Patent ID: 8833574
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: B66C

Abstract:
1. A hydraulic gantry system for lifting and moving a load, comprising: a plurality of hydraulic jack legs; one or more header beams movably supported at an upper end of the hydraulic jack legs; a chain having a beam clamp, a first end link coupled to the beam clamp, a second end link connectable to the load, and a plurality of pivotally coupled vertical links, each vertical link including two opposed, elongated, flat and downwardly disposed stop surfaces, the beam clamp of the chain being connected to one of the one or more header beams; and at least one support plate movably disposed below at least one of the one or more header beams for laterally moving from a disengaged position, wherein upon vertical movement of the chain, the opposed, elongated, flat and downwardly disposed stop surfaces of the plurality of vertical links pass by the support plate as the plurality of hydraulic jack legs are lowered to lower the one or more header beams, to an engaged position to engage the two opposed, elongated, flat and downwardly disposed stop surfaces on an engaged vertical link as the plurality of hydraulic jack legs are lowered to lower the one or more header beams and to thereby support the load on the opposed, elongated, flat and downwardly disposed stop surfaces of the engaged link and from the support plate engaged thereby; wherein any one of the plurality of the vertical links of the chain with the two opposed, elongated, flat and downwardly disposed stop surfaces may be engaged and supported on the support plate disposed in the engaged position; and wherein hydraulic fluid pressure can be relieved from the plurality of hydraulic jack legs by moving the support plate to the engaged position to engage and support the two opposed, elongated, flat and downwardly disposed stop surfaces on an engaged vertical link of the chain as the hydraulic jack legs and the one or more header beams are lowered to transfer the load from the one or more header beams to the support plate; and wherein one or more of the vertical links of the chain are removable from the chain to provide a shortened chain including fewer vertical links to span a reduced vertical spacing between the one or more header beams and the load.