摘要 |
A grapple, designed to grab, ferry, and dump loads of loose material such as mulch, comprising left and right frame members and finger assemblies with specially adapted curved fingers. Load arms connect the grapple to a supporting means, typically a helicopter, and also serve as anchors for finger cables and connecting arms cooperating with the finger assemblies to open and close the grapple. The method of grabbing prominently features using the shape of the fingers and the weight of the grapple and load to penetrate into and under the load. A latching mechanism cooperating with the connecting arms ensures stable ferrying until the remote operator, generally the helicopter pilot, activates an electrical control switch to release the latch and dump the load.
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