HYDRAULIC GRAPPLE Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC B66C3/16 

FIELD: handling equipment.

SUBSTANCE: hydraulic grapple has frame, suspension, jaws with lugs positioned on frame, jaw drive including two hydraulic cylinders and mechanism adapted for rotation of grapple around vertical axis and including shaft-gear and drive hydraulic cylinder rigidly fixed on frame. Grapple is additionally furnished with jaw closing-opening synchronization system consisting of two pairs of gears positioned on jaw lug axes and kinematically connected with lugs by means of cam half-couplings rigidly fixed on lugs. Shaft-gear of mechanism for rotating grapple around vertical axis cooperates with toothed sector pivotally secured on stem of drive hydraulic cylinder. Jaw drive hydraulic cylinders are located between jaws and their stems are pivotally fixed on brackets disposed in mid portion of jaw connecting beams. Lugs of each jaw are connected with one another in overlapped relation so as to define elliptic opening.

EFFECT: reduced loading of construction members, reduced sizes and weight of upper part of grapple, increased volumetric filling of grapple opening and reliable closing of jaws about round material having various diameters.

5 dwg