Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a transporter container-loading bridge comprising a two-armed traveling support, a lifting gear, a traveling mechanism and at least one portal, characterized in that at least two trolleys travel on individual tracks of the traveling support on the transporter container-loading bridge with their paths crossing. According to the invention, the running track of one trolley is located above and inside the track of the other trolley, wherein both trolleys travel along both sides of their running tracks. The invention provides the advantage that several trolleys can travel independently from each other without having to transfer, rotate or surrender their load.

Full Description:
DESCRIPTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a container bridge according to the preamble of patent claim 1.  
           [0002]    The container bridge can be used wherever a large number of loading units have to be transshipped in a short time. The container bridge is, above all, suitable for loading and unloading of containers from ships onto stockyards or onto means of transport, by which they are transported further. DE-A-2 341 725 discloses a bridge crane, in which two trolleys arranged one above the other are capable of traveling relative to one another, the upper trolley being capable of traveling on tracks which are located below the trolley, and the lower trolley being capable of traveling on tracks which are located above the trolley. The upper trolley travels over and beyond the trolley located below it, the load to be transported traveling through the U-shaped lower trolley. So that the container of the upper trolley does not collide with the U-shaped lower trolley, there has to be a rotary mechanism on the upper trolley, so that the container can be rotated in the longitudinal direction relative to the direction of movement and travel through the lower trolley is possible. This rotational movement of each container involves a certain amount of apparatus and, above all, takes up time during the loading of the containers.  
           [0003]    Furthermore, in this bridge crane, the tracks of the trolleys are arranged outside the length of the container to be transported. The disadvantage of this is that problems may arise during takeover/transfer in the region of the ship&#39;s bridge, when the containers are to be stacked very far toward the bridge.  
           [0004]    DE 43 07 254 A1 discloses a transloading crane, in which three trolleys are arranged on a crane bridge, two lifting units capable of traveling in their longitudinal direction and having a lifting mechanism being arranged for the exchange of loads with a transfer unit. The transfer unit can move loads or containers on two levels, the transfer unit itself not possessing a lifting unit. It is possible, furthermore, for each traversable lifting unit having a lifting mechanism also to travel through the transfer unit. It is not possible, however, for the trolleys having a lifting unit and the containers to travel one through the other, since the arrangement of their paths and their design do not allow this. In this transloading crane, too, there is therefore no device in which a plurality of trolleys, together with their load, can operate fully independently of one another.  
           [0005]    The object of the invention is therefore to develop a container bridge on which a plurality of trolleys can operate essentially independently of one another, at a low outlay in terms of time and material, while all the trolleys are to be provided with a lifting means.  
           [0006]    This object is achieved by means of a container bridge corresponding to the defining part of patent claim 1. Subclaims specify advantageous designs of the invention. The container bridge according to the invention consists of a two-armed traveling support, a lifting mechanism, a traveling mechanism and of at least one gantry, the trolleys traveling in each case on their own tracks of the traveling support on the container bridge and their paths crossing one another. On the basis of two trolleys, the tracks of which cross one another, it is advantageous if said trolleys travel on their tracks on both sides.  
           [0007]    According to the invention, the tracks of both trolleys are arranged above said trolleys. The advantage of this is that the trolleys, together with their gripping means, can transport containers independently of one another also transversely to the direction of travel.  
           [0008]    It is expedient for the trolley which is the lower one in each case to have a U-shaped or trough-shaped design, so that this lower trolley has a cavity through which the upper trolley, together with its load, for example a container, can travel.  
           [0009]    Each of the trolleys is equipped with all the devices which are necessary for longitudinal, lifting and gripping travel. This also includes each of the trolleys having its own driver&#39;s cab in the event of manual operation. It is advantageous if the lifting mechanism of the trolley which is the lower one in each case is divided in two and is arranged next to the longitudinal traveling mechanism. In order to divert the horizontal forces onto the side parts, guide rollers and guide rails are mounted between the trolley and the main support. This arrangement gives rise to a compact design.  
           [0010]    The trolleys of the container bridge are equipped with signal means which prevent mutual collision while a load is being carried. This ensures that the trolley which is the upper one in each case and which has a lowered load or a lowered container does not collide with the path of the lower trolley.  
           [0011]    The two trolleys can therefore load and unload vehicles and stockyards essentially independently of one another, each of the two trolleys being capable of traveling over and attending to the entire region of the container bridge.  
           [0012]    It is advantageous furthermore, if at least one side of the traveling support projecting beyond the gantry is capable of being swung up. This is advantageous, above all, when container ships coming to land require this or else this region of the container bridge is not in use.  
           [0013]    In a further design of the invention, the tracks of the trolleys run on both sides of a single support. This design is suitable particularly for cases where containers having relatively small loads are to be transported quickly.  
           [0014]    In another design of the invention, each trolley can travel on another support in each case.  
           [0015]    It is advantageous to arrange the tracks of the trolleys within the length of a transversely transported container. The containers can thereby be stacked very far toward the ship&#39;s bridge without problems. 
       
    
    
       [0016]    The container bridge according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to ten figures and one exemplary embodiment. Of the figures:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 shows a view of the container bridge according to the invention during the transshipment operation, with the trolley  17  in the position of transfer on land and the trolley  18  in the operation of transshipping on a ship,  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 shows a view of FIG. 1, with operation of the two trolleys  17  and  18  crossing one another within the gantries  9  and  10 ,  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 shows a detail of the crossing operation from FIG. 2, with the trolley  17  traveling within the traveling support  12  and the trolley  18  traveling outside the traveling support,  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 shows a view of FIG. 1, with the two trolleys  17  and  18  in an interchanged position,  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal illustration of the lines of movement  37 ,  38  of the trolleys  17  and  18 ,  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 shows a cross section with the trolley  17  and the container  1  on the traveling support  12 ,  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 shows a cross section with the trolley  18 , together with the container  1 , on the traveling support  12 ,  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the two trolleys  17  and  18 , each with a container  1 , in the crossing region on the traveling support  12 ,  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 shows a view of the container bridge, with the jib swung up and with the two trolleys  17  and  18 ,  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 shows the two-armed traveling support  12 , with the trolley  17  arranged within the traveling supports, above the ship in the region of the ship&#39;s bridge  40 ,  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 11 shows a view of a container bridge, in which two trolleys  17 ,  18  are arranged on one traveling support  12 ,  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 12 and 13 show a view of a container bridge, in which two trolleys  17 ,  18  comprising two traveling supports  12  are arranged, each trolley  17 ,  18  having its own traveling support. 
     
    
       [0029]    FIGS.  1  to  9  show the container bridge  4  according to the invention during the transshipment of a container  1  from ship  2  to land  3 . Depending on the size of the ship  2 , a plurality of container bridges  4  may be used simultaneously. On land, the containers  1  are handled further by means of transport  5 .  
         [0030]    The container bridge  4  travels parallel to the quay edge  8  via traveling rails  6  embedded in the ground and via a traveling mechanism  7 . A two-armed traveling support  12  is fastened via connecting elements  13  to a water-side gantry  9  and a land-side gantry  10  having reinforcing struts  11 . The water-side traveling support  12  projecting beyond the gantry  9  may be swung up for the docking and undocking of the ships  2  via a joint  38  and a lifting mechanism  14  with ropes  15  and deflecting pulleys  16 .  
         [0031]    The two trolleys  17  and  18  travel on the traveling support  12 . Each trolley is equipped with all the devices for longitudinal, lifting and gripping travel. Each trolley therefore possesses its own track  19 ,  20 , a longitudinal traveling mechanism  21 ,  22 , a power supply  23 ,  24 , a lifting mechanism  25 ,  26  with ropes  27 ,  28 , a container spreader  29 ,  30  and, for manual operation, in each case a driver&#39;s cab  31 ,  32 .  
         [0032]    In the case of the trolley  18 , the rope  28  is led to the spreader  30  via a lower part  33 , two side parts  34  and deflecting pulleys  35 . The actual lifting mechanism  26  is mounted, divided in two, next to the longitudinal traveling mechanism  22 . In order to divert horizontal forces onto the side parts  34 , guide rollers  36  and guide rails  37  are mounted between the trolley  18  and the traveling support  12 . This arrangement results in a compact design.  
         [0033]    The unloading operation proceeds as follows: After the ship  2  has been berthed, the container bridge  4  is moved into position via the traveling mechanisms  7  in order to unload the containers  1 . The trolley  17  (FIG. 4) takes over a container  1  from the ship  2  by means of the spreader  27  and draws said container into the uppermost end position of the trolley  17 . The container  1  is thereby in a stable position and is prevented from oscillating.  
         [0034]    By means of the trolley traveling mechanism  21  (FIG. 2), the trolley  17  travels in the inner region of the two-armed traveling support  12  into the space between the container bridge gantries  9 ,  10 . When this position is reached, a travel-on signal is communicated to the trolley  18  which, for example, is already waiting. The two trolleys move toward one another (FIG. 8), crossing taking place. At the same time, the trolley  18  travels in the outer region of the two-armed traveling support  12  and travels with its trough-like lower part  33  and the side parts  34  around the container  1  to be transported by means of the trolley  17 .  
         [0035]    The two trolleys  17  and  18  continue their travel independently of one another (FIG. 5), for example the trolley  17  for discharging the container  1  on land and the trolley  18  for picking up a container  1  in the ship or, in the case of simultaneous loading and unloading, for discharging a container  1 .  
         [0036]    The line of movement of the container  1  runs essentially along an upper line  37  in the case of the trolley  17  and along a lower line  39  in the case of the trolley  18 . The lower line  39  and the entire space below this line correspond to the single-trolley container bridge used hitherto.  
         [0037]    By means of the two-armed traveling support  12 , as illustrated in FIG. 10, and the trolley  17  running within the traveling support  12 , containers can be handled directly up to the side of obstructing edges, for example ship&#39;s bridges  40 . Here too, in the case of greater distances, the second trolley  18  may be used.  
         [0038]    The advantage of the method is that the container remains connected to the respective spreader over the entire transport distance, even when the paths of the two trolleys cross one another. As a result of this crossing taking place within the container bridge gantries, no additional moments or loads are exerted on the crane rails.  
         [0039]    Furthermore, it becomes clear from FIG. 10 that, since the tracks  19 ,  20  of the trolleys  17 ,  18  are located within the container length, stacking can be carried out particularly far up to the ship&#39;s bridge  40 . Design variants as to how the container bridge according to the invention may also be designed may be gathered from FIGS. 11 and 12.  
         [0040]    List of Reference Symbols Used  
                                       1   Load/container       2   Ship       3   Land       4   Container bridge       5   Means of transport       6   Traveling rail       7   Traveling mechanism       8   Quay edge       9   Gantry (water-side)       10   Gantry (land-side)       11   Reinforcing struts       12   Two-armed traveling support       13   Connecting element       14   Lifting mechanism       15   Ropes       16   Deflecting pulley       17   Top trolley       18   Bottom trolley       19   Top trolley       20   Bottom trolley       21   Longitudinal traveling mechanism       22   Longitudinal traveling mechanism       23   Power supply       24   Power supply       25   Lifting mechanism       26   Lifting mechanism       27   Ropes       28   Ropes       29   Spreader       30   Spreader       31   Driver&#39;s cab       32   Driver&#39;s cab       33   Low part of trolley 18       34   Side parts of trolley 18       35   Deflecting pulley       36   Guide roller       37   Path of upper container       38   Joint       39   Path of lower container       40   Ship&#39;s bridge

Technology Classification (CPC): 1