JP2012076849A - Crane - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a crane which keeps a spreader lightened in weight, and crane energy efficiency improved, enables spreader replacement work to be done by only one crane operator, and enhances the stability of a twist lock 14 operation.SOLUTION: The crane includes a head block 2 suspended from a trolley as a cargo loading device for loading a container 40 for sea transportation and a spreader 1 connected to the lower part of the head block 2 wherein the spreader 1 has a twist lock 14 for carrying out connection and disconnection with the container 40, a link mechanism 10 composed of a link member 11 connected to the twist lock 14, and an actuation member 12 disposed in the link member 11, and the head block 2 has a connection part 31 that is connected to the actuation member 12 to transmit power to the actuation member 12 and a driving device 32 for operating the connection part 31.

Description

  The present invention relates to a crane having a head block suspended from a trolley as a cargo handling device for handling a marine transport container, and a spreader connected below the head block.

  Quay cranes (bridge cranes) and portal cranes (hereinafter referred to as cranes) are used for cargo handling of marine transport containers. FIG. 9 shows a spreader 1X and a head block 2X included in a quay crane or a portal crane. As shown in FIG. 9, the spreader 1X is connected below the head block 2X. The spreader 1X has a telescopic arm 42 (see, for example, FIG. 4 of Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and FIG. 1 of Patent Document 3). The telescopic arm 42 is configured to expand and contract by a power mechanism such as a hydraulic unit or an electric mechanism mounted on the spreader 1X.

  The expansion / contraction operation of the expansion / contraction arm 42 is performed by transmitting power and an instruction signal from the crane operation room to the power mechanism of the spreader 1X via the head block 2X. This transmission is performed via the cable 43.

  The crane can handle containers 40 having different lengths by extending and contracting the extendable arms 42. The main container 40 has a total length of 20 ft or 40 ft. There are also containers of different sizes such as 45 ft. Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 3, two 20ft containers can be handled at the same time.

  However, the spreader 1X has the following problems. First, there is a problem that the weight of the spreader 1X is large and the energy efficiency in the cargo handling operation is low. That is, the crane must always wind up the container 40 and the hoisting tools (spreader 1X, head block 2X, etc.) having the same weight as the container 40.

  The crane needs energy to wind up the hanger and energy to operate the telescopic arm, and energy consumption is increasing. Although there are differences depending on the size of the crane, for example, the weight of the spreader 1X having a power mechanism is about 15t, and the head block 2X is about 5t. Depending on the weight of the loaded load, the total weight of the 20ft container is about 24t, and the maximum weight of the 40ft container is about 30t.

  Secondly, when the spreader 1X is exchanged, there is a problem that an operator needs to connect the spreader 1X and the head block 2X. For this reason, labor costs are required, and much time is required for the replacement work. That is, the connecting work between the spreader 1X and the head block 2X requires a power connecting work in order to transmit power from the head block 2X to the spreader 1X in addition to the structural connecting work. Specifically, connection work such as a power cable is required. The spreader 1X is a consumable item that has a high possibility of colliding with the container 40 and the like during cargo handling work and is likely to be deformed, and often needs to be replaced.

Third, there is a problem that the operation of the twist lock becomes unstable. This is a problem that the spreader and the head block receive an impact of 10 G or more due to contact with the container or the like, so that the hydraulic unit or the electric actuator installed in the spreader malfunctions. Further, there is a problem that the hydraulic unit or the electric actuator is deteriorated due to the influence of wind and rain and causes malfunction.

Japanese Patent No. 3026495 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-41084 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-194657

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a crane having a head block suspended from a trolley as a cargo handling device for handling a marine transport container and a spreader connected to the lower side of the head block. Is to reduce the spreader weight and to provide a crane with improved crane energy efficiency. It is another object of the present invention to provide a crane capable of performing a spreader replacement operation by one crane operator. It is another object of the present invention to provide a crane with improved operation stability of the twist lock.

  In order to achieve the above object, a crane according to the present invention includes a head block suspended from a trolley as a cargo handling device for handling a marine transport container, and a spreader connected to a lower portion of the head block, the spreader Includes a twist lock that is connected to and disconnected from the container, a link mechanism that is configured by a link member connected to the twist lock, and an operating member that is installed on the link member. It has the connection part which connects with a member and transmits motive power to the said operation member, and the drive device for operating the said connection part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  With this configuration, a power mechanism mounted on the spreader becomes unnecessary, and the spreader can be reduced in weight. By reducing the weight of the spreader, the energy efficiency of the crane can be improved. Further, when connecting the spreader and the head block, a connecting operation such as a power cable is not necessary, and therefore, the connecting operation can be performed by one crane operator.

  In the crane described above, the crane includes at least a 20 ft container spreader and a 40 ft container spreader, and any one of the spreaders is connected to the head block. With this configuration, the crane can handle containers of different sizes as before.

  In the crane described above, at least a part of the link mechanism is disposed in a frame constituting the spreader. With this configuration, the durability of the link mechanism can be improved.

  In the crane described above, the spreader has at least four twist locks, the link mechanism has the link member connecting the plurality of twist locks, and at least one of the link members has the operation member. The link mechanism is operated by the power transmitted to the operating member, and the twist lock is rotated by the operation of the link mechanism. With this configuration, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

In the above crane, the driving device is a hydraulic or electric cylinder, the connecting portion is a rod-like body having a bent tip, the tip of the connecting portion is inserted into an opening of the operating member, and the hydraulic pressure or The expansion / contraction operation of the electric cylinder is transmitted to the link mechanism. With this configuration, when the spreader and the head block are aligned and connected, the connection between the actuating member and the connecting portion can be automatically realized.

  According to the crane of the present invention, it is possible to provide a crane that realizes weight reduction of the spreader and improves the energy efficiency of the crane. Further, it is possible to provide a crane capable of performing a spreader replacement operation by one crane operator. Furthermore, the crane which improved the operation | movement stability of a twist lock can be provided.

It is the figure which showed the outline of the spreader of the crane of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is the figure which showed the outline of the head block of the crane of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is the figure which showed the outline of the twist lock. It is sectional drawing of the spreader and head block of the crane of embodiment which concern on this invention. It is sectional drawing of the spreader and head block of the crane of different embodiment which concern on this invention. It is a top view of the link mechanism of the spreader of the crane of a different embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a top view of the link mechanism of the spreader of the crane of a different embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a top view of the link mechanism of the spreader of the crane of a different embodiment concerning the present invention. It is the schematic of the conventional spreader and a head block.

  Hereinafter, a crane according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of the spreader 1. The spreader 1 includes a twist lock 14 that is connected to and disconnected from the container 40, a link mechanism 10 that includes a link member 11 that applies a rotational force to the twist lock 14, and an operating member 12 that is installed on the link member 11. Yes. The operating member 12 has an opening 13.

  The spreader 1 has at least four twist locks 14. The head 16 of the twist lock 14 is connected by, for example, two link members 11 and is configured to rotate simultaneously. In addition, the link mechanism 10 may be configured by connecting a plurality of link members.

  Further, it is desirable that at least a 20 ft container spreader and a 40 ft container spreader are prepared for one crane, and the cargo handling can be performed while appropriately changing the spreader 1 according to the size of the container 40. . In addition, you may form the space which mounts the spreader which is not used in a part of crane structure.

  FIG. 2 shows an outline of the head block 2. FIG. 2 shows the lower surface side of the head block 2 and shows the internal structure in section. The head block 2 includes a twist lock 30 that is connected to the spreader 1, a connecting portion 31 that is connected to the operating member 12 of the spreader 1 and transmits power to the operating member 12, and a drive that operates the connecting portion 31. A device 32 is included.

The twist lock 30 is a mechanism for structurally connecting and disconnecting the spreader 1 and the head block 2. Moreover, the connection part 31 is a rod-shaped body which bent the front-end | tip, for example. The distal end portion of the connecting portion 31 is configured to be fitted into the opening portion 13 of the operating member 12, and is preferably configured in a tapered shape. Furthermore, the drive device 32 is configured by, for example, a hydraulic or electric cylinder, and is configured to be able to move the connecting portion 31 as indicated by an arrow, for example.

  FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the twist lock 14. The twist lock 14 has, for example, a substantially conical insertion portion 15 having an elliptical bottom surface and a head portion 16. The twist lock 14 is configured such that the insertion portion 15 is inserted into an elliptical hole (twist lock hole 41) formed in the container 40, and rotates to connect and fix the spreader 1 and the container 40. The twist lock 30 that connects the spreader 1 and the head block 2 can be similarly configured.

  Next, the operation of the spreader 1 and the head block 2 accompanying the crane handling operation will be described. When the crane performs a cargo handling operation, the spreader 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the head block 2 shown in FIG. 2 are connected. The spreader 1 and the head block 2 are connected to each other structurally via a twist lock 30 of the head block 2, and the connecting portion 31 is fitted into the opening 13 to be dynamically connected.

  When handling the container 40, first, the spreader 1 and the head block 2 are lowered onto the container 40. Then, the twist lock 14 of the spreader 1 is fitted into the twist lock hole 41 of the container 40. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the driving device 32 (for example, a cylinder mechanism) of the head block 2 is operated, and the connecting portion 31 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow. The movement of the connecting portion 31 moves the operating member 12 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. That is, the link member 11 moves to the right in FIG. By the movement of the link member 11, the head 16 is rotated and the entire twist lock 14 is rotated.

  With the above operation, all the twist locks 14 are rotated, and the connection between the spreader 1 and the container 40 is completed. Further, if the drive device 32 is operated in the opposite direction, the connection between the spreader 1 and the container 40 can be released. Note that the direction of the operation indicated by the arrow is determined for convenience, and the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described direction.

  With the above configuration, the following operational effects can be obtained. First, the weight of the spreader 1 can be reduced, and the energy efficiency of the crane can be improved. That is, since the power mechanism such as a hydraulic unit or an electric mechanism is not mounted on the spreader 1, the weight of the spreader 1 can be reduced. Specifically, the spreader, which was conventionally about 15 t, can be reduced to about 4 t with a 20 ft container spreader and about 6 t with a 40 ft container spreader.

  Secondly, the connecting operation of the spreader 1 and the head block 2 can be performed by one crane operator. This is because the dynamic connection between the spreader 1 and the head block 2 can be realized by fitting the tip of the connecting portion 31 into the opening 13 of the operating member 12.

  Third, containers of different sizes (eg 20ft or 40ft) can be handled. This is because 20 ft and 40 ft container spreaders prepared for each crane can be exchanged by one crane operator. For example, in the case of unloading from a container ship, since the containers 40 of the same size are arranged in each row (called a bay) for handling, the size change (exchange operation) of the spreader 1 is not so frequent.

Therefore, the time for replacing the spreader 1 is very small. That is, the cargo handling efficiency is hardly lowered by this time. Since the 45 ft container has a twist lock hole at the same position as the 40 ft container, it can be handled with a 40 ft container spreader.

  Fourth, the stability of the operation of the twist lock 14 can be improved. This is because the power transmission to the twist lock 14 is realized by a structural connecting means. Further, since power such as an electric actuator is not mounted in the spreader 1, problems such as malfunction do not occur.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows a cross section of the spreader 1 and the head block 2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The spreader 1 is indicated by a broken line. The arrows indicate an example of the operation direction of the twist lock 14, the link member 11, and the connecting portion 31. One link mechanism 10 may be connected to one drive device 32, or a plurality of drive devices 32 are installed in the head block 2 to control the link mechanism 10 in a plurality of systems. You may comprise as follows.

  Here, the link mechanism 10 may be installed in the frame 17 of the spreader 1. With this configuration, since the link mechanism 10 is not exposed to wind and rain, durability can be improved. In addition, it is possible to reduce the possibility of failure due to contact with a container or the like during cargo handling.

  FIG. 5 schematically shows a cross section of a spreader 1A and a head block 2A of different embodiments. The spreader 1 </ b> A has a rotating gear 21 and at least one link member 20 that is connected to the rotating gear 21 and moves linearly. The rotating gear 21 and the link member 20 collectively correspond to the aforementioned operating member 12. Moreover, the link member which connects each twist lock 14 is also provided similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment.

  The head block 2A includes a gear 31A (corresponding to the connecting portion 31 described above) connected to the rotating gear 21 of the spreader 1A, and an electric or hydraulic motor 32A (corresponding to the driving device 32 described above) that rotates the gear 27. Yes. That is, the actuating member 12 of the spreader 1, the connecting portion 31 of the head block 2, and the driving device 32 are configured in a so-called pinion and rack type.

  Next, the operation of the mechanism shown in FIG. 5 will be described. When connecting the spreader 1A and the head block 2A, the gear 31A of the head block 2A and the rotating gear 21 of the spreader 1A come into contact so that power can be transmitted. Then, electric power or hydraulic pressure is supplied to the motor 32A of the head block 2A by an operation from the crane operation room. The rotational force of the motor 32A and the gear 31A is transmitted to the link member 20 via the rotating gear 21. And the link member 20 receives the force which moves linearly, and operate | moves the connected link mechanism 10 whole. With the operation of the link mechanism 10, the plurality of twist locks 14 rotate. By the rotation of the twist lock 14, the connection and release of the spreader 1A and the container 40 are controlled.

  With this configuration, the same operational effects as the spreader 1 and the head block 2 shown in FIG. 4 can be obtained. Further, the movement amount of the link member 20 can be increased by the pinion and rack type configuration.

  FIG. 6 schematically shows a plane of the link mechanism of the spreader 1 of a different embodiment. The link mechanism includes a link member 24 and a string-like object (for example, a chain or a wire) 22 connected to the link member 24. The other end of the string 22 is fixed to the head 16 of the twist lock 14.

Next, the operation of the link mechanism in FIG. 6 will be described. The link member 24 receives power through the actuating member 12 and linearly moves, for example, in the direction indicated by the arrow. As the link member 24 moves linearly, the string 22 is pulled in the same direction. The twist lock 14 receives a force in the rotational direction via the string 22.

  With the above configuration, the link member 24 can be configured to move completely linearly. Therefore, for example, when the link mechanism is installed inside the spreader frame, the installation space can be reduced. In other words, the spreader frame can be made small and light as long as the strength allows.

  In order to give a restoring force to the twist lock 14, it is desirable to install the elastic body 23. Specifically, it is desirable to install a spring as shown in FIG. 6 or to install a turning spring on the shaft of the twist lock 14. This configuration can also be applied to other embodiments. With this configuration, when no external force is applied to the link mechanism 10, the twist lock 14 always faces in a certain direction. As a result, the operating member 12 (or a member corresponding to the operating member) installed in the link mechanism maintains a certain position, and therefore, when connecting the spreader and the head block, it is possible to reliably perform dynamic connection. it can. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to use two string-like objects 22 and obtain a restoring force by the string-like objects 22.

  FIG. 8 schematically shows a plane of the link mechanism of the spreader 1 of a different embodiment. This link mechanism includes a link member 28 having a screw groove 25 and a rotating gear 26 (corresponding to the operating member 12). Further, the twist lock 14 is provided with a gear 27 corresponding to the screw groove 25.

  Next, the operation of the link mechanism in FIG. 8 will be described. The link member 28 receives a rotational force via the rotating gear 26 and rotates, for example, in the direction indicated by the arrow. As the link member 28 rotates, the screw groove 25 rotates. The twist lock 14 receives a rotational force through the screw groove 25 and the gear 27.

  With the above configuration, the link member 28 can be configured to rotate at a fixed position. Therefore, when installing the link mechanism inside the spreader frame, the installation space can be reduced.

  As described above, a crane having a light weight spreader and improved energy efficiency can be provided. The present invention can be applied to any crane as long as it handles a container and is equipped with a head block and a spreader.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A spreader 2, 2A Head block 10 Link mechanism 11 Link member 12 Actuating member 13 Opening part 14 Twist lock 15 Insertion part 16 Head part 17 Frame 31 Connection part 32 Drive device 40 Container

Claims (5)

In a crane having a head block suspended from a trolley as a cargo handling device for handling a marine transport container, and a spreader connected below the head block,
The spreader has a twist lock that is connected to and released from the container, a link mechanism that is configured by a link member connected to the twist lock, and an operating member that is installed in the link member.
The crane, wherein the head block includes a connecting portion that is connected to the operating member and transmits power to the operating member, and a drive device for operating the connecting portion.   The crane according to claim 1, wherein the crane includes at least a 20ft container spreader and a 40ft container spreader, and one of the spreaders is connected to the head block.   The crane according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a part of the link mechanism is disposed in a frame constituting the spreader. The spreader has at least four twist locks, the link mechanism has the link member connecting the plurality of twist locks, and at least one of the link members has the actuating member;
The crane according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the link mechanism is operated by power transmitted to the operating member, and the twist lock is rotated by the operation of the link mechanism. The driving device is a hydraulic or electric cylinder, the connecting portion is a rod-like body having a bent tip, and the tip of the connecting portion is inserted into an opening of the operating member;
The crane according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the expansion or contraction operation of the hydraulic or electric cylinder is transmitted to the link mechanism.

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