A gantry crane for containers with at least one raised horizontal beam, comprising ship-side spreaders supported on a first section of said horizontal beam, container land-side spreaders supported on a second section of said horizontal beam, and a horizontal transport carriage, mounted displaceably along the beam so that it is susceptible to being placed under the containers lifted by the ship-side spreaders, and arranged to support the containers and displace them to a position below the land-side spreaders, said horizontal transport carriage comprising anchoring means for separably anchoring the containers.

An aerial transfer carriage and a control method therefor. The aerial transfer carriage includes: a carriage frame, a spreader, a lifting device and an anti-sway device. The anti-sway device includes two correction winch mechanisms and two correction ropes. The lifting device drives an end of each of the two correction ropes to be reel and unreel. The two correction winch mechanisms respectively drive another end of each of the two correction ropes to be reel and unreel. When it is required to correct a deflection of the spreader, the two opposite ends of the correction rope are wound or unwound respectively, and with the two correction ropes disposed crosswise, the correction rope adjusts a lateral position and a longitudinal position of the spreader during reel and unreel.

A spreader frame, comprising a set of outer bars and a corresponding set of inner bars, each outer bar having a series of apertures and each inner bar having a spring-biased pin shaped and oriented to fit into any aperture of the series of apertures, each inner bar slidably engaging each corresponding outer bar to form an expandable beam having a first end and a second end, and each beam being connected at its first end and second end to a further beam to form a frame, wherein for each beam, each aperture of the series of apertures other than a selected aperture is filled with a corresponding outer bar pin, and the inner bar is slidable within the outer bar to bring the spring-biased pin in position to insert into the selected aperture to fix the size of the beam.

A detector apparatus is provided and includes a collector having access to a sample of a gaseous fluid and a tester coupled to and disposed remotely from the collector. The tester includes a test chamber into which a sample is directed from the collector, an excitation element to excite the sample in the test chamber and a spectrum analyzing device coupled to the test chamber to analyze the excited sample for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration. The threshold concentration is defined in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample.

Controlling a container, such as a spreader, is described for engaging, retaining, and moving containers, as well as for unloading containers, particularly bottom-unloading containers. A spreader includes a frame having mounted thereon twistlocks, an actuator, a movable engagement mechanism, and force transmission means connecting the actuator and the movable engagement mechanism. The actuator and the force transmission means are substantially disposed along the long sides of the frame, and the movable engagement mechanism is substantially disposed on the short sides of the frame. The actuator allows the movable engagement mechanism to move reciprocally primarily in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the frame. The spreader significantly expands the functionality of devices used for engaging, retaining, moving, and unloading containers, makes it possible to unload a bottom-unloading container, and also allows the automation, simplification, and acceleration of the unloading process of such a container.

A side lift spreader (1) for handling empty containers (6), and a method for adjusting a main frame (10) of an inverted side lift spreader. The inverted side lift spreader (1) comprises a main carriage (8) which is connectable to a lifting device (2) to be movable along a from side (39) of a mast (4) of the lifting device (2) the main frame (10) being carried by and sideways movable with respect to the main carriage (8), and main frame guiding means (27) for guiding a movement of the main frame (27) comprises at least two links (30, 31, 32, 33), one first portion (52, 56, 60, 64) of each link (30, 31, 32, 33) being connected to the main frame (10) and one second portion (54, 58, 62, 66) of each link (30, 31, 32, 33) being connected to the main carriage (8). The second portions (54, 58, 62, 66) of the links (30, 31, 32, 33) are arranged at the main carriage (8) at respective points of attachments (76, 78, 80, 82) which are located, in use of the spreader (1), at an opposite side (84) of the mast (4) compound to the front side (39).

A side lift spreader (1) for handling empty containers (6), and a method for adjusting a main frame (10) of an inverted side lift spreader. The inverted side lift spreader (1) comprises a main carriage (8) which is connectable to a lifting device (2) to be movable along a front side (39) of a mast (4) of the lifting device (2), the main frame (10) being carried by and sideways movable with respect to the main carriage (8), and main frame guiding means (27) for guiding a movement of the main frame (10) with respect to the main carriage (8). The main frame guiding means (27) comprises at least two links (30, 31, 32, 33), one first portion (52, 56, 60, 64) of each link (30, 31, 32, 33) being connected to the main frame (10) and one second portion (54, 58, 62, 66) of each link (30, 31, 32, 33) being connected to the main carriage (8). The second portions (54, 58, 62, 66) of the links (30, 31, 32, 33) are arranged at the main carriage (8) at respective points of attachment (76, 78, 80, 82) which are located, in use of the spreader (1), at an opposite side (84) of the mast (4) compared to the front side (39).

A boom truck having a grapple bucket with first and second jaws which controllably pivot on an axle from an open to partly closed jaw positions. The bucket picks up a debris-carrying bag via lifting straps. The bucket has an elongated hanger, one end mounted on the first jaw and an opposing strap carrying, terminal end which transverses the axle in open jaw position. Bucket a wiper mounted on bucket's second jaw with a wiper surface adjacent hanger's strap carrying region in open position. Hanger's terminal end region is foreshortened such that the end arcuately bypasses wiper's surface during pivotal movement of both jaws during transition from open to partly closed jaw positions. method of lifting, carrying and depositing a debris-carrying bag having at least one lifting strap. Method includes placing lifting strap on strap carrying region and lifting the bag in the open jaw position. With grapple in final deposition position, jaws pivot from open position to partly closed jaw position and strap is pushed off the strap carrying region by a wiper mounted on the second jaw. Creating gap between strap carrying region and wiper off-loads strap via gap in the closed, bag deposition position.

A method and apparatus for handling cargo. A cargo handling system may be positioned relative to the cargo. The cargo handling system may comprise a frame structure and an engagement system. The frame structure may be configured to change in a number of dimensions to encompass the cargo. The engagement system may be configured to engage the cargo. The number of dimensions of the frame structure may be adjusted to encompass the cargo. The cargo may be engaged with the engagement system.

A system and assembly for providing anti-sway and motion compensation while handling ISO containers in high sea states up to and above sea state four between a lighter or other floating body and a crane ship. The contemplated invention enables the transfer of cargo containers between a container ship and a lighter or other floating body at sea in sea states up to and higher than sea state four by synchronizing the motion of the container and the lighter or floating body.