GB2053834A

GB2053834A - Travelling crane for installation and dismantling of components of a marine engine

Info

Publication number: GB2053834A
Application number: GB8021347A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Sulzer AG; Gebrueder Sulzer AG
Current assignee: Sulzer AG
Priority date: 1979-06-28
Filing date: 1980-06-30
Publication date: 1981-02-11
Also published as: DE2929951A1; JPS569138A; IT1131261B; IT8022543A0; DE2929951C2; DK256680A

Abstract

The invention is concerned with apparatus for assembly and disassembly of marine propulsion engine in situ in vessels. The invention has as an object to minimise the headroom requirement for such operations; and provides apparatus for assembling and dismantling components of a marine propulsion engine, more particularly a diesel engine, comprising a travelling crane movable in the longitudinal direction of the engine on longitudinal rails 26 disposed above the engine, and an assembly device 28 adapted to the assembly and dismantling of at least a piston of the engine, the travelling crane including a support device 2 provided with crane wheels 1 running on said rails 26, a hoisting mechanism having a jib 10 and a holder device 14 for the assembly device 28 being provided on said support device 2, in which the jib 10 has a clear space above the holder device 14, said clear space extending in the direction of the piston axis and allowing the piston to be lifted beyond the jib during axial removal of the piston. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for installation and dismantling of components of a marine engine This invention relates to apparatus for assembling and dismantling components of a marine propulsion engine, more particularly a diesel engine, comprising a travelling crane movable in the longitudinal direction of the engine on longitudinal rails disposed above the engine, and an assembly device adapted to the assembly and dismantling of at least a piston of the engine, the travelling crane including a support device attached to the crane wheels running on said rails, a hoisting mechanism having a jib and a holder device for the assembly device being provided on said support device.

Maintenance work on marine engines, e.g. replacement of cylinder heads, pistons and cylinder liners, is usually carried out by means of block and tackle cranes. A crane of this kind occupies a considerable amount of space, and this has an adverse effect on the engine room height required for installation and removal of these components.

The height of the crane must be allowed for in determining this height. High engine rooms are no longer possible with modern ships, e.g. container ships and roll-on/roll-off ships, since the tendency with these is to utilize the maximum cargo space for economic reasons.

The object oaf the invention is to provide apparatus arranged so that the engine room height required for maintenance can be reduced to a minimum without interfering with the execution of such work.

Accordingly the present invention provides apparatus for assembling and dismantling components of a marine propulsion engine, more particularly a diesel engine, comprising a travelling crane movable in the longitudinal direction of the engine on longitudinal rails disposed above the engine, and an assembly device adapted to the assembly and dismantling of at least a piston of the engine, the travelling crane including a support device provided with crane wheels running on said rails, a hoisting mechanism having a jib and a holder device for the assembly device being provided on said support device, in which the jib has a clear space above the holder device, said clear space extending in the direction of the piston axis and allowing the piston to be lifted beyond the jib during axial removal of the piston.

The advantage of this is that the piston, which has the largest vertical dimensions of the components.

concerned, can be lifted right up to the bottom surface of the deck girders. In determining the engine room height required, the crane height is now immaterial, and only the engine height and piston height have to be taken into account. The engine room height can thus be reduced to a minimum. In one practical application it was possible to reduce the total engine room height by 101 cm.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support device comprises a frame having two parallel members extending transversely of the longitudinal rails, a saddl'e for the hoisting mechanism being provided between said parallel members so as to be movable transversely of the longitudinal rails.

The hoisting mechanism is rotatable relative to the support device about an axis extending at right angles to the plane containing the longitudinal rails.

In this embodiment, the total crane structure may be so short that no space is required at the end in the case of short engines, because lateral displacement is possible, i.e. at right angles to the engine longitudinal axis. This reduces the problems of introducing the piston rod between the cylinder bolts. The crane can be slewed through 180"so that all the cylinders can be serviced without having to provide any space at the ends of the engine for this purpose.

According to another embodiment of the invention according to the invention, the hoisting mechanism is offset from a central longitudinal plane extending between the rails, so that the distance between the longitudinal rails can be kept to a minimum. This arrangement can be put into effect economically.

Preferably, the holder device is suspended from at least two cables and has, for each cable, a cable pulley and a holder member connected to the pulley via a pin, said holder member having an aperture beneath the pin, said aperture being adapted to take the load of an item to be assembled or dismantled. A cross-member with a load hook forming an assembly device may be disposed between the two holder members of the holder device. With an assembly device of this kind, all the parts of the engine other than the cylinder head, pistons and cylinder liners can also be handled easily and reliably.

Preferably, the assembly device when arranged for use with a piston is adapted to engage in the form of a ring around said piston and the axially outermost end faces of the holder device are situated between the top and bottom end faces of the piston in the installation position. A device of this kind occupies no space either above or below the piston so that its height can be disregarded in determining the engine room height.

Preferably, the assembly device is adapted to be pushed over the piston and comprises at least two radially outwardly extending pins for connection to the holder member. The assembly device comprises rotating means for releasable attachment to the piston and bearing against the top end face of the assembly device, the piston being rotatable about its axis relative to the assembly device by said rotating means. Advantageously, the rotating means comprises a plurality of rolling members distributed around the piston periphery, each being rotatably secured to the piston shell temporarily by means of a bolt at the piston centre of gravity.Conveniently, a centring washer is also disposed on the bolt, in addition to the rolling member, said washer bearing against a peripheral surface on the assembly device and acting with the washers of the other rolling members during operation to centre the piston relative to the assembly device. It is thus possible to rotate the piston inside the assembly device so that eccentric cooling water ducts in it can be brought into the correct setting-down position above the gallery, during removal, and into the appropriate installation position relative to the engine housing on installation.

Advantageously, the distance between the holder member apertures and the pulley pins of the holder members is greater than the distance of the roller bolts of the rotation means from the pins of the assembly device. Consequently, the pins of the assembly device are situated above the piston centre of gravity, thus avoiding the assembly device with the piston therein tipping over.

Advantageously, each pin of the assembly device has a radially upwardly extending reinforcing rib which can be connected to the associated holder member of the holder device during operation. A connection of this kind prevents the piston from rotating about the axis of the assembly device pins beneath the piston centre of gravity. It can rotate only about the pulley pins of the holder members, whose axis is above the piston centre of gravity.

Preferably, the end of the bolt of each rolling member remote from the piston has an axially extending bore in which a locking pin is slidable, the free end of said locking pin having a slot which, in a position of alignment with one of the reinforcing ribs, is pushed over the reinforcing rib and can be secured in this position by means of a locking pin.

This prevents any rotary movement of the piston.

This is advantageous during lifting and lowering, in order to eliminate undesirable acceleration forces which might occur because of the asymmetrical construction of the piston. The borehole in the bolt can also be used for introduction of a rod if the piston is required to be rotated inside the assembly device.

Advantageously, an assembly device for use with a cylinder liner is constructed to engage in the form of a ring around said liner so that the axially outermost end faces of said assembly device are situated between the top and bottom end faces of the cylinder liner in the installation position. This assembly device again occupies no space either above or below the cylinder liner, so that its height can be disregarded in determining the engine room height.

Preferably, an assembly device for the cylinder head is constructed as a multi-armed carrier, each arm having an axially downwardly extending retaining rod adapted to be screwed into the cylinder head. With an assembly device of this kind the distance between the holder device and the cylinder head can be reduced to a minimum because the carrier requires no crane hook.

In order to promote a fuller understanding of the above and other aspects of the present invention, some exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a travelling crane of the system embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a similar view showing the same system with a piston attached, Figure 3 is an axial section through part of the holder device and of the assembly device for the piston, Figure 4 is a perspective view of an assembly device for a cylinder liner, Figure 5shows the assembly device of Figure 4 with the cylinder liner therein, Figure 6 is a perspective view of an assembly device for a cylinder head, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified travelling crane.

Referring to Figure 1, the travelling crane of the embodiment comprises four pairs of wheels 1 running on two parallel longitudinal rails 26 extending in the longitudinal direction of the engine (not shown); a support device 2 attached to the said wheels; and a hoisting mechanism 3 connected to the device 2. The device 2 comprises a frame consisting of two beam members 4 extending transversely of the longitudinal rails 26 and parallel to one another, and two end members 5 extending in the longitudinal direction of the engine. A saddle 7 runs on four wheels 6 on the section members 4 inside the frame. The frame end members 5 act as end abutments for the movement of the saddle 7.

The hoisting mechanism 3 comprises a winch housing 8 and a jib 10 and is disposed on saddle 7 so as to be pivotable about an axis at right angles to the plane of the frame relatively to saddle 7 through the agency of a slewing mechanism 11 not shown in detail. Jib 10 is forked and comprises two parallel limbs 12. A holder device 14 suspended from two cables 13 has a cable pulley 15 and a holder member 16 per cable 13, member 16 being connected to the associated pulley via a pin 17 and having an aperture 18to receive the load. In Figure 1, an assembly device in the form of a cross-member 19 with a load hook 20 is provided between the two members 16.

One end of each of the cables 13 is secured to the limbs 12 of the jib 10. Limbs 12 each have a cable pulley 22 over which the cables 13 are taken to the interior of the hoisting mechanism 3 and to the winches (not shown).

The forked construction of the jib 10 results in a clear space 23 between the limbs 12, the dimensions of this space being such that the piston and cylinder liner can be lifted up beyond the jib 10 during dismantling which is carried out in the direction of the cylinder axis. As a result, such components can be lifted as far as the bottom surface of the deck girders (not shown). This means that the engine room height can be reduced to a minimum.

Figure 2 shows the travelling crane of Figure 1 together with a piston 27 after removal from the engine, the piston being held in an assembly device 28 so as to be rotatable relative to the latter. The details of the assembly device 28, which is suspended from the holder device 14 by way of two radial outwardly extending pins 31, will be apparent from Figure 3.

The assembly device 28 engages in the form of a ring around the piston 27 and has a flange 30 at the top end.

A piston rotating means is provided at the top of the flange 30 and comprises a plurality of rolling members 38 temporarily attached to the outer surface of the piston 27 level with the centre of gravity 36 thereof by means of bolts 37. Each bolt 37 has a hexagonal portion 40 and an outwardly projecting cylindrical portion 41. The rolling member 38 is mounted on portion 41 and is in the form of a roller bearing against which bears a spacer sleeve 43 pressed against the roller bearing via a centring washer 44 through the agency of a nut 46 screwed on to portion 41. The outer race ring of bearing 38 rolls on the flange 30 as the piston 27 rotates about its axis.The length of the spacer sleeve 43 is such that the surface of the centring washer 44 facing the piston 27 touches the outer peripheral surface of the flange 30 and centres the piston 27 in the assembly device acting together with the other centring washers 44.

The bolt 37 of at least one of the rolling members 38 has an axial bore at its end remote from the piston 27. A locking pin 47 is movable in this bore and its free end has a slot 48. When the pin 47 is in alignment with one of the two reinforcing ribs 32 the slot 48 can be pushed over the rib 32 and the pin is locked in this position by means of a locking bolt 49.

Piston 27 can thus be locked relative to the assembly device and prevent it from rotation.

Figure 3 also shows a holder member 16 ofthe holder device 14 associated with the crane. Its aperture 18 receives one of the two pins 31 ofthe assembly device so that the piston 27 can be raised and lowered. The holder member 16 comprises two plates 51 between which, at the top, the cable pulley 15 is mounted by means ofthe pin 17, which is axially located by means of two locking rings 53. In the bottom part the two plates 51 are interconnected via a bush 50 which is formed with the aperture 18.

Each pin 31 of the assembly device 28 comprises two reinforcing ribs 32,33 one of which extends upwards and the other downwards in the radial direction of the pins. The top end of the top reinforcing rib 32 has a bored projection 34 directed towards the holder member 16.

The outside of the top end of the holder plate 51 facing the piston 27 has a bored lug 54 extending in the direction of the piston 27. This lug 54 co-operates with the projection 34 on the reinforcing rib 32,their bores being arranged to be aligned and then be rigidly interconnected by means of a bolt 45. This is a simple way of providing the rigid coupling between the assembly device 28 and the holder device 14 required for installation and removal.

The position of the axes of the pins 17 and of the apertures 18 is such that the axes of pins 17 and hence the axes of rotation of the pulleys 15 are above the piston centre of gravity 36 during operation. This prevents the piston 27 and its assembly device from tipping over during installation and removal.

Referring to Figure 4, the assembly device 29 for the cylinder liner comprises two halves 37 adapted to be interconnected by screw bolts 56. Each half 57 consists of three abutting substantially identical portions 58, each two ofwhich include an angle of 120% Each portion 58 comprises a base plate 59, a wall 60 perpendicular and welded thereto, and a U-section 61 welded on the outside to the top edge of the wall 60. Two vertical stiffening ribs 62 are welded between the baseplate 59 and the U-section 61 on the outside of the wall 60. An outwardly projecting pin 63 is provided in the bottom zone of the middle wall 60 of each half 57 and fits into an aperture 18 of the holder device 14.An L-section 64 is welded to the free ends of each of the outer walls 60 and has boreholes 65 for the screw bolts 56 and a borehole 66 in each case for transportation of the empty device.

When the two halves 57 are bolted together, the device 29 engages in the form of a ring around a cylinder liner 68 (see Figure 5). Its top end face supports the bottom surface of the cylinder liner collar 67. The two pins 63 of the device 29 can be engaged in the holder device 14 so that the device 29 may be moved when the device 29 is not in use it may rest on its baseplate 59.

When the axially outermost end faces of the two assembly devices 28 and 29 are in the position in which they hold the piston 27 and the liner 68 respectively, they are situated between the topmost and lowermost end surfaces of the respective components. This means that the devices do not occupy any space either above or below the component. For this reason the engine room height can be designed solely by reference to the engine height and the piston height.

Figure 6 shows an assembly device 70 for the cylinder head 76 with three upwardly projecting valves 78. Device 70 comprises a slotted fork 72 provided with a transverse bore 71, and three support arms 73 extending radially outward therefrom. A retaining rod 75 is secured to the outer end of each arm 73 by means of a nut 74, each rod extending down at right angles to the arm and being screwed into tapped bores in the cylinder head 76.

The device co-operates with a cross-member 19', the end pins 77 of which are each received in an aperture 18 in the holder device 14. Cross-member 19' has a central downwardly extending connecting lug 79 which co-operates with the slot of the fork 72 and which has a transverse bore 80 registering with transverse bore 71. When the bore 71 and 80 are in alignment, an operative connection can be made between the fork 72 and the cross-member 19' by means of a bolt 81.

Using the device 70 and the cross-member 19', the distance between the latter and the cylinder head 76 can be reduced as compared with a cross-member with a load hook.

In the embodiment of the travelling crane shown in Figure 7, the crane is not movable in the transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal rails 26. The support device 2' attached to the wheels 1 comprises four support arms, 24, 25 at the outer end of each of which one ofthe pairs 1 of crane wheels is mounted for rotation. The hoisting mechanism 3, the construction of which is equivalent to that shown in Figure 1, but which is somewhat larger in the longitudinal direction, is asymmetrical in relation to the longitudinal rails 26, i.e. its central longitudinal plane is offset from the longitudinal central plane between the two rails 26. The hoisting mechanism 3 is again rotatable relative to the support device 2' by way of the slewing mechanism 11. This crane construction is suitable particular ly if there is a relatively large amount of space available in the longitudinal direction of the engine.

Overall, this construction is cheaper than the one shown in Figure 1.

Contrary to the examples described, the jib 10 may be located on the hoisting mechanism 3 so as to be vertically displaceable or pivotable about a horizontal axis.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus for assembling and dismantling components of a marine propulsion engine, more particularly a diesel engine, comprising a travelling crane movable in the longitudinal direction of the engine on longitudinal rails disposed above the engine, and an assembly device adapted to the assembly and dismantling of at least a piston of the engine, the travelling crane including a support device provided with crane wheels running on said rails, a hoisting mechanism having a jib and a holder deviceforthe assembly device being provided on said support device, in which the jib has a clear space above the holder device, said clear space extending in the direction of the piston axis and allowing the piston to be lifted beyond the jib during axial removal of the piston.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which the support device comprises a frame having two parallel beam members extending transversely of the longitudinal rails, a saddle for the hoisting mechanism being provided between said beam members so as to be displaceable transversely of the longitudinal rails.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the hoisting mechanism is rotatable relative to the support device about an axis extending at right angles to the plane containing the longitudinal rails.

4. Apparatus as claimed is Claim 1,2 or 3, in which the hoisting mechanism is offset from a central longitudinal plane extending between the rails.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the holder device is suspended from at least two cables and has, for each cable, a cable pulley and a holder member connected to the pulley via a pin, said holder member having an aperture beneath the pulley pin to receive the load.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, in which said assembly device is provided with pins or spigots which engage in respective holder member apertures.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the assembly device comprises a crossmember with a load hook disposed intermediate its ends.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the assembly device is adapted to engage in the form of a ring around a piston so that the axially outermost end faces of said device are situated between the top end faces of the piston in the installation position.

9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, in which the assembly device is adapted to be pushed over the piston and comprises at least two radially outwardly extending pivot pins for connection to the holder device.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, in which the assembly device comprises rotating means for temporary attachment to the piston arranged to bear against the top end face of the assembly device so that the piston may be rotatable about its axis relative to the assembly device.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, in which the rotating means comprises a plurality of rolling members to be distributed over the piston periphery, each being rotatably secured to the piston shell by means of a bolt level with the piston centre of gravity.

12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, in which a respective centring washer is also disposed on each rolling member bolt in addition to the rolling member, said washers bearing against a peripheral surface of the assembly device and co-operating during operation to centre the piston relatively to the assembly device.

13. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, in which the distance between the holder device apertures and each pulley pin of the holder device is greater than the distance of the rolling member bolts of the rotation means from the pivot pins of the assembly device.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 13, in which each pivot pin of the assembly device has a radially upwardly extending reinforcing rib which can be connected to the associated holder member of the holder device during operation.

15. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 14, in which the end remote from the piston of the bolt of each rolling member has an axially extending bore in which a locking pin is slidable, the free end of said locking pin having a slot which, in a position of alignment with one of the reinforcing ribs may be pushed over the reinforcing rib and can be secured in this position by locking means.

16. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 in which the assembly device is constructed to engage in the form of a ring around a cylinder liner so that the axially outermost end faces of said assembly device are situated between the top and bottom end faces of the cylinder liner in the installation position.

17. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, in which the assembly device comprises at least two halves which are adapted to be interconnected, and its top end face is arranged to support the bottom face of a cylinder liner collar and the device has at least two radially outwardly extending pivot pins for connection to the holder device.

18. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, in which the assembly device is arranged for the cylinder head and is constructed as a multi-armed carrier, each arm having an axially downwardly extending retaining rod adapted to be screwed into the cylinder head.

19. Apparatus for assembling and dismantling components of a marine propulsion engine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.