Manitowoc Crane Companies, Inc.

Trimble Navigation Limited

Trimble Inc.

Grove US LLC

Stephen J Schoonmaker

John Fremont Benton

Kurtis L Maynard

Martin R Stander

Matthew T Oswald

Jared Yorke

Eric Fidler

Jeffrey Lynn Addleman

John R Rudy

Bradley Charles Calaman

Michael Stake

Melisa Lavery

Frank C Schnittker

Jeffrey L Addleman

A crane includes a lower works having one or more ground engaging elements, an upper works connected to the lower works, the upper works having a boom, and a system for determining a crane status. The system includes a sensor assembly positioned to have a line of sight along at least a portion of a length of the boom or the lower works. The sensor assembly configured to detect light transmission and output sensor information. The system further includes a computer configured to receive the sensor information and determine the crane status based on the sensor information. A method of determining the crane status is also provided.

System for determining crane status using optical and/or electromagnetic sensors

A locking head assembly () for a telescoping boom () of a crane () includes a locking head () having a base (), an operating plate () operably coupled to the base, one or more cylinder pins () and/or one or more section lock arms () movable in response to movement of the operating plate relative to the base. An actuator () is operably coupled to the operating plate and configured to move the operating plate relative to the base. The actuator includes a motor () and a drive arm (). The motor is configured to drive the drive arm between a drive arm first position and a drive arm second position. A motion mitigator () is connected to the actuator and the locking head and includes a housing (), a rod () movable relative to the housing, and a biasing device () disposed between the rod and the housing.

Locking head assembly for crane boom pins, boom with such an assembly and crane with such a boom

A crane includes a carrier unit having a chassis, tires connected to the chassis, a carrier deck and outriggers. A superstructure is mounted on the carrier unit, the superstructure includes a telescoping boom. A slope sensor is operably connected to the carrier unit and configured to detect a pitch and/or a roll of the carrier unit during a lift operation. The crane further includes a system for monitoring a load lifted by the telescoping boom. The system is configured to determine the current load lifted by the telescoping boom, receive pitch and/or roll information of the carrier unit from the slope sensor, adjust coordinates of the crane in a coordinate system based on the pitch and/or roll information, determine a transformed operating radius using the adjusted coordinates; and compare the load lifted to a rated capacity at the transformed operating radius.

System and method for monitoring crane and crane having same

A pin actuator assembly for a telescoping boom includes a locking head having a base, an operating plate operably coupled to the base, one or more cylinder pins and/or one or more section lock arms movable in response to movement of the operating plate relative to the base. The pin actuator assembly also includes an actuator operably coupled to the operating plate and configured to move the operating plate relative to the base. The actuator includes an electric motor and a drive arm. The electric motor is configured to drive the drive arm between an extended drive arm position and a retracted drive arm position. The pin actuator assembly further includes a motion mitigator having a housing, a rod movable relative to the housing and operably coupled to the actuator, a first biasing member coupled between the rod and the housing and a second biasing member coupled between the rod and the housing.

Electric actuation assembly for crane pinned boom

A drive system () for a telescoping boom () includes an elongated member (), a locking head () configured to be driven on the elongated member, an actuator () configured to drive the locking head on the elongated member, and a cabling assembly () interconnected between the actuator and the locking head such that the locking head is driven on the elongated member in response to operation of the actuator, the cabling assembly including a cable () and a plurality of sheaves (). The telescoping boom includes a base section () and one or more telescoping sections () configured for telescoping movement relative to the base section, and the locking head is configured to selectively engage and disengage a telescoping section of the one or more telescoping sections.

Pinned telescoping crane boom

A telescoping boom includes a boom actuator having a fixed part and a movable part, the movable part configured to move along a length the fixed part, a rotary actuator operably connected to the movable part and configured to rotate relative to the movable part, a coupling pin connected to and configured to rotate with the rotary actuator, and a telescoping boom having a plurality of boom sections including a base section and one or more telescoping sections configured for telescoping movement along a longitudinal boom axis relative to the base section. A rotary extension and locking system is mounted on at least one telescoping section and is configured for selective coupling to the boom actuator and selective locking with a nearest outwardly adjacent boom section.

Telescoping boom with rotary extension and locking system

A method for controlling a crane component of a tower crane in proximity of obstacles at a worksite by defining a forbidden volume is disclosed. In the method a distance from the crane component to an outer surface of the forbidden volume is determined and a computing device limits movement of the crane component based on the distance from the crane component to the outer surface of the forbidden volume to avoid entering the forbidden volume with the crane component while the crane is in operation. The crane component is one or more of a boom and a hook block.

Crane 3D workspace spatial techniques for crane operation in proximity of obstacles

An outrigger pad assembly includes a base having a bottom surface for engaging an underlying support surface and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface, a force sensor mounted to the base, and an interface body. The interface body includes a lower cavity at least partially defined by a first inner sidewall, an upper cavity at least partially defined by a second inner sidewall, and a coupling body having a latch configured for selective with an outrigger jack. The force sensor is disposed in the lower cavity in sliding contact with the first inner sidewall such that the interface body is movable relative to the force sensor. The outrigger pad assembly may be part of an outrigger assembly of a lifting vehicle.

Outrigger pad assembly having a force sensor

A method for controlling a boom of a crane includes saving, in a memory, data representing a maximum horizontal working distance for a load on a hook of a boom, saving, in the memory, boom data representing the position of the boom, calculating a minimum vector between the position of the hook and the maximum horizontal working distance, and controlling, by the computing device, movement of the boom to prevent the vector from reaching a zero magnitude.

Crane function performance enhancement for non-symmetrical outrigger arrangements

A telescoping crane boom having a rotary locking mechanism. A motor drives a rotating element about an axis parallel to the axis of the crane boom. The rotation of the rotating member causes a pin to selectively lock and unlock sections of the telescoping crane boom.

Crane with rotary locking mechanism

A ruggedized packaging assembly for a linearly extending crane component measurement device includes an outer sleeve, an inner member slidably disposed in the outer sleeve, a target coupled to at least one of the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve, and a non-contact measurement instrument. Either the outer sleeve or the inner member is coupled to a linearly extending component, and the other part is coupled to a component from which a distance is being measured.

Ruggedized packaging for linear distance measurement sensors

A computing system (CS) calculates a three-dimensional (3D) position of an origin of a 3D upperworks coordinate system for a crane based on local coordinates of the crane. The origin is located along an axis of rotation between an upperworks of the crane and a lowerworks of the crane that is rotatably coupled with the upperworks. The CS transforms the 3D position of the origin from the local coordinates to global 3D coordinates using absolute position sensing data from first and second positioning sensors attached to the crane and using global 3D coordinates specific to the jobsite where the crane is located. The CS computes positions of at least one movable component of the crane with respect to a tracked object on the jobsite. The CS utilizes the computed positions to provide assistance in maneuvering the crane with respect to the tracked object.

Crane maneuvering assistance

A method for controlling a boom of a crane in proximity of obstacles at a worksite by defining a forbidden volume is disclosed. In the method a distance from the boom to an outer surface of the forbidden volume is determined and a computing device limits movement of the boom based on the distance from the boom to the outer surface of the forbidden volume to avoid entering the forbidden volume with the boom while the crane is in operation.

An outrigger pad monitoring system for determining crane stability includes a plurality of outriggers having sensors for measuring a load placed on the outriggers. A crane control system utilizes the measured load on the outriggers to determine the stability of the crane. A crane control system utilizes the measured load on the outriggers with positional information for the crane boom to determine if the crane boom is in a side-load condition. The outrigger pad monitoring system may be used during the setup of the crane and to verify the proper operation of a rated capacity limiter.

Outrigger pad monitoring system

A system for tracking movable crane components to assist maneuvering the crane within a jobsite includes a computing device having a processor which calculates a 3D geospatial location and orientation of a 3D coordinate system for an upperworks that has an origin chosen along an axis of rotation between the upperworks and a lowerworks. The processor calculates a 3D position of the origin of the upperworks based on local coordinates and transforms the 3D position of the origin of the upperworks from the local coordinates to global 3D coordinates using absolute position sensing data from first and second positioning sensors attached to the crane (for instance on the upperworks and the hook, respectively) and using global 3D coordinates specific to the jobsite where the crane is located. The upperworks 3D coordinate system is useable to determine line segments in the upperworks 3D coordinate system for various movable components.

Growing community of inventors

Chambersburg, PA, United States of America

Stephen J Schoonmaker