Overhead Crane Boom With Extendable Reach for Dockside Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing overhead cranes are limited in their ability to directly access and move payloads from within a truck or vessel at a loading dock, requiring additional labor and equipment like fork-lifts, and lack an auxiliary system to extend their reach.
Innovation Solution
A crane assembly with a boom and trolley system that includes a vertically movable arm, an outer sleeve, and a drive assembly for rotating the boom up to 180 degrees, allowing it to extend and maneuver within the truck or vessel, enhancing reach and load capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional overhead crane system is used, then the crane can move payloads along fixed tracks, but it cannot directly access payloads inside trucks or vessels at the loading dock
Solution Approach 1:
The boom assembly is divided into multiple segments (first boom section, second boom section, third boom section) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows the boom to extend and retract independently, enabling access to payloads inside trucks or vessels while maintaining a manageable structure that integrates with the existing overhead crane system.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom assembly incorporates movable joints and connections that allow dynamic adjustment of the boom's position and orientation. The first boom section can rotate relative to the second, and the second can rotate relative to the third, creating a dynamic structure that adapts to different payload positions within trucks or vessels.
2Length of moving object
If the boom assembly is extended to reach into trucks or vessels, then access to front payloads is improved, but the structural complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is segmented into multiple sections that can move independently, allowing the required reach distance to be achieved through coordinated movement of segments rather than a single long rigid structure. This reduces structural complexity while maintaining the necessary reach.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom sections are designed to nest within each other when retracted, with the second boom section fitting within the first and the third within the second. This nesting capability allows the boom to achieve extended reach when needed while maintaining a compact form factor during storage, reducing overall structural requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If the boom assembly is added to the overhead crane, then load capacity increases by 100-150%, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boom assembly is designed to work with the existing overhead crane system's hoisting mechanism, allowing the same crane to perform both traditional overhead lifting and new functions of reaching into trucks or vessels. This multi-functionality increases load capacity without requiring a completely separate system, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom assembly is merged with the existing overhead crane structure, sharing common components such as the hoisting mechanism and support structures. This integration allows the system to achieve increased load capacity by combining the lifting capability of the crane with the extended reach of the boom, rather than duplicating entire systems.
4Productivity
If the boom assembly is implemented, then additional labor and equipment like fork-lifts are eliminated, but the crane system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boom assembly enables the overhead crane system to perform material handling tasks independently without requiring additional equipment like fork-lifts or extra labor. The boom's extended reach and maneuverability allow the crane to directly load and unload payloads from trucks and vessels, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for supplementary equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A crane assembly containing a boom for an overhead crane and trolley contains an arm having a first vertical portion and an outer surface, the arm fixed to the crane for upper and lower movement of the arm, and the arm containing a second portion angularly extending from the vertical portion. An outer sleeve surrounds and is fixed to the vertical portion, wherein the outer sleeve is fixed to the trolley and extends about the arm thereby defining a plenum between the outer sleeve and the inner vertical arm. During operation, the arm is adapted to be vertically moved within said outer sleeve. A support beam is fixed to the trolley, and is hingedly connected to the outer sleeve. A drive assembly is connected to the outer sleeve for rotating the boom about the support beam.