Patent Publication Number: US-6702131-B2

Title: Construction machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a construction machine including winches. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A crawler crane that is a kind of mobile crane will be explained. FIG. 7 shows a lattice boom crawler crane “hereinafter, can be referred to as LBCC” and FIG. 8 shows a telescoping boom crawler crane “hereinafter, an be referred to as TBCC”. Numeral  1  is a crawler type of a lower traveling body. An upper rotating body  3  is mounted on the lower traveling body  1  via a rotation bearing  2  rotatably around a longitudinal axis. In the upper rotating body  3 , a lattice boom  4  is provided in FIG. 7, and a telescoping boom  5  is provided in FIG. 8, to freely raise and lower, respectively. 
     As a means for making the booms  4 ,  5  raise and lower, a boom up-and-down rope  6  and a first winch  7  for winding and rewinding the rope  6  are provided in LBCC, and a boom up-and-down cylinder  8  is provided in TBCC. 
     As lifting means for a lifting work, a second “main” winch  9  and a third “auxiliary” winch  10  are provided in the upper rotating body  3  of LBCC and a first “main” winch  11  and a second “auxiliary” winch  12  are provided in the upper rotating body  3  of TBCC. A main hook  14  is suspended to rise and fall by means of a main rope  13  taken from the main winches  9 ,  11 , and a sub hook  16  is suspended to rise and fall by means of a auxiliary rope  15  taken from the auxiliary winches  10 ,  12 . 
     In such mobile cranes, in order to improve work efficiency at a small space, it is preferable that a radius R of a rotating rear end is as small as possible. 
     In FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of winches is arranged horizontally by side by side in the upper rotating body  3  in order to facilitate the winding and rewinding of the ropes winded on the winches. Therefore, a horizontal space that the winches occupy increases. 
     Also, because the rope-winding capacity of winch increases as the lifting ability is set to be great, the horizontal space that the winches occupy further increases. 
     Therefore, arranging efficiency of the whole space in the upper rotating body is deteriorated, and it was difficult to secure a space for arranging other machinery “engine, hydraulic equipment, operation oil tank, fuel tank and the like”. Also, in order to secure the space, a radius R of the rotating rear end increased. 
     Particularly, in TBCC of FIG. 8, in addition to the need for improving the lifting ability in a limited space “to set a great lifting ability at a small work radius”, so as to reduce the overhanging amount of the boom  5  in transit, an up-and down swinging axis is arranged rearward of the center of rotation of the rotating body  3 . Also, because the mounting point of the boom up-and-down cylinder  8  is positioned at the vicinity of the center of rotation of the rotating body, the space for arranging the winches cannot be secured at the center part of rotation. As a result, the winches  11 ,  12  must be arranged at the rear part of the rotating body. Because the space that the winches occupy is great horizontally at the rear part of the rotating body, the radius R of the rotating rear end becomes greater. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a construction machine in which a space that winches occupy can be reduced without decrease of workability, so that a space of an upper rotating body can be utilized effectively. Particularly, the object of the present invention is to provide a construction machine in which a space for arranging other equipment can be easily secured in a mobile crane of which the whole size is limited. 
     The construction machine of the present invention has the following constitution. 
     The construction machine comprises a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body which is mounted rotatably on said lower traveling body, and winches provided at rear part of said upper rotating body, wherein at least two of said winches are arranged to be overlapped vertically with each other. 
     In this case, because at least two of said winches are arranged to be overlapped vertically with each other, a horizontal space that the winches occupy can be reduced to secure a space for arranging other equipment. Therefore, because a limited space of the upper rotating body can be utilized effectively in a mobile crane of which the whole size is limited, the layout of other equipment can be facilitated. 
     Because the space that the winches occupy can be reduced at the rear part of the upper rotating body, the radius R of the rotating rear end “distance from center of rotation to rear end of the upper rotating body” can be reduced. 
     Also, because the center of gravity of the construction machine can be deviated backward, the workability can be improved. That is, the lifting ability in the crane and the attachment supporting ability in earth-moving machine can be increased. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a rotating frame and a part in which winches are arranged, in a telescoping boom crawler crane according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plane view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a back view of a partial cross-section of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a drawing corresponding to FIG. 1, according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a drawing corresponding to FIG. 3, according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a drawing corresponding to FIG. 3, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view representing the conventional arrangement of winches in the lattice boom crawler crane; and 
     FIG. 8 is a side view representing the conventional arrangement of winches in the telescoping boom crawler crane. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to  6 . However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. 
     First Embodiment “Refer to FIGS.  1  to  3 ” 
     This embodiment exemplifies TBCC having a telescopic boom expandable and contractible telescopically shown in FIG.  8 . In FIG. 8,  19  is a gantry guiding a main and an auxiliary ropes  13 ,  15 , and  20  and  21  are guide sheaves for the ropes. In the meantime, in FIG. 7,  17  is a gantry for raising and lowering a boom for guiding a boom up-and-down rope  6 , and  18  is a gantry sheave for the rope. 
     In FIGS. 1 to  3 ,  22  is a frame “rotating frame” constituting an upper rotating body. With the rotating frame  22 , a boom  5  is provided, and, additionally, each equipment is provided to form the upper rotating body. 
     The rotating frame  22  includes: a pair of main frames  23 ,  23  “as shown, an exterior appearance with a shape of an approximate triangle in a case of taking a side view thereof, sloping upward to rear surface thereof” arranged in parallel to each other with a gap for sandwiching the base end of the boom  5 ; a bottom plate  24  provided between lower surfaces of the main frames  23 ,  23 ; auxiliary frames  25 ,  25  having a shape of a ladder, which are mounted projecting outward from the main frames  23 ,  23 ; a pair of front and rear reinforcing frames  26 ,  26  spread between both main frames  23 ,  23  at the front part of the rotating frame. 
     The reinforcing frames  26 ,  26 , as shown in FIG. 2, have dog-leg shapes when viewed from a plane along the rotation bearing  2 , and are provided on outer side of the upper surface of the rotation bearing  2 . 
     Such arrangement of the reinforcing frames  26 ,  26  makes bolts “not shown” for connection of the rotation bearing  2  be arranged around the whole circumference of the bearing in equal pitches without interruption of the frames  26 ,  26 . Also, boom load is widely dispersed and transmitted from the main frames  23 ,  23  to the rotation bearing  2  and then the lower traveling body through the reinforcing frames  26 ,  26 . Therefore, load is not concentrated on a specific part of the construction machine. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom plate  24  of the rotating frame comprises the front bottom plate  24   a , the oblique stepwise part  24   c  and the rear bottom plate  24   b . Those plates  24   a  to  24   c  are continuously positioned such that the rear bottom plate  24   b  is lower than the front bottom plate  24   a  and is at the rear of the plate  24   a  positioned between the main frames  23 ,  23 , through the stepwise part  24   c  sloping downward backwards. The winches are equipped to be overlapped vertically to form two-stages, at the upper part of the lowered rear bottom plate  24   b.    
     The first embodiment exemplifies  3  winches mechanism consisting of a first, a second and a third winches  27 ,  28 , and  29 . On the rear bottom plate  24   b , both of the first and the second winches  27 ,  28  “for example, a main and an auxiliary winches” including a winch drum that has large diameter and on which a thick and long rope is wound in multi-layers, are arranged transversely side by side and coaxially at lower end side. The third winch  29  “for example, a winch for auxiliary work such as hanging a pile” is arranged above the first winch  27 . 
     Also, the third winch  29  is mounted at the vicinity of the rear part of the boom  5 , namely, above the back side of the main frames  23 ,  23  by means of brackets for equipping the winch. 
     A first, second and third ropes  30 ,  31 ,  32  taken from the respective winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  are guided to front part of the boom via the respective guide sheaves  34 ,  35 ,  36  of the gantry  33  provided between the main frames  23 ,  23  of the rotating frame  22 . 
     Also, the hydraulic motors and the reduction gears as driving source of the respective winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  are not shown here. 
     Also, the guide sheaves  34 ,  35 ,  36  are divided into a set of two and a set of one, and are provided on two sheave shafts  37 ,  38  so that bi-axial type is illustrated, When two winches, for example, the second and the third winches  28 ,  29  in FIGS. 1 and 2 are arranged in two-stages vertically, it may be one-shaft type in which the guide sheaves  34 ,  36  are provided on one sheave shaft. 
     Like this, because three winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  are arranged in a form that two winches  27 ,  28  at lower side and one  29  at upper side are overlapped with each other, the horizontal space that the winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  occupy can be reduced drastically. Therefore, the space for arranging other equipment can be easily secured. 
     Also, because the horizontal space for arranging the winches at the rear part of the rotating body can be reduced, the radius of the rotating rear end of the crane can be reduced. 
     Further, because the center of gravity of the crane can be deviated backward according to the vertical arrangement of the winches, the workability of the crane can be improved. 
     In addition, it is preferable that the bottom surface of the rear part of the rotating frame is stepwise lower than the bottom surface of the front part of the rotating frame. 
     In this case, the winches can be provided at the lower part, so that the center of gravity of the rear part of the machine can be lowered to further improve the workability. Also, because the vertical space gets broader, a plurality of winches can be arranged vertically without difficulties. 
     Also, it is preferable that the lower end of the lowest winch of a plurality of winches vertically overlapped is positioned at lower part than the bottom surface of the front part of the rotating frame. 
     Specifically, the rotating frame is formed such that the rear bottom plate  24   b  of the rotating frame has a lower part than the front bottom plate  24   a , and the winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  are arranged at the lower part. Therefore, the center of gravity of the rear part of the crane is lowered to improve the workability, and simultaneously, the vertical space of the rear part of the rotating body can be broader to arrange the winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  vertically without difficulties. 
     It is preferable that an opening that makes the winches face outward is formed at the rear bottom or the back surface of the rotating frame. 
     In this case, assembling or repairing of the winch arranged at lower position “particularly, the lower winch of the winches arranged vertically” can be easily carried out by means of the opening formed at the bottom surface of the rear part or the back surface of the rotating frame. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, openings  40 ,  41  that make the first winch  27  and the second winch  28  face outward are formed in the rear bottom plate  24   b  of the rotating frame and in the end plate  39  formed at rear end surface of the rotating frame A assembling, repairing or checkup of the lower winches  27 ,  28  not reached from the upper side can be easily carried out from the outside by means of the openings  40 ,  41 . 
     In FIG. 3,  42  is a guard for covering equipment “not shown” such as the engine, the pump, the operation oil, the fuel tank, the valve unit and the like loaded in the rotating frame  22 . 
     Second Embodiment 
     In the first embodiment, two winches of three winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  are arranged at the lower part, and one winch is arranged at the upper part. However, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, three winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  may be arranged vertically to form three-stages. 
     In this case, because transverse space for arranging the winches can be reduced, the layout of other equipment can be further facilitated. 
     As shown in the drawing, under the condition that difference in capacity, namely difference in weight “difference in diameter” of the respective winches  27 ,  28 ,  29  exist, it is preferable that the winch with large diameter and weight “the first winch  27  in the drawings” is arranged at the lowest part, and the winches with small diameter and weight “the second and the third winches  28 ,  29  in the drawings” are arranged at upper part sequentially. 
     In this arrangement, because the winch with large capacity and weight among a plurality of winches is arranged at lower part, the center of gravity of the rear part can be further lowered to improve the workability 
     Also, the heavy winch, namely, the winch with large diameter that the capacity for winding the rope is greater is arranged at the lower part, and relatively, the winches with small diameter is arranged thereon. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, horizontal steps are occurred between the vertical winches. By use of such steps, the rope can be easily taken from the lower winches  27 ,  28 . 
     Also, a plurality of winches are arranged along the oblique back surface, of which the rear part is raised, of the main frame  23  having a shape of triangle roughly. As a result, the amount projected backward of the winches is small, and thus, the winches can be effectively arranged at the rear part of the rotating frame  22 . 
     Also, FIG. 4 shows arrangement of the winches that said steps occur in the front “main frame  23  side”. On the other hand, arrangement of the winches that the steps occur in the rear or arrangement of the winches having a zigzag shape that the steps occur in turn in the front and the rear may be employed. 
     Also, in FIG. 4, the case that one sheave shaft  43  is formed in the gantry  33 , and three guide sheaves  34 ,  35 ,  36  are mounted on the sheave shaft  43  is illustrated. 
     Third Embodiment 
     The first and the second embodiments exemplify the case applied to three-winch type. The third embodiment shown in FIG. 5 exemplifies the case applied to a four-winch type comprising four winches  27 ,  28 ,  29 ,  44 . Two winches of the winches  27 ,  28 ,  29 ,  44  are arranged at the upper part, and two winches are at the lower part, respectively. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the openings  40 ,  41  that make the first winch  27  and the second winch  28  face outward are formed in the rear bottom plate  24   b  of the rotating frame and the end plate  39  “not shown” formed at rear end surface of the rotating frame. Assembling, repairing or checkup of the lower winches  27 ,  28  not reached from the upper side can be easily carried out from the outside by means of the openings  40 ,  41 . 
     Fourth Embodiment 
     The present invention may be applied to the case that the number of the winches is not less than five and the case that the number of the winches is two. Also, in LBCC, TBCC shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the number of winches increases and decreases according to the kind of work. 
     In case where the number of the winches is two “two-winch type”, as the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6, both winches “for example, the second and the third winches  28 ,  29  in the first embodiment” can be arranged to form two steps vertically and to be deviated horizontally at the center of the rear part of the rotating frame. In the space S of side part of both winches generated by means of the horizontal position deviation of the winches “in the lower space of the upper winch  29  and the upper space of the lower winch  28 ”, each driving sources  28   a ,  29   a  “the hydraulic motors and the reduction gears” may be arranged. 
     Like this, weight of the winches including the driving sources  28   a ,  29   a  can be balanced, and both winches  28 ,  29  and the driving sources  28   a ,  29   a  can be nearly received between the main frames  23 ,  23 , viewed from the back surface. Therefore, the amount of the winch parts projected to both sides can be restricted to be small. Thus, other equipment such as the hydraulic valve and the hydraulic pump for controlling the winches  28 ,  29  can be arranged in the space at side parts of the winches. 
     Fifth Embodiment 
     When a specific winch is not necessary, and thus, is removed, a counterweight “so-called dummy winch” corresponding to the removed winch can be mounted at the position from which the winch is removed. 
     Also, the shape of the rotating frame  22  is not limited to the shape described above and illustrated in the drawings, and can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the mounted boom and the capacity of the winch. 
     Also, the present invention is not limited to TBCC, and can be applied to LBCC shown in FIG.  7  and earth-moving machines such as excavator or pile driving machine, drilling machine and the like using the crane or the same base machine as the crane. 
     Also, in case where the number of the winches is not less than three, if at least two winches of them can be arranged to be overlapped with each other vertically, advantages of the present invention can be obtained. That is, the present invention is not limited to the construction machine that all winches are arranged vertically. In FIG. 1, the first winch  27  and the second winch  28  are arranged transversely side by side at the lower part, and however, only the third winch  29  is arranged upward of said winches  27 ,  28 . 
     The embodiments of the construction machine according to the present invention are described above, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. The present invention can be applied to any construction machine comprising winches.