EP0469182A2 - Device for lifting, lowering and the water carriage of heavy loads - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for the lifting, lowering and the water carriage of very heavy loads in the range of between about 6000 and 10000 tonnes, in particular in bridge construction over open stretches of water, is described. Provided as an alternative is an intermittently working device with a lifting mechanism, consisting of at least one portal arranged on barges set apart by the width of the very heavy load, at least one intermittently vertically adjustable supporting member per portal, and a supporting framework which in turn has barges, variable in their depth of immersion by flooding or pumping out water ballast, and is provided with supporting towers consisting of separable segments. In the other alternative, a continuously working and thereby quicker lifting mechanism of identical construction in principle is provided, the supporting members of which are, however, also vertically adjustable under load.

Description

The invention relates to a device for lifting and lowering and for the floating transport of heavy loads, in particular of bridge segments when building bridges over water.

When building bridges, it is common to create the bridge segments connecting two pillars without a scaffolding. For example, the so-called prestressed concrete stem is known, in which the bridge segment is built to advance from two sides towards the center between two pillars. This procedure is not manageable with very large spans and only with medium spans if only the space between two pillars has to be bridged and a load-bearing construction is available beyond both pillars.

Another known method is to first create the first bridge segments on the solid floor and the subsequent segments on already finished bridge parts and then to advance them towards the next free pillar. This method also has limits where the spans become excessively large and above all where the weights of the individual segments reach the limits of the load-bearing capacity of the bridge parts that have already been completed or even exceed them.

In any case, the known methods fail where large bodies of water have to be bridged at a particular height and the width of the road on the bridge and its load-bearing capacity require bridge segments weighing, for example, 7000 tons.

If you disregard the solution of building on scaffolding, which is economically and technically not feasible in such cases, the segments required here, which are also referred to below as heavy loads, will be built on land, then transported to the installation site and on site lift and then set down on two pillars each. Conventional and mobile hoists for bridging differences in height of about 50 meters and for handling segments with dimensions well over 100 meters long by about 25 meters wide and about 6 meters high, which would enable such a bridge to be built economically, are not known .

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device which enables the lifting and lowering of heavy loads and their transport, in particular in the construction of bridges over water, in an economically justifiable manner.

A solution to this problem according to the invention is characterized by a lifting mechanism with at least one portal, the portal supports of which are on two bars spaced at least by the width of the heavy load and are connected to them, with at least one discontinuously height-adjustable support member per portal, which is fastened to the portal bridge and with at least one locking device for each support member, which is independent of the device for discontinuous height adjustment of the support member (s) and with devices for changing the immersion depth of the two barges by flooding or draining; In addition, the solution also requires a supporting structure that has at least one support tower consisting of separable segments, the height of which can be changed step by step by adding or removing segments, which has a heavy-duty load-bearing device on its uppermost segment, to which a hoist for inserting or inserting Removing segments is assigned and is either on a solid surface or also on a barge.

The main idea of this solution is that the heaviest load with the help of adequately dimensioned floating bodies, which are first lowered and then raised and raised after attaching the heavy load to the supporting elements of the hoist by a step of, for example, 3 meters, the heavy load then on a supporting structure settles, which is height-adjustable in appropriate steps, after the heavy load has been deposited on the supporting structure, the floating bodies of the lifting mechanism flood, whereby the supporting members are relieved. The load-bearing members are then shortened and fixed without load to the now reduced clear distance between the top of the hoist and the heavy load. After this, the described step-by-step process is repeated until the required lifting height for inserting the heavy load is reached, for example in a bridge structure.

As can also be seen from the explanations below, the components required for the solution are those which, despite the unusually large loads to be handled, are conventional and easily obtainable. You can charter barges for the purpose mentioned here. Lifting and supporting structures can be created using conventional means and using conventional calculation methods and the mobility of the device is so great that the bridge segments can be transported from a shore-side manufacturing site over great distances and without great difficulty and costs to the installation site and then lifted there.

The invention allows a variety of design options.

So it is provided that the structure has two spaced support towers, each on egg ner side of the hoist are arranged. It can be provided that the support structure formed by the two support towers and two other barges carrying them is designed as a second hoist and that the heavy load during the lifting process rests alternately during the one step on the support towers during the lifting and during the next step from the Support organs is held. Alternatively, it is possible that the heavy load can be raised step by step during the lifting process and rests on the support towers between every two steps. In the former case it is additionally provided that each barge carrying a support tower can be changed in its immersion depth by flooding and draining.

The support members can consist of a set of parallel and vertically extending climbing poles, each of which is assigned to a portal of the hoist and whose climbing poles bear the heavy load together and can be fastened, in particular clamped, step by step with their respective upper ends to the portal bridge at different locations along their longitudinal extent are. It can be provided that each climbing pole is divided by longitudinal division into several, firmly connectable segments and that the segments of the climbing rods located above a fastening device arranged in the portal bridge are removable during the lifting process and can be added when lowering.

Another inventive solution to the above object is characterized by a hoist with at least one portal, the portal supports of which are on two bars spaced at least by the width of the heavy load and are connected to them, with at least one height-adjustable support member per portal, which is designed as a rack and with a rack and pinion drive for each support element, which is attached to the portal bridge.

It is preferred that the hoist has at least a pair of portals spaced in the longitudinal direction of its chutes. In one embodiment, it is provided that each support member has a continuous rope, which, starting from a fixed locking device in the area of the hoist, is first guided to a first support tube arranged on the portal bridge, on the outer circumference of which it partially abuts and from there with formation a plurality of downward-hanging parallel loops extends from the first carrier tube around a second lower carrier tube carried by the loops and is finally guided over the surface of the first carrier tube to a second locking device.

In both preferred embodiments of the invention, two support members are provided for each portal. The lower ends of the support members of each portal are connected by means of a lifting beam which runs approximately parallel to the portal bridge and which is designed as a beam for the heavy load.

Furthermore, it is provided in one of the embodiments that the support tubes mentioned are non-rotatable and are preferably supported at their ends in saddles and that the saddles are attached either to the portal bridge or to the lifting beam in such a way that the saddles associated with the portal bridge of all the first support tubes are located below them Carrier tubes are located and the saddles of the second carrier tubes assigned to the lifting carrier are arranged above these second carrier tubes.

Mathematically, it has proven to be very expedient to assign a vibrating device to each first (upper) support tube, which gives this support tube and the associated loops of the rope a predominantly vertically directed oscillating or impact movement, which reduces the static friction between the rope and the support tube.

Here, the vibrating device should consist of two parts, each of which acts on one end of the assigned first carrier tube and which alternately slightly lift these ends off the assigned saddle. It is envisaged that the vibrating device or each of its parts has a rotating cam disc, the cams of which act essentially vertically on the carrier tube and that the cams of the two parts of the vibrating device are offset from one another in such a way that the ends of the assigned carrier tube are alternately lifted from the assigned saddle will.

Another preferred feature is that each locking device has a clamping device for the associated rope, which is arranged between the first support tube and the associated free rope end and that each locking device has a rope tensioner, which can be actuated to pull the rope during operation of the vibrating device , wherein the rope tensioner consists of a preferably electrically operated winch.

If you want to make do with just one barge for the structure when building a bridge, you can firmly anchor the required second support tower at the lower end of a bridge pillar during the introduction of the heavy load, so that the heavy load formed by a bridge segment is then supported on a fixed and a floating support tower while not being carried by the hoist.

Finally, it is worth mentioning an economically advantageous solution to the problem of gradual increase or decrease of the support towers. For this purpose, it is provided that the hoist for inserting and removing segments of the support towers is arranged on the heavy load in the region of the support towers.

The above-mentioned embodiment of the solution according to the invention with lifting and supporting structure is the cheaper solution to the problem. In some cases, however, the required lifting time can be too long. The second proposed solution with continuous lifting devices works considerably faster and is otherwise suitable in the same way as the first-mentioned solution for the problem-free completion of the desired transport and lifting services. Because of the special details of the second solution, reference is made to the related subclaims.

• Fig. 1 eine Seitenansicht auf eine Vorrichtung zum Heben und Senken sowie zum schwimmenden Transportieren von Brückensegmenten;
• Fig. 2 eine der Fig. 1 entsprechende Ansicht einer Abwandlung der Vorrichtung mit einem ortsfesten und einem auf einer Schute bewegbaren Stützturm;
• Fig. 3 eine Stirnansicht der Vorrichtung gemäß den Fig. 1 oder 2, bei der nur das Hubwerk gezeigt ist;
• Fig. 4 eine der Fig. 3 entsprechende Ansicht zur Darstellung eines Seilsystems als Tragorgan;
• Fig. 5 eine Seitenansicht auf ein Ende eines ersten Trägerrohres mit dort befindlicher Rüttelvorrichtung und
• Fig. 6 einen die Zeichenebene senkrecht durchsetzenden Schnitt durch das in Fig. 5 dargestellte Ende eines ersten Trägerrohres mit Rüttelvorrichtung.
• Fig. 7 eine der Fig. 1 entsprechende Seitenansicht einer zweiten Ausführungsform einer Vorrichtung zum Heben und Senken von Schwerstlasten;
• Fig. 8 eine Stirnansicht analog Fig. 3 der Ausführungsform gemäß Fig. 7;
• Fig. 9 eine Draufsicht auf die zweite Ausführungsform mit ergänzenden Querträgern auf den Portalbrücken;
• Fig. 10 eine schematische Seitenansicht einer der in der zweiten Ausführungsform benutzten Hubeinheiten in stark vergrößertem Maßstab und
• Fig. 11 im ebenfalls vergrößerten Maßstab eine Seitenansicht einer der Hubeinrichtungen.

The invention is explained below with reference to two preferred embodiments shown in the drawing. The drawings show in differently schematic representations:

• Figure 1 is a side view of a device for lifting and lowering and for the floating transport of bridge segments.
• FIG. 2 shows a view corresponding to FIG. 1 of a modification of the device with a stationary and a support tower movable on a barge;
• 3 shows an end view of the device according to FIGS. 1 or 2, in which only the lifting mechanism is shown;
• FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing a cable system as a supporting element;
• Fig. 5 is a side view of one end of a first support tube with vibrator located there
• FIG. 6 shows a section perpendicular to the plane of the drawing through the end of a first carrier tube with vibrating device shown in FIG. 5.
• 7 shows a side view corresponding to FIG. 1 of a second embodiment of a device for lifting and lowering heavy loads;
• 8 shows an end view analogous to FIG. 3 of the embodiment according to FIG. 7;
• 9 is a plan view of the second embodiment with additional cross members on the portal bridges;
• Fig. 10 is a schematic side view of one of the lifting units used in the second embodiment on a greatly enlarged scale and
• 11 is a side view of one of the lifting devices, also on an enlarged scale.

The following description of the one exemplary embodiment is essentially limited to the explanation of the components which are intended for lifting and lowering and for transporting and installing bridge segments which have a weight of many thousands of tons and dimensions which are not at all or only very difficult Circumstances can be built, transported and installed using conventional methods. The term "bridge segment" or "segment" used below therefore relates to bridge components of this type.

The bridge construction segments of interest here are made of concrete on the bank of the water to be bridged. A specially prepared or created headland serves as the place of manufacture, which is somewhat wider than the width of the bridge segment to be produced and in which the depth of the water on both sides is sufficiently large for the purposes described below. The length of the headland must at least correspond to the length of the bridge segment to be produced and in practice will be a multiple of this length in order to enable continuous production. It is also conceivable that several such headlands protrude parallel to one another from the coastline into the water and have sufficiently wide and deep channels between them.

The problem is to place the finished bridge segments one after the other between the completed bridge piers and to raise them there to such an extent that the segments can then be placed on the piers and connected to one another to produce the bridge.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the device used for lifting and lowering and for floating transport of the bridge segments consists of a lifting mechanism 10 and a supporting structure 60.

According to FIG. 3, the lifting mechanism 10 has two bilge and floodable barges 11, 12. Flood valves and / or pumps 13 (FIG. 4), not shown, allow the immersion depth of the barges 11, 12 to be changed by approximately 3 to 4 meters . This measure is also referred to below as the step height.

The two bars 11, 12 are arranged running parallel to one another and have such a clear distance from one another that, as shown in FIG. 3, is greater than the width of a bridge segment 15 that can be seen in this figure. The two bars 11, 12 are connected by means of two portals 16, 18. Each portal has two portal supports 20, 22 and a portal bridge 24 spanning the two supports at the top. The two portal supports 20, 22 stand on the two barges 11, 12 and have a height that is greater than the height of the bridge structure being manufactured.

Fig. 1 shows that two of these portals form the hoist in the embodiment. It is conceivable for further pairs of portals to be accommodated on the two barges 11, 12 if the external conditions so require.

The hoist 10 has two support members 26 on each portal, which in the exemplary embodiment are formed by cable systems of the type described below. The upper ends of the support members 26 are attached to the portal bridge (Fig. 3). Their lower ends are connected to a lifting beam 28 which is suspended parallel to and below the portal bridge on a pair of support arms 26 each. 3 shows that the lifting beam 28 is longer than the width of the bridge segment 15, which can also be referred to as the heaviest load.

As already mentioned, the support members 26 in the exemplary embodiment consist of cable systems in an arrangement according to FIG. 4. It should be pointed out that the illustration in FIG. 4 is extremely schematic with regard to the position of the end points and the locking device still to be discussed and only for explanation of the principle.

Each rope system consists of a single rope. In the exemplary embodiment, one end of the latter is held in a first locking device. According to FIG. 4, this has, for example, an electrically operated cable winch 30 with a relatively low lifting force. This winch is attached to one of the barges 11, 12. In a manner to be described below, the cable winch is not used for lifting or lowering the load, but rather, due to its design, only for tightening the cable 32. In the exemplary embodiment, the locking device mentioned includes a clamping device 34 in addition to the cable winch 30. It can be inserted into the cable winch 30 be integrated, but is preferably spaced somewhat from the free end of the cable 32. With this clamping device, the cable 32 can be fixed and the cable winch 30 can be replaced in the event of a malfunction without influencing the function of the support member. In Fig. 4, arrows indicate how the clamping device should act.

Starting from the locking device described, the cable 32 runs upwards in the direction of the portal bridge 24. There is a fixed and non-rotatably held first support tube 36. The cable 32 is guided around this first support tube 36, runs from there down to one in the Height-adjustable second support tube 37, from there up to the first support tube. Depending on the size of the heavy load to be held, a plurality of parallel loops are laid around the two support tubes in the manner described with the cable 32. Finally, the cable 32 is guided downwards again from the first (upper) support tube in the direction of a second locking device which corresponds to the described clamping device consisting of the cable winch 30 and the clamping device 34. It is also attached to one of the barges 11, 12. It should be noted that both locking devices can be arranged on a barge, i. H. deviating from the illustration in FIG. 4.

The carrier tubes 36, 37 run in the longitudinal direction of the barges 11, 12 and thus in the longitudinal direction of the heavy load 15, as can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3. The two carrier tubes are essentially the same. Their ends are supported in saddles 38, as can best be seen in FIG. 6 for the first carrier tube 36. The anti-rotation device for the support tubes can be designed in any conventional manner and is not shown in the drawings. With regard to the mounting of the support tubes, it should be mentioned that the lower support tube 37 hangs in the mentioned loops of the cable 32 and that the load to be received by the second support tube 37 and introduced by the lifting support 28 is correspondingly via a saddle resting on top of the second support tube 37 the saddle 38 is initiated.

The large number of loops of each rope 32 around the associated carrier tubes, in conjunction with the non-rotatability of the carrier tubes, causes an extraordinarily high frictional force to act between the rope and carrier tubes, which ensures even when carrying a quarter of the heavy load 15 that the locking device winches 30 hardly rope forces still work. If, however, the rope 32 has to be tightened for the purpose to be described below, a strong reduction in the static friction between the rope and carrier tubes must be ensured, at least in the case of particularly large loads. In the exemplary embodiment, this is done by means of a vibrating device 40, as is indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The first carrier tube 36 is held in its saddle 38 so that it can move vertically by a small amount. A camshaft 44, whose central axis 45 runs parallel to the axis 42, runs parallel to the axis 42 of the first carrier tube 36 below the first carrier tube. The camshaft 44 can be rotated by means of a drive 46. The drive 46 contains a gear, not shown separately, so that the speed of the camshaft 44 required in the individual case can be achieved.

In the area of the two ends of the first carrier tube 36, the camshaft 44 each has a cam disk 48 which is populated with two cams 50 projecting radially from the cam disk. The arrangement and course of the cams 50 are can be seen particularly well in FIG. 6. It is preferred that the pair of cams of one cam disk of the camshaft 44 is rotated by 90 ° with respect to the cam pair of the other cam disk 48 of the camshaft 44.

If the camshaft 44 is driven (clockwise in FIG. 6), first of all one end of the first carrier tube 36 is increasingly lifted out of the saddle 38 and falls back into the saddle with high acceleration after each cam has passed. Because of the relative rotation of the pairs of cams at the two ends of the first support tube, this therefore carries out an oscillating tilting movement. The result is that the force exerted by the cable 32 on the carrier tube is greatly reduced, as a result of which the static friction between the cable and the carrier tube is correspondingly reduced. Since the movement of the first carrier tube is transmitted to the second carrier tube via the loops of the cable 32, there will also be a corresponding reduction in static friction there.

5 and 6 it should also be pointed out that the vibrating device 40 and the saddles 38 assigned to the first carrier tube 36 are located in the upper flange 52 of the portal bridge 24 and are defined there in accordance with their function. 6 that the first carrier tube 36 has circumferential grooves 54 in the exemplary embodiment. If a grooving is provided at all, it would be sufficient to provide it only on the upper half circumference of the first and on the lower half circumference of the second support tube.

In order to achieve the desired goal of being able to lift, lower and transport the heavy load 15, in addition to the lifting mechanism 10, the structure 60 already mentioned is required.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, this consists of two further chutes 62, 63. Each of these chutes carries a support tower 66 consisting of detachable segments 65 '. At its upper end, each support tower is closed by a bearing 67, which holds the heavy load 15 , d. H. So the bridge segment is designed. The height of the segments 65 corresponds approximately to the step height mentioned in the introduction when draining the flooded barges 11, 12.

• An den beiden stirnseitigen Enden des fertiggestellten Brückensegmentes befindet sich je ein landfester Stützturm, der zunächst nur aus einem Segment 65 nebst Lager 67 besteht. Oben auf dem fertigen Brückensegment befindet sich ein in den Zeichnungen nicht dargestelltes Hebezeug in Form einer Laufkatze o. dgl. Der Einfachheit halber sei angenommen, daß sich an jedem Ende des Brükkensegmentes 15 eine solche Laufkatze befindet und so ausgebildet ist, daß sie Segmente 65 in den Bereich zwischen Brückensegment-Ende und Stützturm 66 verbringen kann, soweit dort Platz vorhanden ist. Im übrigen kann die Anordnung zunächst so getroffen sein, daß das Brückensegment 15 so gebaut wird, daß es mit seinen Enden schon im Bauzustand auf den beiden Lagern 67 ruht. Es leuchtet ohne weiteres ein, daß dies aber nicht notwendig ist und ein Unterschieben der Stütztürme 66 unter das angehobene Brückensegment 15 denselben Zweck erfüllt.

Starting from the situation described above, in which a bridge segment 15 is completed on the promontory mentioned, the entire process takes place as follows until this bridge segment is inserted between two pillars:

• At the two front ends of the completed bridge segment there is a land-based support tower, which initially consists of only one segment 65 together with bearing 67. At the top of the finished bridge segment is a hoist, not shown in the drawings, in the form of a trolley or the like. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that such a trolley is located at each end of the bridge segment 15 and is designed so that it segments 65 in can spend the area between the bridge segment end and support tower 66, insofar as there is space there. For the rest, the arrangement can initially be such that the bridge segment 15 is built so that its ends are already resting on the two bearings 67 in the construction state. It is obvious that this is not necessary, however, and that pushing the support towers 66 under the raised bridge segment 15 serves the same purpose.

After completion of the bridge segment 15, the hoist 10 is moved to the headland with the aid of a tractor and positioned so that the two barges 11, 12 are located on both sides of the headland and thus on both sides of the bridge segment 15. Beforehand and also at this time, the lifting supports 28 are brought into position under the bridge segment 15 and connected to the support members 26. Thereupon the barges 11, 12 are flooded so that they drop by the step height. Now the vibrators 40 and the rope tensioner 30 come into operation; they pull the ropes 32 to such an extent that the lifting beams 28 rest against the bridge segment 15 from below, but without already taking up a load.

The barges 11, 12 are now drained by means of the pumps 13 and move up the step height. Since the cables 32 retain their position due to the static friction and the locking device, the bridge segment 15 is now raised by the step height by means of the lifting supports 28. As soon as this has been done, the two stationary support towers of the supporting structure 60 are each increased by a segment 65. The bearings 67 of the support towers 66 are now immediately below the ends of the bridge segment 15.

Now the two barges 11, 12 are flooded again and fall in the step height. The result is that the bridge segment 15 lies on the bearings 67 and the support members 26 of the hoist (apart from their own weights) become unloaded. Now the rope tensioners and vibrating devices come into operation again and move the ropes upwards until the lifting supports lie against the bridge segment 15 again from below. Now the barges 11, 12 are drained again, as a result of which the bridge segment 15 together with the lifting mechanism 10 is raised further.

As long as the bridge segment 15 is still above the headland, the segment will only be raised by the necessary amount, for example to get over a segment lying in front of it. Comes at the same time one over the sea side support tower 66.

The bridge segment 15 can now be moved with the hoist 10 into the area of two finished bridge piers by tractor aid. In the area of the bridge either two of the barges 62, 63 shown in FIG. 1 with support towers 66 of initially low height are brought to act as a supporting structure for the (further) lifting of the bridge segment 15. Alternatively, one of the support towers 66 can be arranged on one of the two bridge piers in accordance with the modification according to FIG. 2, so that only one support tower 66 floating on a barge 62 has to be used. In the manner already described, there is now a gradual lifting of the lifting device, a subsequent setting down of the bridge segment 15 on the respectively raised support towers 66, a tightening of the ropes of the support members 26 after the flooding of the barges 11, 12. Thus, as already described, the segment 15 is transported upwards step by step without the need for any large winches or the like which would not be available in the required size anyway. The maximum lifting height of the lifting mechanism 40 is sufficient to raise the bridge segment 15 over two bridge pillars at the end of the process and then to lower it onto the pillars by flooding the barges 11, 12.

Alternatively, the introduction of the bridge segment 15 into the bridge structure can be accelerated in that the barges 62, 63 as well as the barges 11, 12 are designed as floodable and bilgeable barges. The lifting of the bridge segments 15 will thus take place twice as fast as with simple floating barges 62, 63. It goes without saying that with this second alternative a stationary support tower 66 according to FIG. 2 cannot be used. On the other hand, when using the first alternative, it is possible for support towers 66 to be fastened to the bridge pillars on both sides in the bridge area and thus not requiring additional bars 62, 63.

The other solution to the problem, as will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11, serves the goal of allowing faster handling of transportation and lifting of the heavy loads while accepting increased production costs. In the following description and in FIGS. 7 to 11, new reference numerals are only used for elements of the exemplary embodiment which differ from those of the first exemplary embodiment.

The plan view shown in FIG. 9 shows that the second exemplary embodiment also has two bars 11, 12 which carry two parallel portals 16, 18. Each portal in turn consists of two portal supports 20, 22 and a portal bridge 24. In the event that one not only wants to move bridge girders or the like with the lifting mechanism 10 but also caissons in the context of the construction of bridge piers, the lifting mechanism 10 can be shown as shown 9 equip with additional cross beams 102, 104, which are supported by the two portal bridges 24. The two cross members are not shown in the other figures. To give an impression of the dimensions of the hoist, it should be mentioned that the center distance of the two barges in the exemplary embodiment is 75 meters and the center distance of the two portals is 16, 18 and 49 meters.

The essential difference of the second embodiment from the first form described in the introduction is that continuous lifting takes the place of discontinuous lifting using an additional supporting structure. The support members 126 used here are designed as toothed racks, of which there are two per portal in the execution area. A lifting unit 110 is assigned to each support element 126 or each toothed rack and fastened on the portal bridge 24. The fastening positions on the portal bridges 24 are indicated by points 112 in FIG. 9. During the construction of the bridge piers, the lifting units 110 are not required on the portal bridges and are therefore implemented on the cross beams 102, 104 already mentioned; the mounting positions there for the lifting units are designated 113. It is understood that conventional lifting devices are provided in the area of the cross beams 102, 104, with which lifting units can be moved from positions 112 to positions 113 and back again.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, each lifting unit 110 in the exemplary embodiment has two drive blocks 114 which are firmly connected to one another. As can be seen schematically in the figures, each drive block 114 is provided with two electric drive motors 116, two gears and two pinions. All pinions 118 of each lifting unit 110 lie vertically one above the other and each carry and raise or lower a rack 126. With the interposition of a spacer element 120 (FIG. 11), the lifting units 110 are fastened on the portal bridges 24 or the cross members 102, 104.

It is not shown that all lifting units 110 are to be controlled together in such a way that the usually four racks 126 move together and at the same speed.

The support members or racks 126 of the second exemplary embodiment are preferably longitudinally divided and thus together at the separation points which is connected or connectable so that the separation points also pass through the lifting units 110 without problems and remain in constant contact with the pinions 118. In the illustrated embodiment, it is further provided that each lifting unit 110 is assigned a rack magazine 122, only one of which is indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Each of these magazines 122 contains separation and fastening devices for individual toothed rack segments of the support member 126 and means for moving the toothed rack segments into and out of the alignment line of the support members 126.

Finally, it can be seen in FIG. 8 that a middle chute 140 can be inserted between the two chutes 11, 12 and can be securely connected to the outer chutes 11, 12 with the aid of preferably articulated connecting supports 142. In the area of its central axis, the central chute 140 has a plurality of support blocks 144 on which the heavy load 15 rests, while the lifting mechanism 10 transports the heavy load from its place of manufacture to its installation location.

The use of the hoist 10 according to the second embodiment is largely similar to the use of the first embodiment. It is understood that the above-mentioned land support towers at the front ends of each completed bridge segment can now be omitted. A lifting beam 28 is pushed under a completed bridge segment at two positions provided for this purpose. Then the entire hoist is positioned above the headland without the middle chute 140 in the manner already described. For this and for all other transport tasks, tractors will usually be used. The lower ends of four support members 126 are then coupled to the lifting supports 28, whereupon the lifting units are driven together. You first lift the lifting beam 28 from below against the heavy load 15 and then raise it by the necessary amount until the lifting mechanism 10 can be floated out of the area of the headland. With longer transport routes, the middle chute 140 will now be pushed into the space between the chutes 11, 12 and fixed with the connecting supports 142. The heavy load or the bridge segment can then be lowered onto the support brackets 144 in order to give the entire hoist the lowest possible center of gravity during transport.

It is important here that part of the weight of the bridge segment is also carried by the outer barges during transport in order to optimize the stability of the lifting mechanism 10 during transport. For this purpose, the heavy load remains partially suspended on the support members 126 even after being lowered onto the support stands, to such an extent that all three barges are loaded as evenly as possible.

After reaching the installation point, the bridge segment 15 is continuously raised and brought over two bridge piers by moving the entire hoist with tractor aid, where it is then lowered into its final position with the aid of the lifting drives. The lifting and lowering speed that can be achieved with this embodiment is approximately 50 cm / min.

Claims (36)

1. Device for lifting and lowering as well as for the floating transport of heavy loads (15), in particular of bridge segments when building bridges over water, characterized by a hoist (10) with at least one portal (16, 18), the portal supports (20, 22 ) stand on two bars (11, 12) spaced at least by the width of the heavy load and connected to them, with at least one discontinuously height-adjustable support member (26) per portal, which is fastened to the portal bridge (24) and with at least one locking device ( 30, 34) for each support member, which is independent of the device for discontinuous height adjustment of the support member (s) and with devices (13) for changing the immersion depth of the two barges by flooding or draining, further characterized by a support structure (60), which at least has a support tower (66) consisting of separable segments (65), the height of which is gradually added gene or removal of segments can be changed discontinuously, which has a receiving device (67) for the heavy load on its respective uppermost segment, to which a hoist for inserting or removing segments is assigned and which is either on a solid surface or also on a barge (62 , 63) stands. 2. Device according to claim 1,
characterized in that the supporting structure (60) has two spaced support towers (66) which are arranged on one side of the lifting mechanism (10). 3. Device according to claim 2,
characterized in that the heavy load (15) forms a portal with the support towers (66) of the supporting structure (60), which is oriented approximately perpendicular to the portal / portals of the lifting mechanism (10). 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the heavy load (15) can be raised step by step during the lifting process and rests on the support towers (66) between every two steps. 5. The device according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that each has a support tower (66) carrying barge (62, 63) can be changed in its immersion depth by flooding and draining. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the supporting structure (60) has two support towers (66) on a barge (62, 63). 7. The device according to claim 5 and 6,
characterized in that the supporting structure (60) formed by the two support towers (66) and the two further chutes (62, 63) is designed as a second lifting mechanism and that the heavy load (15) during the lifting process during the gradual lifting alternately during the one step rests on the support towers and is held by the supporting members (26) during the next step. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the lifting device for inserting and removing segments (65) of the support towers (66) is arranged in the region of the support towers on the heavy load (15). 9. Device for lifting and lowering as well as for floating transport of heavy loads (15), in particular of bridge segments when building bridges over water, characterized by a hoist (10) with at least one portal (16, 18), the portal supports (20, 22 ) stand on two bars (11, 12) spaced at least by the width of the heavy load and connected to them, with at least one height-adjustable support member (126) per portal, which is designed as a toothed rack and with a rack and pinion drive (130) per support member that is attached to the portal bridge (24). 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lifting mechanism (10) has at least one pair of portals (16, 18) spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of its bars. 11. The device according to at least one of claims 1 to 8,
characterized in that a support member (26) consists of a set of parallel and vertically extending climbing poles, each of which is assigned to a portal of the hoist (10) and whose climbing poles jointly bear the heavy load (15) and with their respective upper ends the gantry bridge can be attached step by step, in particular clamped, at different points along its longitudinal extent. 12. The device according to claim 11,
characterized in that each climbing pole is divided by longitudinal division into a plurality of segments which can be firmly connected to one another and that the segments of the climbing rods located above a fastening device arranged in the portal bridge are removable during the lifting process and can be added when lowering. 13. The device according to at least one of claims 1 to 8,
characterized in that each support member (26) of the hoist is formed by a cable system. 14. The apparatus according to claim 13,
characterized in that the cable system has a continuous cable (32) which, starting from a fixed locking device (30, 34) in the area of the hoist (10), is first guided to a first support tube (36) arranged on the portal bridge, on the outer circumference thereof it is partially in contact and runs from there to form a plurality of parallel loops hanging down from the first carrier tube around a second carrier tube (37) carried by the loops and finally over the surface of the first carrier tube to a second locking device (30, 34) is led. 16. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that two supporting members (26, 126) are provided for each portal (16, 18). 16. The apparatus of claim 15,
characterized in that the lower ends of the support members (26, 126) of each portal are connected by means of a lifting beam (28) which runs approximately parallel to the portal bridge and which is designed as a beam for the heavy load (15). 17. The device, at least according to claim 14, characterized in that the carrier tubes (36, 37) are non-rotatable and are preferably supported at their ends in saddles (38) and that the saddles either on the portal bridge (24) or on the lifting beam (28th ) are attached in such a way that the saddles of the first carrier tubes (36) assigned to the portal bridge are located below these carrier tubes and the saddles of the second carrier tubes (37) assigned to the lifting carrier are arranged above these second carrier tubes. 18. The device according to at least one of claims 13 to 17,
characterized in that each first (upper) support tube (36) is associated with a vibrating device (40), which has a predominantly vertically directed oscillating movement or the like for this support tube and the associated loops of the cable (32). mediates, which reduces the static friction between rope and carrier tube. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18,
characterized in that the vibrating device (40) consists of two parts, each of which acts on one end of the associated first support tube (36) and which alternately lift these ends slightly off the associated saddle (38). 20. The apparatus of claim 18 or 19,
characterized in that the vibrating device (40) or each of its parts has a rotating cam (48), the cams (50) of which are supported Apply the vertical tube (36) essentially vertically. 21. The apparatus according to claim 19 and 20, characterized in that the cams (50) of the two parts of the vibrating device (40) are offset from one another such that the ends of the associated support tube (36) are alternately lifted from the associated saddle (38) . 22. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that each locking device (30, 34) has a clamping device for the associated rope (32), which is arranged between the first support tube (36) and the associated free rope end. 23. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that each locking device (30, 34) has a rope tensioner which can be actuated to pull the rope taut during operation of the vibrating device (40). 24. The device according to claim 23,
characterized in that the rope tensioner consists of a preferably electrically operated winch. 25. The device according to at least one of claims 1 to 24 for use in bridge construction, characterized in that at least one of the two support towers (66) is connected to this at a point of a bridge pillar which is opposite and adjacent to an adjacent pillar to the water surface. 26. The device at least according to claim 9, characterized in that each rack (126) consists of several rack elements releasably connected to each other at the end face. 27. The apparatus according to claim 26,
characterized in that a rack magazine (122) is provided on the side of the rack drive (130) facing away from the heavy load (15) for receiving a number of rack elements. 28. The device according to claim 27,
characterized in that in the rack magazine (122) devices for releasing or fastening rack elements to one another are provided. 29. The device at least according to claim 9, characterized in that the rack and pinion drives (130) are fixed displaceably on the portal bridges (24) of the lifting mechanism (10). 30. The device according to claim 29,
characterized in that the portal bridges (24) are connected to one another by cross members (102, 104) running perpendicular to the portals (16, 18) and in that the cross members are provided with their own receptacles (113) for rack drives (130). 31. The device according to claim 30,
characterized in that the rack and pinion drives (130) are electrically operated. 32. Device according to claim 31,
characterized in that four electric drive motors (116), each with a planetary gear, are provided for each rack and pinion drive (130). 33. Device at least according to claim 9 or 31 or 32,
characterized in that at least four pinions (118) are provided in the rack and pinion drives per rack. 34. Device according to one of claims 1 to 33,
characterized in that a central chute (140) can be moved in between the chutes (11, 12) and can be connected to the outer chutes (11, 12) by means of connecting supports (142). 35. Device according to claim 34,
characterized in that several support blocks (144) are provided in the longitudinal axis of the central chute (140) for supporting the heavy load during horizontal transport. 36. Device according to one of claims 1-35, characterized in that the central chute (140) carries only such a part of the weight of the heavy load during horizontal transport that the load on all chutes (11, 12, 140) is as large as possible .

Images