CONTAINER TRANSFER CRANE WITH HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT DEVICE

Abstract

A container stacker crane (1) with at least two vertical beams (2) having a lower end (2a) and an upper end (2b), wherein the vertical beams (2) are connected to each other via at least one horizontal beam (3), wherein each vertical beam (2) is connected to at least one lateral movement device (4), and with a load-bearing platform (5), wherein the lateral movement device (4) comprises: a leveling beam (22), at least two trolley modules, wherein the trolley modules comprise a trolley frame rotatably connected to both ends of the leveling beam (22) by means of a horizontally arranged trolley pivot (15), at least two steel wheels provided on the lower part of the trolley frame and whose pivot axes extend parallel to the trolley pivot (15), and wherein the vertical beams (2) are detachably connected to the lateral movement devices (4), preferably by means of bolts (11).

Description

CONTAINER TRANSFER CRANE WITH HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of container storage and, in particular, to a stacker crane with horizontal displacement equipment. These stacker cranes are commonly used in warehouses with high-bay racking, preferably in warehouses with high-bay racking that have different and separate compartments for standard containers, preferably shipping containers, where the compartments are arranged in blocks and have a number of compartments both vertically and horizontally, and where these blocks of compartments are separated by aisles provided for the stacker cranes, where the stacker cranes are used for the delivery of the containers to and from the compartments. BACKGROUND In a conventional container warehouse, containers are primarily stored stacked on top of each other. If a container needs to be removed, it is lifted with a crane or a mobile crane and placed on a container truck. However, when handling containers with cranes, the crane's center of gravity is located near the tip, creating a risk of accidents due to tipping over during movement or handling.In warehouses with high-bay racking, the stacker cranes used to handle containers are designed to grip them from below or above and must ensure the safe transport of containers within the warehouse, even when the load distribution within the container transfers different loads to different parts of the stacker crane, particularly its vertical beams and the travel devices attached to them. Furthermore, the maintenance effort for these stacker cranes is high due to the loads they must handle, the mechanical stress borne by each individual component during operation, and the warehouse operator's financial demands for continuous, uninterrupted operation without unnecessary delays or downtime. BRIEF DESCRIPTION It is an objective of the invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages known from the prior art. This objective is achieved by means of a container stacker crane with the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the accompanying description and in the dependent claims. According to the invention, a container stacker crane is provided with at least one horizontal travel unit capable of distributing the loads acting on the stacker crane more evenly and leveling the travel units in cases of uneven load distribution or irregular surfaces within the aisles. The present invention can effectively reduce the pressure on the steel wheels and compensate for and level the pressure between the steel wheels in order to limit the horizontal deviation of the container stacker crane, thereby preventing derailments. Furthermore, the invention provides a container stacker crane whose main components can be replaced in the shortest possible time, since at least the vertical beams and the travel units can be disassembled from one another, and the individual components can be replaced as quickly as possible, preferably with components that are stored and maintained in stock. The invention provides a container stacker crane comprising at least two vertical beams with a lower and an upper end, wherein the vertical beams are connected to each other via at least one horizontal beam, wherein each vertical beam is connected to at least one lateral movement device, and a load-carrying platform, wherein the lateral movement device comprises a stabilizing beam, at least two trolley modules, wherein the trolley modules comprise a trolley frame that is rotatably connected to both ends of the stabilizing beam by means of a horizontally arranged trolley pivot, wherein at least two steel wheels are provided on the lower part of the trolley frame, the pivot axes of which run parallel to the trolley pivot.and where the vertical beams are detachably connected to the lateral movement devices, preferably by means of screws. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the vertical beams have an essentially rectangular cross-section, wherein at least one bolt is provided on each side of the rectangular cross-section for detachably connecting the vertical beam to the lateral movement equipment, preferably the load-receiving platform or the load-carrying platform. This allows for secure attachment of the vertical beams to the displacement device, in particular to the load-receiving platform, and easy access to the bolts if it is necessary to remove the vertical beam from the displacement equipment, particularly for maintenance purposes, or if it is necessary to replace a damaged component. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one pair of horizontal guide rollers or wheels is arranged symmetrically on either side of the steel wheels. This ensures safe and stable transport of the container stacker crane during operation, particularly if the stacker crane is carrying a heavy load and / or has to deliver heavy loads to high-bay compartments within the warehouse with high-bay racking. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the container stacker crane comprises a load-carrying platform that is rotatably articulated with respect to the leveling beam by means of a horizontally arranged leveling beam pivot, two trolley modules that are rotatably articulated to both ends of the leveling beam in each case by means of a horizontally arranged trolley pivot, wherein a trolley pivot pivot axis is perpendicular to a leveling beam pivot axis, the trolley modules comprising a trolley body, at least two steel wheels and at least one pair of horizontal floor-rail guide wheels, wherein the trolley body is rotatably articulated by means of the trolley pivot axis to both ends of the leveling beam,At least two steel wheels are provided on the underside of the trolley body. The steel wheel pivot axes are arranged parallel to the trolley axle journal, and the horizontal guide wheels for the floor rail are symmetrically distributed on either side of the steel wheels. This combination of features allows the container stacker crane to move stably and safely along its aisle and compensates for any uneven load distribution that must be absorbed by the stacker crane itself and, in particular, by its travel devices. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the container stacker crane comprises at least two trolley modules, each of which is rotatably articulated to both ends of the outrigger beam by means of a horizontally arranged trolley pivot, wherein the pivot axis of the trolley pivot is perpendicular to the pivot axis of the outrigger beam pivot. This enables the structure to compensate for and level the movements and loads acting on the structure as a whole in all spatial directions. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the trolley modules further comprise a drive unit that powers the steel wheels to rotate, wherein the horizontal guide wheels move on the floor rail following the path of the steel wheels, more preferably when an upper portion of the drive unit is connected to the leveling beam, and a power output shaft in a lower portion of the drive unit powers the steel wheels. This allows the container stacker crane to be easily moved within its aisle using readily accessible devices. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a lower surface of the supporting platform is provided with a first downward-projecting hinge piece, wherein the first hinge piece is articulated to the leveling beam; the lower surfaces at both ends of the leveling beam are provided with a second downward-projecting hinge piece, wherein the second hinge piece is articulated to the leveling beam. This structure creates a system of components with which the technical effects of the invention can be reliably achieved. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the container stacker crane comprises a stacker and at least one horizontal fork, the length of which can be extended and retracted telescopically. Alternatively, the container stacker crane comprises a forklift and at least two, preferably four, rotating locking pins that can engage in corresponding receptacles in the upper corners of a container. These alternative solutions allow containers to be gripped from below or from above, depending on the circumstances or the loads to be handled in the high-bay warehouse. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Other features, objectives and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a warehouse with high-bay racking and aisles along which container stacker cranes travel on rails. Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the container stacker crane according to the invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a displacement device used in a container stacker crane according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The implementations of this application are explained in conjunction with specific examples, and those skilled in the art can readily understand other advantages and implications of this application by reference to the information disclosed herein. The system of this application may also be implemented or applied through other specific implementations. Various details of this application may also be modified or changed in any way according to different viewpoints and application systems without deviating from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that the forms of implementation and characteristics of the forms of implementation of this application may be combined provided they do not conflict. The embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily implement it. This application may be implemented in various ways, but is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the explanations of this application, explanations with reference to the terms "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "an example," "a particular example," or "some examples," or similar terms, mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or property, represented in association with the embodiment or example, is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Furthermore, the particular feature, structure, material, or property represented may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments or examples.Likewise, the subject matter expert may incorporate and combine various forms of embodiment or various examples and characteristics of various forms of embodiment or various examples, as set out in this application, provided that this does not constitute a contradiction. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as having a relative meaning or as indicating or implicitly implying the number of specified technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly encompass at least one of the features. In the explanations of this application, the term "several" means two or more, unless expressly and specifically defined otherwise. In order to clearly explain the present application, components that are not relevant to the explanation are omitted, and identical or similar components are identified by the same references throughout the description. When the description states that a particular component is "connected" to another component, this includes not only a "direct connection" but also an "indirect connection" through the interposition of other elements. When it is stated that a particular component "includes" a specific constituent element, this does not mean that it excludes other constituent elements; other constituent elements may also be included unless specifically stated otherwise. If a component is described as being "on top" of another component, it may be directly on top of another component, but it may also be surrounded by other components. Conversely, if a component is described as being "directly" "on top" of another component, there are no other components between them. Although terms such as "first" and "second" are used in this document in some cases to denote different elements, these elements are not restricted by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another, for example, the explanations of a first interface and a second interface. Likewise, it should be understood that singular forms used in this document, such as "a," "an," "the," and "the," also contain a plural form, unless the context indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms "contain" and "include" indicate the presence of features, stages, operations, elements, modules, objects, types, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, appearance, or addition of other features, stages, operations, elements, modules, objects, types, and / or groups. The expressions "or" and "and / or" used herein are interpreted as inclusive or meaning any combination or any combination whatsoever. Therefore, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "one of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C". There are exceptions to this definition only if the combination of elements, functions, stages, or operations is mutually exclusive in a certain way. The term "rectangular," as used herein, encompasses not only the exact geometric shape but also deviations from it, particularly by means of rounded edges or rounded corners, provided that the rectangular shape still has two pairs of substantially parallel sides of substantially equal length. However, the two pairs of sides may have the same length or different lengths. The terms used herein are merely for the purpose of describing certain embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. Singular forms used herein include plural forms unless clearly stated otherwise. The terms "include" and / or "including" are used in the description to specify certain features, ranges, whole numbers, stages, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of other features, ranges, whole numbers, stages, operations, elements, and / or components. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning generally understood by those skilled in the field to which this application relates. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be further interpreted in a way that is consistent with the content of relevant technical literature and this disclosure, and shall not be over-interpreted with an ideal or stereotypical meaning unless defined. Figure 1 is a schematic representation in which the lateral movement device 4 of the container stacker crane 1 of this disclosure moves through a high-bay warehouse 16 comprising a large number of compartments 17 arranged both vertically and horizontally in blocks. The high-bay warehouse 16 also comprises a series of aisles 18 in and along which the container stacker cranes 1 move on rails. The container stacker cranes 1 have a width corresponding to the width of the aisles 18 and use forks capable of gripping the containers 20 and delivering them to the compartments 17 by telescopically extending the fork from the aisle 18 into the compartment 17 area of ​​the high-bay warehouse 16.The fork can be used to support the containers 20 from below or suspended by means of locking pins connected to the fork. Fig. 1 shows in an enlarged view the guides 21 fixed to the leveling beams 22, onto which the containers 20 are loaded. The guides 21 serve as an orientation aid during the downward movement of the containers 20 during the loading and unloading of the container stacker crane 1 and to secure the containers 20 in adverse weather conditions or in case of impact with a moving element. As shown in FIG. 2, the container stacker crane 1 comprises a lateral movement device 4, a forklift, and a horizontal fork. The container stacker crane has a frame-like structure with at least two vertical beams 2, each having a lower end 2a and an upper end 2b, where the upper ends 2b of the at least two vertical beams 2 are connected by a horizontal beam 3. The horizontal movement unit travels along the aisle of a warehouse with high-bay racking. The forklift is coupled to the lateral movement unit. The horizontal fork consists of a supporting frame body and a container-carrying fork.Both sides of the carrier frame, perpendicular to the second rail, are provided with side openings for loading and unloading a container, where the forklift raises or lowers the carrier frame. The container forks are located within the carrier frame and are driven by a motor to extend horizontally from one of the side openings or retract horizontally into it, in order to handle the container horizontally. The container forks support a central section of the container's lower surface, so that both ends of the lower surface are suspended.The container stacker crane 1 described herein breaks with the existing traditional stacking method for lifting 20-foot containers. It supports the movement of 20-foot containers within the container rack, allowing each 20-foot container to be independently placed or handled horizontally. The supporting frame is a parallelepiped-shaped structure. The container forks are located at the bottom of the frame, and a loading space is formed between the container and the upper part of the frame to receive a 20-foot container. The upper part of the frame is equipped with a shunt pulley (movable shunt pulley) that works in conjunction with the forklift's traction cable. The forklift consists of several supports, a winch, and a traction cable.The various supports are coupled to the lateral movement device 4. The winch is coupled to the lateral movement device 4. The traction cable runs from the winch through the deflection pulley over the upper parts of the supports and then pulls upwards on the supporting frame body. The winch raises or lowers the container fork that supports the container 20. On the outer sides of both ends of the supporting frame body, deflection rollers (deflection pulleys) are provided in each case. These slide along the supports to an inner side surface of the supporting frame body to limit the vertical raising or lowering of the supporting frame body.A plurality of container racks are distributed along two sides of the second lane, wherein the container racks comprise several load-bearing uprights, wherein the load-bearing uprights are provided with boundary support sections extending along a vertical direction and configured so as to support either the two ends of the bottom surface of the container or four corners of the bottom surface in order to form an independent container storage space, wherein a gap between containers in a vertical direction forms an insertion space for the container fork.Each independent container storage space is arranged in a single-layer array along a vertical plane on the base of the supporting post, wherein the distance between the delimiting support sections is greater than the width of the container fork, wherein a central portion of the lower surface of the container located in the independent container storage space is suspended in such a way that it is supported by the container fork. Figure 3 is a side view of the lateral movement device 4, which forms part of the container stacker crane according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a lateral movement device 4 of a container stacker crane (not fully depicted) comprising the following: a leveling beam 22, a load-bearing platform 5, and two trolley modules. The load-bearing platform 5 is rotatably hinged to the leveling beam 22 by means of a horizontally arranged leveling beam pivot 13. The load-bearing platform 5 serves as a base for a vertical beam 2, which is an essential part of the frame structure of the stacker crane 1.The vertical beam 2 has a rectangular cross-section, and each side of its cross-section is fixed with at least one screw 11, preferably with at least two screws 11 on each side of the vertical beam 2, most preferably with at least 4 screws 11 on the long sides and with at least two screws 11 on the short sides of the rectangular cross-section of the vertical beam 2, to the supporting platform 5.The two trolley modules are rotatably articulated at both ends of the leveling beam 22 in each case by means of a horizontally arranged trolley shaft pin 15, wherein a pivot axis of the trolley shaft pin 15 is perpendicular to a pivot axis of the leveling beam shaft pin 13; the trolley modules comprise a trolley body, at least two steel wheels and at least one pair of horizontal floor rail guide wheels or rollers 12a, 12b, wherein the trolley body is rotatably articulated at both ends of the leveling beam 22 by means of the trolley shaft pin 15, the at least two steel wheels are provided in a lower portion of the trolley body, the pivot axes of the steel wheels are parallel to the trolley shaft pin 15, and the horizontal floor rail guide wheels 12a, 12b are distributed symmetrically on both sides of the steel wheels.The rotating shafts of the horizontal guide wheels 12a, 12b of the floor rail are perpendicular to the pivot of the carriage shaft 15 and the pivot of the leveling beam shaft 13. The horizontal guide wheels 12a, 12b of the floor rail clamp together both sides of a rail crossmember 23, thus preventing derailment. An upper portion of the drive unit is connected to the leveling beam 22, and a power output shaft in a lower portion of the drive unit drives the steel wheels.A lower surface of the load-bearing platform 5 is provided with a first downward-projecting hinge piece, wherein the first hinge piece is articulated to the leveling beam 22; the lower surfaces at both ends of the leveling beam 22 are provided with a second downward-projecting hinge piece, wherein the second hinge piece is articulated to the leveling beam 22. The carriage modules comprise two steel wheels, wherein the pivot shaft of the axle shaft is arranged on a vertical bisector of the pivot shafts of the steel wheels. The foregoing is a further detailed description of this disclosure relating to specific preferred embodiments, and the specific embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates may make various simple modifications or substitutions without departing from the concept of this disclosure, which shall be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A container stacker crane (1) with at least two vertical beams (2) having a lower end (2a) and an upper end (2b), wherein the vertical beams (2) are connected to each other via at least one horizontal beam (3), wherein each vertical beam (2) is connected to at least one lateral movement device (4), and with a load-bearing platform (5), wherein the lateral movement device (4) comprises: a leveling beam (22), at least two trolley modules, wherein the trolley modules comprise a trolley frame rotatably connected to both ends of the leveling beam (22) by means of a horizontally arranged trolley pivot (15), at least two steel wheels provided on the underside of the trolley frame and whose pivot axes extend parallel to the trolley pivot (15),and wherein the vertical beams (2) are detachably connected to the lateral movement devices (4), preferably by means of screws (11).

2. Container stacker crane (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical beams (2) have an essentially rectangular cross-section and in that at least one screw (11) is provided on each side of the rectangular cross-section for detachably connecting the vertical beam (2) to the lateral movement device (4), preferably a load receiving platform (5).

3. Container stacker crane (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one pair of horizontal guide wheels (12a, 12b) is arranged symmetrically on both sides of the steel wheels.

4. Container stacker crane (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized by a supporting platform (5) that is rotatably articulated above the leveling beam (22) by means of a horizontally provided leveling beam pivot (13), by two carriage modules that are rotatably articulated to both ends of the leveling beam (22) in each case by means of a horizontally provided carriage pivot (15), wherein a pivot axis of the carriage pivot (15) is perpendicular to a pivot axis of the leveling beam pivot (13), the carriage arrangements comprising a carriage body, at least two steel wheels and at least one pair of horizontal guide wheels (12a, 12b) for floor track, wherein the carriage body is rotatably articulated by means of the carriage pivot (15) to both ends of the leveling beam (22), the at least two steel wheels being arranged on a lower portion of the carriage body,The swivel shafts of the steel wheels are arranged parallel to the trolley pivot shaft (15), and the horizontal guide wheels (12a, 12b) for the floor rail are arranged symmetrically distributed on both sides of the steel wheels.

5. Container stacker crane (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the at least two trolley modules are in each case rotatably articulated to both ends of the leveling beam (22) by means of a horizontally arranged trolley travel pin, wherein the pivot axis of the travel pin is perpendicular to the pivot axis of the leveling beam pivot shaft (13).

6. Container stacker crane (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the swivel shafts of the horizontal guide wheels (12a,12b) for floor rails run perpendicular to both the trolley shaft pivot (15) and the leveling beam shaft pivot (13).

7. Container stacker crane (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the trolley modules further comprise a drive unit that actuates the steel wheels to rotate, wherein the horizontal guide wheels (12a, 12b) move on the floor rail following the rolling of the steel wheels.

8. Container stacker crane (1) according to claim 7, wherein an upper portion of the drive unit is connected to the leveling beam (22) and a power output shaft in a lower portion of the drive unit actuates the steel wheels.

9. Container stacker crane (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,characterized in that a lower surface of the load-carrying platform (5) is provided with a first downward-projecting hinge piece, wherein the first hinge piece is articulated to the leveling beam (22), and in that the lower surfaces of both ends of the leveling beam (22) are provided with a second downward-projecting hinge piece, wherein the second hinge piece is articulated to the leveling beam (22).

10. Container stacker crane (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container stacker crane (1) comprises a forklift and at least one horizontal fork, which is designed to be telescopically extendable and retractable along its length.

11. Container stacker crane (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9,characterized in that the container stacker crane (1) comprises a forklift and at least two, preferably four, torsion locking pins that can fit into corresponding receptacles provided in the upper corners of a container (20).