CRANE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a crane, for example in the form of a fast-erecting crane comprising a telescopic and/or luffing tower, having a crane controller for controlling crane movements by means of drive devices, wherein the crane controller has a monitoring device for monitoring stability and limiting crane movements if a load limit is reached. According to the invention, the monitoring device has a wind resistance detection unit for detecting at least one variable wind resistance parameter which influences the wind resistance of the crane, and is designed to change the load limit depending on the detected wind resistance parameter and/or to consider different load limits depending on said wind resistance parameter.

Claims

1. A convertible, fast-erecting tower crane comprising: a crane controller for controlling crane movements, wherein the crane controller has a monitoring device for monitoring the stability and limiting crane movements when a load limit is reached, wherein the monitoring device has a wind resistance detection unit for detecting at least one variable wind resistance parameter which influences the wind resistance of the crane and/or the wind torque exerted by a given wind on the crane, and wherein the monitoring device is configured to change the load limit depending on the detected wind resistance parameter and/or to use different load limits depending on the detected wind resistance parameter.

2. The crane of claim 1, wherein the wind resistance detection unit comprises a position determiner for determining the position of a position-variable component relevant for the wind resistance on the crane, and wherein the monitoring device is configured to adjust the load limits and/or to select different load limits depending on the determined position of the component relevant for the wind resistance.

3. The crane of claim 2, wherein the position determiner comprises a height determiner determining the height of the component relevant to wind and/or the distance of the component relevant to wind from a tilt axis of the crane, wherein the monitoring device is configured to adjust the load limit and/or to select different load limits depending on the determined height and/or the determined tilt axis distance.

4. The crane of claim 3, wherein the monitoring device is configured to decrease the load limit and/or to select a lower load limit as the height and/or tilt axis distance increases.

5. The crane of claim 1, further comprising: a position-variable control and/or staff cabin; and a position determiner, wherein the control and/or staff cabin and the position determiner are configured for determining the position of the control and/or staff cabin, and wherein the monitoring device is configured for adjusting the load limit and/or for selecting different load limits depending on the determined position of the control and/or staff cabin.

6. The crane of claim 5, wherein the position determiner comprises a height determiner, and wherein the control and/or staff cabin and the height determiner are configured to determine a height of the control and/or staff cabin.

7. The crane of claim 5, wherein the control and/or staff cabin is height-adjustabled.

8. The crane of claim 5, wherein the monitoring device is configured for adjusting the load limit and/or for selecting different load limits depending on a determined height of the control and/or staff cabin.

9. The crane of claim 1, wherein the wind resistance detection unit comprises an accessory mounting surface determiner for detecting accessory mounting surfaces to be mounted on the crane and/or for detecting the position of such accessory mounting surfaces, wherein the monitoring device is configured for adjusting the load limit and/or for selecting different load limits depending on a signal from the accessory mounting surface determiner.

10. The crane of claim 9, wherein the accessory mounting surface determiner is configured to detect an accessory mounting surface and/or the position or positions of the accessory mounting surface on the crane.

11. The crane of claim 10, wherein accessory mounting surface comprises a surface of an upright advertising panel, and/or the position or positions of the accessory mounting surface comprises the position or positions of the surface of the upright advertising panel.

12. The crane of claim 10, wherein the accessory mounting surface determiner is configured to determine an inclination of the accessory mounting surface with respect to a vertical and/or with respect to an upright longitudinal central plane of the crane, and wherein the monitoring device is configured to change the load limit and/or to select different load limits depending on the determined inclination of the accessory mounting surface.

13. The crane of claim 9, wherein the accessory mounting surface determiner is configured to determine an inclination of the accessory mounting surface with respect to a vertical and/or with respect to an upright longitudinal central plane of the crane, wherein the monitoring device is configured to change the load limit and/or to select different load limits depending on the determined inclination of the accessory mounting surface.

14. The crane of claim 1, wherein the load limit to be adjusted by the monitoring device comprises a bearing load curve, and wherein the bearing load curve specifies bearing load limit values depending on the load, and/or a lifting torque limit and/or a bearing load limit.

15. The crane of claim 1, wherein the load limit to be adjusted by the monitoring device comprises a limit for a maximum permissible wind speed.

16. The crane of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is configured to operate at least semi-automatically and adjust the load limit at least semi-automatically depending on a signal from the wind resistance detection unit.

17. The crane of claim 16, wherein the monitoring device is configured to operate fully automatically and adjust the load limit fully automatically depending on a signal from the wind resistance detection unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and associated drawings. The drawings show:

[0027] FIG. 1: is a schematic side view of a fast-erecting crane designed as a tower revolving crane according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the operator's cabin of which is mounted on the tower of the crane in a height-adjustable manner,

[0028] FIG. 2a hoisting load/outreach diagram showing several load limits in the form of different limiting load curves and the different load ranges defined thereby, in which the crane controller provides different limitations of the crane movements in different operating modes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] As FIG. 1 shows, the crane 1 can be designed as a tower revolving crane and have a tower 2 that is upright in operation and carries a cantilevered boom 3. The tower 2 can be seated with its lower end on a rotating platform 4, which is rotatable about an upright axis and supported on an undercarriage 5, which can be designed as a truck or otherwise movable, but can optionally also form a rigid, non-displaceable support base.

[0030] A trolley 7 can be mounted longitudinally on the boom 3, which can be moved back and forth by means of a trolley cable 8. Over the trolley 7 there can run a hoisting cable 6 with a lifting hook.

[0031] The crane 1 includes a control and/or staff cabin 9, which may be designed as a crane operator or lift cabin 10. Said control and/or staff cabin 9 is mounted in a height-adjustable manner. In particular, said crane operator's or lift cabin 10 may be mounted on the tower 2 so as to be longitudinally movable, for example by means of a cabin trolley guided on the tower profile, for example its longitudinal chords.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the control and/or staff cabin 9 can be held and moved to various height positions by means of a suspension, which can engage the chassis, in particular the upper side of the crane operator's or lift cabin 10. Said cabin 10 can thereby be moved up and down on an outer side of the tower 2, for example by means of a roller guide or rail guide along the tower. If necessary, however, the cabin can also be arranged inside the tower profile, for example, if it is only used as a climbing aid to reach the boom or a control cab arranged at the top and the tower profile is sufficiently voluminous.

[0033] As FIG. 1 further shows, for example, an advertising space 11 can be mounted on the boom 3, for example in the form of a large-surface advertising panel, which can be arranged upright parallel to the longitudinal center plane of the crane, which forms the drawing plane of FIG. 1.

[0034] A control device 21, which may comprise, for example, a microprocessor, a program memory and other electronic components, controls the drive devices by means of which said crane movements may be carried out, in particular the retraction and lowering of the hoisting cable 6, the movement of the trolley 7 by means of the trolley cable 8, if necessary an upward and downward luffing of the boom 3, and the upward and downward movement of the crane operator lift cab 10, and also the actuation of a slewing gear for rotating the crane 1 about an upright axis.

[0035] Said crane controller 21 may provide, in a manner known per se, appropriate operating levers or other input means for a crane operator to control the various axes of movement of the crane.

[0036] The control device 21 further comprises a monitoring device 22 that can monitor, by means of suitable sensors, the crane loads acting on the crane, in particular the hoisting load taken up by the lifting hook and the outreach that the lifting hook or trolley 7 has with respect to the standing base of the crane. Said outreach can be determined in particular by the position of the trolley 7 on the boom 3 and, if necessary, a luffing angle of the boom 3 with respect to the horizontal.

[0037] A plurality of load limits LM1, LM2, and LM3, and optionally LM4, may be implemented in said monitoring device 22, as shown in FIG. 2. The monitoring device 22 compares the current load condition with said load limit, wherein the control device 21 enables or differently limits the actuation of said drive devices depending on the load range in which the crane is currently located.

[0038] For example, as long as the crane is located in the bearing load range 1 below the limiting load curve LM1, cf. FIG. 2, several drive devices can be actuated simultaneously with relatively high or maximum drive speeds and accelerations. If the crane 1 reaches said load limit LM1 by lifting a correspondingly high hoisting load or by increasing the outreach, the crane can move beyond this load limit LM1 into the load range II, but only by switching the control device 21 accordingly and providing a reduced speed and acceleration of the drives. Said switching process can be triggered manually by the crane operator, but can also be carried out automatically by a corresponding switching device during overtravel.

[0039] If the crane operation reaches said second load limit LM2, this can also be overtravelled, wherein, however, only individual actuation of the drive devices is then possible. The corresponding switching process can also be performed manually or automatically here. For example, either only the hoist rope drive or only the trolley drive can then be actuated in the bearing load range III.

[0040] However, it is understood that the crane controller does not necessarily have to have the three different load limits LM1, LM2 and LM3 shown in FIG. 2. If necessary, it is also possible to work with only one or two load limits.

[0041] In particular, the control device 21 or the monitoring device 22 also still considers the wind resistance of the crane 1 depending on its set-up or operating state. For example, the position of the crane operator lift cabin 10 can influence the wind resistance or influence the wind torque caused by wind blowing on the cabin 10. The higher the crane operator lift cabin 10 is moved along the tower 2, the greater the tilting moment caused by wind blowing on the cabin 10.

[0042] A wind resistance detection unit 20, which can be implemented as a software module in the control device 21, can comprise position determination means 19 that can automatically detect or determine the height position of said crane operator lift cab 10.

[0043] For example, said position determination means 19 can include a sensor system 23 that can determine the distance of the crane operator lift cab 10 from the boom 3 or the upper end portion of the tower 2. However, the height position can also be determined, for example, by a sensor system assigned to the drive for height adjustment.

[0044] Alternatively, or in addition to the height position of the crane operator lift cab 10, the wind resistance detection device 20 may also include detection means 24 capable of detecting the presence of the advertising space 11 on the crane boom 3.

[0045] If such an advertising space 11 is present, the wind resistance of the crane is significantly greater than if such an advertising space 11 is not present.

[0046] The monitoring device 22 may consider the height position of the crane operator lift cab 10 and/or the presence of the advertising space 11 to shift or adjust the load limits LM1, LM2, and/or LM3, as indicated by the arrow 11 in FIG. 2. If, for example, the crane operator's cabin 10 is moved low, for example close to the ground in the area of the undercarriage 5, the monitoring device 22 can increase or push out said load limits LM1, LM2 and LM3 a little to allow for larger loads and/or outreach. Conversely, the load limits can be shifted in the opposite direction (opposite arrow 11) if the cabin 10 is moved upwards or an advertising banner 11 is attached to the boom.

[0047] Alternatively, or in addition to such a shift of said load limits, however, the monitoring device 22 may, if necessary, also consider an additional load limit LM4, for example instead of the load limit LM3, for example if said driver's cab 10 is driven in a position close to the ground and/or the advertising space 11 is not present and insofar as there is a lower wind resistance. Said load curve LM4 can then be higher than the curve LM3 which is then not considered in this case. Conversely, such a load limit LM4 can also be located below the load limit LM3 if, for example, an additional advertising banner is attached to the boom.

[0048] As noted, the monitoring device 22 may also consider the presence of the advertising space 11. If this is available, the load limits LM1 and/or LM2 and/or LM3 and/or LM4 shown in FIG. 2, for example, can be shifted downward or inward a little in order to provide for limitations of the crane movements even at lower bearing loads and/or outreach. If, however, the advertising space 11 is not present and if the detection means 24 give a signal that no such advertising space 11 is present, the monitoring device 22 can increase or shift said load limits or only one of these load limits from FIG. 2, so that higher bearing loads and/or outreach can be driven.

[0049] However, as an alternative or in addition to shifting said load limits LM1, LM2 and LM3 or applying an alternative load limit LM4, the monitoring device 22 can also adjust, in particular increase or decrease, a load limit in the form of a maximum wind speed permissible for crane operation, depending on the signal provided by the wind resistance detection unit 20. If, for example, said advertising space 11 is mounted on the boom 3 and, in addition, the operator's cabin 11 is also arranged at the upper end of the tower, the permissible maximum wind speed can be lowered.