Crane, vessel comprising such a crane, and a method for up-ending a longitudinal structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544016-B2
Application number	US-201716333428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2017
Priority date	Sep 15, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A crane includes a base structure; a slew bearing; a crane housing; a boom moveably mounted to the crane housing to be pivotable about a horizontal first pivot axis; three main hoisting systems; and a luffing system. The boom includes an A-frame with two boom legs that are connected at one end to the crane housing and at the opposite end to each other. Each main hoisting system includes a hoisting cable; a sheave block; a hoisting block; and a hoisting winch. The sheave block of each main hoisting system is pivotable about a horizontal second pivot axis that is perpendicular to the sheave rotation axis. The sheave blocks of the three main hoisting systems are arranged side-by-side. The luffing system includes two luffing winches; and two luffing cables extending between the respective two luffing winches. The luffing cables are connected to respective outriggers of the hammerhead structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A crane comprising:
a base structure;
a slew bearing;
a crane housing moveably mounted to the base structure via the slew bearing to allow the crane housing to rotate relative to the base structure about a substantially vertical slewing axis;
a boom moveably mounted to the crane housing to allow the boom to pivot relative to the crane housing about a substantially horizontal first pivot axis;
three main hoisting systems; and
a luffing system to set an angular orientation of the boom relative to the crane housing,
wherein the boom comprises an A-frame with two boom legs that are connected at one end to the crane housing and at the opposite end to each other via a hammerhead structure,
wherein each main hoisting system comprises:
a hoisting cable;
a sheave block with one or more sheaves that are rotatable about a sheave rotation axis, the sheave block being arranged on the hammerhead structure of the boom;
a hoisting block suspended from the sheave block by the hoisting cable; and
a hoisting winch to lift and lower the hoisting block by hauling in or paying out the hoisting cable,

wherein the sheave block of each main hoisting system is pivotable about a substantially horizontal second pivot axis that is perpendicular to the sheave rotation axis of the one or more sheaves of the sheave block,
wherein the sheave blocks of the three main hoisting systems are arranged side-by-side,
wherein the luffing system comprises:
two luffing winches on the crane housing; and
two luffing cables extending between the respective two luffing winches on the crane housing and the boom, and

wherein the luffing cables are connected to respective outriggers of the hammerhead structure that extend beyond the boom legs of the A-frame seen in plan view.

2. The crane according to claim 1 , wherein the second pivot axis is parallel to the first pivot axis.

3. The crane according to claim 2 , wherein the boom legs are trusses or truss structures.

4. The crane according to claim 3 , wherein the boom legs are further connected to each other in between the two ends of the boom legs.

5. The crane according to claim 1 , wherein the boom legs are trusses or truss structures.

6. The crane according to claim 5 , wherein the boom legs are further connected to each other in between the two ends of the boom legs.

7. The crane according to claim 1 , wherein the boom comprises a jib extending from the hammerhead structure.

8. The crane according to claim 7 , wherein the crane comprises one or more auxiliary hoisting systems having a hoisting cable, sheave block, hoisting block and hoisting winch.

9. The crane according to claim 8 , wherein the sheave block of the one or more auxiliary hoisting systems is arranged on the jib.

10. The crane according to claim 1 , wherein a centre plane of the A-frame is defined as the plane spanned by the first pivot axis and a longitudinal axis of the A-frame, wherein a middle sheave block of the three main hoisting systems is mounted at a larger distance from the centre plane than the two outer sheave blocks of the three main hoisting systems.

11. A vessel comprising a crane, said crane comprising:
a base structure;
a slew bearing;
a crane housing moveably mounted to the base structure via the slew bearing to allow the crane housing to rotate relative to the base structure about a substantially vertical slewing axis;
a boom moveably mounted to the crane housing to allow the boom to pivot relative to the crane housing about a substantially horizontal first pivot axis;
three main hoisting systems; and
a luffing system to set an angular orientation of the boom relative to the crane housing,
wherein the boom comprises an A-frame with two boom legs that are connected at one end to the crane housing and at the opposite end to each other via a hammerhead structure,
wherein each main hoisting system comprises:
a hoisting cable;
a sheave block with one or more sheaves that are rotatable about a sheave rotation axis, the sheave block being arranged on the hammerhead structure of the boom;
a hoisting block suspended from the sheave block by the hoisting cable; and
a hoisting winch to lift and lower the hoisting block by hauling in or paying out the hoisting cable,

wherein the sheave block of each main hoisting system is pivotable about a substantially horizontal second pivot axis that is perpendicular to the sheave rotation axis of the one or more sheaves of the sheave block,
wherein the sheave blocks of the three main hoisting systems are arranged side-by-side,
wherein the luffing system comprises:
two luffing winches on the crane housing; and
two luffing cables extending between the respective two luffing winches on the crane housing and the boom, and

wherein the luffing cables are connected to respective outriggers of the hammerhead structure that extend beyond the boom legs of the A-frame seen in plan view.

12. The vessel according to claim 11 , wherein the vessel is a jack-up vessel comprising:
a hull with at least three openings in the hull, said openings extending vertically through the hull to receive a respective leg;
a leg per opening in the hull; and
a leg driving device per leg allowing to move the corresponding leg relative to the hull in a vertical direction to allow the hull to be lifted out of a water body.

13. The vessel according to claim 12 , wherein the base structure and the crane housing of the crane are arranged around an opening in the hull so that the respective leg can extend through the base structure and crane housing.

Assignees

• Itrec Bv

Inventors

• Roodenburg Joop
• Van Der Linde Adrianus

Classifications

• B66C23/82

  Luffing gear · CPC title

• B66C23/828

  where the angle is adjustable · CPC title

• B66C23/52 Primary

  Floating cranes (floating dredgers E02F) · CPC title

• B66C23/185

  for use erecting wind turbines (B66C23/207 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B66C23/84 Primary

  Slewing gear (anti-friction bearings F16C) · CPC title