Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft

Demag Aktiengesellschaft

Gunter Somborn

Uwe Lichtenvort

Heinz Hasselmann

Wolfgang Krebs

Anton Munzebrock

Johannes Kluge

Harald Bitsch

Klaus-Dieter Oemus

Eckerhardt Grieb

Dirk Rotthaus

A cost-effective ergonomic shaped suspended control panel for remotely controlling machinery, such as hoists or cranes. The suspended control panel has two curved housing portions and a curved circuit card mounted in the interior of the curved housing. Keys are mounted to the front side of the circuit card and switching devices are mounted to the back side of the circuit card. An electric line, supported by a cable, is electronically connected to the circuit card, the keys and the switching devices. The control panel is easily assembled through use of plug sockets for connecting the switching devices to the circuit board. Each plug socket is mounted with spring clamps which extend through the circuit card for wiring.

Suspended control panel

A hoist, including: load suspension device, a lifting means for raising and lowering the load suspension device; a traction mechanism connecting the suspension device with the lifting device; and a control device for the lifting device and the load suspension device. The control device is connected with the load suspension device and including a housing, a handle for manipulating the load suspension means, switching members arranged in the housing which are actuable for controlling the lifting device, and switching rockers arranged in the housing so as to be able to actuate the switching members. The switching rockers are each inclined toward the handle and are swivable around and connected to one end of a rocker shaft extending horizontally when the control device is considered as vertically suspended from the traction mechanism. The switching members are located so as to be reachable by a thumb of an operator's hand grasping the handle, while the handle is curved so that an imaginary line continuing from an outer surface of the handle intersects each of the switching rockers near supporting surfaces of the switching rockers. The supporting surface of each of the switching rockers includes a central region located opposite the rocker shaft so as to receive the operator's thumb in a neutral position and two edge regions that adjoin a top and a bottom of the central region at an angle in a direction tranverse to the rocker shafts so as to receive the operator's thumb in a switching position.

Hoist with a lifting device

A hoist with a lifting device, by way of which a load suspension device connected with the lifting device via a traction mechanism can be raised and lowered, and with a control device which is arranged between the load suspension device and the traction mechanism and includes a housing with a handle for manipulating the load suspension device. Switching members are arranged in the housing for controlling the lifting device, and a high-strength connecting member is fastened in the housing, with the traction mechanism and the load suspension device being fastened to the connecting member. The housing is divided into a mechanical part with the handle for receiving an actuating mechanism for the switching members and into an electrical part for receiving the switching members with the connecting member being arranged between the mechanical part and the electrical part.

A suspended pull or control switch is provided for overhead mechanical devices, such as power hoists, in which the control switch is so suspended and configured to be physiologically oriented with respect to the attendant's position that the attendant may grasp and visually consult the switch over a long period of time without becoming as fatigued as is the case with conventionally positioned switches. This is achieved by configuring the body of the switch, or at least that portion grasped, to be angled from the vertical axis of suspension of the switch to that degree necessary for the handle portion to be ergonomically work-oriented with the attendant's hand and angle of vision. A dual control switch may be utilized in which both hands of the attendant would be conformed to.

Growing community of inventors

Hagen, Germany

Gunter Somborn