Extendable Boom Locking System for Crane Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telescopic booms for cranes face challenges in achieving increased lifting heights while maintaining transportability and stability, particularly in offshore wind turbine installations, due to the need for heavier materials to withstand bending moments and logistical constraints of longer booms.
Innovation Solution
An extendable lattice type boom with a base boom section and telescopic sections, featuring a locking system with pins and enlarged apertures for secure extension and retraction, allowing for efficient load transfer and reduced material usage, and a guiding system for compact operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the boom length is increased to achieve higher lifting heights, then the lifting capability is improved, but the weight and material strength requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is divided into multiple telescopic sections that can be extended or retracted independently. Each section has guide rails and locking mechanisms that allow controlled movement while maintaining structural integrity. This segmentation enables the boom to achieve greater lengths without proportionally increasing the weight of each individual section.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic boom sections are nested within each other, with smaller sections inserted into larger ones. This nesting arrangement allows the boom to be compact during transport while extending to full length during operation, effectively solving the contradiction between long boom length and manageable weight/size for transportation.
2Length of moving object
If the boom length is increased to achieve higher lifting heights, then the lifting capability is improved, but the material strength requirements at the guides increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide system is segmented into multiple locking points along the boom sections. Each locking point contains guide rails and locking pins that distribute the mechanical loads across multiple locations rather than concentrating forces at single points, reducing the strength requirements at each individual guide location.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking pins are designed to engage with the guide rails before full extension is achieved, preliminarily stabilizing the boom sections and distributing loads progressively as extension occurs. This preliminary locking action prevents sudden force concentrations that would require excessively strong guides.
3Length of moving object
If a telescopic boom is used to maintain transportability, then the transport capability is improved, but the locking and load transfer between sections becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic boom sections incorporate self-aligning guide rails and locking mechanisms that automatically position and lock sections together during extension and retraction. The guide rails guide the locking pins into proper engagement positions without requiring precise manual alignment, making the locking operation simpler and more reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails serve as intermediary elements between the telescopic sections and locking pins. These guide rails mediate the interaction by providing tracked pathways that ensure proper alignment and force distribution during locking and unlocking operations, simplifying the overall locking mechanism.
4Length of moving object
If the boom is extended to achieve higher lifting heights, then the lifting capability is improved, but the transit stability and footprint constraints are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The boom system is designed with dynamic telescopic sections that can be extended or retracted based on operational requirements. During transit, the boom sections are retracted to maintain a compact, stable configuration that fits within platform footprint constraints. During operation, sections are extended to achieve required lifting heights, with locking mechanisms ensuring stability in both states.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Telescopic lattice type crane boom for a crane, further comprising a locking system configured to lock at least one telescopic boom section with respect to a base boom section in at least an extended position, wherein said locking system includes a plurality of pins, each pin being configured to extend, in at least the extended position of the boom, at least partly through a corresponding pin receiving aperture provided in one of the base boom section and the at least one telescopic boom section.