Method of monitoring crane safety and a system for monitoring crane safety

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of monitoring the safety of a crane, in particular of a revolving tower crane having a revolving deck, wherein the crane has a sensor system and a crane control, and wherein furthermore at least one tilt sensor is provided. In accordance with the invention, the at least one tilt sensor is attached to the revolving deck of the revolving tower crane, with the monitoring of the crane safety taking place at least during the putting up and/or taking down of the revolving tower crane.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring safety of a revolving tower crane having a revolving deck, a substructure and a tower, wherein the system has a sensor system, a crane control, and at least one tilt sensor attached and installed at the revolving deck for monitoring the safety during raising and lowering of the revolving tower crane, after the revolving deck is installed on the crane and as the revolving deck is raised up the tower.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one tilt sensor also monitors the safety during operation of the erected crane.

3. A method of monitoring safety of a revolving tower crane having a revolving deck, a sensor system, a crane control, and at least one tilt sensor, comprising the steps of attaching and installing the at least one tilt sensor at the revolving deck, monitoring crane safety during raising and lowering of the revolving tower crane, raising of the crane starts with assembly of a tower on a substructure, then placing the revolving deck having the installed at least one tilt sensor on the substructure, starting the monitoring after the placing on of the revolving deck, and continuing the monitoring as the revolving deck is raised toward a top of, the tower.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein position of the revolving deck is determined via the at least one tilt sensor and received measured values are transmitted to the crane control for evaluation, with an action being triggered on exceeding a predefined limit value.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein inclination of the revolving deck determined by the at least one tilt sensor is compared with inclination values provided for the respective setup, with a warning signal being output on exceeding of a permitted tilt or angle of inclination, and the determined data being logged.

6. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein a correction of the data determined by the at least one tilt sensor is carried out in conjunction with values determined via a provided wind gauge.

7. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein inclination results from a torque generated by a counter-boom and a hoist winch and in dependence on the height of the tower of the revolving tower crane after the assembly of the counter-boom, with the resulting inclination being determined by the at least one tilt sensor and being compared with data stored in the crane control.

8. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein an angle of rotation sensor is provided in addition to the at least one tilt sensor to determine position-dependent inclination of the tower, for placing of counter-ballast on the assembly.

9. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein an angle of inclination a(x) is determined after the assembly of the boom and is noted to log an intermediate step.

10. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein counter-ballast is added in a further method step, with the correctness of permitted inclinations for a fixed configuration of the crane being confirmed by a full rotation of the crane thus set up by 360, and the rotation being able to take place with an installed trolley at the tower and/or with a trolley at the boom tip.

11. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the crane is rotated by 360 after adding counter-ballast to confirm the correctness of inclinations for a fixed configuration.

12. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein monitoring also takes place during lowering of the boom and/or a counter-boom such that a warning signal is output on an exceeding of permitted inclination values.

13. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein inclinations are recorded in the crane control and compared in the form of a load curve with current load torques, with any deviations being logged.

14. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein an angle of inclination in dependence on load torque/static torque and an angle of rotation of the crane, are constantly monitored during operation, with deviations from permitted stored values being displayed.

15. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein inclination is monitored during the raising and lowering of the revolving tower crane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features, details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. There are shown:

(2) FIG. 1 a simplified schematic side view of a revolving tower crane in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention with a tilt sensor for carrying out the method in accordance with the invention shown schematically;

(3) FIGS. 2-3 a simplified schematic side view of a revolving tower crane with a substructure and a tower;

(4) FIG. 4 a simplified schematic side view of the revolving tower crane with the assembled counter-boom;

(5) FIG. 5 a simplified schematic side view of the revolving tower crane with assembly counter-ballast;

(6) FIG. 6 a simplified schematic side view of the revolving tower crane with an assembled boom;

(7) FIGS. 7-9 a simplified schematic side view of the revolving tower crane with completed counter-ballast and an assembled trolley at the tower and at the boom tip;

(8) FIG. 10 a graphical representation of the angular curve prepared in the inclination monitoring; and

(9) FIGS. 11 a-c a simplified schematic side view of a revolving tower crane in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(10) FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic side view of a revolving tower crane 10 (here as a revolving tower crane revolving at the bottom) having a substructure 12 and a revolving tower 14 that has a revolving deck 16. The crane 10 furthermore has a tower 18 as well as a boom 20 fastened to the tower 18. A trolley, not shown in any more detail, having a lifting hook at which the load 22 is suspended is located at the boom 20. The trolley slides along the boom 20 in a horizontal direction that is shown by an arrow 24. The crane 10 furthermore has a counter-boom 26.

(11) The system in accordance with the invention for monitoring the stability of the revolving tower crane 10 has a sensor system and a crane control now shown in any more detail here. A tilt sensor 28 having a very exact resolution is installed at the revolving deck 16 such that the position of the revolving deck 16 can be easily determined.

(12) The actual monitoring starts in accordance with the invention in the putting up of the crane 10, with first the substructure 12 and the mast or the tower 18 being assembled in a manner known per se and only then the revolving tower 16 having the already installed tilt sensor 28 being put on. The tilt sensor 28 shows the position of the revolving deck 16. If the inclination of the revolving deck is larger than that intended for the tower height, the mechanic is informed and the received and evaluated data are then logged.

(13) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a simplified schematic view of a crane 10 (here as a revolving tower crane revolving at the top) with the revolving deck 16 and the tower 18. The inclination of the revolving deck 16 is determined using the angle (x), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in dependence on the tower height/tower combination, TH(x) via the tilt sensor 28 and is compared with permitted inclination values stored in the crane control. If the inclination is within the permitted limits, the erection of the crane is continued. If, however, the inclination of the revolving deck is larger than that intended for the respective setup (tower height), a warning signal is output so that the mechanic is immediately informed and the further putting up of the crane is interrupted. The erection is then continued after a correction. A plurality of tilts sensors can also be provided.

(14) FIG. 4 shows the further assembly steps, namely the assembly of the counter-boom 26. The counter-boom 26 and the hoist winch in this respect generate a torque from which an inclination results as a consequence in conjunction with the tower height.

(15) The inclination is determined by the tilt sensor 28, with the angle 1(x) being logged. If the angle 1(x) is larger than a permitted angle, a warning signal is output. An angle of rotation sensor also has to be used in this respect to determine the position-dependent inclination of the tower. The inclination pattern is then rotated by 360 and is completely mapped in conjunction with the wind measurement.

(16) If the permitted inclination has not been exceeded, the release takes place for the placing on of the assembly counter-ballast 30, as shown in FIG. 5. The angle 2(x) is in this respect again determined in dependence on the tower height/tower combination (x) and is compared with the stored values.

(17) The boom 20 is then assembled, as shown in FIG. 6, and the inclination is determined using the angle 3(x). This is admittedly larger in comparison with the angle 2(x), but a permissible, but also necessary inclination confirms that the counter-ballast matches the assembled boom length. The inclination is noted again to log an intermediate step.

(18) FIG. 7 shows the trolley in the assembly position. The counter-ballast 30 is completed in this respect and the angle 4(x) is determined. The crane is rotated by 360 to confirm the admissibility of the inclinations for the fixed configuration of the crane. This can take place with the trolley 32 at the tower, as shown in FIG. 8, and/or with the trolley 32 at the boom tip 34, as shown in FIG. 9. In this respect, the respective angles 5(x) and 6(x) are determined and are compared with the permitted angles.

(19) As shown in FIG. 10, an angle curve is prepared during whose monitoring the inclinations are compared with current loads. The possible deviations are then logged. The procedure is similar for all the functions in this respect. The inclination angle is determined and is indeed used in dependence on the position with respect to the tower and the function max and min, i.e. the setting of an interval as a limit for the warnings or shut-downs.

(20) A respective second embodiment of the revolving tower crane in accordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 11 a-c. The same reference numerals have the same meaning as those in the previously discussed first embodiment. This embodiment is a revolving tower crane 10 that rotates at the top and in which the boom 20 is rotatably supported at the upper end of the tower 18. The tilt sensor 28 is arranged close to the revolving deck 16.

(21) In the embodiment shown here, the inclination can be achieved in addition to a tilt sensor 28 or instead of a tilt sensor 28 by a pair of GPS transponders 40 and 41. While the GPS transponder 40 is arranged at the tip of the tower 18, the second GPS transponder 41 is arranged at the substructure or base of the lower part of the crane 10. The difference of the GPS signals of the two transponders enables a determination of the inclination from the position of rest as shown with reference to FIGS. 11 a (position of rest without inclination), 11 b (deflection in one direction) and 11 c (deflection in the other direction).