MOBILE CRANE HAVING A FOLDING BOOM ARRESTER DEVICE AND FOLDING BOOM FOR SAID CRANE

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a mobile crane that comprises an undercarriage having a chassis and comprises a superstructure that is rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the undercarriage and has a telescopic boom at whose tip a boom head is arranged. The boom has holding means at one side for the support of a folding boom that can be releasably installed at the boom head. The boom laterally has a console and a holding element arranged between the console and the boom head. The folding boom is pivotable about a vertical axis of the holding element for the installation at the boom head, while it is supported on the console. In accordance with the present disclosure, a first securing device is arranged in the region of the console by means of which a movement of the folding boom deviating from a pivot movement about a vertical axis can be limited. The present disclosure furthermore relates to a folding boom for a crane.

Claims

1. A mobile crane comprising an undercarriage having a chassis and comprising a superstructure rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the undercarriage and having a telescopic boom at whose tip a boom head is arranged, wherein the telescopic boom has holding means at one side for supporting a folding boom that can be releasably assembled at the boom head, wherein the telescopic boom laterally has a console and a holding element arranged between the console and the boom head, and wherein the folding boom is pivotable about a vertical axis of the holding element at the boom head, while the folding boom is supported on the console, wherein a first securing device is arranged in a region of the console by means of which a movement of the folding boom deviating from a pivot movement about a vertical axis can be limited.

2. The crane in accordance with claim 1, wherein a second securing device by means of which a vertical movement of the folding boom can be limited is arranged laterally at the telescopic boom between the first securing device and the boom head.

3. The crane in accordance with claim 2, wherein the second securing device comprises a securing arm that projects from the telescopic boom and that is configured such that the folding boom does not come into contact with the securing arm in a transport position supported at the boom and on pivoting about a vertical axis, with the securing arm.

4. The crane in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first securing device is arranged at the console.

5. The crane in accordance with claim 3, wherein that the console has a foldable structure and comprises at least two console parts that are pivotably connected to one another and are releasably latchable, with the console being movable into an assembly position for assembly of the folding boom at the boom head by unfolding from a transport position and vice versa.

6. The crane in accordance with claim 5, wherein the console is configured such that the folding boom is supported in a transport position supported at the telescopic boom via at least one roller on a first console part and such that the folding boom rolls off over the at least one roller along an upper side of the console on a pivot movement about the vertical axis of the holding element and with a console unfolded into the assembly position.

7. The crane in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first securing device is arranged at a pivotable part of the console that forms an end piece of the console in the assembly position and is configured such that the folding boom does not come into contact with it in a transport position supported at the telescopic boom and on the pivoting about a vertical axis, with the upper side of the console facing the folding boom.

8. The crane in accordance with claim 5, wherein the first securing device comprises an arrester element that is rod-shaped and that is configured such that on a sliding from the console differing from a pivot movement about a vertical axis, an arrester hook provided at the folding boom comes into engagement with the arrester element and blocks a further movement of the folding boom.

9. The crane in accordance with claim 8, wherein that the arrester element projects from the console at both sides, with two arrester hooks being provided at the folding boom that are arranged such that they come into engagement with the arrester element on both sides of the console on a sliding of the folding boom from the console, with the arrester element being able to be produced in one part or in multiple parts.

10. The crane in accordance with claim 5, wherein the first securing device comprises at least one arrester hook that is configured such that on a sliding of the folding boom from the console differing from a pivot movement about a vertical axis, an arrester element arranged at the folding boom.

11. The crane in accordance with claim 10, wherein the arrester element is formed by a corner bar or by a connection strut of the folding boom.

12. The crane in accordance with claim 1, wherein the boom head has fastening means for a connection with corresponding fastening means of the folding boom, with at least one fastening means of the folding boom being able to be joined together by a fastening means of the boom head by pivoting the folding boom about the vertical axis of the holding element, with the folding boom being pivotable about a vertical axis of the joined together and connected fastening means after connecting the joined together fastening means and a release of the connection to the holding element and with the remaining fastening means thereby being able to be joined together.

13. The crane in accordance with claim 3 having a folding boom.

14. The crane in accordance with claim 13, wherein the folding boom has at least one roller via which it is seated on the console and rolls off on the console during the pivoting about the vertical axis of the holding element, with the folding boom having an arrester hook or an arrester element that comes into engagement with a corresponding arrester element or arrester hook in the region of the console on a sliding of the folding boom from the console differing from a pivot movement about a vertical axis such that a further movement of the folding boom is blocked.

15. The crane in accordance with claim 3, wherein the securing arm has an upwardly projecting nose at the end.

16. The crane in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first console part is fixedly connected to the boom.

17. The crane in accordance with claim 7, wherein the upper side of the console is downwardly chamfered in the region of the first securing device.

18. The crane in accordance with claim 10, wherein the arrester element is being of rod shape comes into engagement with the arrester hook and blocks a further movement of the folding boom.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0033] Further features, details, and advantages of the present disclosure result from the embodiments explained in the following with reference to the Figures. There are shown:

[0034] FIG. 1: an embodiment of the crane in accordance with the present disclosure with a folding boom in the transport position in a side view;

[0035] FIG. 2: a plan view of a boom and folding boom of the crane in accordance with FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 3: a schematic representation of the view in accordance with FIG. 2;

[0037] FIG. 4: a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal axis through the folding boom and the boom in the region of the second securing device;

[0038] FIG. 5: a schematic cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal axis through the folding boom and the boom in the region of the first securing device;

[0039] FIG. 6: a detail of the folding boom supported at the boom looking toward the console in the transport position in a perspective representation;

[0040] FIG. 7: the console in accordance with FIG. 6 with a view of its lower side;

[0041] FIG. 8: a detail of the folding boom rolling off on the unfolded console in a perspective view

[0042] FIG. 9: a detail of the arrester hook engaging around the arrester element after the siding of the folding boom off from the console in a perspective view;

[0043] FIG. 10: the situation in accordance with FIG. 9 with an arrester hook in accordance with a further embodiment; and

[0044] FIG. 11: a detail of the arrester hook and the arrester element after the sliding of the folding boom from the console in accordance with an alternative embodiment in a perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] An embodiment of the mobile crane 10 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in a side view in FIG. 1. The crane 10 has an undercarriage 12 having a four-axle wheeled chassis, a superstructure 14 supported on the undercarriage 12 rotatably about a vertical axis, and a telescopic boom 16 arranged on the superstructure 14 pivotably about a horizontal axis. A roller head or boom head 18 that has a plurality of fastening means 50 that are formed as pinning points and via which a folding boom 20 can be installed at the boom as required is located at the end of the boom 16. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the boom 16 and the folding boom 20 in each case in a plan view (FIG. 3 in a schematic view).

[0046] The present embodiment is a so-called taxi crane 10 since the folding boom 20 can be traveled to the deployment site with the crane 10 and can be assembled and disassembled on site without any further external auxiliary means. The folding boom 20 can be supported and secured laterally at the boom 16 in a transport position (as shown in FIG. 1) for this purpose. The boom 16 has a row of holding means laterally for this purpose. For assembly at the boom head 18, the folding boom 20 likewise has a plurality of fastening means 60 formed as pinning points. In this respect, the folding boom 20 is supported in the transport position such that the wider end having the fastening means 60 is positioned next to the boom head 18.

[0047] The boom 16 has a holding element 24 laterally via which the folding boom 20 is supported at the boom 16 pivotably about a vertical axis, with the folding boom 20 being secured against an unwanted pivoting in the transport position via additional holding means not shown in any more detail here. A console 22, on which the folding boom 20 is supported via a plurality of rolls or rollers 26, is furthermore laterally arranged further to the rear on the boom 16 (in the direction of the support at the superstructure 14). In the region of the holding element 24, there is a securing arm 34 having a nose 36 that is arranged at the end spaced apart from the boom 16, that projects upwardly, and that is arranged and configured such that it does not come into contact with the folding boom 20 in the transport position and on a proper assembly and disassembly.

[0048] FIGS. 4 and 5 show schematic cross-sectional views of the folding boom 20 and of a part of the boom 16 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the folding boom 20 or of the boom 16 in the region of the securing arm 34 (FIG. 4) and of the console 22 (FIG. 5). The boom 16 is drawn schematically here. As can be recognized in FIG. 4, the securing arm 34 is arranged at a level at which is projects below and through the upper corner bars and above and through the lower corner bars of the folding boom 20. No contact therefore takes place on a lateral pivot movement of the folding boom. The securing arm 34 serves as an arrester device that is intended to prevent a falling off of the folding boom 20 on an operating error. If the folding boom 20 falls from the boom 16, it is intercepted by the securing arm 34, with the nose 35 preventing the folding boom 20 from sliding off laterally over the securing arm 34.

[0049] On the assembly of the folding boom 20, a pivoting (for example by means of a hydraulic cylinder) first takes place about the vertical axis formed by the holding element 34 to join together the fastening means 50, 60 of the boom head 18 and the folding boom 20 in a horizontal orbit of movement and to bring them to cover one another. They are subsequently pinned so that from this point in time onward the folding boom 20 is securely fastened to the boom 16 and a falling off of the folding boom 20 is no longer possible. The connection at the holding element 24 can now be released. In the next step, a horizontal pivot movement of the folding boom 20 takes place about the vertical axis formed by the pin connection of the fastening means 50, 60 until the longitudinal axes of the folding boom 20 and of the boom 16 are aligned and are thus disposed in the same planes or in parallel planes and the remaining fastening means 50, 60 are joined together. Finally, the latter are likewise pinned. On dismantling, the reverse order of the aforesaid steps takes place.

[0050] During the pivot movement of the folding boom 20 about the holding element 24, the outer end of the folding boom 20 (the left end in FIG. 2) moves away from the boom 16. It is guided on the console 22 in this process. The rollers 26 are provided to reduce the forces. The required region in which the folding boom 20 is supported on its pivot movement is relatively long due to the lever ratios. For this reason, the console 22 is foldable and comprises three console parts 22′, 22″, 22′″ that are each pivotably connected and latchable to one another.

[0051] In the transport position of the folding boom 20, the console 22 is folded inward in a transport position to reduce the space requirement of the boom 16. The folding boom 20 is here supported on the first console part 22′ that is directly fastened to the boom 16. On the assembly of the folding boom 20, the console 22 is unfolded, in contrast, so that the console parts 22′, 22″, 22″ are linearly aligned and latched. The folding boom 20 can thereby roll off over the rollers 26 on the surface of the unfolded console 22 on the lateral pivoting. The console 22 is shown schematically in the unfolded state (assembly position) in FIG. 3.

[0052] While the securing arm 34 already provides a certain protection against a collapse of the folding boom 20 as a consequence of improper operation, serious operating errors are in particular not always sufficiently covered. A situation in which a pinning of the fastening means 50, 60 joined together after a pivoting about the holding means 24 is forgotten and the connection at the holding means 24 is subsequently released can thus, for example, have the result that the folding boom 20 falls onto the securing arm 34 and then slides off the console 22. It may occur on such a movement that the folding boom 20 slides over the nose 36 and subsequently falls down due to the sloped position of the folding boom 20 that is caused by its own weight and by the two support points 22, 24.

[0053] In order also to cover the situations in which the folding boom 20 slides off to the rear and to ensure a safe setup procedure even with serious operating errors, a further arrester device or securing device 30 is provided in accordance with the present disclosure in the region of the console 22. This device in accordance with the present disclosure arranged in the rear region of the boom 16 will be called a first securing device 30 in the following and the secure arm 34, together with the nose 36, arranged in the front region of the boom 16 will be called a second securing device 32.

[0054] A first embodiment of the first securing device 30 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in more detail in FIGS. 6-9. The console 22 is here shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in the inwardly folded state or in the transport position in which the two pivotable console parts 22″, 22′″ contact the first console part 22′. The folding boom 20 is located at the boom 16 in the transport position and is supported on the first console part 22′ via the rollers 26. The outermost console part 22′″ is chamfered in a sloping or downward manner toward the end. This is inter alia due to the fact that the outer console parts 22″, 22′″ have to be freely pivotable while the rollers 26 of the folding boom 20 are supported on the first console part 22′. The slope of the console in its tapering region is actually due to the disassembly procedure. On the disassembly, the operator pivots the folding boom toward the side of the boom 16. The folding boom is only held at two pins about the pivot axis here. A large lever arm that deflects the folding boom downwardly is produced by the large outreach. The folding boom thus has to have support in the end phase of the pivot movement via the rollers 26 and thereby has to be raised in its transport position at the boom.

[0055] A thrust bearing in the form of a rod-shaped arrester element 40 is arranged at the outermost console part 22′″ and projects laterally (perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the console part 22′″ in the present embodiment) from the console part 22′″. FIG. 8 shows the outermost console part 22′″ in the unfolded state, i.e. the console 22 is in the assembly position. On the outward pivoting of the folding boom 20, the rollers 26 roll off on the unfolded console 22. On a proper assembly procedure, the folding boom 20 moves in a horizontal plane on the pivoting about a vertical axis (of the holding element 24 or of the pinning of the fastening means 50, 60). If an operating error occurs in which the folding boom 20 slides off to the bottom, i.e. in which the movement of the folding boom 20 has a vertical component, the first securing device 30 thus provides that this unwanted movement is stopped or blocked.

[0056] For this purpose, an arrester element in the form of a hook or of an arrester hook 42 is provided at the folding boom 20 and is welded in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-9 to a corner bar of the folding boom 20 in which in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, in contrast, is clamped to the corner bar by means of a clamp 44. If the rollers 26 of the folding boom 20 leave the console 22, as can be seen in FIG. 8, the folding boom 20 rolls down the inclined surface of the outermost console part 22′″ and accelerates due to gravity. After leaving the console 22, the support effect is completely lost. The previous movement of the folding boom 20, however, is maintained so that a combined movement results with vertical and horizontal components. The locations of the arrester hook 42 and of the arrester element 40 are therefore selected suitably so that the arrester hook 42 of the folding boom 20 just falling down engages around the arrester element 40 and the folding boom 20 is thereby “intercepted” (cf. FIGS. 9-10). On a proper assembly procedure or disassembly procedure, the arrester element 40 is, however, not contacted by the arrester hook 42.

[0057] The shape/contour of the arrester hook 42 is designed such that a release of the connection to the arrester element 40 is not possible on its own. The connection between the arrester element 40 and the arrester hook 42 can optionally be configured such that energy can be reduced. This could take place by plastic deformation of the arrester element 40 and/or arrester hook 42 or also via friction. A certain elasticity of the components would also be conceivable.

[0058] In contrast to the representation shown, a symmetrical solution is also conceivable. A longer arrester element 40 projecting at both sides of the outer console part 22′″ and two or more arrester hooks 42 at both sides of the console 22 could thus be used. An arrester hook 40 formed even longer on one side and the use of a plurality of arrester hooks 42 on one side of the console 22 would also be conceivable. Different positions/inclinations of the folding boom 20 on a falling down could thereby be taken into account and a safe interception could be ensured.

[0059] FIG. 11 shows an alternative embodiment in which an arrester hook 42′ formed from two parallel metal sheets is provided at the end of the console 22 or as an extension of the outermost console part 22′″ and the arrester element 40′ is arranged at the folding boom 20. It can be implemented, for example, in that—as shown in FIG. 11—one of the corner bars of the folding boom 20 forms the arrester element 40′ and is intercepted and held on the falling down from the arrester hook 42′. A separate arrester element 40′ can naturally also be provided at the folding boom 20. The location and shape of the arrester hook 42′ can also differ from the embodiment shown in FIG. 11.

[0060] FIGS. 1-11 show example configurations with relative positioning of the various components. If shown directly contacting each other, or directly coupled, then such elements may be referred to as directly contacting or directly coupled, respectively, at least in one example. Similarly, elements shown contiguous or adjacent to one another may be contiguous or adjacent to each other, respectively, at least in one example. As an example, components laying in face-sharing contact with each other may be referred to as in face-sharing contact. As another example, elements positioned apart from each other with only a space there-between and no other components may be referred to as such, in at least one example. As yet another example, elements shown above/below one another, at opposite sides to one another, or to the left/right of one another may be referred to as such, relative to one another. Further, as shown in the figures, a topmost element or point of element may be referred to as a “top” of the component and a bottommost element or point of the element may be referred to as a “bottom” of the component, in at least one example. As used herein, top/bottom, upper/lower, above/below, may be relative to a vertical axis of the figures and used to describe positioning of elements of the figures relative to one another. As such, elements shown above other elements are positioned vertically above the other elements, in one example. As yet another example, shapes of the elements depicted within the figures may be referred to as having those shapes (e.g., such as being circular, straight, planar, curved, rounded, chamfered, angled, or the like). Further, elements shown intersecting one another may be referred to as intersecting elements or intersecting one another, in at least one example. Further still, an element shown within another element or shown outside of another element may be referred as such, in one example.

[0061] The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and sub-combinations regarded as novel and non-obvious. These claims may refer to “an” element or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof. Such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Other combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or through presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0062] 10 mobile crane [0063] 12 undercarriage [0064] 14 superstructure [0065] 16 boom [0066] 18 boom head [0067] 20 folding boom [0068] 22 console [0069] 22′ console part [0070] 22″ console part [0071] 22′″ console part [0072] 24 holding element [0073] 26 roller [0074] 30 first securing device [0075] 32 second securing device [0076] 34 securing arm [0077] 36 nose [0078] 40 arrester element [0079] 40′ arrester element (corner bar) [0080] 42 arrester hook [0081] 42′ arrester hook [0082] 44 clamp [0083] 50 fastening means boom head [0084] 60 fastening means folding boom