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(11) | EP 0 126 302 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
Centering arrangement for redecking of upper crane Zentriereinrichtung zum Aufsetzen des Kranoberteils Dispositif de centrage pour poser la partie supérieure d'une grue |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] This invention relates to a crane having an upper supported on retractable legs above a carrier comprising a jack on each of said legs for lowering said upper to said carrier and floats attached to each leg for permitting lateral shifting of said leg as said jacks lower said upper to said carrier.
[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide centering means for redecking the upper on the carrier while the upper is lowered to the carrier.
[0004] In accordance with the invention, this is achieved by conical shaped vertical centering pins attached to the upper and complementary sockets mounted on the carrier. When said centering pins are fully seated in the sockets, said upper can be lowered to said carrier. Latch means including a retaining pin are provided for selectively holding said centering pins in an extended position and a retracted position.
[0005] Further embodiments of the present invention are mentioned in the depending claims. Preferred embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a crane, shown with the upper undecked, incorporating the present invention;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the crane in Figure 1 with portions thereof broken away and eliminated;
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing one of the center pins and its mating socket with the pin retracted;
Figure 4 is a view of the pin in Figure 3 with the pin extended;
Figure 5 is a view of the pin in Figure 4 but with the upper having been lowered to bring the pin into contact with the socket;
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the pin being laterally displaced as the upper is lowered further;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the float taken on line 7-7 of Figure 1;
Figure 8 is a view of the float in Figure 7 showing the lateral shifting therein during centering; and
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 7.
[0006] Referring to Figure 1 and 2, a crane, indicated generally at 10, includes an upper 12 which is rotatably mounted on a lower or carrier 14 by means of a turntable bearing 16. The turntable bearing is releasably secured to a ring 18 secured to the upper with a locking ring expandable to interlock the bearing 16 and ring 18, and retractable to release the bearing from the ring to permit separation of the upper 12. A preferred means for such releaseable attachment of ring and bearing is more fully shown and described in U.S. patent 3,923,407 issued Dec. 2, 1975 to L. B. Jensen, and R. E. Thune. As will be seen therein, the ring must be aligned with the turntable bearing and the swing pinion must also be positioned for engagement with a ring gear on the outer race of the turntable bearing to permit swinging of the upper. The problem encountered with redecking of the upper on the carrier in alignment of these components within a relative close tolerance.
[0007] The upper 12 carries a plurality of legs 20, preferably one at each of its corners, with a double-acting hydraulic jack 22 affixed to, or otherwise incorporated into the free end of each leg 20. With the ring 18 and bearing 16 released, extension of these jacks will elevate the upper 12 above the carrier 14, as shown in Figure 1. Retraction of these jacks will lower the upper 12 onto the carrier 14. A pontoon or float 24 is pinned to the rod end of each jack 22 to distribute the load over a relatively large area and thereby achieve acceptable ground pressures. Alignment or centering of the aforementioned components is provided by four pins 26 carried on the upper 12, two at each end thereof, and corresponding sockets 28 affixed to the carrier 14. Since all of the pins 26 and their cooperating elements are similar, a description of one will be sufficient for a complete understanding.
[0008] Referring now to Figures 3-6, the centering pin 26 is slidably mounted in a tubular member or sleeve affixed to the upper 12. The pin 26 is itself preferably a tubular member for weight reduction and has a hardened frustoconical cap 32 affixed to its lower end. A handle 34 is secured to the upper end of the pin 26. This handle is preferably rigid with a transverse dimension greater than the interior diameter of the sleeve 30 to preclude the pin 26 from dropping through the sleeve. A crossbore 36 is provided in the pin 26 and a similar crossbore 38 is provided in the sleeve 30. A retaining pin 40 is capable of insertion through these crossbores. The centering pin 26 is retained in an operative or stowed position by manually raising the pin 26, by means of handle 34, and inserting pin 40 through the crossbore 38 so that the cap 32 rests on the pin 40, as shown in Figure 3. The pin 26 is retained in an operative or centering position by lowering it until the crossbores 36 and 38 are aligned and the retaining pin 40 inserted, as shown in Figure 4.
[0009] A socket 42 having a surface 44, which is complementary to the conical surface of cap 32 and is circular in plan view preferable with a diameter approximately twice that of the pin 26, is secured to the carrier 14. The angle of the surface 44 and the cap 32 is chosen so that the tangent of this angle is approximately equal to the coefficient of friction between the materials thereof when lubricated. Such an angle assures effective centering without imposing large side loads on the structures.
[0010] To initially position the socket 42 on the carrier 14, the upper and carrier are operatively assembled with the upper facing the rear of the carrier and aligned therewith in a fore and aft direction. With the upper and carrier so positioned, the centering pin 26 is permitted to drop into contact with the unattached socket 42. The position of the socket is then adjusted so that the centerlines of the pin and socket are aligned and the socket 42 is then secured to the carrier 14.
[0011] The centering sequence for redecking is illustrated in Figures 4-6. With the upper elevated from the carrier, as shown in Figure 1, the centering pin 26 is retained by pin 40 in its lowered or operative position. The carrier 14 is maneuvered sufficiently to position the pin 26 so that at least a portion of the angled surface of the cap 32 is directly above the complementary surface 44. The centerline 46 of the pin 26 will most likely be offset from the centerline 48 of the socket 42, as indicated at 50 in Figure 4. The jacks 22 are then slowly contracted, lowering the upper 12 and causing the pin 26 to contact the socket 42, as shown in Figure 5. A further contraction of these jacks will cause the pin 26 to be urged by the socket 42 toward the center thereof. The upper 12 will, therefore, be displaced or moved in a horizontal direction, as indicated by the arrow 52 in Figure 6, relative to the stationary carrier 14. The pin and socket will now be aligned and will result, because there are four of these pins and sockets, in the upper 12 being aligned, within acceptable tolerances, to permit rejoining of the upper and carrier. The jacks 22 are then extended just enough to permit removal of retaining pin 40 from the bores 36 and 38. The jacks 22 are then retracted fully to redeck the upper on the carrier. The centering pin 26 is then manually raised by the handle 34 to permit the retaining pin 40 to be inserted through bore 38 below the cap 32 to retain the pin 26 in its stowed position. Swinging movement of the upper on the carrier is then possible.
[0012] Movement of the upper in a horizontal direction while supported on the legs 20 would normally impose large stresses on legs as well as other structural components of the upper. In order to prevent this, the floats 24, as shown in Figure 7, are provided with a base 54 to which a bearing block 56 is secured. An upper bearing plate 58 rests upon and is movable relative to the block 56. Both of these bearing members have smooth mating surfaces and are lubricated to provide as small a friction force to movement under load as possible. A fabricated socket 60 is attached to the plate 58 and facilitates attachment to the rod end of the jack 22 by means of a removable pin 62. A retaining flange is attached to the periphery of the plate 58 and limits lateral movement of the plate 58 relative to the block 56. The float 24 is initially positioned as shown in Figure 7 with the block 56 centered on the plate 58. This relationship is established by aligning the edges of a plate 66, on which the block 56 is centered and' attached, forming a part of the fabricated base 54 with a flange 64 attached to plate 58. During the centering sequence illustrated in Figure 6, the leg 20 and jack 22 will also be displaced or moved laterally. The bearing plate 58 and its attached members will be able to move laterally as shown in Figure 8, to accommodate the movement of the upper 12. As shown in Figure 9, the movement of the plate 58 is universal in a horizontal plane and within the limits determined by contact between the flange 64 and the block 56. Handles 70 and 72 secured to the plate 58 and the base 54 respectively facilitate transport and positioning thereof.
1. A crane having an upper (12) supported on retractable legs (20) above a carrier
(14) comprising a jack (22) on each of said legs (20) for lowering said upper (12)
to said carrier (14) and floats (24) attached to each leg (20) for permitting lateral
shifting of said leg (20) as said jacks (22) lower said upper (12) to said carrier
(14), characterized by a plurality of vertical centering pins (26) slidably carried
by said upper (12), each centering pin (26) having a conical end (32); an equal number
of sockets (42) with a surface (44) complementary to said conical end (32), said sockets
(42) positioned on said carrier (14) so that said upper (12) can be lowered to said
carrier (14) when said conical ends (32) are fully seated in the corresponding sockets
(42), latch means (36, 38) including a retaining pin (40) for selectively holding
said centering pins (26) in an extended position, wherein said upper (12) and said
carrier (14) are vertically spaced when said conical ends (32) are in contact with
said sockets (42), and in a retracted position, wherein said conical ends (32) are
vertically spaced from said sockets (42) when said upper (12) is fully decked on said
carrier (14).
2. A crane according to claim 1, characterized in that each float (24) comprises a
base (54) for contacting the ground,
a bearing block (56) affixed to said base (54),
a bearing plate (58) resting on and shiftable relative to said block (56), and
means (60, 62) for attaching said jacks (22) to said plate (58).
3. A centering means according to claim 2, characterized by limiting means (56, 64)
for restricting the lateral movement of said plate (58) relative to said block (56).
4. A centering means according to claim 3, characterized in that said limiting means
(56, 64) comprises a flange (64) attached to and encircling said plate (58) and engageable
with said block (56).
1. Kran mit einem Oberteil (12), welches auf zurückziehbaren Stegen (20) oberhalb
eines Trägers (14) getragen ist, mit einer Hebevorrichtung (22) an jedem der Stege
(20), um das Oberteile (12) zu dem Träger (14) hin abzusenken, und mit Fußtellern
(24), die an jedem Steg (20) befestigt sind, um ein seitliches Verschieben eines jeden
Steges (20) zu gestatten, wenn die Hebevorrichtungen (22) das Oberteil (12) zu dem
Träger (14) absenken, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß eine Vielzahl von vertikalen Zentrierstiften
(26) vorgesehen ist, die gleitbar von dem Oberteil (12) getragen sind, daß jeder Zentrierstift
(26) ein konisches Ende (32) aufweist, daß eine gleiche Anzahl von Fassungen (42)
vorgesehen ist, die eine Oberfläche (44) aufweisen, die komplementär zu dem konischen
Ende (32) ausgebildet ist, daß die Fassungen (42) an dem Träger (14) so positioniert
sind, daß das Oberteil (12) zu dem Träger (14) hin abgesenkt werden kann, wenn die
konischen Enden (32) vollständig in den entsprechenden Fassungen (42) sitzen, daß
eine Verriegelungseinrichtung (36, 38) ein schließlich eines Haltestifts (40) vorgesehen
ist, um die Zentrierstifte (26) wahlweise in einer ausgefahrenen Position, in welcher
das Oberteil (12) und der Träger (14) vertikal im Abstand voneinander angeordnet sind,
wenn die konischen Enden (32) in Kontakt mit den Fassungen (42) sind, und in einer
Zurückgezogenen Position zu halten, in welcher die konischen Enden (32) vertikal von
den Fassungen (42) beabstandet sind, wenn das Oberteil (12) vollständig auf dem Träger
(14) getragen ist.
2. Kran nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jeder Fußteller (24) einen Boden
(54) zwecks Kontaktes mit dem Untergrund faßt, daß ein Lagerblock (56) an dem Boden
(54) befestigt ist, daß eine Lagerplatte (58) an dem Block (56) ruht und gegen ihn
verschiebbar ist und daß eine Einrichtung (60, 62) vorgesehen ist, um die Hebevorrichtungen
(22) an der Platte (58) zu befestigen.
3. Kran nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß ein Begrenzungseinrichtungen
(56, 64) vorgesehen ist, um die Seitliche Bewegung der Platte (58) in Bezug auf den
Block (56) zu beschränken.
4. Kran nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Begrenzungseinrichtung (56,
64) einen Flansch (64) umfaßt, der an der Platte (58) befestigt ist und letztere umgibt
und mit dem Block (56) in Eingriff bringbar ist.
1. Grue comportant une partie supérieure (12) supportée par des béquilles rétractables
(20) au-dessus d'un porteur (14) et comprenant un vérin (22) sur chacune des béquilles
(20) pour abaisser la partie supérieure (12) sur le porteur (14), et des supports
flottants (24) fixés à chaque béquille (20) pour permettre un décalage latéral de
la béquille (20) alors que les vérins (22) abaissent la partie supérieure (12) de
la grue sur le porteur (14), caractérisée par plusieurs goujons de centrage verticaux
(26) montés de manière coulissante sur la partie supérieure de la grue (12), chaque
goujon de centrage (26) comportant une extrémité conique (32), un nombre égal de socles
(42) ayant une surface (44) complémentaire de celle de l'extrémité conique (32), les
socles (42) étant positionnés sur le. porteur (14) de façon que la partie supérieure
(12) de la grue puisse être abaissée sur le porteur (14) quand les extrémités coniques
(32) sont entièrement logées dans les socles correspondants (42), des moyens d'encliquetage
(36, 38) comprenant une goupille de retenue (40) pour maintenir sélectivement les
goujons de centrage (26) dans une position déployée, dans laquelle la partie supérieure
(12) de la grue et le porteur (14) sont verticalement espacés lorsque les extrémités
coniques (32) sont en contact avec les socles (42), et dans une position rétractée,
dans laquelle les extrémités coniques (32) sont verticalement espacées des socles
(42) lorsque la partie supérieure (12) est complètement posée sur le porteur (14).
2. Grue conforme à la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que chaque support flottant
(24) comprend une base (54) pour prendre contact avec le sol, un bloc d'appui (56)
fixé à la base (54), une plaque d'appui (58) reposant sur le bloc (56) et décalable
par rapport à celui-ci, et des moyens (60, 62) pour fixer les vérins (22) à la plaque
(58).
3. Moyens de centrage conformes à la revendication 2, caractérisés par des moyens
de limitation (56, 64) pour limiter le déplacement latéral de la plaque (58) par rapport
au bloc (56).
4. Moyens de centrage conformes à la revendication 3, caractérisés en ce que les moyens
de limitation (56, 64) comprennent une flasque (64) fixée à la plaque (58) en entourant
celle-ci, et susceptible d'être en prise avec le bloc (56).