Patent ID: 7954657

Claim:
A crane having a boom with a boom segment connection system, the crane having an upper works rotatably mounted on a lower works, the upper works including a load hoist winch, the boom comprising: a) at least a first and second boom segment each with a longitudinal axis and a first and second end, the second end of the first segment being coupled to the first end of the second segment; b) at least one first connector on the second end of the first segment respectively mating with at least one second connector on the first end of the second segment; c) the first and second connectors each comprising at least one extension having a through-hole there through, and the through-hole having an axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and positioned in the extensions such that all through-holes of mating first and second connectors are aligned when the boom segments are aligned; d) the at least one first connector comprising a first alignment surface and a first generally flat, compressive load bearing surface; and the at least one second connector comprising a second alignment surface and a second generally flat, compressive load bearing surface; e) the first and second alignment surfaces cooperating such that when the first and second connectors are being brought together during boom assembly, said alignment surfaces guide the boom segments into a relative position such that the through-holes through the extensions in the connectors are aligned sufficiently such that a tapered main pin can be inserted through the through-holes of the extensions in the first and second mating connectors even if the boom segments are not axially aligned; and f) the first and second compressive load bearing surfaces cooperating to carry compressive loads between the first and second connectors when the boom is in an operational configuration.