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.

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.

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.

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 hoist and crane assembly is presented. The hoist and crane assembly contains an extendable and retractable hoist and crane subassembly that longitudinally moves in and out from the hoist and crane assembly. Further, the hoist and crane subassembly also contains a lateral rail system for moving shipping containers side to side within an associated trailer, for example. Yet further, means for moving shipping containers from the rear to the front of an associated trailer are also contained within the hoist and crane assembly.

A hoist and crane assembly is presented. The hoist and crane assembly contains an extendable and retractable hoist and crane subassembly that longitudinally moves in and out from the hoist and crane assembly. Further, the hoist and crane subassembly also contains a lateral rail system for moving shipping containers side to side within an associated trailer, for example. Yet further, means for moving shipping containers from the rear to the front of an associated trailer are also contained within the hoist and crane assembly.

A storage system includes a first region and a second region of a rail system. Each of the first region and the second region has rails with a profiled upper surface that define one or more tracks for supporting container handling vehicles, and each rail of at least one pair of parallel rails of the first region is connected to a corresponding rail of a pair of rails of the second region via an expansion joint. The expansion joint includes a first rail element, a second rail element, and a profiled upper surface. The rail elements are elongate and configured at a first end to allow the first ends of the first and second rail elements to move relative to one another in a longitudinal direction in a junction area where they overlap. The profiled upper surface defines one or more tracks. The tracks extend from the first rail element through the junction area to the second rail element. A second end of the first rail element is pivotably connected to the first region of the rail system around a first vertical axis. A second end of the second rail element is pivotably connected to the second region of the rail system around a second vertical axis.

A storage system includes a first region and a second region of a rail system. Each of the first region and the second region has rails with a profiled upper surface that define one or more tracks for supporting container handling vehicles, and each rail of at least one pair of parallel rails of the first region is connected to a corresponding rail of a pair of rails of the second region via an expansion joint. The expansion joint includes a first rail element, a second rail element, and a profiled upper surface. The rail elements are elongate and configured at a first end to allow the first ends of the first and second rail elements to move relative to one another in a longitudinal direction in a junction area where they overlap. The profiled upper surface defines one or more tracks. The tracks extend from the first rail element through the junction area to the second rail element. A second end of the first rail element is pivotably connected to the first region of the rail system around a first vertical axis. A second end of the second rail element is pivotably connected to the second region of the rail system around a second vertical axis.