Cargo container scanning crane

• US 20060018735A1
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Tsuneishi Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Tsuneishi Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Takehara, Toru, Tam, Philip Alexander, Ichimura, Kinya
• Granted Patent: US 7,762,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/141.300
• 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 mobile cargo container scanning crane comprising

a wheel mounted structure formed for independent movement in a quay area, said structure supporting a shuttle on an elevated horizontal track for moving containers longitudinally, said track extending between a first predetermined buffer container deposition position located at a first end on said structure where a cargo container can be positioned for pickup or deposition by a quay crane and a second predetermined position located at the second and other end of said structure,

a 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 track proximate to said second predetermined position at ground level and when said shuttle has returned to said first predetermined position, and

a container scanning inspection apparatus mounted on said structure between said first and second predetermined positions and formed to non-intrusively inspect a container transferred by said shuttle between said first and second predetermined positions.

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

providing a wheel mounted structure formed for independent movement in a quay area, said structure supporting a shuttle on an elevated horizontal track for moving containers longitudinally, 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 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 track proximate to 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, 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 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 when timely,

repeating the process, and

when loading a ship,

reversing said process.