64 thus causing the jaws to grippingly engage a log or logs 38.

A log gripping cable 74 is mounted on the grapple 1 and extends between the jaws l6 and 18 and includes a dead end ferrule 76 on one end thereof engaging the outer surface of a pivotal or swing-away dead end plate 78 which is generally semi-circular in configuration and provided with a notch 80 in one edge thereof. One corner of the plate 80 is pivotally attached to a bracket 82 rigidly connected to the inner surface of the lower portion 30 of the jaw 16. The bracket 82 is provided with an aperture 84 larger than the ferrule 76 with the notch 80 being of less cross-sectional dimension than the diameter of the ferrule 76. Thus, by inserting the ferrule 76 through the aperture 84 and swinging the plate 78 inwardly so that the notch 80 engages the cable inwardly of the ferrule 76, the cable 74 will be anchored to the jaw 16. As illustrated, the plate 78 is pivoted by a pivot bolt 86 and matching detents 88 are provided for releasably retaining the plate 78 in assembled relation alongside of the bracket 82 or a removable fastening bolt or other suitable fastening device may be employed for releasably securing the retaining plate 78 in position.

The cable 74 extends between the

jaws

16 and 18 and is entrained over a pulley 90 supported on the inner surface of the jaw 18 by a supporting shaft 92 and a housing 94. The cable 74 then extends upwardly and alongside of the upper end. portion 26 of the jaw 16 and then alongside of the opening cable 46 where it passes around the rounded interconnecting member 68 between the links 52. The cable 74 then extends in overlying relation to the top plate 54 and through a socket 70 mounted rigidly thereon. The terminal end of the cable 74 has a dead end ferrule 72 thereon engaging socket 70 thus anchoring the other end of cable 74 to the plate 7 54.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the gripping cable 74 engages the upper surface of thelogs 38 when the jaws l6 and 18 are in gripping engagement with the logs thus serving to more effectively grip the logs inasmuch as the gripping force exerted by the cable 74 is in opposed relation to the gripping area of engagement between the inwardly extending

lower end portions

30 and 32 of the jaws. The gripping cable 74 is effective regardless'of whether a single log, multiple logs or small limbs, trash and the like are being handled by the grapple. The gripping cable will materially increase the capability of holding logs when the bark on the logs slips and also will prevent the logs from slipping out of the jaws when trash or limbs encompass the logs which are being skidded, yarded or loaded. Due to the particular relationship of the gripping cable, it will effectively grip a turn of logs when the grapple is spotted or hooked onto a log or turn of logs and the grapple jaws closed by vertical movement of the grapple regardless of whether the grapple is associated with a yarding crane, crawler tractor, skidder or the like.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modi-fications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a grapple having a pair of pivotally interconnected gripping jaws, a flexible member extending between said jaws inwardly of the free ends thereof for supplemental gripping engagement with material being gripped between the jaws, means anchoring spaced portions of the flexible member to one of the jaws, the length of said flexible member between the anchor means being substantially non-extendable, means movably connecting the portion of the flexible member between the anchor means to the other jaw in a manner whereby the flexible member will be substantially taut when the jaws are fully open.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible member is a cable, one end of said cable being anchored to said one jaw for detachable connection therewith.

3. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means connecting the flexible member to the other jaw includes a sheave rotatably supported on said other jaw, said flexible member being a cable entrained over said sheave, and means retaining the cable on the sheave during movement of the jaws.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said anchor means includes means detachably connecting one end of the cable to said one jaw, said detachable connecting means and said sheave being substantially equally spaced inwardly from the free ends of the jaws.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said one end of the cable includes an enlargement, said means detachably connecting one end of the cable to said one jaw including a bracket rigidly mounted on the jaw, said bracket having an aperture therein of a size to permit movement of the enlargement there-through, a retainer plate movably connected to the bracket and having slot means therein extending laterally from the peripheral edge thereof, said slot means receiving said cable adjacent the enlargement and being of less size than the enlargement thereby preventing the enlargement from passing through the bracket when the slot means is in registry with the aperture in the bracket.

6. In combination, a grapple comprising a pair of crossed and pivotally interconnected jaws having intumed' gripping ends, the other end of each jaw having means providing for support of the grapple, means associated with the pivotal connection between the jaws to vary the relative position between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the means providing for support of the grapple to vary the pivotal relationship of the jaws, and a fixed-length flexible member extending between the jaws inwardly of the gripping ends bracket means releasably securing one end of said cable to one of said jaws, means securing the other end of the cable to the same jaw adjacent the other end thereof, and cable guide means mounted on the other of said jaws and movably connecting the cable thereto.

8. The structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said cable guide means includes a rotatable pulley sheave, said pulley sheave and bracket being substantially in alignment.

9. The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said means providing support for the grapple including a pair of links with one end of each link being pivotally connected to the other end of each jaw and the other ends of said links being pivotally interconnected in substantially vertical alignment with the pivotal connection between the jaws, said fixed-length flexible member having one end thereof anchored to one of said jaws between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the gripping end thereof, the other end of said flexible member being anchored to the link pivotally connected to the other end of the same jaw in a manner whereby the two ends of the flexible member are longi' tudinally immovable in relation to the jaw and link connected thereto, said flexible member having a free in tennediate portion, the other of said jaws including means thereon receiving the intermediate portion of the flexible member, said means being disposed between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the gripping end of the other jaw whereby movement of the gripping ends of the jaws away from each other will tighten the fixed-length flexible member so that the portion thereof interconnecting the jaws between the pivotal interconnection and the gripping ends will be substantially straight and taut when the jaws are fully opened.

10. The structure as defined in claim 9 wherein said means on the other jaw engaging the intermediate portion of the flexible member including a rotatable pulley over which the intermediate portion of the flexible member is entrained, means retaining the flexible member on the pulley when the flexible member is not taut, said means anchoring the end of the flexible member to the jaw between the pivotal interconnection between the jaws and the gripping end thereof including means enabling detachable connection of the flexible member to the jaw.

Claims

6. In combination, a grapple comprising a pair of crossed and pivotally interconnected jaws having inturned gripping ends, the other end of each jaw having means providing for support of the grapple, means associated with the pivotal connection between the jaws to vary the relative position between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the means providing for support of the grapple to vary the pivotal relationship of the jaws, and a fixed-length flexible member extending between the jaws inwardly of the gripping ends thereof for gripping engagement with surface portions of an article or articles in supplemental relation to the gripping engagement between the inturned gripping ends of the jaws and the article or articles.

7. The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said flexible member is a cable of predetermined length, bracket means releasably securing one end of said cable to one of said jaws, means securing the other end of the cable to the same jaw adjacent the other end thereof, and cable guide means mounted on the other of said jaws and movably connecting the cable thereto.

9. The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said means providing support for the grapple including a pair of links with one end of each link being pivotally connected to the other end of each jaw and the other ends of said links being pivotally interconnected in substantially vertical alignment with the pivotal connection between the jaws, said fixed-length flexible member having one end thereof anchored to one of said jaws between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the gripping end thereof, the other end of said flexible member being anchored to the link pivotally connected to the other end of the same jaw in a manner whereby the two ends of the flexible member are longitudinally immovable in relation to the jaw and link connected thereto, said flexible member having a free intermediate portion, the other of said jaws including means thereon receiving the intermediate portion of the flexible member, said means being disposed between the pivotal connection between the jaws and the gripping end of the other jaw whereby movement of the gripping ends of the jaws away from each other will tighten the fixed-length flexible member so that the portion thereof interconnecting the jaws between the pivotal interconnection and the gripping ends will be substantially straight and taut when the jaws are fully opened.