Lifting assembly and a method for handling a component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11787667-B2
Application number	US-201917417965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

The invention provides a lifting assembly comprising a support structure ( 4 ) arranged to support a load ( 2 ) suspended from the support structure, a guide line ( 501 ) arranged to extend from a first location, to a second location, a wheel assembly ( 601 ) with one or more wheels ( 621, 622, 623 ) arranged to engage, and roll along, the guide line ( 501 ), and a control line assembly ( 701 ) arranged to extend from the wheel assembly ( 601 ) to the load ( 2 ), wherein the lifting assembly comprises a retainer ( 801 ) arranged to connect, between the first and second locations, the guide line ( 501 ) to the support structure ( 4 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lifting assembly comprising
a support structure arranged to support a load suspended from the support structure,
a guide line arranged to extend from a first location to a second location,
a wheel assembly with one or more wheels arranged to engage and roll along the guide line,
a control line assembly arranged to extend from the wheel assembly to the load, and
a retainer arranged to connect, between the first and second locations, the guide line to the support structure,
wherein the wheel assembly is configured to ride over and move past the retainer as the wheel assembly rolls along the guide line.

2. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure is an elongated boom assembly comprising one or more boom segments.

3. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises a wind turbine tower, and a crane mounted to the wind turbine tower.

4. The lifting assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the retainer is arranged to connect, between the first and second locations, the guide line to the tower.

5. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the retainer comprises a retainer bracket for fixing the retainer to the guide line.

6. The lifting assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the retainer comprises a connection element, connecting the retainer bracket to the support structure.

7. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the wheel assembly comprises a plurality of wheels which are distributed around the guide line.

8. The lifting assembly according to claim 7 , wherein one or more of the wheels is spring loaded so as to be biased against the guide line.

9. The lifting assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the wheel assembly extends, as seen along the guide line, less than a full turn around the guide line, the wheel assembly thereby presenting an assembly opening in the circumferential direction of the guide line.

10. The lifting assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the retainer bracket is arranged to extend through the assembly opening.

11. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the retainer is arranged to allow the guide line to change direction at the retainer.

12. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises a first structure segment and a second structure segment, a lower end of the second structure segment being, in an erected condition of the support structure, connected to an upper end of the first structure segment via a flexible segment joint.

13. The lifting assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the guide line is arranged to extend past the segment joint.

14. The lifting assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the retainer is arranged to be located at substantially the same height as the segment joint.

15. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting assembly comprises a further guide line arranged to extend from a first location to a second location, a further wheel assembly with one or more wheels arranged to engage, and roll along, the further guide line, a further control line assembly arranged to extend from the further wheel assembly to the suspended load, and a further retainer arranged to connect, between the first and second locations, the further guide line to the support structure.

16. The lifting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of retainers, each arranged to connect the guide line to the support structure, are arranged to be distributed along the guide line.

17. A method for handling a component, comprising
erecting a support structure,
arranging a guide line to extend from a first location to a second location,
arranging a wheel assembly with one or more wheels engaging, and arranged to roll along, the guide line, and
arranging a control line assembly to extend from the wheel assembly to a load, the load comprising the component and being suspended from the support structure, and
arranging a retainer to connect, between the first and second locations, the guide line to the support structure,
wherein the wheel assembly is configured to ride over and move past the retainer as the wheel assembly rolls along the guide line.

18. The method according to claim 17 , comprising erecting the support structure so that a lower end of a second support segment of the support structure is connected to an upper end of a first support segment of the support structure via a flexible segment joint, and, while controlling the second support segment so as to extend in a non-zero angle to a longitudinal direction of the first support segment, allowing the retainer to limit or prevent a movement of the guide line in relation to the segment joint so as to keep the guide line substantially parallel to the support segments.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein arranging a retainer comprises fixing the retainer to the guide line by means of a retainer bracket.

20. The method according to claim 19 , comprising adjusting the height of the suspended load, and allowing the wheel assembly to follow, by means of the control line assembly, the load, to thereby allow at least one of the wheels of the wheel assembly to roll along the guide line, and over the retainer bracket.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Kofman Joris
• Egstrøm Michael

Classifications

• B66C13/08 Primary

  for depositing loads in desired attitudes or positions · CPC title

• B66C23/185

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

• B66C23/207

  with supporting couples provided by wind turbines · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title