# US 11,299,376 B2 · Method for the positionally accurate receiving and depositing of a container using a gantry stacker and gantry stacker for this purpose > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,376 B2 - Document ID: US11299376B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/500,326 - Filed: 2018-04-03 - Published: 2021-04-08 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-03 - Assignees: Konecranes Global Corporation - Applicants: Konecranes Global Corporation - Inventors: Stefan Klement; Markus Wolz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299376B2 ## CPC - B66C 19/007: {for containers} - B66C 13/085: {electrical} - B66C 13/46: Position indicators for suspended loads or for crane elements - B66C: CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES ({specially adapted for lifting invalids A61G7/10;} rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms, braking or detent devices therefor B66D; specially adapted for nuclear reactors G21) ## Abstract A gantry stacker having a spreader for containers and including a locating system arranged on the gantry stacker that determines a position of the gantry stacker. To permit a more precise receiving or depositing of containers in a predefined position in a container terminal, sensors are arranged on the gantry stacker, with the sensors and the locating system being connected to a control unit, and the control unit determines a position of the spreader, of a container to be received or of a deposit site from the position of the gantry stacker using the signals from the sensors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gantry lift stacker comprising a straddle carrier having a spreader for containers and having a front first gantry frame part and a rear second gantry frame part which each have two vertical gantry supports extending with their respective longitudinal axis in parallel with the lifting and lowering direction, wherein the spreader is guided on the gantry supports of the gantry lift stacker during lifting and lowering and a lifting device for the spreader is attached to a gantry frame of the gantry lift stacker in a stationary manner, and having a locating system arranged on the gantry lift stacker, said locating system determining a position of the gantry lift stacker, wherein the locating system determines the position of the gantry lift stacker in relation to a point defined on a machine platform of the gantry lift stacker, wherein sensors are arranged on the gantry lift stacker, and wherein the sensors and the locating system are connected to a control unit, and wherein the control unit determines, from the position of the gantry lift stacker, using the signals from the sensors, a position of the spreader, of a container to be picked up or of a set-down location, and wherein the sensors arranged on the gantry lift stacker comprise at least one sensor for determining an inclination of the gantry lift stacker and at least one sensor for determining a relative position of the spreader on the gantry lift stacker, and wherein the relative position relates to the point defined on the machine platform for determining the position of the gantry lift stacker and includes a distance, measured in the lifting and lowering direction, of the spreader relative to the point defined on the machine platform for determining the position of the gantry lift stacker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position of the gantry lift stacker differs from the position of the spreader, of a container to be picked up or of a set-down location for containers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locating system comprises a receiver and at least this receiver is arranged on the machine platform. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 3, wherein the locating system is based on radio, radar, GNSS, GPS or laser technology. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 1, wherein arranged on the gantry lift stacker as one of the sensors is a sensor for determining a relative position of the spreader on the gantry lift stacker, via which a lifting height of the spreader relative to the position of the gantry lift stacker can be determined and is determined. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensor for determining a relative position of the spreader on the gantry lift stacker is attached to the lower side of the machine platform facing the spreader. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sensor for determining a relative position of the spreader on the gantry lift stacker comprises at least one camera and/or at least one laser scanner which is directed towards a target mark applied to the center of the spreader. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor for determining an inclination of the gantry lift stacker is an inclination sensor for determining a roll angle of the gantry lift stacker. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensor for determining an inclination of the gantry lift stacker is an inclination sensor for determining a pitch angle of the gantry lift stacker. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the sensors and the locating system and exchanges data therewith. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signals from the sensors and from the locating system are processed in the control unit for determining the position of the spreader, of a container to be picked up or of a set-down location for containers, and the position is forwarded to the travel drives, the lifting drives and/or a driver of the gantry lift stacker as navigational data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensor for determining an inclination of the gantry lift stacker is an inclination sensor for determining a roll angle of the gantry lift stacker. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor for determining an inclination of the gantry lift stacker is an inclination sensor for determining a pitch angle of the gantry lift stacker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the sensors and the locating system and exchanges data therewith. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locating system is based on radio, radar, GNSS, GPS or laser technology. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 3, wherein arranged on the gantry lift stacker as one of the sensors is a sensor for determining a relative position of the spreader on the gantry lift stacker, via which a lifting height of the spreader relative to the position of the gantry lift stacker can be determined and is determined. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locating system comprises a receiver and at least this receiver is arranged on the machine platform. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) An arrangement of a gantry lift stacker, said arrangement comprising a storage area on a ground surface and of a gantry lift stacker as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method for a gantry lift stacker for determining the position of a spreader, of a container to be picked up or of a set-down location for containers for positioning containers by a gantry lift stacker comprising a straddle carrier as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising: determining positional data of the gantry lift stacker via the locating system arranged on the gantry lift stacker; and determining a position of the spreader, of the container to be picked up or of the set-down location from the positional data of the gantry lift stacker with the aid of the control unit and using data from the sensors arranged on the gantry lift stacker. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein in order to determine a relative position of the spreader on the gantry lift stacker by means of a sensor arranged on the gantry lift stacker, a lifting height of the spreader relative to the position of the gantry lift stacker is determined and is processed by the control unit.