US3647255A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Remote-controlled grapple
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-11-14
•
Granted: 1972-03-07
•
Expires: 1989-11-14
Abstract
Abstract A pair of pivoted grapple hooks extend downward from a turntable mounted on a housing supported for movement between working sites. The turntable is driven by a hydraulic motor in the housing. One end of a cable is connected to the hooks and extends upward through a central opening in the turntable, thence over a pulley on the end of an extensible hydraulic piston-cylinder unit in the housing, and its opposite end is secured to the housing. Extension and retraction of the piston-cylinder unit effects opening and closing of the hooks. An electric motor in the housing receives power from a battery source in the housing to drive a hydraulic pump which supplies hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic motor and piston-cylinder unit through sequential operation of solenoid valves controlled by an electronic control circuit which, in turn, is activated by operation of a radio frequency receiver in the housing from a remotely transmitted radio frequency signal.
Inventors
- 👤 Gordon H Hale
- 👤 James M Fay
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:51
CPC Classifications
B; B66; B66C; B66C1/00; B66C1/10; B66C1/42; B66C1/58; B66C1/585; A; A01; A01G; A01G23/00; A01G23/003; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S294/00; Y10S294/905
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. a turntable mounted on the housing and having a central opening therethrough, c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. a flexible hook-operating cable in the housing having an end portion extending downward freely through the central opening in the turntable, e. a swivel below the turntable connecting said downwardly extending end of the cable to the hooks, with the rotational axis of the swivel aligned with said portion of the cable. f. means engaging the turntable enabling said turntable to be rotated independently of said cable and housing, g. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable for moving the swivel-connected end vertically toward and away from the turntable for opening and closing the hooks, and h. hook drive control means connected to the hooK drive means for operating the latter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
167 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. a turntable mounted on the housing and having a central opening therethrough, c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. a flexible hook-operating cable in the housing having an end portion extending downward freely through the central opening in the turntable, e. a swivel below the turntable connecting said downwardly extending end of the cable to the hooks, with the rotational axis of the swivel aligned with said portion of the cable. f. means engaging the turntable enabling said turntable to be rotated independently of said cable and housing, g. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable for moving the swivel-connected end vertically toward and away from the turntable for opening and closing the hooks, and h. hook drive control means connected to the hooK drive means for operating the latter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
194 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. turntable means mounted on the housing and having a central opening therethrough, c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable means for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. flexible hook-operating cable means, e. swivel means connecting one end of the cable means to the hooks, f. the cable means extending upward freely through the opening in the turntable means into the housing, g. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable means for moving the swivel-connected end vertically for opening and closing the hooks, h. hook drive control means connected to the hook drive means for operating the latter, i. turntable drive means in the housing engaging the turntable means for rotating the latter independently of the cable means, j. electric turntable drive control means connected to the turntable drive means for operating the latter, and k. switch means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means operable upon opening of the hooks to actuate the turntable drive means for rotating the turntable means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
194 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. turntable means mounted on the housing and having a central opening therethrough, c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable means for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. flexible hook-operating cable means, e. swivel means connecting one end of the cable means to the hooks, f. the cable means extending upward freely through the opening in the turntable means into the housing, g. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable means for moving the swivel-connected end vertically for opening and closing the hooks, h. hook drive control means connected to the hook drive means for operating the latter, i. turntable drive means in the housing engaging the turntable means for rotating the latter independently of the cable means, j. electric turntable drive control means connected to the turntable drive means for operating the latter, and k. switch means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means operable upon opening of the hooks to actuate the turntable drive means for rotating the turntable means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
3 words
a hydraulic pump,
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
3 words
a hydraulic pump,
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
7 words
switch means in the electric circuit, and
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
7 words
switch means in the electric circuit, and
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
93 words
electrically operated valve means interconnecting the pump and hydraulic motor. h. electric turntable drive control means connected to the hydraulic motor valve means and including an electric circuit including said switch means, i. switch means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means operable upon opening of the hooks to activate said circuit for rotating the turntable means, and j. time delay means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means for delaying operation of the turntable drive means for a period of time following opening of the hooks.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
93 words
electrically operated valve means interconnecting the pump and hydraulic motor. h. electric turntable drive control means connected to the hydraulic motor valve means and including an electric circuit including said switch means, i. switch means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means operable upon opening of the hooks to activate said circuit for rotating the turntable means, and j. time delay means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means for delaying operation of the turntable drive means for a period of time following opening of the hooks.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
radio frequency responsive switch actuator means in the housing for actuating the switch means upon response to a radio frequency signal transmitted from a position remote from the housing, g. turntable drive means in the housing engaging the turntable means for rotating the latter, the turntable drive means comprising
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
radio frequency responsive switch actuator means in the housing for actuating the switch means upon response to a radio frequency signal transmitted from a position remote from the housing, g. turntable drive means in the housing engaging the turntable means for rotating the latter, the turntable drive means comprising
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
an electric motor connected to the pump for driving the latter, and
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
an electric motor connected to the pump for driving the latter, and
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The grapple of claim 2 including time delay means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means for delaying operation of the turntable drive means for a period of time following opening of the hooks.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
177 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. turntable means mounted on the housing. c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable means for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. cable means secured at one end to the hooks and extending upward therefrom into the housing, e. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable means for moving said one end vertically for opening and closing the hooks, f. electric hook drive control means connected to the hook drive means for operating the latter, g. a hydraulic turntable drive motor in the housing engaging the turntable means for rotating the latter, h. electrically operated valve means connected to the hydraulic motor, i. electric turntable drive control means connected to the valve means for operating the latter, and j. switch means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means operable upon opening of the hooks to actuate the turntable drive means for rotating the turntable means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
177 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. turntable means mounted on the housing. c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable means for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. cable means secured at one end to the hooks and extending upward therefrom into the housing, e. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable means for moving said one end vertically for opening and closing the hooks, f. electric hook drive control means connected to the hook drive means for operating the latter, g. a hydraulic turntable drive motor in the housing engaging the turntable means for rotating the latter, h. electrically operated valve means connected to the hydraulic motor, i. electric turntable drive control means connected to the valve means for operating the latter, and j. switch means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means operable upon opening of the hooks to actuate the turntable drive means for rotating the turntable means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
electrically operated valve means interconnecting the pump and piston-cylinder unit for extending and retracting the latter, f. electric hook drive control means in the housing connected to the electric motor and valve means and including
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
electrically operated valve means interconnecting the pump and piston-cylinder unit for extending and retracting the latter, f. electric hook drive control means in the housing connected to the electric motor and valve means and including
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
The grapple of claim 4 including time delay means in the electric circuit of the turntable drive control means for delaying operation of the turntable drive means for a period of time following opening of the hooks.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
104 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. turntable means mounted on the housing and having a central opening therethrough, c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable means for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. cable means secured at one end to the hooks and extending upward therefrom freely through the turntable opening into the housing, e. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable means for moving said one end vertically for opening and closing the hooks, the hook drive means comprising
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
104 words
A grapple comprising a. a housing adapted to be supported for movement between loading and unloading sites, b. turntable means mounted on the housing and having a central opening therethrough, c. a pair of hooks extending downward from the turntable means for rotation with the latter and for movement between open and closed positions, d. cable means secured at one end to the hooks and extending upward therefrom freely through the turntable opening into the housing, e. hook drive means in the housing engaging the cable means for moving said one end vertically for opening and closing the hooks, the hook drive means comprising
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-07 | 1975-09-06 | 1976-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-07 | 1979-09-06 | 1980-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-07 | 1983-09-06 | 1984-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |