Abstract:
A system and method for reducing time delays while loading and unloading a cargo ship includes scanning and using an identifier to determine content and destination information for a cargo container, using a trolley crane and spreader to move the container between a ship and an elevator, and loading and unloading containers between a horizontal conveyor and a trailer with an orthogonal coordinates crane. The container is moved up and down on the elevator between the trolley crane and spreader and the horizontal conveyor. The horizontal conveyor moves the container between the elevator and an orthogonal coordinates crane and spreader. The two cranes move the container more efficiently and rapidly, and the system permits some loading and unloading to occur in the absence of the cargo ship or trailer. The elevator and conveyor move the containers more quickly than a trolley crane alone, and can be automated.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a device for loading a cargo from a ship at anchor to a trailer or from the trailer to the ship at anchor and more particularly, a device for loading/unloading the cargo, the device capable of rapidly and exactly moving a container at a regular position of a board and an yard with receiving all information necessary in the harbour when a crane grips the container by dividing the loading/unloading work of the cargo into the ship and the trailer. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Typically, a gantry crane for loading/unloading of a container has been well-known as one of main anchor instruments. The gantry crane corresponds to a device for with power, installing the container as an instrument made with a given standard and for loading a large-sized cargo, and moving a given distance. 
     A prior art gantry crane for loading/unloading of the container is comprised of an iron frame construction  1  and a crane  5 , as depicted in FIG. 1 as a schematic view showing the construction of a gantry crane depicted for describing a method for loading/unloading the cargo according to the prior art. 
     The iron frame construction  1  is included with posts  2  and  3  stood upright on the ground a guide rail  4  installed vertically depending on these posts  2  and  3 . Also, the crane  5  moves along the guide rail  4  of the iron frame construction  1  and controls 2-axises movement including a direction rectangular to the guide rail  4 , simultaneously. The crane  5  is constructed with a spreader  6  for picking the container  7 , a winch and an operating room as not shown in figures. 
     For loading/unloading of the container, the crane  5  moves to a position of the ship  8  at anchor, discharges the spreader  6  at the moved position, lifts one of containers  7  loaded in the ship  8 , moves to a position of the trailer  9  with the container  7  lifted along the guide rail  4 , and softly unloads the container  7  above the trailer  9 . Following that, the crane  5  again wounds the spreader  6  and returns to the ship position in order to repeat the unloading work of next containers. During the crane  5  returns toward the ship  8 , the trailer  9  loaded with the container  7  leaves the position, a next trailer comes into the position and awaits. By repeating the above works, the unloading work of the containers  7  loaded in the ship  8  are performed. The loading work of the container is performed in the contrary order of the afore-mentioned unloading works. For reference, the moving course of A in FIG. 1 corresponds to the course upon the loading and the course upon the unloading and the spreader  6  moves along the above course. 
     As stated above, according to the prior art, the spreader  6  returns the overall blocks of the moving course A with one crane  5 , as illustrated in FIG.  1 . However, since the distance between the ship  8  and the trailer  9  is long and the moving speed of the crane  5  is slow, it takes much times to return the overall blocks at one time. 
     Accordingly, in the prior art, it naturally takes much time to load or unload the container at the ship to the trailer as well as there is frequently generated the case that other works is stopped and awaited until the work preparation is completed upon one work preparation of the ship, the trailer, a trolly, the spreader. Therefore, the gantry crane according to the prior art has the problem of deteriorating the overall loading/unloading effect of the harbors. 
     In the meantimes, so as to heighten the loading/unloading of the ship, it is considerable to reduce the work time with heightening the moving speed of the trolly and the spreader in the gantry crane. However, when considering the load of the container and safety for loading, there is a limit to height the moving speed of the trolly and the spreader. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete appreciation of this invention, many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar elements components, wherein, 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the construction of a gantry crane depicted for describing a method for loading/unloading the cargo according to the prior art; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the construction of the gantry crane depicted for describing a method for loading/unloading the cargo according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a view showing a device for loading/unloading the cargo according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a view showing an elevator depicted in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a view showing a container guide depicted in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a view showing a conveyor depicted in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a detailed view showing the construction of a conveyor chain depicted in FIG. 3; and, 
     FIG. 8 is a view showing the gantry crane depicted for a device for loading/unloading the cargo according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention for solving the above problem to provide a device for loading/unloading the cargo of a container with minimizing he moving range of a conveyor, a trolly and a spreader of a gantry crane, discriminating the ship work and the trailer work, and improving the loading/unloading effect more than that of the prior art, thereby solving the delay problem of the work time generated by awaiting the other works due to the work delay of one of a trolly, a spreader, and a trailer. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for loading/unloading the cargo of a container with removing the work error by adhering an orthogonal coordinates crane for easily automating the work and a sensor for reading the information necessary in a ship, to spreaders of two places when loading/unloading the container to the trailer. 
     These and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention with a method for loading/unloading a cargo to a yard from a ship, is included with: a conveying step of recognizing natural number, bar code, RF, and IC chip printed at the container, recognizing the property such as the kind of the cargo, the weight thereof, the designation place, and a shipper thereof, the property such as the kind of the cargo, the weight thereof, the designation place, and a shipper thereof and conveying the container to the ship for unloading or a conveying place near to the ship, at a ship cargo conveying unit; a trailer cargo conveying step of sensing the position of a trailer, falling down a spreader, recognizing the property such as the kind of the cargo, the weight thereof, the designation place, and a shipper thereof, and conveying the cargo to the trailer for automatically driving or a conveying place near to the trailer, at a trailer cargo conveying unit; and, a conveying step of conveying the cargo conveyed and loaded at the ship, from one of the conveying places near to the ship and the trailer to the other thereof, whereby delay of others can be reduced due to work delay of the ship conveying and loading place and the trailer. 
     Further, the present invention can be achieved with a device for loading/unloading a cargo to a yard from a ship, is included with: a conveying step of recognizing natural number, bar code, RF and IC chip printed at the container, recognizing the property such as the kind of the cargo, the weight thereof, the designation place, and a shipper thereof, the property such as the kind of the cargo, the weight thereof, the designation place, and a shipper thereof and conveying the container to the ship for unloading or a conveying place near to the ship, at a ship cargo conveying unit; a trailer cargo conveying step of sensing the position of a trailer, falling down a spreader, recognizing the property such as the kind of the cargo, the weight thereof, the designation place, and a shipper thereof, and conveying the cargo to the trailer for automatically driving or a conveying place near to the trailer, at a trailer cargo conveying unit; and, a conveying step of conveying the cargo conveyed and loaded at the ship, from one of the conveying places near to the ship and the trailer to the other thereof, whereby delay of others can be reduced due to work delay of the ship conveying and loading place and the trailer. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be in detail explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. Further, in the following description, the necessary description for understanding the present invention are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It is noted that a detailed description of known functions and constructions unnecessarily obscuring the subject matter of the present invention has been omitted in the following description for clarity. 
     Here, the cargo includes not only all kinds of packages but also all standard or nonstandard cargo instrument of packing all cargoes. The container is a representative example of the standard cargo instrument. Meanwhile, the ship cargo is called as the cargo for being loaded or unloaded to/from the ship and the trailer cargo is called as the cargo for being loaded or unloaded to/from the trailer. Also, the trailer includes all power or non-power vehicles for cargo transportation. 
     As mentioned previously, a device for loading/unloading the cargo to the ship from the trailer or from the trailer to the ship and a method therefor according to the present invention uses more than two conveying implements divided into two, that is, the ship and the trailer, unlike one conveying implement (trolly, spreader) according to the prior art, thereby dividing the loading/unloading works of the container into the works of the ship and the trailer and respectively exercising together the works. Further, a preferred embodiment of the present invention as described above will be concretely expressed as follows with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Most of all, the method for loading/unloading the cargo according to the present invention will be described with respect to FIG.  2 . FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the construction of the gantry crane depicted for describing a method for loading/unloading the cargo according to the present invention. 
     As an iron frame construction  10  in the gantry crane as depicted in FIG. 2 as stated hereinbefore, is constructed with posts  11  and  12  ejected upright on the ground, upper and lower guide rails  13  and  14  installed vertically and long at respective different heights depending on the posts  11  and  12 , a ship cargo trolly  20 , and a trailer cargo orthogonal coordinates crane  30 . The trolly  20  and the orthogonal coordinates crane  30 , like the prior art, has spreaders  21  and  31  for respectively lifting the container  40 . In the meanwhile, conveying units  70  and  72  is are installed between the ship  50  and the trailer  60 . At this point, the conveying units  70  and  72  have a conveying and loading position  71  positioned near to the ship  50  and a conveying and loading position  73  positioned near the trailer  60 . Also, the conveying units  70  and  72  have a driving unit for conveying the container  40  from one portion of the conveying and loading positions  70  and  72  to the other portion thereof. As an example, the driving unit of the conveying units  70  and  72  can be embodied with combination of elevators  70  and  72   a  for vertical conveying and conveys  72  and  72   a  for horizontal conveying. 
     Herein, the height of the conveying and loading position  71  of the conveying unit  70  can be varied by stages depending on a cargo loading height loaded at the conveying and loading position and on size of the ship  50 . 
     A step of conveying and loading the cargo at the ship as a first step of the present invention is comprised of loading and conveying(course A) of conveying the container  40  from the ship  50  to the conveying and loading position  71  at the ship  50  of the conveying unit  70  along a reversible course A or unloading(course A) of conveying the container  40  from the conveying and loading position  71  at the ship  50  of the conveying unit  70  to the ship  50 , by using the spreader  21  and the trolly  20  for ship cargo, wherein the trolly  20  therefor is installed at the upper guide rail  13  of the iron frame construction  10  in FIG.  2  and lifts the container  40 . 
     A step of conveying and loading the cargo at the trailer as a second step of the present invention is comprised of loading(course D) of loading the container  40  from the conveying and loading position  73  at the trailer of the conveying unit  62  to the trailer  60  along a reversible course D or unloading(course D) of unloading and conveying the container  40  from the trailer  60  to the conveying and loading position  73  at the trailer of the conveying unit  62  to the trailer  60 , by using the spreader  31  and the orthogonal coordinates crane  30  for trailer cargo loading/unloading, wherein the orthogonal coordinates crane  30  is installed at the lower guide rail  14  of the iron frame construction  10  in FIG.  1 . 
     Next, a step of conveying as a third step of the present invention is comprised of loading and conveying(courses B and C) of conveying the container  40  from the conveying and loading position  71  at the ship to the conveying and loading position  73  at the trailer along reversible courses B and C or unloading and conveying(courses C and B) of conveying the container  40  from the conveying and loading position  73  at the trailer to the conveying and loading position  71  at the ship, by the conveying units  70  and  72  installed between the ship  50  and the trailer  60  in FIG.  2 . 
     That is, the unloading work of the container is loading, conveying the container  40  loaded at the ship  50  along the courses A, B, C, D, and unloading the container  40  to the trailer  60 . The loading work of the container is loading, conveying the container  40  loaded at the trailer  60  along the courses D, C, B, A, and loading the container  40  at the ship  50 . 
     The trolly  20  for ship cargo and spreader  21 , as a need arises, can be moved along the course A depicted in FIG. 1, which is in fact equal to the prior art. 
     In accordance with to a method for loading/unloading the cargo according to the present invention, other works can be continuously performed in the case that the work at one of a ship cargo loading and conveying step and a trailer cargo loading and conveying step is delayed. Therefore, the work effect can be improved, the time required to wait the ship or the trailer can be reduced, and the orthogonal coordinates crane  30  and the spreader  31  for loading/unloading the container  40  at the trailer  60  can be automatized. 
     On the other hand, as not shown, the present invention does not use the conveying units  70  and  72  in FIG. 2, and can perform the loading/unloading work of the container through the steps of conveying and loading the container  40  from the ship  50  and the trailer  60  to the same position, and conveying the container  40  loaded there at to each trolly  20 , each spreader  21 , each orthogonal coordinates crane  30 , each spreader  31 , the ship  50 , and the trailer  60 , by secreting wide same position including the conveying and loading positions  71  and  73  of the conveying units  70  and  72 , so that each trolly  20 , each spreader  21 , each orthogonal coordinates crane  30 , and each spreader  31  at the ship cargo and the trailer cargo can be moved to the same position. 
     Thereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the gantry crane installed at the harbor as a device for loading/unloading the cargo in accordance with the present invention will be exampled and expressed concretely. In the following and accompanying drawings, the equal reference numerals are given and expressed to the equal parts of FIG. 2 for the convenience of the description. 
     The gantry crane according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, posts  11  and  12  as the iron frame construction  10  upright ejected on the ground, the guide rails  13  and  14  made at respective and separated height at the posts  11  and  12 , a ship cargo conveying and loading unit  100  for conveying and loading the container from the ship  50 , conveying units  200  and  300  for conveying the container  40  carried between the ship  50  and the trailer  60 , and a trailer cargo conveying and loading unit  400  for conveying and loading the container to the trailer  60 , or from the trailer  60 . 
     The ship cargo conveying and loading unit  100  includes the upper guide rail  13  of the iron frame construction  10 , and the trolly for the ship cargo supported to move the guide rail  13 . Herein, the trolly  20  comprises the spreader  21  for griping the container, and a winch  22  and an operating room  23  for lifting the contained griped at the spreader  21 , and controls 2-axises including the direction orthogonal to the guide rail  13 . 
     The conveying units  200  and  300  is in correspondence with the conveying units  70  and  72  shown in FIG.  3  and already described previously, and includes the elevator  70  for vertical elevating, and the conveyor  72 . The elevator  70  of the conveying units  200  and  300  includes a pallet  211  for providing the above-mentioned ships conveying and loading position, a chain  212  for rising and falling the pallet  211  as shown in FIG. 4, a driving source  213  for operating the chain  212 , and a guide post  214  for exactly guiding and supporting the rising and falling operation of the pallet  211 . Here, while the detailed description thereof is omitted in the drawings, the size(height) of the ship and the loading height of the containers  40  loaded there at can depend on the continuous loading/unloading, whereby the risen height of the pallet  211  can be varied and adjusted by stages. 
     Upon unloading and conveying the container  40  of the conveying unit  300 , container guide plates G 2  and G 3  of the conveyors  321 ,  322 , and  323  as shown in FIGS. 5,  6 , and  7 , are open like container guide plates G&#39; 2  and G&#39; 3  so as to move the container  40  by a zig and a link as not show in figures when the pallet  211  falls down and determines its position at a position determining unit  330 , in the event that the container  40  is loaded at the pallet  211  of the above elevator  210  along the container guide plates G 1 , G 2 , and G 3 . And then, a conveyor chain  321  makes the pallet  211  to be slant by rising a cylinder  324  by the central axis of the conveyor chain driving unit and driving axis  351 , thereby improving the moving effect of the container  40 . Also, the conveyor chain  321  of loading the container  40  has a frame  312  built at a regular interval, a rail  311  installed at the frame  312  and conveyor chains  344 ,  345 , and  346  capable of rolling at the rail  311 , wherein the conveyor chains  344 ,  345 , and  346  have different width of a lower frame construction of an international common container  40  at a plurality of rows of the conveyor chain  321 . Further, an elastic body  345  is sticked at the conveyor chain  321  to absorb the difference of the high and the low of the lower frame construction of the container  40 , thereby uniformly dividing the load at the lower frame. 
     The trailer cargo conveying and loading unit  400  includes the lower guide rail  14  of the iron frame construction  10 , an orthogonal coordinates frame crane  30  and the spreader  31  in order to move at the guide rail  14 . Herein, the orthogonal coordinates frame crane  30  controls three axises positions with having direction orthogonal with the guide rail  14 . The operating room  33  is separated from the orthogonal coordinates crane  30  and is installed at one posy  12  of the iron frame construction  10 . In the operating room  33 , the orthogonal coordinates crane  30  can be converted to manual operation and automatic operation at the operating room  33 . 
     In an embodiment as constructed above, a step of unloading the container  40  loaded at the ship  50  is comprised of moving the trolly  20  of the ship cargo conveying and loading unit  100  to the position of the ship  50 , loading the spreader  21  to the winch  22  at he position, lifting one of the containers  40  for unloading, and moving to the position of the elevator  210  comprised of the conveying unit  200 . At this event, while the pallet  211  of the elevator  210  is risen, the spreader  21  unloads the container  40  lifted at the pallet  211  and returns to the ship  50  for next ship unloading. 
     At the same of time, the conveying units  200  and  300  falls down the pallet  211  conveyed and loaded with the container with the operation of the chain  212  and the operation unit  213 (driving source)  213  of the elevator  210 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 . When the pallet  211  fell down, the cylinder  324  as shown in FIG. 5 is risen, the driving unit and the driving axis are driven after making the conveyor chain  321  adhered at the pallet  211 , and moves the container  40  to a direction of an arrow. 
     The container  40  moves in the case that the container  40  senses the sensor, not show, on coming into the pallet  211 , the cylinder  325  is risen, the driving unit and the driving axis drive the container  40 , and when the movement of the container  40  from the pallet  212  to pallet  212  is completed, the conveyor chain  321  is stoped and the pallet  211  is risen. At this point, the container  40  moves to the pallet  231 . As stated hereinbefore, when the container  40  arrived at s final step of unloading and conveying the pallet, the orthogonal coordinates crane  30  and the spreader  231  of the trailer cargo conveying and loading unit  400  resultedly performs the unloading work for one of the containers  40 , with lifting the container  40  and loading the lifted container  40  at the trailer  60  during awaiting. 
     Meantime, the trailer  60  loaded at the container  40  moves toward the designation place and the ship cargo conveying loading, unloading, and horizontal conveying steps are repeated during the trailer comes into, so that the unloading work of the container  40  is continuously performed. 
     According to a device of the present invention as described hereinabove, for example, even when coming of the trailer is delayed upon unloading work of the container, the unloading work of the container can be continued by the trolly  20  and the spreader  21  until filling the containers in the pallets  211 ,  221 , and  231  having the temporal saving function and the conveying function. 
     Meanwhile, the above description is for the container unloading and the container loading is performed contrary to the above description. 
     That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the loading/unloading works at the harbor having same standard are discriminated thereby improving the loading/unloading work effect. 
     FIG. 8 is a view showing the gantry crane depicted for a device for loading/unloading the cargo according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8, while the fundamental construction of the second embodiment thereof is equal to that as stated above, it includes a pocket for covering the container  40  at the conveyor  72  and  72   a  and the elevators  210  and  210   a  in the conveying units  200  and  300  and uses the middle conveying cranes  630  and  630   a  for moving the container  40  to the pocket. 
     As may be apparent from the foregoing, the present invention has an advantage in that the loading/unloading works of the container are simultaneously performed with discriminating the cranes(the trolly, the orthogonal coordinate crane, and the spreader) of lifting the heavy container(cargo) at the ship and the trailer. 
     Also, when the present invention is applied to the gantry crane as the main part of the harbor, since the conveying time of the container can be much reduced, other works is not delayed due to circumstance of one of the ship or the trailer, and the store in a warehousing and the delivery from warehouse smoothly proceeds to with no unnecessary waiting of the trailers, the loading/unloading works can be fastly performed. 
     Accordingly, the present invention can retrench the cost with improvement of the work efficiency reduction of the loading/unloading work time of the container in the harbour, and heightens the service efficiency of the harbor. Also, it complies the orthogonal coordinate crane to automatize the loading/unloading works at the trailer. Further, the sensor is included at the spreaders at two places, natural number(bar code, RF, IC ship) printed at the container is recognized, information of the container at the ship and harbor is received, error of the container unloading work be removed, the container can be rapidly and exactly conveyed and loaded at the regular position of ship yard, and yard efficiency are improved with effective loading at the yard. 
     While there have been illustrated and described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the present invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the teaching of the present invention without departing from the central scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention, but that the present invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.