Marine Travelift, Inc.

Mi-jack Products, Inc.

Shuttelift, Inc.

Thomas H Feider

Norbert W Lenius

Ronald Rhea Dir

Edward Lazzeroni

John E Braun

Gerald P Lamer

Robbie M Gunnlaugsson

Paul J Nykaza

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 railroad car wheel changer assembly ( ), adapted to be mounted on a gantry crane ( ), is provided. The railroad car wheel changer assembly ( ) includes a base assembly ( ), a beam member ( ) and a grappler assembly ( ). The base assembly ( ) is adapted to be attached to the gantry crane( ). The beam member ( ) is attached to the base assembly ( ). The grappler assembly ( ) is adapted to engage a railroad car wheel assembly ( ) and is attached to a first end of the beam member ( ). The beam member ( ) is articulatable to move the wheel assembly ( ).

Railroad car wheel handler and method

A crane is disclosed, with one or more moveable components. Manually-articulable controls (such as joysticks) are provided for controlling movement of the components. First, second, and third control circuits responsive to varied positions of the control are optionally connected to the control to provide first, second, and third sets of control signals each with differing responses to the control in a given position so as to move the components in a manner which mitigates instability or inaccuracy due to the physical acuity of the operator.

Gantry crane with improved manually variable controls for movable components

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

A directional control system for a gantry type cane operable in either a longitudinal direction or a transverse direction is disclosed. The gantry type crane has first and second, spaced front wheels and first and second, spaced rear wheels. The first front wheel and the first rear wheel are on one longitudinal side of the crane, and the second front wheel and the second rear wheel are on the other longitudinal side of the crane. The control system cooperatively rotates the first and second front wheels for controlling the direction of travel of the crane in the longitudinal direction, and cooperatively rotates the first front wheel and the first rear wheel for controlling the direction of travel of the crane in the transverse direction. Thus the wheels positioned perpendicular to the direction of travel provide the steering.

Directional control system for a gantry type crane

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.

Growing community of inventors

Sturgeon Bay, WI, United States of America

Thomas H Feider