An STS crane (Ship-to Shore) includes a portal frame structure; a boom which has a portion extending on a ship's side as well as a portion extending on a quay side; a trolley moving along the boom; a hoisting mechanism which has a rope drum for hoisting ropes, whereby the hoisting ropes are routed from the rope drum through boom ends to the trolley; auxiliary trolleys which move along the boom on both sides of the trolley to support and/or tighten the hoisting ropes; and a folding joint on the boom portion extending on the ship's side for folding up the folding portion of the boom extending to the direction of the ship from the folding joint; whereby there are auxiliary trolley rails arranged for the auxiliary trolleys, these auxiliary trolley rails being separate from the trolley rails; and whereby the drive roping of the auxiliary trolleys is divided into two separate and independent drive ropings which have separate and independent drive mechanisms and which are on different sides of the folding joint on the boom.

A maintenance assistance method for assisting in maintaining a metal cable of a lifting or transport apparatus, the metal cable forming a closed loop and cooperating with a re-tensioning system. The maintenance assistance method implements the following steps: supervising the re-tensioning operations of the metal cable by the re-tensioning system, for each re-tensioning operation of the metal cable, determining of an elongation value of the metal cable, estimating an overall elongation value of the metal cable, which corresponds to the sum of the elongation values of the metal cable determined after each re-tensioning operation, and determining a damage index of the metal cable as a function of the overall elongation value.

A slider has a drum with alternating alpha and beta grooves, first stacked pulleys, and second stacked pulleys. First and second end pulleys are at opposite ends of the slider. A line wraps as a loop from the last beta groove, around the first end pulley, to the last alpha groove, back and forth around the first stacked pulleys, off the first alpha groove, around the second end pulley, to the first beta groove, back and forth around the second stacked pulleys, and back to the last beta groove. When the drum or the end pulleys are driven, the difference in circumferences of the grooves causes the slider to move toward one of the first or second end pulleys.

A slider has a drum with alternating alpha and beta grooves, first stacked pulleys, and second stacked pulleys. First and second end pulleys are at opposite ends of the slider. A line wraps as a loop from the last beta groove, around the first end pulley, to the last alpha groove, back and forth around the first stacked pulleys, off the first alpha groove, around the second end pulley, to the first beta groove, back and forth around the second stacked pulleys, and back to the last beta groove. When the drum or the end pulleys are driven, the difference in circumferences of the grooves causes the slider to move toward one of the first or second end pulleys.

An STS crane (Ship-to Shore) includes a portal frame structure; a boom which has a portion extending on a ship's side as well as a portion extending on a quay side; a trolley moving along the boom; a hoisting mechanism which has a rope drum for hoisting ropes, whereby the hoisting ropes are routed from the rope drum through boom ends to the trolley; auxiliary trolleys which move along the boom on both sides of the trolley to support and/or tighten the hoisting ropes; and a folding joint on the boom portion extending on the ship's side for folding up the folding portion of the boom extending to the direction of the ship from the folding joint; whereby there are auxiliary trolley rails arranged for the auxiliary trolleys, these auxiliary trolley rails being separate from the trolley rails; and whereby the drive roping of the auxiliary trolleys is divided into two separate and independent drive ropings which have separate and independent drive mechanisms and which are on different sides of the folding joint on the boom.

A system for moving a bridge crane includes a first drive and a second drive coupled to a support structure, a first sheave and a second sheave coupled to the support structure, and third sheaves coupled to a beam movable in a first axis. The system includes a first line coupled to the first drive, the first sheave, the second sheave, and one or more of the third sheaves. The first line is coupled to a gripping assembly that is coupled to the beam and movable in a second axis. The system includes a second line coupled to the second drive, the first sheave, the second sheave, and the third sheaves. The second line is coupled to the gripping assembly. Rotating the first and second drives causes the beam and the gripping assembly to move in the first axis and/or the gripping assembly to move in the second axis.

A system for moving a bridge crane includes a first drive and a second drive coupled to a support structure, a first sheave and a second sheave coupled to the support structure, and third sheaves coupled to a beam movable in a first axis. The system includes a first line coupled to the first drive, the first sheave, the second sheave, and one or more of the third sheaves. The first line is coupled to a gripping assembly that is coupled to the beam and movable in a second axis. The system includes a second line coupled to the second drive, the first sheave, the second sheave, and the third sheaves. The second line is coupled to the gripping assembly. Rotating the first and second drives causes the beam and the gripping assembly to move in the first axis and/or the gripping assembly to move in the second axis.

A slider has a drum with alternating alpha and beta grooves, first stacked pulleys, and second stacked pulleys. First and second end pulleys are at opposite ends of the slider. A line wraps as a loop from the last beta groove, around the first end pulley, to the last alpha groove, back and forth around the first stacked pulleys, off the first alpha groove, around the second end pulley, to the first beta groove, back and forth around the second stacked pulleys, and back to the last beta groove. When the drum or the end pulleys are driven, the difference in circumferences of the grooves causes the slider to move toward one of the first or second end pulleys.

A slider has a drum with alternating alpha and beta grooves, first stacked pulleys, and second stacked pulleys. First and second end pulleys are at opposite ends of the slider. A line wraps as a loop from the last beta groove, around the first end pulley, to the last alpha groove, back and forth around the first stacked pulleys, off the first alpha groove, around the second end pulley, to the first beta groove, back and forth around the second stacked pulleys, and back to the last beta groove. When the drum or the end pulleys are driven, the difference in circumferences of the grooves causes the slider to move toward one of the first or second end pulleys.