DESC:ARTICLE TILTING AND TRANSPORTING MECHANISM

Field of the invention:

The present invention relates to an article tilting and transporting mechanism and more particularly, to the mechanism used for tilting a barrel from horizontal position to vertical position and vice versa for automotive applications.

Background of the invention:

A grease barrel is used for dispensing grease at required stage to apply on automotive parts that are used assembling to vehicles to avoid friction among the automotive parts. For carrying out the greasing of the automotive parts, a store person will carry a grease barrel with help of a forklift in horizontal position, because it is very difficult to carry the barrel in vertical position with the forklift from one place to another place. So, once the store person gets the barrel, he places the barrel at near grease dispensing stage. Then, a stage operator will tilt the barrel from the horizontal position to the vertical position manually with help of two more other operators. Then, the stage operator fits a grease dispensing unit to the barrel, once the barrel is in the vertical condition as per process. Otherwise, the stage operator cannot position the dispensing unit, if the barrel is in the horizontal position.

However, due to the barrel weight while manual lifting and tilting, there are following disadvantages:

1. Dedicatedly three operators are required for tilting the barrel from the horizontal position to the vertical position.
2. High fatigue to the operators due to manual lifting and tilting the barrel that is weighted nearly 200 kg.
3. Ergonomically RED stage due to heavy manual operation.
4. It may lead to get an accident while tilting the barrel.

Accordingly, there exists need to provide an article tilting and transporting mechanism that overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks in the prior art.

Objects of the invention:

An object of the present invention is to lift a barrel from horizontal position to vertical position.

Another object of the present invention is to eliminate unsafe working conditions during operation of lifting the barrel.

Yet, another object of the present invention is to reduce time required for bending operation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tilting mechanism, which is fatigue elimination while tilting barrel from horizontal to vertical position.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides an article tilting and transporting mechanism (150). The mechanism (150) comprises a base structure (10), at least two support members (20) mounted on the base structure (10), a plurality of reinforcement members (30) mounted on the base member and connected to the support members (20) to provide strength, a plurality of wheels (40) fixed to the base structure (10); an article holder (50) movably mounted on the base structure (10), at least one locking belt (60) supported by the article holder (50), wherein the locking belt (60) covers at least half the circumference of the article thereby locking the article in place.
The mechanism (150) further comprises a pair of hub couplings (70). Specifically, each hub couplings of the pair of hub couplings (70) is operably coupled to support members (20) and the locking belt (60).

The mechanism (150) furthermore comprises a pedal (80) configured on the base structure (10), wherein the pedal (80) operably connected to hub couplings (70) for locking and unlocking the hub couplings from the support members (20). The mechanism (150) also comprises a pedal self-lock (90) releasabley engaging the hub couplings (70), wherein when the pedal (80) is pressed, the pedal self-lock (90) releases of the hub couplings (70), thereby moving the barrel holder (50) from the vertical position to the horizontal position. The mechanism (150) moreover comprises a secondary pedal lock (100) capable of locking the position of the pedal (80), thus resulting in locking of the barrel (110) in the vertical position for not to rotate.

Brief description of the drawings:

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the disclosure is read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein

Figure 1 shows perspective view of an article tilting and transporting mechanism, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism having a barrel in horizontal position, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism having the barrel in vertical position, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 shows left view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism of the figure 1;

Figure 5 shows right view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism of the figure 1;

Figure 6 shows front view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism of the figure 1;

Figure 7 shows back view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism of the figure 1;

Figure 8 shows top view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism of the figure 1; and

Figure 9 shows bottom view of the article tilting and transporting mechanism of the figure 1.

Detailed description of the embodiments:

The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiments.

The present invention provides an article tilting and transporting mechanism. The mechanism is based on a pedal operating and locking and unlocking a barrel holder of the mechanism with the help of hub couplings for easy tilting of the barrel. The entire process is carried out with smooth handling and less effort.

The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. These reference numbers are shown in bracket in the following description.

Referring to figures 1 to 9, an article tilting and transporting mechanism (150) (hereinafter referred as, “the mechanism (150)”), in accordance with the present invention is shown. In an embodiment, the mechanism (150) can be designed according to shape, size and weight of the article (110) to be transported / handled such as barrels, carton boxes, castings, MS structures and like. In a specific embodiment, an article (110) is a barrel of cylindrical shape that may be filled with grease. Hereinafter, the article (110) is referred as the barrel (110) throughout the specification. The mechanism (150) is used for tilting the barrel (110) from horizontal position to vertical position and transporting the barrel (110) from one destination to another on a shop floor.

The mechanism (150) comprises of a trolley (not numbered), a plurality of wheels (40) (hereinafter referred as, “the wheels (40)”), article/barrel holder (50), a locking belt (60), a pair of hub couplings (70) (hereinafter referred as, “the hub couplings (70)”), a pedal (80), a pedal self-lock (90) and a secondary pedal lock (100).

The mechanism (150) is mounted on the trolley having a base structure (10), at least two support members (20) (hereinafter referred as, “the support members (20)”), a plurality of reinforcement members (30) (hereinafter referred as, “the reinforcement members (30)”). The base structure (10) is used to support the entire mechanism (150) by accommodating all parts. The support members (20) are provided on left side and right side of the trolley to support the entire tilting mechanism (150). The reinforcement members (30) are used to provide additional strength for each of the support members (20).

The wheels (40) are fixed to the base structure (10). The wheels (40) are used to move the entire trolley from one place to another on the shop floor.

The article/barrel holder (50) (hereinafter “the barrel holder (50)) is used to support position of the barrel (110) and to switch the position of the barrel (110) from horizontal to vertical. The barrel holder (50) is also provided with a suitable slot (not shown) to support cylindrical shape of the barrel (110).

The locking belt (60) is attached to the barrel holder (50). The locking belt (60) comes around at least half the circumference of the barrel (110) thereby locking the barrel (110) thereon. The locking belt (60) maintains stability of the barrel (110) by locking the barrel (110) in the required vertical position and also while changing the position of the barrel (110) from the horizontal position and the vertical position as per requirement.

The hub couplings (70) are fixed to left side and right side of each support members (20) and the locking belt (60). The hub couplings (70) are used for tilting/rotating the barrel from the horizontal position to the vertical position and vice versa easily.

The pedal (80) is fixed at one end of the trolley. The pedal (80) is used to actuate the hub couplings (70) by unlocking while the pedal (80) is in press condition, thereby turning the barrel holder (50) from the horizontal position to the vertical position and vice versa based on deciding the position of the barrel (110) as per requirement while loading and unloading of the barrel (110).

The pedal self-lock (90) is attached to the pedal (80) and works on movement of the pedal (80). The pedal self-lock (90) is engaged in a slot (not shown) of the hub couplings (70). When the pedal (80) is in press condition, then the pedal self-lock (90) is released from the slot of the hub couplings (70), thereby moving the barrel holder (50) from the vertical position to the horizontal position. Vice versa during movement from the horizontal position to the vertical position, the pedal (80) is released and then automatically the pedal self-lock (90) gets engaged into the slot of hub couplings (70). The pedal self-lock (90) ensures that the barrel (110) will not tilt, once the barrel (110) reached to the vertical position.

The secondary pedal lock (100) is attached to the pedal (80). The secondary pedal lock (100) is used to lock the position of the pedal (80), thus resulting in locking of the barrel (110) in the vertical position for not to rotate. The secondary pedal lock (100) also avoids chance of pressing the pedal (80) while the barrel (110) is in working condition.

Again referring to figures 1 to 9, in an operation, for loading the barrel (110) on the barrel holder (50), a stage operator operates the pedal (2) by pressing with leg towards down. The hub couplings (70) unlock from the pedal self-lock (90) for tilting the barrel holder (50) towards the horizontal position for loading the barrel (110) thereon. Then, the hub couplings (70) lock the pedal (2) with the secondary pedal lock (4) to avoid tilting while loading the barrel (110) on the barrel holder (50).

Then, a store operator places the barrel (110) on the barrel holder (50) with help of a fork lift (not shown). Once the barrel (110) is loaded on the barrel holder (50), the stage operator locks the barrel (110) with the locking belt (60) by fastening the locking belt (60) around the barrel (110).

Then, the stage operator unlocks the secondary pedal lock (100) and holds the barrel holder (50) just pushing the mechanism (150) toward up with the hand by little effort. Thereinafter, the stage operator unlocks the pedal (80), thereby engaging the pedal self-lock (90) with the hub couplings (70) for tilting the mechanism (150) with the loaded barrel (110) towards up in the vertical position with the help of the hub couplings (70). So, once the barrel (110) is in the vertical position, the stage operator again locks the pedal (80) with the secondary pedal lock (100) to restrict the operation of the pedal (80) while the barrel (110) is in the vertical position.

Then, the stage operator fixes a grease dispensing unit (not shown) to the barrel (110) for greasing operation on the automotive parts. Similarly, vice versa the stage operator carries out the operation for unloading the empty barrel (110) after completion of the greasing operation and after removing the grease dispensing unit from the barrel (110).

Therefore, the mechanism (150) of performing tilting the barrel (110) from the horizontal position to the vertical position and vice versa is very simple and operator friendly.

The mechanism (150) works on principle based on pure moment (hub couple). The amount of work transfer is calculated as given below:
? When the barrel (110) is in the horizontal position, a peak of the barrel lays at 0.55 meters and hence its center of gravity, say h1 lays at 0.275 meters.
? When the barrel (110) is in the vertical position, the peak of the barrel lays at 0.87 meters and hence its center of gravity, say h2 lays at 0.435 meters
? Mass of the barrel (110) is m= 182 kg.
? So the energy/work transfer here is equal to:
=m × g × (h2 –h1), where g is acceleration due to gravity
=182 × 9.81 × (0.435-0.275) Joules
=286 Joules
So the huge energy transfer of 286 Joules is done with considerably less effort and in a safer way also.

Advantages of the invention:

1. Manpower of at least three persons is eliminated.
2. Ergonomically stage of the shop floor is converted from RED to GREEN stage.
3. Operator fatigue is eliminated.
4. Unsafe condition is eliminated
5. Cost saving is archived as given below:
• Capital Expenditure (Capex) saving ~12 lakhs (by in-house made)
• Manpower saving ~ 5.8 lakhs
• Hence, total saving ~ 17.8 lakhs
6. The mechanism (150) is simple and operator friendly.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the claims of the present invention.
,CLAIMS:CLAIMS
We Claim

1. An article tilting and transporting mechanism (150) comprising:
a base structure (10);
at least two support members (20) mounted on the base structure (10);
a plurality of reinforcement members (30) mounted on the base member and connected to the support members (20) to provide strength;
a plurality of wheels (40) fixed to the base structure (10);
an article holder (50) movably mounted on the base structure (10);
at least one locking belt (60) supported by the article holder (50), wherein the locking belt (60) covers at least half the circumference of the article thereby locking the article in place;
a pair of hub couplings (70), each hub couplings of the pair of hub couplings (70) operably coupled to support members (20) and the locking belt (60);
a pedal (80) configured on the base structure (10), the pedal (80) operably connected to hub couplings (70) for locking and unlocking the hub couplings from the support members (20);
a pedal self-lock (90) releasabley engaging the hub couplings (70), wherein when the pedal (80) is pressed , the pedal self-lock (90) releases of the hub couplings (70), thereby moving the barrel holder (50) from the vertical position to the horizontal position; and
a secondary pedal lock (100) capable of locking the position of the pedal (80), thus resulting in locking of the barrel (110) in the vertical position for not to rotate.

2. The article tilting and transporting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article is a barrel (110) of cylindrical shape.

3 The article tilting and transporting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base structure (10), at least two support members (20), the plurality of reinforcement members (30) and the plurality of wheels (40) forms a trolley for article transporting.

4. The article tilting and transporting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the barrel holder (50) is also provided with a slot to support cylindrical shape of the barrel (110).

5. The article tilting and transporting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the locking belt (60) is cylindrical.

6. The article tilting and transporting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein one hub coupling of the pair of hub couplings (70) comprises a slot for releasabley engaging the pedal self-lock (90).

Dated this 29th day of June, 2018

Prafulla Wange
(Agent for Applicant)
(IN/PA-2058)