Method for transferring standardised containers between a container ship and a quay

Gantry-type port crane for loading and unloading of standardized containers comprising:

• a port crane supported by four legs with rolling mechanisms comprising sets of support wheels, two front legs on a front rail and two rear legs on a rear rail, allowing movement along a quay,
• the port crane that in turn has a jib perpendicular to the quay located in an opening formed between the legs and supported by a gantry,
• the jib that supports a carriage that moves longitudinally under it and from which hangs in turn by means of cables a container clamping mechanism called a spreader that provides for vertical movement, via lifting and lowering means located on the carriage,
• wherein the spreader is arranged so that its longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the jib so that the standardized containers are loaded and unloaded with their longitudinal axis perpendicular to the edge of the quay which allows that the existing separation between legs on the same rail can be reduced adjusting it in such a way that, without endangering the stability of the port crane, is at least the width of a standardized container plus the necessary clearances between standardized container and legs, allowing the passage between the legs of a standardized container breadthwise.

Procedure for unloading of standardized containers from a container ship, or other type of ship, to a quay by gantry-type port cranes comprising the following steps:

• Berthing of a container ship with transversal arrangement of standardized containers inside and outside the holds;
• Positioning on an edge of a quay of a gantry-type port crane with a carriage or independent carriages with capacity to maneuver these standardized containers by means of a spreader whose longitudinal axis coincides in a direction with a longitudinal axis of the standardized containers (both axes orthogonal to the quay);
• Forward movement of the carriage under a jib of a crane, with the spreader elevated, until being positioned on the standardized container to be moved located on the container ship;
• With the lifting and lowering means located on the carriage, maneuvering a descent of the spreader until it is fixed and secured to the standardized container;
• Maneuver an ascent of the spreader—standardized container set and subsequent backwards movement of the carriage under the jib, passing between legs of the crane, until being positioned on a means of transport previously located under the crane in an orthogonal position to the quay;
• With the lifting and lowering means located on the carriage, maneuver a descent of the spreader—standardized container set until having the standardized container resting on the means of transport and fixed on the same, and disconnecting of the spreader fixings on the standardized container;
• and
• Maneuver an ascent of the empty spreader and forward movement of the carriage under the jib of the crane, with the spreader elevated, until being positioned on a new standardized container to be transferred, located in the container ship, to start again the cycle.

Procedure for loading of standardized containers from a quay to a container ship, or to other type of ship, by way of gantry-type port cranes comprising the following steps:

• Berthing of a container ship with a transversal arrangement of standardized containers inside and outside holds;
• Positioning on an edge of a quay of a gantry-type port crane with a carriage or independent carriages with capacity to maneuver these standardized containers by a spreader whose longitudinal axis coincides in direction with the longitudinal axis of the standardized containers (both axes orthogonal to the quay);
• Positioning on the edge of the quay, under the crane and in orthogonal position to the quay of a means of transport with the standardized container to be loaded in the container ship;
• Movement of a carriage under a jib of the crane until it is positioned, with the spreader elevated, on the means of transport—standardized container set;
• With a lifting and lowering means located on the carriage, maneuver of a descent of the spreader until it is fixed and secured to the standardized container;
• releasing of fixings of the standardized container with the means of transport;
• Maneuver of an ascent of the spreader—standardized container set and subsequent forward movement of the carriage under the jib, passing between legs of the crane, until being positioned on a corresponding cell in the container ship;
• With the lifting and lowering means located on the carriage, maneuver of descent of the spreader—standardized container set using vertical guides of the container ship until leaving the standardized container in its final position, now on another standardized container already placed, already on the bottom of the hold;
• subsequently disconnecting of the spreader fixings on the standardized container and fixing of the standardized container in the container ship with stowage elements;
• and
• Maneuver of an ascent of the empty spreader and subsequent backwards movement of the carriage under the jib, passing between the legs of the crane, until it is positioned, with the spreader elevated, on a new means of transport—standardized container set to start again the cycle.