Patent Publication Number: US-6981824-B2

Title: Sling-traverse device for massive object lifting system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an apparatus intended to lift the massive objects (constructions) and mostly for lifting of the over size and over weight construction structures, particularly entire bridge sections and/or building structures such as solid roof assemblies and the like, which have to be lifted from their horizontal ground level initial position and to be horizontally leveled whereby the structural assembly has to be installed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INTENTION 
     The various types of the traverses for the lifting devices are well known. The lifting of the massive (over size) and heavy solid construction structures is a very difficult operation and requires a specific lifting apparatus, including a sling-traverse. 
     For example, the apparatus by U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,782 includes a pier, a sleeve mounted on the pier, a shoe connected to the base of a structure and mating with the sleeve, a lift bracket connected to the shoe and temporary lift means inserted between the sleeve and the lift bracket. The shoe is mated to the sleeve to allow substantially vertical movement of the shoe as the building is lifted. A hydraulic ram or jack inserted between the sleeve and the lift bracket serves as a temporary lifting means which, when extended, raises the structure to the desired position. Once in position, the building is permanently supported by securing the shoe to the sleeve. Thereafter, the ram and the lift bracket may be removed for use at a different site. A series of piers and lifting apparatus are usually required to support a single structure. The pier and the shoe are attached to the base of a structure. A sleeve, which acts as a means to guide the shoe and support the shoe on the pier, is placed on the pier and is adapted to mate with the shoe. In order to lift the structure, a lift bracket is attached to the shoe and a hydraulic ram or jack is inserted between the top of the sleeve and the bottom of the lift bracket. After the ram is extended to raise the structure to the desired level, pins are inserted through the shoe and shims inserted between the laterally extending plates of the sleeve and the pins driven through the shoe in order to permanently support the structure. After insertion of these permanent supports, the hydraulic ram and lift bracket may be removed and reused at a different site. 
     Such slinging shoe does not provide the safety and operates at the ground level not providing the lifting of the construction structure at the high levels. 
     Another apparatus by U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,319 includes a shoe which is attached to the structure to be lifted and which shoe received a pier driving assembly whereby a plurality of piers may be individually driven beneath the structure; there being a pier plate unit which is fitted over the top of each driven pier and then utilized to support lifting means which span the opening between the pier plate unit and the structure whereby the structure may be lifted to its ultimate desired position, there being permanent supporting means which are positioned between the pier plate unit and the structure for permanently retaining the structure in its desired position. This apparatus operates as following. The shoe is attached to the base of the structure and then the driving assembly is attached to the shoe whereby the assembly may be utilized to successively and individually drive piers beneath the structure. After the piers are driven a separate pier plate unit is fitted over the end of each of the piers, which piers have been cut off at ground level. Once in place, the pier plate unit is used to support lifting means which operate between the pier plate unit and the structure to lift the structure to the desired position. After the structure has reached this position permanent, adjustable supporting means are placed between the pier plate unit and the structure whereby to retain the structure in the desired position. 
     Such apparatus has the same deficiency described of the above (operates at the ground level and does not provide the structure lifting at the high levels), but is more lightweight then previous prior art. 
     Another system, providing the slinging of the massive, solid constructions by U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,022, comprises at least one of a plurality of lifting devices, each of which comprises at least one of a plurality of main hydraulic jacks, the major jacks, the auxiliary jacks, sling-traverse with a pivoting stand respectively coupled teach other by bearing, the supports for pivotable stand and the lifting sectional tape comprising the removable sections having the apertures for the fixing of the appropriate tape&#39;s section in its position by the locking fingers. Each lifting device also includes the upper and lower girders and the rests. 
     The sling-traverse is coupled with the base by the auxiliary hinge. The base is also coupled with the pivoting stand. At the pause positions of the lifting process, the pivoting stand is leaned on the rests. The pivoting stand is rotatable inside column through 90° clockwise or counter-clockwise, that is provided by the bearing coupling two holders: the lower holder and the upper holder. The lower holder is permanently connected to the pivoting stand and the upper holder is permanently connected to the base. At the lifting cycle, the lower holder is hanged on the upper holder via bearing. The bracket is permanently connected to the base and provides (by the fixing finger and the pivoting stand aperture) fixing of the pivoting stand at the one of three fixed positions: −90°, 0°, +90°. 
     Such sling-traverse requires the operator&#39;s (rigger&#39;s) activity on each step of the massive object lifting process (to rotate the pivoting stand from 0° position /the pivoting stand is leaned on the rests/ to 90° position /the lifting cycle—the pivoting stand is not leaned on the rests/), that decreases the degree of safety. 
     Thus, there is a great need in the art for the improved sling-traverse for lifting system intended for massive object (construction) elevation, eliminating the operator&#39;s (rigger&#39;s) activity under the lifting object. 
     OBJECT AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide the safety lifting of the horizontally positioned solid, massive construction structures on the high level. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide the possibility for the horizontally positioned solid, massive construction structure lifting without necessity of the operator&#39;s activity during each lifting cycle of the lifting process. 
     It is still another object of the invention to eliminate auxiliary lifting devices or scaffold for operator/rigger to reach the sling-traverse at each high level (upper of the ground level) of the lifting process. 
     It is further object of the invention to increase the efficiency of the massive construction installation. 
     It is still further object of the invention to reduce the time of the massive construction installation. 
     Still, further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       In order that the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed may be more clearly understood, embodiments thereof will be described by way of example with reference to the attached drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified spatial view of an improved sling-traverse device assembly with a possible lifting device for lifting of the massive construction assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified drawing of an improved sling-traverse device with a possible lifting device for lifting of the massive construction. 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified spatial view of the initial position of an improved sling-traverse device. 
         FIG. 4  is a simplified drawing of the intermediate position of an improved sling-traverse device. 
         FIG. 5  is a simplified drawing of the cross-sectional view  50 — 50 . 
         FIG. 6  is a simplified drawing of the cross-sectional view  51 — 51 . 
         FIG. 7  is an illustration of the hypothetical lifting system able to use an improved sling-traverse. 
     
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A sling-traverse device for lifting system for elevation of the massive constructions provides a possibility to lift the solid over size and over weight objects. An improved sling-traverse device for massive construction lifting system includes a traverse, traverse connector, comprising a traverse flange, a lower portion of which is by a traverse hinge coupled with the traverse, and a sling flange, an upper portion of which is intended for coupling with the lifting system, and the opposite sides of the traverse flange and the sling flange are rigidly connected to each other. The arched form traverse includes two pairs of levers on each of side of the arch, and each two appropriate levers are coupled to each other by the stiffener and resting girder in their frontal lower part. Also the improved sling-traverse device includes a pushing spiral spring along the directional finger inserted inside the pushing spiral spring. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Here the description of an improved sling-traverse device will be done in statics (as if the components of the improved lifting system are suspended in the space) with description of their relative connections to each other. The description of the functional operations of an improved device will be done hereinafter. 
     An improved sling-traverse device includes a traverse  18 , traverse connector  39 , comprising a sling flange  38  and a traverse flange  19 . On  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5 , the flanges  38  and  19  are presented by two parallel sling flanges  38  and two parallel traverse flanges  19  rigidly connected to each other. The pair of flanges  38  are perpendicular to the pair of flanges  19 , as shown on  FIGS. 1-3 . Both sling flanges  38  includes the symmetrical apertures  17  (the axes of the apertures are coincident) for the sling hinge  40  passage, and both traverse flanges  19  includes the symmetrical apertures  17  (the axes of the apertures, are coincident) for the traverse hinge  20  passage, as shown on  FIGS. 2 ,  5 . The hinges  40  and  20  can be removable and the bolts, for example, can be used instead of the hinges  20  and  40 . The sling flanges  38  are by hinge  40  coupled with the lifting tape  10 , and the traverse flanges  19  are by hinge  20  coupled with the traverse  18 . The traverse  18  has an arched configuration with two slots  21  symmetrically located along the longitudinal axis of the traverse  18  in its lower portion, formning the shackles  22  on the both sides of the arch respectively. Each slot  21  provides the passage of two levers  24  pivotable along their vertical plane. The lower sides of the levers  24  are rigidly connected to the resting girder  27  and the inner sides  25  of the levers  24  are rigidly connected to the stiffener  26  as shown on FIG.  3 . The pair of levers  24  with the strengthening rib  37  inserted between them are installed in the shackle  22  and coupled with the shackle  22  by the finger-hinge  23 , as shown on FIG.  6 . The upper side of each levers  24  can have some kind of the semicircular configuration. The stopper  32  is rigidly connected to the H-girder-corbel  33  of the lifting object (massive construction)  30 . The stopper  32  eliminates the possible friction of the levers  24  with the inner side of column  2  during lifting process. Each lever  24  is coupled with the appropriate pushing spiral spring  35  installed into two spring holders  46 , which are rested on the spring upper bracket  48  rigidly connected to the appropriate shackle  22  and on the spring lower bracket  49  rigidly connected to the appropriate lever  24  respectively. The directional finger  36  is housed inside the pushing spiral spring  35 , as shown on  FIGS. 2-4 , and connected by the upper side via spring hinge  45  to the appropriate spring upper bracket  48 , and by the lower side via director  47  to the appropriate spring lower bracket  49 . 
     The improved sling-traverse device (number  41  on  FIG. 2 ) operates as follows. In the initial position, the lifting tape  10  of each of a plurality of lifting devices  29  (for example, each of four synchronously operating lifting devices  29 , as shown on  FIG. 7 ) is coupled (by the locking finger  13  inserted in the highest aperture  12  of the lifting tape  10 ) with the appropriate upper girder  6 . The insertion of the locking finger  13  in the aperture  12  is provided by the auxiliary jack  15 . 
     The H-girder-corbel  33  of the construction  30  is inserted into improved sling-traverse device of each lifting device  29  (see FIG.  2 ). For the lifting of the construction, the drives (not shown) of the main hydraulic jacks  4  are synchronously turned-on and the rams  31  are synchronously raised, thereby lifting the appropriate upper girders  6 . When the first cycle of the lifting is completed (the rams  31  are in the final extended position), the treaded rams  42  of the major jack  5  uprise at their final extended (upper) position to insure the position of the ram  31  of the main hydraulic jacks  4  (the final extended position of the treaded rams  42  can be adequate to the final extended position of the rams  31 , depending on the upper girder  6  form/configuration). At this stage, the lower locking finger  13  (by the lower auxiliary jack  15 ) is inserted in the appropriate lower aperture  12  of the lifting tape  10  (see FIG.  2 ). The upper locking finger  13  is pulled out of the highest aperture  12 , the auxiliary jacks  15  are released (pulled down), the drives (not shown) of the main hydraulic jacks  4  are synchronously turned-off releasing the rams  31 , thereby moving the upper girder  6  down. At this stage, the lifting tape  10  holds the construction  30 . Then, the upper locking finger  13  is inserted in the next (lower) aperture  12  (the next aperture  12 , that is lower the previous aperture  12 ), the lower locking finger  13  is pulled out of its aperture  12 , and the lifting device is ready for the next lifting cycle. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , each lifting device  29  can include a support  1  rigidly connected to a column  2  of the constructing structure (for example, a column of the building such as a covered sport arena under construction, a pier of the bridge under construction or aircraft hangar, etc.). The columns  2  of the constructing building have a hollow configuration with the permanently built-in rests  28 , as shown on  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 . The lower girder  3  of the lifting device  29  is installed on the support  1 . Also the lifting device  29  includes at least one of a plurality of main hydraulic jacks  4  (on  FIG. 2  are shown, for example, two main hydraulic jacks  4 ). The main hydraulic jacks  4  and the major jacks  5  are connected to the lower girder  3 . The upper girder  6  is installed on the rams  31  of the main hydraulic jacks  4 . The upper girder  6  is fixed by the main directors  7  of the stanchions  8 . The stanchions  8  provide the horizontal displacement prevention for the upper girder  6 . The bottoms of the stanchions  8  are permanently connected to the lower girder  3  and their tops are connected by the lateral girder  9 . The lifting (metallic) sectional tape  10  is passes trough the slits into the lower 3 and upper 6 girders, and through the slit (not shown) into the lateral girder  9 . The top of the lifting sectional tape  10  (the part of the lifting tape  10 , which is over the lateral girder  9 ) passes along the major director  11 . The lifting sectional tape  10  has at least one of a plurality of removable sections  16 . The sections  16  are connected to each other by the removable hinges  43 , passing through the apertures  17 , as shown on FIG.  1 . The length of each section  16  is mostly the same and is calculated to provide reliability to carry the heavy construction. Each section  16  has the apertures  12  in order to fix the appropriate section of the lifting sectional tape  10 . The fixing of the lifting tape  10  is provided by the locking fingers (pins)  13 , moved by the auxiliary jacks  15  located horizontally. Each auxiliary jack  15  has the locking finger clipping device (not shown), providing the reciprocative movement of the locking finger  13 , thereby inserting the locking finger  13  into the appropriate aperture  12 . The locking finger  13  is moved along the semi-cylindrical slot  14  located into the lower  44  and upper  34  auxiliary girders. Each lifting device  29  includes two auxiliary girders: the upper auxiliary girder  34 , which is permanently connected to the upper girder  6  and the lower auxiliary girder  44 , which is connected to the lower girder  3 , as shown on FIG.  1 . At this stage, the lifting tape  10  is hanged on the locking finger  13  which is leaned on the upper girder  6 . The distance between centers of the apertures  12  is the same and is adequate to the step of the main hydraulic jack  4  extension for one lifting cycle. 
     The main hydraulic jack  4  extension for one lifting cycle is also adequate to the lifting step of the lifting sectional tape  10  elevation for one lifting cycle. The quantity of the apertures  12  in one section  16  determines a quantity of the lifting cycles for this section and defines the length of the section. The quantity of the sections  16  depends on the assigned height of lifting. For example, a sport arena cover has to be lifted on 40 yard height, then if, for example, H=6 yards, the lifting device  29  includes 7 (seven) sections  16 , each of which has 6 yards of distance “H” between centers of the hinges  17 . The lower section  16  of the lifting tape  10  is coupled with the sling flange  38  by the sling hinge  40 . The removable hinges  43  provide possibility of the sequential section  16  removal after all apertures  12  of this section are used. 
     The rests  28  are rigidly connected to the inner side of column  2 , as it is mentioned above and shown on  FIGS. 1 ,  4 . The rests  28  are used to release the lifting tape  10  of a load. During each lifting cycles, the levers  24  are by resting girder  27  leaned on the rests  28 . 
     So, each lifting cycle is started and completed, when the sling-traverse device with the inserted H-girder-corbel  33  is leaned on the pair of the rests  28 . During each lifting cycle the main hydraulic jacks  4  raises the upper girder  6 , which pulls the lifting tape  10  up, thereby lifting the loaded sling-traverse device. 
     The traverse  18  pulls the H-cirder-corbel  33  up by strengthening rib  37 . At this stage, the resting girder  27  is got off the rests  28 . On  FIG. 3  is shown the position, when the resting girder  27  of the lever  24  is leaned on the rest  28 . On  FIG. 4  is shown the intermediate position of the lifting cycle, when the lever  24  passes the rest  28 . At this time the pushing spiral spring is  35  are slightly pressed along directional finger  36 , and after the rest  28  is passed the spring  35  returns the lever  24  to the regular position (the lever  24  reaches the stopper  32 ) to be ready to lean on the rests  28 . The level of the bottom of the resting girder  27  at the end of each elevation cycle is a little over the level of the top of the rests  28 . 
     After that, the valve(s) (not shown) of the main hydraulic jacks  4  are slow open, the upper girder  6  goes down pulling the lifting tape  10  down, thereby pulling down the loaded traverse  18 , and the resting girder  27  is leaned on the rests  28 . 
     Thus, an improved lifting system for massive constructions provides the lifting of the solid over weight and over size objects from their horizontal ground level initial position and to be horizontally leveled whereby the structural assembly has to be installed. 
     CONCLUSION, RANIFICATION AND SCOPE 
     Accordingly the reader will see that, according to the invention, I have provided a sling-traverse device for lifting system, providing massive solid constructions elevation. An improved sling-traverse device has various possibilities, considering activities of the lifting systems. 
     While the above description contains many specificities, these should be not construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but as exemplification of the presently-preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications are possible within the teaching to the invention. For example, an improved sling-traverse device for the massive solid construction lifting system, provides simplification of the technological cycles of construction work and eliminates the necessity of the rigger activity during the lifting process. Also an improved sling-traverse provides a higher degree of safety. 
     Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by examples given. 
     THE DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS WORKSHEET 
     
         
           1 .—a support; 
           2 .—a column; 
           3 .—a lower girder; 
           4 .—a main hydraulic jack, 
           5 .—major jack; 
           6 .—an upper girder; 
           7 .—a main director; 
           8 .—a stanchion; 
           9 .—lateral girder; 
           10 .—a lifting sectional tape; 
           11 .—a major director; 
           12 .—an aperture; 
           13 .—a locking finger; 
           14 .—a slot; 
           15 .—an auxiliary jack; 
           16 .—a removable section; 
           17 .—an aperture; 
           18 .—a traverse; 
           19 .—a traverse flange; 
           20 .—a traverse hinge; 
           21 .—a slot; 
           22 .—a shackle; 
           23 .—a finger-hinge; 
           24 .—a lever; 
           25 .—an inner side of the lever  24 ; 
           26 .—a stiffener; 
           27 .—a resting girder 
           28 .—a rest; 
           29 .—a lifting device; 
           30 .—a construction; 
           31 .—a ram; 
           32 .—a stopper; 
           33 .—a H-girder-corbel; 
           34 .—an upper auxiliary girder; 
           35 .—a pushing spring 
           36 .—a directional finger; 
           37 .—a strengthening rib; 
           38 .—an sling flange; 
           39 .—a traverse connector; 
           40 .—a sling hinge; 
           41 .—a sling-traverse device; 
           42 .—a threaded ram; 
           43 .—a removable hinge; 
           44 .—a lower auxiliary girder; 
           45 .—a spring hinge; 
           46 .—a spring holder; 
           47 .—a director; 
           48 .—a spring upper bracket; 
           49 .—a spring lower bracket; 
           50 .—cross-sectional view; 
           51 .—cross-sectional view.