The invention relates to a transloading apparatus for transcontainers such as freight containers, interchangeable containers and semi-trailers including a crane trolley adapted to travel on a crane or portal, to which, by way of a lifting means, a load receiving means is fitted in a manner for raising and lowering. In order to enable the load receiving means to be guided and aligned more accurately in relation to the transcontainer, provision is made to connect to the load receiving apparatus two horizontally movable columns or lifting structures at a distance from one another which is fixed or can be adjusted in a defined manner and to reader these vertically displaceable. Preferably each of the columns or each of the two lifting structures can be connected by way of a pendulum suspension to the load receiving means.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
This application is a national phase of PCT/EP94/02711 filed 13 Aug. 1994 
and based, in turn, upon German applications P 43 29 470.7 of 1 Sep. 1993 
and P 43 42 522.4 of 14 Dec. 1993 under the International Convention. 
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a transloading apparatus for containers such as 
freight containers, interchangeable containers and semi-trailers. More 
particularly the invention relates to an apparatus including a crane 
trolley adapted to travel on a crane or portal, to which, by way of a 
lifting means, a load receiving means is fitted in a manner for raising 
and lowering. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Transcontainers serve as freight containers, for example for goods which 
have not been packaged or only lightly packaged and which may, in part, be 
moisture sensitive or for goods in the form of large loading units. Such 
transcontainers not only save packaging material, but they also increase 
the transloading speed. 
According to the state of the art, gripping means for container 
transloading are known which are referred to as spreaders and which can be 
equipped with additional interchangeable pallet pincers. For picking up 
containers the spreaders have so-called twist locks by means of which the 
containers can be engaged from above. For picking up interchangeable 
containers and semi-trailers, gripping claws are provided which can grip 
into rebates provided on the underside of the containers. The adjustment 
of the twist locks to the various container lengths can be effected in the 
spreader by way of telescope means. After the twist locks have engaged 
into the load receiving points of the container or the claws have engaged 
in the rebates of the interchangeable containers or semi-trailers, these 
containers jointly with the entire lifting and transportation means are 
lifted by means of lifting ropes. The lifting ropes are passed over 
pulleys above on the lifting and transporting means, for example a portal 
crane. Bearing in mind the required for short transloading times the 
lifting and the horizontal movements frequently cause the transcontainer 
to be set into a pendulum motion, whereby an accurate guidance and setting 
down is impossible. In practice, damping of the pendulum movements is 
attempted by oblique pulling of the lifting ropes. 
With particular regard to a fully automatic transloading of containers in 
combined load traffic, shortening of the crane travel distances, 
increasing the cycle times per transloading and shortening of the length 
of the installation, loading and unloading from and onto a travelling 
train has been proposed. An automatic setting down of the load units onto 
the train including aligning the grapple means with the containers and 
automatic release of the grapple means from the container is a 
precondition therefor. 
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved 
transloading apparatus whereby the load receiving means can be accurately 
guided and aligned in relation to the transcontainer. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This object is achieved in accordance with the present invention by 
providing transloading apparatus wherein two horizontally displaceable 
columns or lifting structures are connected to the load receiving means 
side by side at a distance from one another which is fixed or can be 
adjusted in a defined manner and by providing that at least one of the two 
lifting structures can be displaced vertically. 
The spacing of the columns or lifting structures is selected to be as far 
apart as possible and as far as possible above the load receiving points 
so as to provide the largest possible base for receiving and fixing the 
transcontainer even in the event of an off-center gravitational center of 
the load unit and so that tensile forces applied to the lifting structure 
or the lifting means can be maintained which are at least approximately of 
equal magnitudes. 
The vertical displaceability of at least one of the two lifting structures, 
preferably both columns or lifting structures enable the lifting 
structures to be aligned optimally for containers in an inclined position. 
Although a rigid connection between the transcontainer and the lifting 
means offers the advantage that pendulum movements are prevented from the 
outset, this nevertheless involves the drawback that relative movements 
between the vehicle to be unloaded, e.g. a rail carriage and the container 
which has already been gripped, are not possible. Because the 
transcontainer on the one hand is coupled rigidly to the lifting means of 
the transloading apparatus and on the other hand is also restrained by the 
positioning pins on the carriage or by abutment against a second load 
unit, there are major constraining forces which may result either in 
damage to the transloading apparatus, the vehicle such as the carriage or 
to the transcontainer. In order to overcome this drawback, the invention 
provides that each of the two columns or each of the two vertically 
displaceable lifting structures is connected to the load receiving means 
by way of a pendulum suspension. The pendulum suspension which, according 
to a working example of the invention, may comprise a centering pin and a 
seat means is preferably arrestable. The pendulum suspension of the load 
receiving means, by eliminating the rigid load guidance, affords 
yieldability to the grappling means. Depending on the nature of the 
pendulum suspension a relative movement can be afforded with an optional 
number of up to all six degrees of freedom, permitting positioning errors 
or skew positioning of the container to be compensated for. However, the 
pendulum suspension should preferably be permitted only during loading and 
unloading, i.e. the picking up of the load and the depositing of the load, 
for which reason during transporting of the picked up container by the 
transloading apparatus the pendulum suspension is blocked in that the 
container is rigidly connected to the lifting structures. The rigid 
connection inhibits the dreaded pendulum movements during transport and 
permits an increased transportation velocity. At the same time the 
arresting permits centering the container in relation to the transloading 
apparatus or the lifting structures. 
Any structures known in the art can be used as the load receiving means, in 
particular a spreader, preferably a telescopic spreader, or a walking beam 
can be used. As an alternative to these single component load receiving 
means it is possible to employ a plurality of walking beams, grappling 
arms or grappling beams, preferably coupled together, each of which is 
connected to a single lifting structure. For example, two grappling beams 
each having two pivoting pins for container transloading and two grappling 
arms for interchangeable containers and semi-trailers may be used of which 
each is fitted to one of the two lifting structure. 
The pendulum suspension in the simplest situation may comprise ropes and/or 
pendulum rods. 
When using pendulum rods these, according to a further embodiment of the 
invention, are provided at each end with ball and socket or cardanic 
linkages which provide for a free pendulum and evasive movement. The 
pendulum suspensions in or from the lifting structures are vertically 
movable, more particularly being each separately vertically movable, so 
that an adaptation of the position is automatically brought about even 
when the transcontainers stand skew in that during setting down the 
pendulum rods are upwardly displaced. When using a rope a compensation is 
brought about by rope slack formation. 
According to a further embodiment the lifting structures are each mounted 
in a crane trolley where they can be separately moved not only vertically 
but also transversely to the longitudinal axis of the container. It is 
thus possible to also grapple such containers which have been turned skew 
about the vertical axis. This is so because by mutual transverse 
displacement the load receiving means such as the spreader can be turned. 
The aforedescribed construction offers the advantage that positioning 
errors or skew positioning of the container during loading and unloading 
can be compensated. On the other hand for rapid loading and unloading 
operations with a moving train, an exact guidance of the load receiving 
means, for example, the spreader is necessary and the spreader is as rigid 
as possible. Disadvantages of a rigid suspension arise in the event of 
relative movement between the carriage or other transport means to be 
unloaded and the load unit which has already been gripped, If the load 
unit on the one hand is rigidly coupled to the crane and on the other hand 
is still restrained by the positioning pins on the carriage or by leaning 
against a second load unit, high constraining forces may arise which can 
result in damage to the crane, transport means or the load unit. In order 
to limit an accurate guidance of the load receiving apparatus in relation 
to the transcontainer to the same extent as providing for the avoidance of 
pendulum movements during the lifted transportation of the transcontainer 
by the transloading apparatus, the transloading apparatus according to the 
invention comprises pendulum rods which in their lower region close to 
where the load is picked up, or whereof the load receiving means are 
guidable by virtue of adjustment units. By means of these adjustment units 
it is possible to temporarily abolish the normally advantageous rigid load 
guidance in order to compensate for minor positioning errors or skew 
positioning of the load units in relation to the load receiving unit. As 
soon as centering of the transcontainer in relation to the load receiving 
means has been brought about the transcontainer can be rigidly coupled to 
the load receiving means, 
Since the load receiving means by way of the adjustment units are 
additionally pivotal about a vertical axis it is possible not only to 
compensate for translatory displacements in the horizontal plane or (by 
way of the suspensions of the pendulum rods) skew positioning, but also 
for mal-positionings displaced about a vertical axis by a pivoting angle. 
Preferably the load receiving means can be guided by way of the adjustment 
means in three degrees of freedom. 
In order to be able to provide adequate guidance for the load receiving 
means in relation to the pendulum rods, a further embodiment of the 
invention provides at least three adjustment units, preferably four 
adjustment units, the arrangement of which permits not only translatory 
movements in three dimensions but also pivotal movements about a vertical 
axis. For this purpose, according to a further embodiment of the 
invention, four pendulum rods are provided, each of which is coupled to an 
adjustment unit, at least two of the adjustment units, viewed in plan view 
being in vertical relationship to one another. In this manner it is 
possible to apply as uniform a compressive or tensile force as possible 
between the pendulum rods and the load receiving means at the points of 
attack. 
In order to avoid additional arresting means a further embodiment of the 
invention provides that the adjustment means can be arrested in optional 
extended positions. This embodiment permits "freezing" the adjustment 
means after alignment in order for the lifting transport to provide rigid 
coupling whereby pendulum movements are avoided. 
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention the adjustment 
means includes an integrated distance measuring means which, in 
conjunction with the control regulating means permits a fine alignment for 
the grappling and setting down procedure. 
The pressure limiting valves which are preferably provided in the 
adjustment units limit the transverse forces arising from the horizontal 
accelerations of the crane trolley and/or portal to a maximum. 
The adjustment means damp pendulum movements of the load unit and also 
permit fine position adjustments of the load receiving means in relation 
to the container. This obviates having to accurately align the crane 
trolley or the portal. Accordingly, the masses to be accelerated are 
reduced. Furthermore, the positioning accuracy is increased because of the 
low adjustment velocities of the adjustment units and the correspondingly 
reduced forces which are needed for bringing about movement. 
The load receiving means during mutual displacements tranversely can be 
turned like a spreader, permitting fine adjustments to be carried out by 
way of the aforesaid adjustment units. 
The crane trolleys may be supported on one or two bridge, half or full 
portal cranes, the crane trolleys preferably being adapted to be moved 
jointly by way of a synchronising control. According to a further 
embodiment of the invention the crane trolleys may also each be fitted to 
a separate crane between which the longitudinal spacing is adjustable so 
that by adjusting the longitudinal spacing of the cranes, the load 
receiving means, composed of two grapple beams can be adjusted to the 
particular length of the container. In order to be able to adapt the 
grappling arms or grappling beams also to load units which are skew about 
all three axes, it is possible to employ in addition a connection of the 
two grappling beams or arms by way of a torsionally rigid and non-flexible 
element which adapts to the spacing of the grappling beams, such as a 
telescope beam. This element only serves to couple the pivotal degrees of 
freedom of the two grappling beams so that these will e.g. always lie in 
planar relationship on the roof surface of the transcontainer. Here as 
well it is possible to perform free adjustments by way of the said 
adjustment units. 
Optionally the crane trolleys may additionally be interconnected by a 
coupling rod, preferably a telescope coupling rod, particularly if the 
load pick-up proceeds not by two separate grappling beams but by a rigid 
spreader. 
The adjustment units may be mounted on both sides in articulation eyelets 
on a pendulum rod and on the lifting structure or the pendulum rods are 
guided by guide gates to uncouple the adjustment movements in both planes 
which am normal to one another, the adjustment units being fitted rigidly 
to the lifting structure. 
The adjustment cylinders are fitted in articulation eyelets on one side to 
the lifting structure and on the other side to the spreader. This offers 
the advantage that no transverse force acts onto the pendulum rod.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
The transloading apparatus according to the invention comprises essentially 
a lifting structure including two rigid columns 10 and 11 interconnected 
by at least one transverse beam. The lifting structure is vertically 
movable in a crane trolley 12 by virtue of a linear guide system 13, 14. 
The two column 10 and 11 are each represented by box profiles in each of 
which a pendulum rod 15 and 16 is cardanically mounted. At the lower free 
end of the pendulum rod 15, 16 a load receiving means 17 is fitted 
likewise by way of cardanic mountings. The interconnected columns 10 and 
11 are, moreover, connected to an arresting means 18 formed, for example, 
by a pin mounted on the load receiving means 17 suspended from the 
pendulum means, and an appropriately shaped rebate connected to the 
lifting structure. 
The rebate may be rendered movable by way of a lifting cylinder 18a (see 
also FIG. 2a). 
The lifting means 19 provided on the trolley 12 serves for raising and 
lowering the lifting structure. 
In the illustration according to FIG. 1a the arresting means 18 is locked 
to the load receiving means 17, for example, so as to be able to adjust an 
optimal position by way of suitable control and regulating systems when 
moving the transloading apparatus into the pick up position in relation to 
the transcontainer. Undesirable pendulum movements of the load receiving 
means in relation to the lifting structure can be avoided effectively. 
When the arresting means is released it is possible, as shown in FIG. 1b, 
to bring about a horizontal alignment of the spreader serving as load 
receiving means 17 by aligning the pendulum rods 15 and 16. After coupling 
the container 20 to the spreader 17 and, slightly lifting the latter, the 
pendulum rods are swung by gravity again into the vertical position in 
which the arresting means 18 can be locked. After releasing the locking 
means 18 it is possible also to securely couple containers 20 in a skew 
position in accordance with FIG. 1a in the come of which one of the 
pendulum rods--in this case pendulum rod 16--during setting down is 
automatically displaced upwardly. The lifting structure may be raised and 
lowered by virtue of the drive means fired to the trolley 12. 
The transloading apparatus according to FIG. 2a shows on a box beam 21 of a 
crane a single rail crane trolley 22, the lifting structure comprising two 
columns 10 and 11 and to the upper end of which the pendulum rods 15 and 
16 are cardanically suspended (i.e. suspended by a ball-joint) as in the 
case of the embodiment of FIGS. 1a to 1c. Likewise the load receiving 
means 17 is fitted to the pendulum rods 15 and 16 by way of a cardanic 
(ball-joint) linkage. In addition the lifting structure comprises a 
hydraulic cylinder 18a to the free end of which a receiving formation for 
a pin connected to the load receiving means 17 is fitted and forms an 
arresting means 18. In the present case two hydraulic cylinders 23 serve 
for raising and lowering the load receiving means 17 and the container 20 
by movement of the columns 10 and 11. 
However, it is equally possible (FIG. 2b) to provide a column 10 or lifting 
structure with a single pendulum rod only, connected to the load receiving 
means 17. In that case, two arresting means 18 are provided which each 
laterally engage the load receiving means 17. Such embodiments are 
particularly practical in a modification in which two lifting structures 
each comprise a pendulum rod and four arresting means. 
In the case of the transloading apparatus according to FIG. 3, two bridge 
crane trolleys 30 and 31 are interconnected by way of a coupling rod 32 
and carry a telescope spreader 33. Grappling arms 34 by means of which 
interchangeable containers or semi-trailers can be picked up are swung 
upwards in the present case. The drive means 35 of the bridge crane 
trolleys are synchronized with one another. Due to the separate vertical 
displaceability of the lifting structures 110 and 111 it is possible for 
each lifting structure to be lifted appropriately in accordance with a 
skew position of the transcontainer 20. Where the positioning is 
diagonally skew, a further compensation therefore is possible by way of 
yielding pendulum suspensions. 
In the transloading apparatus according to FIG. 4, the respective lifting 
mechanisms 110 and 111 are vertically movably provided in separated bridge 
crane trolleys 40 and 41. Lifting beams 42 and 43, interconnected by a 
non-flexible and torsionally rigid telescope rod 44 to provide coupling 
for transmitting the rotary degrees of freedom are suspended from pendulum 
rods by way of a universal joint linkage. 
The transloading apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1a to 1c, operates as 
follows for receiving and transporting a container with a spreader serving 
as load receiving means: 
Upon horizontal movement of the transloading apparatus, i.e. during 
travelling into the picking up position, the spreader 17 is fixed 
horizontally by the lifting structures 10 and 11 in relation to the 
arresting means 18 (FIG. 1a). Shortly before the spreader 17 settles onto 
the transcontainer 20, the locking is released. The spreader 17 will then 
settle with released locking means, i.e. being horizontally and optionally 
vertically freely movable, onto the container and is locked thereto. After 
lifting the container 20 from the vehicle, the spreader 17 is once again 
interlocked for further transport with the lifting structures 10 and 11. 
Similar procedures are followed when setting down the transcontainer 20, 
i.e., travelling proceeds with the spreader 17 locked. After reaching the 
setting down position, the locking between the spreader 17 and the lifting 
structures 10 and 11 is first released before the container is set down 
and the locking between the spreader 17 and the container 20 is released. 
Afterwards the spreader is raised and again interlocked with the lifting 
structure 10, 11. 
The transloading apparatus according to the invention is useful 
particularly for combined loading traffic with changing load units. Due to 
the guidance of the spreader being alternatingly rigid during transport or 
the pendulum suspension is released, optimal provision may be made for 
different operating positions. 
In the case of the transloading apparatus according to the invention as 
shown in FIGS. 5a to d, each of the four pendulum rods 10 and 11, provided 
in that case, has in its lower region an articulated servo-cylinder 180 
serving as an adjustment unit or (see FIG. 5d) 181 to 184 the one end of 
which is connected to the pendulum rods 15 or 16 and the second end of 
which is connected to the load receiving means 17. The lifting means 19 
fitted to the crane trolley 12 serves for raising and lowering the lifting 
structure. The container is denoted as 20. 
FIG. 5a shows the load receiving means with the spreader 17 already placed 
in position by way of the crane trolley, the pendulum rods 15 and 16 
having been locked by way of the servo-cylinders 180. By lowering the 
spreader 17 and fitting the container 20 to the spreader 17 the load can 
be picked up. 
FIG. 5b shows a first possibility of a mal-alignment. In order to be able 
to connect the spreader 17 to the container 20 the pendulum rods 15 and 16 
must be swung out laterally, which can take place by retracting or 
extending or releasing the servo-cylinders 180. After coupling the 
container 20 to the spreader 17 and the slight raising thereof, the 
pendulum rods are swung again by gravity into the vertical position 
whereafter the servo-cylinders 180 can be locked. 
As apparent from FIG. 5c it is also possible to securly couple skew 
transcontainers 20. When lowering the spreader 17 the latter is deposited 
on the transcontainer 20 while the pendulum rod 15 which is cardanically 
articulated at its upper end, is moved slightly from the vertical. The 
servo-cylinder 180 yields likewise. 
The arrangement of the servo-cylinders 181 to 184 is shown in FIG. 5d. In 
the case there illustrated, all four pendulum rods 15 and 16 are linked in 
an articulated manner at their lower end to the first end of a 
servo-cylinder 181 to 184 the opposite end of which is coupled to the load 
receiving means 17. The pendulum rods 15, 16 can be released, swung or 
locked by way of the articulated connection of the servo-cylinders 181 to 
184, parallel arrangement of each of the servo-cylinders 181 and 184 
respectively 182 and 183 also permitting rotational movements of the 
spreader 17 in relation to an axis vertical to the drawing plane. 
FIGS. 6a and 6b show on a box beam 21 of a crane a crane trolley 22 to 
which a lifting structure comprising two columns 10 and 11 is fitted. At 
the upper end of the lifting structure the pendulum rods 15 and 16 are 
cardanically suspended. At the lower end, likewise by way of a cardanic 
suspension, the load receiving means 17 for fixing the container 20 is 
suspended. In addition, grapple arms 45 are apparent from FIG. 6a, by 
means of which interchangeable containers or semi-trailers can be picked 
up. These grapple arms 45 are swung upwards in the present case. 
The advantages of the servo-cylinders provided for in accordance with the 
invention reside particularly in that horizontal, vertical as well as 
pivotal movements of the spreader are made possible. In addition, by 
virtue of the distance measuring system integrated with the cylinders 180 
it is possible to measure the position of the pendulum rods 15 and 16. 
Because of their smaller movable masses the servo-cylinders 180 can be 
positioned more rapidly, easily and exactly than would be possible by 
moving the crane trolley into alignment. Furthermore a pendulum damping or 
pendulum rod arrestation in virtually any set positions can be provided by 
way of the servo-cylinders 180. Finally, it is possible to limit the 
transverse force of the lifting structures by pressure measurement or 
pressure limiting valves of the servo-cylinders.