Hoisting method

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of lifting appliances, in particular to a lifting method which comprises the following steps: hooking a first lifting lug at a first position of a lifting appliance by adopting a first lifting hook; before the lifting appliance is overturned, two second lifting lugs of the lifting appliance are hooked by adopting two hooks of the auxiliary bracket, and a first lifting lug at a second position of the lifting appliance is hooked by adopting a second lifting hook; and after the lifting appliance is overturned, the first lifting hook is separated from the first lifting lug at the first position, and the two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are separated from the two second lifting lugs. In the process that the lifting appliance performs the overturning action, the auxiliary bracket is fixed relative to the barrier beam, and two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are connected to two second lifting lugs of the lifting appliance, so that the auxiliary bracket can apply resistance opposite to the rotating direction of the lifting appliance to the lifting appliance; the swing amplitude of the lifting appliance is reduced through resistance applied to the lifting appliance by the auxiliary bracket and the barrier beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of slings, in particular to a slinging method. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, there is provided a patent document named as an application of a lifting adapter frame, i.e., a method for lifting and laying pipes in a pipe gallery, with an application number of 202311740532.4; in this patent document, it is specifically proposed that a lifting connection part, a lifting connection part and a transfer connection part are arranged on the adapter frame, and the three are arranged in different lines. When the adapter frame encounters a lifting process of lifting the lifting pipe from one side of the longitudinal beam to the other side of the longitudinal beam (obstacle beam), the posture of the adapter frame is controlled by two cranes to achieve the effect of climbing over or crossing the longitudinal beam.

[0003] In the prior art, a patent document entitled "Lifting adapter, maintenance system and wind turbine generator set" with application number 201721711336.4 is provided; in the patent document, a structure of a lifting adapter is specifically provided, which is equivalent to the aforementioned adapter frame;

[0004] In the prior art, there is also provided a patent document named as a weight-shifting connector and having an application number of JP2022-1772; in this patent document, a structure of a weight-shifting connector is provided, which is equivalent to the aforementioned adapter frame.

[0005] However, in all the above-mentioned prior arts, when the action of climbing over or crossing the obstacle beam is actually performed by two cranes cooperating with the adapter frame, the adapter frame is in a swinging range, and the swinging range is only controlled by the lifting and lowering speed of the hooks of the two cranes, which causes the swinging range of the heavy object lifted by the adapter frame to be relatively large, which has a safety impact on the process of climbing over or crossing the obstacle beam. For example, when the swinging range of the adapter frame and the heavy object is too large, the heavy object may contact the crane itself, or the heavy object may contact other objects at the lifting site, causing damage to the heavy object.

[0006] Therefore, how to limit the swing amplitude of the adapter frame in the process of climbing over or crossing the obstacle beam becomes a technical problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to solve the technical problem of how to limit the swing amplitude of the adapter frame in the process of climbing over or crossing an obstacle beam, the present invention provides a hoisting method.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hoisting method, the hoisting method being implemented at least by a hoisting tool assembly, the hoisting tool assembly comprising a hoisting tool and an auxiliary bracket;

[0010] The sling includes a load-bearing component and two guide slide blocks;

[0011] The load-bearing component has a head end position, a middle position and a tail end position, the first guide slider is arranged between the head end position and the middle position, and the second guide slider is limited between the tail end position and the middle position, wherein the two guide sliders respectively form a movable and inseparable connection structure with the load-bearing component, and the movable path of any guide slider relative to the load-bearing component is a circular path or an arc path surrounding the load-bearing component;

[0012] The outer surface of the load-bearing component is provided with a plurality of first lifting ears, and the plurality of first lifting ears are limited to be distributed at equal intervals in a circumferential direction around the load-bearing component;

[0013] A second lifting ear is respectively arranged on any one of the guide sliders, and a connecting through hole of any one of the second lifting ears is respectively used to be hooked by a hook, and any one of the connecting through holes is respectively exposed outside the contour of the load-bearing component;

[0014] Along the axis direction of the load-bearing component, the two second lifting ears are respectively located on both sides of the plurality of first lifting ears, and the position of any second lifting ear is spaced apart from the positions of the plurality of first lifting ears;

[0015] The auxiliary bracket includes a first connecting component, a second connecting component and an adjusting component;

[0016] The first connecting assembly and the second connecting assembly are respectively provided with a head end connecting portion, a tail end connecting portion and an extending portion, wherein the extending portion is located between the head end connecting portion and the tail end connecting portion;

[0017] The tail end connecting portion includes a hook for hooking the connecting through hole of the second lifting ear;

[0018] The adjusting component is used to adjust the distance between the first connecting component and the second connecting component;

[0019] The lifting method includes the following steps:

[0020] Using a first hook to hook a first lifting ear at a first position of the lifting device;

[0021] Before the sling is turned over, two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are used to hook the two second lifting ears of the sling, and the second lifting hook is used to hook the first lifting ear at the second position of the sling;

[0022] After the lifting device is turned over, the first hook is separated from the first lifting ear at the first position, and the two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are separated from the two second lifting ears.

[0023] Further, the auxiliary bracket is installed on the barrier beam, wherein two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are located below the barrier beam;

[0024] First, the lifting device is transported to the obstacle beam by a first lifting hook, wherein a portion of the lifting device is located below the obstacle beam, and the first lifting hook is located at a first side portion of the obstacle beam;

[0025] Then, two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are used to hook the two second lifting ears, and then the first lifting ear at the second position is hooked by the second lifting hook, wherein the second lifting hook is located at the second side of the barrier beam, and the first side and the second side are away from each other.

[0026] Further, the second hook is raised;

[0027] While raising the second hook, lower the first hook;

[0028] Alternatively, after raising the second hook, the first hook is lowered;

[0029] Complete the flipping action of the spreader.

[0030] Further, the spreader assembly also includes a control assembly;

[0031] The control component includes a controller, an indicator light, a photosensitive device and a laser emitter. The number of the indicator lights is the same as the number of the first hanging ears. Any indicator light is respectively arranged at one of the first hanging ears. The number of the photosensitive devices is multiple. The multiple photosensitive devices are in a ring shape surrounding the load-bearing component, and the multiple photosensitive devices are respectively connected to the load-bearing component. All the indicator lights and the photosensitive devices are respectively electrically connected to the controller, wherein any photosensitive device is respectively used to sense the laser emitted by the laser emitter.

[0032] Alternatively, the control component includes a controller, an indicator light, a weight, an angle sensor and a bracket, the bracket is installed on the load-bearing component, the weight is hinged to the bracket, the angle sensor is used to detect the rotation angle of the weight relative to the bracket, the number of indicator lights is the same as the number of first lifting ears, any indicator light is respectively set at one of the first lifting ears, and all the indicator lights and angle sensors are electrically connected to the controller respectively.

[0033] Further, before the second hook is used to hook the first lifting ear at the second position of the lifting device, a prompt message is obtained;

[0034] A second hook is used to hook the first ear at a second position matching the prompt information.

[0035] Furthermore, the light signal at the previous moment is received by the previous light-sensing device, and the light signal at the previous moment is converted into a first electrical signal;

[0036] The light signal at the next moment is received by the subsequent photosensitive device, and converted into a second electrical signal;

[0037] A controller is used to receive the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal respectively, and a rotation angle of the sling is obtained by performing calculation according to the coordinates of the preceding photosensitive device indicated by the first electrical signal and the coordinates of the succeeding photosensitive device indicated by the second electrical signal;

[0038] According to the rotation angle, one of the position coordinates is matched, and the indicator light matching the position coordinate is turned on, and a prompt message is issued through the indicator light.

[0039] Further, first information of an angle value at a previous moment and second information of an angle value at a next moment are obtained through an angle sensor;

[0040] A controller is used to receive the first information and the second information respectively, and to calculate according to the first information and the second information to obtain the rotation angle of the spreader;

[0041] According to the rotation angle, one of the position coordinates is matched, and the indicator light matching the position coordinate is turned on, and a prompt message is issued through the indicator light.

[0042] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0043] In the lifting method provided by the present invention, during the flipping action of the sling, the auxiliary bracket is fixed relative to the obstacle beam, and the two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are connected to the two second lifting ears of the sling, so that the auxiliary bracket can apply a resistance to the sling in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the sling; the swing amplitude of the sling is reduced by the resistance applied to the sling by the auxiliary bracket and the obstacle beam. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a hanger assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a hanger provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an auxiliary bracket provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a rear end connection portion of an auxiliary bracket provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an adjustment component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 An electrical connection diagram of a control component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 An electrical connection diagram of a control component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of a hoisting process provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Embodiment 1:

[0060] In this embodiment, a hoisting method is provided to solve the technical problem of how to limit the swing amplitude of the adapter frame in the process of climbing over or crossing an obstacle beam.

[0061] Specifically, the hoisting method of this embodiment is implemented at least by a hoisting tool assembly;

[0062] The sling assembly includes a sling 1 and an auxiliary bracket 2, wherein the sling 1 includes a load-bearing component 110 and two guide slide blocks 120;

[0063] The load-bearing component 110 has a head end position A, a middle position B and a tail end position C, the first guide slider 120 is arranged between the head end position A and the middle position B, and the second guide slider 120 is limited between the tail end position C and the middle position B, wherein the two guide sliders 120 respectively form a movable and inseparable connection structure with the load-bearing component 110, and the movable path of any guide slider 120 relative to the load-bearing component 110 is a circular path or an arc path surrounding the load-bearing component 110;

[0064] The outer surface of the load-bearing component 110 is provided with a plurality of first lifting ears 111, and the plurality of first lifting ears 111 are limited to be distributed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the load-bearing component 110;

[0065] Any guide slider 120 is provided with a second lifting ear 121, and a connecting through hole of any second lifting ear 121 is used to be hooked by the hook 01, and any connecting through hole is exposed outside the contour of the load-bearing component 110;

[0066] Along the axis direction of the load-bearing component 110, the two second lifting ears 121 are respectively located on both sides of the plurality of first lifting ears, and the position of any second lifting ear 121 forms a spacing with the positions of the plurality of first lifting ears 111;

[0067] The auxiliary bracket 2 includes a first connecting component 210, a second connecting component 220 and an adjusting component 230;

[0068] The first connection assembly 210 and the second connection assembly 220 are respectively provided with a head end connection portion, a tail end connection portion and an extension portion, and the extension portion is located between the head end connection portion and the tail end connection portion;

[0069] The tail end connection portion includes a hook 01 for hooking the connection through hole of the second lifting ear 121;

[0070] The adjusting component 230 is used to adjust the distance between the first connecting component 210 and the second connecting component 220 .

[0071] In this embodiment, two guide sliders 120 are provided on the load-bearing component 110 of the sling 1, and the two guide sliders 120 respectively form a movable and inseparable connection structure relative to the load-bearing component 110, so that the two guide sliders 120 can respectively perform a rotation movement relative to the center line of the path according to a circular path or an arc path;

[0072] The head end connection portion of the first connection component 210 of the auxiliary bracket 2 is used to connect with the barrier beam L during use. Similarly, the head end connection portion of the second connection component 220 is used to connect with the barrier beam L during use.

[0073] The tail end connection part of the first connection component 210 is provided with a hook 01, and the tail end connection part of the second connection component 220 is provided with a hook 01, and the two hooks 01 are respectively used to hook the connecting through hole of the second lifting ear 121 on one of the guide sliders 120 of the lifting device 1;

[0074] After the sling 1 is connected to the obstacle beam L through the auxiliary bracket 2, if the sling 1 makes a flipping motion, the sling 1 applies a force to the obstacle beam L through the auxiliary bracket 2. Conversely, when the obstacle beam L obtains a force, the obstacle beam L applies a reaction force to the sling 1 through the auxiliary bracket 2.

[0075] If the spreader 1 shows a tendency to swing from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2, and under the observation of the staff, the spreader 1 makes a swinging motion from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2 away from the obstacle beam L, for example, the spreader 1 moves from the lower dead point of the swing to the upper dead point of the swing, then the auxiliary bracket 2 pulls or drags the spreader 1 from the second hook J2 to the first hook J1. This force actually comes from the reaction force applied by the obstacle beam L to the spreader 1 through the auxiliary bracket 2, so that the reaction force becomes a resistance to prevent the spreader 1 from moving away from the obstacle beam L;

[0076] If the sling 1 shows a tendency to swing along the direction from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2, and, under the observation of the staff, the sling 1 makes a swinging motion along the direction from the second hook J2 to the first hook J1 to approach the obstacle beam L, for example, the sling 1 moves from the upper dead point of the swing to the lower dead point of the swing, then the auxiliary bracket 2 pulls or drags the sling 1 along the direction from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2. This force actually comes from the reaction force applied by the obstacle beam L to the sling 1 through the auxiliary bracket 2, and thus the reaction force becomes a resistance preventing the sling 1 from approaching the obstacle beam L.

[0077] The swing amplitude of the spreader 1 is reduced by the resistance exerted by the auxiliary bracket 2 and the barrier beam L on the spreader 1 .

[0078] In this embodiment, see Figure 1 or Figure 2 The sling 1 is provided with a plurality of first lifting ears 111, and the plurality of first lifting ears 111 are arranged on the load-bearing component 110 of the sling 1 in an evenly spaced arrangement in the circumferential direction;

[0079] The two guide sliders 120 are respectively located on both sides of the circumferential direction of the multiple first lifting ears 111, wherein a distance is formed between any guide slider 120 and the first lifting ear 111 to prevent the movement range of the hook 01 from being affected by the first lifting ear 111 when the hook 01 hooks on the second lifting ear 121 located on the guide slider 120.

[0080] Since the two guide sliders 120 are restricted by the "reaction force applied by the obstacle beam L to the hanger 1 through the auxiliary bracket 2", the two guide sliders 120 cannot actually rotate together with the load-bearing component 110. Therefore, the two guide sliders 120 are relatively static and the load-bearing component 110 is relatively dynamic. During the flipping process of the load-bearing component 110, the two guide sliders 120 are displaced relative to the load-bearing component 110 until the flipping action of the load-bearing component 110 is terminated.

[0081] In actual use, the first first lifting ear 111 on the sling 1 is used to be hooked by the first hook J1, the second first lifting ear 111 on the sling 1 is used to be hooked by the second hook J2, and the third first lifting ear 111 on the sling 1 is used to be hooked by a heavy object; it should be understood that the first first lifting ear 111, the second first lifting ear 111 and the third first lifting ear 111 are not arranged in sequence, but are intended to express that the three are in different positions on the sling 1.

[0082] Further, in this embodiment, see Figure 2 , the load-bearing assembly 110 includes a load-bearing component 112 and two limiting components 113;

[0083] The load-bearing component 112 has a cylindrical portion and a thickened portion, one end of the cylindrical portion is located at the head end position A, the other end of the cylindrical portion is located at the tail end position C, and the thickened portion is located at the middle position B, wherein the thickened portion surrounds the cylindrical portion, and the thickened portion and the cylindrical portion are integrally formed;

[0084] The first limiting component 113 is located at the head end position A and is detachably connected to the cylindrical portion, wherein a first guide groove 3 is formed between the first limiting component 113, the cylindrical portion and the thickened portion, and the extension direction of the first guide groove 3 is limited to a circular direction surrounding the load-bearing component 110;

[0085] The second limiting component 113 is located at the tail end position C and is detachably connected to the cylindrical portion, wherein a second guide groove is formed between the second limiting component 113, the cylindrical portion and the thickened portion, and the extension direction of the second guide groove 4 is limited to a circular direction surrounding the load-bearing component 110;

[0086] The first guide slide 120 is arranged in the first guide groove 3 , and the second guide slide 120 is arranged in the second guide groove 4 .

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first half groove and a second half groove are provided between the thickened portion and the cylindrical portion, the opening direction of the first half groove is limited to the direction from the middle position B to the head end position A, and the opening direction of the second half groove is limited to the direction from the middle position B to the tail end position C;

[0088] The first limiting component 113 is provided with a third half groove. When the first limiting component 113 is arranged on the cylindrical portion, the opening direction of the third half groove is limited to the direction from the head end position A to the middle position B, and a first gap is formed between the first limiting component 113 and the thickened portion.

[0089] The second limiting component 113 is provided with a fourth half groove. When the second limiting component 113 is arranged on the cylindrical portion, the opening direction of the fourth half groove is limited to the direction from the tail end position C to the middle position B, and a second gap is formed between the second limiting component 113 and the thickened portion.

[0090] The first half groove, the third half groove and the first gap together form a first guide groove 3;

[0091] The second half groove, the fourth half groove and the second gap together constitute the second guide groove 4.

[0092] Further, in this embodiment, any one of the limiting components 113 is cylindrical;

[0093] Any one of the limiting components 113 is sleeved on the cylindrical portion, and the limiting component 113 is connected to the cylindrical portion by bolts.

[0094] Furthermore, in this embodiment, along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion, one end of the first guide slider 120 is disposed in the third half groove, and the other end of the first guide slider 120 is disposed in the first half groove, and the second lifting ear 121 disposed on the first guide slider 120 extends to the outside of the first guide groove 3 through the first gap;

[0095] Along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion, one end of the second guide slider 120 is arranged in the fourth half groove, and the other end of the second guide slider 120 is arranged in the second half groove. The second ear 121 arranged on the second guide slider 120 extends to the outside of the second guide groove 4 through the second gap.

[0096] Further, in this embodiment, the first lifting ear 111 is fixedly or detachably connected to the thickened portion, or the first lifting ear 111 is integrally formed with the thickened portion;

[0097] The second lifting ear 121 is fixedly or detachably connected to the guide slider 120 , or the second lifting ear 121 is integrally formed with the thickened portion.

[0098] For further information, see Figures 3 to 5 , the head end connection portion of the auxiliary bracket 2 is configured as a clamp or a hook;

[0099] The extension is configured as a telescopic rod;

[0100] The tail end connection part also includes a ball hook 02, which has a fixed part 021 and a swing part 022, the swing part 022 is swingably connected to the fixed part 021, and the hook 01 is detachably connected to the swing part 022;

[0101] Along the extension direction of the extension part, the head end connection part is detachably or fixedly connected to one end of the extension part, and the tail end connection part is detachably connected to the other end of the extension part;

[0102] The adjustment assembly 230 includes a bidirectional screw rod 231, a first sleeve 232 and a second sleeve 233. The first sleeve 232 is connected to the first connecting assembly 210, and the second sleeve 233 is connected to the second connecting assembly 220. One end of the bidirectional screw rod 231 is connected to the first sleeve 232, and the other end of the bidirectional screw rod 231 is connected to the second sleeve 233.

[0103] Furthermore, a disc-shaped first boss 023 is provided on the swinging portion 022;

[0104] A disc-shaped second boss 011 is provided on the hook 01;

[0105] It also includes two positioning blocks 03 and two thrust bearings 04. The two positioning blocks 03 form a cylindrical limiting space inside after assembly, and the two positioning blocks 03 form through holes at both axial ends after assembly, and the two through holes are respectively communicated with the limiting spaces, wherein the first boss 023, the second boss 011 and the two thrust bearings 04 are respectively arranged in the limiting spaces, the second boss 011 is arranged between the two thrust bearings 04, and a thrust bearing 04 is arranged between the first boss 023 and the second boss 011, the swinging part 022 forms a clearance fit with one of the through holes, and the hook 01 forms a clearance fit with the other through hole.

[0106] It should be understood that the telescopic rod in the present embodiment is specifically a spring telescopic rod, and the specific structure of the spring telescopic rod is common knowledge known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here; when the length of the spring telescopic rod increases under the action of an external force, the spring inside the spring telescopic rod is stretched, so that the spring accumulates energy; conversely, when the spring telescopic rod loses the external force, the spring releases energy, forcing the length of the spring telescopic rod to decrease.

[0107] Furthermore, based on all the aforementioned technical solutions, the sling assembly in this embodiment also includes a control assembly 5.

[0108] Specifically, in this embodiment, the control component 5 can adopt the following two solutions:

[0109] See also Figure 6The first control component 5 includes a controller 501, an indicator light 502, a photosensitive device 503 and a laser emitter 504. The number of the indicator lights 502 is the same as the number of the first hanging ears 111. Any indicator light 502 is respectively arranged at one of the first hanging ears 111. There are multiple photosensitive devices 503. The multiple photosensitive devices 503 are in a ring shape surrounding the load-bearing component 110, and the multiple photosensitive devices 503 are respectively connected to the load-bearing component 110. All the indicator lights 502 and the photosensitive devices 503 are respectively electrically connected to the controller 501, wherein any photosensitive device 503 is respectively used to sense the laser emitted by the laser emitter 504.

[0110] Among them, the controller 501 can adopt a single-chip microcomputer, the indicator light 502 adopts an LED indicator light 502, and the photosensitive device 503 can adopt a laser receiver. The structures of the laser receiver and the laser transmitter 504 are common knowledge known to technical personnel in this field and will not be repeated here.

[0111] The photosensitive device 503 and the indicator light 502 are respectively arranged on the load-bearing component 112 of the sling 1; specifically, a plurality of photosensitive devices 503 are arranged at equal intervals in a circumferential direction on the load-bearing component 112, and any photosensitive component is detachably connected to the load-bearing component 112, for example, the photosensitive component and the load-bearing component 112 are connected by screws; similarly, a plurality of indicator lights 502 are arranged at equal intervals in a circumferential direction on the load-bearing component 110, and any indicator light 502 is detachably connected to the load-bearing component 112, for example: an external thread is provided on the indicator light 502, and an internal thread is provided on the load-bearing component 112, and the indicator light 502 and the load-bearing component 112 are threadedly connected.

[0112] The controller 501 can be set in the inner cavity of the load-bearing component 112 through an installation bracket. The cylindrical part of the load-bearing component 112 is provided with a cylindrical inner cavity, which can accommodate the controller 501 and the installation bracket. The installation bracket can adopt a variety of brackets in the prior art, as long as the installation bracket can be connected to the load-bearing component 112 and the controller 501 can be connected to the installation bracket.

[0113] A plurality of through holes are arranged on the load-bearing component 112, wherein the wire of any photosensitive device 503 penetrates through one of the through holes and reaches the inner cavity of the cylindrical part, so that the wire of the photosensitive device 503 can be electrically connected to the controller 501, and any indicator light 502 penetrates through one of the through holes and reaches the inner cavity of the cylindrical part, so that the wire of the indicator light 502 can be electrically connected to the controller 501.

[0114] In addition, the laser emitter 504 should be set outside the sling 1, and the laser emitter 504 can emit laser, and the laser can irradiate the photosensitive device 503. In this embodiment, there is no specific restriction on the model of the laser emitter 504, as long as the laser emitter 504 matches the photosensitive device 503 and the power of the laser emitted by the laser emitter 504 is within a safe range.

[0115] See also Figure 7 The second control component 5 includes a controller 501, an indicator light 502, a weight, an angle sensor 505 and a bracket. The bracket is installed on the load-bearing component 110. The weight is hinged to the bracket. The angle sensor 505 is used to detect the rotation angle of the weight relative to the bracket. The number of the indicator lights 502 is the same as the number of the first lifting ears 111. Any indicator light 502 is respectively set at one of the first lifting ears 111. All the indicator lights 502 and the angle sensors 505 are respectively electrically connected to the controller 501.

[0116] The controller 501 may be a single chip microcomputer, the indicator light 502 may be an LED indicator light 502, and the angle sensor 505 may be a shaft-connected angle sensor 505 or an angle sensor 505 composed of a Hall element and a magnet.

[0117] When the angle sensor 505 is an angle sensor 505 connected by an axis, the shell of the angle sensor 505 should be fixed on the bracket, and the rotating shaft of the angle sensor 505 should be coaxially connected with the axis center line of the weight, and the weight and the bracket form a rotating pair, so that when the weight forms a rotation movement relative to the bracket, the weight can drive the rotating shaft of the angle sensor 505 to rotate relative to the shell of the angle sensor 505.

[0118] When the angle sensor 505 is an angle sensor 505 composed of a Hall element and a magnet, a transmission shaft should be set on the weight. After the weight and the bracket form a rotating pair, as the weight rotates relative to the bracket, the transmission shaft also rotates relative to the bracket. The magnet is set on the transmission shaft, and multiple Hall elements are arranged in a circular manner with equal spacing around the transmission shaft, and any Hall element can be installed on the bracket separately.

[0119] The indicator light 502 is disposed on the load-bearing component 112 , and the indicator light 502 is detachably connected to the load-bearing component 112 , for example, an external thread is disposed on the indicator light 502 , and an internal thread is disposed on the load-bearing component 112 , and the indicator light 502 and the load-bearing component 112 are threadedly connected.

[0120] A plurality of through holes should be provided on the load-bearing component 112 so that the wires of the indicator light 502 can penetrate through the through holes and reach the cylindrical inner cavity of the load-bearing component 112 . In the inner cavity, the controller 501 is electrically connected to the wires, and the controller 501 is electrically connected to the angle sensor 505 .

[0121] It should be understood that the control component 5 in this embodiment also includes a battery; the battery should be set on the sling 1, so that the battery can supply power to the aforementioned controller 501, indicator light 502, photosensitive device 503, and angle sensor 505; the battery should be set in the cylindrical inner cavity of the load-bearing component, and at least the battery should be electrically connected to the controller 501.

[0122] The hoisting method of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0123] Use the first hook J1 to hook the first lifting ear 111 at the first position of the lifting device 1;

[0124] Before the lifting device 1 is turned over, the two hooks 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2 are used to hook the two second lifting ears 121 of the lifting device 1, and the second lifting hook J2 is used to hook the first lifting ear 111 at the second position of the lifting device 1;

[0125] After the lifting device 1 is turned over, the first hook J1 is separated from the first lifting ear 111 at the first position, and the two hooks 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2 are separated from the two second lifting ears 121 .

[0126] In actual use, the sling 1 is provided with at least three first lifting ears 111. Specifically, the sling 1 is provided with 3 to 18 first lifting ears 111. All the first lifting ears 111 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and the position of each first lifting ear 111 is different from the positions of other lifting ears.

[0127] The first position, the second position and the third position are different positions from each other. The first lifting ear 111 at the first position, the first lifting ear 111 at the second position and the first lifting ear 111 at the third position are respectively the first lifting ears 111 at three positions of the lifting device 1 after being selected by the staff;

[0128] Specifically, before the sling 1 and the heavy object are connected, the staff can arbitrarily select one of the positions of the sling 1 as the first position;

[0129] After determining the first position, the staff should connect the first hook J1 with the first lifting lug 111 of the first position, and then lift the sling 1 through the first hook J1. At this time, the center of gravity of the first position and the sling 1 are on the same vertical line in the vertical direction. Then, considering the turning action of the sling 1 and the center of gravity position of the sling 1 after being hooked by the heavy object, the position below the center of gravity of the sling 1 in the vertical direction can be selected as the second position, or the position below the center of gravity of the sling 1 in the vertical direction and biased to the side can be selected as the second position;

[0130] After determining the second position, the worker should hook the weight to the first lifting lug 111 at the second position, and lift the first hook J1 so that the first hook J1 completely bears the combined weight of the sling 1 and the weight, and transfer the sling 1 to the obstacle beam L by moving the first hook J1;

[0131] Considering the turning action of the spreader 1 and the swing amplitude that will occur during the turning process of the spreader 1, the staff should select one of the positions 'above the center of gravity of the current spreader 1 and away from the first position' as the third position.

[0132] The auxiliary bracket 2 is installed on the obstacle beam L, wherein the two hooks 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2 are located below the obstacle beam L; it should be understood that before the first hook J1 reaches the obstacle beam L, the auxiliary bracket 2 should be installed on the obstacle beam L to avoid the first hook J1 affecting the installation space of the auxiliary bracket 2 relative to the obstacle beam L when the first hook J1 reaches the obstacle beam L; after the auxiliary bracket 2 is installed on the obstacle beam L, wait to connect the two hooks 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2 to the sling 1.

[0133] First, the spreader 1 is transported to the barrier beam L by the first hook J1, wherein a portion of the spreader 1 is located below the barrier beam L, and the first hook J1 is located at a first side portion of the barrier beam L;

[0134] The function of the first hook J1 is to bear the weight of the sling 1 or the combined weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object before or during the sling 1 makes a turning motion.

[0135] Then, the two hooks 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2 are used to hook the two second lifting ears 121, and then, the second lifting hook J2 is used to hook the first lifting ear 111 at the second position, wherein the second lifting hook J2 is located at the second side of the barrier beam L, and the first side and the second side are away from each other;

[0136] The function of the second hook J2 is to provide rotational power to the sling 1 during the process of the sling 1 making a turning motion, and the first hook J1 and the second hook J2 jointly bear the weight of the sling 1, or bear the combined weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object. Moreover, after the sling 1 makes a turning motion, the second hook J2 is used to bear the weight of the sling 1, or bear the combined weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object.

[0137] Drive the spreader 1 to perform a flipping action; specifically, lift the second hook J2;

[0138] While raising the second hook J2, lower the first hook J1;

[0139] The flipping action of the spreader 1 is completed.

[0140] Alternatively, lift the second hook J2;

[0141] After the second hook J2 is raised, the first hook J1 is lowered;

[0142] The flipping action of the spreader 1 is completed.

[0143] The second hook J2 performs a lifting action, and drives the lifting device 1 to move upward along the lifting path of the second hook J2 at the second side of the barrier beam L, and the first hook J1 performs a falling action, and the lifting device 1 generates a downward movement trend under the action of its own gravity at the first side of the barrier beam L;

[0144] From the perspective of the sling 1 , when one side of the sling 1 has an upward movement trend and the other side of the sling 1 has a downward movement trend, the sling 1 has a flipping trend, and this flipping trend forces the sling 1 to flip relative to the obstacle beam L.

[0145] During the process of the spreader 1 making a turning motion, the auxiliary bracket 2 is fixed relative to the barrier beam L, and the two hooks 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2 are connected to the two second lifting ears 121 of the spreader 1, so that the auxiliary bracket 2 can apply a resistance to the spreader 1 in the opposite direction of the rotation of the spreader 1;

[0146] If the spreader 1 has a tendency to swing from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2, and under the observation of the staff, the spreader 1 makes a swinging motion from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2 away from the obstacle beam L, for example, the spreader 1 moves from the lower dead point of the swing to the upper dead point of the swing, then the force of the auxiliary bracket 2 pulling or dragging the spreader 1 from the second hook J2 to the first hook J1 becomes a resistance preventing the spreader 1 from moving away from the obstacle beam L;

[0147] If the sling 1 shows a tendency to swing along the direction from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2, and, under the observation of the staff, the sling 1 makes a swinging motion along the direction from the second hook J2 to the first hook J1 to approach the obstacle beam L, for example, the sling 1 moves from the upper dead point of the swing to the lower dead point of the swing, then the force of the auxiliary bracket 2 pulling or dragging the sling 1 along the direction from the first hook J1 to the second hook J2 becomes a resistance preventing the sling 1 from approaching the obstacle beam L.

[0148] The swing amplitude of the spreader 1 is reduced by the resistance exerted by the auxiliary bracket 2 and the barrier beam L on the spreader 1 .

[0149] When the height of the second hook J2 is higher than the height of the sling 1 and the height of the first hook J1, so that the second hook J2 can completely bear the weight of the sling 1, or the combined weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object, the second hook J2 stops rising; correspondingly, the first hook J1 can stop falling, and at this time, the flipping action of the sling 1 is completed.

[0150] After the lifting device 1 is turned over, the first hook J1 can be separated from the lifting device 1, and the two hooks 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2 can be separated from the two second lifting ears 121, so that the combined weight of the lifting device 1 and the heavy object is carried by the second hook J2.

[0151] Furthermore, in the aforementioned solution, when the lifting device 1 has a relatively large number of first lifting ears 111 , how to select the second position becomes a technical problem to be solved.

[0152] In the lifting method of this embodiment, before the second lifting hook J2 is used to hook the first lifting ear 111 at the second position of the lifting device 1, prompt information is obtained;

[0153] The second hook J2 is used to hook the first ear 111 at the second position matching the prompt information.

[0154] The spreader 1 is provided with a control component 5, through which prompt information is obtained, and the position corresponding to the prompt information is the selected position, which can be used to solve the problem of how to select the aforementioned second position.

[0155] When the aforementioned first control assembly is used, the plurality of light sensing devices 503 are distributed at equal intervals on the circumference, and the plurality of indicator lights 502 are distributed at equal intervals on the circumference, and any indicator light 502 is located at the same position as one of the first hanging ears 111;

[0156] The laser generator 504 is arranged outside the sling 1 and is used to emit laser light to the photosensitive device 503 on the sling 1;

[0157] When any photosensitive device 503 receives the laser light, the photosensitive device 503 receiving the laser light can convert the optical signal of the laser light into an electrical signal and send the electrical signal to the controller 504;

[0158] The controller 504 uses the electrical signals received successively as calculation parameters, thereby obtaining the position instruction of the calculated second position of the sling 1. According to the position instruction, the indicator light 502 at the calculated second position of the sling 1 is turned on; the specific calculation method can be calculated using a two-dimensional coordinate system and coordinates, wherein the coordinates include the coordinates of the position of each first lifting ear 111 of the sling 1, and the coordinates of the position of each photosensitive device, and the rest is not mentioned here for the time being.

[0159] The optical signal of the previous moment is received by the previous photosensitive device 503, and the optical signal of the previous moment is converted into a first electrical signal; wherein, before the spreader 1 is transported to the obstacle beam L by the first hook J1 and performs a flipping action, the laser transmitter only irradiates the first photosensitive device 503 on the spreader 1;

[0160] The light signal at the next moment is received by the photosensitive device 503 at the back, and the light signal at the next moment is converted into a second electrical signal; wherein, after the spreader 1 is turned over, the laser emitter 504 irradiates the second photosensitive device 503;

[0161] The controller 501 is used to receive the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal respectively, and the rotation angle of the sling 1 is obtained by calculating according to the coordinates of the first photosensitive device 503 indicated by the first electrical signal and the coordinates of the second photosensitive device 503 indicated by the second electrical signal; wherein the coordinates of the first photosensitive device 503 and the coordinates of the second photosensitive device 503 are different, and the coordinates of the position of each photosensitive device 503 are respectively established in the controller 501, so that the rotation angle of the sling 1 can be obtained by calculating through two different coordinates;

[0162] According to the rotation angle, one of the position coordinates is matched, and the indicator light matching the position coordinate is turned on, and a prompt message is issued through the indicator light; wherein, in the controller 501, the position coordinates where each first lifting ear 111 and the corresponding indicator light are located together are established, and at the same time, the coordinates of each photosensitive position are established with one of the position coordinates to establish an angle difference, so as to obtain the coordinates of the second photosensitive device 503 as a reference, and in conjunction with the rotation angle and by table lookup, obtain the coordinates of the first photosensitive device 503 and one of the position coordinates matched by the angle difference, and use the position of the sling 1 that matches the position coordinate as the second position, and turn on the indicator light 503 at the second position to issue a prompt message.

[0163] When the second control component is used, the axis line of the weight and the axis line of the sling 1 are colinear, and the weight and the sling 1 form a revolving pair. Under the action of gravity, the weight can return to the vertical downward position before and after the sling 1 flips over. Therefore, before the sling 1 flips over, the current angle between the weight and the sling 1 is defined as the initial angle. After the sling 1 flips over, the rotation angle between the weight and the sling 1 is obtained by the angle sensor 505, and the initial angle and the rotation angle are used as parameters for calculation by the controller 501. The indicator light 503 at the second position of the sling 1 is turned on according to the calculation result. The specific calculation method can be calculated using a two-dimensional coordinate system and coordinates, wherein the coordinates include the coordinates of the position of each first lifting ear 111 of the sling 1, and the rest is not mentioned here for the time being.

[0164] The first information of the angle value at the previous moment and the second information of the angle value at the next moment are obtained through the angle sensor 505; wherein, before the spreader 1 makes a flipping action, the information of the current angle sensor 505 is used as the first information of the angle value at the previous moment, for example, at the current moment, the angle sent by the angle sensor 505 to the controller 501 is 45 degrees, and 45 degrees is used as the first information; and, after the spreader 1 makes a flipping action, the information of the current angle sensor 505 is used as the second information of the angle value at the next moment, for example, at the current moment, the angle sent by the angle sensor 505 to the controller 501 is 120 degrees, and 120 degrees is used as the second information;

[0165] The controller 501 receives the first information and the second information respectively, and calculates according to the first information and the second information to obtain the rotation angle of the spreader 1; wherein, if the first information is 45 degrees and the second information is 120 degrees, then the rotation angle is 75 degrees;

[0166] According to the rotation angle, one of the position coordinates is matched, and the indicator light 502 matching the position coordinate is turned on, and a prompt message is issued through the indicator light 502; wherein, a coordinate threshold of the position where each first lifting ear 111 and the matching indicator light 502 (indicator light 502) are located is established in the controller 501, and the coordinate threshold is a collection of multiple coordinates, and the coordinate threshold refers to the coordinate range of the position where each lifting ear is located; in actual calculation, the first information of the previous moment (for example, the first information is 45 degrees) is used as a reference, and one of the coordinate thresholds matched by the first information is selected as the reference coordinate threshold, and after obtaining the rotation angle (for example, the rotation angle is 75 degrees), the target coordinate threshold is calculated based on the rotation angle and the reference coordinate threshold, and a prompt message can be issued by turning on the indicator light 502 matching the target threshold.

[0167] After obtaining the prompt information through any control component, the indicator light 502 matching the prompt information is lit. From the perspective of the staff, after the staff sees that the indicator light is lit, the position of the lit indicator light 502 is the second position.

[0168] See also Figure 8 to Figure 15 , a schematic diagram of the hoisting process of executing the hoisting method of this embodiment, wherein Figure 8 to Figure 15 In the figure, the heavy object is hoisted from the left side to the right side of the figure, and an obstacle beam L is encountered during the hoisting process;

[0169] For details, see Figure 8 , with the obstacle beam L as the center, the first hook J1 is located on the left side of the obstacle beam L, the second hook J2 is located on the right side of the obstacle beam, and the auxiliary bracket 2 is set on the obstacle beam L; the first hook J1 is used to hook the first first lifting ear 111 of the sling 1, and the heavy object is hooked to the second first lifting ear 111 of the sling 1 through other slings (such as a sling or a wire rope, etc.). At this time, the position of the first lifting ear 111 hooked by the first hook J1 is the first position, and the position of the first lifting ear 111 hooked by the heavy object is the second position;

[0170] See also Fig. 9 , use the first hook J1 to hoist the sling 1 and the heavy object to the obstacle beam, adjust the height of the first hook J1 so that the sling 1 approaches and reaches the position of the hook 01 of the auxiliary bracket 2, and then hook the two hooks 01 on the two second lifting ears 121 respectively; at this time, the overall weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object is still carried by the first hook J1, and the hook 01 only hooks the second lifting ears 121, without carrying the weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object;

[0171] See also Fig.10 , keep the first hook J1 and the sling 1 in a stationary state, move the second hook J2 to the sling 1, and hook the second hook J2 with one of the first lifting ears 111; at this time, the entire weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object is still borne by the first hook J1, the hook J1 only hooks the second lifting ear 121, and does not bear the weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object, and the second hook J2 only hooks one of the first lifting ears 111, and does not bear the weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object, and the position of the first lifting ear 111 hooked by the second hook J2 is the third position;

[0172] See also Fig.11 , the first hook J1 makes a downward movement, causing the spreader 1 and the weight to have a downward trend. At this time, the hook 01 is dragged by the spreader 1 and has a downward trend, causing the length of the auxiliary bracket 2 to increase (specifically, the length of the telescopic rod on the auxiliary bracket 2 increases). Since the hook 01 begins to bear the weight at this time, and since the center of gravity of the current spreader 1 and the weight is located at Fig.11The left side of the hook 01 in the figure, so that during the descent of the sling 1 and the weight, the sling 1 has a rotation tendency relative to the hook, and the rotation tendency is as shown in FIG. Fig.11 The direction indicated by the arc arrow in the figure is counterclockwise. At this time, the second lifting ear 121 hooked by the hook 01 generates a friction force that prevents the spreader 1 from rotating, and the direction of the friction force is clockwise.

[0173] See also Fig.12 , as the sling 1 and the weight descend, the second hook J2 bears the weight of the sling 1 and the weight; at this time, if the second hook J2 does not make an upward movement, the rotation trend of the sling 1 disappears; on the contrary, if the second hook J2 makes an upward movement, the sling 1 and the weight make an upward movement, and at the same time, the center of gravity of the sling 1 and the weight has been moved to the right side of the hook 01, so that the sling 1 continues to make a flipping movement, see Fig.12 The direction indicated by the breathing arrow in the figure, that is, the counterclockwise direction is the rotation direction of the sling 1; at this time, the second lifting ear 121 hooked by the hook 01 continues to generate a friction force to prevent the sling 1 from rotating, and the direction of the friction force is clockwise;

[0174] See also Fig.13 , when the weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object is completely carried by the second hook J2, and the first hook J1 is only connected to the first lifting ear 111 located at the first position, and the hook 01 is only connected to the second lifting ear 121, but the first hook J1 and the hook 01 do not carry the weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object respectively, the sling 1 has terminated the turning action, and the length of the auxiliary bracket has returned to the initial length;

[0175] See also Fig.14 and Fig.15 After the weight of the sling 1 and the heavy object is completely borne by the second hook J2, the first hook J1 can be separated from the first lifting ear 111 at the first position, and the hook 01 can be separated from the second lifting ear 121, completing the lifting process across the obstacle beam L.

[0176] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hoisting method, characterized in that: The hoisting method is implemented at least by a hoisting tool assembly, which includes a hoisting tool and an auxiliary bracket; The sling includes a load-bearing component and two guide slide blocks; The load-bearing component has a head end position, a middle position and a tail end position, the first guide slider is arranged between the head end position and the middle position, and the second guide slider is limited between the tail end position and the middle position, wherein the two guide sliders respectively form a movable and inseparable connection structure with the load-bearing component, and the movable path of any guide slider relative to the load-bearing component is a circular path or an arc path surrounding the load-bearing component; The outer surface of the load-bearing component is provided with a plurality of first lifting ears, and the plurality of first lifting ears are limited to be distributed at equal intervals in a circumferential direction around the load-bearing component; A second lifting ear is respectively arranged on any one of the guide sliders, and a connecting through hole of any one of the second lifting ears is respectively used to be hooked by a hook, and any one of the connecting through holes is respectively exposed outside the contour of the load-bearing component; Along the axis direction of the load-bearing component, the two second lifting ears are respectively located on both sides of the plurality of first lifting ears, and the position of any second lifting ear is spaced apart from the positions of the plurality of first lifting ears; The auxiliary bracket includes a first connecting component, a second connecting component and an adjusting component; The first connecting assembly and the second connecting assembly are respectively provided with a head end connecting portion, a tail end connecting portion and an extending portion, wherein the extending portion is located between the head end connecting portion and the tail end connecting portion; The tail end connecting portion includes a hook for hooking the connecting through hole of the second lifting ear; The adjusting component is used to adjust the distance between the first connecting component and the second connecting component; The lifting method includes the following steps: Using a first hook to hook a first lifting ear at a first position of the lifting device; Before the sling is turned over, two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are used to hook the two second lifting ears of the sling, and the second lifting hook is used to hook the first lifting ear at the second position of the sling; After the lifting device is turned over, the first hook is separated from the first lifting ear at the first position, and the two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are separated from the two second lifting ears.

2. The hoisting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Installing the auxiliary bracket on the barrier beam, wherein two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are located below the barrier beam; First, the spreader is transported to the barrier beam by a first hook, wherein a portion of the spreader is located below the barrier beam and the first hook is located at a first side portion of the barrier beam; Then, two hooks of the auxiliary bracket are used to hook the two second lifting ears, and then the first lifting ear at the second position is hooked by the second lifting hook, wherein the second lifting hook is located at the second side of the barrier beam, and the first side and the second side are away from each other.

3. The hoisting method according to claim 2, characterized in that: Raise the second hook; While raising the second hook, lower the first hook; Alternatively, after raising the second hook, the first hook is lowered; Complete the flipping action of the spreader.

4. The hoisting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spreader assembly also includes a control assembly; The control component includes a controller, an indicator light, a photosensitive device and a laser emitter. The number of the indicator lights is the same as the number of the first hanging ears. Any indicator light is respectively arranged at one of the first hanging ears. The number of the photosensitive devices is multiple. The multiple photosensitive devices are in a ring shape surrounding the load-bearing component, and the multiple photosensitive devices are respectively connected to the load-bearing component. All the indicator lights and the photosensitive devices are respectively electrically connected to the controller, wherein any photosensitive device is respectively used to sense the laser emitted by the laser emitter. Alternatively, the control component includes a controller, an indicator light, a weight, an angle sensor and a bracket, the bracket is installed on the load-bearing component, the weight is hinged to the bracket, the angle sensor is used to detect the rotation angle of the weight relative to the bracket, the number of indicator lights is the same as the number of first lifting ears, any indicator light is respectively set at one of the first lifting ears, and all the indicator lights and angle sensors are electrically connected to the controller respectively.

5. The hoisting method according to claim 4, characterized in that: Before using the second hook to hook the first lifting ear at the second position of the sling, obtaining prompt information; A second hook is used to hook the first ear at a second position matching the prompt information.

6. The hoisting method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The optical signal at the previous moment is received by the preceding photosensitive device, and the optical signal at the previous moment is converted into a first electrical signal; The light signal at the next moment is received by the subsequent photosensitive device, and converted into a second electrical signal; A controller is used to receive the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal respectively, and a rotation angle of the sling is obtained by performing calculation according to the coordinates of the preceding photosensitive device indicated by the first electrical signal and the coordinates of the succeeding photosensitive device indicated by the second electrical signal; According to the rotation angle, one of the position coordinates is matched, and the indicator light matching the position coordinate is turned on, and a prompt message is issued through the indicator light.

7. The hoisting method according to claim 5, characterized in that: Obtaining, by means of an angle sensor, first information of an angle value at a previous moment and second information of an angle value at a next moment; A controller is used to receive the first information and the second information respectively, and to calculate according to the first information and the second information to obtain the rotation angle of the spreader; According to the rotation angle, one of the position coordinates is matched, and the indicator light matching the position coordinate is turned on, and a prompt message is issued through the indicator light.

Images