Rope hoisting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790070-B2
Application number	US-201514930951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

Various hoisting systems having an assembly for gripping a hoisting line are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a hoisting system having a plurality of sheaves and a chain reeved about the plurality of sheaves. The chain includes links having clamps for selectively gripping a hoisting line. The hoisting system also includes a closing track having a travel path for the clamps of the links of the chain. This travel path includes an opening between two opposing surfaces and at least a portion of the opening has a width between the two opposing surfaces narrower than the widths of the clamps, when open, such that, when the links pass along the travel path of the closing track, the two opposing surfaces cause the clamps to close about the hoisting line. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a hoisting system including:
a plurality of sheaves;
a chain reeved about the plurality of sheaves, the chain including links having clamps for selectively gripping a hoisting line; and
a closing track having a travel path for the clamps of the links of the chain, wherein the travel path includes an opening between two opposing surfaces and at least a portion of the opening has a width between the two opposing surfaces narrower than the widths of the clamps, when open, such that, when the links pass along the travel path of the closing track, the two opposing surfaces cause the clamps to close about the hoisting line; wherein the links of the chain include at least one link having a chain link body that has at least one of the clamps mounted on the chain link body, the at least one clamp having opposing arms moveable from an open position toward a closed position to enable the at least one clamp to close about and grip the hoisting line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the closing track is an adjustable closing track in which a first of the opposing surfaces can be moved toward a second of the opposing surfaces to reduce the width of the opening between the two opposing surfaces.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the first of the opposing surfaces for controlling the position of the first of the opposing surfaces with respect to the second of the opposing surfaces.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a tensioner coupled to a sheave of the plurality of sheaves so as to increase tension of the chain reeved about the plurality of sheaves.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hoisting system includes motors for driving the chain about the plurality of sheaves.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hoisting system is a rack-and-pinion hoisting system in which at least some of the links of the chain are rack elements to be driven about the plurality of sheaves by a mating pinion of the hoisting system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rack elements are connected to one another in a closed loop to form the chain.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hoisting system includes a crane having a knuckle jib on which the sheaves, the chain, and the closing track are installed.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the hoisting line.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the hoisting line is a fiber rope.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the fiber rope includes nylon.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rack elements include at least one
rack element including:
the chain link body having at least one linear gear with grooves facilitating driving of the at least one linear gear by the mating pinion.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the chain link body includes a pair of linear gears on opposite sides of the chain link body, and the chain link body includes multiple clamps for gripping the hoisting line.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one rack element includes a spring positioned to absorb loading from the at least one clamp in a direction parallel to the at least one linear gear.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer surfaces of the opposing arms include rollers to facilitate passage of the at least one clamp through the closing track.

16. A method of gripping a hoisting line, the method comprising:
driving a chain of link elements in a hoisting system through a closing track, the link elements including clamps for gripping the hoisting line; and
gripping the hoisting line with the clamps of the link elements, wherein the clamps of the link elements close about and grip the hoisting line in response to the clamps of the link elements entering the closing track of the hoisting system and open to release the hoisting line in response to the clamps of the link elements leaving the closing track; and wherein the link elements of the chain include at least one link element having a chain link body that has at least one of the clamps mounted on the chain link body, the at least one clamp having opposing arms moveable from an open position toward a closed position to enable the at least one clamp to close about and grip the hoisting line.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein gripping the hoisting line with the clamps of the link elements includes gripping a non-metallic hoisting line with the clamps of the link elements.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the closing track includes two opposing surfaces spaced apart from one another to allow the clamps of the link elements to pass through an opening between the two opposing surfaces, the method including moving at least one of the two opposing surfaces to change a width of the opening such that the amount by which the clamps close when entering the closing track also changes.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the hoisting system is a rack-and-pinion hoisting system in which driving the chain of link elements includes driving the chain of link elements with one or more pinions that engage mating rack portions of the link elements.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Bergan H{Dot Over (A)}Kon F

Classifications

• B66F19/00 Primary

  Hoisting, lifting, hauling or pushing, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B66C23/16

  with jibs supported by columns, e.g. towers having their lower end mounted for slewing movements · CPC title

• B66C23/52 Primary

  Floating cranes (floating dredgers E02F) · CPC title

• B66D3/003

  using two or more cooperating endless chains · CPC title

• B66C23/62

  Constructional features or details (of dredgers E02F) · CPC title