Abstract
A vehicle crane having a boom that can be luffed between a storage position and a working position within a vertical luffing plane by at least two luffing cylinders The luffing cylinders that lie opposite one another on the luffing plane, enclosing a spread angle between their longitudinal axes in the working position, and the luffing cylinders acting on the boom outside its ends. The longitudinal axis, projected onto the luffing plane, of one luffing cylinder and a vertical direction extending within the luffing plane enclose an angle of inclination there between when the boom is in the storage position to achieve a compact design, particularly when the boom is in the storage position.
Claims
1. A vehicle crane comprising: a jib and precisely two luffing cylinders, wherein the jib is configured to be luffed via the two luffing cylinders within a vertical luffing plane between a storage position and an operating position; wherein the luffing cylinders lie opposite one another on the luffing plane and in the operating position form an angle of spread between longitudinal axes of the luffing cylinders, and wherein the luffing cylinders act upon the jib away from ends of the jib; wherein, when the jib is in the storage position, the longitudinal axis of a luffing cylinder projected onto the luffing plane and an upwards direction extending within the luffing plane form an angle of inclination therebetween; wherein the angle of inclination is from 80? to 100? when the jib is in the storage position and the angle of spread is from 2? to 30? when the jib is in the operating position; wherein the jib is a telescoping jib having a basic box and inner boxes that can telescope in and out; wherein the luffing cylinders act upon the basic box of the jib; and wherein the luffing cylinders act upon a region on the basic box which, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the basic box, is spaced apart at least 10% of the total length of the basic box in each case from an upper end and also a lower end of the basic box.
2. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jib is luffably mounted on a base frame, and wherein the base frame has lower mounting assemblies that are each designed as a universal joint or ball joint and via which the luffing cylinders are supported in an articulated manner on the base frame.
3. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 2, wherein the jib has upper mounting assemblies that are each designed as a universal joint or ball joint and via which the luffing cylinders are supported in an articulated manner on the base frame.
4. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one of the upper and lower mounting assemblies is configured to be variably positioned along a path extending perpendicularly to the luffing plane, and wherein the path has a linear or curved course at least in sections.
5. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base frame is part of a superstructure of the vehicle crane which can be rotated with respect to a lower carriage, or is the superstructure itself.
6. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base frame is part of a lower carriage of the vehicle crane or is the lower carriage itself.
7. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper and/or lower mounting assemblies can be displaced simultaneously in respectively opposite directions towards one another or away from one another along the path.
8. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle of spread between the longitudinal axes of the two luffing cylinders can be varied when the jib is in the storage position and/or the operating position.
9. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 8, wherein in the storage position the angle of spread is from 0? to 45?.
10. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the storage position the angle of spread is from 0? to 6?.
11. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the luffing cylinders act upon the region on the basic box which, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the basic box, is spaced apart at least 20% of the total length of the basic box in each case from an upper end and also a lower end of the basic box.
12. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 11, wherein the luffing cylinders act upon the region on the basic box, which as seen in the longitudinal direction of the basic box, is spaced apart at least 30% of the total length of the basic box in each case from an upper end and also a lower end of the basic box.
13. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle crane comprises a lower carriage.
14. The vehicle crane as claimed in claim 13, wherein when the jib is in the storage position the jib is supported on the lower carriage.
15. The vehicle crane of claim 1, wherein the angle of inclination is from 90? to 97? when the jib is in the storage position.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle crane in accordance with the invention in a perspective view;
(2) FIG. 2 schematically shows an inventive assembly of the vehicle crane of FIG. 1 in a perspective view;
(3) FIG. 2A shows the assembly of FIG. 2 in an alternative embodiment in a schematic illustration;
(4) FIG. 3 shows the assembly of FIG. 2 in an alternative embodiment in a schematic illustration of its elevation;
(5) FIG. 4 schematically shows a vehicle crane in accordance with the invention in a frontal view in a first embodiment;
(6) FIG. 5 schematically shows a vehicle crane in accordance with the invention in a frontal view in a further embodiment; and
(7) FIG. 6 schematically shows a vehicle crane in accordance with the invention in a design as a mobile crane.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(8) FIG. 1 shows a vehicle crane 1 in accordance with the invention. For example, it is a vehicle crane 1 comprising a chain drive which has a lower carriage 2 equipped with two crawler tracks 2a, 2b spaced apart from each other in parallel. Of course, e.g. a lower carriage, not shown in greater detail here, which has tyres could also be used. A superstructure 3 comprising a driver's cabin 3a and a jib 4 is arranged in a rotatable manner on the lower carriage 2. Typically, the jib 4 is configured as a telescoping jib which consists of an outer basic box 4a and inner boxes 4b which can telescope hydraulically into and out of said basic box. The jib 4 is pivotably mounted via its lower end on the superstructure 3 such that it can be luffed between a horizontal storage position P1, which is only indicated in this case, to the operating position P2 which is shown in this case and is raised with respect thereto. The inclination of the jib 4 relative to the horizontal in the operating position P2 shown in this case is to be considered as an example because it can of course also assume all other values deviating from the orientation of the jib 4 in its storage position P1.
(9) The jib 4 can be luffed exclusively within a vertical luffing plane WE, the orientation of which can be changed as required in a manner not shown in greater detail by the possibility of rotating the superstructure 3 relative to the lower carriage 2. The driving required for luffing and supporting the jib 4 is effected via two, preferably precisely two, luffing cylinders 5a, 5b lying opposite one another on the luffing plane WE. It is apparent that the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b are arranged with respect to one another such that, when the jib 4 is in the operating position P2 illustrated in this case, their longitudinal axes x1, x2 form therebetween an angle of spread a which is open at the bottom. Moreover, the luffing cylinders 5a, 5b act upon the jib 4 outside its ends.
(10) FIG. 2 shows an assembly 10 in accordance with the invention which comprises some of the parts of the vehicle crane 1 which are already shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the assembly 10 has the jib 4 which in the present case is reduced to its basic box only for reasons of clarity, as well as the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b which are all supported via their lower ends on a base frame 11 of the assembly 10. The jib 4 is mounted on the base frame 11 so as to be able to be luffed about a horizontal pivot axis S, wherein the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b are supported in an articulated manner on the base frame 11. For this purpose, in the present case two indicated mounting assemblies 12a, 12b are provided on the base frame 11 and two indicated upper mounting assemblies 13a and 13b are provided on the jib 4, which are each arranged on the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b. Each of these mounting assemblies 12a, 12b; 13a, 13b is designed, in a manner not shown in greater detail, as a universal joint or ball joint in order to allow the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b the freedom of movement required during luffing of the jib 4.
(11) Moreover, in relation to the luffing cylinders 5a, 5b it is apparent from FIG. 1 that the luffing cylinders 5a, 5b which are designed as hydraulic cylinders are articulated, preferably with the upper ends of their piston rods, to the basic box 4a outside its upper and lower end. The two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b act upon the basic box 4a approximately in the centre of an upper half of the basic box 4a. In a preferred manner, provision is made that the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b act upon the basic box 4a of the jib 4 in a region which, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the basic box 4a, is spaced apart at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, particularly preferably at least 30%, of the total length of the basic box 4a in each case from the upper end and also the lower end of the basic box 4a.
(12) Basically, it is possible for the base frame 11 shown here to be part of the superstructure 3 of the vehicle crane 1 of FIG. 1 which can be rotated with respect to the lower carriage 2, or else for it to be the superstructure 3 itself. As an alternative thereto, it is feasible for said base frame 11 to be part of the lower carriage 2 of the vehicle crane 1 of FIG. 1, or else for it to be the lower carriage 2 itself, as shown in FIG. 2A.
(13) FIG. 3 shows the assembly 10 of FIG. 2 in a now lateral view. In the present case, the horizontal storage position P1 of the jib 4which for reasons of clarity is also reduced in this case to its basic boxis shown, while its operating position P2 is indicated by broken lines. The jib 4 extends it its storage position P1 e.g. in parallel with a horizontal direction X, while the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b which lie opposite one another on the luffing plane WE and are spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction Y lie one on top of the other in this view. Therefore, it is possible to see only the luffing cylinder 5b which is in the foreground, while the luffing cylinder 5a located therebehind is concealed thereby. The inclination of the luffing cylinders 5a, 5b which is changed when the jib 4 is in the operating position P2 is likewise indicated accordingly through the use of broken lines.
(14) As can be seen, the longitudinal axis x1, x2 of the luffing cylinders 5a, 5b which is projected onto the luffing plane WE and an upwards direction Z which extends within the luffing plane WE orthogonally with respect to the horizontal direction X form an angle of inclination b therebetween once the jib 4 is located in its storage positions P1. In other words, when the jib 4 is in the storage position P1 the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b are inclined with respect to the upwards direction Z. In the present case, when the jib 4 is in the storage position P1 said angle of inclination b is ca. 75?. Depending upon the configuration of the assembly 10, when the jib 4 is in the storage position P1 the angle of inclination b can also be so large that the luffing cylinders 5a, 5b can extend, in a manner not shown here, preferably also in parallel to below the horizontal direction X.
(15) FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of the assembly 10 of FIGS. 2 and 3 with reference to an alternative embodiment. As can be seen in the view of the assembly 10 shown here, the upper mounting assemblies 13a, 13b of the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b can, of course, also be arranged laterally on the basic box of the jib 4. In the present case, the two lower mounting assemblies 12a, 12b can be displaced, in a manner not shown in greater detail, along a path P extending perpendicularly to the luffing plane WE. The path can have a linear and/or curved course at least in sections, wherein in the present case said course is indicated by way of example as curved. Provision is made that the two mounting assemblies 12a, 12b can be displaced simultaneously along the path P in respectively opposite directions R1, R2 towards one another or away from one another. By reason of the displaceable design of the mounting assemblies 12a, 12b, it is possible to change the angle of spread a formed between the longitudinal axes x1, x2 of the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b. The change in the angle of spread a which is open at the bottom or towards the base frame 11 can be effected when the jib 4 is in the storage position P1 and/or the operating position P2. The angle of spread a can assume values of greater than 0? to 45?, wherein said angle can preferably be greater when the jib 4 is in the operating position P2 than when it is in the storage position P1. For instance, when the jib 4 is in the storage position P1 the angle of spread a can be e.g. from 0? to 6? so that the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b extend almost in parallel with one another in order to obtain e.g. the most compact possible dimensions during travel of the vehicle 1 equipped in this manner.
(16) FIG. 5 illustrates a further alternative embodiment of the assembly 10 in accordance with the invention. It can be seen therein that the lower mounting assemblies 12a, 12b are located opposite the upper mounting assemblies 13a, 13b such that the angle of spread a formed between the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b is now open at the top. In other words, the arrangement of the two luffing cylinders 5a, 5b tapers in this respect towards the base frame 11. In this case, the respective position of the upper mounting assemblies 13a, 13b can likewise be changed along a path P, resulting in a corresponding variability in the angle of spread a which is open at the top.
(17) Of course, it is feasible that the upper and lower mounting assemblies 12a, 12b; 13a, 13b can be displaced such that the angle of spread a can be opened at the top or at the bottom as required.
(18) FIG. 6 shows the schematic view of a vehicle crane 1 in accordance with the invention in a design as a mobile crane which can travel on public roads and which correspondingly has a lower carriage 2 with rubber wheel tyres 2c distributed to e.g. four axles. In a typical manner, a superstructure 3 which can be pivoted about a vertical axis of rotation and has the luffable jib 4 is mounted on the lower carriage 2. It can be seen that, when the jib 4 is in the substantially horizontal storage position P1 already described with respect to FIG. 3, the jib is supported on the lower carriage 2 via a support 14. For this purpose, the support 14 extends starting from a top side of the lower carriage 2 vertically towards the bottom side of a basic box 4a of the jib 4 and abuts against it at this location.
