NL2017102B1 - Beam for a lifting construction for heavy loads, or for a pusher construction for heavy loads, or forming part of a beam of a stationary or revolver crane - Google Patents

Abstract

Beam at least comprising a first chain of mutually swivable elements, wherein the beam comprises a second chain of mutually swivable elements, wherein the elements of the first chain and second chain are correspondingly shaped and wherein the first chain and the second chain are convertable between a disengaged position in which the first chain and the second chain are separate from each other, and an engaged position in which the first chain and the second chain are in an interlocking assembly with each other.

Description

Patent center

The Netherlands

NL BI 2017102

(21) Application number: 2017102 © Application submitted: 05/07/2016

Θ 2017102

BI PATENT (51) Int. CL:

B66F 13/00 (2017.01) B66F 1/02 (2017.01)

(T) Application registered: (73) Patent holder (s): 12/01/2018 Mammoet Holding B.V. in Utrecht. (43) Application published: - (72) Inventor (s): Thomas Oscar Lambooij in Utrecht. (D) Patent granted: 12/01/2018 (74) Agent: (45) Patent issued: ir. J. van Breda et al. in Amsterdam. 29/01/2018

Beam for a lifting construction for heavy loads, or for a pusher construction for heavy loads, or forming part of a beam or a stationary or revolver crane (57) Beam at least including a first chain of mutually swivable elements, including the beam comprises a second chain of mutually swivable elements, showing the elements of the first chain and second chain are correspondingly shaped and first the first chain and the second chain are convertible between a disengaged position in which the first chain and the second chain are separate from each other, and an engaged position in which the first chain and the second chain are in an interlocking assembly with each other.

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

Beam for a lifting construction for heavy loads, or for a pusher construction for heavy loads, or forming part of a beam or a stationary or revolver crane

The invention relates primarily to a beam at least including a first chain of mutually swivable elements. The invention further relates to the combination of such a beam with supports to provide a lifting construction for heavy loads, or a pusher construction for heavy loads, or a beam or a stationary or revolver crane which is particularly suited for application with heavy loads. In all applications it is an object of the invention to restrict the required floor space for the construction.

As a basic component or any such lifting construction, pusher construction, or beam or a stationary or revolver crane, the invention proposes a beam at least including a first chain of mutually swivable elements, be the beam further comprises a second chain or mutually swivable elements , the elements of the first chain and the second chain are correspondingly shaped and the first chain and the second chain are convertible between a disengaged position in which the first chain and the second chain are separate from each other, and an engaged position in which the first chain and the second chain are in an interlocking assembly with each other.

By converting between the disengaged position and the engaged position the beam is converted between having a nonloading bearing capability and having a loadbearing capability, and this is particularly promoted by arranging that the interlocking assembly of the first chain and the second chain is rigid as opposed to the disengaged position, the chains are flexible.

The beam of the invention is suitably assembled by arranging that the elements in each chain are connected to each other in a head-to-tail arrangement of the elements, a hinge at head and tail connects adjacent elements to each other.

Preferably each element in the respective chains has a first base on which its head and tail are provided, said said first base is provided with a nose having a base parallel to and distant from the first base. This promotes easy cooperation of the first chain with the second chain. The nose can have different suitable shapes such as the shape of a triangle or the shape of a trapezium or any other suitable shape.

It is particularly preferred that the first base and the nose of each element are arranged such that any two adjacent elements of the first chain of elements define a room between the noses or said adjacent elements, said said room is capable of receiving therein a nose of an element forming part of the second chain of elements. The noses of the adjacent chains thus perform an interlocking function or the adjacent chains with respect to each other.

Particularly in the application for heavy loads it is desirable because of the implied weight of the elements that each element is provided with one or more wheels extending sideways from the chain. This assists movement of the elements over the ground.

The beam is preferably arranged with elements that are on opposite sides provided with protrusions that are arranged to cooperate with supports that can engage said protrusions.

For progressing the beam it is preferred that the supports include first supports and second supports, being in the engaged position of the first chain and the second chain, the first supports can engage inwardly projecting protrusions of the beam, and the second supports can engage outwardly projecting protrusions of the beam.

The first and second supports are preferably capable of execute several types of motions that serve different purposes and will become apparent from the following disclosure.

In a first aspect the first supports and second supports are provided with receptacles for the inwardly projecting protrusions and the outwardly projecting protrusions respectively, and that said first supports and second supports are movable to and from the beam to respectively arrange that the inwardly and outwardly projecting protrusions are received in or are removed from their corresponding receptacles. This movement is therefore intended to enable the first supports and second supports can engage or disengage from the beam.

In a second aspect the first supports and second supports are further movable with respect to each other in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the beam. This movement is intended to enable the beam can be moved or progressed by the first and second supports in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam. Preferably for this purpose the first supports and / or the second supports are cyclically movable in said direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam such that when the first supports move the second supports are stationary or vice versa.

The movements of the supports can be realized in different ways. It is preferred that for moving the first supports in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam, the first supports are connected to a hydraulic cylinder.

It is further preferred that the hydraulic cylinder is provided with an actuator that during use drives connecting arms to the first supports for moving receptacles or said first supports into or out of engagement with the inwardly projecting protrusions of the beam.

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention that is not limiting as to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1.1 shows in side view a beam according to invention; Figure 1.2 shows in isometric view the beam of fig 1.1; and Figures 2 - - 8 show a sequence of events in the coop

eration of supports working together with the beam of figures

1.1 and 1.2.

Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

Making reference first to figure 1.1 it shows a beam including a first chain 2 or mutually swivable elements 4, and a second chain 3 or mutually swivable elements 4 '. The elements 4 of the first chain 2 and the elements 4 of the second chain 3 are correspondingly shaped. The first chain 2 and the second chain 3 are convertible between a disengaged position as present in the region marked with the letter A, and an engaged position as present in the region marked with the letter B. As figure 1.1 shows in the disengaged position in region A the first chain 2 and the second chain 3 are separate from each other, whereas in the engaged position in region B the first chain 2 and the second chain 3 are in an interlocking assembly with each other. The difference between the two regions A and B is that the interlocking assembly of the first chain 2 and the second chain 3 in region B is rigid as opposed to the disengaged position of region A, the chains 2, 3 are free from each other and flexible.

Figure 1.2 shows that the elements 4, 4 'in each chain 2, 3 are connected to each other in a head 7 to tail 8 arrangement of the elements, a hinge 5 at head 7 and tail 8 or adjacent elements 4, 4 'connect these elements to each other.

Each element 4, 4 'further has a first base 6 on which its head 7 and tail 8 are provided, said said first base 6 is further provided with a nose 9 having a base 10 parallel to and distant from the first base 6. The nose 9 is shown to have a shape of a triangle, but also other suitable shapes are feasible such as for the shape of a trapezium.

As shown in figures 1.1 and 1.2 the first base 6 and the nose 9 of each element 4 are arranged such that any two adjacent elements 4 of the first chain 2 of elements 4 define a room 11 between the noses 9 or said adjacent elements 4 that is capable of receiving therein a nose 9 'or an element 4' forming part of the second chain 3 or elements 4 '. The same applies with respect to the room 11 'between the noses 9' or adjacent elements 4 'or the third chain 3. In this room 11' the nose 9 or an element 4 or the first chain 2 can be received. The rooms 11, 11 'provide in this exemplary embodiment a manner of how the interlocking arrangement of the first chain 2 with the second chain 3 as shown in region B or figures 1.1 and 1.2 can be achieved.

It is further noted that preferably each element 4,

4 'is provided with one or more wheels 12 extending sideways from the concerning chain 2, 3. These wheels 12 assist in displacement of the chains 2, 3 over the ground.

Hereinafter with reference to figures 2-8 the use of the beamforming chains 2, 3 will be discussed. It is shown that each element 4, 4 'is on opposite sides provided with protrusions 13, 14. These protrusions 13, 14 are arranged to cooperate with supports 15, 16 that can engage said protrusions 13, 14.

With first particular reference to figure 2 it shows that the supports 15, 16 include first supports 15 and second supports 16, being in the engaged position (region B) or the first chain 2 and the second chain 3, the first supports 15 can engage the inwardly projecting protrusions 13 of the beam

1, and the second supports 16 can engage the outwardly projecting protrusions 14 of the beam 1. For that purpose the first supports 15 are provided with receptacles 17 for receiving therein the inwardly projecting protrusions 13, and the second supports 16 are provided with receptacles 18 for receiving therein the outwardly projecting protrusions 14. The first supports 15 and the second supports 16 are to that end movable to and from the beam 1 to respectively arrange the inwardly and outwardly projecting protrusions 13, 14 respectively can be received in or can be removed from their corresponding receptacles 17, 18.

In figure 2 the first supports 15 are moved away from the chains 2, 3 of the beam 1 to disengage the first supports from the inwardly projected protrusions 13. The second supports 16 are however shown to be moved towards the chains

2, 3 of the beam 1 to engage the outwardly projecting protrusions 14 and to receive these protrusions 14 in the receptacles 18 of the second supports 16.

It is further noted that for clarity purposes it is not shown that the first supports 15 and the second supports are notwithstanding their movability mounted to the fixed world so to enable the supports 15, 16 can bear the weight of the beam 1, and in addition thereto bear the weight of a payload that may be mounted to or connected to the beam

1.

The combination of the supports 15, 16 and the beam 1 is further arranged that the first supports 15 and second supports 16 are not only movable to and fro the beam 1, but also movable with respect to each other in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the beam 1. By this arrangement it is possible for the aforementioned discussed combination of supports 15, 16 working together with the inwardly and outwardly extending protrusions 13, 14 of the chains, to let the rigid part of the beam 1 in region B grow at the expense of the nonrigid part in region A the chains 2, 3 are still disengaged. Likewise it is also possible to let the nonrigid part in region A grow at the expense of the rigid part in region B. To realize this transfer or conversion between the rigid and nonrigid part of the chains 2, 3 it is preferred that the first supports 15 and / or the second supports 16 are cyclically movable in said direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam 1 such that when the first supports 15 are movable the second supports 16 are stationary or vice versa. In the shown embodiment the first supports 15 are movable in the longitudinal direction of the beam 1, whereas the second supports 16 are stationary in the longitudinal direction of the beam, notwithstanding its capability to move to and from the beam 1.

Figure 3 shows a situation following the situation shown in figure 2, the first supports 15 are driven into engagement with the inwardly projecting protrusions 13.

It shows amongst others that the first supports 15 are connected to a hydraulic cylinder 19, the function of which will become apparent hereinafter. The hydraulic cylinder 19 is provided with an actuator 20 that during use drives arms 21 connecting to the first supports 15 for moving the receptacles 17 of said first supports 15 into engagement with the inwardly projecting protrusions 13 of the beam 1. By a reverse operation of the actuator 20, the receptacles 17 can of course also be disengaged from the inwardly projecting protrusions 13 of the beam 1. After the first supports 15 having reached the engaged position with the inwardly projecting protrusions 13 of the chains 2, 3, the beam 1 is supported by both the first supports 15 and the second supports 16.

After the first supports 15 support the beam 1, figure 4 shows that thereafter the second support 16 can be disengaged from the outwardly projected protrusions 14, and the beam 1 is then only supported by the first supports 15. Having reached this situation the earlier mentioned hydraulic cylinder 19 can become operational to move the first supports 15 and the beam 1 supported by said supports 15 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the beam 1, which movement is clear by comparing figure 4 with figure 5, with the first supports 15 and correspondingly the beam 1 have moved relatively to the stationary second supports 16.

Figure 6 shows that the second supports 16, in particular the receptacles 18, are subsequent to the excursion of the first supports 15 to the position depicted in Figure 5, moved into engagement with the outwardly projected protrusions 14 resulting again in a combined support of the beam 1 by both the first supports 15 and the second supports 16. The restored support of the beam 1 by the second supports 16 allows then that the receptacles 17 of the first supports 15 are moved into disengagement with the inwardly projecting protrusions 13 or the chains 2, 3, the result of which is shown in figure 7. Thereafter the first supports 15 can be moved back to their original position as shown in figure 8 which is the starting position of the cyclical movement of the said supports 15 , 16 as depicted in figure 2. The cyclical movement of the first supports 15 and the second support 16 can be repeated as many times as required to move the beam 1 in a desired direction or be epeated in reverse order to reverse the movement of the beam 1 with respect to the supports 15, 16.

There are numerous applications feasible for the construction according to the invention. Without intent to be limiting in any way, it is foreseen that the combination as disclosed can can be advantageously embodied as (a part of) a lifting construction for heavy loads, or a pusher construction for heavy loads, or is embodied as a beam or a stationary or revolver crane.

Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the inventory. The discussed example is therefore not used to construct the appended claims strictly in accordance with therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the becoming of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be constructed in accordance with the appended claims only, where possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

Claims (14)

CONCLUSIONS A beam (1) comprising at least a first chain (2) of mutually pivotable elements (4), characterized in that the beam (1) has a second chain (3) of mutually pivotable elements (4 '), the elements (4, 4 ') of the first chain (2) and second chain (3) are correspondingly shaped and wherein the first chain (2) and the second chain (3) are convertible between a disconnected position in which the first chain ( 2) and the second chain (3) are separate from each other, and a coupled position in which the first chain (2) and the second chain (3) form a closed assembly with each other. Beam according to claim 1, characterized in that the closed assembly of the first chain (2) and the second chain (3) is rigid with respect to a disconnected position in which the chains (2, 3) are flexible. Beam according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the elements (4, 4 ') in each chain (2, 3) are connected to each other in a head (7) on the tail (8) arrangement of the elements ( 4, 4 '), wherein a hinge (5) at the head (7) and tail (8) connects adjacent elements (4, 4') to each other. Beam according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that each element (4, 4 ') has a first base (6) on which the head (7) and tail (8) are provided, said first base (6) is provided with a nose (9, 9 ') with a base (10) parallel to and spaced from the first base (6). Beam according to claim 4, characterized in that the first base (6) and the nose (9) of each element (4, 4 ') are arranged such that every two adjacent elements (4) of the first chain (2) of elements define a space (11) between the noses (9) of said adjacent elements (4) that is able to have therein a nose (9 ') of an element (4') that forms part of the second chain (3) of elements. Beam according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each element (4, 4 ') is provided with one or more wheels (12) protruding sideways from the chain (2, 3). Beam according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that each element (4, 4 ') is provided on opposite sides with protrusions (13, 14) which are adapted to cooperate with supports (15, 16) ) which may come into contact with said protrusions (13, 14). A combination of supports (15, 16) with a beam (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the supports (15, 16) have first supports (15) and second supports (16), wherein in the coupled position of the first chain (2) and the second chain (3), the first supports (15) are able to operate inwardly projecting protrusions (13) of the beam (1), and that the second supports (16) are extending outwardly projecting protrusions (14) of the beam (1). A combination according to claim 8, characterized in that the first supports (15) and second supports (16) are provided with receiving members (17, 18) for the inwardly projecting projections (13) and the outwardly projecting projections (14) ), and that said first supports (15) and second supports (16) are movable towards and away from the beam (1) to respectively cause the inwardly and outwardly projecting protrusions (13, 14) to be received in or removed from their corresponding recording members (17, 18). Combination according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the first supports (15) and second supports (16) are further movable relative to each other in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the beam (1). A combination according to claim 10, characterized in that the first supports (15) and / or the second supports (16) are cyclically movable in said direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam (1) such that when the first supports (15) are movable, the second supports (16) are stationary and vice versa. A combination according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the first supports (15) are connected to a hydraulic cylinder (19). A combination according to claim 12, characterized in that the hydraulic cylinder (19) is provided with an actuator (20) which in use drives arms (21) which are connected to the first supports (15) for moving receiving members (17) of said first supports (15) in or out of cooperating contact with inwardly projecting projections (13) of the beam (1). 14. Combination as claimed in any of the foregoing claims 8-13, characterized in that the combination is designed or 10 is part of a lift construction for heavy loads, a push construction for heavy loads, or is equipped as a beam of a turning crane or stationary crane. 1/8 FIG 1.1 2/8 a