Hook

Abstract

The invention relates to a hook (10), which may for example be used with a crane to lift heavy loads. In one embodiment, the hook may have a load-bearing portion (12) and an arm portion (14) where the arm portion can pivot relative to the load-bearing portion between open and closed configurations and may have a locking mechanism (20, 21, 29, 30, 32) that can lock the arm portion with respect to the load-bearing portion in the open configuration of the hook, in which configuration the arm portion and the load-bearing portion together define a discontinuous boundary. The hook may also be provided with a suspension portion (74), and the suspension portion, the load-bearing portion and the arm portion may be pivotally coupled with respect to each other.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A hook comprising:
 a) a load bearing portion including a main body portion and a handle portion defining an aperture therebetween, wherein the aperture includes a lock recess bounded by a face of the main body portion and a face of the handle portion, and at least one of the face of the main body portion and the face of the handle portion supports a trapezoid guide adapted to slidably engage a trapezoid groove formed in a face of a slidably mounted actuator;   b) an arm portion pivotally coupled to the load-bearing portion, such that the arm portion is pivotable relative to the load-bearing portion between a closed configuration, in which the load-bearing portion and the arm portion together define a substantially continuous boundary, and an open configuration, in which the arm portion and the load-bearing portion together define a discontinuous boundary;   c) a side-mounted locking mechanism, comprising a lock slide mechanism including the slidably mounted actuator, wherein the slidably mounted actuator is adapted to lock the arm portion with respect to the load-bearing portion in the open configuration of the hook, and   wherein the lock slide mechanism is contained within the lock recess of the aperture between the main body portion and the handle portion of the load bearing portion by an end stop plate such that the lock recess of the aperture is a separate region from a second portion of the aperture between the main body portion and the handle portion of the load bearing portion.   
     
     
       2. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to lock the arm portion with respect to the load-bearing portion in the closed configuration or in a plurality of different open positions of the open configuration of the hook. 
     
     
       3. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hook has a suspension portion from which the hook is suspended in use; and the suspension portion is pivotally coupled to the load-bearing portion or the arm portion and the load bearing portion; and the arm portion, the load-bearing portion and the suspension portion are aligned on a common pivot axis, and are each adapted to be rotated about the pivot axis wherein the pivot axis is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the hook. 
     
     
       4. A hook as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the arm portion, the load-bearing portion and the suspension portion are independently pivotable with respect to each other; and wherein, in use, the arm portion and the load-bearing portion pivot together relative to the suspension portion when the arm portion is locked with respect to the load-bearing portion; and wherein the suspension portion has a first part that is pivotally coupled to the arm portion and the load-bearing portion, and a second part that is rotatable relative to the first part; and wherein the second part is adapted to swivel axially relative to the first part about a longitudinal axis of the suspension portion. 
     
     
       5. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism has a locking device arranged to selectively adopt a locked position, in which the arm portion is restrained from movement relative to the load-bearing portion, and an unlocked position, in which the arm portion is free to pivot relative to the load-bearing portion, wherein the hook is provided with an actuator to move the locking device between the locked and unlocked positions, and wherein the locking mechanism has first and second selectively interengagable locking parts for retaining the locking device in the locked or unlocked positions. 
     
     
       6. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the arm portion and the load-bearing portion define a first aperture adapted to receive a connecting load tab or chain therethrough. 
     
     
       7. A hook as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the hook includes a handle connected to the load-bearing portion, and a second aperture is defined between the handle and the load bearing portion, wherein the second aperture is separate from the first aperture; wherein the handle is integral with the load-bearing portion and has a curved outer surface that forms a smooth join with an outer surface of the load-bearing portion. 
     
     
       8. A hook as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the hook includes a recessed region separate from the first aperture of the hook, wherein the recessed region is defined between a portion of the handle and a portion of the load bearing portion; and wherein an actuator is located in the recessed region of the hook, the actuator being selectively operable by a user to activate the locking mechanism and thereby lock the arm portion with respect to the load-bearing portion. 
     
     
       9. A hook as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the inner surface of the load-bearing portion has greatest curvature in the load-bearing area. 
     
     
       10. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the load-bearing portion is pivotable into a loading orientation in the open configuration where an inner surface of the load-bearing portion is presented at an angle to facilitate urging a load toward a load-bearing area of the load-bearing portion, the load bearing area aligned with a longitudinal axis of the hook in use, and wherein the inner surface of the load-bearing portion is shaped to locate the load in the load-bearing area. 
     
     
       11. A hook as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the inner surface defines opposed side portions extending substantially in parallel from near the load-bearing area to near the arm portion of the hook, and wherein the inner surface has a gently increasing curvature toward the load-bearing area to facilitate insertion and removal of loads from the hook. 
     
     
       12. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lock slide is symmetrical about its longitudinal vertical centreline wherein the lock slide is the integrated lock actuator, and wherein the lock slide provides dual actuator grips such that the lock slide can be actuated from either side of the hook, that is by either right- or left-handed operators. 
     
     
       13. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lock slide and actuator is positioned within a lock recess such that the actuator is operated by the extended thumb when holding the hook handle with the fingers, or wherein the lock slide is contained within a separate lock recess and does not extend to the second aperture which is the handle space. 
     
     
       14. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second aperture, which is the handle space, is free of any lock mechanisms, pin extensions, trigger or actuating devices and any moving components. 
     
     
       15. A hook as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lock slide protrusion, which is adapted to fit into at least one recess to lock the hook in a closed and/or open position, is provided with tapered ends such that the tapered fit forces the ends of locking arm and the load bearing hook end together in the closed position and wherein the configuration of the lock slide, including its integral thumb operated lock actuator, and the separate hook handle for which the positioning of these elements provides an rotational operation to open and or close the hook. 
     
     
       16. A hook comprising:
 a load-bearing portion and an arm portion pivotally coupled to the load-bearing portion such that the arm portion and the load-bearing portion are pivotable relative to one another between a closed configuration, in which the load-bearing portion and the arm portion form a substantially continuous boundary, and an open configuration, in which the arm portion and the load-bearing portion do not define a continuous boundary,   the hook further comprising a locking mechanism that is actuatable to lock the arm portion and the load-bearing portion with respect to each other in the closed configuration;   the locking mechanism comprising an actuator, a locking device and a resilient means;   wherein the arm portion and the load-bearing portion define a first aperture adapted to receive a connecting load tab or chain or lifting ring therethrough;   wherein a second aperture is defined between a handle portion and the load-bearing portion;   the second aperture is separate from the first aperture;   the first and second apertures are separated by a section of the load-bearing portion;   the second aperture is adapted to receive the fingers of an operator therethrough for holding the handle portion;   the handle portion defines the second aperture which is separate from the first aperture of the hook allowing an operator to place fingers through the second aperture and grip the handle portion firmly, away from the first aperture;   wherein the handle portion is integral with the load-bearing portion and the handle portion is contiguous with an outer part of the load-bearing portion,   the second aperture includes a recess or void which is separate from the first aperture, and the second aperture includes an end stop that separates the recess or void from another portion of the second aperture that is adapted to receive the fingers of an operator;   the actuator, locking device and resilient means are located in the recess or void of the hook such that the actuator and other components of the locking mechanism do not extend beyond an outer profile of the hook and do not extend into said another portion of the second aperture;   the actuator is configured to be thumb-operated by a user when holding the handle portion to actuate the locking mechanism and thereby unlock the arm portion with respect to the load-bearing portion;   wherein the actuator is located on an opposing side of the hook from where the load-bearing and arm portions meet in the closed configuration.   
     
     
       17. A hook as claimed in claim 16, wherein the load-bearing portion comprises an inner surface, and wherein the inner surface of the load-bearing portion is shaped to locate the load tab or chain or lifting ring in the load-bearing portion. 
     
     
       18. A hook as claimed in claim 17, wherein the inner surface of the load-bearing portion has curvature and the curvature is greatest in a load-bearing area of the load-bearing portion. 
     
     
       19. A hook as claimed in claim 18, wherein the inner surface has an increasing curvature towards the load-bearing area to facilitate insertion and removal of loads from the hook. 
     
     
       20. A hook as claimed in claim 16, wherein the handle portion allows the operator to modify the relative positions of the arm portion and the load-bearing portion one-handed while gripping the handle portion and without having to move one or more fingers into the first aperture.