LIFTING BRACKET

Abstract

A lifting tool used during lifting and mounting of a rotor blade on a rotor hub of the wind turbine which facilitates repositioning of the crane's main wire. Thus, a lifting bracket, having an elongated element with a first through-going outlet configured to take up a part of a first link, which is connected with the main wire, and a second through-going outlet configured with a spherical bearing to take up a part of a second link on the load, and wherein the elongated element adjacent to the spherical bearing is provided with a measuring instrument with a signal transmitter for registering the angle between the lifting wire and the vertical direction, wherein the signal transmitter is configured to transmit a signal containing measurements for visualization on an external unit with a screen placed at the crane operator and/or near the crane supervisor.

Claims

1-4. (canceled)

5. A lifting bracket for attachment between a main wire of a crane and a load suspended on the main wire, wherein a lengthwise axis of the main wire is defined as a Y-axis, and a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis contains the X- and Z-axes, the lifting bracket comprising: an elongated element with a first through-going outlet configured to take up a part of a first link which is connected to the main wire, and a second through-going outlet configured to take up a part of a second link on the load, the second through-going outlet comprising a spherical bearing which is configured to take up the second link, wherein the elongated element, adjacent to the spherical bearing, comprises a measuring instrument with a signal transmitter for registering the angle between the main wire and the vertical direction, wherein the signal transmitter is configured to transmit a signal with measurement results for visualization on an external unit with a screen located by at least one of the operator or supervisor of the crane.

6. The lifting bracket according to claim 5, wherein the measuring instrument with the signal transmitter comprise an inclinometer which measures angular rotation with respect to horizontal about the X-axis, and which through the signal transmitter transmits relevant signals thereof to the external unit.

7. The lifting bracket according to claim 6, wherein the inclinometer measures angular rotation with respect to horizontal about the Z-axis and by the signal transmitter transmits angular rotation signals to the external unit.

8. The lifting bracket according to claim 5, wherein the measuring instrument with the signal transmitter comprise an inclinometer which measures angular rotation with respect to horizontal about the Z-axis, and which by the signal transmitter transmits angular rotation signals to the external unit.

9. The lifting bracket according to claim 5, wherein the signal transmitter is a wireless signal transmitter, and wherein the external unit comprises a wireless signal receiver for receiving a signal comprising angular measurement results for visualization.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a side view of a lifting tool for use in positioning of a rotor blade of a wind turbine, suspended in a crane's main wire via a lifting bracket according to the invention,

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lifting bracket according to the invention,

[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lifting bracket according to the invention seen at an angle from above,

[0015] FIG. 4 is end view of a lifting tool for use in positioning of a rotor blade for a wind turbine, suspended on a crane's main wire, via a lifting bracket according to the invention, wherein there is an angular deviation between the main wire and the vertical direction,

[0016] FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of the embodiment according to FIG. 4, and

[0017] FIG. 6 shows how the angular position of the crane's main wire, with respect to the vertical direction, appears on a display near the crane operator and/or the crane supervisor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a lifting tool 2 for use in positioning of a rotor blade 4 for a wind turbine, suspended on a main wire 6 of a crane via a lifting bracket 8 according to the invention. The dashed line 10 illustrates the vertical direction, the Y-axis, and the dashed line 12 illustrates the orientation of the crane's main wire 6, and as such it is seen that the main wire forms an angle A with respect to the vertical direction. In FIG. 1, the Z-axis is further illustrated by the dashed line 11.

[0019] FIGS. 2 & 3 are perspective views of the lifting bracket 8 according to the invention, seen from different angles. The lifting bracket 8 comprise an elongated element 14 with a first through-going outlet 16 configured to take up of a part 17 of a first link 19 (see FIGS. 4 & 5), which is connected to the main wire 6, and a second through-going outlet 18 configured to take up a part of a second link 20 on the load 2, suspended in the main wire 6. In FIGS. 4 & 5, which are end views of a lifting tool 2 for use during positioning of a rotor blade 4 for a wind turbine, suspended in a main wire 6 on a crane, via a lifting bracket 8 according to the invention, wherein there is an angular deviation A between the main wire 6 and the vertical direction 10.

[0020] The other through-going outlet 18 comprises a spherical bearing 22, which is configured to take up a part of the second link 20, and wherein the elongated element 14 adjacent to the spherical bearing 22 comprises a housing 24, which for illustrative purposes, is shown partially open in FIG. 2 and namely in FIG. 3, in which in the housing is arranged a measuring instrument 26 with a signal transmitter 28, wherein the measuring instrument 26 registers the angle A between the crane's main wire 6 and the vertical direction 10, wherein the signal transmitter 28 is configured to transmit a signal containing measurement results to a PLC, wherefrom the signal is transmitted on, for visualization purposes, to and external unit 30, (see FIG. 6), located by the crane operator and/or/ the crane supervisor.

[0021] The measuring instrument 26 with a signal transmitter 28 is comprised, in the shown embodiment, by an inclinometer, which measures angular rotation with respect to horizontal about the X-axis 13 and the Z-axis 11, and via the signal transmitter 28 transmits relevant signals hereof to the external unit 30.

[0022] FIG. 6 shows the external unit 30, which on a screen 31 indicates the orientation of the crane's main wire 6, with respect to the vertical direction (Y-axis), detected by means of the measuring instrument 26 with a signal transmitter 28, on the lifting bracket 8 according to the invention. The screen can advantageously be placed in the cab of the crane (not shown) and/or near the crane supervisor, such that the crane's operator and/or the crane super visor, as needed, can orientate themselves about the position of the main wire with respect to the vertical direction.

[0023] The dot 32 in the middle of the screen 31 represents vertical 10, and the dot 34 indicates the actual orientation/angle of the main wire 6 with respect to vertical 10.

[0024] It will be possible to connect the external unit 30 to an overlaying control system/control unit, where to data regarding the main wire's orientation with respect to the vertical direction 10, for example, in connection to mounting of a rotor blade on a wind turbine, is added, and wherein control of the lifting bracket's gripping arms lets itself activate, when the main wire's orientation is correct with respect to the center of mass of the unloaded lifting tool.

[0025] It is noted that the inventor recognizes that there are other suitable measuring instruments for detection of the angle between the main wire 6 and the vertical direction 10, other than the mentioned inclinometer, but use of another type of measuring instrument does not change the inventive concept, which comprises in providing a quick overview of the orientation of a crane's main wire 6 with respect to the vertical direction, when using a lifting bracket according to the invention.