Crane

Abstract

A cargo crane (1) for transferring containers (50) to and from a ship (100) birthed alongside a quay (110) is disclosed. The cargo crane (1) includes: at least one quayside support leg (10) supported by a bogie (60) arranged to travel on a rail, at least one landside support leg (20) supported by a bogie (60) arranged to travel on a rail, a boom (2) configured to extend over a ship (100) birthed alongside a quay (110), a trolley (3) displaceably connected to said boom (2), and container lifting means (5) connected to said trolley (3) The invention is novel and inventive in that said at least one quayside support leg (10) in a first height define an outer horizontal width (A) and, in a second height, said at least one quayside support leg (10) define an inner horizontal width (B) wherein said inner horizontal width (B) in said second height is greater or less than said outer horizontal width (A) of said quayside support leg (10) in said first height.

Claims

1. A cargo crane for transferring containers to and from a ship birthed alongside a quay, said cargo crane includes: at least one quayside support leg directly supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, at least one landside support leg directly supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, a boom configured to extend over a ship birthed alongside a quay, a trolley displaceably connected to said boom, and container lifting means connected to said trolley wherein said at least one quayside support leg in a first height defines an outer horizontal width (A) and, in a second height, said at least one quayside support leg defines an inner horizontal width (B) wherein said inner horizontal width (B) in said second height is greater than said outer horizontal width (A) of said quayside support leg in said first height, wherein the first height is below the second height.

2. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said container lifting means, said trolley and said boom are configured to transfer containers to or from a ship by means of passing said containers vertically over a portion of said at least one quayside support leg.

3. A cargo crane according to claim 2, wherein said at least one quayside support leg define an opening allowing for long side passage of a container.

4. A cargo crane according to claim 2, wherein said quayside support leg constitutes a pair of quayside supporting legs.

5. A cargo crane according to claim 2, wherein said at least one landside support leg is arranged to travel on an elevated rail, by means of at least one bogie, characterized in that said elevated rail is elevated to a height allowing for passage of cargo vehicles carrying cargo underneath said elevated rail.

6. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said at least one quayside support leg define an opening allowing for long side passage of a container.

7. A cargo crane according to claim 6, wherein said quayside support leg constitutes a pair of quayside supporting legs.

8. A cargo crane according to claim 6, wherein said at least one landside support leg is arranged to travel on an elevated rail, by means of at least one bogie, characterized in that said elevated rail is elevated to a height allowing for passage of cargo vehicles carrying cargo underneath said elevated rail.

9. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said quayside support leg constitutes a pair of quayside supporting legs.

10. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said at least one landside support leg is arranged to travel on an elevated rail, by means of at least one bogie, characterized in that said elevated rail is elevated to a height allowing for passage of cargo vehicles carrying cargo underneath said elevated rail.

11. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said container is a 40 or 45 foot container.

12. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said container lifting means, said trolley and said boom are configured to transfer containers to or from a ship by means of passing said containers vertically over a portion of said at least one quayside support leg.

13. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said opening allows for long side passage of a container.

14. A cargo crane according to claim 1, wherein said quayside support leg constitutes a pair of quayside supporting legs.

15. A pair of cargo cranes for transferring containers to and from a ship birthed alongside a quay, each of said cargo cranes includes: at least one quayside support leg directly supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, at least one landside support leg directly supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, a boom configured to extend over a ship birthed alongside a quay, a trolley displaceably connected to said boom, and container lifting means connected to said trolley, wherein said quayside support leg of a first crane of the pair of cargo cranes defines an opening allowing for long side passage of a container in a first height and said quayside support leg of a second crane of the pair of cargo cranes defines an opening allowing for long side passage of a container in a second height characterized in that said first height and said second height are chosen such that said set of cargo cranes may approximate each other such that said set of cargo cranes are able to simultaneously transfer containers to and from two side-by-side neighboring container holds of a containership.

16. A set of cargo cranes according to claim 15, wherein a distance between boom center lines of said first cargo crane and said second cargo crane is less than 14 meters.

17. A set of cargo cranes according to claim 15, wherein said openings define passageways for containers wherein a container passing through said opening in said first crane is passed over a portion of said quayside support leg of said second crane and vice versa.

18. A set of cargo cranes according to claim 15, wherein said landside support legs and said quayside support legs of each of said cranes are, by means of said bogies, arranged to travel on a total of four dedicated rails extending substantially parallel to said quay.

19. A set of cargo cranes according to claim 18, wherein landside support legs of said set of cranes are configured to travel on a rail elevated to a height allowing for passage of cargo vehicles carrying cargo underneath said elevated rail.

20. A cargo crane for transferring containers to and from a ship birthed alongside a quay, said cargo crane includes: at least one quayside support leg directly supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, at least one landside support leg directly supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, a boom configured to extend over a ship birthed alongside a quay, a trolley displaceably connected to said boom, and container lifting means connected to said trolley, wherein said at least one quayside support leg in a first height defines an outer horizontal width (A) and an inner horizontal width B that defines an opening allowing for long side passage of a container in a second height, said at least one quayside support leg defines an inner horizontal width (B) of the opening, and wherein said inner horizontal width (B) of said opening in said second height is greater than said outer horizontal width (A) of said quayside support leg in said first height.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates a principal side view of two cranes one of which carrying a container above a ship berthed alongside a quay.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a crane including the landside supporting leg of a crane according to the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a quayside view of two cranes according to the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a quayside view of a set of cranes according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE FIGURES

(5) FIG. 1 illustrates a principal side view of two cranes one of which carrying a container 50 above a ship 100 berthed alongside a quay 110. For illustrative purposes, one crane is shown in broken lines.

(6) As can be seen in the figure, the two cranes are configured to move along four vaguely illustrated tracks 8 all of which are arranged essentially parallel to the ship 100 and to the quay 110.

(7) The quayside support legs 10 of the cranes are configured to move on tracks 8 arranged essentially in level with the quay 110, and the landside support legs 20 are, in the illustrated embodiment, configured to move on elevated rails 8.

(8) Elevating the landside tracks as shown in the figure greatly facilitate traffic to and from the cranes landside handling area.

(9) The landside crane rails 8 and/or the quay side crane rails 8 for the crane shown in solid lines may, as can be seen, be offset a distance e.g. of 3.5 m with respect to the crane shown in broken lines. By this, the support legs of the cranes may partially pass each other. This allows the cranes to proximate each other until a centre to centre distance of the cranes in the range of 13.2 m is obtained although the each of the cranes incl. bogies 60 has a width in the range of 26.4 m. The width of the support leg structures may, despite the narrow centre to centre distance of the cranes, be in the range of 23.6 m for one crane and 19.6 m for crane another crane.

(10) In order to obtain sufficient wind stability, the crane according to the present invention also benefit from the abovementioned double sets of crane rails at the landside and at the quayside respectively as the bogies 60 extend beyond the supporting legs of the cranes.

(11) The distance between the supporting legs of a set of cranes, in the direction perpendicular to the crane rails, may be in the range of 1 m.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a landside supporting leg 20 of one embodiment of a crane according to the present invention. Again, the illustrated embodiment discloses a crane configured to move along an elevated landside track or rail.

(13) The crane or the set of cranes, according to the present invention may, although not shown in the figures, be configured to operate on quayside rails and landside rails arranged in essentially corresponding heights.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a quayside view of a set of a set of cranes according to the second aspect of the present invention. As can be seen, the openings 12, or transfer openings 12, are arranged in different heights 70, 80.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a quayside view of a set of cranes according to FIG. 3, however here, the cranes are positioned closely together. Also here, one crane is, for illustrative purposes, shown in broken lines.

(16) In accordance with the invention, the cranes may be configured to operate closely together with centre line 15 distances of about 13.5 m to leave no bay of a ship 100 idle.

(17) The opening 12, 212, 312, preferably is configured to allow long side passage of 45 foot containers. 45 foot containers have a length of 13.72 m. As the spreader incl. the remaining means for lifting the container under certain scenarios cause a container to move irregularly, the opening 12, 212, 312 preferably is configured to allow for passage of a 45 foot container oriented diagonally whereby the length, measured parallel to the quay, of the container may be e.g. 13.95 m.

(18) A clearance of minimum of 0.4 m on each side of the passage for the container is considered sufficient, hence the opening 12, 212, 312 should be at least 14.75 m.

(19) 14.75 m opening is also sufficient for the passage of hatch covers of the ships' container holds.

(20) As per the above, the quayside support legs of a set of cranes may be embodied with different designs. A first crane having a first quayside support leg may be provided with a wide opening arranged essentially in the middle of the support leg. A second crane may be provided with a wide opening arranged at the top of its support leg. The set or pair of cranes cannot have a wide passage overall the supporting legs of neighbouring cranes will obstruct transfer of containers.

(21) The upper part of the crane according to the present invention may equate to that of a conventional crane configured for single or dual hoist operation etc.

(22) The crane or the set of cranes according to the present invention may be provided with anti-sway means as well as automatic hoist+trolley operation. The operation may be carried out by means of a processor and software configured to prevent collision of cargo or spreader flippers with the quayside supports.

(23) As the quay load increases, it is foreseen that reinforced quay walls in some sites of application may be required.

(24) In summary, the crane concept as disclosed herein allows for doubling the berth capacity of container terminal facilities by the provision of a cargo crane, or a set of cargo cranes, configured for transferring containers to and from a ship birthed alongside a quay. The cargo crane, or the set of cargo cranes, includes: at least one quayside support leg supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, at least one landside support leg supported by a bogie arranged to travel on a rail, a boom configured to extend over a ship birthed alongside a quay, a trolley displace ably connected to said boom, and container lifting means connected to said trolley.

(25) The invention is novel and inventive in that said at least one quayside support leg in a first height define an outer horizontal width (A) and, in a second height, said at least one quayside support leg define an inner horizontal width (B) wherein said inner horizontal width (B) in said second height is greater or less than said outer horizontal width (A) of said quayside support leg in said first height.

(26) The application and combination of features and solutions presented by the present invention is not limited to the presented embodiments. One or more features of one embodiment can and may be combined with one or more features of other embodiments, whereby not described but valid, embodiments of the present invention may be obtained.

(27) The term comprises/comprising/comprised of when used in this specification incl. claims is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.