Ship to shore crane installation with main support girder

Abstract

 A ship to shore crane installation, in particular for handling containers (6), comprises crane support structure (1) having parallel and interconnected support beams (10-12) and columns (9) carrying the support beams (10-12) at an elevated level above a surface (3). At least one crane (2) is provided which travels along, and is supported by, the support beams (10-14) of the crane support structure (1). The crane (2) has a cantilever boom structure (15) extending transverse with respect to and beneath the support beams (10-12) of the crane support structure (1) and lifting means (30) travelling back and forth on the boom structure (15). The boom structure (15) comprises a bridge girder (18) and a boom girder (19). The support beams (10-12) of the crane support structure (1) are directly interconnected by truss members (13, 14) forming a water side support girder (8), and the cantilever boom structure (15) extends beneath said support girder (8) including support beams (10-12) and truss members (13, 14).

Description

[0001] The invention is related to a ship to shore crane installation, in particular for handling containers, comprising a crane support structure having a water side support and a land side support, the water side support having at least one support beam and legs carrying the at least one support beam at an elevated level above a surface, as well as at least one crane travelling along and supported by the crane support structure, said crane having a bridge girder extending transverse below the water side support, a boom girder connected to the bridge girder, a frame on top of the bridge girder and pulling means extending between the frame and the boom girder for displacing the boom girder between an active position generally aligned with the bridge girder and an inactive position swung upwardly, and a trolley travelling back and forth on the bridge girder and boom girder for transferring a container.

[0002] Such a crane installation is disclosed in EP-A-1923338. The water side support and the land side support of said crane installation each have a support beam which extend in a parallel fashion at the same level above the surface. At regular distances, these support beams are connected to the top end of multiple legs. As the girder structure of the cranes extends beneath the support beams, the trajectory over which the cranes are displaceable along the crane support structure would be limited to the pitch of the legs. In order to circumvent this limitation, the girder structure of the cranes or the rails along which the trolley travels, are provided with removable sections so as to allow the boom structure to pass the legs.

[0003] As a result of the fact that the cranes are situated on a crane support structure which is at an elevated level, it has become possible to arrange the cranes at a more closer distance next to each other. Thereby, the advantage is obtained that directly adjacent bays of a container ship are simultaneously accessible. This means that the containers held in these bays can be handled in a more versatile way, such that loading and unloading of a containership can be carried in a more rational manner and at a greater speed.

[0004] Although several advantages are obtained by this prior art crane installation, the limitation of movement of the cranes, or the provision of removable sections in the girder structure thereof, or the provision of removable rail sections, represent severe disadvantages. The construction of the girder structure or rails with removable sections is rather complicated and vulnerable. Malfunction of said sections would limit the availability of the crane to a particular section of the crane support structure only.

[0005] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a ship to shore crane of the type envisaged before, which allows the advantages to be obtained as described before, however with the additional advantage of a simpler and more reliable crane construction. This object is achieved in that the water side support comprises at least two separate support beams which are at a distance from each other and which are directly connected to each other by interconnection means, such as by truss members or by a web, forming a support girder. The length of the support girder may preferably be equal to or larger than the service length of the container ship.

[0006] The beams of the crane support structure constitute a strong water side support girder. This support girder has a high bending stiffness as a result of the fact that the extreme parts of such support girder are at a relatively great distance from the neutral line thereof. Thereby, it has become possible to select a large spacing or pitch of the support legs of the support girder. In case a suitable position of the beams with respect to each other is selected, having regard to the major loadings to which the girder is exposed, a very high bending stiffness is obtained. Thus, the pitch of the legs of the crane support structure can be greatly increased, to such en extent that only legs near the very ends of the support girder need to be provided. As a result, the cranes can be displaced along the full length of the support girder, without the need to remove sections from the boom structure.

[0007] The support girder has relatively large cross sectional dimensions as a result of the appreciable lateral distance of the interconnected beams which thus are able to provide the stiffness and strength required. This large cross sectional size can be matched to the dimensions of the frame, in that said support girder may completely fit through the frame. For instance, the height of the water side support girder may be of the same order of magnitude as the height of the frame or pylon thereof, preferably between 60% to 90%, more preferably 70% to 80%, of the height of the pylon.

[0008] Preferably, the support beams are located at different levels. In particular, the boom sections may be positioned vertically above each other, in such a way that a support girder is obtained with a high bending stiffness with respect to vertical loadings. Preferably, at least three support beams are provided whereby the support girder has a triangular-like cross section. Such support girder has a high bending stiffness with respect to both horizontal and vertical loadings, as well as a high torsion stiffness. Other cross-sectional shapes, such as with four or more sides, in particular rectangular or square, are also possible.

[0009] The frame may have a pylon which extends upwards from the bridge girder and which is located near the hinge construction, and a tension member extending from the top of the pylon towards the land side of the bridge girder. The support girder extends through the area defined between the bridge girder, the pylon and the tension member.

[0010] The cranes may be supported with respect to the support girder through a water side wheel support which is fixed to the bridge girder and which is supported in a rolling fashion along a track provided on one of the beams of the support girder. Preferably, the track is provided on the beam which is situated at a level lower than the level of an other beam.

[0011] Furthermore, the land side support may have land side crane legs provided with a land side wheel support near the land side of the bridge girder. The crane support structure may have an elevated land side track which extends generally parallel to the support girder, whereby the land side wheel support is supported on said elevated land side track.

[0012] The invention will now be described further with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a view in perspective of a part of the ship to shore crane installation.

Figure 2 shows a cross section through the installation.

Figure 3 shows a front view.

Figures 4a-c show details of the support girder.

Figure 5 shows a view on the crane support.

[0013] The ship to shore crane installation consists of a crane support structure generally denoted by 1, and a plurality of cranes 2 which are arranged on the crane support structure. The crane support structure is situated on a quay 3, bordering a harbor 4 for container ships 5. The container ship carries containers 6 which are arranged according to bays 7. Each bay may contain stacks of containers which are arranged parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the container ship 5.

[0014] The cranes 2 are positioned above a specific bay for unloading/loading containers 6. As shown, the cranes can be positioned close to each other so as to handle containers 6 in directly adjacent bays 7. To that end, the cranes should have a limited overall width. This limited width is made possible by the specific layout of the crane support structure 1 as will be explained below.

[0015] The crane support structure 1 is constituted by the water side support girder 8 which at its opposite ends (only one of which is shown in figure 1) is supported with respect to the surface of the quay 3 by means of columns 9. This means that except for these columns 9 at the opposite ends of the support girder 8, no further columns are present in the intermediate region of the support girder. As a consequence, the cranes 2 can be displaced over the full length of the support girder 8 thereby enabling a flexible use thereof.

[0016] The support girder 8 consists, in the embodiment shown, of a top beam 10, a bottom beam 11 and an intermediate beam 12 which define a triangular like cross section. The beams 1-12 are interconnected by several types of truss members 13 , 14, as shown in the views of figures 4a-c.

[0017] The cranes 2 each have a girder structure 15, consisting of the bridge girder 18 and boom girder 19 as well as a frame 17 which is positioned on top of the boom girder 18. The boom girder 19 is connected to the bridge girder 18 through a hinge construction 31, and is displaceable between the operative position shown in full lines, and the inactive, hoisted position shown in dotted lines by the pull member 32. The frame 17 is connected to the bridge girder 18. The frame 17 comprises a vertical pylon 21 and a tension member 22 which extends between the top of the pylon 21 and the land side of the boom 16. Further tension members 23 applied in a known manner.

[0018] According to the invention, the complete construction of the support girder 8, that is the top beam 10, the bottom beam 11, the intermediate beam 12 and the trusses 13, 14 are positioned above the bridge girder 18. In fact, the support girder extends through the frame 17. Thereby, the option is obtained to make the crane travel in an uninterrupted fashion from the one extreme end of the support girder to the other extreme end thereof.

[0019] The pylon 21 carries a number of crane travelling mechanisms 24 each provided with a number of wheels 25. The wheels 25 are supported in a rolling fashion on a track 26 which is available on the bottom beam 11 of the support girder 8. The support structure 1 furthermore has an elevated land side track 29, supported by columns 16, over which the land side wheels 28 provided near the lower end of the crane legs 28 can be rolled. Thus, the cranes are supported by means of the water side wheels 25 over the bottom beam track 26, and by means of the land side wheels 28 over the elevated land side track 29.

[0020] In a known manner, a trolley 30 is displaceable along the boom structure 16 for transferring containers 6 between the container ship 5 and the quay 3.

List of reference numerals

[0021] 

1.

Crane support structure

2.

Container crane

3.

Quay

4.

Harbor

5.

Container ship

6.

Container

7.

Container bay of ship

8.

Support girder

9.

Column

10.

Top beam of support girder

11.

Bottom beam of support girder

12.

Intermediate beam of support girder

13.

Truss member

14.

Truss member

15.

Girder structure of crane

16.

Column

17.

Frame

18.

Bridge girder

19.

Boom girder

21.

Pylon of frame

22.

Tension member of frame

23.

Tension member

24.

Crane travelling mechanism

25.

Wheel

26.

Bottom beam track

27.

Leg of crane support structure

28.

Wheel

29.

Elevated land side track

30.

Trolley

31.

Hinge construction

32.

Pull member

Claims

1. Ship to shore crane installation, in particular for handling containers (6), comprising a crane support structure (1) having a water side support (8-14) and a land side support (27-29), the water side support having at least one support beam (10-12) and columns (9) carrying the at least one support beam (10-12) at an elevated level above a surface (3), as well as at least one crane (2) travelling along and supported by the crane support structure (1), said crane (2) having a bridge girder (18) extending transversely beneath the water side support (8-14), a boom girder (19) connected to the bridge girder (18), a frame (17) on top of the bridge girder (18) and pulling means extending between the frame and the boom girder (19) for displacing the boom girder (19) between an active position generally aligned with the bridge girder (18) and an inactive position swung upwardly, and a trolley (30) travelling back and forth on the bridge girder (18) and the boom girder (19) for transferring a container, characterized in that the water side support (8-14) comprises at least two separate support beams (10-12) which are at a distance from each other and which are directly connected to each other by interconnection means, such as by truss members (13, 14) or by a web, forming a water side support girder (8).

2. Ship to shore crane according to claim 1, wherein the water side support girder (8) including support beams (10-12) and interconnection means (14, 15) is offset towards the land side end of the girder structure (15) with respect to the pylon (21) of the frame (17).

3. Installation according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least two support beams (10-12) of the water side support girder (8) are located at different levels.

4. Installation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least three support beams (10-12) are provided and the water side support girder (8) has a triangular-like cross section.

5. Installation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein multiple travelling cranes (2) are arranged next to each other on the crane support structure (1).

6. Installation according to any of the preceding claims wherein the frame (17) has a pylon (21) which extends upwards from the bridge girder (18) and which is located near the hinge construction (31), and a tension member (22) extending from the top of the pylon towards the land side of the bridge girder (18), said pylon, bridge girder and tension member having innermost sides facing each other and defining an inner contour of the area enclosed by said pylon, bridge girder and tension member, and the water side support girder (8) is completely located within said contour.

7. Installation according to claim 6, wherein the height of the water side support girder (8) is of the same order of magnitude as the height of the pylon (21), preferably between 60% to 90%, more preferably 70% to 80%, of the height of the tower.

8. Installation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a water side wheel support (24, 25) is provided, said water side wheel support being fixed to the bridge girder (18) and being supported in a rolling fashion along a track (26) provided one of the beams (11) of the water side support girder (8).

9. Installation according to claim 8 when dependent on claim 3 or 4, wherein the track (26) is provided on the beam (11) which is situated at a level lower than the level of an other beam (10, 12) of the water side support girder (8).

10. Installation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the land side support comprises land side crane legs (27) having a land side wheel support (28) near the land side of the bridge girder (18).

11. Installation according to claim 10, wherein an elevated land side track (29) is provided extending generally parallel to the water side support girder (8) and the land side wheel support (28) being supported in a rolling fashion along said elevated land side track (29).

Drawing