STS crane

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A ship-to shore (STS) crane comprising: a portal frame structure; a boom supported to a top part of the portal frame structure and having a portion intended to extend to a side of a ship and a portion intended to extend to a quay side; a trolley adapted to move along the boom, the trolley being supported by trolley rails arranged thereon; a hoisting mechanism arranged on top of the boom and having a rope drum for hoisting ropes, whereby the hoisting ropes are routed from the rope drum through boom ends to the trolley; auxiliary trolleys arranged to move along the boom on both sides of the trolley to support and/or tighten the hoisting ropes; a drive mechanism and drive roping of the auxiliary trolleys for moving the auxiliary trolleys; and a folding joint on the boom portion intended to extend on the side of the ship for folding up the folding portion of the boom extending to the direction of the ship from the folding joint, wherein auxiliary trolley rails are arranged on the boom for supporting the auxiliary trolleys and for their movement, these auxiliary trolley rails being separate from the trolley rails; wherein 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, and wherein the auxiliary trolley rails are designed for a smaller load than the trolley rails.

2. The STS crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trolley rails and auxiliary trolley rails run in parallel so that the auxiliary trolley rails are located on the inside of the vertical planes running through the trolley rails.

3. The STS crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary trolley rails are located on the inside of the vertical planes running through the trolley rails lower than the trolley rails.

4. The STS crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary trolley rails are longer than the trolley rails.

5. The STS crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive mechanisms of the auxiliary trolleys are located at the ends of the boom.

6. The STS crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive ropings of the auxiliary trolleys are pre-stretched.

7. The STS crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive ropings of the auxiliary trolleys have length adjustment and tightening devices.

8. The STS crane as claimed in claim 7, wherein the length adjustment and tightening devices are mechanical.

9. The STS crane as claimed in claim 7, wherein the length adjustment and tightening devices are electrical.

10. A ship-to shore (STS) crane comprising: a portal frame structure; a boom supported to a top part of the portal frame structure and having a portion intended to extend to a side of a ship and a portion intended to extend to a quay side; a trolley adapted to move along the boom, the trolley being supported by trolley rails arranged thereon; a hoisting mechanism arranged on top of the boom and having a rope drum for hoisting ropes, whereby the hoisting ropes are routed from the rope drum through boom ends to the trolley; auxiliary trolleys arranged to move along the boom on both sides of the trolley to support and/or tighten the hoisting ropes; a drive mechanism and drive roping of the auxiliary trolleys for moving the auxiliary trolleys; and a folding joint on the boom portion intended to extend on the side of the ship for folding up the folding portion of the boom extending to the direction of the ship from the folding joint, wherein auxiliary trolley rails are arranged on the boom for supporting the auxiliary trolleys and for their movement, these auxiliary trolley rails being separate from the trolley rails; wherein 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, and wherein the drive mechanisms of the auxiliary trolleys are located at the ends of the boom.

11. A ship-to shore (STS) crane comprising: a portal frame structure; a boom supported to a top part of the portal frame structure and having a portion intended to extend to a side of a ship and a portion intended to extend to a quay side; a trolley adapted to move along the boom, the trolley being supported by trolley rails arranged thereon; a hoisting mechanism arranged on top of the boom and having a rope drum for hoisting ropes, whereby the hoisting ropes are routed from the rope drum through boom ends to the trolley; auxiliary trolleys arranged to move along the boom on both sides of the trolley to support and/or tighten the hoisting ropes; a drive mechanism and drive roping of the auxiliary trolleys for moving the auxiliary trolleys; and a folding joint on the boom portion intended to extend on the side of the ship for folding up the folding portion of the boom extending to the direction of the ship from the folding joint, wherein auxiliary trolley rails are arranged on the boom for supporting the auxiliary trolleys and for their movement, these auxiliary trolley rails being separate from the trolley rails; wherein 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, and wherein the drive ropings of the auxiliary trolleys are pre-stretched.

Description

LIST OF FIGURES

(1) The invention is now described in closer detail by means of an implementation example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

(2) FIG. 1 is an overall view of an STS crane at a port; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view showing the principle of an STS crane boom with the associated basic components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The STS crane of the drawings has a gantry-like portal frame structure 1 arranged to move, supported by wheels 2, along rails R arranged on a quay Q. To the top part of the portal frame structure 1, a boom 3 is supported, substantially horizontal in its operating position and having a portion 3a intended to extend to the side of a ship S alongside the quay Q, and a portion 3b intended to extend to the side of the quay Q. A trolley 4, supported to wheels 5, is arranged to move along the boom 3, supported by trolley rails 6 arranged on the boom 3. On top of the boom 3, advantageously near the portal frame structure 1 or supported to it, a hoisting mechanism is arranged, which has a rope drum 7 for hoisting ropes 8, whereby these hoisting ropes 8 have been guided from the rope drum 7 through the ends of the boom 3 to the trolley 4. In the trolley 4, the hoisting ropes 8 are led through sheave systems to a hoisting member of the trolley 4, but these elements unessential from the point of the invention are not shown in the drawings.

(5) In addition, along the boom, on both sides of the trolley 4, auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 have been arranged, which are arranged to move along the boom 3 and the purpose of which is to support and/or tighten the hoisting ropes 8. To move the auxiliary trolleys 9, 10, a drive mechanism arrangement 11, 12 with drive ropings 13, 14 have been arranged. To support and/or tighten the hoisting ropes 8, the auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 have support rope pulleys 15 which are provided with rope grooves and on which the hoisting ropes 8 rest. The support pulleys 15 are advantageously plastic. When the drive roping 13, 14 passes over the frame of the auxiliary trolley 9, 10, there is a sliding surface 20 installed on the surface of this frame, over which the drive roping 13, 14 may slide. The sliding surface 20 is advantageously plastic.

(6) For the ship S to be unloaded at a port to get alongside the quay Q without problems, the portion 3a of the boom 3 of the STS crane, extending in the ship's direction, has a folding joint 16 for the purpose of folding up a folding portion 3c extending further from this joint in the direction of the ship S.

(7) It is essential from the viewpoint of the invention that there are auxiliary trolley rails 17 arranged on the boom 3 for supporting the auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 and for their movement on wheels 20, these auxiliary trolley rails being separate from the trolley rails 6; and in that the drive roping 13, 14 of the auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 is divided into two separate and independent drive ropings 13, 14 which have separate and independent drive mechanisms 11, 12 and which are on different sides of the folding joint 16 on the boom 3. The drive ropings 13, 14 are advantageously on the centre line between the auxiliary trolley rails 17, whereby the movement of the auxiliary trolley 9, 10 is easiest managed, that is, synchronised. The auxiliary trolley 9, 10 is relatively light-weight, so it may be moved by a single rope rotation.

(8) The auxiliary trolley rails 17 are located fixed to the lower surfaces of the boom portions 3a, 3b, 3c, on the inside of the vertical planes running through the trolley rails 6, advantageously lower than the trolley rails 6. It is possible to build extensions to the auxiliary trolley rails 17 in the area of the ends of the boom 3, whereby this allows the forming of a separate servicing and transport station. So, the sum of the lengths of the auxiliary trolley rails 17, calculated past the folding joint 16, may be higher than the sum of the lengths of the actual trolley rails 6. A sea transport of an entire STS crane takes place on a ship's deck from the manufacturing site to the destination port so that there are often a plurality of parallel cranes on the ship, in other words, successively on the deck in the direction of travel of the ship. The auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 may be locked in a transport position by sea straps or welding them temporarily so that the auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 do not move during transport.

(9) The drive mechanism 11, 12 of the auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 are located at the ends of the boom 3. The drive ropings 13, 14 related to the drive mechanisms 11, 12 are advantageously pre-stretched and connected to length adjustment and tightening devices 18, 19 which may be mechanical or electrical. The length adjustment and tightening devices 18, 19 may, in addition to the required tension, also take care of braking the movement of the auxiliary trolley 9, 10. The auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 may be controlled from a separate local control box as desired, for example to a hoisting operation or maintenance position. Control of the auxiliary trolleys 9, 10 may be separate for both trolleys 9, 10. With local control selected, the actions by the crane operator are temporality bypassed.

(10) The above description of the invention is only intended to illustrate the basic idea of the invention. A person skilled in the art may, however, implement its details within the scope of the attached claims.