Wheel block, in particular for a travelling crane

A wheel block for an overhead traveling crane, wherein the wheel block comprises:

• a housing and a wheel mounted in the housing, wherein the housing comprises a wall disposed about and surrounding an upper portion of the wheel, wherein the wall comprises an inner wall defining an internal cavity within which the wheel is mounted, and wherein the housing includes a lower opening from which a lower portion of the wheel protrudes out of the housing;
• and
• a contactlessly operating measuring device mounted within the cavity for determining the distance between the measuring device and the wheel;
• in order to detect and/or identify and/or predict any current and/or future wear on the wheel and/or a loading state of the wheel of the wheel block based on measurement signals or measurement data from the measuring device and an evaluation thereof, wherein the loading state of the wheel may comprise either an unloaded state and/or an overloaded state.