Marine Travelift, Inc.

J. I. Case Company

Mi-jack Products, Inc.

Norbert W Lenius

Thomas H Feider

Ronald Rhea Dir

Edward Lazzeroni

Gerald P Lamer

Richard A Stearn

William K Holmes

Philip R Pueschner

Lynn L Keller

Duane L Thiele

Paul J Nykaza

Arnold Petersen

A gantry crane has first and second side support frames spaced by a pair of trolley beams. A load lifting mechanism is connected to the trolley beams and includes a lift frame for engaging a load to be lifted. An operator cab is mounted on the first side support frame and is vertically moveable between a lowermost position and an uppermost position in an operational plane defined by the first side support frame. A cab lift cable has a length and a first end fixed to the operator cab and a second end fixed to the side support frame. A hydraulic cylinder urges the cable between its fixed first and second ends in a direction transverse to a portion of its length. In another embodiment of the invention, an operator cab is adapted to be horizontally moveable. The elevating operator cab of the present invention can be configured to move horizontally. The elevating operator cab is lifted by a carriage beam vertically moveable along vertical legs of the first side support frame. The operator cab is moveable horizontally along the carriage beam.

Gantry crane with elevating operator cab

A gantry crane has first and second side support frames spaced by a pair of trolley beams. A lifting mechanism is connected to the trolley beams and includes a lift frame for engaging a load to be lifted. An operator cab is mounted on the first side support frame and is vertically moveable between a lowermost position and an uppermost position in an operational plane defined by the first side support frame. A cab lift cable has a length and a first end fixed to the operator cab and a second end fixed to the side support frame. A hydraulic cylinder urges the cable between its fixed first and second ends in a direction transverse to a portion of its length.

A gantry crane 10 is provided having a gantry structure 12 with a pair of front support legs 18 and 20 and a pair of rear support legs 26 and 28. A lift frame 14, having opposed first and second ends 14a and 14b, is suspended from the gantry structure 12. A stabilizing beam 68 operatively connects the lift frame 14 to the gantry structure 12 to prevent sway of the lift frame 14. The stabilizing beam 68 is positioned between the pair of front support legs 18 and 20 and the pair of rear support legs 26 and 28. Preferably, the stabilizing beam 68 is connected proximate a longitudinal center of the lift frame 14. The stabilizing beam 68 is connected to vertical guides 70 and 72 that are connected to the gantry structure 12 so as to be vertically moveable along the guides 70 and 72. A four corner cross-reeving/clutch system 79 is provided to dampen rotational sway of the ends 14a and 14b of the lift frame 14. A gimbal 100 is provided for connecting the stabilizing beam 68 to the lift frame 14 to permit rotation of the lift frame 14 in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, and rotation of the lift frame about a horizontal axis. The connection between the stabilizing beam 68 and vertical guides 70 and 72 allow the lift frame 14 to rotate within a vertical plane.

Stabilizer for a gantry crane lift frame

Operator cab for a crane

Control panel for crane operator cab

Control pod for crane operator chair

The invention is suitable for use in a straddle-type crane having a frame and four corners, and comprises a system for the manual resynchronization or automatic synchronous movement of a plurality of pairs of steerable wheels. The pairs of steerable wheels are pivotal relative to the frame. The system comprises a hydraulically-actuated link and tie rod at each corner of the frame to turn all pairs of steerable wheels at each corner of said frame. It further comprises a hydraulic cylinder for each of the hydraulically-actuated links and tie rods, with the hydraulic cylinders being connected to each other in series relationship. The system also comprises a steering orbitrol which directs hydraulic fluid through the series-connected hydraulic cylinders.

Straddle crane steering system

A wire rope or cable stabilizing system for applying a balancing force to a suspended load to maintain vertical movement of the load perpendicular to the surface upon which the load is to be placed. The balancing force is effected to balance the lateral loading forces which may be applied to the suspended load such as may be due to, for example, the list or trim of a vessel, or the wind loading forces encountered when removing or replacing a hatch cover during a loading or unloading operation of a ship.

Suspended load positioning stabilizing system

A hatch cover crane having a hydraulically actuated jack assembly for realigning a hatch cover carried by the hatch cover crane with a ship's cargo hold opening. The jack is extended downward onto one of a pair of support rails, over which the hatch cover crane is moved, to raise one end of the hatch cover crane off the rails. While one end of the crane is raised off the rails, an opposite end is freely driven to facilitate alignment of the hatch cover carried by the hatch cover crane with the cargo hold opening.

Hatch cover crane

A straddle-type mobile hoist having loading slings operatively connected to automatically equalize the loading applied through the slings and adapted to vary the lateral spacing between slings.

Mobile hoist

A straddle carrier consisting of an inverted U-shaped frame, having a pair of vertically extending legs that define an elongated container carrying bay with each leg supported by a plurality of wheels is disclosed herein. First and second engines are respectively supported on the legs and each engine drives a plurality of pumps which supply pressurized fluid for driving and steering the vehicle, as well as pumps for supplying fluid to a plurality of other functions. The hydraulic circuit for performing the plurality of other functions as well as the steering function is designed so that all of the functions may be operated from the pumps driven by one of the engines in case of power failure in the other engine.

Straddle carriers for containers

A hoisting mechanism for a spreader of a straddle carrier is disclosed herein. The hoisting mechanism includes two fluid rams respectively located at diagonal corners of a generally inverted U-shaped frame. One fluid ram is connected to one end of the spreader through three parallel flexible members with the intermediate flexible member connected to one corner of the spreader and the two outer flexible members are connected to the opposite corner of the spreader. The disclosure also shows a unique steering linkage for steering all eight wheels that support the straddle carrier.

Growing community of inventors

Sturgeon Bay, WI, United States of America

Norbert W Lenius