Large, high-capacity automated transportable construction boom for use in open areas

Claim 1

A large, high-capacity automated transportable construction boom designed for use in open areas, said boom comprising: an underframe (4) having thereon an elastically-deformable slender structure, composed essentially of a modular base pole (7) having a substantially vertical rotation axis and an arm (16) hinged to a top of said modular base pole (7) around a substantially horizontal hinge axis (15), first means (5) on said underframe for rotating said modular base pole (7) around said vertical rotation axis, second means (26) on said modular base pole and said arm for rotating said arm (16) around said hinge axis (15), said arm being made of several elements (17, 18, 19) hinged to each other around axes (21, 22) parallel to said substantially horizontal axis (15), said arm (16) being foldable and unfoldable in a vertical plane passing through said vertical rotation axis of said base pole (7); third means (27, 28) on said several elements for rotating said several elements around said parallel axes, a first end of a compensator arm (2) rotatably connected by a first link (29) to a free end of said arm (16), said first link having fourth means (30, 31) for rotating said compensator arm (2) relative to said arm (16), said compensator arm (2) having a lowinertia structure relative to said arm (16), a gripper carrier (36) having stress sensor means (46) for detecting impacts with objects to be loaded to said gripper carrier (36), said gripper carrier (36) connected by a second link (35) at a second end of said compensator arm (2), telescopic and orientation means (32) on said compensator arm (2) for moving said gripper carrier with respect to objects to be loaded to said gripper carrier, said first link (29) and said second link (35) providing said compensator arm (2) and said gripper carrier (36) with at least one degree of redundant movement, means for separately adjusting and controlling said first means, said second means, said third means, said fourth means and said telescopic and orientation means; and a load gripper (3) engaged on said gripper carrier (36) having means for engaging loads, wherein said underframe (4) has wheels and outriggers (50) to support said wheels (25) above the ground, said first means comprising a motorized orientation device (5) and a rotating underframe (6) mounted above said underframe (4), said rotating underframe (6) equipped with said modular base pole (7) that can accommodate additional pole elements (8) to form an extended pole (9), a slide (10) mounted to vertically slide on said extended pole (9), said slide (10) composed of a telescopable cage (11) surrounding said extended pole (9) and a support (12) having a compensating ballast (13) placed at its rear, said slide (10) holding in its rear part (14) said horizontal hinge axis (15) of said arm (16), said compensatory ballast (13) being rotatable with said slide (10) and said modular base pole (7).