Apparatus for moving and rotating long workpieces such as structural steel

Claim 2

Apparatus for handling and rotating long workpieces while supported generally horizontally comprising: horizontally disposed conveyor means, pairs of first and second long brackets with one bracket of each pair disposed at one side of said conveyor means and the other bracket of each pair disposed at the other side of said conveyor means, a first bracket of each pair including power means for extending and retracting the same lengthwise thereof, sprocket means journalled in the outer ends of said brackets, endless belt means for each of said pairs of brackets with the upper runs thereof draped over an associated pair of said sprocket means and the lower runs thereof operatively connected to reversible drive means for driving each of said belt means in unison in either direction, said upper belt runs being relaxed to a position below and out of contact with a workpiece resting on said conveyor means when at least said first brackets of each pair thereof are retracted, and said upper belt runs being effective to lift and support a workpiece clear of said conveyor means for rotation of the workpiece about its longitudinal axis by said reversible drive means when said first bracket of each pair thereof is in an extended position.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said first brackets are pivoted near the lower end thereof to one side of said conveyor means for pivotal movement in a vertical plane extending crosswise of said conveyor means.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 characterized in that said first brackets are pivotable through an arc including a generally upright position and a generally horizontal position outwardly of the side of said conveyor means.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 characterized in that said power operated means for extending and retracting said first bracket of each pair includes means operable to pivot said first bracket in a vertical plane extending crosswise of said conveyor means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the lower portions of each of said brackets is movably connected to the adjacent side of said conveyor means with the brackets of each pair being movable in a vertical plane toward and away from one another.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 characterized in that each of said first and second brackets includes power operated means for extending and retracting the same lengthwise thereof.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 characterized in the provision of means for rotating said sprocket means toward one another as said brackets are being retracted thereby to increase the length of the upper run of said belt means located between said sprocket means.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 characterized in the provision of pressure pad means effective to hold said belt means pressed against said sprocket means in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said brackets and effective to rotate said sprocket means toward one another during retraction of said brackets thereby to increase the length of the upper run of said belt means located between said sprocket means.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 characterized in that said power operated means comprises a separate double action cylinder for each of said brackets operable through first and second ranges and effective in said first range to extend and retract said brackets and effective in said second range to pivot said pairs of brackets in vertical planes.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 characterized in the provision of elongated rigid means extending between the lower ends of each pair of said brackets, and means operable as said brackets are pivoted away from one another to elevate said rigid means to support the adjacent portion of the upper run of said belt means in the same general plane with the other upper run portions of said belt means.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 characterized in that said double action cylinders are operable to support said first and second brackets rigidly in the generally horizontal position thereof, and said reversible belt drive means being operable to shift a workpiece laterally thereof to any position between the remote ends of said brackets.

Claim 13

Apparatus for rotating and moving a long workpiece relative to a work station comprising in combination a long power driven conveyor having a workpiece work station thereadjacent, a plurality of workpiece handling and rotating means astride said conveyor at spaced apart points therealong each comprising: a pair of elongated bracket means having the lower end portion of one bracket means pivoted to one side of said conveyor and the end portion of the other pivoted to the other side of the conveyor, slider means reciprocable along each bracket and supporting idler sprocket means at the outer end thereof, motor means operable to shift each slider means lengthwise of the associated bracket means and operable in the retracted position of said slider means to pivot said associated bracket and slider means to different positions including a generally upright position and a generally horizontal position laterally of the side of said conveyor, loop belt means having the upper run thereof trained over said idler sprocket means and beneath the workpiece support surface of said conveyor, reversible drive means operatively connected to said loop belt means to drive said belt in either direction, and said pair of workpiece handling and rotating means being selectively operable in unison with one another to lift a workpiece off said conveyor and to rotate the workpiece about the longitudinal axis thereof and to shift the same laterally of said conveyor at the option of the operator.

Claim 14

Apparatus for rotating and moving a long workpiece relative to a work station comprising in combination a long power driven conveyor having a workpiece work station thereadjacent, a plurality of workpiece handling and rotating means astride said conveyor at spaced apart points therealong each comprising: a pair of elongated bracket means having the lower end portion of one bracket means pivoted to one side of said conveyor and the end portion of the other pivoted to the other side of the conveyor, slider means reciprocable along each bracket and supporting idler sprocket means at the outer end thereof, motor means operable to shift each slider means lengthwise of the associated bracket means and operable in the retracted position of said slider means to pivot said associated bracket and slider means to different positions including a generally upright position and a generally horizontal position laterally of the side of said conveyor, loop belt means having the upper run thereof trained over said idler sprocket means and beneath the workpiece support surface of said conveyor, reversible drive means operatively connected to said loop belt means to drive said belt in either direction, and said pair of workpiece handling and rotating means being selectively operable in unison with one another to lift a workpiece off said conveyor and to rotate the workpiece about the longitudinal axis thereof and to shift the same laterally of said conveyor at the option of the operator.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said loop belt means comprises interlooped rings adjacent ones of which lie in planes generally at right angles to one another.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in the provision of pressure means operatively associated with said idler sprocket means and effective to rotate said sprocket means in a predetermined direction during retraction of said bracket means.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in that the upper runs of said loop belt means normally lie retracted and out of contact with a workpiece supported on said conveyor means in the retracted position of said slider means thereby permitting a workpiece supported on said conveyor means to be moved in any direction without interference from said belt means.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said workpiece rotating and handling means is operable when said slider means are extended and said bracket means are pivoted outwardly away from one another to shift the workpiece crosswise of said conveyor means in eithEr direction.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said workpiece rotating and handling means is selectively operable when said slider means are extended and said bracket means are pivoted outwardly away from one another to transfer a workpiece laterally of itself and crosswise of said conveyor means to any position between the remotely spaced ends of said slider means.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said loop belt means comprises an endless chain under tension when in use to support a workpiece above said conveyor means and the upper run of which is slack when not supporting a workpiece and draped in a U-shaped configuration with the legs thereof lying closely against the side of the adjacent one of said slider means and with the bight portion thereof spaced below the workpiece supporting surface of said conveyor means.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 18 characterized in the provision of horizontally disposed elongated rigid support means for the bight portion of the slackened upper run of said belt means, and means for elevating said support means as said bracket means are pivoted outwardly away from one another whereby said bracket and slider means cooperate with said support means to provide a generally continuous support for the upper run of said belt means while the latter is in use to support a workpiece above said conveyor means and to shift the workpiece crosswise of said conveyor means.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said motor means for shifting said slider means lengthwise of the associated bracket means comprises separate double action hydraulic cylinders.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 20 characterized in that said hydraulic cylinders are operable through first and second ranges of movement in the first of which said cylinders are operable to move said slider means between extended and retracted positions while holding said bracket means against pivoting and in the second of which range of movement said cylinders are operable to pivot said bracket means.

Claim 24

Apparatus as defined in claim 21 characterized in that said cylinders are located along either outer side of said conveyor means with their axes inclined toward one another and with their upper ends movably connected to a respective one of said slider means at a point above the pivot axis between said conveyor and a respective one of said bracket means.

Claim 25

An article of manufacture usable in pairs to lift, rotate and shift a long workpiece laterally of itself comprising: a rigid frame, extendable and retractable bracket means mounted adjacent the upper lateral sides thereof, each of said bracket means normally being in a generally upright position and the lower end of at least one thereof being pivoted to said main frame for movement in a vertical plane toward and away from the other of said bracket means, idler pulley means, journalled to the upper ends of said brackets and supporting the upper run of a loop belt, reversible motor means operably connected to the lower run of said loop belt, and power means for extending, retracting and pivoting said pivotally supported bracket means thereby to lift, shift and rotate one end of a workpiece when supported on the upper run of said loop belt.

Claim 26

An article of manufacture usable in pairs to lift, rotate and shift a long workpiece laterally of itself comprising: a rigid frame, extendable and retractable bracket means mounted adjacent the upper lateral sides thereof, each of said bracket means normally being in a generally upright position and the lower end of at least one thereof being pivoted to said main frame for movement in a vertical plane toward and away from the other of said bracket means, idler pulley means, journalled to the upper ends of said brackets and supporting the upper run of a loop belt, reversible motor means operably connected to the lower run of said loop belt, and power means for extending, retracting and pivoting said pivotally supported bracket means thereby to lift, shift and rotate one end of a workpiece when supported on the upper run of said loop belt.

Claim 27

An article of manufacture as defined in claim 23 characterized in that the lower end of each of said bracket means is pivotally connected to a respective adjacent side of said main frame.