HOISTING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURE FOR ITS USE

Abstract

The invention concerns a hoisting device. The hoisting device comprises on its upper side suspension devices for suspending the hoisting device from at least two hoisting cables, which are suspended in a longitudinal direction from the hoisting device at a distance from each other from a hoisting installation. The hoisting device further comprises on its lower side load-holding devices for holding a load. Operable swiveling devices are fitted between the suspension devices and the load-holding devices for swiveling a part of the hoisting device around a longitudinal axis. This longitudinal axis extends through a center of gravity of the hoisting device and any load held thereby. The invention further concerns a method for setting down a hoisting device suspended from hoisting cables or a load held thereby at a desired position.

Description

The invention relates to a hoisting device, comprising at an upper side means attached thereto for suspending the hoisting device from at least two hoist cables, which are suspended in a longitudinal direction of the hoisting device at a distance from each other on a hoisting installation, and means for receiving attached to the underside thereof a load. Such a hoisting device is generally known and is used, for example, at the transshipment of containers in ports. The well-known hoisting device is equipped with two cable pulleys or two pairs of cable pulleys, which are generally positioned near two ends of an upper or central part of the hoisting device. Furthermore, the well-known hoisting device is equipped with lifting elements or twistlocks fitted to the underside of the frame, at its corners. The well-known This device is known as a container spreader. Variants are known where the The hoisting mechanism consists of an upper hoisting frame, referred to as a headblock, and an attachment to it. attached to the support frame that forms the spreader. In that case, the cable pulleys are fitted to the ends of the headblock, while the twistlocks are fitted to the corner of the spreader. The well-known hoisting device is suspended from a hoisting installation, for example a harbour crane for the transfer of containers between ships and the quay, designated as STS (Ship To Shore). Such an STS harbour crane or container crane generally comprises a gantry. that stands on the quay and that bears a cantilever or arm that extends above a space of a container ship moored at the quay. A trolley is movable along that arm, which carries cable pulleys along which the hoisting cables run from a reel on the crane to the hoisting device be led. In the transshipment of containers using container cranes, the cycle time is a important characteristic. The time that container ships lie idle in ports for the transshipment of ideally, containers are kept as short as possible. To this end, the hoisting and four speeds of the hoisting system and the travel speed of the container crane trolley so much possibly increased. In addition, container cranes are increasingly being equipped with sensors. to detect the positions of containers and cells in the holds of ships with increasing accuracy. With this cranes can position their spreaders increasingly better (automatically). Accurate positioning is important given the clearance between containers and the cell guidance on board ships or the gap between containers on trailers on the land side is very small. Since the hoisting device hangs from relatively long hoisting cables, there are always influences that the precise positioning above another container, a trailer or a cell in the hold of a container ship complicate, such as wind and the mass of a container. In addition, the long It has a delaying effect on positioning corrections performed from the crane. This means that when, for example, a spreader with a container is positioned just above a crane. arrives at the ship's cell, the hoisting system often cannot immediately lower to lift the container into the cell. lower. Corrections must then be made first – often exclusively in the direction of travel of the trolley - to reach perfectly above the cell and be able to continue celebrating. There are known methods to correct the position from the crane, for example by by moving the trolley or by using a Trim, List, Skew (TLS) System, but these often work inaccurately or slowly. Because the correction from the tap or when the trolley is designed, the oscillation period of the mass hoisting device and container on the hoisting cables, which has an additional decelerating effect. The invention aims to provide a hoisting device whereby these disadvantages do not occur. or occur to a lesser extent. This occurs in a hoisting device of the type described above. achieved, because operable means are located between the suspension devices and the load handling devices installed for pivoting at least a part of the hoisting device around a longitudinal axis, where the longitudinal axis is defined mainly by a center of gravity of the hoisting device and a possible thereby extends the load absorbed. Such a swiveling movement leads to a small but rapid displacement in the horizontal direction of the outermost contours of the lifting device and a possible load incurred as a result. In this regard, the center of gravity of the hoisting device and any load is in principle not moved in a horizontal direction. After all, because the device with its potential load is free is suspended from the hoisting cables, which run vertically from the crane, there is no external reaction force in the horizontal direction. All movements therefore take place around the center of gravity, which is located in principle remains stationary ft. The horizontal displacement of the extreme contours of the hoisting device and any load are therefore formed by the horizontal component of the pivoting movement around the center of gravity. By performing the correction directly in the hoisting frame. It can react quickly to observed deviations in position. In a version of the hoisting device, the suspension means are on or near the ends. mounted on an upper part of the hoisting device, the load-holding means on or comprise support elements installed near the corners of a lower part of the hoisting device, and the operable swiveling devices comprise at least one between the suspension devices and the mounting elements fitted to a swivel bearing. By using a physical swivel bearing, vertical loads resulting from the mass of the hoisting device and the load supported thereby guided by this swivel bearing. The swivel movement can then be initiated by merely the applying a moment around this swivel bearing. In one version, the suspension elements are incorporated into an upper hoisting frame, and are the load handling devices and the operable slewing devices in a unit attached to the upper hoisting frame attached lower frame included. By the operable swiveling mechanisms in the lower To include the S-frame, this can also be used without the top S-frame if desired. In this case, the operable swiveling devices can be attached to the upper side of the lower lifting frame fitted fastening device for the upper lifting frame comprising, that pivotally mounted in the lower lifting frame, as well as one between the lower lifting frame and the mounting device attached actuator. By operating the actuator, it can fastening device - and thereby the upper hoist frame - relative to the lower hoist frame be swiveled or tilted. In a specific configuration, the operable slewing devices can be connected to the actuator. include connected control. Through such control, the correction can be automatic be carried out. In another configuration, the operable swiveling devices can be connected to the The control system includes a connected position sensor. In this way, the correction can be started without intervention by a human operator. In yet another embodiment, the control is configured to initially control the actuator. to steer in a first direction, and after reaching a turning point, the actuator in an adjacent to control the opposite second direction. In this way, a swiveling movement can be established first. brought to cause a horizontal displacement of the outer contour, and can then the the hoisting device with any load be returned to the starting position, for example to lower a container further into the ship's hold along a cell guide. In addition, the turning point can be determined by a time duration set by the control system. or a movement performed by the actuator. The correction can therefore be for a certain period of time or be carried out over a certain distance. On the other hand, it is also possible that the turning point is (partly) determined by a detection by the position sensor. This allows the swiveling movement to be reversed when the sensor determines that the position has indeed been corrected. In one embodiment, the upper hoisting frame comprises a headblock, while the lower The frame includes a spreader. In addition, the suspension devices may include pulleys around which the hoisting cables run. be driven, and the load-holding devices may include twistlocks. In another configuration, the suspension means may consist of two pairs of cable pulleys. include and the operable swiveling devices can be configured to one of the cable pulleys of to move each pair relative to the other cable pulley. The relative to each other Moving the two adjacent cable pulleys also leads to a swiveling movement of the the device and its potential load. Because the swiveling movement is generated in this variant by a vertical displacement of one of the cable pulleys of each pair, a considerable load exerted on the hoisting device, and the center of gravity will be in the vertical direction are moved. As a result, this movement requires more power than the swiveling movement to the center of gravity of the hoisting device and its potential load. However, this variant is structurally possible simpler. In the version with a swiveling fastening element, this fastening element can essentially lie in a plane determined by one of the cable pulleys. As above as indicated, internal loads on the structure are thereby minimized. The invention also relates to a method for at a desired position setting down a device suspended by cables or a load lifted thereby, which the steps comprise from deploying the hoisting cables to the hoisting device or the load is in the is in the vicinity of the desired position, observing a deviation between the position of the hoisting device or the load after deploying the hoisting cables and the desired position, the execution of a correction to reduce or eliminate the deviation, and the further execution of the he cables until the hoisting device or the load is at the desired position. Also a Such a method is known, as already described above. The method according to the invention differs from the known method in that the correction is carried out by the hoisting device and any load absorbed thereby to pivot relative to the hoisting cables around a longitudinal axis of the hoisting device which is located in main matter due to a center of gravity of the hoisting device and any load possibly borne thereby extends in such a way that an underside of the hoisting device or the load supported thereby in main component is moved horizontally. As explained above, this swiveling movement leads to the center of gravity to a small but relatively rapid displacement in the horizontal direction of the extreme contour of the lifting device and its possible load, causing the observed deviation is quickly corrected. Further embodiments of the method according to the invention constitute the matter of follow-up conclusions 15-21. The invention is now explained by means of an example, to which reference is made. to the attached drawing, in which corresponding parts with the same reference numbers are indicated, and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of a hoisting device according to the invention and load absorbed as a result after performing a swiveling movement, Fig. 2 is a perspective top view from another side of a lower hoisting frame of the hoisting device in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a schematic view of placing a container in a cell, where the container is not positioned quite right, Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 of correcting the position of the container due to a small horizontal displacement resulting from a mutual swiveling movement of two parts of the institution, Fig. 5 is a partially cut-open front view of the lower hoisting frame of Fig. 2. is a neutral position, Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 of the complete hoisting device that is hung from the cables, Fig. 7A is a front view of the lower hoisting frame of Fig. 5 in a swivel position, Fig. 7B is a rear view of the lower hoisting frame in the swivel position of Fig. 7A, Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B, views corresponding to Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B respectively, are of the complete hoisting device suspended by hoisting cables, Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 of correcting the position of the container due to a small horizontal displacement as a result of a mutual displacement of two pulleys of the hoisting device, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the various parts of the hoisting device according to the invention shows, and Fig. 11 schematically shows the various steps of the method according to the invention. shows. A hoisting device for hoisting a load 2 comprises in the example shown a lower hoisting frame 3 which is attached to an upper hoisting frame 4. The hoisting device 1 is provided of means 6 for suspending it from a set of he s cables 5, which suspension means 6 in The example shown is mounted on the upper hoisting frame 4. In addition, the hoisting device is 1 provided with lifting devices 7 for lifting the load 2, which load lifting devices 7 in the example shown comprise a number of recording elements 9 that are attached to the underside of the lower hoisting frame 3, at the corners thereof. The suspension devices 6 comprise in the example shown two pairs of cable pulleys 8, each mounted at one end of the upper hoisting frame 4. In the example shown, the lower hoisting frame 3 comprises a central box 10 in which Two parallel channels 11 are formed to accommodate sliding beams 12. Due to the in- and extending the beams 12 allows the length of the lower frame 3 to be varied, so that loads 2 with different dimensions can be accommodated, for example 20-foot, 30-foot and 40-foot containers. At the end of each sliding girder 12 is a crossbeam or head girder 13 attached, which bears the 9 mounting elements on its ends, here in the form of twistlocks. Furthermore, every crossbeam or head beam 13 is fitted at its ends with one or more swivelable ippers 14. At the ends of the central box 10, there are controllable devices in the example shown. 22 applied to align the lower and upper he sframe 3, 4 relative to each other swivel about an axis line A, causing the lifting device 1 as a whole to swivel around its center of gravity CG _ and in the event that a load 2 hangs below the hoisting device 1, to the center of gravity of the combination of the device and load. In this example, the operable swiveling devices comprise two fastening elements 23, each pivotally mounted in a part 24 of the lower hoist frame 3. The swivel bearings 25 are robustly constructed, because they support both the lower frame 3 and the must be able to bear load 2. The fastening devices 23 and swivel bearings 25 are at the ends of the central box 10 installed, and thus lie mainly in the plane of the suspension devices 6 of the upper hoisting frame 4, when this is attached to the fastening elements 23 confirmed. Openings 32 are provided for this fastening, which can be brought into register. with corresponding openings in transverse end parts 16 of the upper hoist frame 4, after which connecting pins 35 can be inserted into the openings. The top frame 4 Incidentally, in addition to the two end sections 16, this also includes a central connecting section 15. The operable slewing devices 22 further comprise an actuator 33, which is connected to both the lower frame 3 and with the mounting element 23. In the example shown, the actuator 33 implemented as a hydraulic cylinder, which is mounted in the lower lifting frame 3 and which has a piston rod 34 which is connected to the fastening element 23. By protruding or retracting the piston rod 34 allows the fastening device 23 to move from the position shown in Fig. 5 neutral position can be swiveled in two directions, as shown in Fig. 7. Incidentally, here each fastening device 23 equipped with its own actuator 33, to synchronize the swiveling movement can allow the movement to occur, so that the hexframes 3 and 4 are subjected to as little torsional stress as possible. The hoisting device 1 is suspended from a hoisting installation by means of the hoisting cables 5. 26, for example an STS container crane. This installation includes a trolley 27 which in the direction of the arrows T is movable along an arm or cantilever 29. Furthermore, there is a cabin 28 shown from where an operator operates the crane. When the hoisting device 1 with a load 2 attached to it is hoisted, moving of the trolley 27 and lowering of the heaving cables 5 from the quay to above the hold of a ship has been brought (step 101 of method 100 in Fig. 11), the position of the load 2 is observed, for example by by means of one or more position sensors 37 which may be installed on the hoisting device 1. This forms step 102 of procedure 100. When it is determined in step 103 that the position of the if the last 2 position is not yet desired, that position must be corrected as soon as possible (step 104). This situation is shown in Fig. 3, where an angle 21 of the load 2 above a conductor 31 of a cell 30 is suspended. In order to lower load 2 in cell 30, the load in the figure must be slightly be moved to the right. This movement is realized quickly and easily by the top and bottom to pivot the hoisting frame 4, 3 relative to each other, whereby the hoisting device 1 and the load as pivot entirely around their combined center of gravity CG. As a result, the angle becomes 21 and the bottom 17 of the load 2 moved in a horizontal direction, so that the angle 21 and the bottom 17 of the load 2 now be aligned with cell 30 (Fig. 4). By now paying out the hoisting cables 5 further (step 105), you can load 2 in cell 30 can be lowered. At the same time, the swivel movement can be undone. be done by moving actuator 30 in the opposite direction (step 106). The undo The pivoting movement can occur after a certain time, after a certain stroke, or based on of an observation by the position sensor that load 2 is in the desired position. Instead of pivoting the he sframes 3, 4 relative to each other, a can similar slewing movement of hoisting device 1 and the load 2 can also be achieved by for example, by moving the left cable pulley 8A upwards relative to the right cable pulley 8B (Fig. 9). Compared to the other method, larger forces occur here. In this way, the invention makes it possible to quickly and easily correct the position of a the device 1 which hangs exclusively from vertical cables 5, which at the ends of the device 1 are trimmed, and on which, therefore, no external reaction forces act. Although the invention has been explained here using an example, it can be based on can be varied in many ways within the scope of the following conclusions.

Claims

l. Hoisting device, comprising means attached to the upper side thereof for the suspending the hoisting device from at least two hoisting cables, which run in a longitudinal direction of the the device is suspended at a distance from each other from a hoisting installation, and on an underside means attached thereto for supporting a load, whereby between the suspension means and the load handling devices and operable means are installed for doing it around a longitudinal axis swiveling of at least a part of the hoisting mechanism, whereby the longitudinal axis is mainly divided by a extends the center of gravity of the hoisting device and any load lifted thereby.

2. Hoisting device within the meaning of claim 1, where the suspension means on or near the ends of a the upper part of the hoisting device is mounted, the load-holding devices on or near corners comprise recording elements fitted to a lower part of the hoisting device, and the operable swiveling devices at least one between the suspension devices and the mounting elements include fitted swivel bearing.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, where the suspension means are in an upper hoisting frame are included, and the load handling devices and the operable slewing devices in an attached The upper hoisting frame is attached to the lower hoisting frame.

4. He arrangement according to claim 3, where the operable swiveling means are attached to a top side of the lower hoisting frame, fastening element for the upper hoisting frame comprise, that is pivotally mounted in the lower frame, as well as one between the lower hoisting frame and the actuator mounted on the fastening device.

5. Hoisting device within the meaning of claim 4, where the operable slewing means are connected to the include actuator-connected control.

6. Hoisting device within the meaning of claim 5, where the operable slewing means are connected to the control system includes connected position sensor.

7. Hoisting device within the meaning of claim 5 or 6, where the control system is designed to control the actuator initially to be steered in a first direction, and after reaching a turning point the actuator in to steer a second direction opposite to that.

8. Hoisting device in accordance with claim 7, where the turning point is determined by a by the control set duration or a movement performed by the actuator.

9. Hoisting device in accordance with claim 7 or 8, where the turning point is determined by a observation by the position sensor.

10. Hoisting device according to one of claims 2-9, where the upper hoisting frame is The headblock includes and the lower frame includes a spreader.

11. Hoisting device in accordance with one of the preceding claims, where the suspension means cable pulleys comprise where the heave cables are wrapped around, and where the load handling devices include twistlocks.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, where the suspension means are two pairs comprise cable pulleys and where the operable swiveling devices are arranged to one of the to move the pulleys of each pair relative to the other pulley.

13. Hoisting device within the meaning of claim 11 when dependent on claim 4, where the fastening device is primarily located in a plane determined by one of the cable pulleys.

14. Procedure for placing a hoisting cable at a desired position suspended by a device or a load supported thereby, comprising the steps of: the extension of the hoisting cables to the hoisting device or the load located in the vicinity of the desired position is located, the observation of a deviation between the position of the hoisting device or the load after the deploying the hoisting cables and the desired position, - performing a correction to reduce or eliminate the deviation, and - further paying out the hoisting cables to the hoisting device or the load rests on the desired position is located, whereby the correction is carried out by the hoisting device and any resulting to pivot the load absorbed relative to the hoisting cables around a longitudinal axis of the he arrangement which is characterized mainly by a center of gravity of the he arrangement and the eventual load lifted thereby extends in such a way that an underside of the hoisting device or the thereby the absorbed load is primarily shifted horizontally.

15. Method according to conclusion 14, whereby the correction is carried out by two to cause parts of the hoisting mechanism to pivot relative to each other.

16. Method according to claim 15, where one of the pivoting parts is an upper the frame comprises that is suspended from the cables, and the other pivoting part attached to the The upper hoist frame is attached to the lower hoist frame, which supports the load.

17. Method in accordance with claim 15 or 16, whereby the correction is carried out by the operating an actuator connected to the two pivoting parts.

18. Method according to claim 14, whereby the he s cables around pairs of cable pulleys on the hoisting device have been struck, and the correction is performed by one of the cable pulleys of to move each pair relative to the other cable pulley.

19. Method in accordance with one of claims 14-18, whereby the correction is carried out by a control system connected to or incorporated into the hoisting device.

20. Method in accordance with one of claims 1419, whereby the deviation is detected by a position sensor connected to or incorporated into the hoisting device.

21. Method in accordance with one of claims 1420, whereby the correction is carried out for a certain period of time or over a certain distance.

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