Mobile crane having height adjustable superstructure ballast

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11713221-B2
Application number	US-202117453790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2021
Priority date	Nov 6, 2020
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a mobile crane, such as a crawler crane, comprising an undercarriage having a chassis, a superstructure rotatably supported on the undercarriage, and superstructure ballast, with the superstructure ballast comprising a ballast mounting apparatus vertically adjustable by means of a lifting device of the superstructure. In accordance with the disclosure, the ballast mounting apparatus is fastenable to the superstructure in an assembly position by means of a single connection element bearing the vertical load of the superstructure ballast. A centering means is furthermore provided that is adapted to take up transverse forces occurring in the assembly position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile crane comprising an undercarriage having a chassis, a superstructure rotatably supported on the undercarriage, and superstructure ballast that comprises a ballast mounting apparatus vertically adjustable by means of a lifting device of the superstructure,
wherein
the ballast mounting apparatus is fastenable to the superstructure in an assembly position by means of a single connection element bearing a vertical load of the superstructure ballast, with a centering means being provided that is adapted to take up transverse forces occurring in the assembly position.

2. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the centering means is configured to automatically align the superstructure ballast in the assembly position on an approach to the superstructure.

3. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the centering means is arranged at the ballast mounting apparatus and/or at the superstructure and is adapted to take up transverse forces acting on the ballast mounting apparatus and/or on the superstructure in the assembly position.

4. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the centering means is adapted to take up transverse forces occurring in the assembly position by tilting and/or rotating and/or displacing the superstructure ballast.

5. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the centering means comprises at least two centering elements that are arranged at the ballast mounting apparatus/at the superstructure and that are configured to move into engagement with centering mounts formed at the superstructure/at the ballast mounting apparatus on an approach of the ballast mounting apparatus to the superstructure.

6. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the centering elements are conically shaped and project from the ballast mounting apparatus/from the superstructure along a lifting direction of the superstructure ballast.

7. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 5 , wherein four centering elements are provided and are arranged such that they form the corners of a rectangle.

8. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the ballast mounting apparatus comprises a center part and two side parts arranged laterally therefrom, with a respective at least one ballast element being able to be placed or stacked on the side parts and with the centering elements or centering mounts being arranged at the center part.

9. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the ballast mounting apparatus is vertically adjustable via at least one hydraulic lifting cylinder(s) fastened to the superstructure, with the lifting cylinder being configured to place the superstructure ballast from the superstructure on the ground and to raise it from the ground to the superstructure.

10. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 9 , wherein a fastening element is arranged with at least one pulling means at the lifting cylinder with the pulling means being connectable to an attachment point of the ballast mounting apparatus to raise the superstructure ballast.

11. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the lifting cylinder has a guide cone and the ballast mounting apparatus has a recess that is associated with the guide cone, said guide cone and recess being arranged and configured such that the guide cone moves into the associated recess on an approach of the superstructure ballast to the superstructure and pre-positions the ballast mounting apparatus before reaching the mounting position.

12. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the ballast mounting apparatus is vertically adjustable via at least two hydraulic lifting cylinder(s) fastened to the superstructure.

13. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the guide cone is formed at a cylinder jacket of the lifting cylinder or is formed by an element connected to the lifting cylinder.

14. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the element connected to the lifting cylinder is a conically shaped bushing.

15. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the pulling means is at an extensible end of a piston rod of the lifting cylinder.

16. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the connection element is a pin or a force measuring axle that can be pushed through pin eyes of the superstructure and of the ballast mounting apparatus that overlap in the assembly position and is lockable.

17. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the pin or the force measuring axle is pushable into the pin eyes along the longitudinal axis of the superstructure.

18. The mobile crane in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the crane is a crawler crane.

Assignees

• Liebherr Werk Nenzing

Inventors

• Nessler Wolfgang
• Bargehr Robert

Classifications

• B66C23/74 Primary

  separate from jib · CPC title

• B66C23/365

  dismantable into smaller units for transport purposes · CPC title

• B66C2700/0371

  on a turntable · CPC title