Crane and method for climbing a structure with a rotary tower crane

Abstract

The invention relates to cranes such as rotary tower cranes, comprising a tower (2), which supports a boom (5) that can be rotated about an upright axis of rotation (6) for lifting loads, and comprising a climbing device (10) for climbing a structure (9) and / or co-climbing on a growing structure (9), wherein the climbing device has a support frame (11, 12) with securing means (13) for securing to the structure and a sliding guide for shifting the tower in the tower longitudinal direction, as well as a lifting device (20) for raising the tower (2) relative to the support frame (11, 12). The invention also relates to a method for climbing a structure (9) with a crane of this type, in which the tower (2) is held completely on the structure (9) without its own ground support and is shifted in the tower longitudinal direction or for erecting and / or equipping a structure such as a wind turbine tower. According to the invention, the hoisting cable of the hoisting gear is guided through different cabling zones (30, 31, 32), in each of which the hoisting cable (7) is reeved on a respective movable hoisting component, wherein each of said hoisting components (23, 33, 8) can be lifted individually and separately from the respective other hoisting components by the hoisting cable by blocking the mobility of the respective other hoisting components. Furthermore, according to the invention, the crane is held on the structure at least temporarily only by said one supporting frame (11, 12) and is shifted with respect to the structure by the lifting gear (20).

Description

[0001] 1963-25 T / sw

[0002] Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH

[0003] Crane and method for climbing a structure with a tower crane

[0004] The present invention relates to cranes such as tower cranes, with a tower that carries a boom rotatable about an upright axis of rotation for lifting loads, and with a climbing device for climbing a structure and / or climbing along a growing structure, wherein the climbing device comprises a support frame having fastening means for attachment to the structure and a sliding guide for moving the tower in the longitudinal direction, as well as a lifting device for raising the tower relative to the support frame. The invention further relates to a method for climbing a structure with such a crane, in which the tower is held completely against the structure without its own ground support and moved in the longitudinal direction, or for erecting and / or equipping a structure such as a wind turbine tower.

[0005] When constructing tall buildings, cranes such as tower cranes are regularly used, which essentially grow along with the building, bracing themselves against it as they go. Various approaches are employed, and correspondingly, differently designed climbing systems are used. On the one hand, climbing systems are used that allow additional tower sections to be gradually "climbed" into the tower, so that the tower can grow in height piece by piece, or conversely, after the building is completed, be shortened and dismantled piece by piece. Such climbing systems are known, for example, from German patent applications DE 20 2005 009 236 U1 and DE 20 2014 003 465 U1. With this approach, the tower can brace itself against the ground, with the tower only being anchored to the building to prevent it from toppling over or buckling.

[0006] On the other hand, there are also climbing systems that move the tower upwards along the structure and themselves climb the growing building piece by piece by alternately moving the tower a short distance and then repositioning the supporting frame. This approach is often used in so-called interior climbing, where the tower is positioned and anchored, for example, in an elevator shaft or inside the tower of a wind turbine. Typically, the tower is supported on the structure at two separate guide levels via clamping frames spaced relatively far apart, 8 meters or more apart, so that the loads from the crane are distributed across two levels and not concentrated at a single point within the structure.Once the structure has grown sufficiently high, a third clamping frame can be anchored further up, and the tower can then be moved upwards to be anchored to this third frame as well as the previously uppermost clamping frame. This approach, where the tower is no longer directly supported by the ground but rather by the structure itself, has the advantage that the crane tower does not require the full height of the building; a much taller structure can be erected or worked on with a relatively short tower.

[0007] For very tall structures, such as the towers of wind turbines, which, unlike skyscrapers or residential towers, don't require complex interior layouts with apartment divisions, mobile crawler cranes are now commonly used to assemble the actual wind turbine—the nacelle and the rotor blades attached to it—at the top of the tower. This is a complex but time-limited, one-off job, and therefore fits the operating profile of a mobile crane. However, with the ever-increasing hub heights of modern wind turbines, even large mobile cranes with crawler tracks and derrick booms are reaching their limits in terms of lifting height and load capacity, and correspondingly larger mobile crawler cranes become exorbitantly expensive.

[0008] Current wind turbines typically have hub heights of around 150m, but hub heights are expected to increase further in the near future, likely reaching 200m and then 230 to 250m, with the aim of achieving turbine outputs of up to 10kW. This will make the components of the actual wind turbine, namely nacelle, rotor, generator, etc., that need to be lifted to the top of the tower even heavier.

[0009] In addition to the technical requirements for cranes, the costs associated with increasingly tall wind turbines also rise sharply. For example, sufficiently large crawler cranes can cost tens of millions of euros to purchase. Besides this purchase price, the logistics costs for assembling and disassembling the crane and transporting it to the construction site are of paramount importance. For the aforementioned crawler cranes, logistics costs can reach several hundred thousand euros due to the enormous ballast weights and the massive components that need to be transported, making transport difficult and assembly complex.

[0010] To significantly reduce these exorbitant logistics costs, a fundamental approach is to use a tower crane, attached to the structure itself, for the erection and / or equipping of wind turbine towers or similarly tall structures. This eliminates the enormous ballast weights of ground-based crawler cranes and their difficult road transport, leading to a significant reduction in logistics costs. However, to avoid negating this advantage through the complex assembly of the tower crane on the structure under construction, it is necessary to design the tower crane and its attachment to the tower in such a way as to achieve simple assembly while maintaining sufficient stability to mount the heavy equipment and system components on the uppermost section of the tower without requiring lengthy and difficult assembly processes.

[0011] For example, document EP 27 15 113 B1 proposes the use of two cranes with different lifting capacities for erecting a wind turbine. A lighter crane is used to erect the wind turbine tower and is anchored to the growing tower with a support frame. The support frame is moved along the tower using a climbing device and anchored with new anchor points at each stage. A stronger or heavier tower crane is then pulled up the erected wind turbine tower and anchored there to lift heavy structural components such as the nacelle.

[0012] EP 40 06 265 A1 proposes, for climbing a tower with a crane, to provide a series of anchor points on the tower into which adjustable anchors of the tower's climbing device can be attached, in order to gradually raise the climbing device together with the crane tower up the building tower by changing the anchor points and moving the fastening anchors.

[0013] EP 40 95 086 proposes a tower crane whose tower is divided into two separate telescopic sections and can be anchored to the building under construction by means of three support frames. One support frame is located between the two telescopic sections, and the other two support frames are positioned at opposite ends of the two telescopic sections. This allows one of the three support frames to be detached from the building while the other two anchor the tower to the building. One of the two telescopic sections can then be extended or retracted before the detached support frame is re-anchored to the building and another support frame is detached. NL 20 19 462 A1 proposes that, during the construction of a tower-like structure, a track-like sliding guide be gradually attached to it, along which a crane with a sliding guide can be moved progressively upwards.

[0014] Further climbing equipment for climbing structures with a crane is shown in documents WO 2020 / 234435 A1 and EP 33 56 280 A1.

[0015] The climbing systems known from the prior art can be improved in several respects. For example, climbing systems that use the building as a crane base and push the tower upwards on the building typically require a predetermined building height to adequately support the crane tower. This means that in the initial construction phase, when the building has not yet reached this required height, a different crane often has to be used to erect the lowest part of the building. At the same time, crane assembly becomes relatively complex if the building needs a certain minimum height to accommodate the crane, as the crane, or its upper components such as the boom, then have to be installed at a considerable height.

[0016] On the other hand, such climbing devices, which can push the crane tower upwards on the building, often require a relatively large number of components and the repositioning of the support frames is relatively complex, making the crane climbing logistically challenging and requiring all necessary components to be readily available.

[0017] Furthermore, the climbing speed is currently limited, or the crane's operating times are often interrupted, for example when the climbing traverse has to be moved several times to move the tower upwards piece by piece.

[0018] In contrast, the present invention is based on the objective of creating an improved tower crane and an improved method for climbing or equipping a structure with a tower crane of the aforementioned type, avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art and advantageously developing the latter further. Preferably, an improved climbing device for a tower crane is to be created that enables continuous climbing operation at high climbing speeds and without prolonged interruptions in crane operation, requiring minimal personnel, reducing the assembly effort for mounting the crane on the structure, and allowing its use even on very low structures.In particular, the aim is to achieve simple assembly of a tower crane on tall, slender structures and a drastic reduction in logistics costs for the construction of very tall structures that support heavy equipment such as wind turbines on their tops, without compromising the stability and precision required for the assembly process.

[0019] According to the invention, the aforementioned problem is solved by a tower crane according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 24. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0020] It is therefore proposed that the lifting rope of the climbing device be used not only for climbing tower sections and / or for lifting the tower on the structure, but also for lifting one or more other lifting components of the crane, whereby the lifting rope is sheared into different rope zones on different lifting components in order to be able to operate each lifting component individually and separately from the other lifting components.

[0021] According to the invention, the lifting cable of the lifting mechanism is guided through various stranding zones, in which the lifting cable is sheared onto a movable lifting component, wherein each of the aforementioned lifting components can be lifted individually and separately from the other lifting components by blocking the movement of the other lifting components.

[0022] By reeving the hoist rope into different stranding zones on various lifting components, different lifting components of the crane can be lowered and raised using only one hoist rope and, consequently, only one hoist drive. The hoist rope can continue to run through the reeving point on a lifting component even if that component is blocked relative to its structural component, to which it is normally slidably or movably mounted, because the hoist rope can still pass through the deflection points of the reeving. Blocking the movement of one lifting component simply allows the hoist rope to effect a controlled movement on the other, unblocked lifting component.

[0023] In a further development of the invention, the said lifting rope is sheared in a first ropeding zone on the lifting frame of the climbing device and the support frame that holds the crane on the structure to be climbed, and sheared in at least a further ropeding zone on a further movable lifting component of the climbing device or the boom.

[0024] This at least one further roped section can in particular include a roped section on the boom and a load-handling device that can be lowered from it, such as a load hook; i.e., the hoist rope, which serves to climb the structure and can raise and lower the lifting frame of the climbing device, simultaneously forms the hoist rope of the crane, with which the load hook or another load-handling device of the crane can be lowered and raised from the boom.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally to reeving in the aforementioned stranding zone at the boom and load hook, the aforementioned hoist rope can, in particular, be reeved in a further stranding zone at an auxiliary hoist frame, which is slidably mounted along the tower. The aforementioned auxiliary hoist frame and the hoist frame can be arranged on opposite sides of the support frame on the tower. The support frame attached to the structure, to which the hoist frame can be reeved for climbing tower sections and / or for lifting the tower with the hoist rope, is arranged between the aforementioned hoist frame and the further auxiliary hoist frame. The tower can be slidably mounted relative to all three components, i.e., slidably relative to the hoist frame, slidably relative to the support frame, and slidably relative to the auxiliary hoist frame. The slidability is controlled by the stranding of the hoist rope.can be actuated and also blocked, whereby locking devices, holding brakes or the like may also be provided for blocking the movement.

[0026] The aforementioned auxiliary lifting frame can be positioned, in particular, above the support frame on the tower, wherein the lifting cable can be sheared between the auxiliary lifting frame and the support frame, more precisely a detachable support frame section, in order to be able to raise the detachable support frame section of the lower support frame together with the lifting frame of the climbing device attached to it further upwards in order to climb an additional, second and further above the support frame.

[0027] The operation of this auxiliary lifting frame can be accomplished by the lifting rope in particular when the lifting components arranged in the other rope zones, i.e. in particular the lifting frame below the support frame for climbing tower sections and / or for lifting the tower and the load-handling device such as the crane's load hook, are blocked in their mobility, so that the lifting rope only has the mobility of the auxiliary lifting frame as its degree of freedom.

[0028] Conversely, the lifting frame for climbing tower sections and / or for lifting the tower relative to the support frame can be operated by the lifting rope if the load hook or the load-bearing device that can be lowered from the boom is blocked relative to the boom, and the aforementioned auxiliary lifting frame, if present at all, is blocked relative to the tower and / or is blocked relative to the support frame on which the lifting mechanism of the climbing device is supported.

[0029] Furthermore, the load hook or load-handling device can be lowered and raised from the boom if the aforementioned lifting frame of the climbing device, as well as the auxiliary lifting frame of the climbing device, if present, are blocked relative to the tower and / or the support frame attached to the structure. A blocking device can be provided in each of the respective cable-laying zones to block the aforementioned lifting components, for example, in the form of a friction-based holding brake and / or in the form of a locking device, for example, in the form of snap-in locking bolts.

[0030] Alternatively or additionally, in a further development of the invention, it may also be sufficient to provide a stop to block the movement of the respective lifting component, against which the respective lifting component can move and which can define an end position of movement. For example, the load-handling device or the deflection block to which the load-handling device is attached and the lifting rope is sheared, can be moved against the boom or a stop bracket attached to it, so that the load hook or the load-handling device assumes its highest position directly on the boom or, if applicable, on a trolley slidably guided on it.If the aforementioned auxiliary lifting frame is provided, its movement can be blocked by positioning the upper tower section, guided within the support frame on the structure, so far down relative to the support frame that the auxiliary lifting frame rests directly on the support frame or abuts a stop attached to it. Similarly, the support frame can also form a stop for the lifting frame of the climbing device, which the lifting frame can approach from below.

[0031] However, as mentioned, separate blocking devices such as holding brakes or locking devices may also be provided to hold the load hook or load-handling device in a predetermined position relative to the boom and / or to hold the auxiliary lifting frame in a predetermined position relative to the tower and / or to the support frame and / or to hold the lifting frame of the climbing device in a predetermined position relative to the tower and / or the support frame.

[0032] In a further development of the invention, it is proposed to fix the crane to the aforementioned support frame with an upper tower section during assembly and to completely assemble the tower and / or crane while the upper tower section is held on the support frame. The crane is then continuously pushed upwards along the support frame over its essentially entire tower height until a lower tower section reaches the support frame. This continuous upward movement over the essentially entire tower height not only allows for efficient assembly but also avoids dynamic loads caused by stop-and-go movements. Continuous upward movement in a single motion makes the assembly process more efficient and also reduces material wear.

[0033] According to the invention, the crane is held at least temporarily only by the one mentioned support frame on the building and is thereby moved relative to the building by the lifting mechanism.

[0034] According to one aspect of the invention, the aforementioned lifting mechanism can comprise a lifting frame encompassing the tower and a lifting cable system which is articulated to the lifting frame on different sides of the tower and provides a lifting path for the lifting frame which extends below the support frame over the substantially entire height of the tower, so that the tower can be continuously pushed through the support frame or pushed along the support frame by the lifting frame and the lifting cable system over its substantially entire height.

[0035] By using this type of lifting cable system on different sides of the tower and a lifting frame encompassing the tower, not only the tower itself but also individual tower sections can be moved upwards in a balanced manner, or downwards during dismantling. At the same time, the lifting cable system allows for precise movement of the tower and high lifting speeds over greater heights.

[0036] The aforementioned lifting cable system can include a lifting cable that can be reeved multiple times onto the lifting frame and guided to the different sides of the tower via these multiple reeving points. In particular, the lifting cable system can be guided to all sides of the tower. If a tower with a rectangular cross-section is used, the lifting cable system can be provided on all four sides of the tower. In a further development of the invention, the aforementioned multiple reeving of the lifting cable can, on the one hand, include deflection pulleys evenly distributed around the circumference of the lifting frame, and on the other hand, deflection pulleys evenly distributed around the circumference of the supporting frame on the building side or an auxiliary frame supported thereon, between which the lifting cable is guided back and forth in a meandering pattern.

[0037] The aforementioned lifting frame is advantageously displaceable relative to the tower along its longitudinal axis, wherein a holding device is provided for fixing the lifting frame to a specific or desired section of the tower, so that the lifting frame can be moved along the tower when the holding device is released and can support the tower when the holding device is blocked.

[0038] In particular, the aforementioned lifting frame can be fixed to different tower sections by means of the holding device, so that the lifting frame can be used either for raising and lowering individual tower sections into different mounting positions on the one hand, and for raising and lowering the entire assembled tower on the other.

[0039] For example, individual tower sections can be attached to the support frame by closing the holding device and then mounted upwards onto a tower section already attached to, or mounted on, the support frame. Once the tower section is mounted, the lifting frame lowers to pick up the next tower section.

[0040] Advantageously, a tower section can be pulled or pushed out of the lifting frame once the holding device is released. This significantly simplifies the assembly process, as, for example, a tower section waiting on the ground can be approached from above in an upright position by the lifting frame, allowing the tower section to be threaded into the lifting frame and then secured by closing the holding device. Simultaneously, the lifting frame's adjustability along the tower allows the hoist to be used to extend the crane beyond the height adjustment range of a single support frame by attaching a second support frame to the structure above the first.If the crane with its tower has been raised relative to the first support frame, the crane, in particular its tower, can be temporarily attached to the two support frames by means of an auxiliary holding device, i.e. with its tower base on the lower support frame and with its upper tower section on the upper support frame.

[0041] Due to the movable nature of the lifting frame / hoisting mechanism, the hoisting mechanism can then be moved upwards along the tower to the upper support frame and fixed / mounted to it, so that the same hoisting mechanism can again be used to continuously push the crane upwards again over essentially its entire tower height relative to the second support frame.

[0042] The aforementioned holding device, by means of which the lifting frame can be fixed to a tower section, can be designed in various ways, for example, by including positive locking means. For instance, the holding device can include transversely extendable and retractable locking bolts that can engage with the contours of a tower section. Alternatively, the holding device can include a lug that can engage automatically.

[0043] Alternatively or additionally, the holding device can also include friction-fit holding means, for example friction-fit clamping jaws that can be pressed against the longitudinal straps of a turret section.

[0044] A hoist drive for raising and lowering the hoist rope can advantageously include a hoist winch, which can be mounted inside the tower. Alternatively, such a hoist drive can also be mounted on the building structure, for example, on the support frame that is attached to the structure. As an alternative to mounting on the building structure, the hoist drive can also be positioned on the ground, for example, in the immediate vicinity of the building.

[0045] As mentioned previously, it is possible to raise the tower using two support frames. Each frame can independently hold the tower and its supporting boom against the structure while simultaneously shifting it relative to the building. This allows only one of the two support frames to be attached to the structure at any given time, or for one to be detached at a time. While one support frame is fully functional, holding the crane against the structure and shifting it relative to the building, the other support frame can be detached and reattached elsewhere for use in the next shifting phase.Since each support frame is sufficiently stable and designed to bear all forces and moments on its own, the entire tower crane can be held on the building by just a single support frame even during operation with lifting operations of loads, without the need for additional bracing to the building and the need to install it.

[0046] For example, the climbing device can also include two or more support frames, each designed to hold the tower and the boom mounted on it on the structure and to guide it slidably on its own, thereby transferring all forces and moments acting on the tower into the structure, so that one of the two support frames can be detached from the structure at any given time.

[0047] By concentrating all shear forces in combination with the crane's climbing function, the climbing process can be significantly accelerated and, due to reduced personnel requirements, carried out more safely and economically. In particular, the independent, self-contained functionality of each support frame allows the climbing mechanism, and thus the crane, to be mounted and commissioned on the structure with only one support frame, even at very low building heights. This considerably simplifies assembly, as it can be carried out at minimal height, significantly reducing assembly costs and greatly increasing safety. Simultaneously, integrating the complete holding, climbing, and adjustment of the tower into each of the two support frames allows for simple handling with fewer parts, as only two support frames are needed to enable the crane to climb and anchor itself to the structure.

[0048] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a sliding guide can be provided on each support frame, comprising two guide planes spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the tower, each containing sliding guide elements for slidably guiding the tower. These sliding guide elements absorb lateral forces transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tower and / or prevent lateral movements of the tower transverse to the tower's longitudinal axis. The tower can be guided with essentially no play in the sliding guide planes transverse to the tower's longitudinal axis, while movements of the tower in the direction of the tower's longitudinal axis are permitted. In particular, the tower is fixed in all directions transverse to the tower's longitudinal axis by the sliding guide planes, so that the tower remains movable only in one direction, namely the longitudinal direction.

[0049] The aforementioned sliding guide elements can have guide rollers and / or sliding pieces that roll on the longitudinal chords of the tower or the tower wall, and which can be arranged on several sides of the tower. If the tower is advantageously designed as a truss structure, which is built from several longitudinal chords and cross braces reinforcing the longitudinal chords, the sliding guide elements can roll or slide along the longitudinal chords.

[0050] Advantageously, each longitudinal belt of the tower can be assigned at least one sliding guide element in the form of a roller or a sliding piece in each of the two guide planes, whereby each belt can be encompassed sector by sector by the at least one sliding guide element or guided from different sides.

[0051] In contrast to the state of the art, the two guide levels can be arranged relatively close to each other, for example at a distance of only 2 m to 5 m, so that on the one hand the loads are introduced in a very concentrated manner, but on the other hand bending moments can be carried away without overloading the tower structure.

[0052] The two guide levels, or the sliding guide elements arranged within them, are rigidly positioned relative to each other. The support frame can, for example, be a stable steel beam construction or be made of fiber-reinforced plastic beams that rigidly connect the two guide levels and form a rigid enclosure or profile within the guide levels, to which the sliding guide elements are mounted.

[0053] Via the two aforementioned guide levels of the support frame, the respective support frame alone can absorb all bending moments and shear forces acting on the tower, or rather, all bending moments and shear forces acting on the tower are introduced into the respective support frame only via the two aforementioned guide levels and then introduced into the structure via the fastening means of the support frame.

[0054] The fastening devices for the support frames can be of various designs, in particular including positive-locking anchors that can rigidly anchor the support frame to the structure at several points. Advantageously, the fastening devices are designed to be detachable or equipped with detachable coupling devices to allow the support frame to be easily anchored to and detached from the structure if it needs to be relocated.

[0055] Advantageously, the aforementioned coupling means can comprise pin couplings or connections that hold the respective support frame to the structure, with such pin connections preferably being arranged distributed across two superimposed planes. Preferably, several coupling means or pin connections are arranged spaced apart from one another in at least one plane or in each of the two planes. However, it may be sufficient to provide two spaced-apart couplings in one plane and one further coupling in the second plane. Surprisingly, with a sufficiently stable support frame design, even a large, massive tower crane can be held and fixed to a tall, slender structure for operation by only a single support frame, with the single support frame supporting the tower base or...The tower base of the tower crane can be firmly attached to the structure, so that the tower crane can extend upwards from the single supporting frame with essentially its entire tower length or height, or can stand freely without the need for further cross bracing towards the structure to be erected.

[0056] Preferably, during the erection and / or fitting of the uppermost part of the structure, the boom can be rotated about an upright axis of rotation relative to the rigidly mounted tower and rocked up and down about the aforementioned rocking axis in order to control the working area of ​​the load hook in the desired manner and, for example, to be able to precisely position equipment parts to be mounted, such as rotor blades.

[0057] In a further development of the invention, the boom of the tower crane can also be designed to be telescopic. The change in length of the boom, which may be extended, allows for a more refined positioning of the reach of the load hook and thus of the positioning of the equipment component to be mounted.

[0058] Surprisingly, despite the tower crane being secured by only one support frame that rigidly holds the base section of the tower to the central section of the structure, very high construction heights can be achieved or equipment components can be mounted in very high positions, for example, the parts of wind turbines at rotor heights of 200m or more.

[0059] For example, during operation, the tower crane can be mounted on plant towers with heights well over 150m, or, for example, 200 to 250m, using only a single support frame. Advantageously, the support frame can be mounted at approximately 40% to 50% of the maximum height of the structure being erected. For a plant tower of, say, 200m, the support frame can be mounted at a height of approximately 90m, allowing the tower crane to stand freely upwards to a height of, for example, 110m without any further cross bracing. Alternatively, instead of climbing the tower as described above, the tower crane can also be mounted on the structure using only the aforementioned single support frame, in which case additional lifting equipment such as auxiliary cranes can be used.In particular, the tower of the tower crane can first be mounted to the support frame with an upper section and then, with the support frame attached to the building, pushed upwards relative to the support frame until the base section of the tower reaches the support frame and essentially its entire height is positioned above it. In this intended working position, the tower can then be locked or fixed to the support frame.

[0060] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:

[0061] Fig. 1: a side view of a crane according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, which is mounted on the tower of a wind turbine by means of a support frame and mounts a rotor blade of the wind turbine,

[0062] Fig. 2: a side view of the crane from Fig. 1, showing the different stranding zones of the hoist rope and the lifting frame of the climbing device in different lifting positions relative to the tower and the support frame mounted on the structure, and the load hook in different positions relative to the boom.

[0063] Fig. 3: an exploded view of the various lifting components and structural parts of the crane from the preceding figures, with respect to which the aforementioned lifting components, comprising the lifting frame of the climbing device, an auxiliary lifting frame of the climbing device, and the load hook, are movable. Fig. 4: a side view of the crane from the preceding figures, showing the three stranding zones of the lifting rope and its reeving points in the aforementioned stranding zones, with the adjustability of the reeving lifting components achievable in the stranding zones being shown by dashed lines.

[0064] Fig. 5: a side view of the crane from the preceding figures, showing the climbing of a tower section using the lifting frame of the climbing device,

[0065] Fig. 6: a side view of the crane similar to Fig. 5, showing the lifting movement of the lifting frame of the climbing device when climbing a tower section and the mobility and locking of the mobility of the respective reeved lifting components provided in the various ropement zones,

[0066] Fig. 7: a side view of the crane similar to Fig. 6, showing the lifting movement of the lifting frame when raising the crane relative to the structure and the locking mechanisms provided for this lifting movement of the lifting frame, which restrict the mobility of the lifting components sheared into the other rope zones.

[0067] Fig. 8: a side view of the crane similar to the preceding figures, showing the crane in regular operation in which the load hook is lowered and raised from the boom, showing the locking and releasing mechanisms provided in the various rope-laying zones for the respective reeved lifting components, and

[0068] Fig. 9: a side view of the crane similar to the preceding figures, wherein the three partial views (a), (b) and (c) show the climbing of a second support frame attached further up on the structure, wherein the lifting movement of a detachable support frame part from the lower support frame to the upper support frame together with the lifting frame of the climbing device articulated thereto is shown by actuating an auxiliary lifting frame provided in a separate ropeway zone, and the releases or blockages of the reeved lifting components provided in the various ropeway zones are shown.

[0069] As the figures show, the tower crane, in a manner known per se, comprises an elongated, slender tower 2, which can be designed as a truss structure. For example, the tower 2 can include several longitudinal chords connected to each other by a multitude of cross braces, so that the longitudinal chords 3 and the cross braces together form a truss-like grid structure.

[0070] The tower 2 carries a boom 5 which can be rotated about an upright axis of rotation 6 by means of a slewing mechanism, wherein the tower crane 1 is in particular designed as a so-called top-slewing crane, so that the boom 5 can be rotated relative to the tower 2, cf. Fig. 8.

[0071] The boom 5 can extend horizontally, but the boom 5 can also be designed to be tiltable or tilted up and down by a tilting mechanism in order to be moved into different, more or less steep tilting positions or into a horizontal boom position.

[0072] A lifting cable 7 runs from the boom 5, which can be pulled in and lowered by a hoist, and a load lifting device such as a load hook 8 can be attached to the lifting cable 7 in order to be able to lift loads.

[0073] The lifting rope 7 can, for example, run from the boom tip, or from a trolley which can be moved along the boom 5 by a trolley drive, so that the hollow point of the lifting rope 7 can be adjusted along the boom 5.

[0074] As the figures show, the tower crane 1 is mounted on the structure 9 to be erected, so that all forces and moments acting on the tower crane 1, such as its own weight, the lifting load and resulting bending moments, as well as wind loads and the like, are transferred to and carried away by the structure 9. In particular, the tower 2 is not directly supported on the ground itself, but is attached exclusively to the structure 9 to be erected.

[0075] A climbing device 10 is provided for mounting and attaching the tower crane 1 to the structure 9, by means of which the tower 2 can be held on the structure 9 and moved relative to it in the longitudinal direction of the tower, i.e. in an upright direction, and by means of which the tower crane 1 can climb up and down the structure 9.

[0076] The climbing device 10 mentioned above includes at least one, or for greater building heights also two or more than two support frames 11, 12, each of which can independently hold the crane.

[0077] Each support frame 11, 12 can be independently fully functional to hold the tower crane 1 on the structure 9 and adjust it relative to it. Accordingly, the tower crane 1 can be held on the structure 9 and adjusted relative to it, at least temporarily, by only one of the support frames 11, 12, while the other support frame 11, 12 can be temporarily inactive and moved to another position.

[0078] Each of the support frames 11, 12 can have a rigid structure, in particular in the form of a frame or support structure, in order to hold the tower 2 of the tower crane stably on the structure 9.

[0079] Each of the support frames 11, 12 has fastening means 13 for attaching the support frame 11, 12 to the structure 9, and on the other hand a sliding guide 14 for slidingly guiding and holding the tower 2 in different sliding positions or height positions, cf. Fig. 2 and 7.

[0080] The aforementioned fastening devices 13 can, for example, be in the form of structural anchors that can be firmly anchored to the structure 9. Alternatively or additionally, other form-fitting fastening devices, such as expansion clamps or wrapping clamps, can also be provided as fastening devices 13. These are form-fitting to the structure to be erected and can be clamped or held in place by friction. For example, in the case of a slender wind turbine tower, a wrapping clamp encircling the tower can be provided as a fastening device.

[0081] To guide and hold the tower 2 rigidly, the support frame 11, 12 can have a contour that encloses the tower 2 on at least three sides, in particular on the side facing away from the structure 9 and the two adjacent side surfaces. Preferably, however, the support frame 11, 12 can also have a ring contour or sleeve contour that encompasses the tower 2 on all four sides, in particular a closed ring contour or sleeve contour. In any case, the support frame 11, 12 has a ring-shaped contoured opening, open at the top and bottom, through which the tower 2 can pass.

[0082] In order to be able to adjust the tower 2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the support frame 11, 12, a lifting mechanism 20 is provided, which is articulated on one side to the currently active support frame 11, 12, i.e. anchored to the structure 9 and holding the tower, and on the other side to the tower 2.

[0083] The lifting mechanism 20 comprises a lifting frame 23 encompassing the tower 2 (see Figs. 5 and 9) and a lifting cable 21, which is articulated to the lifting frame 23 on different sides of the tower 2 and provides a lifting path for the lifting frame 23 that extends below the support frame 11, 12 over essentially the entire tower height 2H of the tower 2, so that the tower 2 can be continuously pushed through the support frame 11, 12 by the lifting frame 23 and the lifting cable 21 over essentially its entire tower height 2H (see Figures 7 and 8).

[0084] The lifting cable system 21 can operate with only one lifting cable 7, which is reeved multiple times onto the lifting frame 23 and is guided via these multiple reevings to the different sides of the tower 2, in particular to all four sides of the tower 2. The reeving of the lifting cable 7 onto the lifting frame 23 forms a first cable section 30, wherein the lifting cable 7 is reeved on one side onto the lifting frame 23 and on the other side onto the support frame 11, so that by tightening or loosening the lifting cable 7, the lifting frame 23 can be raised and lowered relative to the support frame 11, cf. Fig. 2.

[0085] As can be seen from Figures 2, 4, and 5, the lifting rope 7 is also routed through further stranding zones 31 and 32 and sheared into other lifting components. In particular, the lifting rope 7 is also routed to the boom 5 and sheared into a stranding zone 32 between the boom 5 and the load hook 8, so that the load hook 8 can be lowered and raised from the boom 5 by means of the lifting rope 7 during regular operation, as illustrated in Figure 8.

[0086] Between the aforementioned first roped section 30, which is provided between the support frame 11 and the lifting frame 23, and the roped section 32 between the boom 5 and the load hook 8, the lifting rope 7 can also be sheared into a further roped section 31 on an auxiliary lifting frame 33, by means of which the crane can climb a second support frame 12 beyond the height adjustment range of the support frame 11 and the lifting device 20 including the lifting rope 21 and the lifting frame 23 can be lifted from the lower support frame to the upper support frame, as will be explained in detail below and can be seen from Fig. 9.

[0087] In the aforementioned first stranding zone 30 between the support frame 11 and the lifting frame 23, the lifting cable 7 is advantageously articulated to the lifting frame 23 on several sides in order to be able to lift a tower section or the tower 2 as a whole in a balanced manner. The multiple reeving of the lifting cable 24 on the lifting frame 23 can advantageously include deflection pulleys 25 distributed evenly around the circumference of the lifting frame 23, as well as deflection pulleys 26 distributed evenly around the circumference of the support frame 11, 12, or an auxiliary frame supported thereon, between which the lifting cable 24 meanders back and forth, cf. Figs. 6 and 7.

[0088] As illustrated in Figures 2, 5 and 9, the lifting frame 23 is displaceable relative to the tower 2 along its longitudinal axis, with a holding device 26 being provided for fixing the lifting frame 23 to different sections of the tower 2, so that the lifting frame 23 can be used either for raising and lowering individual tower sections into different mounting positions at different heights, see Figure 5, or for raising and lowering the entire assembled tower 2, see Figures 2, 5 and 6.

[0089] The aforementioned holding device 26 can, for example, have positive locking means for locking either individual tower sections or the entire tower 2 at its base.

[0090] As shown in Fig. 8, the lifting cable of the stranding 21 can advantageously run onto a winch mounted on the ground as a hoist drive 22, so that it can be hauled in and lowered, thereby allowing the tower 2 to be moved upwards relative to the support frame 11, 12 or, conversely, lowered downwards, cf. Fig. 7. From the winch on the ground, the lifting cable 7 can first be led upwards to the support frame 11 and there, by means of pulleys, into the first stranding zone 30, in which the lifting cable 7 is then reeved several times in the manner mentioned above on the lifting frame 23 and on the support frame 11.

[0091] By actuating the hoist 20, the tower 2 can then be moved upwards relative to the aforementioned first support frame 11, cf. Figs. 7 and 8, whereby the aforementioned first support frame 11 alone holds the tower 2 and also moves it alone – with the aid of the hoist cable 21. The hoist cable 21 is designed such that the tower 2 can be moved continuously upwards along its entire length in one movement. As mentioned, the hoist cable 7 is also sheared into the further cable zones 31 and 32 on lifting components, namely the load hook 8 and the auxiliary hoist frame 33, which are themselves also movably mounted. In order to nevertheless be able to raise and lower only the lifting frame 23 in a targeted and controlled manner, even though the same lifting rope 7 is guided through the different stranding zones and is operated by only one winch of a hoist drive 22, the lifting components sheared into the lifting rope 7 in the further stranding zones 31 and 32, i.e.the load hook 8 and the auxiliary lifting frame 33 are blocked in their mobility, as symbolized by the closed lock symbols in Fig. 6 in the second ropement area 31 and third ropement area 33.

[0092] For example, the load hook 8 or the deflection gear supporting the load hook 8 on the boom 5 may have reached a stop (see Fig. 6), and the auxiliary lifting frame 33 on the upper tower section of the tower 2 may have reached a stop against the support frame 11 from above. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible to block the respective movement of the reeved lifting component, such as the load hook 8 relative to the boom 5 and the auxiliary lifting frame 33 relative to the tower 2, by means of blocking devices, for example in the form of holding brakes and / or locking devices such as locking bolts. This allows the lifting rope 7 to be operated only in the unblocked rope zone 30, i.e., to raise and lower the lifting frame 23, for example to climb into a section of the tower, as shown in Fig. 6, or to raise the entire crane, as symbolized in Fig. 7.

[0093] Once the crane has climbed up structure 9, as illustrated in Fig. 7, and crane 1 has reached its working position on the structure, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the movement of the sheared components in the first rope zone 30 and in the second rope zone 31 can be blocked, while the load hook 8 is unlocked or released in its movement relative to the boom 5, as symbolized by the open or closed lock symbols in Fig. 8. In particular, the lifting frame 23 can be locked or blocked on the tower 2 and / or on the support frame 11. The auxiliary lifting frame 33 can be blocked on the tower 2, so that any movement of the lifting cable 7 is specifically and controllably converted only into a lowering or lifting movement of the load hook 8, see Fig. 8.

[0094] If the structure has increased in height or its height exceeds the first displacement path, see Fig. 9, a second support frame 12 can be mounted transversely to the tower's longitudinal axis on the tower 2 and anchored to the structure 9, see Fig. 9.

[0095] This allows tower 2 to be moved further upwards relative to the second support frame 12 in a further process step, whereby during this second movement phase and / or during any crane operation that takes place, tower 2 can be held exclusively by the second support frame 12 on the structure 9. If necessary, however, additional bracing on the structure is also possible, cf. Figure 1.

[0096] For moving the crane 1 onto a second or further support frame 12, the support frame 11 can have a detachable support frame section 11S, which is detachably and rigidly connected to a support frame section 11F, 12F attached to the structure 9 and is movable along the tower 2, so that the support frame section 11S with the sliding guide 14 is detachable from a first support frame 11, movable along the tower 2 to a second support frame 12 and can be attached to said second support frame 12, cf. Figure 12, while the tower 2 is held by means of an auxiliary holding device 27 on the two support frame sections of the first and second support frames 11, 12 attached to the structure 9, cf.Figures 11 and 12, wherein the tower 2 can again be fixed to the support frame section 11 S with the sliding guide 14 and, after releasing the auxiliary holding device 27, is again held solely by a support frame 12 as soon as the support frame section 11 S is mounted on the upper fixed frame part 12F, see Fig. 16.

[0097] The lifting cable 21, together with the lifting frame 23, can remain articulated to the detachable support frame section 11S, so that the lifting cable 21 and the lifting frame 23 articulated to it, together with the detachable support frame section 11S, can be moved from the first support frame 11 to the second support frame 12, see Fig. 9. To move the detachable support frame section 11S together with the lifting cable 21 and the lifting frame 23 from the lower support frame 11 to the upper support frame 12, the previously mentioned second cable zone 31 is activated. More precisely, the movement of the lifting frame 23 relative to the detachable support frame section 11S is blocked, for example, because the lifting frame 23 is abutting the detachable support frame section 11S from below. Likewise, the load hook 8 is blocked relative to the boom 5, while the auxiliary lifting frame 33 is unlocked in its mobility, as symbolized by the open and closed lock symbols in Fig. 9.

[0098] This allows the auxiliary lifting frame 33 to be selectively lowered along the tower 2 in order to, so to speak, pick up the detachable support frame section 11, cf. Fig. 9, partial views (a) and (b). Once the auxiliary lifting frame 33 has been attached to the detachable support frame section 11 S and has been raised again along the tower 2, so that the detachable support frame section 11 S has reached the upper support frame 12, more precisely its frame section permanently mounted to the structure, and is in the assembly position, the detachable support frame section 11 S can be fixed there. In a further step, the auxiliary lifting frame 33 in the second roped zone 31 can be blocked in its movement and the lifting frame 23 of the first roped zone 30 can be switched to be movable, so that the lifting frame 23 can be moved downwards to be attached or locked to a tower base, in order to then be able to push the tower 2 upwards relative to the now upper support frame 12.

[0099] Preferably, the upper third or upper half of the structure 9 to be spanned by the tower crane 1, i.e., the height difference between the mounting location of the support frame 11, 12 and the top of the structure 9, can be bridged partly by the tower 2 and partly by the jib 5. For this purpose, the jib 5 can advantageously be designed as a luffing jib 5 and be tilted about a horizontal pivot axis into a more or less steep inclination position, so that the jib 5 extends further upwards from the top of the tower 2. Preferably, for example, the tower 2 can have a length or height that bridges approximately 50% to 90% or 60% to 85% of the aforementioned height difference, while the remaining 10% to 50% or 15% to 40% is then bridged by the tilted jib 5, see Fig. 1.

[0100] Preferably, the boom 5 can be rotated about an upright axis of rotation 6 relative to the rigidly mounted tower 2 during the erection and / or fitting of the uppermost structural element and can be rocked up and down about the aforementioned rocking axis in order to control the working range of the load hook in the desired manner and, for example, to be able to precisely position equipment parts to be mounted, such as rotor blades, cf. Fig. 1.

[0101] In a further development of the invention, the boom 5 of the tower crane 1 can also be designed to be telescopic. The change in length of the boom 5, which may be extended, allows for a more refined positioning of the reach of the load hook and thus of the positioning of the equipment component to be mounted.

[0102] Surprisingly, despite the tower crane 1 being secured by only one support frame 11, 12, which rigidly holds the base section of the tower 2 to the central section of the structure 9, very high construction heights can be achieved or equipment parts can be mounted in very high positions, for example the parts of wind turbines at rotor heights of 200m or more.

[0103] For example, the tower crane 1 can be mounted on plant towers with heights well over 150 m or, for example, 200 to 250 m using only a single support frame 11, 12, whereby the support frame 11, 12 can advantageously be mounted at approximately 40% to 50% of the maximum height of the structure 9 to be erected. For a plant tower of, for example, 200 m, the support frame 11, 12 can be mounted at a height of approximately 90 m, so that the tower crane 1 can then stand freely upwards to a height of, for example, 110 m without any further cross bracing to the tower 2.

Claims

1963-25 T / sw Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH Crane and methods for climbing a structure with a crane Claims 1. Crane with a tower (2) supporting a boom (5) rotatable about an upright pivot axis (6) for lifting a load, and with a climbing device (10) for climbing a structure and / or climbing along a structure under construction (9), wherein the climbing device (10) comprises a support frame (11, 12) having fastening means (13) for attachment to the structure (9) and a sliding guide for moving the tower (2) in the longitudinal direction of the tower, and a hoisting mechanism (20) for lifting the tower relative to the support frame (11, 12), wherein the hoisting mechanism (20) comprises a hoisting frame (23) and a hoisting cable (21) with a hoisting cable (7) for climbing tower sections and / or for lifting the tower (2) relative to the support frame (11, 12), characterized in that the hoisting cable (7) passes through various cable-laying zones (30, 31). , 32) is guided, in which the lifting rope (7) is sheared onto a movable lifting component (23, 33, 8),wherein each of the aforementioned lifting components (23, 33, 8) can be lifted individually and separately from the other lifting components (23, 33, 8) by blocking the movement of the other lifting components (23, 33, 8) using the lifting cable (7).

2. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the lifting rope (7) is sheared in a first stranding zone (30) on the lifting frame (23) and the support frame (11, 12) and is sheared in at least a further stranding zone (31, 32) on a further movable lifting component (33, 8) of the climbing device (10) or the boom (5).

3. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the hoist rope (7) is sheared in a second stranding zone (31) on an auxiliary hoist frame (33) which is slidable along the tower (2), wherein the auxiliary hoist frame (33) and the hoist frame (23) are arranged on opposite sides of the support frame (11) on the tower (2).

4. Crane according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the hoist rope (7) is sheared in a third stranding zone (32) on the boom (5) and a load-handling device such as a load hook (8) which can be lowered therefrom, and in the third stranding zone forms the hoist rope of the crane for lifting loads.

5. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the stranding zones (30, 31, 32) there is a blocking device for blocking the mobility of the lifting component (23, 33, 8) sheared into the respective stranding zone (30, 31, 32) relative to a structural component to which the lifting rope (7) is articulated in the respective stranding zone (30, 31, 32).

6. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the blocking device comprises a holding brake and / or a locking device for holding and / or locking the respective lifting component relative to the respective structural component.

7. Crane according to claim 5, wherein the blocking device has a stop on the said structural component which defines an end position for the lifting component (23, 33, 8) with respect to its mobility and against which the respective lifting component (23, 33, 8) can be moved by the lifting rope (7) and against which the said lifting component (23, 33, 8) can be held by the lifting rope (7).

8. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said lifting rope (7) forms both the lifting rope running from the boom (5) for lifting a load and the lifting rope of the climbing device (10) for lifting the lifting frame (23) for climbing in tower sections and for lifting the tower (2) relative to the support frame (11 ).

9. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting frame (23) for climbing tower sections and for lifting the tower (2) relative to the support frame (11 , 12), an auxiliary lifting frame (33) for moving a support frame section (11 S) and a load handling device such as a load hook (8) of the crane for lifting loads can be actuated from the lifting rope (7).

10. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hoist rope (7) can be actuated by a hoist drive (22) which is equally intended for lifting loads by means of a load hook (8) which can be lowered from the boom (5) and for actuating the climbing device (10).

11. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting frame (23) encompasses the tower and the lifting cable (21) is articulated to the lifting frame (23) on different sides of the tower (2) and provides a lifting path for the lifting frame (23) which extends below the support frame (11, 12) over substantially the entire tower height (2H) of the tower (2), so that the tower (2) can be continuously pushed through the support frame (11, 12) by the lifting frame (23) and the lifting cable (21) over substantially its entire tower height (2H).

12. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the lifting rope (7) is reeved multiple times on the lifting frame (23) and is guided via the multiple reeving to the different sides of the tower (2), in particular to all four sides of the tower (2).

13. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the multiple reeving of the lifting rope (24) on the lifting frame (23) has deflection pulleys (25) distributed evenly around the circumference of the lifting frame (23) and deflection pulleys (26) arranged evenly around the circumference of the support frame (11, 12), between which the lifting rope (24) is guided back and forth in a meandering manner.

14. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting frame (23) is displaceable relative to the tower (2) along its longitudinal axis and a holding device (26) is provided for fixing the lifting frame (23) to different sections of the tower (2), so that the lifting frame (23) can be used selectively for raising and lowering individual tower sections into different height assembly positions and for raising and lowering the entire assembled tower (2).

15. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the holding device (26) has positive locking means for locking optionally individual tower sections and the entire tower (2) at its tower base.

16. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hoist (20) has a hoist drive (22) for actuating the cable rigging (21) on the structure (9) or is on the ground.

17. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the climbing device (10) comprises two support frames (11 , 12) each designed to hold the tower (2) and the boom (5) mounted on it on the structure (9) and to guide it slidably on its own, thereby transferring all forces and moments acting on the tower (2) into the structure (9), so that one of the two support frames (11 , 12) can be detached from the structure (9).

18. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support frame (11) has a detachable support frame section (11S) which is detachably and rigidly connected to a support frame section (11F, 12F) attached to the structure (9). is bar and is movable along the tower (2), so that the support frame section (11 S) is detachable from a first support frame (11 ), is slidable along the tower (2) to a second support frame (12) and is attachable to said second support frame (12), while the tower (2) is held by means of an auxiliary holding device (27) on the two support frame sections of the first and second support frames (11 , 12) attached to the structure (9), wherein the tower (2) can again be fixed to the support frame section with the sliding guide (14) and, after releasing the auxiliary holding device (27), is again held solely by a support frame (12).

19. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the lifting cable (21 ) of the climbing device (10) is articulated to the detachable support frame section (11 S), so that the lifting cable (21 ) and the lifting frame (23) articulated thereto together with the detachable support frame section (11 S) can be moved from the first support frame (11 ) to the second support frame (12).

20. Crane according to the preceding claim, wherein the detachable support frame section (11 S) and the auxiliary lifting frame (33) have detachable connecting means for attaching the detachable support frame section (11 S) to the auxiliary lifting frame (33) for moving the detachable support frame section (11 S) along the tower (2) from a lower to an upper support frame (11 , 12) attached to the structure (9) and vice versa from the upper to the lower support frame (12, 11) attached to the structure.

21. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each support frame (11, 12) is designed to carry away all vertical loads acting on the tower (2) and / or all loads acting in the longitudinal direction of the tower, including weight forces and load forces, such that each support frame (11, 12) in its active state absorbs all transverse forces, longitudinal forces and bending moments acting on the tower and introduces them into the structure (9).

22. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the / each support frame (11 , 12) is designed to allow the tower (2) to be pulled out of the support frame in the longitudinal direction of the tower.

23. Crane according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the operation of the crane (1) when lifting loads the tower (2) is held only by a support frame (11 , 12) and attached to the structure (9), wherein the tower (2) is held by the said only one support frame (11 , 12) at a tower base area and extends upwards from the support frame (11 , 12) freely without cross bracing to the structure (9) and carries the rotatable boom (5), so that all loads and bending moments are introduced via the tower base area into the only one support frame (11 , 12).

24. Method for climbing a structure (9) with a crane (1) by means of a climbing device (10) having a support frame (11, 12) that can be attached to the structure (9) and slidably guides the tower (2) of the crane (1), wherein tower sections are climbed and / or the tower (2) is lifted relative to the support frame (11, 12) by means of a lifting frame (23) and a lifting cable (21) with a lifting cable (7), characterized in that the lifting cable (7) is guided through various cable-stayed zones (30, 31, 32) in which the lifting cable (7) is each sheared onto a movable lifting component (23, 33, 8) and each of the aforementioned lifting components (23, 33, 8) is individually and separately controlled by the lifting cable (7) from the other lifting components (23, 33, 8). is lifted while the mobility of the other lifting components (23, 33, 8) is blocked.

25. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the hoist rope (7) is sheared in a stranding zone (32) on the boom (5) and a load-handling device such as a load hook (8) that can be lowered therefrom, so that the load-handling device is lowered and retrieved from the boom (5) by the hoist rope (7) of the crane in the said stranding zone (32), wherein the load-handling device is blocked in a fixed position relative to the boom (5) when the lifting frame (23) is raised with the hoist rope (7) for climbing into tower sections and / or for lifting the crane (1) relative to the support frame (11, 12).

26. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein for the operation of the crane (1) the blockage of the load-handling device relative to the boom is released and the mobility of the lifting frame (23) relative to the tower (2) and / or relative to the support frame (11, 12) is blocked.

27. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the lifting cable (7) is sheared in a further stranding zone (31) on an upper tower section and an auxiliary lifting frame (33), which is lowered along the tower (2) by actuating the lifting cable (7) with the movement of the lifting frame (23) and the movement of the load-bearing device blocked, is attached to a detachable support frame section (11S), and after the detachable support frame section (11S) is attached, the lifting cable (7) is lifted from a lower support frame (11) attached to the structure along the tower (2) together with the lifting frame (23) fixed to the detachable support frame section (11S) to an upper support frame (12) attached to the structure by actuating the lifting cable (7). The detachable support frame section (11S) is then attached to the upper support frame (12) attached to the structure.wherein, with the movement of the auxiliary lifting frame (33) and the movement of the load-handling device blocked, the lifting frame (23) is lowered along the tower (2) by the lifting cable (7), attached to a tower base section and raised again by the lifting cable (7) together with the tower, thereby raising the crane (1) relative to the upper support frame (12), which are arranged on opposite sides of the support frame (11) on the tower (2).

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