WO2001087762A1

WO2001087762A1 - Method for correcting the condition of a load carrier

Info

Publication number: WO2001087762A1
Application number: PCT/EP2001/005528
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dieter Bauer; Klaus HÖSLER; Hans TAX (deceased)
Original assignee: Tax Technical Consultancy Gmbh; TAX, Barbara
Priority date: 2000-05-15
Filing date: 2001-05-15
Publication date: 2001-11-22
Also published as: DE10023756A1; AU6596601A

Abstract

The invention relates to a load carrier (34) that is hung on a horizontally movable hoisting rope carrier (22) so as to be adjustable in height via a hoisting rope system (32). In order for the condition of the load carrier (34) to be corrected in accordance with a deviation of its actual condition vis-à-vis a desired condition, a unit (56) associated with the hoisting rope carrier (22) is horizontally adjusted relative to the hoisting rope carrier (22) in order to influence the course of a rope element (50') of the hoisting rope system (32) that extends between the hoisting rope carrier (22) and the load carrier (34). To this end, a1), starting from an initial position of the rope course influencing unit (56), the latter is first adjusted, for a first interval, by a first correction distance in a first direction, corresponding to a desired correction, a2) the rope course influencing unit (56) is adjusted, for a second interval, by a second correction distance in a second direction, opposite the first direction, with respect to the required end position that is required to obtain the desired correction, once the actual condition of the load carrier (34) approaches the desired condition, and a3) once the desired condition of the load carrier (34) reaches the desired condition, the rope course influencing unit (56) is transferred to its end position that corresponds to the desired condition of the load carrier (34).

Description

Procedure for correcting the condition of a load carrier

description

The invention relates to a method for correcting the state of a load carrier, which is suspended in a height-adjustable manner on a substantially horizontally movable hoist rope carrier via a hoist rope system, the correction of the state of the load carrier being dependent on a deviation of the actual state of the load carrier from its intended Condition is carried out in that a unit arranged on or near the hoist cable carrier for influencing the course of at least one cable element of the hoist cable system running between the hoist cable carrier and the load carrier is adjusted essentially horizontally relative to the hoist cable carrier.

Such methods are used in particular when containers for the transport of cargo on ships or railways or trucks have to be transported from a starting point to a destination and have to assume a certain position at the destination. If here from a certain position, e.g. an actual position or a target position, it can mean

the location of a point of the respective container, the angular position of the respective container about a vertical axis and both the location of a point, i.e. about the center, of this container and the angular position of the container about a vertical axis, for example the vertical axis of the container, which is determined by the geometric The center runs. The same naturally also applies when the position of the load carrier is mentioned.

When determining the state of the load carrier or container during the transport from the point of departure to the destination, the speed of the point of the container or load carrier under consideration may also have to be taken into account.

Especially when loading ships with containers, the problem arises of moving the containers from the respective starting point to the respective target position on the ship at a high transfer speed. The target position can be a specific parking space on the deck of a ship or the entrance of a container shaft into which the respective container is to be lowered. The high conversion speeds are necessary due to economic considerations: the dwell times of a ship in a port facility cost expensive fees. The faster a ship can be loaded and unloaded, the shorter the necessary dwell times of the respective ship. It is therefore essential that the containers are not only moved at high transport speeds from the point of origin to the destination, it is rather of crucial importance that the container can be positioned exactly in the shortest possible time in the final approach phase. It should be borne in mind that the containers on the deck of a ship must be set up in precisely specified locations according to their location and orientation. It is equally understandable that the containers intended for storage in the container receiving shafts of a ship must reach the entrance of the respective container receiving shaft in precise geometric coverage. This means that the actual position of the container, represented by the actual position of the geometric center of the container when it reaches the entrance of the container shaft, must be aligned exactly with the center of the cross-sectional area of the container shaft entrance in the vertical direction, and that the actual cell position of the container outline around its vertical axis must exactly match the angular position of the outline of the container shaft entrance. Only if these correspondences are guaranteed can the respective container be moved to its target position at high speed. Only if these correspondences are met, for example, can a container be lowered at a high lowering speed through the entrance of the container shaft to its respective location within the container shaft.

The lowering paths that a container has to go through when loading a ship are very large, for example in the order of up to 50 m. These large descending paths are given on the one hand by the considerable height of the container receiving shafts, on the other hand and in particular also by the great height of the superstructures of ships with which the containers and in particular the crane structures on which the load carriers carry out their transport movements do not collide allowed to. One has to imagine that such crane constructions generally have a tower-like crane undercarriage which can be moved along a quai edge and that a bridge girder is arranged on this tower-like crane undercarriage which runs essentially orthogonally to the quai edge. In order to be able to serve the container positions on the deck of the respective ship or in container receiving shafts within the respective ship, which are distributed over the entire horizontal cross-sectional area of the ship, it is necessary to move the tower-like crane undercarriage with the bridge girder in the longitudinal direction of the quay, so that the bridge girder can be set via the container positions of the ship to be operated and the load girders can be lowered to the respective positions. So that the tower-like crane undercarriage can now be moved in the longitudinal direction of the ship fixed to the quay edge, it is necessary that the height of the bridge girder on the tower-like crane undercarriage lies above the upper end of the highest ship superstructures. This leads to the large descending paths with the respective container coupled load carrier. Since the load carriers are each suspended on the lifting cable carriers that can be moved on the bridge girder via a length-adjustable lifting cable system, vibrations of the load carrier and the container coupled to it must be expected. These vibrations result not only from the movements of the hoist rope carrier along the bridge girder, in particular from the start-up and braking accelerations of the hoist rope carrier movable along the bridge girder, but also from other influences, such as wind influences. Any movements of the tower-like crane undercarriage in the longitudinal direction of the quai edge can also lead to vibrations of the load carrier hanging on the hoist cable carrier via the hoist cable system.

Numerous proposals have already been made to enable loads and in particular containers to be set down in the appropriate positions, for example on a ship. In particular, attempts have been made to determine the course of movement of a hoist rope girder, for example a trolley, along the bridge girder of a crane, taking into account the target position and external influences, e.g. Wind influence, so that the vibrations of the lift. rope system hanging load carrier have come to a standstill when the load carrier enters the vertical escape position to the respective target position and the load carrier with or without container can then be lowered without substantial correction of its lateral position and orientation on the stand.

EP-A-0 759 006 has dealt with the problem that it is impossible to subject load carriers hanging on a long hoist system with and without load to the direct application of corrective forces, and that it has therefore hitherto had to rely on position correction using a hoist system to bring about a horizontally displaceable lifting rope carrier hanging load carrier by movements of the lifting rope carrier, for example a trolley along a bridge girder. To do this had to the large mass of the hoist rope carrier can be set in motion by its transport drive. It has proven to be extremely difficult to move this large mass so sensitively that the desired position correction has been achieved. The problem with ship loading is even greater when a position correction in the quai longitudinal direction has to be carried out, because then the total mass of the crane system including the tower-like crane chassis, the bridge girder, the trolley, the load carrier and the load due to the transport drive of the crane chassis in Movement must be set.

Even if the possibility of an approximate target correction of the respective load carrier with the help of the transport drives of the trolley and / or the tower-like crane undercarriage was achieved by means of correspondingly powerful drives, this was only possible by accepting violent accelerations in the implementation of corrective movements of the trolley designed as a trolley Hoist cable carrier and the tower-like crane undercarriage. Since, as a rule, an operator is always present on the trolley in order to monitor and possibly influence the reloading processes, this operator has so far been exposed to these violent accelerations to an extent that is above the tolerance limit and in particular above the official level prescribed limits.

To solve these problems, EP-A-0 759 006 proposed that a time-dependent, variable correction force on the load carrier, which is required for target path correction, is determined in each case in accordance with a target error detection that takes into account the respective movement state of the load carrier, to generate the correction force curve thus calculated, the travel path curve the soap flow influencing unit acting on the rope element is determined and this travel path curve is transmitted to the rope course influencing unit by a force device. From GB-A-1 557 640 it is known, in a crane system for loading ships by means of a trolley and a spreader hanging from the trolley over ropes, to suspend the rope sections near the trolley from the trolley via an intermediate girder which is opposite to the other Trolley is capable of creeping. With the help of this creeping movement, a correction of the position of the container which has essentially come to a standstill is to be made possible after the spreader approaches its destination at a point in time when physical contact of the spreader or container with the destination, namely an underlying container via contact plates, is possible by this spreader or container hanging on the intermediate carrier is adjusted by a creeping movement of the intermediate carrier relative to the trolley up to a stop, whereupon the creeping movement is ended by a limit switch in the stop region.

In contrast to the static or quasi-static mode of operation of GB-A-1 557 640 or its corresponding US Pat. No. 1,772,685, in which a target correction is carried out at the end of the target path by a creeping movement of the intermediate carrier, this is based on the EP-A -0 759 006 proposed method of working on the idea of generating a dynamic corrective force already during the approach to the target by shifting the rope and dimensioning this corrective force in accordance with the target error detection so that it overlaps with the state of motion of the load carrier to correct the remaining target proximity - Approach is suitable in terms of achieving goals. It is up to you to determine the displacement movement of the respective cable element as a function of time, in order to achieve the correct course of the force making the correction.

In the method according to EP-A-0 759 006, the trolley as a whole does not need to be subjected to a movement to carry out the target correction, and in particular not the entire crane system consisting of tower-like crane undercarriage and bridge girder to be subjected to a target correction movement, but rather only one or more cable elements running between the hoist cable carrier, for example trolley and load carrier. It has been shown that the actuating forces required to displace one or more hoisting rope elements are relatively small compared to the correction forces that would have to be applied to the trolley or the tower-shaped crane undercarriage. The drive power to be installed to carry out corrective movements can therefore be reduced. The drive powers which are necessary for displacing an upper end of a rope element running between the lifting rope carrier and the load carrier have proven to be relatively insignificant. Of course, in order to change the upper end of a cable element running between the lifting cable carrier and the load carrier, it is necessary to move a cable path influencing element which engages the respective lifting cable element and must be moved in the horizontal direction relative to the auxiliary cable carrier, that is to say the trolley, in order to make a change of the cable way. However, it has been shown that the masses of such cable path influencing elements can be kept relatively low and thus also the drive powers of the movement means which have to be installed in order to move such cable path influencing elements.

From FR-A-2 1 24 940 a transport system is known in which a container-carrying spreader is suspended from a trolley traveling on a horizontal bridge as a hoist rope support by means of a hoist rope system. In addition to the hoisting rope system, a position correction rope is attached to the trolley. This position correction rope runs over deflection rollers which are arranged in the direction of the trolley outside the trolley area. The position correction cable runs from these deflection pulleys with a strong inclination towards the vertical to the furthest ends of the spreader. The position correction cable is always kept under tension by a motor that can withstand permanent loads. The two deflection rollers are to move together in relation to the trolley in the direction of travel of the trolley connected to each other and can be moved together by a sliding drive. The displacement drive is controlled by a control unit, which in turn receives its control commands from force sensors. These force sensors determine the forces exerted on the deflection rollers by the respectively deflected sections of the position correction cable. In this way, for example, the extension of a deflecting rope section, which results from an increased wind force on the container, can be compensated for.

Furthermore, it is known from a whole series of documents to monitor the target position of the container to be set down in each case by means of a detection device arranged on the load carrier and to make corrections to the lateral position and possibly also the orientation of the container to be lowered in such a way that the container is very precise Target position reached. For this purpose, reference is made to EP-A-0 342 655, its corresponding US Pat. Nos. 5,048,703 and 5, 1 52,408, as well as US Pat. No. 4,753,357 and US Pat. No. 4,281,342.

In contrast, the invention has for its object to provide a method of the type mentioned, which enables an even faster and more effective correction of the condition of the load carrier.

This object is achieved by a generic method in which one

a 1) starting from an initial position of the rope course influencing unit, this initially adjusts it in a first direction corresponding to the desired correction for a first period of time by a first correction distance, a2) the rope course influencing unit when the actual state of the load carrier approaches its target state with regard to their end position required to achieve the desired correction adjusted in a second direction opposite to the first direction by a second correction distance for a second period of time, and a3) when the target state of the load carrier is reached, the rope course influencing unit is transferred into its end position corresponding to the target state of the load carrier.

The peculiarities of this mode of operation are to be explained in more detail below with reference to a mere location correction of the load carrier, as may be necessary, for example, due to a rolling movement of the ship lying in the water body of the harbor basin. For the sake of simpler discussion, the simplest case is assumed, in which the load carrier is suspended from a single cable element, one end of the cable element being connected to the load carrier and the other end of the cable element being connected to the cable run influencing unit. On the other hand, it is assumed that the load carrier is at rest in the horizontal direction at least in the horizontal direction, i.e. moves at the same horizontal speed as this.

If the horizontal position of the load carrier is to be corrected in a certain direction by a certain distance, for example 5 cm, then according to the method according to the invention the rope course influencing device is not only adjusted by this 5 cm in this predetermined direction, as is the case with the quasi-static "inching" known from US Pat. No. 1,772,685 and EP-A-0 342 655 is the case, but by a far greater correction distance. This correction distance can be chosen from, preferably essentially completely, utilizing the available adjustment path of the rope course influencing unit. This adjustment path can be up to about 1 m.

This adjustment leads to a course of the rope element or rope section of the hoisting rope system arranged between the rope course influencing unit and the load carrier that is inclined relative to the vertical. As a result the inclination of the rope course, an acceleration is exerted on the load carrier in the horizontal direction, which is independent of the mass of the load carrier and the load possibly carried by it and corresponds to a fraction of the gravitational acceleration dependent on the angle of inclination of the rope element. With a length of the rope element of 25 m, an adjustment of the rope course influencing unit by 25 cm leads to a correction acceleration of 0.01 g exerted on the load carrier in the horizontal direction.

As a result of this correction acceleration, the load carrier moves to the desired horizontal position. It is accelerated in the direction of this target location as long as the cable element has an inclined course. Since the angle of inclination of the cable element and thus also the acceleration exerted on the load carrier can change as a function of time, the resulting change in speed of the load carrier is calculated as the integral of the time-dependent horizontal acceleration over the period of time during which this horizontal acceleration acts on the load carrier.

So that the load carrier rests relative to the hoist cable carrier at the end of the correction movement, it must therefore be braked again before it approaches the desired target position. For this purpose, the cable course influencing unit is adjusted for a second period of time in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, so that there is also an opposite inclination of the cable element and thus an acceleration which delays the movement of the load carrier. Care must be taken to ensure that the amount of speed change achieved during the deceleration phase is the same as the amount of speed change achieved during the acceleration phase. This can be ensured in a simple manner by choosing the second correction distance equal to the first correction distance and the second time period equal to the first time period. When the desired target location is reached, the rope course influencing unit then only needs to be transferred to a position corresponding to this target location.

With all of the above-mentioned adjustment movements of the rope control unit, it should of course be noted that despite the fact that the rope course influencing unit has a considerably smaller mass than the entire hoist rope carrier, it cannot be adjusted infinitely quickly, but rather that an adjustment over the entire adjustment path of about 1 m takes a time on the order of about 0.1 sec.

Such a correction, carried out using the method according to the invention, of the horizontal position of the load carrier can be referred to as "dynamic inching" based on the quasi-stationary working methods, for example according to US Pat. No. 4,172,685.

The difference from the method known from EP-A-0 759 006 is as follows:

EP-A-0 759 006 increases and decreases the force to be exerted on the load carrier in order to correct a detected deviation of the actual state of the load carrier from its target state as the load carrier approaches a target position such that when it is reached the correction of the target height of the load carrier is complete, ie the actual state of the load carrier matches its target state, that is to say its target state. However, the correction force is always aimed at reducing the deviation between the actual state and the target state. In contrast to this, according to the invention, a force "exaggerating", accelerating the load carrier is exerted on the load carrier at the beginning of the correction movement, the effect of which is then counteracted by one of the initial force in the final stage of the correction movement directed braking force is compensated again. This procedure allows the deviation between the actual state of the load carrier and its target state to be compensated for much more quickly than was the case with the conventional methods.

It must also be added that if the load carrier is suspended from the hoist cable carrier by means of a rope, which, starting from an end firmly connected to the hoist cable carrier, rotates around a deflection roller arranged on the load carrier and is connected at its other end to the rope course influencing unit arranged on the hoist cable carrier , for a correction of the position of the load carrier by a distance x an adjustment of the rope course influencing unit by the distance 2x is required. The same applies to other types of suspension of the load carrier on the hoist cable carrier.

It should also be added that in that the first correction distance and the second correction distance are not the same, or / and in that the first period and the second period are not the same length, in addition to the correction of the position of the load carrier at the same time can still correct the horizontal speed of the load carrier.

Although this will be explained in more detail below, it should already be pointed out at this point with reference to the disclosure of EP-A-0 759 006,

that the cable run influencing unit can be designed in such a way that it enables a correction of the state of the load carrier in all horizontal spatial directions (due to the fact that the cable run influencing unit has a lower mass than the hoist cable carrier, it can already be parallel to the direction of movement of the hoist cable carrier If necessary corrections achieve considerable time advantages, this applies all the more to across them Corrections required in the direction of movement, until now the entire crane bridge had to be moved along the quay to carry them out.);

- That a correction of the angular position and / or the angular velocity of the load carrier is possible by superimposed adjustment of two rope course influencing units;

that the required overall correction can be carried out as a series or superimposition of a plurality of partial corrections;

that the correction can be carried out in a control process which is capable of making possible changes in the actual state of the load carrier, for example as a result of wind influences on the load carrier, and / or in the target state of the load carrier, for example as a result of a rolling movement of the ship, to be taken into account when performing a correction movement that has already been initiated;

- That the correction is only carried out in a final approximation phase of the load carrier to its target state, but preferably already when a target field observation device detects the first sections of the target field.

Further developments of the method according to the invention result from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the initiation of a correction of the state of the load carrier is always preceded by the detection of a deviation of the actual state of the load carrier from a target state of the load carrier corresponding to a desired approach movement (target error detection). Furthermore, corrections of the horizontal location as well as correction tures of the horizontal speed and corrections of the angular position as well as corrections of the angular speed of the load carrier on a return of the load carrier to the desired target approach path (target path correction).

The method according to the invention can be further developed such that the displacement of the at least one. Rope elements can be made in different directions according to the target error detection. This means that regardless of the direction of the target path deviation of a falling load, the target path can be corrected.

If one speaks of a rope element here, this can mean that only a single rope runs downward, for example from a rope drum of the hoist rope carrier to the load carrier. However, the rope element is also a piece of rope that runs, for example, within a pulley block between deflecting rollers of the hoist rope carrier and deflecting rollers of the load carrier. A pulley thus comprises several rope elements in the terminology provided here.

If this is referred to as target error detection, then in particular target error detection should be covered by optical and electronic observation means; However, all other known types of observation means are also conceivable and it is in particular also possible for an operator positioned approximately on the trolley, that is to say the hoist cable carrier, to monitor and evaluate the target error with the eye and, in accordance with his evaluation, the displacement of the respective cable element relative to that Carrier cable carrier.

Another significant advantage of the method according to the invention is as follows: While the greatest difficulties with corrective movements of a tower-like crane undercarriage, the drive power for necessary corrective accelerations via the conventional rail wheels of To transfer crane undercarriage and often have to experience slipping of the rail wheels when appropriate drive powers are introduced, the drive powers can be positively transferred to these rope path influencing elements, for example by gear drives, in the method according to the invention to move the rope path influencing elements to be moved relative to the rope cable carrier (trolley) or also by hydraulic power equipment, so that there is no fear of "slipping".

The accelerations used previously to correct the cable travel of lifting cable carriers designed as trolleys relative to the respective bridge girder of a crane system have reached their limits, at least when the respective trolley was moved along the bridge girder by electric drive motors mounted on it, because even then between the running wheels the trolley and the tracks of the bridge girders were seen to slip. This problem is also avoided by the solution according to the invention.

With the method according to the invention, it is in particular possible to bring about translational horizontal target travel corrections of the load carrier by the displacement of the at least one cable element. In addition, it is also possible that rotational displacement corrections of the load carrier about a vertical axis assigned to it are brought about by the displacement of the at least one cable element. This means that the load carrier can also be oriented around a vertical axis, for example the vertical axis passing through its geometric center. It is possible that several rope elements are moved one after the other or simultaneously. By simultaneously displacing several rope elements, the correction forces to be generated on the load carrier can be increased. By moving several rope elements one after the other, you can make a gradual target correction; then you still have a cork Rectal reserve if it turns out that the displacement of a rope element has not yet led to a sufficient correction of the target path.

In particular, it is possible that the superimposition of a cable element is brought about by the superimposition of individual partial displacements. Partial displacement should mean, for example, that a cable element is displaced with respect to the hoist cable carrier both in the longitudinal direction of the container (first partial displacement) and in the transverse direction of the container (second partial displacement). In this way, a target path correction in different directions can be carried out simultaneously or in succession.

A particularly important aspect of the method according to the invention is that only relatively small masses have to be moved in order to correct the target path, small in relation to the total mass of the hoist rope carrier. As already mentioned, the rope course influencing units used for influencing the rope path can be kept relatively low in mass. In relation to the total mass of a hoist rope carrier designed as a trolley, the mass of the rope course influencing unit to be moved to influence the rope path is generally less than 30%, preferably less than 20%, most preferably less than 10% of the total weight of the rope rope carrier, even if for influencing a corresponding plurality of rope course influencing units is provided for the rope route.

The method according to the invention can in principle be used if the load carrier hangs on the lifting cable carrier via a single cable. This situation can arise, for example, when sacks or round baskets are to be loaded, the angular position of which around the respective vertical axis is irrelevant for the loading process. When loading cuboid containers, as they are often used in shipping, you have to pay attention to the orientation of the containers around the vertical axis. Then you will hang these containers on two spaced apart rope elements or groups of rope elements (a group of rope elements can be formed by a pulley, for example). Furthermore, load carriers for containers can be suspended from four cable elements or groups of such cable elements, which are arranged, for example, in the corners of a horizontal rectangle.

When using two rope elements or rope element groups within the hoisting rope system, these can be shifted in the same direction in the direction of their horizontal connecting line or in directions crossing the connecting line parallel to one another. In the first case, for example, a corrective movement of the container is obtained in the direction of its horizontal longitudinal axis. If the displacement takes place in a direction crossing the connecting line, a corrective movement of the container is obtained in the direction of its transverse axis. In addition, displacements of the rope elements in different directions are possible in order to simultaneously effect displacements in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the respective container in accordance with the respective correction requirement.

When using two rope elements or rope element groups within the hoisting rope system, it is also possible to apply a correction torque to the load carrier, for example by moving the upper ends of these rope elements or rope element groups in anti-parallel directions with respect to the hoisting rope carrier, which connects the connecting line of the two rope elements or Cross groups of rope elements.

When using four rope elements or rope element groups, which are arranged in the corners of a horizontal rectangle, the rope elements or rope element groups can be parallel to each other in the same direction be shifted if you want to bring about a translational target path correction. Furthermore, in this case it is also possible to carry out a rotational, ie an orientation correction, by displacing at least two rope elements or groups of rope elements opposite one another along a diagonal of the rectangle in an antiparallel manner in the diagonally crossing direction with respect to the hoisting rope carrier. In addition, with a correspondingly sophisticated design of the control system, it is also possible to achieve translatory corrections and orientation corrections at the same time by appropriately dimensioning the changes in the course of the rope for individual rope elements.

If, in the method according to the invention, the load carrier is approached to a target field extended in a horizontal plane by an approach movement which is composed of a horizontal approach movement and a vertical approach movement superimposed on this horizontal approach movement, it is possible that target field observation is initiated before the load carrier is on the train its approach movement overlaps with the target field and that the further approach movement is corrected from now on in accordance with the target field observation.

This measure ensures that an extended period of time is available for the target path correction towards the end of the approach movement, namely the remaining time which the load carrier needs to overlap with the target field. The point in time or the place at which the target path observation controlled by target field observation can start depends on the field area which can be detected by the target field observation means in each case.

A particularly interesting further development of the method of target path correction considered here is that the correction of the approach movement in accordance with the target field observation is already one Point in time is initiated at which the target field observation only captures a portion of the target field that can be reached by the load carrier in advance in the course of the approach movement. It is then possible that characteristic features of this partial area, which indicate that the partial area belongs to the target field, can be recorded by the target field observation which detects the previously reachable partial area of the target field. In particular, it is possible for the target field observation to detect edge structures of a previously reached partial area of the target field, which are spaced apart transversely to the direction of the horizontal approach movement. Since at this point in time the singularities detected by the target field observation in the total area containing the target field have not yet been clearly identified as belonging to the targeted target field, various verification measures can be taken. It is in particular possible that the extent of the previously reached partial area of the target field transverse to the direction of the horizontal approach movement is detected by the target field observation. If the extent determined in this way then corresponds to the known distance between two edge structures, then there is a further indication that the singularities that have been recorded once are characteristic singularities of the targeted target field. Another verification option is that the target field observation recognizes symmetry features of the target field. One takes advantage of the fact that there is generally a symmetry with regard to two mutually orthogonal horizontal axes of the container and thus also the associated stands, particularly in the case of containers and, accordingly, container stands.

It is also possible that the result of the target field observation of the previously reached partial area of the target field is verified in the course of the further movement of the load carrier towards the target field in accordance with the observation of a partial area of the target field which is later reached in the course of the further approach movement. A particularly reliable verification results when the result of the target field Observation of the previously reached partial area of the target field is verified as the load carrier moves closer to the target field in accordance with the observation of the entire target field.

In summary, it can be said that despite the relatively large possibilities of error due to the presence of numerous singularities in a larger field containing the targeted target field in the course of the further approach of the load carrier to the initially assumed target field in spite of the relatively large possibility of errors in the method according to the invention at the start of target field detection Verification options are available so that the target path correction is very reliable.

The opto-electronic observation systems that can be used in practice with regard to their price and their resolving power are limited in terms of their size of the image field. It is therefore considered that the target field observation is carried out by means of at least one elementary observation device which is attached to the load carrier and which can only observe one surface element of the target field at a given time and targets different surface elements of the target field in succession. As already indicated above with reference to laser beam observation means, the captured image field can be enlarged by moving the at least one elementary observation device relative to the load carrier in order to target different surface elements of the target field in succession, and in particular in such a way that the at least one Elemental observation device is moved successively along parallel search tracks. Especially then one speaks of a 'scanning'.

While it was previously assumed that when using an elementary observation device, ie an observation device which statically comprises only a very small picture element, movement of the elementary observation device relative to its carrier, ie in the example of the load carrier, the possibility has now been recognized that the targeting of various surface elements of the target field by the elementary observation device is carried out in chronological succession by the horizontal approach movement of the load carrier to the target field. It is also possible that the targeting of various surface elements of the target field is carried out by the elementary observation device in chronological succession by oscillating movements of the load carrier. It can be assumed that the load carrier is always subject to vibrations in the course of approaching the target until immediately before vertical overlap with the targeted target field. However, it can also be considered to intentionally excite such vibrations of the load carrier, which can be used to scan the larger image field by an elementary observation device, possibly with a certain and known frequency, in order in this way to simulate conventional scanning.

The target field observation can also be carried out by means of a bundle of target field observation elements which are arranged, for example, distributed over an area on the load carrier and can be arranged immovably on the load carrier. The size of the section of the observed total field that can be detected at any moment can then be determined by the number and distribution of the target field observation elements, which in turn are elementary observation devices and are therefore suitable for observing only a small image field element individually.

In order to reduce the costs of the observation device on the basis of time-of-flight measurements by means of laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations, it is possible that the target field observation is carried out by means of a laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combination, the laser beam source of which emits a laser beam in the direction of a plurality of deflecting mirrors arranged one behind the other, which successively can be switched from permeability to reflectivity. You then get by with a greatly reduced number of laser beam transmitters and laser beam receivers.

In particular in the case of target field observation by means of a search camera, it is also possible that after discovery of at least one feature suspected of belonging to the target field in an overall field containing the target field, the detection area of the target field observation is reduced by the target field observation and the resolving power of the target field observation is correspondingly improved. It can be ensured in a known manner that, while the detection area of the target field observation is being reduced, the detected feature remains within the decreasing detection area of the target field observation.

It is possible for the approach movement to be corrected by applying a correction force to the load carrier. In particular, there is the possibility that the correction of the approach movement is initiated by the fact that the course of at least one rope element of the hoist rope system running between the hoist rope carrier and the load carrier is shifted substantially horizontally in a region close to the hoist rope carrier relative to the hoist rope carrier.

Of course, the various possibilities are of interest not only in the event that the approach movement takes place in the direction of a horizontal movement path leading the load carrier. Rather, it is also possible that when the horizontal approach movement is carried out, the further approach movement in the direction of both movement paths is corrected by moving the hoisting cable carrier along two movement paths which are inclined, in particular at right angles, in a horizontal plane. Structural characteristics of a target field can be recorded by target field observation. Such structural features can be formed in the case of a target field defined by a shaft entrance or exit, for example from the corners of the shaft entrance or exit. If it is important to set down or register a container on land, it is also conceivable to identify characteristic features of the respective target field on the storage area on land by color differentiation. Color differentiation should of course also capture a differentiation in black and white. If you want to place a container on an already deposited container on land or on the deck of a ship, the corner fittings of the container that has already been set down can serve as characteristic singularities of the target field. These fittings are generally provided with keyhole-like slots, which are accessible for time-of-flight measurement by means of laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations. The spacing of these fittings is determined by the container size. One can therefore store these distances as electrical comparison values in the data processing and then, from case to case, electronically measure the distance between two singularities recorded at the same time and compare them with the stored dimension. If equality is established, this is a verification that the two singularities, which were initially only identified on suspicion, correspond to the corner fittings of a container on which another container is to be placed in vertical alignment.

The accompanying figures explain the invention on the basis of exemplary embodiments;

Figure 1 shows the diagram of a container loading system in a port;

FIG. 2 shows the diagram of the correction force generation on a container which is suspended from a trolley by means of a hoist rope system and is adjustable in height;

FIG. 3 shows a section A from the system according to FIG. 1, supplemented by a number of detector means; FIG. 4 shows the detector means according to FIG. 3 in combination with data processing means connected downstream of them;

FIG. 5 shows a trolley as a hoist rope in connection with the spreader of a container which is suspended from the hoist rope support via the hoisting rope means;

Figure 6a-6g schemes of coupling rope elements to hoist rope carriers and the movement of these rope elements relative to the respective hoist rope carrier;

FIG. 7 shows a movement and drive diagram of a cable course influencing element;

FIG. 8 shows the diagram of the displacement of a rope element relative to a hoist rope carrier according to the principle of movement of a polar coordinate system;

FIG. 9 shows the application of the invention proposal in a crane system in which the hoist rope is connected to a winch which is mounted in a fixed position on a bridge girder and runs continuously from the end of the bridge girder to the end of the bridge girder via rope deflection pulleys of the hoist rope girder (trolley);

Figure 1 0 an embodiment of a trolley, in which the displacement of the rope element by horizontal movement of a

Rope pass eyelet, which is horizontally movable relative to the trolley;

Figure 1 1 shows the diagram of a container crane system according to Figure 1 in plan view, in which the target path correction according to a target field observation already begins before the load carrier has reached approximately overlap with a targeted target field;

FIG. 1 2 shows the observation of a target field cover area by means of a laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combination on the basis of a transit time measurement; 1 shows the observation of a target field singularity by means of a bundle of laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations;

Figure 1 4 shows a laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combination with a plurality of deflecting mirrors;

Figure 1 5 is a location-time diagram for explaining a correction only the location of a load carrier using the inventive method;

Figure 1 6 is a diagram similar to Figure 1 5 to explain a further possibility according to the invention for carrying out a correction only the location of the load carrier; and

Figure 1 7 is a diagram similar to Figure 1 5 to explain a combined correction of the location and horizontal speed of the load carrier using the inventive method.

In Figure 1, a port facility is drawn with a quai edge, this is designated 1 0 and runs perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. To the side of the quay edge 1 0 one can see a harbor basin 1 2 in which a ship 14 is lying. Ship 14 is stowed on the quay edge and is to be loaded with containers. On the left side of the quay edge you can see a driving surface 1 5 of the port area. Rails 1 6, on which a crane trestle or crane tower 1 8 travels, are laid on this driving surface 1 5. The crane gantry or crane tower 1 8 carries a bridge girder 20. This bridge girder 20 extends orthogonally to the quai edge over the ship 1 4. A trolley 22 can be moved on the bridge girder 20 in the longitudinal direction of the bridge girder 20 by wheels 24. The trolley 22 is driven along the entire bridge girder 20 by means of a traction cable 26 which extends between two deflection rollers 28 and is provided with a drive. The traction cable 26 is connected to the hoist cable carrier 22 at 30, so that the longitudinal movement of the lower run of the traction cable 26 of the hoist rope girder 22 can be moved over the entire length of the bridge girder 20.

A load carrier in the form of a so-called spreader, which is designated by 34, hangs on the hoist cable carrier via a hoist cable system 32. A container 36 hangs on the spreader 34 and is to be fed to a stand within the ship 1 4. The ship 14 shows the entrance of a container receiving shaft in which a plurality of containers 36 can be stacked one above the other. With its upper entrance 40, the container receiving shaft 42 forms a target position for the container 36. The container 36 was received by a container stack 44 in the area of the crane system by the spreader 34 and from left to right by moving the trolley 22 into the one shown in FIG Move the position shown. During this traversing movement, appropriate control of the movement of the pulling cable 26 was used to ensure that the load carrier 34 is approximately aligned with the container shaft entrance. Furthermore, corresponding accelerations and decelerations of the pull cable 26 have already been used to ensure that no vibratory movements of the load carrier 34 take place parallel to the plane of the drawing or, if such vibratory movements had already occurred, that these vibratory movements are essentially suppressed. It must therefore be assumed that the load carrier 34 with the container 36 in the situation shown in FIG. 1 is already approximately in alignment with the target position (40), ie with the entrance of the container receiving shaft 42, and is essentially free of vibrations. Nevertheless, the load carrier 34 with the container 36, as exaggerated in FIG. 1, is not yet in exact alignment with the container shaft entrance, so that further correction movements of the load carrier 34 in the horizontal direction parallel to the drawing plane are necessary so that the load carrier 34 with the container 36 can be lowered without stopping at the entrance 40 of the container shaft 42 in the latter in the course of its lowering movement. In Figure 2, the trolley 22 is shown enlarged on the bridge beam 20. Of the hoisting cable system 32 according to FIG. 1, only a single hoisting cable 50 is shown. This auxiliary cable pull 50 runs from a cable drum 52 which is fixedly and rotatably mounted on the trolley 22 via a cable deflection pulley 54 on the spreader 34 to a cable anchoring point 56 which is in turn attached to the trolley 22. It can easily be seen that a total of four such hoist cables 50 can be attached to the spreader 34, each of which cooperates with a deflection roller 54. The deflecting rollers 54 can be arranged in the four corners of a rectangular spreader 34. For the description of the problem to be dealt with here, the representation of the single hoist cable 50 is sufficient. It can be seen that the anchoring point 56 of the hoist cable lies on a carriage 58, which is in the horizontal direction parallel to the plane of the trolley 22, ie on the frame 22 'of the Trolley is guided. A hydraulic power device 60 is provided for displacing the cable anchoring point 56 with the slide 58, so that - as shown in FIG. 2 by a solid and a dash-dotted line - the course of the cable element 50 'of the hoisting cable 50 can be changed. It is readily apparent to the person skilled in technical mechanics that by moving the cable element 50 'from the position drawn with the full line to the position drawn with the dash-dotted line, a change in equilibrium occurs and that a force K is exerted on the load carrier 34 by this change in equilibrium. is practiced in the horizontal direction shown by the arrow K in Figure 2 parallel to the plane of the drawing. It can also be seen that the magnitude and direction of this force K can be influenced by the course of movement of the carriage 58. It can also be seen that the magnitude of the force K depends on the value of the angle β, ie on the inclination of the cable element 50 'at the beginning and at the end of its displacement, in addition to the dependence on the course of the movement of the cable anchoring point 56 this is given by the hydraulic power device 60. In conclusion, it can be stated that the magnitude of the force K can be determined by the displacement of the rope anchoring point 56 relative to the hoist rope carrier, ie relative to the trolley frame 22 '. It can also be seen that only a relatively small mass has to be moved to move the cable anchoring point 56 and that in any case the main mass of the trolley frame 22 'does not have to be moved in order to displace the cable anchoring point 56 to generate the force K.

If one now looks again in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the force K described with reference to FIG. 2 in its history of origin can certainly be used as a correction force in order to move the load carrier 34 and the container 36 carried by it in the escape position relative to the target position 40 bring, which is determined by the entrance of the container receiving shaft 42. It must now be borne in mind that the load carrier 34 at the point in time represented by FIG. 1 has a lowering speed v _s and possibly also a horizontal _speed v _h , possibly also an acceleration in the direction of the arrow v _h representing the horizontal _speed . It must also be taken into account that the load carrier 34 and the container 36 may be subject to a wind force W.

From Figure 3 it can be seen that the lower end of the container 36 still has a distance Δh in the vertical direction with respect to the target position 40 and that the load carrier 34 with the container 36 is offset by the distance Δx along the coordinate axis x with respect to the target position 40 , The state variables Δh, Δx, v _s , v _h , W and the mass M described above and also the angle of inclination β of the cable element 50 ′ are responsible for the position of the load carrier 34 and the container 36 relative to the target position 40 in the event of an uncorrected further lowering profile take if a correction of the target position approach path is not made. These state variables are therefore also responsible for the necessary size and direction of a correction force K, which must be generated according to the method shown in Figure 2 if you want to achieve that the container when it arrives with its bottom at level D of the ship 1 4, actually hits the target position 40 and can enter the container receiving shaft 42 without stopping.

The hydraulic power device already shown in FIG. 2 is also shown in FIG. 3 and designated 60. The cable anchor point 56 can be shifted by means of this hydraulic power device 60.

In order to be able to determine the values Δh and Δx, a detachable detector device 64 is attached to the load carrier 34. This detector device 64 comprises a laser transmitter 66 and a laser beam receiver 68. The detector device 64 can be pivoted about a pivot point 70, the respective laser beam experiencing an angle change a. The angular position is indicated in Figure 3 by the angle a and the associated double arrow. The detector 64 periodically or continuously swings back and forth in the direction of the double rotation arrow. The laser transmitter 66 periodically emits laser pulses which are received by the laser receiver 68 after being reflected on the ship. In this way, a transit time measurement can be carried out in every angular position a, this transit time measurement reflects the travel path. The height Δh is preferably determined by transit time measurement when the laser beam is just crossing the edge of the container shaft entrance. This point in time can be determined in that a significant extension of the measured transit time can be determined at this point in time. If the transit time is measured at the very moment when a transit time change in the sense of an extension of the transit time occurs, the detector 64 knows that it is measuring the travel path at the right place. The calculation of the height Δh can then be carried out in a simple manner in the detector or the electronics connected downstream of this detector 64. You know the running Time that the laser beam needs on its way there and back between the detector device 64 and the edge of the container shaft entrance 40. The path of the laser beam can be determined therefrom and the size Δh can be calculated by simply using trigonometric relationships from the length of the path and the respective value a of the angle setting of the detector device 64. The size Δx can be calculated in an analogous manner. The detector device 64 and an angle transmitter 72 can also be seen in FIG. 4. The transit time δ1 of the laser beam and thus a measure of the path of the laser beam to the edge of the container shaft entrance 40 are calculated in a measuring element 74 which is connected downstream of the detector 64; the size of the angle a is processed in the measuring element 76. The measuring elements 74 and 76 are both connected to converter elements 78 and 80, in which signals corresponding to the quantities Δx and Δh are formed. The conversion element 80 is connected to a differentiating element 82, in which the change in the height Δh, ie the size dh / dt, which corresponds to the lowering speed v _s , is calculated. The conversion unit 78 is connected to a further differentiator 84, in which the variable dx / dt is determined, which corresponds to the horizontal speed v _h .

The differentiating element 84 can be connected to a further differentiating element 86, in which the quantity d ₂ x / dt ^{2 is} formed, ie any acceleration of the load carrier 34 and the container 36 is determined. A cable force measuring device 88 is provided in each case in the connection between the cable guide pulleys 54 on the load carrier side and the load carrier 34. Rope forces F1 and F2 are measured here and a measure for the mass of the load carrier 34 and the container 36, which is dependent on the loading of the container 36, is obtained from these rope forces in a conversion unit 90. The position of the rope anchoring point 56 in the longitudinal direction of the carriage frame 22 ′ is determined in a length measuring device 92, while in a rope length coupled to the rope drum 52 genmeßgerät 94 the height distance h of the carriage frame 22 'is determined by the load carrier 34. A measuring device 96 is assigned to the measuring devices 92 and 94, in which the respective angle β can be determined.

The correction force is calculated in the computer module 98, which is necessary to make a correction in the position — as shown in FIG. 3 — of the load carrier 34's target path, which is necessary to reach the target position 40, ie is necessary for the container 36 to enter into the container receiving shaft 42. As shown by the diagram in the computing unit 98, this force is calculated as a function of the time. In any case, the quantities Δx, Δh, dx / dt, d ₂ x / dt ² , ie / dt, M and ß are used to calculate the correction force K as a function of time. In addition, a signal from a wind determination unit 100 can be fed into the computer unit 98, which can also take the wind into account for the calculation of the correction force K as a function of time.

In a further computer unit 1 02, taking into account the magnitude of the correction force K (t) and taking into account the instantaneous value of the angle β, which is obtained from the conversion unit 96, the change course of the angle β as a function of time, which is the desired correction force K as a function of time.

Finally, in a conversion unit 1 04, the actuating travel s is calculated as a function of the time, which must be carried out by the hydraulic power device 60 to shift the cable anchorage point 56 in order to generate the correction force K (t).

The control process described above can be repeated several times in the course of the further approach of the load carrier 34 to the target position 40. In any case, if the crane undercarriage 18 also executes movements in the direction of the rails 1 6 according to FIG. 1, it is advantageous to also carry out the control process described above for carrying out target path corrections of the load carrier 34 in the direction perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 1.

The determination of the mass M is not mandatory, provided that only the force device 60 is able to force an adjustment path curve s (t) required for the position correction of the load carrier 34, even with the largest occurring values of the mass. This results from the fact that the travel path curve s (t) is independent of the respective mass. If the mass is large, the rope force is correspondingly large. The correction force K on the load carrier is derived from the rope force in the respective rope element and is therefore inevitably proportional to the mass. Ignorance of the mass does not prevent the determination of the course of movement of the cable anchor point 56 necessary for the respective correction.

FIG. 5 shows a trolley, ie a hoist rope carrier 22, in detail. The hoisting rope winches 52 are arranged in a stationary manner on the trolley frame 22 'and each is connected to a drive motor 53 which is likewise arranged fixedly on the trolley frame. A slide 58 is assigned to each of the rope anchoring points 56. The two carriages 58 are guided by guide rollers 59 on the trolley frame 22 '. Furthermore, the two carriages 58 are connected to one another by a toothed rack 61. The rack 61 is in engagement with a drive pinion 63, which is driven by a motor 65. The motor 65 is in turn controlled by the conversion unit 1 04 according to FIG. 4. In this way, the two rope anchoring points 56 can be adjusted simultaneously to generate the correction force K (t). The cable courses of the cable elements 50 'of both hoist cables 50 of the hoist cable system 32 are thus simultaneously displaced. A shift of the rope anchoring points 56 to the left leads to a corrective action acting on the load carrier 34 to the left. turkraft, while a shift of the rope anchoring points 56 to the right leads to a rightward correction force.

One must imagine the container 36 and the lat beam 34 in FIG. 5 in such a way that they have a long longitudinal axis u perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 5, a short horizontal transverse axis v parallel to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 5 and a vertical axis w through which the geometric centers of the load carrier 34 and the container 36. The short transverse axis v extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bridge girder 20, while the long axis u extends in the direction of the rails 1 6 of the crane trolley 1 8.

In the arrangement according to FIG. 5 it is assumed that in the direction of the longitudinal axis u, at a distance from the hoist cables 50, two further such hoist cables are arranged, so that a total of four hoist cables are arranged over the. Corners of a rectangle are arranged between the trolley 22 and the load carrier 34. All these hoist cables 50 are shifted synchronously when it comes to imparting a correction force in the direction of the short transverse axis v, and thus in the direction of the bridge girder 20, to the load carrier 34.

6a shows a trolley 22a, which in turn is designed as a hoisting rope carrier. It comprises a trolley frame 22'a with wheels 24a for movement along a bridge girder, not shown here. A lifting cable drum 52a and a cable anchoring point 56a are drawn on the trolley frame 22'a for a total of two lifting cable pulls 50a in the manner of the lifting cable pull 50 shown in FIG. It can be seen that by moving the two rope anchoring points 56a in the direction of the transverse axis v, a correction force K can be generated parallel to the transverse axis v. In FIG. 6b, for the same embodiment of a hoist rope carrier, ie a trolley, it is shown that by shifting the rope anchoring points 56a in two mutually orthogonal horizontal directions parallel to the longitudinal axis u and to the transverse axis v, a resulting correction force K can be generated, which can act both against one another the longitudinal axis u and inclined to the transverse axis v. In the illustration according to FIG. 3, this correction force can simultaneously bring about a correction movement in the direction x parallel to the drawing plane and / or in the direction y perpendicular to the drawing plane.

In FIG. 6c, for the same hoisting rope support, which is also shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, it is indicated that the rope anchoring points 56a can be adjusted antiparallel in the direction of the transverse axis v. In this way, a correction torque T can be exerted on the associated load carrier, which attempts to rotate the load carrier 34 clockwise, so that the angular position of the load carrier 34 about the vertical axis w can be corrected and the load carrier 34 in the correct angular position about its vertical axis in hits the target position 40 according to FIG. 3.

FIG. 6d shows a hoisting rope carrier with a total of four hoisting rope hoists 50b, only the rope anchoring points 56b of two hoisting rope hoists 50b being adjustable in the direction of the transverse axis v. In addition, it is also possible to make the rope anchoring points of the right hoist rope hoists 50b adjustable in the direction of the transverse axis v.

In FIG. 6e it is illustrated for a hoisting rope carrier 22b - as already shown in FIG. 6d - that the rope anchoring points 56b of all four hoisting rope hoists 50b can be adjusted synchronously with one another both in the direction of the longitudinal axis u and in the direction of the transverse axis v, which in turn leads to an inclined position Corrective force K leads, which - based on the illustration in FIG. 3 - can simultaneously effect a correction both in the direction of the axis x and the axis y. In FIG. 6f it is indicated that the anchorage points 56c of all four hoist cables 50c can be arranged on a common subframe 1 10c, so that all of the rope anchor points 56c together in the direction of the longitudinal axis u with the subframe 110c on an intermediate frame 1 1 2c can be moved.

The intermediate frame 1 1 2c is displaceable in the direction of the transverse axis v on the trolley frame 22'c. By superimposing the displacement of the subframe 1 1 0c and the intermediate frame 1 1 2c, translational correction forces can be generated in any direction.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 6g, which corresponds to the embodiment according to FIG. 6d, a torque about the vertical axis w is generated by the opposite movement of at least two diagonally opposite cable anchoring points 56b.

According to FIG. 7, individual platforms 1 1 4e can be displaced along rails 1 1 6e on the trolley frame 22'e, each by means of a power device 1 1 8e. A slide 1 20e can be displaced by means of rails 122e on platforms 1 14e. In this way, the respective rope anchoring point 56e can be displaced in both directions, ie in the direction of the longitudinal axis u and in the direction of the transverse axis v. The power device 1 1 8e is provided to move the platform 1 1 4e relative to the trolley frame 22'e, while a power device 1 24e is provided to move the slide 1 20e relative to the platform 1 1 4e along the rails 1 22e. The power devices for all four hoist cables 50e can be operated independently of one another. This gives the possibility for the generation of translational correction forces on the load carrier 22e to move the cable anchoring points 56e of all the hoist cables 50e parallel to one another and synchronously in any direction. However, this also gives the possibility, as indicated in FIG. 6g, to move the rope anchoring points 56b in such a way that a correction torque T in the clockwise direction toward the appropriate load carrier is generated and this undergoes an angle correction about a vertical axis w.

In FIG. 8, the cable drums 52f of all four hoist cables 50f are arranged stationary on the trolley frame 22'f of the trolley 22f. The rope anchoring points 56f are arranged on turntables 130f. The turntables 1 30f are rotatable about axes of rotation 1 32f, e.g. by means of worm drives 1 34f. The cable anchoring points 56f are along radial guide rails 1 36f formed on the turntables 1 30f at a distance from the axes of rotation 1 32f by a linear drive, e.g. a hydraulic adjusting cylinder 1 38f, adjustable. By synchronous rotary drive of the turntables 1 30f and by synchronous movement of the cable anchoring points 56f along the radially extending guide rails 1 36f, correction forces in any translatory correction direction can also be generated in this configuration. Correction moments can also be generated in this way.

In FIG. 9, the trolley 22g can again be displaced along the track of the bridge girder 20g by means of wheels 24g of its trolley frame 22'g. A load carrier 34g in turn hangs on the trolley frame 22'g by means of a lifting cable system 32g, of which a lifting cable pull 50g is shown. The lifting cable 50g in turn comprises - as in FIG. 2 - cable elements 50'g and 50 "g. The lifting cable 50g is formed by a cable which is guided over deflection pulleys 1 40g on the trolley frame 22'g. This cable is designated 142g and runs over the entire length of the bridge girder 20g from a fixed point 144g at one end of the bridge girder 20g to a cable drum 146g at the other end of the bridge girder 20g. By winding the pull cable 142g on the cable drum 146g, the load carrier 1 34g can be lifted, by unwinding the pull cable The load carrier 34g can be lowered 142g from the cable drum 146g. The cable deflection roller 1 40g is adjustable in the direction of the double arrow 1 48g, so that the cable element 50'g can also be displaced in this embodiment, as in the embodiment of FIG. 2 and thus a correction force K can also be generated here. This is of course possible for SämT ^¬ Liche Hubseilzüge 50g, of which 9 only one is signed ^¬ net is. Here, the rope deflection roller 140g represents a rope course influencing unit, while in the embodiments described so far the soap course influencing unit was each formed by an anchoring point.

A further embodiment of a cable course influencing unit is shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, both the rope anchoring point 56h and the hoisting rope drum 52h are arranged stationary on the trolley frame 22'h. A through eye 1 50h is assigned to the rope element 50'h. This continuous eye 1 50h is formed on a slide 1 52h by a group of rope pulleys 1 54h. The carriage 1 50h is displaceable on rails 1 56h of a platform 1 58h by means of a hydraulic actuating cylinder 1 60h in the direction of the longitudinal axis u of the associated load carrier. On the other hand, the platform 1 58h is adjustable in the direction of the short transverse axis v by means of a hydraulic actuating cylinder 1 62h in relation to a support frame 1 64h, the support frame 1 64h is firmly attached to the trolley frame 22'h. In this way it is possible to shift the course of the rope of the rope element 50'h at the level of the rope guide axis 1 50h in the direction of the longitudinal axis u and / or in the direction of the transverse axis v. This is of course possible for all existing 50h hoist cables. Corrective forces can therefore also be generated on the associated load carrier in this embodiment. If you only want to generate translational correction forces, the rope eyelets 1 50h of all hoist cables 50h can be connected to one another for common movement in the direction of both axes u and v. If you want correction moments around the vertical axis w generate, it is necessary to move the rope eyelets 1 50h with respect to the trolley frame 22'h independently of one another, so that, depending on the type of correction required, translatory correction forces or correction moments about the vertical axis w or translational correction forces and correction moments can be generated.

In Fig. 1 1 you can see a lifting cable carrier 22i in plan view, which can be designed and arranged similar to that in Fig. 1 shown. A load carrier 34i is again suspended on this hoist cable carrier 22i by means of a hoist cable system (not shown, but corresponding to the hoist cable system 32 of FIG. 1). A container 36 may again be coupled to the load carrier 34i, as shown in FIG. 1. This container is now to be introduced into a container receiving shaft 42i, the upper output of which is designated 40i. The upper output 40i is defined according to FIG. 1 1 by corner angles 1 50i, which correspond approximately to the outline of the load carrier 34i. The hoist rope support 22i runs along a bridge support 20i in a manner similar to that in FIG. 1, wherein the bridge support 20i can be moved along rails 1 6i in a manner similar to FIG. 1.

It is now assumed that the load carrier 34i suspended on the hoist cable carrier 22i by a hoist cable system, with or without a container, should be sunk into the shaft 42i of a ship, if possible in such a way that it is not necessary to stop the load carrier 34i when passing through the shaft exit 40i. The shaft exit 40i must therefore be approached exactly by the load carrier 34i.

As in FIG. 1, detector units 64i are attached to the load carrier 34i, which are intended and suitable for recognizing the corner angles 1 50i and then delivering correction forces corresponding to the correction force K in FIG. 2, which acts on the load carrier 34i Correct the position in relation to the shaft exit 40i. It is now assumed that, according to FIG. 11, the hoisting cable carrier 22i moves along the bridge carrier 20i in the direction of arrow 1 51 i and that the detector units 64 do not yet have the shaft exit in their field of vision. It is further assumed that by controlling the travel drive indicated in FIG. 1 at 26 and 28 for the hoisting cable carrier 22i, target measures have already been taken, which ensure that the load carrier 34i approaches the area of the target field 40i, that is to say in the area of the upper shaft exit 40i. Measures of this type are in particular possible: control of the drive 28, 26 in accordance with the target field

40i incoming address;

influencing the drive movement of the drive means 28, 26 in accordance with detected vibrations of the load carrier 34i hanging on the hoisting cable carrier 22i.

It is further assumed that the target measures already introduced with respect to the target field 40i are not sufficient to reach this target field with sufficient accuracy and to allow the load carrier 34i to move into the container receiving shaft 42i in continuous motion. Corrective measures are therefore required, for example corrective measures such as those drawn in FIGS. 1-10 and described in the associated description part.

The detector units 64i can again be detector units in the manner of the detector unit 64 from FIG. 1. Regardless of what type of detector units are used, one has to reckon with the fact that these detector units cannot cover the entire movement field within which the load carrier 34i moves. In particular, in the example, they cannot observe the entire ship's surface at any point in time, that is to say neither its shaft exit nor their container parking spaces, which are arranged above deck. Only in the course of the approach of a load carrier 34i in the vicinity of the target field 40i (in the example of the shaft exit) do the detector units 64i reach positions in which they can detect the corner angles 15i. It is not necessary for this that the detector units 64i are already vertically above the corner angles 1 50i. Rather, it is assumed that the FIG. 1 1 in direction of arrow 1 51 i leading right detector units 64i ^¬ already get into their field of view, the corner angle 1 50i, when they reach the line 1 52i. At this point in time, according to the invention, observation of the target field 40i by the detector units 64i on the right is started.

However, one must now count on the limited ability of the detector units 64i to recognize them, and one must also consider that the deck of the ship 14 is an area on which a large number of detector-recognizable interference singularities occur, which are characterized by the target field features characteristic of the target field 40i , for example the corner angles 150i, must be distinguished. This distinction can be made by designing the detector units 64i in such a way that they recognize the special geometric features of the corner angles 1550i.

Alternatively, the detector units 64i, for example the two detector units 64i on the right in FIG. 11, can be designed such that, after detection of the two corner angles 1 50i and the data processing system, the distance between the corner angles 1 50i transverse to the longitudinal direction of the bridge girder 20i is determined and compare with a stored distance measure which corresponds to the distance between two corner angles of the target field 40i. If the position comparison of two singularities detected by the two detector units 64i on the right shows that their distance transversely to the longitudinal direction of the bridge girder corresponds to the actual distance between two corner angles 15i, there is a high probability that these two singularities are concerned the corner angle of a target field, ie in the example of a shaft exit.

If this identification is not yet reliable enough, the two detector units 64i on the right can also examine the symmetry of the singularities detected by them and thus, when determining the symmetry, verify the statement that the singularities detected are actually characteristic singularities of a target field , for example around the two corner angles 1 50i of the shaft exit 40i reached first.

If, with the help of the detector units 64i and the data processing devices connected downstream of them, line 1 52i according to FIG. 11 has been reached, it can already be determined that one is in the range of singularities that correspond to a target field 40i with a high degree of probability, one can already access this When, ie, when the right detector units 64i are in the area of the line 1 52i according to FIG. 11, the target path correction begins on the assumption that the target field has actually been detected. It is therefore not necessary that all of the detector units 64i have already recorded the singularities assigned to them at the start of the target path correction, that is to say corner angles 1 50i of the target field 40i. This is a decisive advantage of the invention: the generation of the correction force K on the load carrier 34i can already begin when the load carrier 34i is still a considerable horizontal distance from the target field 40i. This significantly increases the time available to correct the target movement. Accordingly, the correction forces can also be reduced and the correction accuracy increases.

If in the course of the further movement of the load carrier 34i in the direction 1 51 i when the right-hand corner angles 1 50i are detected by the right-hand detector units 64i or the left-hand corner angles 1 50i by the left-hand detector units 64i If there are doubts as to whether the desired target field has actually been reached, the vertical approach movement of the load carrier 34i towards the bottom of the container receiving shaft 42i can still be slowed down or interrupted, so that a lowering movement actually only then Level of the container shaft exit 40i is initiated if there is certainty that the correct target field has been reached and that the load carrier 34i is in sufficiently exact alignment with the container shaft exit.

If the detector units 64i are formed by laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations, as assumed in the description of FIGS. 1-10, the detection of the corner angles 1 50i takes place in that a jump in transit time is determined when the respective one pulsed laser beam passes over an edge of a corner angle 1 50i. This requires a relative movement between the laser beam and the respective corner angle 1 50i.

This relative movement can be obtained by scanning the laser beam. A detector unit 64i is again shown schematically in FIG. On this detector unit, a laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combination 1 55i can be recognized, which by means of transit time measurements (see description of FIGS. 1 - 10), e.g. an edge 1 56i according to FIG. 12 can be determined. For this purpose, the laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combination can perform a swiveling movement in the direction of the swivel arrow 1 57i. It is also conceivable to additionally subject the laser beam-transmitter-laser beam-receiver combination to a movement along the pivot arrow 1 58i, so that the corner angle 1 50i is scanned line by line.

At least one of the swivel movements along the swivel arrows 1 57i and 1 58i can be dispensed with if the movement of the load carrier 34i along the arrow 1 51 i according to FIG. 1 1 is used for scanning makes. It is also conceivable for the load carrier 34i to oscillate in the direction of the arrow 1 51 i according to FIG. 1 1 or also transversely to the direction of the arrow 1 51 i, in order to observe one or more of the corner angles 1 50i in this way by means of one or more laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations which may also be rigidly arranged on the load carrier 34i.

The use of laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations is only one of the possibilities for target field observation. It is also conceivable to switch on one or more television cameras for target field observation and to recognize the corner angles 15i or other singularities on the basis of the light signals received by the television cameras after conversion and processing of these light signals into electronic signals. Analogously to the preceding explanations, it is again possible to distinguish the singularities characterizing a target field 40i from other interference singularities, either by measuring the distance or by examining symmetry.

It is also conceivable, according to FIG. 1 3, to equip a detector unit 64k with a multiplicity of laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations 1 55k or individual television eyes in order to be able to examine singularities for their assignment to a specific target field in the shortest possible time, especially when these singularities are formed by complicated surface or spatial structures. Also in the case of the arrangement according to FIG. 1 3, one can do without the mobility of the laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combinations or the television eyes relative to the load carrier.

Another interesting possibility is shown in Fig. 1 4. A detector unit 641 can be seen here. A laser beam transmitter-laser beam receiver combination 1 551 is provided on this detector unit 641. The emitted laser beam is directed onto a series of inclined deflection mirror 1 591 directed. These deflecting mirrors can be selectively converted to laser light transmittance or laser light reflection by electrical signals from a signal transmitter unit 1 601, so that when the deflecting mirrors 1 591 are switched in succession by an electrical pulse, laser beams can be sent to the target field at different locations, and thus larger areas of the target field can be quickly checked and evaluated.

If the target field is formed by a shaft exit, care must again be taken to ensure that the detector units do not collide with the boundary surfaces, that is to say the corner angles 1 50i of the shaft, when the load carrier 34i is immersed in the container receiving shaft 40i. For this purpose, the detector units 64i can be arranged such that they can move relative to the load carrier 34i, so that they can still be retracted within the outline of the load carrier 34i when immersion in the container receiving shaft 42i is imminent.

The method described with reference to Figs. 1 1 - 1 4 is just as applicable as the method according to Figs. 1 - 10 and in particular also in combination with it when loads, e.g. Containers to be sold on land. In this case, the corner angles 150i shown in FIG. 11 can also be formed, for example, by flat color structures on the bottom of a container store.

When it comes to arranging containers in container storage on land one above the other, the respective target field can also be formed by the top of the top container. In this case, the detector units 64i can be adapted to detect the corner fittings on the top of containers which serve to couple the containers to the load carrier 34i. Here too, structures and / or coloring of such corner fittings can be observed and evaluated, if necessary with the inclusion of symmetry observations, if necessary also with adjustment equal to the distance between the singularities recorded in each case with the distance between characteristic locations of the corner fittings in the longitudinal or / and transverse direction of the respective container.

It should be added to the embodiment according to FIG. 14 that the deflecting mirrors can be formed, for example, from solid or liquid crystals, which can be switched to light transmission or reflection by applying an electric field. Such crystals are known, for example, in the watchmaking industry for making digital displays visible.

The signals obtained by the detector units 64i can, after conversion into electrical signals and conversion in the data processing system, be used to shift the cable path of a cable element 50 'by means of a force device 60, for example according to FIG. 1, and thereby a force on the load carrier 34 in each case to generate the desired direction required for the target approach correction. However, this is only one of the different options. It is also possible in the method shown in FIGS. 1 1 ff. To influence the drive of the hoisting cable support 22 along the bridge support 26 to correct the travel or to influence the drive of the crane tower 1 8 along the rails 1 6 to correct the travel. The possibility created according to the invention of starting the target field observation before the vertical overlap of the load carrier 34i and target field 40i is almost reached, as already indicated, allows an extended period of time for the target field correction. It is therefore possible to make the target path correction here in particular by influencing the drives of the hoist rope support 22i in the direction of the arrow 1 51 i and / or on the drive of the bridge support 20i in the direction of the rails 1 6i.

Optoelectronic systems are known which enable so-called 'zooming'. This is to say that one and the same opto-electrical tronic system can initially capture a larger image field, for example on the surface of the ship 1 4, in order to determine singularities at all within this larger image field. If one has then determined singularities that could be characteristic singularities of a targeted target field, for example two corner angles 1 50i, the image field can be reduced by zooming and thus the resolution capacity of the respective optoelectronic system can be increased. It is possible to correct the optical axis of the respective optoelectronic system, for example by movement relative to the load carrier 34i, in such a way that even while the image field is being reduced, a singularity in the reduced image field that has already been detected and is recognized as being suspect with regard to belonging to the targeted target field remains. The improved resolving power then makes it possible to further verify the suspicion that the particular singularity belongs to the targeted target field and, after sufficient verification, to start correcting the target path.

In practice it is conceivable to start with the target path correction 2-4 m before reaching the vertical overlap between the load carrier 34i and the target field 40i of FIG. 1 1, so that depending on the then approaching speed of the load carrier 34i in the direction of arrow 1 51 i ample time is available for the correction of the destination. At this point in time, the speed of the load carrier 34i in the direction of arrow 15i i can already be reduced due to the control means of an assigned address. However, it is also conceivable to first reduce the speed of the load carrier 34i in the direction of the arrow 1 51 i and possibly also the lowering speed when the target path correction is started, in order in this way to extend the time available for the target path correction in advance.

The electronics for performing the target path correction can be configured similarly to that described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In the target path correction according to the invention, it is of course desirable to have vibrations reduced as far as possible when the target field, for example a container shaft entrance, is reached. It should be noted, however, that long periodic oscillations in particular may still be present when the target field is reached, namely when the course of such long periodic oscillations has been taken into account in the target path correction and the long periodic oscillation then has been included in the target destination as a contribution. In this case, when the container touches the target field, there is still kinetic energy on the container, which is then destroyed, for example, by the container hitting its boundary surfaces after it has entered the respective shaft or when it is placed on a storage floor with the Container floor is brought into rubbing contact.

1 5 is a location-time diagram for explaining a first method according to the invention for correcting exclusively the location of a load carrier 34 from an actual position ACTUAL to a target position TARGET by adjusting the rope anchoring point 56 by means of the power device 60.

Starting from the actual position ACTUAL, the rope anchoring point 56 is initially shifted by a correction distance D1 in the direction of the target position TARGET, but beyond this to a position P1, and remains there for a period of time T1. Due to the inclination of the cable element 50 'associated with this adjustment, the load carrier 34 is accelerated from its actual position towards its target position.

When the load carrier 34 approaches its target position, ie after approximately half the time required for the entire correction, the cable anchoring point 56 is shifted to a position P2 whose distance D2 from the target position SHOULD have the same value as the distance between the actual position ACTUAL and the position P 1 (D2 = D1). The rope anchoring point 56 remains there for a time T2 which is of the same length as the time period T1 (T2 = T1). In this way it is ensured not only that the load carrier 34 is braked again, but also that it is braked during the time period T2 to exactly the same extent as it was accelerated during the time period T1.

If the rope anchoring point 56 is transferred to the target position TARGET after the time period T2 has elapsed, it is therefore ensured that the load carrier 34 comes to a standstill at this target position, provided that it IS at the actual position at the start of the correction was at a standstill. “Standstill” is understood to mean that the load carrier 34 moves at the same horizontal speed as the hoist cable carrier 22.

In the variant of this procedure shown in the diagram according to FIG. 1 6, the rope anchoring point 56 is allowed to remain at the positions P1 or P2 only for a period of time T1 'or T2', the value of which is smaller than that of the corresponding periods of time T1 or T2 of the variant according to FIG. 1 5. As a result, the load carrier 34 only reaches a lower maximum speed on its way from the actual position ACTUAL to the target position TARGET. So that it can still reach the target position, the cable anchoring point 56 is adjusted in a middle section of the correction movement for a time period T3 to an intermediate position Z located between the actual position ACTUAL and the target position TARGET. During this period, the load carrier 34 has no or only slight accelerations or decelerations, so that it moves essentially at a constant speed.

In the method variant according to FIG. 1 6, the load carrier 34 comes to a standstill again at the desired position SHOULD, ie there is only a correction of the local position, but not the horizontal speed of the load carrier 34. In order to be able to carry out a speed correction in addition to the position correction, for example, the procedure shown in the diagram according to FIG. 1 7 is shown:

First, the rope anchoring point 56 is shifted from the actual position ACTUAL to the position P1, where it remains for the time T1 ". Then it is moved to the position P2 ', the distance D2' from the desired position SHOULD is smaller than that Distance D1 of position P1 from the actual position ACTUAL. In the course of this adjustment from position P1 to position P2, the cable anchoring point 56 can remain at the intermediate position Z for a period of time T3 ". When the rope anchoring point 56 has finally spent the time period T2 "at the position P2 ', it is transferred to the target position SHOULD.

Due to the different correction distances D1 and D2 'or / and the different acceleration times T1 "and T2", the load carrier 34 does not come to a standstill at the target position SHOULD, but rather has a predetermined correction speed.

Claims

Expectations

Method for correcting the state of a load carrier (34) which is suspended in a height-adjustable manner on a substantially horizontally movable lifting cable carrier (22) via a lifting cable system (32), the correction of the state of the load carrier (34) in accordance with a deviation from the actual state of the load carrier (34) from its desired state, in that a unit (56) arranged on or near the hoist cable carrier (22) for influencing the course of at least one cable element (22) running between the hoist cable carrier (22) and the load carrier (34) 50 ') of the hoisting rope system (32) is adjusted essentially horizontally relative to the hoisting rope support (22), characterized in that a 1) starting from an initial position of the rope course influencing unit (56), this first in one of the desired corrections corresponding to the desired correction Direction is adjusted by a first correction distance for a first period of time, a2) the rope course influencing unit (56) when the actual state of the load carrier (34) approaches its target state with respect to its end position required to achieve the desired correction in a second direction opposite to the first direction, is adjusted by a second correction distance for a second period of time, and a3) when reached of the target state of the load carrier (34) transfers the cable course influencing unit (56) into its end position corresponding to the target state of the load carrier (34).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that one measures the first correction distance and / or the second correction distance larger than the distance required for quasi-static implementation of the same correction, the first correction distance and the second correction distance taking into account the available adjustment path the rope course influencing unit (56) chooses, preferably taking substantially full advantage of this adjustment path.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the displacement is carried out in accordance with the target error detection on the at least one cable element (50 ') in different directions (u, v).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that by translating the at least one cable element (50 ') a translational horizontal target path correction (in direction u or in direction v or in a by superimposing corrections in the directions u and v formed direction) of the load carrier (34) is brought about.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the displacement of the at least one cable element (50 ') brings about a rotational target travel correction of the load carrier (34) about a vertical axis (w) assigned to it.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that a plurality of rope elements (50 ') are moved in succession or simultaneously.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the displacement of the at least one cable element (50 ') is brought about by superimposing simultaneous or successive partial displacements in different directions (u, v).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the displacement of the at least one cable element (50 ') by

Movement of a rope course influencing unit (56) which is low in mass compared to the mass of the lifting rope carrier (22) is brought about.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that when using two rope elements (50'a) or rope element groups (50'a, 50 "a) within the hoisting rope system these in the same direction in the direction of their horizontal connecting line or in parallel to each other , directions crossing the connecting line are shifted.

1 0. The method according to any one of 'claims 1-8, characterized in that when using two rope elements (50'a) or rope element groups (50'a, 50 "a) within the hoisting rope system in antiparallel directions crossing their connecting line.

1 . Method according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that when using four rope elements (50'b) or rope element groups (50'b, 50 "b) which are arranged in the corners of a horizontal rectangle, the rope elements (50 ' b) or groups of cable elements (50'b, 50 "b) are displaced in the same direction parallel to one another.

2. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that when using four cable elements (50'b) or cable element groups (50'b, 50 "b) which in the corners of a horizontal

Rectangle are arranged, at least two rope elements (50'b) or groups of rope elements (50'b, 50 "b) lying opposite one another along a diagonal of the rectangle are displaced antiparallel in the direction crossing this diagonal.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 1 2, wherein the load carrier (34i) an extended in the horizontal plane target field (40i) by an approach movement, this composed of a horizontal approach movement (1 51 i) and one of these horizontal approach movement (1 51 ) superimposed

Vertical approach movement, approaching, characterized in that a target field observation is initiated before the load carrier (1 51 i) reaches an overlap with the target field (40i) in the course of its approach movement and that the further approach movement is corrected from now on in accordance with the target field observation.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 1 3, characterized in that the rope course influencing unit (56) between steps a 1) and a2) is transferred to an intermediate position for a certain period of time.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 1 4, characterized in that the first correction distance and the second correction distance are measured the same size and that the first time period and the second

Duration measured the same length.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that the first correction distance and the second correction distance are sized differently and / and that the first time period and the second time period are measured differently long.