JP7615095B2 - Mechanism and method for preventing floating of a crane - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lift-up prevention mechanism and a lift-up prevention method that prevent the wheels of a crane from lifting up, and more specifically, to a lift-up prevention mechanism and a lift-up prevention method that can prevent the crane from lifting up without reducing the performance of the seismic isolation device installed on the crane.

Various cranes equipped with seismic isolation devices that run on rails have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The crane described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a seismic isolation device that is placed between the running gear, which has wheels, and the leg structure. In the event of a major earthquake, the wheels of the crane may lift off the rails and land outside the rails. If the wheels come off the rails, the leg structure of the crane, which is swung by the seismic isolation device, may move to an unexpected range. There is a possibility that the crane may collide with chassis or moored ships located near the crane, increasing the damage caused by the earthquake.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-142642

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an anti-floating mechanism and an anti-floating method that can prevent a crane from floating up without reducing the performance of the seismic isolation device installed on the crane.

The above-mentioned object can be achieved by providing a crane anti-floating mechanism having a plurality of wheels, each having a tread that contacts the upper surface of a rail laid in the running direction and a flange configured to be able to contact the side of the rail, a plurality of traveling devices having axles that support the wheels with a lateral direction that crosses the running direction at right angles, and a seismic isolation device configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction, characterized in that the anti-floating mechanism for a crane comprises a guide member that is fixed to the laid surface of the rail and extends in the running direction, and a contact member that is installed on the crane and configured to be able to contact the guide member with its upper surface, the guide member being installed at a lower position in the vertical direction than the seismic isolation device, and a gap is formed between the contact member and the guide member in the vertical direction when the tread is in contact with the upper surface of the rail, and the length of the gap in the vertical direction is set to be shorter than the length from the tread to the end of the flange in the radial direction of the wheel .

A method for preventing a crane from floating up to achieve the above-mentioned object provides a method for preventing the floating up of a crane having a plurality of traveling devices each having a plurality of wheels with a tread that contacts the upper surface of a rail laid in the traveling direction and a flange configured to be able to contact the side of the rail, and an axle that supports the wheels with the lateral direction that crosses the traveling direction at a right angle, and a seismic isolation device configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction, wherein a guide member extending in the traveling direction is fixed in advance to the laid surface of the rail, the guide member is configured so that the upper end of the guide member is positioned lower than the lower end of the seismic isolation device, a contact member configured so that its upper surface can come into contact with the guide member is installed in advance on the crane, and when the crane tries to float up upward, the upper surface of the contact member is brought into contact with the guide member, thereby preventing the crane from floating up, and when the upper surface of the contact member comes into contact with the guide member, the flange comes into contact with the side of the rail, thereby restraining movement of the crane in the lateral direction .

According to the present invention, when the crane tries to float up, the guide member presses the contact member from above, preventing the crane from floating up. In addition, because the guide member is installed at a lower position than the seismic isolation device, even if the crane is displaced due to the operation of the seismic isolation device, this displacement is not impeded by the floating prevention mechanism. This is advantageous for maintaining the performance of the seismic isolation device.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a traveling device of a crane. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an AA end surface of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the BB end face of FIG. 1 . 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state of the anti-floating mechanism when the crane is lifted up; FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a quay crane. 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams illustrating modified examples of the anti-floating mechanism. 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams illustrating modified examples of the anti-floating mechanism. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modified example of FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modified example of FIG. 3 .

The mechanism and method for preventing a crane from floating up will be explained below based on the embodiment shown in the figure. In the figure, the direction of travel of the crane is indicated by arrow y, the lateral direction perpendicular to the direction of travel y is indicated by arrow x, and the up-down direction is indicated by arrow z.

As shown in FIG. 1, the anti-floating mechanism 1 is applied to, for example, a quay crane that is placed on a quay and handles containers. The crane 2 to which the anti-floating mechanism 1 is applied is not limited to a quay crane, but may be any crane 2 that travels along rails. The crane 2 to which the anti-floating mechanism 1 is applied may be, for example, an unloader that handles bulk cargo such as coal, a gantry crane that travels within a yard and handles containers, or an overhead crane.

The crane 2 has multiple traveling gears 3. When the crane 2 is configured as a quay crane, for example, two traveling gears 3 are arranged on the sea side and two traveling gears 3 are arranged on the land side. In this embodiment, the traveling gear 3 has an equalizer 4, two intermediate equalizers 5 arranged below the equalizer 4, and four bogies 6 arranged below the intermediate equalizers 5. The equalizers 4 and the intermediate equalizers 5 are connected by a support shaft 7 whose axial direction is the lateral direction x. Similarly, the intermediate equalizers 5 and the bogies 6 are also connected by a support shaft 7. The intermediate equalizers 5 and the bogies 6 are connected so that they can tilt around the support shaft 7.

Two wheels 8 are installed on each bogie 6. Therefore, the running gear 3 has eight wheels 8. A drive mechanism 9 that applies power to the wheels 8 is installed on some of the wheels 8. The drive mechanism 9 is composed of, for example, a reduction gear 9a and a motor 9b.

The configuration of the running gear 3 is not limited to the above. The shape and number of the intermediate equalizer 5 and bogies 6, the total number of wheels 8, and the number of wheels 8 installed on one bogie 6 can be changed as appropriate.

The crane 2 has a seismic isolation device 10. The crane 2 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a seismic isolation device 10 arranged between the traveling gear 3 and the leg structure 11. The seismic isolation device 10 is made of laminated rubber, for example. The seismic isolation device 10 is configured so that its upper surface can be displaced in the lateral direction x relative to its lower surface. The seismic isolation device 10 may also be configured so that it can be displaced in the traveling direction y. The seismic isolation device 10 can displace the leg structure 11 in the lateral direction x relative to the traveling gear 3.

The configuration of the seismic isolation device 10 is not limited to the above, and it is sufficient that it has a configuration that can be displaced at least in the lateral direction x, such as a slide mechanism. In addition, the location where the seismic isolation device 10 is installed is not limited to the above, and it may be incorporated inside the running device 3 or into the leg structure 11.

The anti-floating mechanism 1 is equipped with a guide member 13 that is fixed to a laying surface 12 on which the rails are laid. The guide member 13 extends in the running direction y. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the guide member 13 is installed at a position lower than the seismic isolation device 10 in the vertical direction z. The guide member 13 is configured so that the upper end of the guide member 13 is lower than the lower end of the seismic isolation device 10. The anti-floating mechanism 1 also includes a contact member 14 that is installed on the crane 2 and configured so that its upper surface can come into contact with the guide member 13.

2, the guide member 13 has a horizontal portion 13a extending in the running direction y, and a support portion 13b whose lower end is fixed to the installation surface 12 and whose upper end is fixed to the horizontal portion 13a. In this embodiment, the horizontal portion 13a is made of a flat plate-shaped member. The configuration of the horizontal portion 13a is not limited to the above. It is sufficient that the horizontal portion 13a has a configuration that holds down the crane 2 that is attempting to rise. For example, it may be cylindrical or prism-shaped. It is also preferable that the horizontal portion 13a is continuous without interruption in the running direction y within the range where the rail 15 is laid. The horizontal portion 13a may have a portion that is interrupted midway in the running direction y.

In this embodiment, the support portion 13b is composed of a rod-shaped member. The configuration of the support portion 13b is not limited to the above. It is sufficient that the support portion 13b has a configuration that fixes the horizontal portion 13a to the installation surface 12. For example, the support portion 13b may be composed of a wall-shaped member that is erected on the installation surface 12 and extends in the traveling direction y. The horizontal portion 13a and the support portion 13b have a strength sufficient to hold down the crane 2 that is attempting to float up.

In this embodiment, guide members 13 are arranged on both sides of the rail 15 in the lateral direction x. A configuration in which guide members 13 are arranged on only one side of the rail 15 may also be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wheel 8 has a tread 8a that contacts the upper surface of the rail 15 and a flange 8b that is configured to be able to contact the side surface of the rail 15. In this embodiment, the flange 8b is formed only on one side of the tread 8a in the lateral direction x. The flange 8b may be formed on both sides of the tread 8a.

The wheels 8 are supported by axles 16 whose axial direction is the lateral direction x. The axles 16 are supported by a bogie 6 (not shown). In this embodiment, the axles 16 protrude on both sides from the wheels 8 in the lateral direction x. The axles 16 extend outward through the wall of the bogie 6 (not shown). In this embodiment, the contact members 14 of the anti-floating mechanism 1 are formed by the axles 16.

At least a portion of the upper part of the contact member 14 formed by the axle 16 is covered by the horizontal portion 13a of the guide member 13. Under normal circumstances, it is desirable for a gap P to be formed between the contact member 14 and the guide member 13 in the vertical direction z. In this specification, normal circumstances refers to a state in which the tread 8a of the wheel 8 is in contact with the upper surface of the rail 15 and the crane 2 is able to travel. When the anti-floating mechanism 1 has the gap P, wear on the contact member 14 formed by the axle 16 and the guide member 13 can be suppressed. In addition, it is possible to avoid the anti-floating mechanism 1 providing resistance to the travel of the crane 2.

The anti-floating mechanism 1 may be configured without the gap P. Under normal circumstances, the upper surface of the axle 16, which is the contact member 14, is always in contact with the guide member 13. When the contact member 14 is configured as the axle 16, the contact member 14 rotates as the crane 2 travels, so wear on the contact member 14 and guide member 13 is relatively suppressed. In addition, the resistance generated by the anti-floating mechanism 1 to the travel of the crane 2 is relatively suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 3, a drive mechanism 9 may be installed on the wheel 8. Of the axles 16 protruding on both sides from the wheel 8 in the lateral direction x, one is configured as a contact member 14 capable of contacting the guide member 13, and the other is connected to the drive mechanism 9. In this embodiment, one of the axles 16 protruding from the wheel 8 is connected to a motor 9b via a reduction gear 9a. In this case, the guide member 13 arranged near the drive mechanism 9 is arranged in a position that does not contact the drive mechanism 9. For the sake of explanation, the bogie 6 is omitted from FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, when an earthquake occurs and the wheel 8 of the crane 2 tries to lift up, the contact member 14 moves upward and its upper surface comes into contact with the lower surface of the horizontal part 13a of the guide member 13. The wheel 8 is prevented from moving upward by the lift prevention mechanism 1. It is desirable to set the gap P in advance to a range where the wheel 8 does not come off the rail 15. Specifically, it is desirable to set the gap P smaller than the height d of the flange 8b of the wheel 8. The height d of the flange 8b refers to the length from the tread surface 8a to the end of the flange 8b in the radial direction of the wheel 8. For the sake of explanation, the bogie 6 is omitted from FIG. 4.

When the gap P is set smaller than the height d of the flange 8b, the flange 8b can come into contact with the side of the rail 15 even when the contact member 14 is in contact with the guide member 13. The force of the wheel 8 attempting to move in the lateral direction x can be supported by the flange 8b. The force in the lateral direction x generated in the crane 2 can be supported by the flange 8b. It is also possible to prevent the wheel 8 from moving in the lateral direction x and coming into contact with the guide member 13. This makes it easier to avoid problems such as deformation or damage to the guide member 13 due to contact with the wheel 8.

It is desirable that the guide member 13 has a configuration that does not restrict the contact member 14 in the lateral direction x and the traveling direction y. In this case, the guide member 13 restricts only the upward movement of the contact member 14. This is advantageous in avoiding deformation or damage to the guide member 13. Similarly, it is desirable that the contact member 14 is configured so that only the upper surface can contact the guide member 13. It is desirable that the contact member 14 has a configuration that only contacts the guide member 13 when the crane 2 tries to rise, and does not contact the guide member 13 when the crane 2 moves in the lateral direction x and the traveling direction y.

When the wheels 8 of the crane 2 attempt to lift off the rails 15 due to an earthquake, the guide members 13 press the contact members 14 from above. The lift-off prevention mechanism 1 prevents the crane 2 from lifting off the rails 15. The lift-off prevention mechanism 1 can prevent the wheels 8 from lifting off the rails 15 and moving in the lateral direction x. Even during an earthquake, the traveling device 3 having the wheels 8 will not come off the rails 15 in the lateral direction x. As shown in FIG. 5, the leg structure 11 of the crane 2, which swings due to the operation of the seismic isolation device 10, can be prevented from reaching an unexpected position. This is advantageous in preventing accidents in which the crane 2 collides with a ship 17 or a chassis 18.

As shown in FIG. 5, the guide member 13 is installed at a lower position than the seismic isolation device 10 in the vertical direction z. Therefore, even if the position of the leg structure 11 moves in the lateral direction x due to displacement of the seismic isolation device 10, there is no problem in that the seismic isolation device 10 or the leg structure 11 collide with the guide member 13. This is advantageous for maintaining the performance of the seismic isolation device 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, it is desirable to place a floating prevention mechanism 1 such as a guide member 13 on both the sea-side traveling device 3a and the land-side traveling device 3b. It is desirable to install the flange 8b of the sea-side traveling device 3a and the flange 8b of the land-side traveling device 3b in opposite directions to the tread 8a in the lateral direction x. In this case, one flange 8b supports the force generated toward the sea side in the lateral direction x, and the other flange 8b supports the force generated toward the land side. The crane 2 is in a state where it does not move toward either the sea side or the land side in the lateral direction x.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is desirable for the guide member 13 to have a shape that is continuous without interruption in the traveling direction y. This is because the guide member 13 can prevent the contact member 14 from rising regardless of the stopping position of the crane 2 in the traveling direction y. Of the guide member 13, for example, the horizontal portion 13a that is configured to be able to come into contact with the contact member 14 may have a shape that is continuous in the traveling direction y.

The configuration of the guide member 13 is not limited to the above, and it may have an opening that is interrupted in the traveling direction y. When multiple contact members 14 are installed on one traveling device 3, the anti-floating mechanism 1 can prevent the crane 2 from floating up unless all of the contact members 14 are positioned in the openings of the guide member 13.

As shown in FIG. 6, there are cranes in which the motor 9b and other components of the drive mechanism 9 are installed on the top surface of the bogie 6, and the motor 9b and other components are not arranged to the sides of the wheels 8. In this case, both axles 16 protruding on both sides from the wheels 8 in the lateral direction x may be used as contact members 14. In this embodiment, a pair of guide members 13 arranged on both sides of the rail 15 in the lateral direction x can be arranged relatively close to each other in the lateral direction x.

The axle 16 may protrude from the wheel 8 on only one side in the lateral direction x to serve as the contact member 14. In this case, the guide member 13 is arranged only on the side on which the axle 16 protrudes. On the other side of the wheel 8, the axle 16 does not protrude, and no guide member 13 is arranged.

The contact member 14 is not limited to being composed of the axle 16. The contact member 14 may be a member constituting the crane 2 or a member newly installed on the crane 2, and may be any member on which the guide member 13 can be placed. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the upper surface of the bogie 6 may be used as the contact member 14. It is preferable that the contact member 14 be composed of a member that protrudes in the lateral direction x from the crane 2. For example, the support shaft 7 connecting the intermediate equalizer 5 and the bogie 6 illustrated in FIG. 1 may be extended in the lateral direction x to serve as the contact member 14. Also, a member extending in the lateral direction x may be newly installed on the traveling device 3 and used as the contact member 14.

If at least one of the axles 16 installed on one traveling device 3 is configured as a contact member 14, the lifting of the crane 2 can be suppressed. If the crane 2 has four traveling devices 3, if at least one contact member 14 is installed on one traveling device 3, the wheels 8 can be suppressed from coming off.

For example, in one traveling device 3, only the axle 16 on which the drive mechanism 9 is not installed may be used as the contact member 14. In this case, the axle 16 on which the drive mechanism 9 is installed is not used as the contact member 14.

As shown in FIG. 8, the intermediate equalizer 5 and the bogie 6 are configured to be tiltable about a support shaft 7 whose axial direction is the lateral direction x. When the axle 16 is used as the contact member 14, the wheel 8 on which the contact member 14 is not installed may rise above the guide member 13.

As shown in FIG. 8, if the contact members 14 are installed on the wheels 8 arranged at both ends of the traveling direction y in one traveling device 3, the traveling device 3 rarely derails. In order to further reduce the possibility of derailment, it is desirable to increase the number of contact members 14. For example, all of the axles 16 installed in the traveling device 3 may be configured as contact members 14. The more the number of contact members 14, the more the force that the crane 2 tries to lift up is supported by the multiple contact members 14. Therefore, the force generated at the part where the guide member 13 and one contact member 14 contact each other is smaller. This makes it easier to avoid a problem in which the axles 16 are bent and the crane 2 cannot travel. It also makes it easier to avoid a problem in which the guide member 13 is damaged by force concentrated at a specific part of the guide member 13. It is also possible to configure the guide member 13 from a thin and light material. If all of the axles 16 installed in each traveling device 3 are used as contact members 14, it is more likely that the crane 2 can be restored in a short time even after an earthquake occurs.

When the reduction gear 9a of the drive mechanism 9 is connected to the side of the wheel 8 as shown in the example of FIG. 9, the axle 16 may be extended in the lateral direction x to a length that passes through the reduction gear 9a, and this axle 16 may be used as the contact member 14.

For example, the anti-floating mechanism 1 can be applied to an existing crane by installing the contact member 14 on the crane 2 by replacing the axle 16, and fixing the guide member 13 to the laying surface 12 of the rail 15. The anti-floating mechanism 1 can be applied to an existing crane with relatively simple modifications.

1 Floating prevention mechanism 2 Crane 3 Traveling gear 3a Sea-side traveling gear 3b Land-side traveling gear 4 Equalizer 5 Intermediate equalizer 6 Bogie 7 Support shaft 8 Wheel 8a Tread surface 8b Flange 9 Drive mechanism 9a Reducer 9b Motor 10 Seismic isolation device 11 Leg structure 12 Laying surface 13 Guide member 13a Horizontal portion 13b Support portion 14 Contact member 15 Rail 16 Axle 17 Ship 18 Chassis x Lateral direction y Traveling direction z Up-down direction P Gap d Height (of flange)

Claims (6)

A lift-up prevention mechanism for a crane having a plurality of traveling devices each having a plurality of wheels with treads that contact the upper surface of a rail laid in the traveling direction and a flange configured to be able to contact the side surface of said rail, and axles that support said wheels with an axial direction that is a lateral direction that crosses the traveling direction at a right angle, and a seismic isolation device configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction,
The seismic isolation device is provided with a guide member that is fixed to the surface on which the rail is laid and extends in the running direction, and a contact member that is installed on the crane and configured so that an upper surface of the contact member can contact the guide member, and the guide member is installed at a lower position than the seismic isolation device in the vertical direction ,
a gap is formed between the contact member and the guide member in the vertical direction when the tread surface is in contact with the upper surface of the rail,
A lift-off prevention mechanism characterized in that the length of the gap in the vertical direction is set to be smaller than the length from the tread surface to the end of the flange in the radial direction of the wheel . The anti-floating mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the contact member is formed of the axle protruding in the lateral direction from at least one of the wheels. A lift-up prevention mechanism for a crane having a plurality of traveling devices each having a plurality of wheels with treads that contact the upper surface of a rail laid in the traveling direction and a flange configured to be able to contact the side surface of said rail, and axles that support said wheels with an axial direction that is a lateral direction that crosses the traveling direction at a right angle, and a seismic isolation device configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction,
The seismic isolation device is provided with a guide member that is fixed to the surface on which the rail is laid and extends in the running direction, and a contact member that is installed on the crane and configured so that the upper surface of the contact member can contact the guide member, and the guide member is installed at a lower position than the seismic isolation device in the vertical direction,
A lift-off prevention mechanism, characterized in that the contact member is composed of an axle protruding in the lateral direction from at least one of the wheels. The contact member is formed of the axle protruding from both sides of the wheel in the lateral direction,
4. The anti-floating mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the guide members are disposed on both sides of the rail in the lateral direction. A floating prevention mechanism as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein one of the axles protruding on both sides from the wheel in the lateral direction is configured to be able to contact the guide member as the contact member, and the other is connected to a drive mechanism that applies a driving force to the wheel. A method for preventing a crane from floating up, the method comprising the steps of: a plurality of wheels each having a tread that contacts an upper surface of a rail laid in a traveling direction and a flange configured to be able to contact a side surface of said rail; a plurality of traveling devices each having an axle that supports said wheels with an axial direction that is a lateral direction that crosses the traveling direction at a right angle; and a seismic isolation device configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction,
A guide member extending in the running direction is fixed to the surface of the rail in advance, and the guide member is configured so that the upper end of the guide member is lower than the lower end of the seismic isolation device, and a contact member configured so that the upper surface of the guide member can come into contact with the guide member is installed in advance on the crane,
When the crane tries to rise upward, an upper surface of the contact member is brought into contact with the guide member to prevent the crane from rising upward,
A method for preventing floating, characterized in that when the upper surface of the contact member contacts the guide member, the flange contacts the side of the rail, thereby restraining lateral movement of the crane .

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