It is provided a sensor trolley for use in a container crane. The sensor trolley includes: a sensor arrangement being usable to determine a position of a target for landing or picking up a container; and the sensor trolley is configured to be movable along a horizontal trolley support of the container crane for the sensor arrangement to cover a plurality of vehicle lanes under the container crane.

An upgraded quay crane system and an operation process, wherein a conventional quay crane girder is upgraded into a double-trapezoid four-track girder (1). An upper trolley (2) travels on upper trolley running tracks (a16) on an inner side of the double-trapezoid four-track girder (1), a lower trolley (3) is suspended upside down on lower trolley running tracks (a8) on an outer side of the double-trapezoid four-track girder (1), and a container (5) hoisted by the upper trolley (2) via a hoist (4) is able to pass through the lower trolley (3). The present quay crane system improves on the conventional quay crane having a single operation trolley by adding one more operation trolley on the outer side of the original quay crane girder. The two trolleys are vertically disposed, and the space structure for the lower trolley is cleverly designed, such that the two trolleys can operate independently without interfering with each other. The two trolleys of the upgraded quay crane have enough space to pass by each other and operate at the same time, thereby doubling loading and unloading efficiency.

A container crane has a trolley movable on a cross-member of a gantry. A harness for picking up and setting down a container and at least one laser scanner are arranged on the trolley. The laser scanner captures a depth image which, as a function of a first and a second angle, indicates the distance of object points detected by a laser beam. The captured depth image is evaluated. Based on the object points, objects are detected and their locations are determined. The objects comprise the harness and/or a container picked up by the harness, and further objects. Based on the detected object points, the contour of the harness and/or of the container picked up by the harness is determined. Detection of further objects within regions defined by the contour is suppressed. A control device takes the detected objects and their locations into account for controlling the container crane.

A crane system includes an elevated track spanning a first location to a second location; at least one spreader assembly configured to move along the elevated track using a tram assembly unit, and to move a shipping container from a first storage area to a second storage area, wherein the first storage area and the second storage area are between the first location and the second location; and a controller configured to identify the shipping container and control a movement of the shipping container using the at least one spreader assembly.

An automatic loading system for vehicles includes an overhead platform, a transporting machine, and a cargo carrying mechanism. The overhead platform includes two rails. The transporting machine is disposed on the rails and configured to move on the rails along a first direction. The transporting machine includes a hoist mechanism and a fork assembly disposed on the hoist mechanism. The hoist mechanism is configured to drive the fork assembly to move along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. The fork assembly includes forks disposed side by side and separately. Each fork includes at least a conveyer belt. The cargo carrying mechanism is configured to carry cargos and includes a conveyer belt platform. When the fork assembly is close to the cargo carrying mechanism, the conveyer belt and the conveyer belt platform are configured to transport the cargos to the forks from the conveyer belt platform.

The availability of a container crane or a dock is improved. A cargo handling method includes steps of: moving a lighter 601 to a different dock, the lighter 601 carrying a freight container wheeled platform 501 loaded on the lighter 601, the freight container wheeled platform 501 carrying a container 401 placed on the freight container wheeled platform 501 in a container yard; and unloading the freight container wheeled platform 501 from the lighter 601 to the different dock.

A vertically-adjustable gantry assembly installation adapted for removal or placement of a train bridge-span of the type which spans and is supported by two piers, comprises a gantry assembly positioned on load-bearing first ground-support locations, the gantry assembly comprising a gantry and a ground-engaging vertical support and lift system, the vertical support and lift system adapted for supporting a combined weight of the gantry and a bridge span in at least one operational vertical position above respective bridge span support-surfaces of the piers including a position corresponding to a disembarking plane in which the leg portions are extended from a stowed position to an extent at least sufficient for the gantry assembly to self-liftoff the pre-installation conveyance system onto the first ground-support locations to effect the gantry assembly installation.

An alignment apparatus of a container configured to an alignment of a container smoothly by using a manual operation and an automatic operation together is provided. The alignment apparatus includes a first calculator performing calculation measuring a position of the container based on a detection result of a position sensor, a second calculator performing calculation measuring a target position based on the detection result of the position sensor, the target container being placed on the target position, a third calculator calculating and setting a first automatic operation region performing the automatic operation based on a position of the container and a second automatic operation region performing the automatic operation based on the target position, respectively, a first signal generating part detecting overlapping of the first automatic operation region and the second automatic operation region, and generating a first speed reference signal so as to coincide the position of the container with the target position, and a second signal generating part generating a second speed reference signal for moving the container based on a manual control signal generated by an operation of an operator.

A system for managing shipping containers and twist lock connectors is described. The system includes multiple stations. Each station includes a container platform and a pallet station. The container platform is able to accommodate various container sizes and/or multiple containers at one time. The container platform includes connector changers, handlers, and gantries that are able to automatically engage connectors with a container and disengage connectors from a container. The station includes a shuttle able to transfer connectors between the platform handlers and pallet station handlers and gantries. The pallet station includes a pallet with multiple receptacles for storing connectors. The pallet station and/or the container platform may include one or more magazines and/or one or more conveyors.

A method for supporting remote control of a container crane, the container crane being configured to move containers from one location to another. The method is performed in a container crane control system, and includes the steps of: receiving work order information, each work order specifying a location of a container to be picked up and a destination of the container to be placed; obtaining a first video stream of images of a pick-up location; identifying the container to be picked up in the images of the first video stream; modifying the first video stream images, which includes highlighting the container to be picked up; and presenting the modified video stream of images on a display.