The hoisting arrangement of a hoist of a of a crane, includes a trolley arranged to move along a main support structure of the crane, whereby the trolley includes a support frame structure; bearing wheels which are fastened to the support frame structure and by means of which the trolley is arranged to move along said main support structure; a hoisting mechanism that has a rope drum for a hoisting rope, a rope pulley arrangement which has upper sheave arrangements and lower rope pulley arrangements and through which the hoisting rope may be guided from the rope drum to an attachment point, and a hoisting member in cooperation with the hoisting rope for hoisting a load; whereby the rope drum is supported to the support frame structure of the trolley so that the axle of the rope drum is parallel to the main support structure. In the hoisting arrangement, the disengagement point of the hoisting rope from the rope drum, the attachment point of the sheave, and the attachment point of the first end of hoisting rope are arranged on the same vertical plane of the hoisting arrangement. The rope drum has a first end towards which the hoisting rope is wound in the hoisting member's upper position, and a second end towards which the hoisting rope is unwound in the hoisting member's lower position. The first rope pulley of the rope pulley arrangement is so placed that the release point of the hoisting rope from the first rope pulley to the first sheave is, in the axle direction of the rope drum, further from the second end than the first end of the rope drum.

An overhead transport vehicle includes a conveyor to travel along a track, a holder to hold an object to be conveyed, and a lifting driver to lift and lower the holder. The holder includes a base, a holder including a body and a pair of grippers connected to the body in an openable/closable manner, the holder being attached to the base so as to be movable along an opening/closing direction of the pair of grippers, and a first elastic member to restrict, between the base and the body, movement of the holder along the opening/closing direction.

An overhead transport vehicle includes a conveyor to travel along a track, a holder to hold an object to be conveyed, and a lifting driver to lift and lower the holder. The holder includes a base, a holder including a body and a pair of grippers connected to the body in an openable/closable manner, the holder being attached to the base so as to be movable along an opening/closing direction of the pair of grippers, and a first elastic member to restrict, between the base and the body, movement of the holder along the opening/closing direction.

A tension setting system for a remote setting of a tension in a transfer cable ensuring a displacement of a transfer carriage along a jib of a crane, including a winch equipped with a motor cooperating with the cable so as to ensure a displacement of the carriage, a pilot unit connected to the motor to pilot a displacement of the carriage, and a setting mechanical device mounted on the carriage and adapted to be actuated by the action of a displacement of the carriage. The setting mechanical device is coupled to the cable and configurable between a working configuration in which the mechanical device stands still irrespective of the displacement of the carriage and results in a holding of the tension in the cable, and a detent configuration in which, by the action of a displacement of the carriage piloted by the pilot unit according to a first sequence of reciprocating displacement, the mechanical device results in a release of the tension in the cable.

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.

The present application discloses a material handling system and a monitoring system and a monitoring method for particles in a traveling area of overhead hoist transfers, wherein the monitoring system for particles in the overhead hoist transfer traveling area comprises gas sampling modules, a particle counter and a monitoring device. The gas sampling module is configured to obtain the gas to be tested around traveling wheels of each overhead hoist transfer (OHT). The particle counter is configured to test the gas to be tested for the size and number of particles in the gas to be tested. The monitoring device is electrically connected to the particle counter, and is configured to acquire the size and number of the particles tested and alarm when determining that the content of particles does not meet a preset standard.

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.

Rail-mounted lift systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, the lift system includes a rail having at least one conductor positioned on an upper interior surface of the rail. A carriage may be slidably disposed in the rail for relative movement to the rail. The carriage generally includes a carriage body, at least one pair of support wheels rotatably coupled to the carriage body and slidably engaged with the rail, and a conductor truck comprising at least one conductive roller rotatably attached to the conductor truck. The conductor truck may be mounted to the carriage body with a biasing member upwardly biasing the conductive roller into rolling engagement with the at least one conductor. A lift unit may be coupled to the carriage body and includes a motor paying out and taking up a lifting strap. The lift unit is electrically coupled to the at least one conductive roller.