Crane assembly for use in vehicle glazing replacement

Abstract

A crane assembly 2 for lifting a vehicle glazing panel, such as a windscreen, during a vehicle glazing panel installation or removal process. The crane assembly has a clamp arrangement 4, for clamping

Description

BACKGROUND The present specification relates to a crane arrangement that can be used in the fitting of vehicle windows, particularly for vehicle windscreens. Cranes can be used in the final stage of vehicle glazing replacement, either installing a new glazing panel or removing an existing glazing panel. The glazing panels are typically windscreens and therefore manipulation with a crane makes installation or removal easier whilst also reducing the potential for the technician to suffer injury due to their significant size and weight. Freestanding cranes that are suitable for glazing panel installation are large, unwieldy and suffer from being difficult to take to different sites necessary for glazing replacement. A solution to this is to provide a base comprising a plate over which a vehicle wheel is driven which holds the crane assembly in position. However, this is difficult to position accurately, requires multiple people to safely and accurately position, and further risks unintentional damage to the vehicle. The presently claimed invention sets out to address the above-mentioned deficiencies, or at least provide a useful alternative. SUMMARY Aspects of the present disclosure are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Combinations of features from the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims as appropriate and not merely as explicitly set out in the claims. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a crane assembly for lifting a vehicle glazing panel relative to a vehicle during a vehicle glazing panel installation or removal process, the crane assembly comprising: a clamp arrangement for clamping onto a vehicle wheel; a mast extending from the clamp arrangement; a boom extending from the mast for supporting a vehicle glazing panel. Through the provision of a clamp arrangement that clamps to a vehicle wheel, a crane assembly that is lighter and more readily portable is provided. Furthermore, the crane assembly can be assembled and positioned ready for use by a single technician. The clamp arrangement may comprise first and second spaced apart jaws for receiving the wheel of a vehicle therebetween. The jaws are moveable relative to one another between a release and a clamped configuration. One or both jaws may be moveable. The first and second jaws may be arranged to engage with the tyre of a vehicle. The first and second jaws may be arranged to both engage with a ground contacting surface of the vehicle tyre. The first and second jaws may each comprise a contact surface that bears against the ground contacting surface of the tyre. In an operational configuration, the vehicle tyre contacts the ground at a portion of the ground engaging surface, and the first and second jaws are arranged to bear against the ground engaging surface of the tyre on opposing sides of the portion of the tyre in contact with the ground. This is in front of and behind the portion of the tyre in contact with the ground. This means that a technician can approach the vehicle from the side and locate the clamp arrangement onto the vehicle wheel without needing to perform any awkward movements or stretches. A further advantage is that as the clamp arrangement secures to the tyres, the chance of damage to the bodywork of the vehicle is minimised. The first and second jaws may each comprise a contact face that bear against opposing sides of the ground contacting surface of the tyre, where the contact faces each comprise a lower edge and an upper edge, with the distance between the respective lower edges is less than the distance between the respective upper edges. The jaws may be moveable linearly relative to one another. This means that one or both of the jaws may be moveable linearly. The clamping arrangement may further comprise an actuator for drawing the first and second jaws toward one another. It will be appreciated that the first jaw may be brought toward the second jaw where the second jaw remains stationary, or both jaws may be brought toward one another. The actuator may comprise a motor. The clamping arrangement may comprise a structure extending between the first and second jaws. The structure may comprise a longitudinal length projecting generally perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the first and second jaws. The structure may comprise a first and second portion, where the first portion is secured to the first jaw and the second portion is secured to the second jaw, and where the first and second portion are moveable relative to one another such that the distance between the first and second jaw can be modified. The clamping arrangement may be releasably mounted to the clamping arrangement. The crane assembly may comprise a plurality of ground engaging wheels for supporting the clamping arrangement above ground. A first ground engaging wheel may be arranged to space the first jaw above the ground, and a second ground engaging wheel may be arranged to space the second jaw above the ground. The first and second ground engaging wheel may be secured to the first and second jaws respectively. This enables the crane arrangement to be manoeuvred across the ground with ease. It will be appreciated that each of the first and second jaws may be supported by more than one ground engaging wheel. The mast has a mast length, and the mast length may be extendable. This allows adjustability of the height of the boom. The mast may comprise a first mast portion supported by the clamping arrangement, and a second mast portion extending away from the first portion from which the boom extends. The first and second mast portions may be telescopically engaged. The first and second mast portions may be moveable relative to one another such that the length of the mast can be modified. The second mast portion may be slidably received within the first mast portion. A locking arrangement may be provided for locking the first and second mast portions relative to one another. This allows adjustability of the height of the mast, and therefore the boom. The clamping arrangement may form a base from which the mast extends. An extension arrangement may be provided to allow extension between the first and second mast portions. The extension arrangement may be disposed inside the first and / or second mast portions. The extension arrangement may comprise a user operable input for control of the extension arrangement, and optionally the user operable input may comprise a wireless user operable input. The extension arrangement may be configured to enable an increase in the mast length at a first speed and a second speed less than the first speed, the crane assembly further comprising a controller for enabling selection between the first speed and the second speed. This allows fast movement of the crane height to an approximate height, then fine adjustment of the height allowing precision of movement and alignment of a vehicle windscreen. The crane assembly is beneficially arranged such that the boom rotates relative to the clamping arrangement. In an embodiment the second mast portion may be rotatably mounted relative to the first mast portion. The first mast portion may therefore remain stationary whilst the second mast portion rotates. This enables a glazing panel to be drawn towards or away from the vehicle as required during installation or removal. In the alternative the mast as a whole may be rotatably mounted to the clamping arrangement. In such a configuration relative rotation between the first and second mast portions would not be required. The boom may be pivotally mounted to the mast. The boom can therefore be pivoted between a first storage / transport configuration to a second operative configuration. In the first configuration the boom may be aligned (preferably substantially parallel to and in a side by side configuration) with the mast. In the second configuration the boom may project at approximately ninety degrees to the mast. This reduces the need for overhead room for the crane assembly meaning it can be operated in more confined spaces, and further means that an operator does not have to raise and lower the boom with a windscreen supported. Instead, the boom is raised to the operative configuration first, then supports the windscreen for the entirety of the installation or removal of the windscreen. Height of the boom can instead be adjusted by virtue of the adjustability in the height of the mast. The boom may rotate between the lowered and raised configuration in the shortest angular displacement. This means that the boom does not need to ever rotate through an arc where the boom is axially aligned and extending away from the mast. This aids in operation in confined spaces. The boom may be pivotally mounted by a pivot. The pivot may include a locking arrangement for locking the boom in the raised configuration, wherein the locking arrangement deploys automatically upon the boom reaching the raised configuration. This enables one handed operation by a user. The pivot may further be arranged to restrict rotation of the boom relative to the mast not to exceed an acute angle between mast and boom. Accordingly, the pivot may be arranged to restrict rotation of the boom relative to the mast to ninety degrees or less. The boom comprises a boom length and the boom length may be adjustable. The boom may comprise a first boom portion and a second boom portion, where the second boom portion is arranged to support a glazing panel, and where the second boom portion is carried by the first boom portion and projects away from the first boom portion, where the distance the second boom projects is adjustable. The second boom portion may be slidably engaged with the first boom portion. The first boom portion may pivotally connect to the mast. A load supporting member is mounted to the boom where the load supporting member comprises a spool and a flexible winding for winding onto the spool, where the spool is rotatable to enable the flexible winding to be paid out from the spool... The load supporting member may be slidably engaged with the boom. The load support member may be terms a trolley. The load is suspended from the load supporting member when in use. According to another aspect there isa method of installing a vehicle glazing panel, the method comprising providing a crane arrangement comprising a clamp arrangement for clamping onto a vehicle wheel; a mast extending from the clamp arrangement; and a boom extending from the mast for supporting a vehicle glazing panel, the method comprising the steps of: securing the clamp arrangement onto the wheel of a vehicle; supporting a glazing panel on the boom; manipulating the boom such that glazing panel is positioned for installation into the vehicle. It will be appreciated that the clamping arrangement may be secured to the vehicle before or 5 after supporting a glazing panel on the boom. The clamping arrangement may be secured to the tyre of a vehicle. The clamping arrangement may comprise first and second spaced apart jaws and securing the 10 clamping arrangement to the wheel of a vehicle comprises positioning the jaws at opposing sides of the wheel and drawing the jaws linearly toward one another to clamp the wheel therebetween. The opposing sides of the wheel of a vehicle at which the spaced apart jaws are positioned 15 are forwardly and rearwardly of the vehicle wheel in the direction of movement of the wheel. The method may comprise adjusting the boom height by changing the height of the mast. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of this disclosure will be described hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference signs relate to like elements and in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective representation according to an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 2a and 2b show further detail of a mast forming part of an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective representation of a further embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4a-d are schematic representations of the embodiment presented in Figure 3 in four different configurations; Figure 5 is a schematic cross sectional representation of an extension arrangement for effecting change in height of the mast; Figure 6 is a schematic cross sectional representation of a winch arrangement for use with an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of this disclosure are described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring to Figure 1 there is a schematic perspective representation of an illustrative embodiment of the crane assembly. The crane assembly 2 comprises a clamping arrangement 4 for clamping to the wheel of a vehicle, a mast 6 supported by and extending from the clamping arrangement 2 and a boom 8 supported by and extending from a distal end of mast 6 that supports a vehicle glazing panel during installation or removal of a glazing panel from a vehicle. The crane assembly 2 is particularly beneficial for use in installation and removal of windscreens for larger vehicles where the windscreen weight can be particularly high. In more detail the clamping arrangement comprises first and second spaced apart jaws 10a,b that are arranged to be drawn together to bear against a vehicle tyre and clamp the tyre between the jaws. The jaws as presented are in the form of bars. The jaws 10a,b bear against the portion of the tyre that contacts the ground. In use, the jaws 10a,b contact the tyre either side of the region of the tyre that is in contact with the ground. The jaws 10a,b are spaced apart from one another by a structure 12 having a longitudinal length projecting generally perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the first and second jaws 10a,b. The structure 12 enables adjustment of the separation between the first and second jaws 10a,b. In order to achieve this the structure may comprise a first and second portion 14a,b, where the first portion 14a is secured to the first jaw 10a and the second portion 14b is secured to the second jaw 10b. The first and second portion 14a,b are moveable relative to one another such that the distance between the first and second jaw 10a,b can be modified. This may be achieved by one of the first and second portion receiving the other of the first and second portion, and sliding engagement therebetween being enabled. A fixing element (not shown) may be provided to enable the first and second portions 14a,b to be fixed relative to one another at a plurality of discrete locations such that the spacing between the jaws is fixed and the jaws appropriately clamped around the vehicle tyre. The crane assembly may comprise a plurality of ground engaging wheels. A first ground engaging wheel 16a is shown spacing the first jaw 10a above the ground, and a second ground engaging wheel 16b spaces the second jaw above the ground. Each of the jaws comprises a longitudinal length (perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the support 12) and the wheels 16a,b are located at a distal end of each jaw respectively. An additional wheel is connected to each of the proximal ends of the jaws meaning that the clamping arrangement 4 and crane assembly 2 as a whole is supported above the ground. By providing wheels at each end of each of the jaws, the crane assembly is supported. Furthermore, the crane assembly is supported irrespective of the spacing between the jaws. Additionally, adjustment of the separation between the jaws is unimpeded as the wheels readily move across the surface. An actuator arrangement (not shown) is provided for moving the jaws relative to one another. Such an actuator arrangement may comprise a motor. The actuator arrangement causes movement of the support portions 14a,b relative to one another to adjust the separation gap between the jaws. The mast 6 extends upwardly from the clamping arrangement 4, and in the illustrative embodiment is shown secured to the first portion 14a of the support 12. The mast is height adjustable such that the height of the boom 8 that extends therefrom can be adjusted as required. This can be achieved by first and second mast portions 18a,b (that are shown as telescopic) moveable relative to one another as indicated by arrow 19 and securable in a plurality of discreet high positions. In order to assist an operator raising and lowering of the mast height an extension arrangement may be provided. This extension arrangement is motorized where the motor can be battery powered for increased portability and a user input is provided for causing activation of an electric motor. The user input can be a wireless input device. The same motor for moving the jaws relative to each other and enable extension and retraction of the mast 8 may be utilised. For safety purposes, the extension arrangement is configured to enable an increase in the mast length at a first speed and enable reducing of the mast length at a second speed, where the first speed is greater than the second speed. The mast 8 can releasably mount to the clamping arrangement. This is to allow ease of storage / transport, whilst also allows the mast to be mounted to other structures instead of the clamping arrangement. Such other structures may comprise for example a fixed base for workshop use other support. Another support may even comprise a vehicle for example, or a parking wheel clamp. It is beneficial irrespective of whether the first and second mast portions 18a,b may be height adjustable that the second mast portion can rotate relative to the first mast portion. This is important for manipulation of a glazing panel either during installation or removal and allows the boom with the glazing panel hanging therefrom to be rotated towards or away from the vehicle. This rotation is represented by arrow 20. Referring to Figures 2a and b, additional detail regarding the mast 6 is presented, where the mast 6 is shown in a lowered or storage / transport configuration. The second mast portion 18b is shown received in the first mast portion 18a. An upper bearing 40 is fixed to the inner surface of the first mast portion 18a. A lower bearing 42 is provided fixed to the second mast portion 18b which moves with the second mast portion 18b. referring to Figure 2b, again the first and second mast portions are presented together with a lifting arrangement or actuator arrangement 44 comprising a first actuator portion 44 and a second actuator portion 44b. The first actuator portion 44a is fixed to the first mast portion 18a and the second actuator portion 44b is fixed to the second mast portion 18b. A motor (not shown) is arranged to drive the second actuator portion 44b away from the first actuator portion 44a, thereby causing raising of the overall height of the mast 8. The second mast portion 44b can be rotated axially as required with respect to the first mast portion 44a without affecting operation of the actuator arrangement 44. Referring back to Figure 1, the boom 8 is secured to a distal end of the mast 6 (distal end of the second mast portion 18b specifically). The boom 8 is pivotally secured to the mast by a pivot 22, meaning that the boom 8 can pivot upwardly to the position as shown in Figure 1 to a position where the boom extends generally perpendicular to the mast from a position whereby the boom extends in an axis substantially parallel to the mast. Accordingly, the distal end 24 of the boom can be raised or lowered relative to the mast 6 between a storage / transport configuration and an operative configuration. The pivot includes a locking arrangement for locking the boom in a raised configuration. The locking arrangement deploys automatically upon the boom reaching the raised configuration, meaning that operation by the user is one handed. This can be achieved by a variety of arrangements such as a spring loaded pin that is biased to a locked position and as the boom reaches the raised configuration the pin aligns with an opening in the boom and effects locking. The boom 8 comprises a boom length and load supporting member 26 is mounted to the boom 8 from which hangs the load such as a glazing panel handling tool secured to a glazing panel. The load supporting member 26 is moveable longitudinally relative to the boom 8 as indicated by arrow 24 thereby allowing movement of the glazing panel towards and away from the mast 6. The load supporting member 26 is slidably engaged with the boom 8. In use for a windscreen installation for example, the boom 8 is raised to the operative position as shown in Figure 1 where the locking arrangement of the pivot causes the boom to lock into a general horizontal position. A glazing panel handling tool is suspended from the load supporting member 26. The height of the mast is adjusted through operation of the electrically powered motor. The glazing panel is manipulated into position adjacent to the vehicle, and the jaws 10a,b are opened to a width to enable the vehicle wheel to be received therebetween. The jaws are then brought towards one another to clamp the crane assembly to the vehicle wheel. Fine adjustments can then be made to the mast height and boom length as the boom is swung around such that the glazing panel is held above the vehicle. The windscreen can then be fitted as appropriate using fine adjustment of the boom rotation and extension and mast height. The same process is repeated for installation in mounting the assembly to the vehicle wheel. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective representation of a further embodiment of this disclosure. The crane assembly 2 comprises a structure 12 forming a base where the first and second jaws 10a,b each comprise a contact face 40 having opposing contact surfaces that bear against opposing sides of the ground contacting surface of the tyre. The relative positions of the opposing faces mean that the faces bear against portions of the type on opposing sides of the region in which the tyre contacts the ground. The provision of a face 40 means that good contact is achieved between the face and the type, and the manner in which the opposing face diverge from one another upwardly means that the faces cup the tyre at locations between the tyre region that contacts the ground and the mid heights of the tyres effectively providing a secure connection. The contact faces 40 each comprise a lower edge 42 and an upper edge 44, with the distance between the respective lower edges less than the distance between the respective upper edges effectively achieving ‘cupping’ of the tyre. Along with linear movement of one or both jaws 40 relative to the base 12 effective securing of the crane assembly 2 relative to the tyre can be achieved. An actuator arrangement (not shown) is provided for moving the jaws relative to one another. Such an actuator arrangement may comprise a motor. The actuator arrangement causes movement of the support portions 14a,b relative to one another to adjust the separation gap between the jaws. The mast 6 extends upwardly from the base comprising first and second mast portions 18a,b. Again, as with the first embodiment the mast enables heigh adjustment via an extension arrangement 50 as shown in more detail in Figure 5. The extension arrangement 50 is housed within the mast 6 and is operated via motor 52 and power source / controller 54. Operation of the extension arrangement 50 is beneficial as is configured to enable an increase and decrease in the mast length at a first speed and a second speed less than the first speed. This allows careful fine adjustment of the height of the vehicle glass relative to the vehicle. The controller 54 enables selection between the first speed and the second speed. The boom 8 is pivotally mounted relative to the mast 6 by a pivot 22 about a horizontal axis of rotation. The boom 8 in this embodiment comprises a first boom portion 8a and a second boom portion 8b. The vehicle glass is supported from the second boom portion 8b. The second boom portion 8b is pivotally mounted to the first boom portion through the provision of a pivot 60 about a vertical axis of rotation. This allows simple and fine adjustment and manipulation of the vehicle glass in a direction away from the mast 6. A clip arrangement 62 on the first boom portion 8a allows the second boom portion 8b to be secured to the first boom portion 8a. A winch 66 is provided at a forward end of the second boom portion 8b and is described further in Figure 6. The winch allows for fine adjustment of the height of the flexible winding 68. Figure 4a-d are schematic representations of the embodiment presented in Figure 3 in four different configurations. Figure 4a shows the crane arrangement 2 in a first operable configuration with the boom at maximum extension with the first and second boom portions aligned thereby enabling maximum reach. Figure 4b shows the second boom portion 8b partially folded back to reduce the reach. Figure 4c shows the boom with the first and second boom portions 8a,b adjacent and parallel to one another in a storage configuration with the clip arrangement 62 securing them relative to each other. Furthermore, the boom arrangement has been rotated downwardly from a position generally perpendicular to the mast 6 to a position generally aligned and parallel to the mast 6. Figure 4d shows the possibility of the boom 8 being releasably mounted to the mast to allow ease of storage and transportation. Referring now to Figure 5, the extension arrangement 50 allows longitudinal movement of the second mast portion 18b relative to the first mast portion 18a. A lead screw 70 is driven by motor 52 (not shown). This drives the nut arrangement 74 held in the second mast portion 18b thereby causing relative movement therebetween. Referring to Figure 6, a winch arrangement 66 is shown for location at a distal end of the boom 8. The winch arrangement 66 can be used for shortening the length of the flexible winding or strap 68 particularly when lifting the windscreen from a table before using the crane mast 6 for further raising and lowering of a windscreen. This can be achieved by rotating a flexible winding carrying axle 78 which has a hexagonal drive at a distal end for accepting a spanner or battery powered drill type device. Rotation of the axle 78 is prevented in the opposite direction to release the flexible winding by a pawl 80 and ratchet 82. Although particular embodiments of this disclosure have been described, it will be appreciated that many modifications / additions and / or substitutions may be made within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A crane assembly for lifting a vehicle glazing panel relative to a vehicle during a vehicle glazing panel installation or removal process, the crane assembly comprising:a clamp arrangement for clamping onto a vehicle wheel;a mast extending from the clamp arrangement;a boom extending from the mast for supporting a vehicle glazing panel.

2. A crane assembly according to claim 1 wherein clamp arrangement comprises first and second spaced apart jaws for receiving the wheel of a vehicle therebetween.

3. A crane assembly according to claim 2 wherein the first and second jaws each comprise a contact face that bear against opposing sides of the ground contacting surface of the tyre, where the contact faces each comprise a lower edge and an upper edge, with the distance between the respective lower edges less than the distance between the respective upper edges.

4. A crane assembly according to any of claims 2-3 wherein the first and second jaws are moveable linearly relative to one another.

5. A crane assembly according to any of claims 2-4 wherein the clamp arrangement comprises an actuator for drawing the first and second jaws toward one another.

6. A crane assembly according to any of claims 2-4 wherein the clamping arrangement comprises a structure extending between the first and second jaws, the structure comprising a first and second portion, where the first portion is secured to the first jaw and the second portion is secured to the second jaw, and where the first and second portion are moveable relative to one another such that the distance between the first and second jaw can be modified.

7. A crane assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the mast has a mast length, and the mast length is extendable, wherein the mast comprises a first mast portion supported by the clamp arrangement, and a second mast portion extending away from thefirst portion from which the boom extends, where the first and second mast portions are moveable longitudinally relative to one another to enable extension of the mast, thecrane assembly further comprising an extension arrangement for effecting increase and decrease of the mast length.

8. A crane assembly according to claim 7 where the extension arrangement is located within the first and / or second mast portion.

9. A crane assembly according to any of claims 7-8 wherein the extension arrangement is configured to enable an increase in the mast length at a first speed and a second speed less than the first speed, the crane assembly further comprising a controller for enabling selection between the first speed and the second speed10. A crane assembly according to any preceding claim configured such that the boom rotates relative to the clamping arrangement between a lowered and a raised configuration, where in the lowered configuration the boom is generally aligned in a side by side position with the mast, and in a raised configuration the boom extends generally perpendicular from the mast.

11. A crane assembly according to claim 10, wherein the boom rotates between the lowered and raised configuration in the shortest angular displacement.

12. A crane assembly according to any of claims 10-11 wherein the boom is pivotally mounted to the mast by a pivot.

13. A crane assembly according to claim 12 wherein the pivot includes a locking arrangement for locking the boom in the raised configuration, wherein the locking arrangement deploys automatically upon the boom reaching the raised configuration.

14. A crane assembly according to claim 13 wherein the pivot is arranged to restrict rotation of the boom relative to the mast not to exceed an acute angle between mast and boom.

15. A crane assembly according to any preceding claim further comprising a load supporting member mounted to the boom where the load supporting member comprises a spool and a flexible winding for winding onto the spool, where the spool is rotatable to enable the flexible winding to be paid out from the spool.

16. A method of installing a vehicle glazing panel, the method comprising providing a crane arrangement comprising a clamp arrangement for clamping onto a vehicle wheel; a mast extending from the clamp arrangement; and a boom extending from the mast for supporting a vehicle glazing panel, the method comprising the steps of: securing the clamp arrangement onto the wheel of a vehicle;supporting a glazing panel on the boom;manipulating the boom such that glazing panel is positioned for installation into the vehicle.

17. A method according to claim 16 where the clamping arrangement comprises first and second spaced apart jaws and securing the clamping arrangement to the wheel of a vehicle comprises positioning the jaws at opposing sides of the wheel and drawing the jaws linearly toward one another to clamp the wheel therebetween.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the spaced apart jaws are positioned are forwardly and rearwardly of the vehicle wheel in the direction of movement of the wheel.A

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