Cable catcher
A cable catching device, for installation on a crane boom to catch at least one cable, suspended above at least part of the device when the device is deployed by the crane boom, in the event that the cable falls downwardly, the device having: a base operable with connectors to releasably engage with the crane boom; a post having: a lower end engaged with the base; and an upper end extending beyond the base; a yoke having at least two arms extending upwardly from the upper end of the post, each arm having an upper end laterally spaced apart from the upper end of any adjacent arm, thereby defining an upwardly open yoke mouth between the upper ends of the arms, the yoke mouth being deployed adjacent an underside of the suspended cable wherein the arms are disposed a distance from the suspended cable; and each arm having an arm roller with an outer cable contact surface.
1. A cable catching device, comprising:
a crane boom; and
a boom end attachment releasably deployed on the crane boom to catch at least one cable, suspended above at least part of the device in the event that the cable falls downwardly, the attachment comprising:
a base operable with connectors to releasably mount on the crane boom;
a post having: a lower end engaged with the base; and an upper end extending beyond the base;
a yoke having at least two arms extending upwardly from the upper end of the post, each arm having an upper end laterally spaced apart from the upper end of any adjacent arm, thereby defining an upwardly open yoke mouth between the upper ends of the arms, the yoke mouth being deployed adjacent an underside of the suspended cable wherein the arms are disposed a distance from the suspended cable; and
each arm having an arm roller with an outer cable contact surface, each roller being mounted for rotation about an axis oriented to be substantially transverse to an axis of the cable; and
wherein the yoke includes a transverse beam joining the upper end of the post and the lower ends of the arms, the beam including a beam roller with an outer cable contact surface.
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the post is pivotably mounted to the base for pivoting about a horizontal axis.
3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the post and base are linked with a pivot pin and a tilt actuator engages the post and the base.
4. The device according to claim 3 wherein the tilt actuator comprises a linear actuator.
5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the post has a longitudinal axis and the yoke is rotatably mounted to the post for axial rotation relative to the post.
6. The device according to claim 5 wherein the yoke and post are engaged with a rotary actuator.
7. The device according to claim 5 wherein the rotary actuator comprises a slew gear operable with a spur gear driven by a motor.
8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the yoke includes a camera in communication with an operator display.
9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the camera is in wireless communication with an operator control unit.
10. The device according to claim 6 wherein the rotary actuator is in wireless communication with an operator control unit.
11. The device according to claim 3 wherein the tilt actuator is in wireless communication with an operator control unit.