Ballast apparatus and crane, in particular crawler-mounted crane

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ballast apparatus for attaching to the rear of a crane superstructure, in particular of a crawler-mounted crane, having a base plate and a plurality of stackable ballast plates, wherein at least two carrier plates for receiving stacked ballast plates are connected to the base plate in an articulated manner pivotable about vertical pivot axes.

Claims

1. A ballast apparatus (10) for attaching to a rear of a crane superstructure, said apparatus (10) having a base plate (20) which comprises corresponding connection points for attaching to the rear of the crane superstructure, wherein at least two carrier plates (7,8) for receiving stacked ballast plates (28) are separately connected to the base plate (20) from one another in an articulated manner and pivotable about separate vertical pivot axes (A, A), and a common actuator (9) is provided for a synchronous actuation of the at least two carrier plates (7,8) and mechanically coupled via a linkage and/or a gear train to at least one of the pivotable carrier plates (7,8).

2. A crawler-mounted crane, having the superstructure and at least one ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 1 arranged thereat, with the crane comprising a crane control which calculates the influence of the displacement of the center of gravity resulting from the pivot movement of the carrier plates on a possible payload.

3. The crane in accordance with claim 2, wherein machine width can be set by pivoting the carrier plates of the ballast apparatus.

4. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the common actuator (9) is coupled to both said pivotable carrier plates (7,8).

5. A ballast apparatus for attaching to a rear of a crane superstructure, said apparatus having a base plate which comprises corresponding connection points for attaching to the rear of the crane superstructure, wherein at least two carrier plates for receiving stacked ballast plates are connected to the base plate in an articulated manner and pivotable about vertical pivot axes, and the carrier plates are pivotable to the rear, i.e. behind the crane rear or the base plate in an installation position.

6. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein a common actuator is provided for a synchronous actuation of the at least two carrier plates.

7. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the actuator is a linear drive.

8. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the linear drive is a lift cylinder.

9. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the actuator as well as any mechanical coupling means and/or transmission means are supported at least largely on or at the base plate.

10. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the carrier plates are pivotable to the rear by approximately 90? in each case so that a width dimension of the ballast apparatus is reducible.

11. A ballast apparatus for attaching to a rear of a crane superstructure, said apparatus having a base plate which comprises corresponding connection points for attaching to the rear of the crane superstructure, wherein at least two carrier plates for receiving stacked ballast plates are connected to the base plate in an articulated manner and pivotable about vertical pivot axes, and the carrier plates are each connected in an articulated manner to the base plate pivotable via a carrier arm.

12. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein an actuator is mechanically coupled via a linkage and/or a gear train to at least one carrier plate.

13. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the actuator drives one pinion per carrier plate which directly or indirectly drives an associated toothed arrangement of the carrier plate or of the carrier arm.

14. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the at least two driven pinions are mechanically connected to one another via a coupling rod to transmit the rotary movement of one pinion directly driven by the actuator to the coupled pinion.

15. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein at least one pinion comprises a fixedly connected actuation lever for coupling with a piston rod of the actuator in the form of a lift cylinder.

16. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the actuator is coupled to both pivotable carrier plates.

17. The ballast apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein the carrier arm is connected in an articulated manner to the base plate by a finger-type fork connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and particulars of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. There are shown:

(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B: perspective representations of the ballast apparatus in accordance with the invention with different pivot positions;

(3) FIGS. 2A and 2B: two plan views of the ballast apparatus in accordance with FIGS. 1A and 1B; and

(4) FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C: plan views of the ballast apparatus in accordance with the invention, including two detailed representations of the mechanical coupling means between the carrier plates pivotably arranged in an articulated manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIGS. 1a, 1b show a perspective representation of the ballast apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention. It is suitable for attachment to the rear of a crane superstructure so that the ballast apparatus 10 or the ballast 23 taken up is arranged at the crane in the opposite direction to the payload and counteracts the tilting torque active by the load. The ballast apparatus 10 is consequently a rear ballast.

(6) The apparatus 10 comprises a base plate 20 at which two ballast towers 21, 22 are pivotably arranged. The ballast towers 21, 22 each comprise a plurality of ballast plates 23 stacked on one another. The ballast apparatus 10 can be installed at the crane superstructure in a conventional manner with the aid of the base plate 20 and can, for example be bolted to the superstructure frame via suitable bolting positions.

(7) The representation of FIG. 1a shows the ballast apparatus 10 in the regular starting position in which the ballast towers 21, 22 are pivoted to the side. In this state, the ballast apparatus 10 corresponds with respect to the physical dimension to a conventional rear ballast in crawler-mounted cranes which is installed at the rear of the superstructure. FIG. 1b reflects the key idea of the present invention according to which both ballast towers 21, 22 can be pivoted to the rear. In this position, the spacing between the superstructure and the ballast plates 23 is at a maximum so that the total center of gravity of the ballast plates is changed with respect to the crane. It is thus possible to react flexibly to changed payload situations of the crane by pivoting the ballast towers 21, 22 and indeed all the more since the pivot mechanism of the ballast towers 21, 22 allows a continuous pivoting over a pivot radius of approximately 90?.

(8) The possibility of a flexible displacement of the center of gravity increases the stability of the machine and as a further consequence reduces the ground pressure present or distributes it more evenly over the contact area. Conversely, larger tilting torques can be transmitted with an unchanged stability. A further substantial advantage can also be found in the fact that the base ballast can be reduced with the same stability. This reduces the machine's own weight and thus the ground pressure overall.

(9) The significantly reduced machine width with outwardly pivoted ballast towers 21, 22 (FIGS. 1b, 2b), which allow a passing through of narrow points without a complex and/or expensive dismantling of the rear ballast, is to be listed as an important secondary function. This saves equipping time and thus increases the operation readiness of the machine.

(10) The specific design of the ballast apparatus 10 will now be explained further with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The pivotable rear ballast 10 is based on the base plate 20 to which carrier arms 24, 25 are connected in an articulated manner pivotable about the vertical axes A, A via a finger-type fork connection 27. Carrier plates 7, 8, on whose surface ballast plates 23 can be stacked, are provided at the free end of the carrier arms 24, 25. The base surface of the carrier plates 7, 8 substantially corresponds to the base surface of the ballast plates 23.

(11) Both carrier arms 24, 25 are thus connected in an articulated manner pivotable about vertical axes A, A offset laterally from one another. A lift cylinder 9 serves the actuation of the ballast towers 21, 22 in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3. The piston rod or the eye of the piston rod of the lift cylinder 9 is connected in an articulated manner pivotably at an actuation lever 11 of the first pinion 1 at the end side. The linear movement of the lift cylinder 9 is thereby converted into the required rotational work of the pinion 1.

(12) A coupling rod 6, which serves the force transmission of the force applied via the lift cylinder 9 to a second pinion 2, is likewise rotatably supported at the actuation lever 11. This pinion 2 likewise comprises an actuation lever 26 which is pivotably connected at the end side to the coupling rod 6. The toothed arrangement of the pinion 2 engages into a further gear 4 such that the toothed arrangement 5 of the left carrier arm 24 meshes. The pinion 1 accordingly meshes with a toothed arrangement 3 of the right carrier arm 25. The ballast towers 21, 22 are pivoted behind the base plate 20 by the extension movement of the piston rod of the cylinder 9, while the retraction movement of the piston rod results in the position of the ballast towers in accordance with FIGS. 1a, 2a.

(13) Alternatively to the variant shown, rotary drives can also be provided instead of the lift cylinder 9 which drive corresponding pinions 1, 2, 4 directly. In this respect, either a separate rotary mechanism is provided for each pinion 1, 2, 4 or the pinions 1, 2, 4 are mechanically coupled as shown via a linkage 6 so that one common rotary drive is sufficient.

(14) The effects on the crane payloads due to the continuous displacement of the center of gravity of the ballast are calculated online and output via the crane software. The load torque limitation of the crane control can thus be ideally utilized in every ballast position. Either the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder 9 or the angle of rotation of the ballast towers 21, 22 can be measured for the calculation of the position of the ballast towers 21, 22. To hold the arbitrary continuous location of the ballast towers 21, 22 in a secure position, the hydraulically actuated lift cylinder 9 is equipped with a lowering brake. The rotary encoder is equipped with a redundant cam limit switch to secure the angle measurement.