Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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'rhe present invention relates generally to
heavy lift cranes and more particularly concerns a
lower or base support system for such cranes.
Conventional lift cranes include an upper
body mounting the boom and machinery that rotates about a
vertical axis on a lower body or base. If the crane is
mobile, the lower body is, typically, crawler mounted.
The lifting capacity of a mobile crane is largely
determined by the geometry of the base since all of the
compression and tilting loads must act through and around
the base to the ground.
The constant demands for increasing crane capacity
are partly met by larger sized cranes having bigger lower
bodies, both for more strength and to further space the
fulcrum or tipping point of the crane from the counterweight
effective line of action. In U.S. patent No. 3,485,383 to
Beduhn a system for greatly increasing crane capacity is
disclosed which involves surrounding the normal crane lower
body with a ring allowing a great extension of the distance
between the tipping fulcrum and the counterweight line of
action and a more widely distributed base for transmitting
the loads to the ground. As disclosed in that patent, the
system is not mobile in the sense of the base being movable
when the crane is loaded. The present invention is an
approach toward maintaining the capacity advantages of the
ring in said patent while making the entire crane mobile,
even under load.
According to the present invention there is provi-
ded a crane with a generally planar and square, rigid frame,
a circular track-defining ring mounted on the upper surface
of the frame, a transporter assembly includinc3 a pair
of parallel crawlers interconnected by a body and a pair
of rigid cross beams, with each of the crawlers including
a rigid longitudinal member around which rotates the
crawler pads, a plurality of frame elements rigidly inter~
connecting the frame and the cross beams both inboard and
outboard of the crawlers, and an upper works supporting
platform mounted for rotation on the ring.
Preferably, the cross beams extend through the
longitudinal memebers and carry a yoke at each end pin
connected to the frame and other frame elements receive
pins to releasably interconnect the frame and the cross
beams so that the frame can be removed from the transporter
to form a fixed crane mounting ring. ~dditionally, the
rigid frame may carry jack means adjacent its corners out-
board of the crawlers for raising the frame so that the
transporter may be installed and removed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crane embodying
the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially along line
2-2 of Figure l;
Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along line
3-3 in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken
substantially along line 4-4 in Fig. 2;
Figs. 5,6 and 7 are enlarged, fragmentary sections,
respectively, taken substantially along lines 5-5,6-6 and 7-7
in Fig. 4; and,
Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged, fragmentary sections,
respectively, taken substantially along lines 3-8 and 9-9 in
Fig. 2.
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Turllincl to the drawings, ~here is shown in
Figure 1 a crane 10 embodyirlg the invention and incLuding
an upper works including a boom 11, a mast 12, counter-
weight elements 13, hoist machinery 14 and an operator's
module 15. The lower works of the crane 10 includes a
transporter 20, preferably of the kind shown in U.S. patent
No. 4,000,784, which is made up of a pair of parallel
crawlers 21 interconnected by a body 22 supporting a drive
rnechanism for the crawlers including a power plant (not
shown). Each of the crawlers 21 is trained to encircle a
rigid longitudinal side frame member 23 and the side frames
are interconnected by a pair of large cross beams 24 which
are preferably pin connected to the body 22 as shown in U.S.
patent No. 4,000,784.
In accordance with the invention, a generally
planar and square, open frame 30 mounts a ring 31 defining
a track for the upper works, and the frame 30 is rigidly
and directly connected to the transporter cross beams 24 by
a plurality of depending lugs 32,33. As illustrated in Fig.
2, the frame 30 comprises a pair of sub-frames 34, which
straddle the crawlers 21, connected by end beams 35. Corner
beams 36 both rigidify the sub-frames 34 and provide a
continuous support for the ring 31.
Preferably, the depending lugs 32,33 on the sub-
frame elements 34 are pinned to the transporter cross bearns
24 so that, if desired, the transporter 20 can be disasso-
ciated from the rest of the crane assembly~ whereupon the
frame 30 becomes the base for a fixed type of crane mount.
Since the upper works cooperates with the large
diameter ring 31, the upper works elements are mounted on a
simple platform 40 provided with rollers 41 for riding on the
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ring 31. ~rhe plat~orm 40 is lleld centered by a kingpin
structure 42 mounted on an ll-frame 43 which centrally
interconnects the sub-frames 34. rreferably, swinging
rotation of the upper works is accomplished by utilizing
a drive mechanism (not shown) of the type disclosed in
U.S. patent No. 4,013,174. Those familiar with this art
will recognize that the crane 10 is a simple, and hence
relatively inexpensive, high capacity lift crane of great
versatility.
Turning now to Figs. 3-5 the pin interconnections
between the frame 30 and the transporter cross beams 24 may
be more clearly seen. Also, in Figs. 6 and 7 the pin connec-
tions between the cross beams 24 and the car body 22 of the
transporter 20 and the pin connections between the cross
beams 24 and webs 25 projecting inwardly from the crawler
side frames 23 are shown. Fig. 8 shows pins 45 interconnecting
one of the inner ends of the sub-frame 34 and the end beam
35 with the pins locked in place by plates 46 inserted in
slots in the pins 45 and bolted to the face of the sub-frame
34. Fig. 9 shows a cross-section through the ring 31 in the
form of an I-beam which is secured to the frame 30 by a
plurality of clamps 47. The ring 31 has an upper wear
surface 48 on which the rollers 41 ride.
As shown in Figs. 2-5, the inner lugs 32 on the
sub-frames 34 are connected by pins 51 inserted in aperatures
formed in pairs of upstanding lugs 52 on the upper surface of
the cross beams 24. Preferably, the pins 51 are held in place
by lock plates 53 inserted in slots in the ends of the pins 51
and bolted on the face of the lugs 52. Pursuant to the inven-
tion, the outer ends of the cross beams 24 extend through
the side frames 23 and mounting yokes 55 are connected to
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the beams 24 by pins 56 he~ld in place by lock plates 57.
The mounting yokes 55 are generally L-shaped and, through
pins 58 inserted through aperatures in the lugs 33, inter-
connect the outer ends of the sub-frames 34 to the outer
ends of the cross beams 24. The pins 58 are preferably
held in place by lock plates 59 bolted to the face of the
yoke 55.
Then it is desired to remove the frame 30 from
the transporter 20 it is only necessary to remove the lock
plates 53 and 59 and withdraw the connecting pins 51 and
58. To facilitate removal, the frame 30 preferably carries
four hydraulic jacks 60 mounted at its corners outboard of
the crawlers 21. Once the pins 51,58 are removed and the
frame 30 raised slightly by the jacks 60, the crawler-
transporter can be driven out from under the frame 30. It
will be appreciated, of course, the the jacks 60 may also
be used to facilitate leveling and blocking up the frame
30 for use as a fixed or stationary crane mount.
As mentioned above, the cross beams are preferably
connected to the webs 25 of the crawler side frames 23 by
pins 61 which pass through suitable lugs 62 on the cross
beams 24. (See Figs. 6 and 7). The cross beams 24 are also
pin connected to the central car body 22 of the transporter
20 by upper and lower pins 63 and 64 in the manner taught
in U.S. patent No. 4,000,784. If desired, these pins may
be inserted and withdrawn by hydraulic actuators. Thus,
the transporter 20 may also be quickly disassembled for
shipment to another site.
