Guy, apparatus and method for aerial assembly and restoration of lattice boom

Abstract

To provide a device for supporting a lattice boom of a crane, particularly a movable crane, with a guy.SOLUTION: A device 10 includes a frame 12 and two connection elements 14 connected to the frame. The frame has first mounting means for detachably connecting the device to a guy of a crane. The connection element includes second mounting means for detachably fixing the device to the boom. The device can be removed again after assembling the boom since the device is assembled at the boom.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for guiding the lattice boom of a crane, in particular a mobile or crawler crane, and to a method for assembling, restoring and guiding such a lattice boom in the air using said device, respectively. [Background technology]

[0002] Mobile cranes with lattice booms typically have to be disassembled into multiple parts for transportation due to their weight and size, and then set up or rigged at the deployment site. In this process, it is known to use a crane guying system in assembling the boom, so that the boom can be held in the air, i.e., off the ground, by the guys, so that additional boom parts, such as lattice pieces and / or a boom head, can be attached. This procedure may also be referred to as airborne assembly.

[0003] In the air assembly of lattice booms, it was previously necessary to integrate special adapters onto the boom that guyed the boom during air assembly and then remained on the boom during deployment of the entire crane.

[0004] An example of such a special adapter or special lattice piece 100 known from the prior art is shown in a perspective view in Figure 1. The special lattice piece 100 is provided with bolt or attachment points 104 for the SA frame guys or derrick guys 7 of a mobile or crawler crane and is reinforced in the area of ​​the attachment points. Compared to a standard lattice piece as shown in Figure 2, the additional weight of the special lattice piece 100 is generated by the possibility of this guying and the reinforced areas 102 for the force introduction of the guys 7. This increases the total weight of the boom, as the special lattice piece 100 remains permanently on the boom, which results in a reduction of the maximum payload of the crane.

[0005] Because the special adapter remains on the boom after the boom is assembled and is also used during crane operation, its fixed position must also be specified on the boom in advance. In this process, the thickness of the corner stem pieces of the special lattice piece determines its position within the boom. Stronger or thicker corner stem pieces are installed at the front of the boom, while weaker or thinner corner stem pieces are positioned further toward the end of the boom. In other words, the thickness of the corner stem pieces of a boom usually decreases from the front to the end. However, as a rule, only one single special lattice piece with a fixed corner stem piece diameter is used. This means that the special lattice piece can only be installed in a specific position in the boom system. As a result, its use in a boom unit is only possible with limitations. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an underlying object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and to improve the aerial assembly of lattice booms in terms of flexibility and resulting boom weight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention by a device for guiding a lattice boom comprising at least two lattice pieces or lattice mast booms in a crane, in particular a mobile or crawler crane, having the features of claim 1, by a method for assembling such a lattice boom in the air having the features of claim 9 and by a method for restoring and guiding such a lattice boom to its original state having the features of claim 12.

[0008] Thus, the device according to the invention comprises a frame and two connection elements connected to the frame, the frame having first attachment means for releasably connecting the device to the guy of the crane and the connection elements having second attachment means for releasably fixing the device to the boom, wherein the device is attachable to the boom for assembling the boom and detachable again after the boom has been assembled.

[0009] Therefore, the device according to the present invention is used only for boom assembly: it is removed before normal crane operation begins and is therefore not part of the boom weight in crane operation.

[0010] By using the device according to the invention, special adapters or special lattice pieces to which the crane guys must be attached for airborne assembly are no longer necessary. Instead, the device according to the invention is simply temporarily attached to the boom for airborne assembly and then removed again so that no special pieces remain on the final boom provided for crane use. Thus, the boom weight is reduced, thereby allowing the boom length to be increased and / or the maximum payload of the crane to be increased.

[0011] The external device according to the present invention further allows the boom unit to be assembled without special pieces attached to specific positions, so that special units can be omitted. This significantly increases the flexibility of assembly in the air. The entire assembly in the air without special adapters is also simpler, since there is no need to plan additional pieces on the boom and they cannot be installed incorrectly.

[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and from the following description.

[0013] The device according to the invention can be advantageously attached to any standard grid piece or grid adapter allowing for a very flexible deployment.

[0014] In one embodiment, the frame is a trapezoidal structure, and preferably the first attachment means is fixed to a short side of the frame and the connecting element is fixed to a long side of the frame. The frame may further have, for example, one or more struts extending between the short and long sides to increase the stability or rigidity of the device. However, different shapes of the frame, for example rectangular, are also conceivable. The device is preferably axisymmetric.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the connecting elements are rods, where they function as guy rods and preferably extend substantially parallel to one another, and can be integrally formed or assembled from multiple parts.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the connection elements are pivotally fixed to the frame in a common plane, so that they can be moved or pivoted outward and fixed to the outside of the boom and inserted from the outside. The connection elements are preferably fixed to the frame via cross-shaped lugs having two pivot axes arranged perpendicular to each other. This allows the connection elements to pivot in two directions independently of each other, which increases flexibility and tolerance for manufacturing or installation errors when attaching the device to the boom. The two pivot axes can be spaced apart or coincident to form a universal joint.

[0017] In a further embodiment, the frame has third attachment means for securing the device to an assist crane. The third attachment means are preferably arranged on the sides of the frame or in the area of ​​the first attachment means. The device is thus attached to or suspended from the assist crane, so that it can be raised onto the boom using the assist crane to secure the device to the boom.

[0018] In a further embodiment, the second attachment means is formed as a receiving hole that can be arranged (in particular laterally) for a connecting pin from the outside at the connection point of two lattice pieces of the boom. Here, the connection point is the area where two lattice pieces are joined or pinned together. To pin the lattice pieces, the connection means is provided in the end area of ​​each lattice piece that can be joined and pinned together. In this respect, it can be a fork element or a connecting fork with a receiving hole in which a connecting pin can be arranged.

[0019] In a further embodiment, the connecting means of the lattice pieces are provided with at least two special pins that can be used to pin two of the lattice pieces of the boom, the special pins protruding laterally beyond the lattice pieces and the receiving holes of the connecting elements being able to be positioned from the outside. The special pins preferably have the same diameter as the standard pins normally used to pin lattice pieces, so that the standard pins can simply be replaced by the special pins according to the invention to subsequently enable the attachment or fastening of the connecting elements of the device according to the invention.

[0020] Standard lattice pieces can therefore still be used for assembling the boom without any modifications to the boom or lattice pieces that would need to be made to allow the fastening of the device according to the invention. In principle, they can therefore be attached to all standard lattice pieces. This makes the device according to the invention usable in a particularly flexible manner.

[0021] The special pin preferably has one or more locking means for preventing the special pin from coming out of the connecting means and / or the second attachment means from being released from the special pin. For example, each first locking means may be provided for the inner end of the special pin (i.e., the end facing the grid piece). The first locking means may comprise a sleeve that can be pressed onto the special pin from the inside and serves as an abutment for the special pin on the connecting means of the grid piece. The sleeve may have a bore that, in the deployed state, covers the first bore, which extends radially through the special pin. Furthermore, a first locking pin may be provided. The first locking pin can be pressed through the first bore and the sleeve. The first locking pin comprises a linch pin that prevents the first locking pin from coming out of the first bore or the first sleeve. The first locking pin prevents the first sleeve from coming out of the special pin.

[0022] Furthermore, a second fixing means may be provided at the other, outer end of the special pin. The second fixing means includes a second sleeve. The second sleeve can be arranged from the outside and, like the first fixing means, includes a second fixing pin with a linch pin. The second fixing pin can be arranged, in particular, radially through a second bore extending radially through the corresponding bore of the special pin and the second sleeve. The second sleeve serves, in particular, as an abutment for the second attachment means of the device arranged on the second pin, so that, in the locked state, the second attachment means and the associated connecting means of the connected lattice piece are located between the locked first and second sleeves, thereby preventing undesired release of the device according to the invention from the boom.

[0023] In a further embodiment, the connecting elements can be fixed at at least two different positions on the frame so that the distance between them is variable. This allows the dimensions of the device according to the invention to be simply and quickly adapted to the width of the boom or lattice piece used. The device according to the invention can therefore be used universally. The distance that can be set by replacing or reinstalling the connecting elements can be adapted to the usual width of a standard lattice piece.

[0024] A holder may be provided in the device for supporting at least two special pins, preferably corresponding components of the associated fixing means, such as a sleeve, a fixing pin and a linch pin. The holder may be arranged on a frame.

[0025] Furthermore, the distance of the first attachment means may correspond to the distance of the guys of the crane, in particular the derrick guys, A-frame guys or SA-frame guys. The distance of the first attachment means is preferably smaller than the distance of the fixing points of the connection elements on the frame. Furthermore, the distance of the third attachment means may be smaller than the distance of the first attachment means.

[0026] The device according to the present invention can be disassembled into a plurality of individual parts for transportation. The connecting elements may be removably fastened to, for example, a frame. Furthermore, the device may have a length that substantially corresponds to the length of the lattice pieces of the boom. The width of the device may substantially correspond to the width of the lattice pieces of the boom.

[0027] The present invention further relates to a method for assembling a lattice boom of a crane, in particular a mobile or crawler crane, in mid-air using the device according to the present invention. The method comprises the following steps: connecting or pinning at least two lattice pieces of the boom to the crane and supporting the boom on the ground, for example directly on the ground or on a frame; placing the device at the connection point of the two lattice pieces of the boom, preferably using an assist crane; fastening the device to the boom via the second attachment means of the connection element and preferably releasing the connection to the assist crane; connecting a guy of the crane to the first attachment means of the device; raising the boom with the device still part of the guy; installing at least one further component of the boom, in particular a lattice piece and / or a boom head, on the guyed boom; supporting the boom, in particular on a frame; releasing the device from the guy and the boom; fastening the guy and / or further guy to the boom and raising the boom with the guy.

[0028] The method according to the invention provides the same advantages and properties as the device according to the invention, which may be configured according to any one of the advantageous embodiments described above.

[0029] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the step of connecting or pinning at least two lattice pieces of the boom to the crane is carried out using two special pins, which are used to pin the lattice pieces to the connecting means of the lattice pieces, and which are particularly configured as described above, i.e. they project laterally beyond the lattice pieces in the pinned state so that the receiving holes of the connecting elements can be placed from the outside.

[0030] In particular, the lattice pieces have upper and lower connecting means, the upper connecting means of the lattice pieces being pinned together by the special pins, and the lower connecting means being initially unpinned together. The connecting means are preferably configured as connecting forks. The pinning of the lower connecting means preferably only takes place in a later step after the boom has been raised.

[0031] Preferably, the step of connecting or pinning at least two lattice pieces of the boom to the crane using special pins comprises bringing together the upper connection means (i.e. located on the top sides) of the lattice pieces, pushing the special pin into the connection means to establish the pinning at the top, and fixing the special pin using the above-mentioned first fixing means.

[0032] The step of fastening the device to the boom via the second attachment means of the connection element may further comprise laterally positioning the second attachment means of the device's connection element on a special pin and fastening the connection using the above-mentioned second fastening means. In order to move or pivot the connection element outward, it may be necessary to laterally position the connection element on the special pin. For this purpose, the connection element is preferably pivotally connected to the frame via a corresponding joint or lug.

[0033] In a further embodiment, after raising the boom with the guys, the two lattice pieces, in particular the lower connection means of the lattice pieces, are pinned to one another with further connecting pins, which may also be standard pins.

[0034] In a further embodiment, the device is placed on one of the lattice pieces before connection to the crane guy. For this purpose, the device may, for example, have one or more legs or racks on the frame, so that after placement the device is placed higher than the guy rods that are fixed to the top edge of the lattice piece and used for the final guying of the boom after assembly in the air. After placement, the device may be prepared to be pinned to the crane guy.

[0035] Furthermore, the device according to the invention may be placed back on the lattice pieces after the installation of additional boom elements and after the subsequent underpinning or support of the extended or finally installed boom in order to allow the device to be conveniently released from the boom. In particular, the second fastening means of each special pin are released for this purpose and the connecting elements of the device are removed from the special pin. The special pins preferably remain on the boom.

[0036] If, after releasing the device according to the invention, it is necessary to extend the boom further, the device may be reinstalled at a different point, in particular at a further connection point between two lattice pieces. Alternatively, especially in shorter boom systems, the boom may be assembled in the air by a single installation and release of the device according to the invention.

[0037] In a further embodiment, the guy is a derrick guy, an A-frame guy, or an SA-frame guy. The same guy may be used both for raising the not-yet-rigged boom and for raising and guying the final rigged boom. Furthermore, guy rods may be fixed to the top edges of the lattice pieces for the final guying (which does not include the device according to the invention). After releasing the device according to the invention, the guys of the crane may be connected to the guy rods previously connected to each other, and the final rigged boom may be raised and moved to its working position after tensioning the guys.

[0038] The device according to the invention is generally suitable for the aerial assembly of lattice booms, the term "aerial assembly" being broadly understood and in the present case particularly referring to any type of conversion of the boom. The device can be used for multiple conversion or installation procedures, since it can be attached and detached at any desired connection point of two lattice pieces of the boom. One example for this is the so-called restoration of a crane or boom to its original state, also referred to here simply as restoration.

[0039] The crane's restoring state is an operating mode without the boom head, suitable for moving the crane from one position to another. Re-restoring is typically performed because the boom length may not be shifted according to the operating instructions because the ground between the current and destination positions cannot support the crane's total weight and / or reduce wear on the crane during travel. When restoring the boom, the load-raising boom length is restored to a shorter length. The boom head and usually one or more lattice pieces are removed. The resulting boom state without the boom head is called re-restoring.

[0040] Righting results in a lighter boom weight, reducing the total weight being moved. Thus, the purpose of righting is to have a lower total weight, thereby causing less surface contact with the ground or less wear. Additionally, a righted boom has a lower center of gravity, which provides stability benefits.

[0041] However, because the boom head is removed during the repositioning, the possibility of guiding the repositioned boom is lost, since the guying is usually fixed to the boom head. Special adapters known from the prior art can only be used at specific positions on the boom, so that the repositioned boom could only be guyed at these points until now. Therefore, repositioning according to requirements has not been achieved.

[0042] However, in practice, the device according to the invention makes it possible to guide the lattice boom at any desired connection point of the two lattice pieces and also in the restored state without the boom head.

[0043] For this reason, the present invention further relates to a method for restoring and guying a lattice boom of a crane, in particular a mobile or crawler crane, to its original state using the device according to the present invention. The method comprises the following steps: placing the boom, in particular on a positioning frame, and removing the boom components, in particular the boom head and optionally one or more lattice pieces; positioning the device at the connection point of two lattice pieces on the boom, preferably with the help of an assist crane; fastening the device to the boom via the second attachment means of the connection element, preferably releasing the connection to the assist crane; connecting the guy of the crane to the first attachment means of the device; and, with the device remaining part of the guy, raising and guying the boom using the guy.

[0044] The device according to the invention can be attached to any desired lattice piece of the restored boom, so that the length for the guys can be easily reduced and a boom without a boom head can be used. Therefore, the position of the guys, including the device in the method according to the invention, can be freely selected and adapted to the respective deployment situation and crane configuration. This allows for a requirement-based restoration.

[0045] The device according to the invention used in the last-described method may be configured according to any one of the advantageous embodiments described above.

[0046] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, at least two lattice pieces of the boom are pinned together using the special pins mentioned above, to which the device is fixed by the second attachment means of the connecting element.

[0047] In a further embodiment, the device is placed on one of the lattice pieces prior to connection of the crane to the guy.

[0048] In a further embodiment, the guy is a derrick guy, an A-frame guy, or an SA-frame guy.

[0049] The description of the corresponding embodiments of the method according to the invention for assembly in the air applies to the last three embodiments of the method for restoration and guiding, so that repetition is omitted at this point.

[0050] Further features, details and advantages of the invention emerge from the embodiments described below with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0051] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view an example of a special grid piece known from the prior art. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows an example of a standard grid piece in perspective view. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows in perspective view one embodiment of the device according to the invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows in two front views the device according to the invention for assembly with two grid pieces of different sizes. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows details of the pinning of two grid pieces using special pins according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a detail corresponding to FIG. 5 after assembling the second mounting means of the device according to the figure. [Figure 7] 7 to 13 show a number of side views of a crawler crane during different steps of the aerial assembly of a lattice boom according to the method of the invention. [Figure 8] 7 to 13 show a number of side views of a crawler crane during different steps of the aerial assembly of a lattice boom according to the method of the invention. [Figure 9] 7 to 13 show a number of side views of a crawler crane during different steps of the aerial assembly of a lattice boom according to the method of the invention. [Figure 10] 7 to 13 show the assembly in the air of a lattice boom according to the method of the invention in several side views of a crawler crane during different steps. [Figure 11] 7 to 13 show the assembly in the air of a lattice boom according to the method of the invention in several side views of a crawler crane during different steps. [Figure 12] 7 to 13 show the assembly in the air of a lattice boom according to the method of the invention in several side views of a crawler crane during different steps. [Figure 13] 7 to 13 show the assembly in the air of a lattice boom according to the method of the invention in several side views of a crawler crane during different steps. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] In perspective view, an example of a special lattice piece 100 as used in the prior art for temporary guying of lattice booms of mobile cranes, particularly crawler cranes, is shown in Figure 1. This description has already been given at the beginning, so repeated statements will be omitted at this point.

[0053] Figure 2 shows a standard lattice piece 3 (hereinafter referred to only as "lattice piece") for a lattice boom or lattice mast boom 2 of a crawler crane 1. A fully equipped boom 2 is assembled from a number of such lattice pieces 3, which are pinned by articulated pieces connected to the rotatable superstructure of the crane 1. The boom 2 is guyed, inter alia, via a boom head located at its end.

[0054] The lattice pieces 3 have a parallelepiped (cuboid) geometry, the longitudinal edges of which are formed by four corner bars 5, at the ends of which connection means 4 are arranged for pinning to other lattice pieces 3, articulation pieces, and / or the boom head. The connection means 4 are configured as connecting forks with central holes, which are arranged on one another and pinned by connecting pins. Adjacent corner bars 5 are connected to one another via diagonal struts and non-tensioning members. Guy rods 6 are fixed to the upper sides of the lattice pieces 3 and connected to guys 7 of the crane 1 to form the final guys for the boom 2. They are then detached from the lattice pieces 3 after the boom 2 is assembled or during assembly in the air. For this purpose, the guy rods 6 of different connected lattice pieces 3 are pre-pinned to one another.

[0055] 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a device 10 according to the present invention, which may also be referred to as an airborne assembly unit. The assembly 10 comprises a flat, trapezoidal frame 12, on the long sides of which two connecting elements 14 formed as rods (hereinafter referred to as connecting rods) are fixed by respective cross-shaped lugs 13. Each of the cross-shaped lugs 13 includes two pivot axes. The two pivot axes are spaced apart from each other and oriented perpendicular to each other, allowing independent pivoting of the connecting rods 14 both in a common plane (i.e., towards or away from each other) and in a plane perpendicular thereto.

[0056] The trapezoidal frame 12 has two attachment means 16 on its short sides to which guys 7 of the crane 1 can be pinned, here in particular the derrick guys 7 or SA frame guys 7 of the crane 1. The distance between the first attachment means 16 ideally corresponds to the distance between the derrick guys 7 or SA frame guys 7. Furthermore, third attachment means 20 are arranged on the short sides of the frame 12, by means of which the device 10 can be connected to the assist crane 50 via another suspension means, for example via chains, ropes or the hooks of the assist crane. The third attachment means 20 are arranged between the first attachment means 16 and are therefore at a smaller distance from each other than the first attachment means 16.

[0057] Furthermore, two diagonal struts, connecting the ends of the short sides to the centre of the long sides, extend between the short and long sides of the frame 12. Four holders 21 for four special pins 22 and associated fixing means 24, 30, which will be explained in more detail further below, are arranged on these diagonal struts, which act in a reinforcing and stiffening manner. Furthermore, the frame 12 has a number of legs 11 on which the device 10 can be supported when placed on the lattice pieces 3.

[0058] At the ends of the connecting rods 14 remote from the frame 12, they merge into two mounting means 18 formed as mutually opposing receiving holes 18. The receiving holes 18 are dimensioned to receive connecting pins used to fasten the two lattice pieces 3 together. The device according to the invention can be removably fastened to the boom 2 via the receiving holes 18. For this purpose, the standard pins normally used when fastening the two lattice pieces 3 to the upper connecting fork 4 are replaced by elongated special pins 22. The elongated special pins 22 have the same diameter but are longer and protrude laterally outward at the connection points of the lattice pieces 3. The device 10 is attached to these points via the connecting rods 14.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows two front views of the device 10 according to the present invention when assembling two grid pieces 3 of different widths. Special pins 22 can be seen protruding laterally outward in the upper connecting fork 4, onto which the connecting rods 14 can be placed via the receiving holes 18. Since the connecting rods 14 are pivotally connected to the frame 12 via the cross-shaped lugs 13, they can be pivoted outward to laterally position the receiving holes 18 on the special pins 22. Therefore, the special pins 22 do not need to be dismantled separately to secure the device 10. The lower connecting fork 4 can be pinned via ordinary pins, i.e., short standard pins. In addition to the lateral pivot, the cross-shaped lugs 13 allow the connecting elements 14 to pivot perpendicularly along the grid piece 3. However, it is also contemplated that in one embodiment, the connecting rod 14 is not pivotally fixed to the frame 12, but rather is designed with sufficient flexibility and / or length to be able to bend outward the distance necessary to engage around the special pin 22.

[0060] 4 it can also be seen that the device 10 is suspended from the hook of the assist crane 50 via the third attachment means 20. This allows the device 10 to be positioned precisely above the desired connection point on the lattice piece 3 or above the special pin 22.

[0061] The cross lugs 13 can be rearranged on the frame 12 to adapt the distance between the connecting rods 14 to the respective lattice piece width, thus making it possible to use the device 10 with several lattice pieces 3 or booms 2. For this purpose, in this embodiment, two different fastening points 15 are provided, at which the cross lugs 13 can be installed. The distance between the fastening points 15 or connecting rods 14 can correspond to two customary standard widths of the lattice pieces 3. Naturally, more than two fastening points 15 can be provided per connecting rod 14. In this embodiment, the adjustable distance between the two cross lugs 13 is greater than the distance between the first attachment means 16. The length and width of the entire device 10 approximately correspond to the length and width of the lattice pieces 3.

[0062] Figure 5 shows one of the upper connection points between two grid pieces 3 along one longitudinal axis of the upper corner bar 5. The connecting forks 4 of the grid pieces 3 are joined together and pinned using a special pin 22. Unlike the standard pins commonly used, the special pin 22 is longer and protrudes further outward. The special pin 22 is fixed on the inside (right side in the figure) by a first fixing means 24. It includes a hollow cylindrical first sleeve 26 that is placed on the special pin 22 from the inside. The special pin 22 has a first bore that extends radially through its rotation axis and is covered by two precisely aligned, diametrically opposed bores in the first sleeve 26. A first fixing pin 28, which is pressed through the bore of the first sleeve 26 and the first bore of the special pin 22, prevents the first sleeve 26 from slipping off the special pin 22. The first fixing pin 28 is then secured against removal by a linch pin 29. The first sleeve 26 forms an internal abutment for the special pin 22 .

[0063] The special pin 22 is conically chamfered at both ends to facilitate insertion into the bore of the connecting fork 4. It has, in particular, the same diameter as the standard pin. This allows the device 10 according to the invention to be flexibly attached to any desired connection point between two lattice pieces 3 (or between an articulation piece and a lattice piece 3, or between a lattice piece 3 and a boom head). For this purpose, only the standard pin in the upper connecting fork 4 needs to be replaced with the special pin 22 according to the invention. The four special pins 22 together with the sleeves 26, 32, the fixing pins 28, 34, and the linch pins 29, 35 can be supported in a special holder 21 on the frame 12 for transportation (see FIG. 3).

[0064] The same connection point is shown in FIG. 6 with a pinned connecting rod 14 of the device 10 according to the invention. The connecting rod 14 is placed on the special pin 22 from the outside via the receiving hole 18 (on the left side of the figure). To prevent the connecting rod 14 from being disengaged, a second fixing means 30 is provided on the outside, comprising a second sleeve 32 and a second fixing pin 34. Similar to the first fixing means 24, the second fixing pin 34 is pressed through a second bore extending radially through the outer end of the special pin 22 and two corresponding bores in the second sleeve 32 and secured against removal using a linch pin. The second sleeve 32 forms an outer abutment so that the connecting fork 4 and the second mounting means 18 are fixed and pinned in a matching manner between the first and second sleeves 26, 32.

[0065] An embodiment of the method according to the invention for the in the air assembly of a lattice boom 2 of a crawler crane 1 using the device 10 according to the invention is shown in Figures 7 to 13. The figures show the different steps of the method and the associated boom configurations and positions.

[0066] First, the first lattice piece 3 is installed on the articulated piece pivotally connected to the superstructure of the crane 1. The SA frame guys 7 of the crane 1 are not connected to the boom 2. Next, the second lattice piece 3 is installed on the first lattice piece 3, and only the two respective upper connecting forks 4 are pinned to each other. The special pins 22 mentioned above are used here (see Figure 6). They are inserted into the bores of the connecting forks 4 and fixed by the first fixing means 24. The boom 2, which initially includes these two lattice pieces 3, is placed on the ground.

[0067] The device 10 according to the present invention is fixed to the hook of the assist crane 50 (or to the hook-shaped bottom block) via the third attachment means 20. The device 10 is raised using the assist crane 50 and positioned above the connection point of two lattice pieces 3, which are only pinned together by the upper connecting fork 4. Here, the connecting rods 14 are pushed or pivoted outward so that their ends with the receiving holes 18 are laterally placed on the special pins 22 from the outside. In this process, the special pins 22 are held in place by the clamping force existing between the special pins 22 and the connecting fork 4. After placing the connecting rods 14 on the special pins 22, they are fixed by the second fixing means 30. In this way, the device 10 is installed on the boom 2, and it can still pivot around the special pins 22, which act as pivot axes.

[0068] 7 shows the boom 2 during airborne assembly after the device 10 has been attached to the special pin 22 as described above, still hanging on the hook of the assist crane 50 during this process.

[0069] The device 10 is then placed on the lattice piece 3 opposite the guys 7, as shown in Figure 8. Due to the legs 11 attached to the frame 12 (see Figure 3), the device 10 is higher than the guy rods 6 fixed to the top side of the lattice piece 3. The device 10 is now ready to be pinned to the guys 7 of the crane 1.

[0070] Figure 9 shows the crane 1 after the device 10 has been removed from the assist crane 50 and pinned to the SA frame guys 7 with the first connection means 16. The boom 2 is still placed on the ground.

[0071] The guys 7 are then tensioned by retracting the adjustment ropes 9 of the SA frame 8. In the next step, seen in Figure 10, the boom 2 is raised off the ground and preferably via the guys 7 to assume a substantially horizontal position, where the device 10 is part of the boom guys. Instead of the SA frame, derrick guys or other guys may also be used.

[0072] Here, the lower connecting forks 4 of the two lattice pieces 3 are pinned using standard pins, and further boom parts, such as additional lattice pieces 3 and / or boom heads, can be installed on the boom 2, preferably using an assist crane 50. The boom configuration after pinning of the third lattice piece 3 is shown, for example, in FIG. 11.

[0073] Once the full (i.e. desired or maximum allowed) boom length has been reached, the boom 2 is supported, i.e. placed on a frame 40, trolley or the like. The device 10 according to the invention is then again placed on the lattice piece 3 and released from the guys 7. This state can be seen in FIG. 12.

[0074] The device 10 is finally removed from the special pin 22, i.e., released from the boom 2. In this process, the special pin 22 remains on the boom 2 as a pinning on the upper side of the lattice piece 3 and, after removing the connecting rod 14, is again fixed outwards using the second fixing means 30. The second sleeve 32 is installed for this purpose rotated 180° to compensate for the missing second attachment means.

[0075] Here, the SA frame guys 7 are connected to the guy rods 6, which are fixed to the lattice pieces 3 and are also pinned together, thereby establishing the final guying. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to the SA frame guys 7 of this embodiment, different guys can be attached and used to guy the fully equipped boom 2. After tensioning the guys, the boom 2 is finally raised and, for example, moved to the desired working position. Here, the device 10 according to the present invention is not part of the final guying and does not remain on the boom 2 during the working deployment of the crane 1. This reduces the overall weight compared to known configurations using special lattice pieces 100 with fixed positions, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0076] The device 10 according to the present invention can be attached once only to the connection point of two grid pieces 3 during assembly in the air. However, since the device 10 can be installed on any desired grid piece 3, the device 10 can also be installed on and removed from multiple grid pieces one after the other, for example, for each additional grid piece 3 to be installed.

[0077] The device 10 according to the present invention can also be used to restore a crane 1 or a boom 2 to its original state. In this process, the fully equipped boom 2, especially guided via the boom head, is first placed on a placement frame 40, trolley, or similar support means. The boom head and, optionally, additional lattice pieces 3 are then removed from the boom 2. An assist crane 50 can also be used in this regard. The device 10 according to the present invention is then positioned with the assist crane 50 above the desired connection points of the two lattice pieces 3 of the restored boom 2 and connected to the special pins 22 of the upper connecting forks 4, as described above. For this purpose, the special pins 22 must, of course, already have been used to set up the boom 2 at the corresponding locations so that they can be used again after restoration for the purpose of installing the device 10.

[0078] The following steps correspond to those of the above-described method shown in Figures 7 to 13 for assembly in the air, preferably only with the boom 2 pre-supported on the frame 40 when restoring to its original state. Furthermore, the device 10 remains in the restored state during the travel of the crane 1 as part of a temporary guying on the boom 2 until the crane 1 has reached its destination position and the boom 2 is re-rigged with the help of the device 10. Here again, the steps shown in Figures 7 to 13 are performed again, completely or partially, and the device 10 is again detached from the boom 2 before continuing the operational deployment of the crane 1.

[0079] Naturally, various combinations of steps in the air assembly, reassembly or any other different transformation process of the boom 2 are also conceivable, due to the simple handling capabilities and great flexibility of the device 10 according to the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1 crane 2. Boom 3 lattice pieces 4 Connection means (connection fork) 5 Corner Bar 6 Guy Rod 7 Guy 8 SA Frame 9. Rope 10 equipment 11 legs 12 frames 13 Cross lug 14 Connecting Elements 15 Fixed points 16 First mounting means 18 Second mounting means (receiving hole) 20 Third mounting means 21 Holder 22 Special Pin 24 First fixing means 26 First Sleeve 28 First fixing pin 29 Lynchpin 30 Second fixing means 32 Second Sleeve 34 Second fixing pin 35 Lynchpin 40 Placement Frames 50 Auxiliary crane 100 Special Lattice Pieces 102 Reinforced Area 104 Mounting points

Claims

1. A device (10) for guying a lattice boom (2) of a crane (1) including at least two lattice pieces (3), comprising: the device is attachable to the boom (2) for assembling the boom (2) and detachable again after assembling the boom (2); A frame (12); and at least two connecting elements (14) fixed to the frame (12), the frame (12) has first attachment means (16) for releasably connecting the device (10) to the guy (7) of the crane (1); The connecting element (14) At least two special pins (22) used as connecting means (4) for connecting two of the lattice pieces (3) together, the at least two special pins (22) protruding laterally beyond the side surfaces of the lattice pieces (3) to pin the two lattice pieces (3); and second mounting means (18) for removably fixing the device (10) to the boom (2), the second mounting means having a receiving hole that can be positioned laterally in the direction in which the at least two special pins (22) protrude.

2. The frame (12) has a trapezoidal structure; The first attachment means (16) is fixed to a short side of the frame (12), and The connecting element (14) is fixed to the long side of the frame (12); 2. The device (10) according to claim 1 .

3. said connecting element (14) being a rod or a rope; 3. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the connecting elements (14) are pivotally fixed to the frame (12) via cross-shaped lugs (13) each having two pivot axes arranged perpendicular to one another in a common plane; 4. Device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the frame (12) has third attachment means (20) for securing the apparatus (10) to an assist crane (50); 5. An apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The connecting elements (14) are respectively fixable at at least two different positions on the frame (12) such that the distance between the connecting elements (14) is variable.

6. An apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A method for assembling a crane (1) in mid-air using a device (10) for guying a lattice boom (2) comprising at least two lattice pieces (3), comprising: the device is attachable to the boom (2) for assembling the boom (2) and detachable again after assembling the boom (2); A frame (12); and at least two connecting elements (14) fixed to the frame (12), the frame (12) has first attachment means (16) for releasably connecting the device (10) to the guy (7) of the crane (1); the connecting element (14) has second attachment means (18) for releasably securing the device (10) to the boom (2); The method comprises: a) at least two lattice pieces (3) of the boom (2) are connected to the crane (1) in a straight line to support the boom (2) on the ground; b) placing said device (10) at the connection point of two grid pieces (3); c) fixing said device (10) to said boom (2) via said second attachment means (18) of said connecting element (14). d) connecting the guy (7) of said crane to said first attachment means (16) of said device (10); e) Raising the boom (2) with the guy (7) while the device (10) is part of the guy f) Installing at least one further component, a lattice piece (3) and / or a boom head, on the guyed boom (2). g) supporting the boom (2) with a frame (40); h) releasing said device (10) from said guy (7) and said boom (2); i) fixing said guy (7) and / or further guy to said boom (2) and raising said boom (2); A method comprising the steps.

8. Step a) is performed using at least two special pins (22) projecting laterally beyond the lattice pieces (3) from the connection points of two lattice pieces (3) on the boom (2), the lattice pieces (3) having upper and lower connection means (4), the upper connection means (4) being pinned to each other by the special pins (22) and the lower connection means (4) not being pinned to each other.

8. The method of claim 7.

9. After step (e), the lower connection means (4) of the two grid pieces (3) are pinned together.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8.

10. 1. A method for restoring and guying at least two lattice pieces (3) of a crane (1) using a device (10) for guying a lattice boom (2) including the lattice pieces (3), comprising: the device is attachable to the boom (2) for assembling the boom (2) and detachable again after assembling the boom (2); A frame (12); and at least two connecting elements (14) fixed to the frame (12), the frame (12) has first attachment means (16) for releasably connecting the device (10) to the guy (7) of the crane (1); the connecting element (14) has second attachment means (18) for releasably securing the device (10) to the boom (2); The method comprises: a) Place the boom (2) on the positioning frame (40) and remove the components of the boom (2). b) placing the device (10) laterally of at least two special pins (22) on the boom (2) that project laterally from the connection points of two lattice pieces (3) beyond the sides of the lattice pieces (3); c) The device (10) is fixed to the boom (2) by inserting the receiving hole of the second mounting means (18) of the connecting element (14) from the lateral direction, which is the direction in which the special pin (22) protrudes. d) connecting the guy (7) of said crane (1) to said first attachment means (16) of said device (10); e) With the device (10) being part of the guy, raising the boom (2) using the guy (7) and guying the boom (2). A method comprising the steps of:

11. In step a), the component of the boom (2) is a boom head; 11. The method of claim 10.

12. The device (10) is placed on one of the lattice pieces (3) before connection to the guy (7) of the crane (1), 12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

13. The guy (7) is a guy that pulls a derrick guy, an A-frame guy, or an SA frame (8), and the SA frame (8) is swingably supported at its lower end by the crane (1), and is connected at its upper end to the guy (7) and is raised and lowered by an adjustment rope (9).

13. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

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