Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
  • B66C9/00—Travelling gear incorporated in or fitted to trolleys or cranes
  • B66C9/16—Travelling gear incorporated in or fitted to trolleys or cranes with means for maintaining alignment between wheels and track

Definitions

• This invention regards a travelling crane. More particularly, it regards a travelling crane where the suspension rails of the travelling crane have different lengths, possibly are non-parallel or arranged at different vertical levels, whereby the cross beam of the travelling crane assumes an angle to the horizontal plane.
• the travelling crane is particularly suited for use in areas where the available overall height is small, and in non-rectangular areas.
• a typical application may be the machinery house of a wind mill.
• Travelling cranes according to prior art comprise at least one cross beam movably suspended from two parallel suspension rails by sets " of wheels at the ends of the cross beam.
• a tackle or drawworks/winch travels along the cross beam.
• the parallel suspension rails allow the spacing between the sets of wheels on the cross beam to be fixed. Furthermore, it is customary to construct travelling cranes in a manner such that the cross beam is in a horizontal position, thus to facilitate displacement of e.g. a tackle along the cross beam. Travelling cranes are known to have been adapted in many ways in order to overcome the problem of a small overall height.
• the travelling crane may be constructed with e.g. an overhead cross beam, i.e. the cross beam is at a higher level than the suspension rails, or the travelling crane tackle may be designed so that the hoisting gear of the tackle is located on the side of or above the cross beam.
• the object of the invention is to remedy or reduce at least one of the disadvantages of prior art.
• the cross beam In the case of exceptional space- and area limitations, the cross beam must, in order to be useful, be able to travel along suspension rails that e.g. have different lengths, are non-parallel o.r are located at different vertical levels.
• a travelling crane comprising a cross beam, a first suspension rail, a second suspension rail and a lifting tackle movably coupled to the cross beam, and where the cross beam is coupled to the respective suspension rails by a first set of wheels and a third set of wheels, at least one of the sets of wheels is arranged so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis and is coupled to a second set of wheels that can travel longitudinally of the cross beam.
• This construction allows the cross beam to be displaced along the first suspension rail without a similar displacement occurring at the opposite end of the cross beam.
• one of the first or the second sets of wheels is rotatably coupled to the cross beam.
• the travelling crane of the invention can also be used when the first suspension rail and the second suspension rail are at an angle to each other.
• the cross beam suspension for the lifting tackle is provided with braking means.
• the braking means comprises an eccentric body arranged to be rotated to a locking position by the force of the load on the lifting tackle.
• the one end of the cross beam opposite the end provided with the second set of wheels may rotate about a point.
• travelling crane of the invention is well suited for overcoming long known problems associated with access to lifting equipment in confined and non-rectangular areas.
• Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a travelling crane running along suspension rails of different lengths, and where the suspension rails are located at different vertical levels;
• Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the travelling crane of figure 1;
• Fig. 3 shows the same as figure 2, but here the cross beam has been displaced to different distances and in opposite directions along the two suspension rails;
• Fig. 4 shows a vertical plan II-II in figure 2 on a larger scale.
• reference number 1 denotes a travelling crane comprising a cross beam 2, a first suspension rail 4 and a second suspension rail 6.
• suspension rails 4 and 6 are connected, at their respective ends, to a support structure (not shown) by means of suspension bolts 8.
• the cross beam 2 At its one end portion located at the first suspension rail 4, the cross beam 2 is provided with an underlying extension rail 10.
• the extension rail 10 extends from the cross beam 2, under the first suspension rail 4 and a suitable distance beyond the first suspension rail 4.
• a first set of wheels in the form of a first traverser carriage or trolley 12, see figure 4, is movably coupled to the first suspension rail 4, while a second set of wheels in the form of a second trolley 14 is movably coupled to the extension rail 10.
• the two trolleys 12 and 14 are interconnected and interrotatable about a vertical axis 16.
• cross beam 2 is arranged to be displaced along the first suspension rail 4 while the cross beam is rotated about the axis 16, the cross beam 2 thus also being displaceable in the transverse direction of the first suspension rail 4.
• the cross beam 2 is rotatably coupled to a third set of wheels, in the form of a third traverser carriage or trolley 18, by means of a turntable 19, the third trolley 18 being displaceably coupled to the second suspension rail 6.
• the turntable 19 is connected to the underside of the cross beam 2.
• the three trolleys 12, 14 and 18 are all provided with at least one upper set of wheels 20 abutting the top of the corresponding rail 4, 6, 10 and at least one lower set of wheels 22 abutting the underside of the same rails 4, 6, 10.
• a lifting tackle 24 is displaceably coupled to the cross beam 2 by a tackle trolley 26. Due to the tilting of cross beam 2 in the horizontal plane, the tackle trolley 26 is provided with an eccentric body 30 that is rotatable about a shaft 28, where the eccentric body 30 is arranged, in the operative position, to brakingly abut the underside of the cross beam 2.
• the eccentric body 30 is rotated about the shaft 28 by a lever 32 protruding from the eccentric body 30.
• the relative position of the shaft 28 with respect to the abutment of the eccentric body 20 against the cross beam 2 causes the eccentric body 30 to be forced against the cross beam 2 when the lever 32 is moved down.
• the frictional force resulting from the contact between the eccentric body 30 and the cross beam 2 causes the eccentric body 30 to be rotated towards its braking position when the tackle trolley 26 is displaced along the cross beam 2 in the downward direction.
• the eccentric body 30 is released by moving the lever 32 upwards.
• the lifting tackle 24 When an item (not shown) is to be moved, the lifting tackle 24 is moved to the position where the item (not shown) is located, by the eccentric body 30 being released, such that the tackle trolley 26 can be displaced along the cross beam 2.
• the cross beam 2 is displaced along the first and second suspension rails 4, 6 while being able to rotate about the axis 16 and the suspension in the third trolley 18, see figure 3.

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Cited By (9)

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Citations (5)

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• 2004
  • 2004-12-06 NO NO20045334A patent/NO326328B1/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2005
  • 2005-12-05 WO PCT/NO2005/000450 patent/WO2006062414A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2005-12-05 ES ES200750034A patent/ES2330290B1/es not_active Withdrawn - After Issue

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