Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
  • B66C5/00—Base supporting structures with legs
  • B66C5/10—Portals, i.e. essentially circular or square platforms with three or more legs specially adapted for supporting slewing jib cranes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B27/00—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers
  • B63B27/10—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of cranes
  • B63B27/12—Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of cranes of gantry type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
  • B66C19/00—Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantries

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a substructure for a crane arranged on a vessel and comprising a carriage which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction over the said vessel and comprising sets of wheels, which are arranged on opposite sides of the vessel and are connected by at least two cross-beams, between which an attachment structure for the said crane is arranged.
• a substructure of this kind is known from British Patent 1.027,343, which describes a portal structure which can be lengthened, in order to provide an extension which is supported on the quay.
• the portal is of jointed design, and the jointed part, which in the sailing position extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, can be placed transversely to the quay by hinging.
• This structure is particularly suitable for a crane which travels to and fro over the portal, transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vessel.
• a structure of this kind is relatively complicated.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a loading and unloading device for a vessel, and in particular a substructure for a swivelling crane, which is designed such that the vessel does not list, or scarcely lists, while moving loads and in particular when swivelling relatively heavy loads overboard, which crane is able to move relatively heavy loads and can be expediently installed on a vessel.
• the said attachment structure comprises a platform which bears the crane and is connected, in a manner hinging about an axis essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, to the said cross-beams, at least one leg being provided, which at one end is connected exclusively to the said platform and at the other end is provided with means for support on a quay.
• the structure according to the present invention makes it possible to use a swivelling crane which, in contrast to the structure in accordance with British Patent 1.027.3 ⁇ 3. s hingeable exclusively about an essentially vertical axis. Naturally, it is possible for the length of the jib to be variable. As a result, it is no longer necessary to arrange a complicated and intricate structure for a displaceable crane on the portals.
• the invention is based on the idea of transferring some of the forces which occur when swivelling the crane overboard directly onto the quay via the leg in accordance with the present invention, in contrast to the structure in accordance with British Patent 1,027.3 ⁇ 3. in which, if the swivelling crane is situated above the vessel and its jib is situated outside the region of the vessel, a force is exerted on the vessel via the portal structure. In this case, the portal structure is subject to heavy loads, and special design measures are required.
• the invention makes it possible for the support structure to rest via the supports and the bearings on the cross-girders or cross-beams of the portals while, when the substructure is swivelled overboard, the invention makes it possible for the support structure to rest via the legs on the quay wall or the hard surface behind this quay wall, by extending the leg or legs such that the two supports come clear of the bearings.
• the invention provides the considerable advantage that, if the supports do not rest on the bearings on the portal cross-girders, during swivelling practically only vertical forces are transmitted through the extended legs onto the quay wall and through the rocker beam onto the vessel in or in the region of the vertical plane through the longitudinal axis of the vessel, resulting in no, or scarcely any, listing. There will only be a very limited listing due to the changes in distribution of the total ship's mass as a result of removing or setting down a hoisted load.
• the hinge axis of the platform lies essentially in the vertical central longitudinal plane of the vessel, that is to say the axis coincides with the "hinge axis" of the vessel during tilting movements.
• the above-described at least one leg which is connected to the platform on which the swivelling crane is arranged, may be connected either rigidly or hingedly to the platform.
• the leg is hingedly connected to the platform, it is necessary to arrange position- determining means between the platform and the leg, as a result of which the said leg can be regarded as being fixedly connected to the platform while a load is being carried.
• locking means are present in order to fix the position of the platform with respect to the cross ⁇ beams of the portals.
• movements of the moored vessel and thus of the crane with respect to the quay during loading/unloading can be compensated in a simple manner.
• Such movements result from current and wave movements of the water and displacement of the vessel, and thus of the portals, from and towards the quay, as are observed in practice.
• the platform hinge with respect to the cross-beams is also displaceable with respect to the cross-beams in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.
• compensating means may be provided, in order to afford a stable, hinged mounting of the platform with respect to the cross-beams.
• a first measure is to make the cross-beams of the portals vertically adjustable with respect to the sets of wheels.
• At least one cross-beam is detachable from the associated set of wheels or other portal part.
• at least one cross-beam, together with the platform connected thereto and the swivelling crane arranged thereon, can be stowed in a storage or parking space which is particularly designed therefor, so that the crane does not project above the remaining cargo of the vessel in the sailing position.
• Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows an exploded v ew of a first embodiment of the crane according to the invention
• Fig. 2 diagr-unmatically shows a second embodiment of the crane according to the invention during loading/unloading
• Fig. 3 shows the design in accordance with Fig. 2 in the storage position in a vessel; and Fig. ⁇ shows the attachment of the platform to the cross-beams.
• Fig. 1 shows a vessel provided with a crane structure according to the invention, in which 1 indicates the platform. 2 the swivelling crane base which is attached to the platform. 3 the rocker beam which is integral with the platform, ⁇ tne rotation points of the rocker beam, 5 the supports on the platform, 6 the bearings for the platform supports on the portal girders or cross-beams. 7 the freely retractable and extendable arms, 8 the retractable and extendable legs. 9 the bottom end of the leg, 10 the support rail on the quay wall; this figure also shows those components of the vessel and the quay wall which are significant for the functioning of the invention but do not form part of the invention, including, as 11.
• the portals which travel in the longitudinal direction of the vessel and are provided with cross-Deams 16 and sets of wheels 17 as 12 the portal rails, as 13 the vessel, as 14 the quay wall.
• 15 denotes the swivelling crane.
• the following description of the actions during unloading loads over tne side illustrates the invention. If the vessel 13 is moored, all the extendable legs 8 are placed at a short distance above the support rail 10 by means of the freely retractable and extendable arms 7• The hoisting point of the swivelling crane is then placed above the load by means of the travelling portals 11.
• the crane is now in a position to rotate its load overboard over the side. In the process, when the load, as it swivels further outwards. through the rotation points *4 along axis A-A of the rocker beam 3, ⁇ vertical tensile force can be exerted on the portals 11.
• the portals are held in place by means of counter-wheels (not shown) below the rail flanges.
• the vessel acts as a counterweight for the crane. Since the point of engagement of the rotation points of the rocker beam is situated in or in the region of the vertical plane through the longitudinal axis of the vessel, there is no, or scarcely any, listing.
• the actions during loading can be explained as follows. When the vessel is moored, the legs 8 are placed in the correct position on the support rail and are extended such that the platform supports come sufficiently clear from the bearings on the portal girders. The swivelling crane moves its hoisting point to above the load and hoists the load on board.
• the crane now swivels into the position which is required for positioning the load on board.
• the legs 8 are then retracted and the crane is moved by the portals to the position of unloading, whereupon the load can be set down.
• the portals may be provided with a structure of this kind on both sides, so that loading and unloading is possible on both sides of the vessel.
• Figs. 2 - 4 show a further embodiment of the structure according to the invention.
• a swivelling crane 35 which is provided with an extendable arm 47 is arranged on a swivelling- crane base 22 which forms part of a platform 21.
• the extendable arm 7 comprises two part-arms 48, which are each extendable. Between these there is accommodated, in the region of the free end, a spreader beam 4 which is depicted diagra matically and engages on a container .
• Figs. 3 end 4 show the hinging action between platform 21 and cross-beams 39, 40.
• the rocker shaft 64 is integral with the platform 21. Each rocker shaft is mounted rotatably on a suspension structure 59.
• the locking jack 63 is, on the one hand, hingedly attached to the platform 21 and, on the other hand, connected to the respective cross-beam 39 or 40.
• the jack 63 when the jack 63 is able to move in and out freely, not only is the platform 21 able to execute a precise hinging movement, but also the cross-beams can move back and forwards to some extent with respect to the platform and thus w th respect to the crane when the leg 28 is situated on the quay.
• the cross-beams 39, 40 are arranged on the sets of wheels 46 so as to be vertically adjustable via jacks . Moreover, with the aid of a locking structure the cross-beams 39, 40 are fastened to the remaining part of portal 3 -
• This locking structure always comprises a centring pin 53 which is arranged on the respective cross-beam 39 or 40 and, when it is moved upwards, passes into a corresponding opening 5 in portal 31 •
• transverse locking pin 55 s present in each portal 3L which pin can pass into an opening 56 in cross-beam 39 or 40.
• the sets of wheels 46 are coupled in the longitudinal direction of the ship.
• a coupling beam 23 is arranged behind the cross-beam 39 at the location of the sets of wheels.
• the platform 21 is provided on both sides of the vessel with two extendable legs 28, one of which is shown in full.
• This leg is hingedly attached, and the hinges are denoted by 57-
• adjustment cylinder 37 and leg 28 may undergo an angular rotation, from their rotation points, with the longitudinal axis of the ship, as a result of which the moored ship may move slightly along the quay.
• the position of leg 28 can be fixed with respect to the platform 21 by means of adjustment cylinder 37-
• a hydraulic piston/cylinder assembly 58 is present in order to determine the length of sliding leg 28.
• sliding leg 28 is provided with a bearing plate 3 . It should be understood that all other designs which are known from the prior art may be used instead of a bearing plate. Reference is firstly made to the design in accordance with Fig. 1, and secondly consideration may be given to sets of wheels or the like.
• the two cross-beams are connected to the respective legs 44 and sets of wheels 46.
• the legs 44 can be placed in the up position, so that as a result portals which are formed can move over the freight 29 in the vessel 33-
• This also has the advantage that the rail tracks remain intact when the crane is being parked.
• Fig. 3 shows the structure in accordance with Fig. 2 in a parked position. In order to reach this storage or parking position, the following measures have to be taken:
• the locking device 63 arranged on cross-beams 39 and 0 is activated, so that the position of platform 21 is no longer dependent on extendable leg 28.
• safety means are present which prevent the extendable leg 28 from being able to be retracted while these locking jacks 63 are inactive.
• extendable leg 28 is withdrawn and moved such that this leg is situated inside the chamber 50 of vessel 33-
• Portals 31 are moved downwards due to the operation of the jacks 4 , the portals 31 adjoining the guides 51-
• the two sliding legs 28 are moved such that bearing plates 3 come to rest on the bottom and/or side wall of the vessel.
• cross-beams 39 and 40 are detached from legs 44.
• actuating jacks 58 starting from this position, it is possible to allow platform 21 to descend into chamber 50- In this case.
• the extendable arm 47 of the swivelling crane is, of course, withdrawn.
• Cross-beams 39 and 40 then move into guides 5 - When all the parts have been completely withdrawn, the position as shown in Fig.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Leg Units, Guards, And Driving Tracks Of Cranes (AREA)
• Jib Cranes (AREA)
• Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)
• Control And Safety Of Cranes (AREA)
• Ship Loading And Unloading (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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ID=19762325

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Cited By (2)

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• 1996
  • 1996-02-15 NL NL1002362A patent/NL1002362C2/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1997
  • 1997-02-13 ES ES97902748T patent/ES2159108T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-02-13 CN CN97192304A patent/CN1087250C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-02-13 WO PCT/NL1997/000060 patent/WO1997029945A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-02-13 DE DE69705109T patent/DE69705109T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-02-13 DK DK97902748T patent/DK0879171T3/da active
  • 1997-02-13 AU AU16764/97A patent/AU1676497A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-02-13 EP EP97902748A patent/EP0879171B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-02-13 AT AT97902748T patent/ATE201854T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2001
  • 2001-08-07 GR GR20010401194T patent/GR3036342T3/el not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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