Suspension device

Abstract

To provide a suspension device that can efficiently transport rectangular concrete blocks. [Solution] A suspension device 10 for suspending and transporting at least one set of block rows 101, each consisting of multiple rectangular concrete blocks 100, at once, wherein the multiple concrete blocks 100 are arranged in the block row 101 with their face shells 102 in contact with each other, and in a front view, a virtual front-side stress line L1 extending perpendicular to the front-side clamping portion 23 from the lower end of the front-side clamping portion 23 passes over the other end of the face shell 102, and a virtual back-side stress line L2 extending perpendicular to the back-side clamping portion 33 from the lower end of the back-side clamping portion 33 passes over the face shell 102 at one end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspension device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are rectangular concrete blocks used for block walls, building walls, foundations, etc. When constructing a block wall or the like, a large number of concrete blocks are stacked on a pallet and transported by a truck or the like to a location near the stacking site. Thereafter, the concrete blocks are carried from the pallet to the stacking site by the hands of workers.

[0003] For example, when transporting large and special concrete blocks such as concrete blocks for revetments or long concrete blocks for side ditches, the suspension devices described in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, etc. can be used. However, these suspension devices cannot transport small rectangular concrete blocks used for block walls or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The operation of carrying concrete blocks used for block walls or the like from a pallet to a stacking site by the hands of workers has problems such as a large burden on the workers' bodies, being labor-intensive and time-consuming, and having poor efficiency.

[0006] The present invention was completed based on the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a suspension device that can efficiently transport rectangular concrete blocks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a suspension device for suspending and transporting at least one set of rows of rectangular concrete blocks arranged in a row, wherein the concrete blocks are arranged in the row with their face shells in contact with each other, and comprises a front arm and a rear arm that intersect each other in a front view, and a center part positioned at the intersection of the front arm and the rear arm, which rotatably integrates the front arm and the rear arm at the intersection, wherein the front arm has a front hook portion provided at one end, a front first arm portion extending from the front hook portion to the intersection, a front clamping portion provided at the other end via the intersection, and a front second arm portion extending from the front clamping portion to the intersection, and the rear arm has a rear hook portion provided at one end, a rear first arm portion extending from the rear hook portion to the intersection, and a rear clamping portion provided at the other end via the intersection, The front hook portion and the rear hook portion are suspension points attached to heavy machinery, the front clamp portion has a front clamping portion extending downward from the front second arm portion, and the rear clamp portion has a rear clamping portion extending downward from the rear second arm portion, and in conjunction with the upward displacement of the front hook portion and the rear hook portion, the lower end of the front clamping portion is at one end of the block row The clamping mechanism contacts the face shell, and the lower end of the rear clamping portion contacts the face shell at the other end of the block row, and in this clamping state, in a front view, a virtual front stress line extending perpendicular to the front clamping portion from the lower end of the front clamping portion passes over the other end of the face shell, and a virtual back stress line extending perpendicular to the rear clamping portion from the lower end of the rear clamping portion passes over the face shell at one end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the force applied to one end of the face shell by the front clamping portion extends to the other end of the face shell, and the force applied to the other end of the face shell by the rear clamping portion extends to the first end of the face shell. Since the clamping force from the front and rear clamping portions acts on all concrete blocks, it prevents concrete blocks near the center in the direction of alignment from falling and allows one or more rows of blocks to be simultaneously lifted and clamped. Therefore, rectangular concrete blocks can be efficiently transported by using this suspension device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing the suspension device in Example 1, which suspends and transports multiple rectangular concrete blocks. [Figure 2] This is a front view showing the suspension device in a non-clamping state. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing how the left and right handle parts of the suspension device can be selectively fixed. [Figure 4] This is an exploded front view showing the suspension device. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the suspension device, and it corresponds to the cross-section at position AA in Figure 3. [Figure 6] This is a front view showing a suspension device in a suspended state. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing the suspension device, and it corresponds to the cross-section at position BB in Figure 3. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing the suspension device, and it corresponds to the cross-section at position CC in Figure 3. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the suspension device in Example 2, and corresponds to the cross-section at position BB in Figure 3. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing the suspension device, and it corresponds to the cross-section at position CC in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown below. [1] The suspension device of the present invention is a suspension device for suspending and transporting at least one set of rows of rectangular concrete blocks arranged in a row, wherein the concrete blocks are arranged in the row of blocks with their face shells in contact with each other, and comprises a front side arm and a rear side arm that intersect each other in a front view, and a center part disposed at the intersection of the front side arm and the rear side arm, which rotatably integrates the front side arm and the rear side arm at the intersection, wherein the front side arm has a front side hook portion provided at one end, a front side first arm portion extending from the front side hook portion to the intersection, a front side clamping portion provided at the other end via the intersection, and a front side second arm portion extending from the front side clamping portion to the intersection, and the rear side arm has a rear side hook portion provided at one end, a rear side first arm portion extending from the rear side hook portion to the intersection, and a rear side It has a side clamping portion and a second rear arm portion extending from the rear side clamping portion to the intersection, the front side hook portion and the rear side hook portion are suspension points to be attached to heavy machinery, the front side clamping portion has a front side clamping portion extending downward from the second front side arm portion, and the rear side clamping portion has a rear side clamping portion extending downward from the second rear side arm portion, and in conjunction with the upward displacement of the front side hook portion and the rear side hook portion, the lower end of the front side clamping portion is on both sides of the block row The clamping portion is in contact with the face shell at one end of the block row, and the lower end of the rear clamping portion is in contact with the face shell at the other end of the block row, and in the clamping state, in a front view, a virtual front-side stress line extending perpendicular to the front clamping portion from the lower end of the front clamping portion passes over the face shell at the other end, and a virtual back-side stress line extending perpendicular to the rear clamping portion from the lower end of the rear clamping portion passes over the face shell at one end.

[0011] With this configuration, the force applied to one face shell by the front clamping section extends to the other face shell, and the force applied to the other face shell by the rear clamping section extends to the first face shell. Since the clamping force from the front and rear clamping sections acts on all concrete blocks, it prevents concrete blocks near the center in the row direction from falling and allows for the simultaneous lifting and clamping of one or more rows of blocks. Therefore, rectangular concrete blocks can be efficiently transported by using this suspension device.

[0012] [2] In the suspension device described in [1] above, the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion may hang vertically in the non-clamping state before being displaced to the clamping state. With such a configuration, the angle of the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion in the clamping state can be set to an angle close to vertical, and the clamping force by the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion can be applied to the block row at an angle close to horizontal.

[0013] [3] In the suspension device described in [1] or [2] above, in the clamping state, the lower end of the front clamping portion and the lower end of the rear clamping portion may each contact the lower region in the height direction of the face shell. With such a configuration, most of the clamping force by the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion can be applied to the lower region of the block row.

[0014] [4] In the suspension device described in any of [1] to [3] above, the front second arm and the rear second arm may be extended horizontally in the non-clamping state before being displaced to the clamping state. With such a configuration, the front second arm and the rear second arm can be placed on the upper surface of the block row in the non-clamping state, so the suspension device can be easily set up.

[0015] [5] In the suspension device according to any one of [1] to [4] above, the difference between the length dimensions of the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part and the length dimension of the block row to be suspended and transported at one time may be 30 mm or less. According to such a configuration, compared with the case where the length dimensions of the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part are too large or too small compared to the length dimension of one or more block rows to be suspended and transported at one time, force can be efficiently applied to the face shell.

[0016] [6] In the suspension device according to any one of [1] to [5] above, in the suspended state in the air without gripping the block row, there is a rotation limiting mechanism that limits the rotation angle of the front-side arm and the back-side arm with respect to the horizontal plane. The rotation limiting mechanism includes a front-side center part and a back-side center part that constitute the center part, a front-side anti-sway part that connects the front-side center part and the front-side first arm part, and a back-side anti-sway part that connects the back-side center part and the back-side first arm part. Vertical linear groove parts are formed in the front-side center part and the back-side center part respectively. One end of the front-side anti-sway part is rotatably fixed to the front-side first arm part, and the other end of the front-side anti-sway part has a front-side regulating part that can move vertically along the linear groove part according to the rotation angle of the front-side arm. One end of the back-side anti-sway part is rotatably fixed to the back-side first arm part, and the other end of the back-side anti-sway part has a back-side regulating part that can move vertically along the linear groove part according to the rotation angle of the back-side arm. In the state where the front-side regulating part and the back-side regulating part are arranged at the upper end of the linear groove part, the rotation angles of the front-side arm and the back-side arm may be arranged at the predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0017] According to such a configuration, a rotation limiting mechanism that limits the rotation angles of the front-side arm and the back-side arm in the suspended state to a predetermined angle can be realized with a simple structure. Therefore, the rotation limiting mechanism is less likely to fail, and the durability of the suspension device can be improved.

[0018] [7] In the suspension device according to any one of [1] to [6] above, the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part are composed of handle parts formed separately from the front-side arm and the back-side arm, and a plurality of fixing parts capable of selectively fixing the handle parts may be provided on the front-side second arm part and the back-side second arm part. According to such a configuration, by selecting the fixing position of the handle part, block rows with different width dimensions can be clamped.

[0019] [8] In the suspension device according to [7] above, the pitch of the plurality of fixing parts may be 40 mm or less. According to such a configuration, when carrying concrete blocks with different thickness dimensions, in the non-clamped state before displacement to the clamped state, the horizontal distance between the lower end part of the front-side clamping part and the lower end part of the back-side clamping part and the difference from the width dimension of the block row can be reduced. Thereby, the inclination angle of the clamping part in the clamped state can be reduced, and the clamping force by the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part can be made to act on the block row at an angle close to horizontal.

[0020] [9] In the suspension device according to any one of [1] to [8] above, the lower end parts of the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part may have anti-slip parts. According to such a configuration, the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part can hold the face shells at both ends of the block row well by frictional force.

[0021]

[10] In the suspension device according to any one of [1] to [9] above, the difference between the height dimensions of the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part and the height dimension of the block row may be 20 mm or less. According to such a configuration, in the clamped state, the lower end parts of the front-side clamping part and the back-side clamping part can be easily applied to the lower region of the face shell.

[0022] <Example 1> An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Figure 1 shows how the suspension device 10 in this embodiment suspends and transports a plurality of rectangular concrete blocks 100. The plurality of rectangular concrete blocks 100 are suspended and transported as a set of block rows 101, as shown in Figure 1. Each concrete block 100 is used for block walls, etc., and is, for example, a formwork concrete block or a hollow concrete block. The plurality of concrete blocks 100 are arranged in the block row 101 with their face shells 102 in contact with each other. The suspension device 10 can suspend any type of concrete block 100, such as base blocks, blocks for horizontal reinforcement, or blocks for corners.

[0023] In the following explanation, for convenience, the positive X-axis direction in each drawing will be referred to as the front, the negative X-axis direction as the rear, the positive Y-axis direction as the top, the negative Y-axis direction as the bottom, the positive Z-axis direction as the left, and the negative Z-axis direction as the right. The concrete blocks 100 are arranged with their length in the front-to-back direction, their height in the up-and-down direction, and their thickness in the left-to-right direction to form a block row 101. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some parts of the structure may be exaggerated or simplified. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ from those of the actual parts.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the suspension device 10 comprises a front arm 20, a rear arm 30, a center part 40, and a rotation limiting mechanism 60. The front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 intersect each other in a front view. The center part 40 is positioned at the intersection of the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30, and integrates the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 so that they can rotate at the intersection. The rotation limiting mechanism 60 restricts the rotation angle of the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 to a predetermined angle α when the device is suspended in the air without gripping the block row 101 (see Figure 6).

[0025] The suspension device 10 can be in a suspended state (see Figure 6), a clamped state in which the lower ends of the left and right handle parts 23 and 33 (described later) are in contact with the face shells 102 at both the left and right ends of the block row 101 (see Figure 1), and a non-clamped state before being displaced to the clamped state (see Figure 2).

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the front arm 20 comprises a front hook portion 21, a front first arm portion 22, a left-side handle part (front clamping portion) 23, a front second arm portion 24, and a front grip portion 25. The front arm 20 is constructed from a metal plate material having a thickness of approximately 9 mm to 12 mm.

[0027] The front hook portion 21 is provided at the right end of the front arm 20. The front first arm portion 22 curves and extends from the front hook portion 21 to the center part 40. The left handle portion 23 is provided at the left end (the other end via the intersection) of the front arm 20. The front second arm portion 24 extends linearly from the left handle portion 23 to the center part 40. The extension dimension of the front second arm portion 24 is longer than the extension dimension of the front first arm portion 22. The front grip portion 25 is provided above the front second arm portion 24 and extends parallel to the front second arm portion 24.

[0028] The rear arm 30 has the same shape as the front arm 20, and is a left-right inverted version of the front arm 20. The rear arm 30 comprises a rear hook portion 31, a rear first arm portion 32, a right-side handle part (rear clamping portion) 33, a rear second arm portion 34, and a rear grip portion 35.

[0029] The rear hook portion 31 is provided at the left end of the rear arm 30, and the rear first arm portion 32 curves and extends from the rear hook portion 31 to the center part 40. The right handle portion 33 is provided at the right end (the other end via the intersection) of the rear arm 30. The rear second arm portion 34 extends in a straight line from the right handle portion 33 to the center part 40. The extended length of the rear second arm portion 34 is longer than the extended length of the rear first arm portion 32. The rear grip portion 35 is provided above the rear second arm portion 34 and extends parallel to the rear second arm portion 34.

[0030] The operator can lift the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 by grasping the front grip portion 25 and the rear grip portion 35. The front grip portion 25 and the rear grip portion 35 are preferably made of rubber.

[0031] The front hook portion 21 and the rear hook portion 31 are the lifting points to which the heavy machinery is attached. A circular hole is formed through each of the front hook portion 21 and the rear hook portion 31.

[0032] Figure 2 shows a front view of the suspension device 10 in the non-clamping state before being displaced to the clamping state. As shown in Figure 2, the front second arm 24 and the rear second arm 34 extend horizontally in the non-clamping state. As a result, in the non-clamping state, the front second arm 24 and the rear second arm 34 rest on the upper surface of the block row 101. The length of the front second arm 24 and the rear second arm 34 in the left-right direction is such that approximately 5 to 12 concrete blocks 100 can be lifted and transported at once.

[0033] Figure 3 shows how the left and right handle parts 23 and 33 can be selectively fixed in the suspension device 10. In Figure 3, the handle parts 23 and 33 at the position where the distance between them is maximum is shown by a solid line, and the handle parts 23 and 33 at the position where the distance is minimum is shown by a dashed line.

[0034] Multiple handle fixing parts (fixing parts) 11 are formed on the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30, respectively, which allow for the selective fixing of the left and right handle parts 23 and 33. This makes it possible to change the fixing position of the gripping parts 23 and 33 on the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30.

[0035] Each handle fixing portion 11 is a circular hole formed through the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30. The handle fixing portion 11 of the front arm 20 is formed on the front second arm portion 24 at a constant pitch P in the left-right direction. The handle fixing portion 11 of the rear arm 30 is formed on the rear second arm portion 34 at a constant pitch P in the left-right direction.

[0036] The pitch P of the handle fixing parts 11 should be 40 mm or less. The pitch P of the handle fixing parts 11 may be changed according to the specifications of the concrete block 100 to be transported. When transporting hollow concrete blocks with different thickness dimensions (specifically, with different thickness dimensions of 100 mm, 120 mm, 150 mm, and 190 mm), the pitch P of the handle fixing parts 11 should be 35 mm.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an exploded front view of the suspension device 10. As shown in Figure 4, the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 have first fixing parts 12 which are used to fix the front anti-sway part 63 and the rear anti-sway part 64, which will be described later. The front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 also have second fixing parts 13 which are used to fix the center part 40. Both the first fixing part 12 and the second fixing part 13 are circular through holes.

[0038] The center part 40 has a front center part 61 and a rear center part 62. The front center part 61 is positioned in front of the front arm 20, and the rear center part 62 is positioned behind the rear arm 30. The front center part 61 and the rear center part 62 are made of metal plate material with a thickness of approximately 9 mm to 12 mm. Both the front center part 61 and the rear center part 62 are triangular in shape when viewed from the front.

[0039] A center grip portion 43 is provided on the rear center part 62. The center grip portion 43 extends horizontally. The operator can lift the suspension device 10 by grasping the center grip portion 43. The center grip portion 43 is preferably made of rubber.

[0040] The front center part 61 and the rear center part 62 each have one upper fixing part 41 and two lower fixing parts 42. Both the upper fixing part 41 and the lower fixing parts 42 are circular through holes.

[0041] The upper fixing portion 41 is provided at the upper ends of the front center part 61 and the rear center part 62. The front center part 61 and the rear center part 62 are connected to each other by fastening members T at the upper fixing portion 41 (see Figure 5).

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the lower fixing portion 42 is provided at both left ends of the lower ends of the front center part 61 and the lower center part 40. The front center part 61, the front arm 20, and the rear center part 62 are connected by fastening members T to the left lower fixing portion 42 of the front center part 61, the second fixing portion 13 of the front arm, and the left lower fixing portion 42 of the rear center part 62. The front center part 61, the rear arm 30, and the rear center part 62 are connected by fastening members T to the right lower fixing portion 42 of the front center part 61, the second fixing portion 13 of the rear arm 30, and the right lower fixing portion 42 of the rear center part 62. The fastening members T may be, for example, M14 bolts and nuts.

[0043] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the suspension device 10 corresponding to the cross-section at position AA in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5, the rotation limiting mechanism 60 comprises a front center part 61, a rear center part 62, a front anti-sway part 63, a rear anti-sway part 64, a front restricting section 65, and a rear restricting section 66. The front restricting section 65 and the rear restricting section 66 are formed by a single stepped pin 67.

[0044] A vertical linear groove 69 is formed through the front center part 61 and the rear center part 62, respectively (see Figure 4). The linear groove 69 is located at the left-right center of the front center part 61 and the rear center part 62 and extends vertically in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the vertical dimension of the linear groove 69 is 80 mm, but it may be changed as appropriate depending on various conditions.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, the front anti-sway part 63 and the rear anti-sway part 64 are metal plates with circular holes formed through both ends. The front anti-sway part 63 and the rear anti-sway part 64 are identical in shape. The front anti-sway part 63 connects the front center part 61 and the front arm 20. The rear anti-sway part 64 connects the rear center part 62 and the rear arm 30.

[0046] The holes at one end of the front-side anti-sway part 63 and the rear-side anti-sway part 64 are anti-sway fixing parts 71. By inserting a pin into the anti-sway fixing part 71 of the front-side anti-sway part 63 and the first fixing part 12 of the front-side arm 20, the front-side anti-sway part 63 and the front-side arm 20 are fixed so that they can rotate. By inserting a pin into the anti-sway fixing part 71 of the rear-side anti-sway part 64 and the first fixing part 12 of the rear-side arm 30, the rear-side anti-sway part 64 and the rear-side arm 30 are fixed so that they can rotate.

[0047] The holes at the other ends of the front-side anti-sway part 63 and the rear-side anti-sway part 64 are regulating and fixing parts 72 for fixing the front-side restricting part 65 and the rear-side restricting part 66 (see Figure 5).

[0048] The front-side restricting portion 65 and the rear-side restricting portion 66 are provided on the stepped pin 67, as shown in Figure 5. The stepped pin 67 has a stepped cylindrical shape, integrally comprising the front-side restricting portion 65, the rear-side restricting portion 66, and the large-diameter portion 68. The diameter of the large-diameter portion 68 is larger than the diameters of the front-side restricting portion 65 and the rear-side restricting portion 66.

[0049] The front restrictor portion 65 is positioned in the linear groove portion 69, passing through the restrictor fixing portion 72 of the front anti-sway part 63. The rear restrictor portion 66 is positioned in the linear groove portion 69, passing through the restrictor fixing portion 72 of the rear anti-sway part 64. The front restrictor portion 65 and the rear restrictor portion 66 move vertically along the linear groove portion 69 according to the rotation angle of the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30.

[0050] Figure 6 shows a front view of the suspension device 10 in a suspended state. In the suspended state, as shown in Figure 6, the front restrictor 65 and the rear restrictor 66 are positioned at the upper end of the linear groove 69. This limits the rotation angle of the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30, and in the suspended state they are positioned at a predetermined angle α with respect to the horizontal plane H. The predetermined angle α is preferably, for example, 10 to 30 degrees. The rotation limiting mechanism 60 has a simpler structure than conventional rotation limiting mechanisms with a complex structure that includes a switch mechanism to turn the rotation angle limiting state on and off. Therefore, the rotation limiting mechanism 60 is less prone to failure, and the durability of the suspension device 10 can be improved. The front restrictor 65 and the rear restrictor 66 are positioned near the vertical center of the linear groove 69 in the clamped state, and below that in the non-clamped state.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the left and right handle parts 23 and 33 are formed separately from the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30. Each handle part 23 and 33 has a gripping portion 51, a mounting portion 52, and an overhanging portion 53. The left and right handle parts 23 and 33 are identical in shape and are attached to the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 in a reversed orientation. The left handle part 51 corresponds to the front gripping portion, and the right handle part 51 corresponds to the rear gripping portion. The handle parts 23 and 33 are made of metal plate material with a thickness of approximately 6 mm to 9 mm.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, the gripping portion 51 extends downward from the front second arm portion 24 and the rear second arm portion 34 when the handle parts 22 and 23 are fixed to the front arm portion 20 and the rear arm portion 30. In the non-clamping state, the gripping portion 51 hangs vertically. This allows the inclination angle of the gripping portion 51 in the clamping state to be close to vertical, as shown in Figure 1, and enables the gripping force from the left and right handle parts 23 and 33 to be applied to the block row 101 at an angle close to horizontal.

[0053] The lower end of the gripping portion 51 has an anti-slip portion 54. This allows the handle part to firmly hold the face shells 102 at both ends of the block row 101 by frictional force. The anti-slip portion 54 may be formed using multiple metal square bars. This makes it easy to form the anti-slip portion 54.

[0054] The protruding portion 53 extends horizontally along the lower edges of the front second arm portion 24 and the rear second arm portion 34 (see Figure 8). In the non-clamping state, the protruding portion 53 is positioned along the upper surface of the block row 101 (see Figure 2).

[0055] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the suspension device 10 corresponding to the cross-section at position BB in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 7, the clamping portion 51 has a long rectangular shape in the front-to-back direction when viewed from the side. The anti-slip portion 54 is provided along the entire length of the clamping portion 51 in the front-to-back direction. The difference between the length dimension (front-to-back dimension) D1 of the clamping portion 51 and the length dimension (front-to-back dimension) of the block row 101 is preferably 30 mm or less. Specifically, for example, if the length dimension of the block row 101 is 380 mm, the length dimension D1 of the clamping portion 51 should be 390 mm. This allows force to be applied to the face shell 102 more efficiently compared to cases where the clamping portion 51 is too long or too short compared to the block row 101.

[0056] The difference between the height dimension (vertical dimension) D2 of the clamping portion 51 and the height dimension (vertical dimension) of the block row 101 should be 20 mm or less. Specifically, for example, if the height dimension of the block row 101 is 190 mm, the height dimension D2 of the clamping portion 51 should be 180 mm. This makes it easier to bring the lower end of the clamping portion 51 into contact with the lower end of the face shell 102 when clamping.

[0057] Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the suspension device 10 corresponding to the cross-section at position CC in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 8, the mounting portion 52 has a pair of metal plates capable of clamping the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30, respectively. The mounting portion 52 is erected on the upper surface of the overhang portion 53. Four fixing holes 55 are formed in the mounting portion 52. Each fixing hole 55 is a circular hole that penetrates the two metal plates constituting the mounting portion 52 in the front-rear direction. The four fixing holes 55 are formed side by side in the left-right direction at the same interval as the pitch P of the handle fixing portion 11.

[0058] The mounting portion 52 is fixed to the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30, respectively, by a fixing part 56 having three pins. The spacing between the pins of the fixing part 56 is the same as the pitch P of the handle fixing portion 11. The handle parts 23 and 33 are firmly fixed to the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 without wobbling by being fixed by the three pins of the fixing part 56.

[0059] In a plan view, the protruding portion 53 has a triangular shape that is longer in the front-to-back direction than in the left-to-right direction, and its dimension in the front-to-back direction gradually decreases from the clamping portion 51 side toward the center part 40 side. The left-to-right dimension of the protruding portion 53 is equivalent to, or slightly larger than, the thickness dimension of the concrete block 100.

[0060] Next, an example of transporting concrete blocks 100 using the suspension device 10 will be described.

[0061] First, as shown in Figure 3, the worker selects the fixing positions for the handle parts 23 and 33 and fixes them to the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30. The width dimension (horizontal dimension) of the block row 101 varies depending on the specifications and number of concrete blocks 100. By selecting the fixing positions for the handle parts 23 and 33, the worker can reuse the lifting device 10 to lift and transport block rows 101 with different width dimensions.

[0062] The worker fixes the left and right handle parts 23 and 33 in symmetrical positions with respect to the left-right center of the center part 40. The distance between the left and right clamping parts 51 should be minimized relative to the width dimension of the block row 101 being carried. As a result, the distance between the left and right clamping parts 51 and the face shells 102 at both ends will be less than or equal to the pitch P of the handle fixing part 11.

[0063] The worker may adjust the fixing positions of the handle parts 23 and 33 to match the width of the pallet on which the concrete blocks 100 are stacked. This allows the lifting device 10 to grip a row of concrete blocks 100 from the stack of concrete blocks 100 on the pallet as a block row 101, and lift and transport it.

[0064] Furthermore, it is preferable that the block row 101 is composed only of concrete blocks 100 of the same specifications. This allows the suspension device 10 to stably lift and transport the block row 101.

[0065] Furthermore, it is preferable that the block row 101 is composed of concrete blocks 100 of the same type. Specifically, for example, it is preferable to transport the block row 101 by dividing it into a block row 101 composed only of basic concrete blocks 100 and a block row 101 composed only of concrete blocks 100 for horizontal reinforcement. This allows for the basic concrete blocks 100 to be arranged in a single row and the concrete blocks 100 for horizontal reinforcement to be arranged in a single row at the stacking site, enabling efficient stacking of block walls and the like.

[0066] Next, as shown in Figure 2, the worker sets the suspension device 10 on the block row 101 to be transported in a non-clamping state. Specifically, the worker lifts the hook portion of the suspension device 10 using heavy machinery or the like, suspending it in mid-air, and positions it above the block row 101 to be transported. Then the worker grasps the front grip portion 25 and the rear grip portion 35 and lifts it, making the front second arm portion 24 and the rear second arm portion 34 horizontal, and places it on the top surface of the block row 101. In this way, the suspension device 10 is set on the block row 101 in a non-clamping state. At this time, each concrete block 100 of the block row 101 is self-supporting, and the face shells 102 do not necessarily have to be in close contact with each other. The worker can set the suspension device 10 on the top surface of the block row 101 and release their hands, making it easy to set the suspension device 10.

[0067] Next, the worker lifts the suspension device 10 using heavy machinery, as shown in Figure 1. As the front hook portion 21 and the rear hook portion 31 are displaced upward, the left and right clamping portions 51 tilt, and the lower ends of the left and right clamping portions 51 come into contact with the face shells 102 at both ends of the block row 101, pressing against the face shells 102 at both ends. Due to the pressing force from the left and right clamping portions 51, the face shells 102 of the concrete block 100 come into close contact with each other, and the suspension device 10 enters a clamping state. In the clamping state, the tilt angle of the clamping portions 51 is small, and it is close to vertical.

[0068] In the clamping state, in a front view, a virtual front-side stress line L1 extending perpendicularly to the clamping portion 51 from the lower end of the left clamping portion 51 (the lower end of the front-side clamping portion) passes over the rightmost face shell 102. As a result, the force applied by the left clamping portion 51 to the leftmost face shell 102 of the block row 101 extends to the rightmost face shell 102 of the block row 101. Also, a virtual back-side stress line L2 extending perpendicularly to the clamping portion 51 from the lower end of the right clamping portion 51 (the lower end of the back-side clamping portion) passes over the leftmost face shell 102. As a result, the force applied by the right clamping portion 51 to the rightmost face shell 102 of the block row 101 extends to the leftmost face shell 102 of the block row 101. The clamping force from the left and right clamping portions 51 acts on all concrete blocks 100 that make up the block row 101.

[0069] The virtual stress line L1 on the front side and the virtual stress line L2 on the back side are symmetrical with respect to the left-right center of the block row 101. As a result, the clamping force from the left and right clamping portions 51 acts on the block row 101 in a balanced manner.

[0070] Furthermore, in the clamping state, the lower ends of the left and right clamping portions 51 each contact the lower end of the face shell 102. As a result, more than half of the portions of the virtual stress line L1 on the front side and the virtual stress line L2 on the back side that extend into the block row 101 pass through the lower region U of the block row 101. The lower region U is the area below the center in the height direction of the concrete block 100, and is shown as shaded in Figure 1. Most of the clamping force by the left and right clamping portions 51 acts on the lower region U of the block row 101.

[0071] The worker then uses heavy machinery to further lift the suspension device 10, which is now in a clamped state. As a result, the suspension device 10 is suspended in mid-air while still clamping the block row 101. The block row 101 is lifted without falling due to the clamping force of the left and right clamping parts 51.

[0072] The worker moves the heavy machinery to the stacking location for the concrete blocks 100 while holding the lifting device 10. As the heavy machinery moves, the lifting device 10 swings back and forth and side to side while gripping the block row 101. However, the block row 101 is firmly held by the gripping force of the left and right gripping parts 51, preventing it from falling.

[0073] The worker moves the heavy machinery to the stacking location for the concrete blocks 100, then lowers the lifting device 10 to the designated location. The block row 101 is placed in the designated location and stands upright, and the lifting device 10 is placed on the top surface of the block row 101 and is not clamped. The worker grasps the front grip portion 25 and the rear grip portion 35 and slides the lifting device 10 forward or backward of the block row 101. The worker lifts the lifting device 10 with the heavy machinery and suspends it in mid-air. The worker moves the heavy machinery closer to the pallet and sets the lifting device 10 on the next block row 101 to be transported.

[0074] In this way, workers can easily transport blocks weighing approximately 100 kg each, which would be difficult to carry by hand, from the pallet to the stacking area using the lifting device 10. By using the lifting device 10, workers can reduce the physical strain on themselves and efficiently transport concrete blocks 100 in a short time, even with a small number of people.

[0075] <Example 2> Next, a suspension device 90 according to Embodiment 2, which embodies the present invention, will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. The suspension device 90 of this embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 in that it can lift and transport two sets of block rows 101. The two sets of block rows 101 are arranged as close together as possible, front to back. Components similar to those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0076] The suspension device 90 according to this embodiment is the same as the suspension device 10 of Embodiment 1, but with the left and right handle parts 23 and 33 replaced by handle parts 91 and 91. The suspension device 90 comprises a front arm 20, a rear arm 30, a center part 40, left and right handle parts 91 and 91, and a rotation limiting mechanism 60.

[0077] The left and right handle parts 91, 91 are formed separately from the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30, as in Embodiment 1, and each has a gripping portion 92, a mounting portion 93, and an overhanging portion 94. The mounting portion 93 has the same configuration as the mounting portion 52 in Embodiment 1.

[0078] The front-to-back dimensions of the clamping portion 92 and the protruding portion 94 are approximately twice the front-to-back dimensions of the clamping portion 51 and the protruding portion 53 of Embodiment 1. In a plan view, the protruding portion 94 has a triangular shape that is longer and narrower in the front-to-back direction than the protruding portion 53 of Embodiment 1.

[0079] Similar to Embodiment 1, the gripping portion 92 has a rectangular shape that is long in the front-to-back direction when viewed from the side. The difference between the length dimension D1 of the gripping portion 92 and the length dimension of the two sets of block rows 101 should be 30 mm or less, similar to Embodiment 1. Specifically, for example, if the length dimension of the two sets of block rows 101 is 780 mm, the length dimension D1 of the gripping portion 92 should be 800 mm. This allows force to be applied more efficiently to the face shells 102 of the two sets of block rows 101 compared to cases where the gripping portion 92 is too long or too short compared to the two sets of block rows 101 being transported, similar to Embodiment 1.

[0080] Similar to Example 1, the clamping portion 92 hangs vertically when not clamped. The difference between the height dimension D2 of the clamping portion 92 and the height dimension of the block row 101 should be 20 mm or less, similar to Example 1.

[0081] In this embodiment, as in Embodiment 1, the gripping force from the left and right handle parts 91, 91 acts on all the concrete blocks 100 of the two sets of block rows 101, preventing the concrete blocks 100 near the center in the direction of arrangement from falling and allowing the two sets of block rows 101 to be simultaneously lifted and gripped. Therefore, by using the suspension device 90, the rectangular concrete blocks 100 can be transported even more efficiently.

[0082] <Other examples> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The suspension devices 10 and 90 in the above embodiment may be used for transporting decorative blocks. (2) In the above embodiment, the gripping portions 51(92) of the left and right handle parts 23,33(91,91) hang down vertically in the non-gripping state. However, the gripping portions of the left and right handle parts may be inclined with respect to the vertical in the non-gripping state, as long as the conditions of the virtual stress line L1 on the front side and the virtual stress line L2 on the back side in the gripping state can be realized. (3) In the above embodiment, when clamped, the lower ends of the left and right handle parts 23, 33 (91, 91) each contact the lower region U in the height direction of the face shell 102. However, in cases such as transporting a row of blocks with a small width dimension (such as a small number of concrete blocks or thin concrete blocks), the lower ends of the left and right handle parts may contact the upper region in the height direction of the face shell, as long as the conditions of the virtual stress line L1 on the front side and the virtual stress line L2 on the back side in the clamped state can be realized. (4) In the above embodiment, when not clamped, the front second arm portion 24 and the rear second arm portion 34 extend horizontally. However, when not clamped, the front second arm portion and the rear second arm portion may extend diagonally upward from both ends toward the center part, or they may be curved. (5) In the above embodiment, the difference between the length dimension D1 of the clamping portion 51 (92) and the length dimension of the block row 101 to be suspended and transported at one time is 30 mm or less, but this difference in length may be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the concrete blocks to be transported. (6) In the above embodiment, the specific configuration of the rotation limiting mechanism 60 has been described, but a rotation limiting mechanism with a different configuration may be used. (7) In the above embodiment, handle parts 23, 33 (91, 91) formed separately from the front arm 20 and the rear arm 30 are used as the front clamping part and the rear clamping part, and the fixing position of the handle parts 23, 33 (91, 91) can be selected. The above embodiment is not limited to this, and the front clamping part and the rear clamping part do not have to be formed separately from the front arm and the rear arm, and may be provided at a fixed position on the front arm and the rear arm. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 10,90... Suspension device 11...Handle fixing part (fixing part) 20…Front side arm 21... Front hook section 22...Front side first arm part 23,91...Left-side handle part (front gripping part) 24...Front side second arm part 30... Rear side arm 31...Hook part on the back 32...First arm on the back side 33,91...Right-side handle part (rear gripping part) 34...Second arm on the back side 40... Center parts 51,92...Pinch part (front side pinch part, back side pinch part) 54…Non-slip part 60... Rotation limiting mechanism 61…Front center part 62... Rear center part 63... Front side anti-sway part 64... Rear side anti-sway part 65... Front side regulation section 66...Rear side regulating section 69…Linear groove 100... Concrete blocks 101… Block row 102... Face Shell α... predetermined angle D1...Length dimensions of the front and rear clamping sections D2... Height dimensions of the front and rear clamping sections H…Horizontal surface L1…Virtual stress line on the front side L2…Backside stress virtual line P...Pitch of the handle fixing part

Claims

1. A suspension device for suspending and transporting at least one set of rows of rectangular concrete blocks at once, wherein the concrete blocks are arranged in the row with their face shells in contact with each other. The front arm and the rear arm intersect each other in a front view, The system includes a center part positioned at the intersection of the front arm and the rear arm, which rotatably integrates the front arm and the rear arm at the intersection, The front arm has a front hook portion provided at one end, a front first arm portion extending from the front hook portion to the intersection, a front clamping portion provided at the other end via the intersection, and a front second arm portion extending from the front clamping portion to the intersection. The rear arm has a rear hook portion provided at one end, a first rear arm portion extending from the rear hook portion to the intersection, a rear clamping portion provided at the other end via the intersection, and a second rear arm portion extending from the rear clamping portion to the intersection. The aforementioned front hook portion and the aforementioned rear hook portion are the lifting points to be attached to the heavy machinery. The front clamping portion has a front clamping hand portion that extends downward from the front second arm portion, The rear clamping portion has a rear clamping hand portion that extends downward from the rear second arm portion, As the front hook portion and the rear hook portion are displaced upward, the lower end of the front clamping portion contacts the face shell at one end of the block row, and the lower end of the rear clamping portion contacts the face shell at the other end of the block row, resulting in a clamped state. In the clamping state, the suspension device is characterized in that, in a front view, a virtual front-side stress line extending perpendicularly to the front-side clamping portion from the lower end of the front-side clamping portion passes over the face shell at the other end, and a virtual rear-side stress line extending perpendicularly to the rear-side clamping portion from the lower end of the rear-side clamping portion passes over the face shell at one end.

2. The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion hang vertically in the non-clamping state before being displaced to the clamping state.

3. The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the clamping state, the lower end of the front clamping portion and the lower end of the rear clamping portion each contact the lower region in the height direction of the face shell.

4. The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the non-clamping state before being displaced to the clamping state, the front second arm and the rear second arm extend horizontally.

5. The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the difference between the length of the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion and the length of the block row to be suspended and transported at one time is 30 mm or less.

6. In a suspended state where the block row is not being gripped, the system has a rotation limiting mechanism that restricts the rotation angle of the front arm and the rear arm with respect to the horizontal plane to a predetermined angle. The rotation limiting mechanism comprises a front center part and a rear center part that constitute the center part, A front-side stopper part that connects the front-side center part and the front-side first arm part, It comprises a rear-side stopper part that connects the rear-side center part and the rear-side first arm part, The front center part and the rear center part each have vertical linear grooves formed therein. One end of the front-side anti-sway part is rotatably fixed to the front-side first arm, and the other end of the front-side anti-sway part has a front-side restricting portion that can move vertically along the linear groove portion according to the rotation angle of the front-side arm. One end of the rear-side anti-sway part is rotatably fixed to the rear-side first arm, and the other end of the rear-side anti-sway part has a rear-side restricting portion that can move vertically along the linear groove portion according to the rotation angle of the rear-side arm. The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the front regulating portion and the rear regulating portion are positioned at the upper end of the linear groove portion, the rotation angles of the front arm and the rear arm are positioned at the predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

7. The front gripping portion and the rear gripping portion consist of handle parts formed separately from the front arm and the rear arm. The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the front second arm and the rear second arm are provided with a plurality of fixing parts capable of selectively fixing the handle part.

8. The suspension device according to claim 7, wherein the pitch of the plurality of fixing parts is 40 mm or less.

9. The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower ends of the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion have anti-slip portions.

10. The suspension device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the difference between the height dimensions of the front clamping portion and the rear clamping portion and the height dimension of the block row is 20 mm or less.

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