Ballasting device for a crane

Ballasting device for a crane, in particular for a tower crane, combining ballast blocks that can be stacked onto a base frame of the crane, and a gripper for handling the ballast blocks, the gripper being designed to be connected, during use, to a handling means, this device comprising means of nonpermanent connection, by hooking, between the gripper and a ballast block, and also means for centering the stacked ballast blocks relative to one another, characterized in that the aforementioned means of nonpermanent connection comprise two opposed gripping hooks mounted pivotably, about horizontal pins, in the end regions of a lifting beam of the gripper, each gripping hook having, on one side of its pivot pin, a hooking catch designed to interact with a transverse pin placed in a corresponding housing of a ballast block, and, on the other side of its pivot pin, a rear part attached to a sling by which the gripper is suspended from the hoisting cable, each gripping hook being assigned a lock that is borne by the lifting beam and designed to temporarily keep the corresponding gripping hook in the position in which the transverse pin is released.