CRANE FOR HANDLING CONTAINERS

• US 3,630,402 A
• Filed: 07/16/1969
• Issued: 12/28/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert R. Young
• Original Assignee: Robert R. Young
• Inventors: Young, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US04/842,158
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• US Class Current: 414/434
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0435 with pulling or pushing means on either stacking crane or stacking area
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/002 Container cranes B66C19/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07 Floor-to-roof stacking devices, e.g. "stacker cranes", "retrievers"

Abstract

Apparatus for handling large heavy containers and similar loads and especially for transferring the same among the compartments of a vertical array of compartments and a separate transfer station and more particularly a crane for picking up and depositing such loads outside of a compartment, for inserting such loads into the compartments and depositing the same therein, and for picking up the loads within the compartments and removing the same therefrom.

Claims

1. In a crane for elevationally moving a generally rectangular load such as a van-type freight container, a cage having longitudinally spaced pairs of dependent leg elements with the leg elements of each pair being spaced transversely of each other and with said leg elements being provided with foot portions, substantially horizontally arranged rail means disposed on the foot portions of said spaced leg elements and providing a trackway for a carriage, a carriage, means movably mounting the carriage on said trackway and within said cage, lifting unit means mounted within and attached to a selected portion of said carriage, lock means carried by said lifting unit means for releasably and selectively engaging a van-type freight container in the area of the top thereof and for dependingly supporting the container between said leg elements and from said carriage, and said lifting unit means being adapted to raise and lower said container engaging lock means along with a van-type freight container relative to the selected portion of the carriage, means for raising and lowering said cage and for laterally transporting said cage along with the carriage and a van-type freight container suspended from the carriage and means for moving said carriage along said trackway and for projecting the carriage out of said cage.

2. A crane as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriage is comprised of interconnected frame elements one of which constitutes said lifting unit means.

3. A crane as set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable lock means comprises a twist lock means on the carriage.

4. A crane as set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable lock means comprise clamp mechanisms.

5. A crane as set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable lock means comprise downwardly projecting hoodlike elements which fit within socket means on the top of the vanlike container.

6. A crane as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriage includes interconnected telescoping frames.

7. A crane as set forth in claim 6 wherein said lifting unit means is attached to one of said telescoping frames.

8. A crane as set forth in claim 7 wherein said lock means comprise a twist lock means on the carriage.

9. A crane device for moving a generally rectangular load such as a van-type freight container in a plurality of planes comprising the combination of a container engaging carriage, a cage for mounting the carriage, said cage having longitudinally spaced pairs of dependent legs with legs of each pair being spaced transversely of each other, foot portions on said legs, horizontally arranged rail members mounted on the foot portions of said spaced legs and providing a trackway for the carriage, means movably mounting the carriage on said trackway intermediate said legs and within said cage, lifting unit means mounted within and attached to a selected portion of said carriage, releasable lock means carried by said lifting unit means for releasably and selectively engaging the top portions of a van-type container and for dependingly supporting the container between said legs and from said carriage, and said lifting unit means being adapted to raise and lower said container engaging lock means along with a van-type freight container relative to the selected portion of the carriage, means for raising and lowering said cage and for moving said cage in a plane transverse to a vertical plane, means for Moving the carriage along said trackway so as to project the carriage out of the cage along with the container suspended from the carriage and means associated with the foot portions of the carriage for initially guiding the container into releasable engagement with the lock means on the carriage as the cage is moved along with the carriage into position about the container.

10. A crane device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said guide means comprise camlike elements on the foot portions of the carriage.

11. A crane device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said releasable lock means comprises a twist lock means on the carriage.

12. A crane device as set forth in claim 10 wherein said releasable lock means comprises a twist lock means on the carriage.

13. A crane device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said releasable lock means comprise clamp mechanisms.

14. A crane device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said releasable lock means comprise downwardly projecting hooklike elements which fit within socket means on the top of the vanlike container.

15. A crane device as set forth in claim 9 wherein the carriage comprises interconnected frame elements one of which constitutes said lifting unit means.