Safety load hook

Abstract

A safety load hook with a lower part defining a curved hook mouth with a hook opening of a predefined nominal width. An upper part is attached to the lower part and is pivotable into an open position for insertion or removal of a load, and into a closed position blocking insertion of a load or removal of a load. A marking is on each of the end regions of the upper part and lower part which face one another in the closed state. When closed, and when a size of the hook opening corresponds to the nominal width, the lower part marking is offset from the upper part marking. The offset distance is chosen such that when there is a predefined maximum widening of the hook mouth in relation to the predefined nominal width thereof, both markings are located directly side by side in the closed state.

Claims

1. A safety load hook, comprising: a lower part defining a curved hook mouth with a hook opening of a predefined nominal width, and an upper part attached to the lower part, the upper part being pivotable into an open position in which the hook opening is open for insertion or removal of a load, and pivotable into a closed position in which the upper part blocks the hook opening toward an outside such that insertion of a load to be received into the hook mouth or removal of a load contained in the hook mouth from the hook mouth is prevented, wherein a marking is respectively provided on each of end regions of the upper part and the lower part, the markings facing one another when the upper part is in the closed position, wherein when the upper part is in the closed position, and when a size of the hook opening corresponds to the nominal width thereof, the marking on the lower part is offset from the marking on the upper part by a distance in a direction toward the hook opening, the distance being such that when there is a predefined maximum widening of the hook mouth in relation to the predefined nominal width thereof, both markings are located directly side by side when the upper part is in the closed state.

2. The safety load hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the markings are forged respectively on the upper part and on the lower part.

3. The safety load hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein the markings are each realized in line form, and when the markings are located directly side by side, the markings extend in a common line.

4. The safety load hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the upper part is in the closed position, a distance between each of the markings is such that the markings are located side by side when the hook mouth is widened by 10% in relation to its predefined nominal width.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below, in principle by way of example, by way of the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a safety load hook according to the invention (in the closed position);

(3) FIG. 2 shows a representation of the lower region of the safety load hook from FIG. 1 (in the closed state);

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 each show an enlarged representation of detail A from FIG. 2, wherein

(5) FIG. 3 shows the case of the safety load hook from FIG. 2 in the new state and

(6) FIG. 4 shows when the deformation limit is reached in the case of a load hook according to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a safety load hook 1 according to the invention which includes a fixed lower part 2 and an upper part 5 which is fastened to the lower part 2 so as to be pivotable about a pivot joint 10.

(8) In this case, the upper part 5 is provided (at the top) with a suitable connection, for example with a coupling connection (as shown in FIG. 1) or also with an eyelet or a peg (not shown in the figures).

(9) In this connection, the upper part 5 can be pivoted about the pivot joint 10 both into a closed position (FIG. 1) and into an open position (not shown) in which the upper part 5 is pivoted upwardly open about the pivot joint 10 relative to the lower part 2.

(10) The lower part 2 forms a hook mouth 3 which determines a hook opening 4 at the top which comprises a predefined nominal width n in the new state.

(11) As can be seen from FIG. 1, when the upper part 5 is in the closed state, the hook opening 4 is blocked toward the outside, whilst when the upper part 5 is in the open state, when it is pivoted upwardly open from the lower part 2, a load to be received (not shown) can be moved from outside through the hook opening 4 into the hook mouth 3 or can be removed again out of said hook mouth to the outside.

(12) When the upper part 5 is in the closed state (FIG. 1), a marking is provided respectively, namely the marking 8 on the upper part 5 and the marking 9 on the lower part 2, at the end region 6 of the upper part 5 and at the end region 7 of the lower part 2, which face one another when the safety load hook 1 is in the closed state (it being possible for them to lie one on top of the other or also a small distance apart from one another, for instance up to 3 mm, with a corresponding minimum opening according to EN 818-6 being admissible). This is specified as detail A in the representation in FIG. 2, which only shows a lower portion of the view from FIG. 1, and is repeated, in an enlarged scale, for two different states in FIGS. 3 and 4 in each case in an enlarged scale.

(13) The representations in FIGS. 1 to 3 show a state where the hook opening 4 comprises the predefined nominal width n which is assigned to the relevant safety load hook 1, that is to say a state as corresponds to the new state of such a safety load hook 1. In this case, in the closed state, the end regions 6 and 7 of upper part 5 and lower part 2 are located aligned with respect to one another with their ends facing one another, as shown in detail in the representations in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, reference being made expressly in this respect to the graphic representation in said figures.

(14) In said state, which corresponds to the new state of the safety load hook 1, in which the lower part 2 and upper part 5 each have the design dimensions assigned to them and, in this case, the hook opening 4 comprises its assigned nominal width n, the wear markings 8 and 9 are affixed to the upper part 5 and lower part 2 in such a manner, as shown in FIG. 3 in an enlarged representation of the detail A from FIG. 2, that the wear marking 9 on the lower part 2 is offset in the direction toward the hook opening 4 by a distance a (cf. FIG. 3) relative to the wear marking 8 on the upper part 5.

(15) In the case of the safety load hook 1, as a result of the loads held in the hook mouth 3, the hook mouth 3 is certainly deformed in an ongoing manner during the service life thereof, in particular in the event of overloads, in such a manner that said hook mouth widens. If, in this case, an admissible size of the widening of the hook mouth and consequently a corresponding deformation limit is reached, the safety load hook must not continue to be used and must be withdrawn. The admissible widening of the hook mouth 3 is defined in detail for such safety load hooks 1 by corresponding regulations or standards, wherein it corresponds, for example, to a widening of the hook mouth 3 by 10% in relation to the defined nominal width n thereof according to EN 818-6 and ÖNORM M9611.

(16) In the case of the widening of the hook mouth 3, the end region 7 thereof which faces the upper part 5 creeps outward in the direction toward the hook mouth 4, as is shown by the arrow F in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows, in this case, the detail A for the case where the deformation limit of the hook mouth 3 has been reached.

(17) In the initial state of the safety load hook 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the closed position thereof, that is to say corresponding to the new state thereof, the wear markings 8 and 9 are affixed in such a manner that the offset of the wear marking 9 on the lower part 2 relative to the wear marking 8 on the upper part 5 is chosen such that the distance between the two a is precisely of the size that the two wear markings 8 and 9 are located directly side by side (or perhaps better said: one above the other) when the maximum admissible widening of the hook mouth 3 is reached, as shown in FIG. 4.

(18) The markings 8 and 9, in this case, are each realized, as shown in the figures, in a rectilinear line form and are provided in such a way on the upper part 5 or lower part 2 which carries them that they extend, when reaching the predefined maximum admissible widening of the hook mouth 3, as shown in FIG. 4, in a mutual alignment corresponding to a common line b.

(19) In this way, it is very easily possible within the framework of an inspection of the widening of the hook mouth 3 of such a safety load hook 1 for the inspector to recognize immediately that the maximum admissible widening of the hook mouth 3 (and consequently also of the hook opening 4) has been reached because the markings 8 and 9 are then located directly aligned with respect to one another corresponding to the representation in FIG. 4.

(20) Or expressed another way: As long as the marking 9 is still offset laterally in the direction toward the hook opening 4 or the hook mouth 3 relative to the marking 8, it can be immediately recognized visually that the admissible widening of the hook mouth 3 has not yet been reached.

(21) The wear markings 8 and 9 can be provided respectively on the upper part 5 or lower part 2 in any suitable form, it being particularly favorable when the respective marking 8 or 9 is also forged on the upper part 5 or on the lower part 2 during the production thereof.