An apparatus and method for lifting and collapsing a collapsible cargo container includes a frame, and vertical guides for aligning the actuator with the cargo container. First and second pusher assemblies engage the end walls of the container to pivot the end walls against the ceiling of the container, where uplocks retain the end walls in a stowed away position. Foldable side walls are then buckled by the weight of the ceiling with assistance from the actuator, until the side walls occupy a predominantly horizontal position between the ceiling/end wall combination and a floor of the cargo container, resulting in a compact configuration. The actuator unfolds the container using steps discussed above in a reverse order.

A gantry crane for a container includes a portal main frame, a traveling mechanism, a translation mechanism, a hoisting mechanism and a spreader assembly. The spreader assembly includes a spreader body, two telescopic girders and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a cam, a sliding way and two sliding blocks. Two arc-shaped first sliding grooves are circumferentially provided on the cam. A middle of the sliding way is rotatably connected with the cam. Two sides of connection of the sliding way and the cam on the sliding way are provided with a second sliding groove. Each sliding block matches with the first and second sliding grooves, and can slide back and forth along them. The telescopic beams are slidably connected to the spreader body, and are symmetrically provided and connected to the sliding blocks, respectively.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a plurality of stacks of storage containers arranged in storage columns, and a container handling vehicle. The container handling vehicle includes a transport mechanism for transport of the vehicle, and a lifting assembly for picking up storage containers from the storage columns. The lifting assembly includes: a lifting frame connectable to a storage container, a first lifting shaft and a second lifting shaft, the first and second lifting shafts being mainly parallel, and each of the first and second lifting shafts being supported in an upper portion of the vehicle, two lifting elements extending from each of the first and second lifting shafts to the lifting frame, and a motor drive assembly having at least one motor including a first motor, and a force transferring assembly rotatably connecting the first and second lifting shafts via a force transferring element.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a rail system including a first set of parallel tracks arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel tracks arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second sets of tracks form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane including a plurality of adjacent grid cells. Each adjacent grid cell includes a grid opening defined by a pair of neighboring tracks of the first set of tracks and a pair of neighboring tracks of the second set of tracks; and a plurality of stacks of storage containers arranged in storage columns located beneath the rail system. Each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening. A container handling vehicle includes a transport mechanism for transport of the vehicle on the rail system, a lifting assembly for picking up storage containers from the storage columns to a position above the lowest level of the transport mechanism. The lifting assembly includes a lifting frame connectable to a storage container, a first lifting shaft and a second lifting shaft. The first and second lifting shafts are mainly parallel, and each of the first and second lifting shafts are supported in an upper portion of the vehicle. Two lifting elements extend from each of the first and second lifting shafts to the lifting frame. A motor drive assembly includes at least a first motor, and a force transferring assembly rotatably connecting the first and second lifting shafts via a force transferring element.

The disclosure relates to an aerial transportation vehicle including a vehicle frame. The vehicle frame includes an upper vehicle frame (3); a lower vehicle frame (4); lifting assembly (a), at least two lifting assemblies (a) opposite to each other being provided in a first direction, and the lower vehicle frame (4) and the upper vehicle frame (3) may be made to move close to or away from each other by operating at least two lifting assemblies (a); a locking device (b), the locking device (b) being disposed on the lower vehicle frame (4); when the lower vehicle frame (4) and the upper vehicle frame (3) move close to each other, the lower vehicle frame (4) and the upper vehicle frame (3) may be locked together by operating the locking device (b); a guide device (d), the guide device (d) being disposed on the lower vehicle frame (4); when the lower vehicle frame (4) and the upper vehicle frame (3) are separated from each other, the containers of different specifications may be quickly assembled and connected onto the lower vehicle frame (4) by operating the guide device (d). The disclosure can realize the assembly and connection of the containers with the aerial transportation vehicle by means of the devices of the aerial transportation vehicle itself with a simple operation. In addition, the disclosure also relates to an aerial rail container transportation method.

A spreader for lifting an intermodal transport container includes a main beam extending in a longitudinal direction, the main beam formed of a first, upper C-beam of a relatively thicker material thickness and a second, lower C-beam of a relatively thinner material thickness; and an indicator configured to provide an indication if a distance in a transversal direction between a pair of twist-locks is set in a wide-body position when lowered onto respective lifting castings provided with top openings separated by a transversal distance corresponding to a standard position.

The present invention discloses a pressing and stretching structure and a clamping structure of a container spreader, and belongs to the technical field of crane accessories. The pressing and stretching structure comprises a telescopic rod, a rotating mechanism and a guiding cylinder which is arranged vertically; a radially telescopic pin is arranged in the guiding cylinder and stoppers are arranged at a lower end; a first annular lug boss and a second annular lug boss are arranged at an interval from top to bottom on an outer wall of the telescopic rod; a sliding bush is sleeved between the first lug boss and the second lug boss; and the rotating mechanism is used for making the telescopic rod and the guiding cylinder to move relatively so that the limiting rod on the telescopic rod reaches the positions of the lower end surface and the upper end surface of the stoppers.

A spreader for lifting a transport container comprises a main frame (26) suspended in a main frame suspension arrangement (36) to enable translation along a longitudinal axis (L). The main frame (26) is vertically supported by the main frame suspension arrangement (36) along a support line extending between a first support end (68a) and a second support end (68b), and the main frame suspension arrangement (36) carries the weight of a suspension arrangement load comprising the main frame (26), container connector arrangements (28a, 28b), and any container(s) attached to the container connector arrangements (28a, 28b). A detector arrangement is configured to detect if a centre of mass of the suspension arrangement load is positioned at a longitudinal position along the support line which is beyond a limit position.

The present invention provides an automatic container landing device based on an expert system and a control method therefor. The device comprises at least four groups of cameras and at least six groups of single-point laser devices, wherein the at least four groups of cameras and four groups of single-point laser devices in the at least six groups of single-point laser devices are arranged at four spreader corners of a spreader fixing support; two groups of single-point laser devices in the at least six groups of single-point laser devices are respectively arranged on the outer sides of two short edges of the spreader fixing support; the front end of the spreader fixing support is lower than the rear end of the spreader fixing support; and the first group of cameras and the second group of cameras in the at least four groups of cameras, as well as the first group of laser devices and the second group of laser devices, and the third group of cameras and the fourth group of cameras, as well as the third group of laser devices and the fourth group of laser devices, are arranged at the front end and the rear end of the spreader fixing support respectively. According to the automatic container landing device based on the expert system, manual container landing experience is integrated into various sensors, a spreader is controlled by means of sensing signals, low-point and high-point container landing of a container is conducted, automatic dynamic container landing of the container is achieved, high-precision measurement is achieved with the cooperation of the cameras and the single-point laser devices, and therefore, the precision and efficiency of the container landing operation are improved.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a rail system including a first set of parallel tracks arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel tracks arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second sets of tracks form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane including a plurality of adjacent grid cells. Each adjacent grid cell includes a grid opening defined by a pair of neighboring tracks of the first set of tracks and a pair of neighboring tracks of the second set of tracks; and a plurality of stacks of storage containers arranged in storage columns located beneath the rail system. Each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening. A container handling vehicle includes a transport mechanism for transport of the vehicle on the rail system, a lifting assembly for picking up storage containers from the storage columns to a position above the lowest level of the transport mechanism. The lifting assembly includes a lifting frame connectable to a storage container, a first lifting shaft and a second lifting shaft. The first and second lifting shafts are mainly parallel, and each of the first and second lifting shafts are supported in an upper portion of the vehicle. Two lifting elements extend from each of the first and second lifting shafts to the lifting frame. A motor drive assembly includes at least a first motor, and a force transferring assembly rotatably connecting the first and second lifting shafts via a force transferring element.