Device and Method for Ascertaining and Monitoring an Assembled Counterweight on a Crane

• US 20140330481A1
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manitowoc Crane Group France MCG FCE (The Manitowoc Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Manitowoc Crane Group France MCG FCE (The Manitowoc Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: ROEBEN, Dieter, MOHR, Waldemar, TITSCH, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,156,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33.9
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/16 Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 15/06 Arrangements or use of warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 23/72 Counterweights or supports for balancing lifting couples
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 23/74 separate from jib

Abstract

A device for detecting and monitoring an assembled counterweight on a crane includes a turntable steelwork construction comprising a counterweight cylinder; a sensor which is arranged in the region of a connection between the counterweight cylinder and the turntable steelwork construction; and a computational unit (8), wherein the sensor is connected to the computational unit, and the computational unit comprises a logic which determines a weight of a counterweight which can be connected to the turntable steelwork construction from data which are captured by the sensor and transmitted to the computational unit.

Claims

1. A device for detecting and monitoring an assembled counterweight on a crane, comprising:

a turntable steelwork construction comprising a counterweight cylinder;

at least one sensor which is arranged in a region of a connection between the counterweight cylinder and the turntable steelwork construction; and

a computational unit,

wherein the sensor is connected to the computational unit, and the computational unit comprises a logic which determines a weight of a counterweight which can be connected to the turntable steelwork construction from data which are captured by the sensor and transmitted to the computational unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor detects an elastic deformation in the turntable steelwork construction due to the weight of the counterweight connected to the turntable steelwork construction.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is an elastic sensor.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of a press-in sensor and a screw-in sensor that can be pressed into or screwed into, respectively, a component of the turntable steelwork construction in order to detect a deformation.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an amplifier.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is at least one of pressed or screwed into the turntable steelwork construction in the region in which the counterweight cylinder is connected to the turntable steelwork construction.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises two counterweight cylinders and two sensors, wherein each counterweight cylinder is assigned a sensor.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the computational unit compares the data of a deformation in one sensor with the data of a deformation in the other sensor and generates a warning signal when a predefined threshold value for a deviation between the two data is at least one of reached and exceeded.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

a bearing load table for the crane is stored in the computational unit; and

at least one of a permitted outreach and a permitted bearing load of the crane for predefined counterweight values can be retrieved from the bearing load table; and

the computational unit outputs at least one of the permitted outreach and the permitted bearing load on an output device.

10. A crane, comprising:

a turntable steelwork construction comprising at least one counterweight cylinder for receiving a counterweight;

a computational unit; and

at least one sensor in a region of the turntable steelwork construction,

wherein the sensor detects an elastic deformation in the turntable steelwork construction caused by receiving the counterweight, and transmits a signal to the computational unit.

11. The crane according to claim 10, wherein the turntable steelwork construction is part of a rotatable superstructure of the crane.

12. The crane according to claim 10, wherein the turntable steelwork construction, the counterweight cylinder, the computational unit and the sensor are parts of a device for detecting and monitoring an assembled counterweight on a crane.

13. The crane according to claim 10, wherein the crane is a mobile crane.

14. A method for automatically checking an assembly weight by means of a device for determining and monitoring the assembly weight, in order to prevent a crane from tipping and/or to prevent the crane from being assembled asymmetrically, wherein:

in a first step, a counterweight element is connected to a turntable steelwork construction;

in a second step, a value of an elastic deformation in the turntable steelwork construction is detected by a sensor;

in a third step, the value detected by the sensor is relayed to a computational unit;

in a fourth step, the value detected is compared in the computational unit with a bearing load table for the crane which is stored in the computational unit; and

in a fifth step, the computational unit retrieves at least one threshold load value for the crane from the load table and outputs it on an output device.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising in a sixth step, the computational unit monitors whether the at least one threshold load value of the crane is being observed.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the turntable steelwork construction comprises two counterweight cylinders and two sensors and wherein the method further comprises:

the values of the elastic deformations in the turntable steelwork construction detected by the two sensors are compared with each other in the computational unit;

if the values of the detected elastic deformations differ, the computational unit determines an asymmetrical exposure of the crane; and

the computational unit generates and outputs a warning signal for a crane operator.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the device is a device for detecting and monitoring an assembled counterweight on a crane.