Self-lifting crane

Claim 2

In a self-lifting crane having a frame adapted to raise or lower itself to different levels in a building on horizontal structural members of the building, which members are adjacent the frame: a frame; upper outriggers mounted at the same level on said frame, each of said upper outriggers being horizontally movable between a retracted position where it is not adapted to engage and rest upon a building horizontal structural member adjacent the frame and an extended position where it is adapted to engage and rest upon such a horizontal structural member; lifting outriggers carried on said frame, each of said lifting outriggers being horizontally movable between a retracted position where it is not adapted to engage and rest upon a building horizontal structural member and an extended position where it is adapted to engage and rest upon such horizontal structural member; mounting means connected between said frame and said lifting outriggers moUnting said lifting outriggers for movement between an upper position slightly above the level of said upper outriggers and a lower position substantially below the level of said upper outriggers; and power means for moving said lifting outriggers between said upper and lower positions.

Claim 3

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said power means comprises: a plurality of hydraulic jacks having extensible rams which may force the lifting outriggers up and sown when the rams are retracted and extended; fluid pump means connected to each of said hydraulic jacks for selectively extending or retracting the rams by supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to said rams; and trim means for selectively supplying to any one or more of said hydraulic jacks additional hydraulic fluid to level said frame.

Claim 4

The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said trim means comprises: a source of hydraulic fluid at a pressure somewhat higher than the pressure supplied by said power means; and a separate valve connecting each of said hydraulic jacks with said higher pressure fluid, whereby additional amounts of hydraulic fluid may be selectively added to any hydraulic jack to level the frame.

Claim 5

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper outriggers comprise: a left and a right outrigger subassembly, each of said subassemblies comprising: a first and a second outrigger; an outrigger support comprising a box beam connected to said frame and supporting said first and second outriggers for horizontal movement along the same path, said first and second outriggers being slidably received within said box beam; and subassembly power means connected to each of said first and second outriggers and said support for selectively moving said first and second outriggers in opposite directions from their respective retracted positions to their respective extended positions and vice versa, said subassembly power means comprising: double action cylinders connected between the box beam and the beam for moving said beam between its retracted position where the beam is substantially entirely within the box beam and its extended position where the beam projects well beyond the end of the box beam.

Claim 6

In a self-lifting crane having a frame, and being adapted to raise or lower itself to different levels in a building on horizontal structural members of the building, which members are adjacent the frame: a frame; upper outriggers mounted at the same level on said frame, each of said upper outriggers being horizontally movable between a retracted position where it is not adapted to engage and rest upon a building horizontal structural member adjacent the frame and an extended position where it is adapted to engage and rest upon such a horizontal structural member; lifting outriggers carried on said frame, each of said lifting outriggers being horizontally movable between a retracted position where it is not adapted to engage and rest upon a building horizontal structural member and an extended position where it is adapted to engage and rest upon such horizontal structural member, said lifting outriggers comprising: left and right lifting outrigger subassemblies, each of said lifting subassemblies comprising: a first and a second outrigger; an outrigger support supporting each of said first and second outrigger for horizontal movement along the same path; mounting means connected between said frame and said lifting outriggers mounting said lifting outriggers for movement between an upper position slightly above the level of said upper outriggers and a lower position substantially below the level of said upper position said mounting means for each outrigger subassembly comprising: at least one vertical track rigidly attached to said frame; and wheels on said outrigger support riding in said vertical track; and power means for moving said lifting outriggers between said upper and lower positioNs.

Claim 7

In a self-lifting crane having a frame, and being adapted to raise or lower itself to different levels in a building on horizontal structural members of the building, which members are adjacent the frame: a frame; upper outriggers mounted at the same level on said frame, each of said upper outriggers being horizontally movable between a retracted position where it is not adapted to engage and rest upon a building horizontal structural member adjacent the frame and an extended position where it is adapted to engage and rest upon such a horizontal structural member; lifting outriggers carried on said frame, each of said lifting outriggers being horizontally movable between a retracted position where it is not adapted to engage and rest upon a building horizontal structural member and an extended position where it is adapted to engage and rest upon such horizontal structural member, said lifting outriggers comprising: left and right lifting outrigger subassemblies, each of said lifting subassemblies comprising: a first and a second outrigger; an outrigger support supporting each of said first and second outrigger for horizontal movement along the same path; mounting means connected between said frame and said lifting outriggers mounting said lifting outriggers for movement between an upper position slightly above the level of said upper outriggers and a lower position substantially below the level of said upper position said mounting means for each outrigger subassembly comprising: at least one vertical track rigidly attached to said frame; and wheels on said outrigger support riding in said vertical track; and power means for moving said lifting outriggers between said upper and lower positioNs.

Claim 8

The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein: said vertical track is a vertical I beam and said wheels ride in the channel on opposite sides of the web portion of the vertical I beam.

Claim 9

The apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein at least two of said wheels are on each side of the vertical track, one of said last mentioned two wheels engaging and riding on the web of said I beam track, the other of said last mentioned two wheels on each side of the vertical track is engaging and riding on one of the flanges of said I beam vertical track.

Claim 10

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including: lower outriggers mounted at the same level on said frame, each of said lower outriggers being horizontally movable between a retracted position where it is not adapted to engage and rest upon a building horizontal structural member adjacent said frame and an extended position where it is adapted to engage and rest upon such a horizontal structural member.

Claim 11

The apparatus set forth in claim 7 wherein: said lower position of said lifting outriggers is slightly below the level of said lower outriggers.

Claim 12

The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including: wheel mounted on said mounting means, said wheels depending below said support and being adapted to engage and receive support from a rail placed below said mounting means, whereby a pair of rails can be placed below the wheels on said mounting means and the weight of the crane can be transferred to said wheels by forcing said lifting outrigger supports downwardly relative to said frame.