Method of operating a cargo container scanning crane

• US 7,762,760 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Tsuneishi Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Tsuneishi Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Takehara, Toru, Tam, Philip Alexander, Ichimura, Kinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams; Gregory W
• Application Number:
  US10/877,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20060018735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 4141403-1404, 4141413-1414, 414/277, 414/279, 212324- 6, 212343- 4, 212/307, 212/312, 212/325, 212/326, 212/344, 212/343, 212/324, 378/57
• US Class Current: 414/803
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/004 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/002 Container cranes B66C19/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile cargo container handling buffer crane having a bridge crane mounted thereon for transferring cargo containers between a ship and land transportation with nonintrusive inspection apparatus located at an intermediate transfer position past which a container can be longitudinally translated on a shuttle and thereby non-intrusively inspected.

Claims

1. A method for nonintrusive cargo container scanning for nuclear weapon material during quay crane operations the steps comprising

providing a crane structure mounted on tires and formed for independent movement of said structure on the wharf in a quay area and of a size whereby it can be located at variable positions below or adjacent to a container handling ship to shore quay crane, said structure supporting a shuttle on an elevated horizontal track for moving containers individually and lengthwise, said track extending between a first predetermined buffer container deposition position located at a first end of said structure where a cargo container can be positioned for pickup or deposition by a quay crane and a second predetermined position located at a second and other end of said structure,

providing a fixed position bridge crane mounted above said track at said second end of said structure and arranged for engaging and suspending or depositing and releasing a cargo container from or onto said shuttle at said second predetermined position, said bridge crane also arranged for elevating and lowering a container between said second predetermined position and a truck trailer chassis when one is disposed below said second predetermined position at ground level and when said shuttle has returned to said first predetermined position,

providing a container scanning inspection apparatus mounted on said structure between said first and second predetermined positions and formed to non-intrusively inspect the length of a container passed before it,

providing radiation shielding integral to the platform of said shuttle preventing radiation from penetrating below said shuttle into the work area of said crane underneath said structure, and

when offloading a ship,

depositing a cargo container onto said shuttle by said off loading quay crane when said shuttle is disposed at said first predetermined position,

moving said shuttle and said cargo container lengthwise from said first predetermined position to said second predetermined position past said scanning apparatus while it is functioning to scan said container for nuclear weapon material,

transporting said cargo container from said second predetermined position to a trailer truck chassis disposed beneath said second predetermined position when timely;

repeating the process, and

when loading a ship,

reversing said process when said scanning apparatus is or is not operating.