Provided is a crane that can detect obstacles within a sufficient range while traveling and while doing work. A crane that is provided with an obstacle sensor that, during travel, detects the approach of obstacles toward a front side part of a travel body and, during work, detects the approach of obstacles toward a rear side part of a turning body. According to a first embodiment, the obstacle sensor has a detection range that is directed from front to rear. According to a second embodiment, the obstacle sensor has a detection range that is directed from rear to front.

A self-maintaining crane system including a bridge, a trolley, a hoist, and sensors for use within a hostile environment, such as a wastewater treatment facility, is presented. The bridge is movable along a pair of runway rails within the hostile environment. The trolley is movable between the runway rails. The hoist with extendable-retractable cable is movable with the trolley. Bridge sensors separately determine whether the bridge has engaged a bridge home position and a bridge end position. The bridge is movable away from the bridge home position and back toward the bridge end position. Trolley sensors separately determine whether the trolley has engaged a trolley home position and a trolley end position. The trolley is movable away from the trolley home position and back toward the trolley end position. Hoist sensors separately determine whether the cable has engaged a hoist home position and a hoist end position. The cable is extendable away from the hoist home position and retractable toward the hoist end position. Sensors facilitate automated movement of bridge, trolley, and cable so as to minimize functional impairment of the crane system by the hostile environment.

A self-maintaining crane system including a bridge, a trolley, a hoist, and sensors for use within a hostile environment, such as a wastewater treatment facility, is presented. The bridge is movable along a pair of runway rails within the hostile environment. The trolley is movable between the runway rails. The hoist with extendable-retractable cable is movable with the trolley. Bridge sensors separately determine whether the bridge has engaged a bridge home position and a bridge end position. The bridge is movable away from the bridge home position and back toward the bridge end position. Trolley sensors separately determine whether the trolley has engaged a trolley home position and a trolley end position. The trolley is movable away from the trolley home position and back toward the trolley end position. Hoist sensors separately determine whether the cable has engaged a hoist home position and a hoist end position. The cable is extendable away from the hoist home position and retractable toward the hoist end position. Sensors facilitate automated movement of bridge, trolley, and cable so as to minimize functional impairment of the crane system by the hostile environment.

A self-maintaining crane system including a bridge, a trolley, a hoist, and sensors for use within a hostile environment, such as a wastewater treatment facility, is presented. The bridge is movable away from the bridge home position and back toward the bridge end position. The trolley is movable away from the trolley home position and back toward the trolley end position. The cable is extendable away from the hoist home position and retractable toward the hoist end position. The sensors separately determine whether the bridge, trolley, and cable engage a home position and end position. Sensors facilitate automated movement of bridge, trolley, and cable so as to minimize functional impairment of the crane system by the hostile environment.

A self-maintaining crane system including a bridge, a trolley, a hoist, and sensors for use within a hostile environment, such as a wastewater treatment facility, is presented. The bridge is movable away from the bridge home position and back toward the bridge end position. The trolley is movable away from the trolley home position and back toward the trolley end position. The cable is extendable away from the hoist home position and retractable toward the hoist end position. The sensors separately determine whether the bridge, trolley, and cable engage a home position and end position. Sensors facilitate automated movement of bridge, trolley, and cable so as to minimize functional impairment of the crane system by the hostile environment.

A construction machine allows a worker to easily move between one pair of side frames through a travelling body weight. The construction machine includes a lower travelling body of a crane includes a truck frame, a left side frame and a right side frame, a front weight and a rear weight, and scaffolding members. Scaffolding upper surface parts of the scaffolding members and upper surface parts of the front weight and the rear weight are disposed in line with each other along a left and right direction, and form a moving passage that allows the worker to move between the left and right side frames.

The present invention discloses a power transmission control method and device for a crane and the crane. The method includes: setting the maximum working displacement of a secondary element corresponding to each gear of the crane; determining the current gear state and specific gear of the crane; determining the working mode of the secondary element from the gear state, and setting the maximum allowable displacement of the secondary element as the maximum working displacement corresponding to the specific gear.

The present invention discloses a power transmission control method and device for a crane and the crane. The method includes: setting the maximum working displacement of a secondary element corresponding to each gear of the crane; determining the current gear state and specific gear of the crane; determining the working mode of the secondary element from the gear state, and setting the maximum allowable displacement of the secondary element as the maximum working displacement corresponding to the specific gear.

A an energy storage system includes a crane and a plurality of blocks, where the crane is operable to move blocks from a lower elevation to a higher elevation (via stacking of the blocks) to store electrical energy as potential energy of the blocks, and then operable to move blocks from a higher elevation to a lower elevation (via unstacking of the blocks) to generate electricity based on the kinetic energy of the block when lowered (e.g., by gravity). The energy storage system can, for example, store electricity generated from solar power as potential energy in the stacked blocks during daytime hours when solar power is available, and can convert the potential energy in the stacked blocks into electricity during nighttime hours when solar energy is not available, and deliver the converted electricity to the power grid.

A an energy storage system includes a crane and a plurality of blocks, where the crane is operable to move blocks from a lower elevation to a higher elevation (via stacking of the blocks) to store electrical energy as potential energy of the blocks, and then operable to move blocks from a higher elevation to a lower elevation (via unstacking of the blocks) to generate electricity based on the kinetic energy of the block when lowered (e.g., by gravity). The energy storage system can, for example, store electricity generated from solar power as potential energy in the stacked blocks during daytime hours when solar power is available, and can convert the potential energy in the stacked blocks into electricity during nighttime hours when solar energy is not available, and deliver the converted electricity to the power grid.