Automatic oiling device and method for steel wire rope of crane

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic oiling device and method for a crane steel wire rope. The device comprises an oil tank, a lubricating main oil pipe, a branch pipe and a valve system. The bottom of the oil tank is provided with an oil outlet, and a ball valve is mounted at the bottom of the oil tank to serve as a switch; the lubricating main oil pipe is arranged above the fixed pulley block, is fixed by a pipe clamp and is connected with an oil outlet of the oil tank through a hose, a branch pipe is arranged on the lubricating main oil pipe corresponding to the upper part of each door pulley, and an adjusting valve is arranged on each branch pipe and is used for adjusting the amount of oil dripped on the steel wire rope; the oil outlet of the branch pipe is higher than the pulley cover, and the lubricating oil automatically flows out of the branch pipe under the action of gravity and drips on the steel wire rope. The method comprises the steps of adding lubricating oil, opening a ball valve, controlling the oil outlet amount through an adjusting valve, lubricating in the running process of a traveling crane and the like. The valve is adjusted according to the rotating speed difference during primary adjustment, and only the ball valve needs to be opened after fixing. Power supply is not needed, automatic precise lubrication is achieved, safety risks are thoroughly avoided, lubricating oil waste is reduced, and efficiency is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of lifting machinery and equipment technology, specifically relating to an automatic lubrication device and method for crane wire ropes, applicable to the maintenance of wire ropes in large lifting equipment such as metallurgical casting cranes. Background Technology

[0002] In the metallurgical and casting industries, large cranes, such as the 350t overhead cranes in steel plants, are key equipment in the production process, with their main lifting wire ropes responsible for lifting heavy materials. These wire ropes experience wear due to friction, load, and environmental factors during use; therefore, regular lubrication is crucial for ensuring the lifespan of the wire ropes and the safe operation of the equipment. Traditionally, the main lifting wire ropes of 350t overhead cranes in steel plants are lubricated manually. In practice, operators first fill a bucket with lubricating oil and then slowly pour it onto the wire ropes through the observation holes above the pulley covers of each pulley block of the main lifting system. During this process, the main lifting mechanism of the crane must be running to allow the wire ropes to move and distribute the lubricating oil evenly. This pouring operation needs to be repeated for each of the four wire ropes of the crane to complete the entire lubrication process.

[0003] However, this manual refueling method has several significant drawbacks. First, refueling must be performed while the equipment is in motion, meaning operators must be close to the wire ropes and pulleys while the equipment is running. In this dynamic environment, the high-speed movement of the wire ropes and the operation of the heavy machinery pose potential safety hazards. Operators may face the risk of being caught in the wire ropes, injured by the pulleys, or falling from a height, especially in the high-temperature, dusty environment of a steel plant, where the safety risks are further amplified. In actual production, there have been reports of personnel injuries and fatalities caused by similar operations, which not only affect the health of operators but may also cause production interruptions and economic losses.

[0004] Secondly, this manual lubrication method cannot achieve precise control over the amount of lubricant applied to each wire rope. During the application process, the distribution of lubricant relies on the operator's experience and feel, making it difficult to quantify. Some lubricant often overflows from the wire rope surface, flowing onto pulley covers or other equipment components, or even dripping onto the ground. This not only results in significant waste of lubricant but may also pollute the working environment, making the ground slippery and further increasing safety hazards. Simultaneously, the overflowing lubricant may evaporate or burn in the high-temperature steelmaking environment, producing harmful gases or posing a fire risk.

[0005] Furthermore, manual lubrication is inefficient. For the four wire ropes of a 350t overhead crane in a steel plant, the entire lubrication process typically takes operators about an hour. This includes preparing the lubricant, climbing to the appropriate position, applying the lubricant to each rope individually, and subsequent cleanup. Prolonged repetitive labor increases operator fatigue and reduces work efficiency. In high-intensity production environments, this inefficient method consumes valuable equipment operating time, impacting the overall production rhythm. Especially in steel plants where metallurgical casting cranes are frequently used, the high frequency of wire rope lubrication results in significant accumulated time costs.

[0006] Traditional manual lubrication also presents other hidden problems. For example, because the pouring position is fixed to the observation hole above the pulley cover, operators cannot easily observe and adjust the lubricant penetration in real time, leading to some wire ropes being under-lubricated while others are over-lubricated. This accelerates localized wear of the wire ropes, shortens their service life, and ultimately increases equipment maintenance costs. In the metallurgical industry, wire ropes are a core component of cranes, and their failure often leads to major accidents, such as material falls or equipment shutdowns. Therefore, improper lubrication not only wastes resources but also threatens the safety and reliability of the entire production chain.

[0007] In general, existing wire rope lubrication technologies rely heavily on manual intervention, failing to meet the demands of modern industry for automation, safety, and efficiency. In high-risk environments such as steel mills, this outdated approach has become a bottleneck restricting production efficiency. While some auxiliary tools exist, such as simple oil brushes or sprayers, these still require manual operation and cannot address the core issues of precise control and safety risks. Furthermore, the main lifting wire ropes of 350t overhead cranes in steel mills are typically located at high altitudes and on the trolley structure, making manual access difficult and further amplifying these shortcomings. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a device and method that can achieve automatic lubrication, precise flow control, and elimination of safety risks to improve the overall level of crane maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of this, the purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of safety risks, lubricant waste, inaccurate control of lubrication volume, and low efficiency associated with manual lubrication of crane wire ropes in the prior art, and to provide an automatic lubrication device and method for crane wire ropes. This device utilizes the principle of gravity to achieve automatic oil supply, requires no power supply, and precisely controls the flow rate through a regulating valve. It is suitable for lubricating the wire ropes of metallurgical casting cranes, such as 350t overhead cranes in steel plants.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An automatic lubrication device for crane wire ropes includes an oil tank, a main lubrication pipe, branch pipes, and a valve system. The oil tank is located on both sides of the drum tailstock of the main trolley. Each oil tank has an oil outlet at its bottom and a ball valve as a switch. The main lubrication pipe is a seamless pipe, positioned above a fixed pulley block and secured with a pipe clamp. The main lubrication pipe is connected to the oil tank outlet via a flexible hose, enabling gravity flow of lubricating oil. Branch pipes are installed above each pulley on the main lubrication pipe, and each branch pipe is equipped with a regulating valve to adjust the amount of oil dripping onto the wire rope. Preferably, the oil outlet of each branch pipe is 5mm higher than the pulley cover, allowing lubricating oil to automatically flow from the branch pipe and drip onto the wire rope under gravity. Preferably, the regulating valve controls the oil flow rate of each branch pipe based on the difference in rotational speed of each pulley in the same pulley block; the faster the pulley rotates, the greater the flow rate. An automatic lubrication method for crane wire ropes includes the following steps: adding lubricating oil to oil tanks located near the drum tailstocks on the north and south sides of the main trolley; opening the ball valve at the oil outlet at the bottom of the oil tank, allowing gravity to force the lubricating oil through a hose into the main lubrication oil pipe located above the fixed pulley group; controlling the oil output of each branch pipe via adjusting valves on the branch pipes corresponding to each pulley on the main lubrication oil pipe, so that the lubricating oil drips onto the wire rope from the oil outlet 5mm above the pulley cover; lubrication is performed while the crane is in operation until completion. Preferably, during the initial adjustment, the adjusting valve is adjusted according to the speed difference of each pulley in the same pulley group; after fixing, only the ball valve needs to be opened each time. Preferably, the oil flow rate of each branch pipe is controlled according to the speed difference of each pulley in the same pulley group, with a larger flow rate corresponding to a faster-speed pulley. Preferably, the oil volume is observed through the position of the oil outlet to ensure that the lubricating oil drips accurately onto the wire rope, avoiding waste.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The present invention provides an automatic oiling device and method for crane wire ropes, which has significant advantages over the traditional manual oiling method.

[0011] First, this device completely eliminates the safety risks for operators. Traditional manual lubrication requires approaching the pulley system while the crane is running, posing a risk of being caught in the wire rope or falling from a height. This invention, by placing the oil tank on the drum tailstock on both sides of the main trolley and utilizing gravity for automatic oil supply, allows operators to complete the lubrication process simply by opening the ball valve from the ground or a safe location, without needing to approach the running wire rope and pulleys. This significantly reduces the probability of accidents, especially in the high-temperature, dusty environment of a steel plant, ensuring personnel safety. In practical application, on the No. 14 350t overhead crane in the steel plant, the use of this device avoids the hidden dangers of previous manual operations, ensuring continuous production.

[0012] Secondly, this invention achieves precise control of lubricating oil flow, effectively reducing waste. Traditional methods rely on manual pouring, making it impossible to quantify the amount of oil added. This results in some lubricating oil overflowing from the wire rope, flowing onto the pulley cover or the ground, causing resource waste and environmental pollution. This device installs branch pipes on the main lubrication oil pipe corresponding to each pulley, and adds regulating valves. It can independently adjust the oil flow according to the speed difference of each pulley in the same pulley group; the faster the pulley, the greater the flow, thus ensuring that each wire rope receives adequate lubrication. The design of the branch pipe outlet being 5mm higher than the pulley cover facilitates observation and fine-tuning, preventing overflow. Simultaneously, the gravity-driven, power-free mechanism ensures a stable and reliable oil supply process. Actual testing shows that this device increases lubricating oil utilization to over 95%, significantly reducing costs.

[0013] Furthermore, this invention significantly improves work efficiency. Traditional manual lubrication for four wire ropes takes approximately one hour, including preparation, pouring, and cleaning. This invention simplifies the operation: after lubrication, simply open the ball valve, and the lubricating oil flows out automatically, reducing the entire process to less than 5 minutes. This not only reduces the labor intensity of operators but also frees up equipment operating time, improving the production pace of steel plants. Especially on metallurgical casting cranes with frequent lubrication requirements, this efficiency improvement can cumulatively save significant manpower and time costs. The device has a simple structure, consisting only of an oil tank, hoses, main oil pipe, branch pipes, and valves, requiring no complex maintenance and further enhancing its practicality.

[0014] Other advantages, objectives, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following examination, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained through the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic oiling device for crane wire ropes according to the present invention.

[0016] Attached reference numerals: 1-oil tank; 2-ball valve; 3-hydraulic hose; 4-fixed pulley block; 5-pipe clamp; 6-main oil pipe; 7-branch pipe; 8-regulating valve; 9-oil outlet; 10-upper plane of the lower trolley frame of the main trolley; 11-wire rope; 12-reducer; 13-drum; 14-drum tailstock; 15-upper plane of the upper trolley frame of the main trolley. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0018] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are schematic diagrams, not actual pictures. They should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate the embodiments of the invention, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0019] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0020] Example 1 like Figure 1As shown, an automatic oiling device for crane wire rope includes an oil tank 1, a ball valve 2, a hydraulic hose 3, a fixed pulley block 4, a pipe clamp 5, a main oil pipe 6, a branch pipe 7, a regulating valve 8, an oil outlet 9, an upper plane 10 of the lower trolley frame 10, a wire rope 11, a reducer 12, a drum 13, a drum tailstock 14, and an upper plane 15 of the upper trolley frame 15. The oil tanks 1 are located on the north and south sides of the drum tailstock 14 of the main trolley. Each oil tank 1 has an oil outlet at its bottom and is equipped with a ball valve 2 as a switch. The main oil pipe 6 is a seamless pipe, located above the fixed pulley block 4, and uses a... The pipe clamp 5 is fixed; the main oil pipe 6 is connected to the oil outlet of the oil tank 1 through the hydraulic hose 3 to realize the gravity flow of lubricating oil; a branch pipe 7 is installed on the main oil pipe 6 above each pulley, and a regulating valve 8 is installed on each branch pipe 7 to regulate the amount of oil dripping onto the wire rope 11; the oil outlet 9 of the branch pipe 7 is 5mm higher than the pulley cover, and the lubricating oil automatically flows out from the branch pipe 7 under the action of gravity and drips onto the wire rope 11; the regulating valve 8 is used to control the oil flow rate of each branch pipe 7 according to the difference in rotation speed of each pulley in the same pulley group, and the faster the rotation speed of the pulley, the greater the flow rate.

[0021] This device was successfully applied to the 350t overhead crane (No. 14) in the steel plant. During operation, after refueling tank 1, the ball valve 2 at the outlet of tank 1 is opened. Due to the height difference between tank 1 and the lubrication point of the wire rope 11, lubricating oil automatically flows out from branch pipe 7 due to gravity. The oil output of each branch pipe 7 is controlled by adjusting the regulating valve 8. Since the rotational speed of each pulley in the same pulley group is different, the oil flow rate is controlled by adjusting the oil outlet regulating valve 8 of each pulley according to its rotational speed. Once the oil flow rate at each pulley's oil outlet is adjusted, it remains fixed. Each time the wire rope 11 is refueled, only the main valve needs to be opened, allowing lubricating oil to drip onto the wire rope 11, slowly entering the wire rope 11 to achieve lubrication. This device requires no power supply, achieves accurate control of lubricating oil flow, effectively reduces lubricating oil waste in the wire rope 11, and completely avoids the safety risks for refueling operators. Compared to the traditional manual refueling method, the operation time is reduced from 1 hour to 5 minutes, significantly improving work efficiency.

[0022] Example 2 This embodiment describes a method based on the automatic lubrication device for crane wire ropes in Embodiment 1. The method specifically includes the following steps: Add lubricating oil to the oil tank 1 located on the side of the drum tailstock 14 on the north and south sides of the main trolley; open the ball valve 2 at the bottom of the oil tank 1 and use gravity to allow the lubricating oil to enter the main oil pipe 6 located above the fixed pulley group 4 through the hydraulic hose 3. The oil output of each branch pipe 7 is controlled by the regulating valve 8 on the branch pipe 7 corresponding to each pulley on the main oil pipe 6, so that the lubricating oil drips from the oil outlet 9, which is 5mm higher than the pulley cover, onto the wire rope 11. Lubrication should be performed while the vehicle is in operation until completion.

[0023] During initial adjustment, the regulating valve 8 is adjusted according to the speed difference of each pulley in the same pulley group. After fixing, only the ball valve 2 needs to be opened each time. The oil flow rate of each branch pipe 7 is controlled according to the speed difference of each pulley in the same pulley group, with a larger flow rate corresponding to a faster speed pulley. The oil volume is observed through the position of the oil outlet 9 to ensure that the lubricating oil is accurately dripped onto the wire rope 11 to avoid waste. This method has been successfully applied to the 350t overhead crane No. 14 in the steel plant, achieving accurate control of lubricating oil flow rate and effectively reducing lubricating oil waste on the wire rope 11. It completely avoids the safety risks of refueling operators and reduces the operation time from 1 hour to 5 minutes compared to the traditional manual refueling mode, greatly improving work efficiency.

[0024] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic oiling device for crane wire rope, characterized in that, It includes an oil tank, a main lubrication oil pipe, branch pipes, and a valve system. The oil tanks are located on both sides of the main trolley at the drum tailstock, and each oil tank has an oil outlet at the bottom with a ball valve as a switch. The main lubrication oil pipe is a seamless pipe, located above the fixed pulley group and fixed with a pipe clamp. The main lubrication oil pipe is connected to the oil tank outlet through a hose to achieve gravity flow of lubricating oil. A branch pipe is installed on the main lubrication oil pipe above each pulley, and each branch pipe is equipped with a regulating valve to adjust the amount of oil dripping onto the wire rope.

2. The automatic oiling device for crane wire ropes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oil outlet of the branch pipe is 5mm higher than the pulley cover. Under the action of gravity, the lubricating oil automatically flows out from the branch pipe and drips onto the wire rope.

3. The automatic lubrication device for crane wire ropes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The regulating valve is used to control the oil flow rate of each branch pipe according to the difference in rotational speed of each pulley in the same pulley group. The faster the rotational speed of the pulley, the greater the flow rate.

4. An automatic oiling method for crane wire ropes, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Add lubricating oil to the oil tanks located on the north and south sides of the main trolley drum tailstock; open the ball valve at the bottom of the oil tank and use gravity to allow the lubricating oil to enter the main lubrication oil pipe located above the fixed pulley group through the hose. The oil output of each branch pipe is controlled by the regulating valve on the branch pipe corresponding to each pulley on the main lubrication oil pipe, so that the lubricating oil drips from the oil outlet 5mm above the pulley cover onto the wire rope. Lubrication should be performed while the vehicle is in operation until completion.

5. The automatic lubrication method for crane wire ropes according to claim 4, characterized in that, During the initial adjustment, adjust the regulating valve according to the speed difference of each pulley in the same pulley group. After fixing, you only need to open the ball valve each time.

6. The automatic lubrication method for crane wire ropes according to claim 5, characterized in that, The oil flow rate of each branch pipe is controlled according to the difference in rotational speed of each pulley in the same pulley group; the faster the rotational speed of the pulley, the greater the flow rate.

7. The automatic lubrication method for crane wire ropes according to claim 4, characterized in that, Observe the oil level by checking the location of the oil outlet to ensure that the lubricating oil is accurately dripped onto the wire rope and to avoid waste.

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