Easily removable sheave assembly

Abstract: A crane boom top (5) is disclosed in which a sheave assembly (9) having a number of sheave sets (21) is supported on the crane boom top (5) by boom supports (17). Each sheave set (21) is mounted on an individual shaft (13) and connectors connect the individual shafts (13) to the boom sheave supports (17).

Description: The present invention relates to crane sheave assemblies used for load lifting. The purpose of the present invention is to address sheave assembly removal problems found in the current art. Currently, cranes are designed having a number of possible boom tops. Specific boom tops are used depending on the type of lift required. Typically, there are boom top designs for normal liftcrane work, for heavier loads and for lighter loads that must be lifted from a greater distance. All crane boom tops have sheave assemblies, over which the lift rope is carried. The currently available crane sheave assemblies consist of sheaves mounted on continuous through-shafts. Typically, sheave assemblies differ only by the number of sheaves contained therein. The heavier the load required to be lifted by the crane, the greater the number of sheaves required in the sheave assembly. Since sheave assemblies are self-contained units, crane operators must purchase that sheave assembly with the minimum number of sheaves required to perform the lift. A limited number of sheave assembly designs are available from which crane operators may choose. Therefore, often, the sheave assembly will contain more sheaves than is necessary to perform a particular lift. These extra sheaves constitute unnecessary weight on the crane boom top which, in turn, necessitate additional crane counterweight in order to maintain crane stability. Keeping the crane boom top as light as possible maximizes the boom length that can be used and load that can be raised, and minimizes the crane counterweight required. Usually, however, because of the current difficulty in removing individual sheaves from sheave assemblies, unnecessary sheaves are not removed and the crane operator instead operates the crane with a shorter boom or increased crane counterweight. Thus, it would be advantageous to design a sheave assembly from which unnecessary sheaves could be easily removed. Similarly, if individual sheaves in the sheave assemblies require repair or replacement, the entire through-shaft must be detached from the crane boom top and successive sheaves removed from the shaft until the target sheave is reached. This inevitably results in the need for the sheaves to be repositioned and realigned on the through-shaft. Oftentimes, this procedure causes sheave bearings to be damaged. The present invention contemplates a crane sheave assembly having any number of sheave sets individually mounted to removable shafts. Boom sheave supports extend into the sheave assembly from the crane boom top. Each removable shaft fits between, and is supported by, two boom sheave supports. In the preferred embodiment, the removable shafts are supported by open collars welded to the boom sheave supports. The open collars permit the shafts to be withdraw from between their respective boom sheave supports and support the load imposed by the sheave rope on the sheaves. Since the shafts are entirely independent of one another, they can be removed from the sheave assembly without removing other shafts. The present invention has a distinct advantage over the current art in that it allows individual sheave sets to be easily removed from, or added to, a crane sheave assembly according to the lifting needs of the crane operator. Thus, the crane operator is able to "construct" his own sheave assembly. Unnecessary sheaves can be easily removed from the sheave assembly in order to reduce boom top weight, increase boom length, reduce crane counterweight or any combination thereof. Furthermore, if individual sheaves require repair or replacement, only the sheave set containing that sheave need be removed from the sheave assembly. This eliminates removal of the entire sheave assembly, thereby preventing the misalignment of all the sheaves in the sheave assembly and the need for subsequent realignment. Also, the division of the sheave assembly into sheave sets reduces the weight that must be handled when making adjustments to the sheave assembly; instead of having to manipulate the weight of an entire sheave assembly every time an adjustment is required, one need only to handle the weight of a single sheave set. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes features in addition to those listed above. Also, the advantages over the current art outlined above are directly applicable to the preferred embodiment, but are not exclusive. The present invention is illustrated by reference to a detailed description of the preferred embodiment , and to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a crane having a hammerhead design boom top made in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the boom top of FIG.1; FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a sheave set of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the shaft nut engaging a sheave on a removable shaft section of FIG. 3; and FIG. 6 is a cross-section as in FIG. 3, with two of the sheave sets removed. The preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a self-assembling crane, other aspects of which are disclosed in the following copending applications assigned to the assignee of the present application, being filed concurrently herewith unless otherwise specified: "Self-Assembling and Self-Disassembling Crawler Crane", co-pending US application serial no. 07/762 767 filed 20th September 1991; "Multi-Coupling Device for Crane Hydraulic Lines", co-pending US application serial no. 07/762771 filed on 20th September 1991 and EP-A-92308557.5 filed on 18th September 1992; "Quick-Connect Sectional Boom Members for Cranes and the Like", US application serial no. 07/736029 filed on 25th July 1991 and issued on 6th April 1993 as US patent no. 5199586 and EP-A-92306739.1 filed 23rd July 1992; "Crane Upper Works to Lower Works Alignment System", co-pending US application serial no. 07/762765 filed on 20th September 1991 and EP-A-92308556.7 filed on 18th September 1992; "Carbody to Crawler Connection", co-pending US application serial no. 07/762764 filed on 20th September 1991 and EP-A-92308559.1 filed on 18th September 1992; "Control and Hydraulic System for a Liftcrane", US application serial no. 07/418879 filed 10th October 1989 and issued on 23rd February 1993 as US patent no. 5189605; and "Control and Hydraulic System for Liftcrane", US application serial no. 07/566751 filed 13th August 1990, a continuation-in-part application of application serial no. 07/418879, now US patent no. 5189606. The crane of the preferred embodiment also uses the swing lock mechanism disclosed in US application serial no. 07/556840, filed 23rd July 1990 and now US patent no. 5176267. Each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference. The apparatus of FIG. 1 comprises a crane 1 having a boom 3. The crane boom top 5 is of the hammerhead (or heavy lift) design, having a rope guide sheave 7 and a load-bearing sheave assembly 9. The rope guide sheave 7 guides the liftrope 8 to the sheave assembly 9. While the crane boom top 5 depicted is of the hammerhead design, the present invention is applicable to all other crane boom top designs. As shown in FIGS. 2 & 3, the crane boom top 5 includes a rope guide sheave 7 and a sheave assembly 9. In the sheave assembly 9, sheaves 11 are rotatably mounted on hollow shafts 13. Open collars 15 are welded onto boom sheave supports 17 and the ends of hollow shafts 13 rest within the saddle of open collars 15. Sheave rope guard 19 encircles sheave assembly 9 in order to prevent a sheave rope from jumping sheaves within the sheave assembly. The preferred embodiment of sheave assembly 9, as depicted in FIG. 3, comprises three sheave sets 21 having three sheaves 11 apiece. Each sheave set 21 is rotatably mounted on a removable hollow shaft 13. Boom sheave supports 17 extend from the crane boom top 5 into sheave assembly 9 such that sheave sets 21 are ditinctly identifiable. Open collars 15 are welded onto boom sheave supports 17 and the ends of hollow shafts 13 rest within open collars 15. A bolt 25 inserted through the shaft 13 and the boom sheave supports 17, and a hexagonal nut 27 turned on the threaded end of the bolt 25 function as a connector and ties the sheave assembly 9 together and prevents slack between the shafts 13 and the boom sheave supports 17 in the sheave assembly 9. Sheave rope guard assemblies 29 are positioned between adjacent boom sheave supports 17 and are bolted to crane boom top 5. Thus, each sheave set 21 has its own sheave rope guard assembly 29. Each sheave rope guard assembly 29 contains four sheave rope guards 19 extending between and beyond the sheaves 11 in the respective sheave set 21. FIG. 4 provides an exploded view of a sheave set 21. Three sheaves 11 are mounted along hollow shaft 13. Hollow shaft 13 has a threaded end 31 and a flanged end 33. A shaft nut 35 turned on the threaded end 31 of the hollow shaft 13 functions as a second flanged end 33 and in conjunction with the flanged end 33 of the hollow shaft 13, hold the sheaves 11 of the sheave set 21 in position along the shaft 13. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the area 16 in FIG. 3 and the cooperation between a hollow shaft 13, a sheave 11 and a shaft nut 35 when a sheave set 21 (not shown) is assembled. The shaft nut 35 is turned on the hollow shaft 13 and tightened against a sheave 11. The tightening of the shaft nut 35 serves to pre-load the sheave bearings 36. A relief 37 is formed on the shaft nut 35 to ensure that it wears only on the bottom race 39 of the sheave bearing 36, and to provide clearance between the sheave 11, the shaft nut 35, the bearing seal 34 and the open collar 15. A relief 37 (not shown) is also formed on the flanged end 33 of hollow shaft 13 for the same reasons. FIG. 6 illustrates the cross-section of the sheave assembly 9 when two sheave sets 21, and their respective sheave rope guard assemblies 29, are removed therefrom. Hollow spacers 41 replace the shafts 13 removed from the sheave assembly 9, the spacers 41 resting within the open collars 15 welded to the boom sheave supports 17. In the preferred embodiment, the presence of bolt 25 requires that the sheave sets 21 be aligned along the bolt 25 axis and that the bolt 25 be removed before individual shafts 13 can be removed from the sheave assembly 9. Any shafts 13 removed from the sheave assembly 9 are replaced by dimensionally identical spacers 41, as shown in FIG. 6, to insure that the sheave assembly 9 remains "tight". The purposes for the open collars 15 shown in FIGS. 2 & 3 are shaft support and load bearing. The load imposed on the sheaves 11 by a sheave rope is transferred to the open collars 15 via the shafts 13. Furthermore, the openings of the open collars 15 preferably face substantially away from the ground surface when the crane boom top 5 is in an operational position, such that the open collars 15 bear the load imposed upon the sheave sets 21 at a position nearly opposite the openings of the collars 15. The individual sheave rope guard assemblies 29 provided for each sheave set 21 eliminates the need to detach the sheave rope guards 19 for the entire sheave assembly 9 in order to remove, or gain access to, only one sheave set 21. In addition, LOCTITE® (not shown) is placed upon shaft nut 35 to prevent the shaft nut 35 from loosening and, thereby, removing the pre-loading on the sheave bearings 36. Another embodiment of the present invention is contemplated wherein the sheave sets 21 are not aligned along a common bolt 25. Instead, each sheave set has its own bolt 25 inserted through its shaft 13 and boom sheave supports 17. In this embodiment, no sheave set 21 would share a common boom sheave support 17 with another sheave set 21. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, although impractical from an operational standpoint, the sheave sets 21 are staggered such that they do not all lie along the same axis in space. It should be appreciated that the apparatus of the present invention is capable of being incorporated in the form of a variety of embodiments, only a few of which have been illustrated and described above. The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims: A crane boom top (5) having one or more sheave sets (21); each sheave set (21) rotatably mounted on an individual shaft (13); the crane boom top further comprising: (a) one or more spacers (41); (b) a plurality of boom sheave supports (17) attached to the crane boom top (5) for supporting the individual shafts (13) and spacers (41) on the crane boom top (5); and (c) a connector (25,27) for connecting the individual shafts (13) and spacers (41) to the boom sheave supports (17). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the boom sheave supports (17) extend into a sheave assembly (9) such that the sheave sets (21) are distinctly separated. A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that each sheave set (21) has one or more sheaves (11). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized by a plurality of sheave sets (21), each sheave set (21) rotatably mounted to an individual shaft (13), the individual shafts (13) being aligned along a common axis. A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the one or more spacers (41) are dimensionally identical to the individual shafts (13), the spacers (41) being interchangeable with any individual shafts (13) supported by the boom sheave supports (17). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the individual shafts (13) are hollow. A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the connector (25,27) for connecting the individual shafts (13) to the boom sheave supports (17) is characterised by (a) a bolt (25) inserted through the individual shafts (13) and the boom sheave supports (17); and (b) a fastener (27) turned on the end of the bolt (25) such that the sheave sets (21) are aligned along the bolt axis. A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by a plurality of open collars (15) mounted on the boom sheave supports (17), such that when the individual shafts (13) are connected to the boom sheave supports (17) the ends of each individual shaft (13) rest within an open collar (15). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that the openings of the open collars (15) face substantially away from a ground surface when the crane boom top (5) is in an operational position, such that the open collars (15) bear the load imposed upon the sheave sets (21) at a position nearly opposite the open portion of the collars (15). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by a sheave rope guard assembly (29) connectively associated to the crane boom top (5), the sheave rope guard assembly (29) having a plurality of sheave rope guards (19) extending beyond the outer diameters of the sheaves (11) and positioned between the sheaves (11) such that a rope within the sheave assembly (9) will not jump sheaves (11). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 10 wherein the sheave rope guard assembly (19), is characterised by one or more separate sheave rope guard assemblies (29), each separate sheave rope guard assembly (29) connectively associated to the crane boom top (5) between adjacent boom sheave supports (17) such that each sheave set (21) in the sheave assembly (9) has its own sheave rope guard assembly (29). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 4 characterised in that each shaft (13) is hollow and has a flanged end (33) and a threaded end (31), such that the flanged end (33) and a nut (35) turned on the threaded end (31) of the shaft (13) co-operate to confine the sheave set (21) to the shaft (13). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 1, characterised by a connector (25,27) for supporting the hollow shafts (13) on the crane boom top (5). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any of claims 12-13 wherein the connector (25,27) comprises: (a) a bolt (25) with a threaded end, the bolt (25) passing through the hollow shafts (13); and (b) a nut (27) turned on the threaded end of the bolt (25), such that the hollow shafts (13) are aligned along the bolt (25). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any of claims 12-14 characterised in that one or more hollow shafts (13) can be removed from the sheave assembly (9) without disturbing either the alignment and positioning of the sheaves (11) on the one or more removed shafts (13) or the alignment and positioning of the sheaves (11) on the shafts (13) remaining in the sheave assembly (9). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any of claims 12-15 characterised in that any shaft (13) may be independently removed from the crane boom top (5) for repair or replacement of a sheave set (21) or individual sheaves (11) within the sheave set (21). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the removable shafts (13) have two flanged ends (33,35) configured to hold the sheave sets (21) in place along the shaft (13); and each boom sheave support (17) has open collars mounted thereon such that the flanged ends (33,35) of the removable shafts (13) rest within the open collars (15). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 17 characterised in that the shafts (13) are hollow. A crane boom top (5) as claimed in claim 18, characterised by: (a) a bolt (25) having a threaded end, the bolt (25) inserted through the removable hollow shafts (13) and the boom sheave supports (17) such that the sheave sets (21) are aligned along the bolt axis; and (b) a nut (27) turned on the threaded end of the bolt (25). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any of claims 17-19 characterised in that one end of the removable shafts (13) is threaded; and further characterised by a shaft nut (25) turned on the threaded end of shafts (13), the remaining flanged end (33) and the shaft nut (35) co-operating to confine the sheave set (21) to the shaft (13) while still permitting the sheave set (21) to be easily removed from the sheave assembly (9). A crane boom top (5) as claimed in any of claims 17-20 characterised by a plurality of sheave rope guard assemblies (29), each rope guard assembly (29) being connectively associated to the boom top (5) between adjacent boom sheave supports (17) such that the sheave rope guard assembly (29), each sheave rope guard assembly (29) having one or more sheave rope guards (19) extending beyond the outer diameters of the sheaves (11) and positioned between the sheaves (11) such that a rope within the sheave assembly (19) will not jump sheaves (11). A crane (1) incorporating the crane boom top (5) as claimed in any of claims 1-21.

Inventors: CASAVANT TERRY S, PUKITA PAUL M, WANEK MICHAEL J, CASAVANT, TERRY S., PUKITA, PAUL M., WANEK, MICHAEL J.
Applicants: MANITOWOC CO, THE MANITOWOC COMPANY, INC.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B66D3
IPC codes: B66D3, B66C23