US3645406A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Gantry cranes
Assignee: Southern Iron and Equipment Co
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Filing: 1968-10-24
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Granted: 1972-02-29
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Expires: 1988-10-24
Abstract
Abstract A gantry crane suitable for service in so-called piggyback operations where trailers or containers are handled to and from railroad cars. With a typical capacity of 50 tons the crane can move cargo with its bottom lift grappling arms or with optional spreader beam for top lift containers. Essentially hydraulic, the crane is self-propelled using a V-8 diesel engine to drive a plurality of hydraulic pumps. All power for load handling and crane movement is transmitted hydraulically. A stepless, reversible hydrostatic drive propels the crane in either direction at typical speeds up to 465 feet per minute. A hydraulic cylinder in each of the grappling arms provides the load-clamping force. Two cylinders are connected to each of the grappling arms for hoisting. A counterbalance valve at each of the hoisting cylinders provides fail-safe suspension of the load. Another hydraulic cylinder moves one grappling arm relative to the other so that loads of varying lengths can be handled properly. A stepless reversible hydrostatic drive is incorporated in each of two trolley trucks, which are controlled independently so the operator can rotate the load in a horizontal plane, plus or minus typically 35* from the track centerline and also the operator can move the trolley toward or away from his location. A servo-controlled power steering arrangement, incorporating a conventional Davis steering gear, allows steering about either pair of the nonsteered wheels. An automatic weighing system is incorporated to accurately determine and record the weight of the load simultaneously as the load is being handled. Load cells are used which are transducers that relate tensile force to an electrical signal which can be used to indicate the weight of the load and to print a ticket. The load cells are suspended from a frame. Drive wheels are driven directly from a hydraulic motor without the use of any gearing. Two steered struts include two hydraulic motors each, one for each wheel. The hydraulic motor may be of the fixed displacement type powered by a variable displacement pump which is reversible and driven by the engine at constant speed whereby the operator may vary the direction of travel and travel speed with a single control. Since the motors are connected in parallel, differential motion for steering and or maneuvering is available. The crane has a very short turning radius and under ideal conditions could approach pivoting about each of the fixed (nonsteered) struts. The trolley which supports the grappling arms is positioned by two independently driven trolley trucks that operate along rails mounted on girders. A trolley beam includes inverted rails which ride on double-flanged wheels of a spider assembly. This arrangement allows a variation in truck pivot centers as the trolley displaces the angular relationship and a dashpot at the end limits the travel of the spider and thus a displacement angle.
Inventors
- 👤 James W Brazell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 13:07
CPC Classifications
B; B66; B66C; B66C13/00; B66C13/16; B66C1/00; B66C1/10; B66C1/22; B66C1/223; B66C19/00; B66C19/007; F; F02; F02B; F02B3/00; F02B3/06; G; G01; G01G; G01G19/00; G01G19/14; G01G19/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
380 words
In a gantry crane for lifting a large, heavy load such as a trailer loaded with cargo wherein there is a three-dimensional gantry structure including members providing four corners each of which is supported by at least one ground-engaging wheel and there being a space within said structure and above the ground in which the load to be moved may be transported and manipulated by driving said gantry over said object or said object into said gantry, means for driving said gantry crane to move said wheels and means for steering said gantry crane by turning at least the wheel on one corner thereof, load-moving means mounted on said gantry crane for engaging, lifting and moving the load on the gantry structure, including means on said crane supporting said load for movement thereon, and means on said gantry crane for moving said load-moving means angularly as well as linearly with respect to said frame, whereby said load-moving means may be moved linearly across said frame in one direction or the other and also may be positioned angularly with respect to the load the combination therewith of: a. one corner of said frame having a power-driven, steerable wheel mounted thereon and the other corner of said frame on the same side having a movable controlled wheel thereon and there being means for steering said controlled wheel in response to the movement of said power-driven wheel, b. said power-driven, steerable wheel having a hydraulic motor thereon and there being other hydraulic means for moving said wheel rotatably on said corner of said gantry crane in one direction or the other, and c. control means operable by the movement of said steerable wheel and connected to said other controlled wheel on the same side of the other corner to signal the movement oF said other controlled wheel, and hydraulic power steering means connected with said other controlled wheel and responsive to said control means for moving said controlled wheel in response to the movement of said steered wheel, d. said control means including a modified Davis steering arrangement with a control member, and a servo valve connected to said hydraulic power steering, said servo valve being operated by said control member which controls said hydraulic power steering means of said other controlled wheel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
380 words
In a gantry crane for lifting a large, heavy load such as a trailer loaded with cargo wherein there is a three-dimensional gantry structure including members providing four corners each of which is supported by at least one ground-engaging wheel and there being a space within said structure and above the ground in which the load to be moved may be transported and manipulated by driving said gantry over said object or said object into said gantry, means for driving said gantry crane to move said wheels and means for steering said gantry crane by turning at least the wheel on one corner thereof, load-moving means mounted on said gantry crane for engaging, lifting and moving the load on the gantry structure, including means on said crane supporting said load for movement thereon, and means on said gantry crane for moving said load-moving means angularly as well as linearly with respect to said frame, whereby said load-moving means may be moved linearly across said frame in one direction or the other and also may be positioned angularly with respect to the load the combination therewith of: a. one corner of said frame having a power-driven, steerable wheel mounted thereon and the other corner of said frame on the same side having a movable controlled wheel thereon and there being means for steering said controlled wheel in response to the movement of said power-driven wheel, b. said power-driven, steerable wheel having a hydraulic motor thereon and there being other hydraulic means for moving said wheel rotatably on said corner of said gantry crane in one direction or the other, and c. control means operable by the movement of said steerable wheel and connected to said other controlled wheel on the same side of the other corner to signal the movement oF said other controlled wheel, and hydraulic power steering means connected with said other controlled wheel and responsive to said control means for moving said controlled wheel in response to the movement of said steered wheel, d. said control means including a modified Davis steering arrangement with a control member, and a servo valve connected to said hydraulic power steering, said servo valve being operated by said control member which controls said hydraulic power steering means of said other controlled wheel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The gantry crane in claim 1: there being power-driven wheels on each corner of one side, each of said power-driven wheels comprising two wheels mounted together for rotation about a common axis, individual hydraulic motors mounted on said wheels and each being connected to a respective wheel for independent operation, and each wheel being connected directly to a respective motor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The gantry in claim 1: said wheels being coaxial and said hydraulic motors being mounted coaxially, means supporting each of said wheels bearing means for said wheels, and a flexible coupling from each of said motors to each of said wheels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The gantry in claim 3: said motors being attached to a common support each with a shaft protruding therefrom and said means supporting each wheel being a spindle with said motor shaft inside thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The device in claim 1 including a fail-safe means operated by said control means to disengage automatically when preset forces are exceeded.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
The gantry in claim 1: one corner of said gantry having a hydraulically steered wheel assembly thereon, the other corner on the same side having a hydraulically steered wheel assembly thereon controlled by said wheel assembly on said corner first named, hydraulic power means on each wheel comprising an individual hydraulic motor on each wheel, and means between said wheel on one corner and the wheel on the other corner to cause the one to control the other, said means including a mechanical member and a hydraulic servo valve which balances the forces.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The gantry in claim 1: one of said corners having a power-driven wheel assembly thereon and the other corner on the said side having a power-driven wheel assembly driven thereon, each of said wheel assemblies having individual hydraulic motors thereon flexibly coupled to a wheel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The gantry in claim 7: there being two motors on each wheel assembly, each motor having a motor shaft protruding therefrom and said shafts of the same wheel protruding in opposite directions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The gantry in claim 7: each wheel assembly being rotatable for steering and there being a hydraulic means operable to move said wheel selectively and means for controlling said hydraulic means so as to control the steering of each wheel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The gantry in claim 9: said hydraulic means comprising a cylinder on each wheel, and the wheel on one side being the control wheel and the other being a slave wheel controlled thereby.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
310 words
In a gantry crane for lifting a large, heavy load such as a trailer loaded with cargo wherein there is a three-dimensional gantry structure including members providing four corners each of which is supported by at least one ground-engaging wheel and there being a space within said structure and above the ground in which the load to be moved may be transported and manipulated by driving said gantry over said object or said object into said gantry, means for driving said gantry crane to move said wheels and means for steering said gantry crane by turning at least the wheel on one corner thereof, load moving means mounted on said gantry crane for engaging, lifting and moving the load on the gantry structure, including means on said crane supporting said load for movement thereon, and means on said gantry crane for moving said load moving means in ''''c'''' angularly as well as linearly with respect to said frame, whereby said load moving means may be moved linearly across said frame in one direction or the other and also may be positioned angularly with respect to the load the combination therewith of: a. said load moving means and said means supporting said load comprising a support member extending across spaced, opposed gantry structure members that extend parallel to each other, b. said support member being supported for rotary movement on one end of a truck member that travels along one of said structure members and the other end being supported for both rotary and linear movement on a second truck member that travels on said other structure member, c. said support member for said load moving means being supported on one end on a spider assembly comprising a frame having wheels thereon operating in tracks on said support member, said spider frame being movably and rotatably mounted on said truck member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
310 words
In a gantry crane for lifting a large, heavy load such as a trailer loaded with cargo wherein there is a three-dimensional gantry structure including members providing four corners each of which is supported by at least one ground-engaging wheel and there being a space within said structure and above the ground in which the load to be moved may be transported and manipulated by driving said gantry over said object or said object into said gantry, means for driving said gantry crane to move said wheels and means for steering said gantry crane by turning at least the wheel on one corner thereof, load moving means mounted on said gantry crane for engaging, lifting and moving the load on the gantry structure, including means on said crane supporting said load for movement thereon, and means on said gantry crane for moving said load moving means in ''''c'''' angularly as well as linearly with respect to said frame, whereby said load moving means may be moved linearly across said frame in one direction or the other and also may be positioned angularly with respect to the load the combination therewith of: a. said load moving means and said means supporting said load comprising a support member extending across spaced, opposed gantry structure members that extend parallel to each other, b. said support member being supported for rotary movement on one end of a truck member that travels along one of said structure members and the other end being supported for both rotary and linear movement on a second truck member that travels on said other structure member, c. said support member for said load moving means being supported on one end on a spider assembly comprising a frame having wheels thereon operating in tracks on said support member, said spider frame being movably and rotatably mounted on said truck member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The gantry in claim 11: said truck member each being mounted on a linear track on the top of said gantry, each truck member having a drive wheel thereon engaged with said track, and hydraulic means for operating said drive wheel.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-02-28 | 1975-08-30 | 1976-02-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-02-28 | 1979-08-30 | 1980-02-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-02-28 | 1983-08-30 | 1984-02-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |