Upending and lifting tool
AssigneeItrec B.V.
InventorJeroen Adrianus Joseph DONKERS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To upend and lift an object, e.g. a foundation member of an offshore wind turbine, e.g. a monopole, use is made of an upending and lifting tool, wherein, with the tool suspended from one or more hoisting cables, e.g. from a crane hook of a crane, and with the frame of the tool initially in vertical orientation, a routine is performed which includes operating one or more shifting actuators, thereby moving a cable shifting member and engaging a cable engagement surface with the one or more hoisting cables at a height above a pivot axis. Further continuing this motion of the cable shifting member and thereby applying a cable shifting force on the one or more hoisting cables results, in reaction, in a pivoting of the frame into the horizontal orientation thereof.
Claims15
An upending and lifting tool for upending and lifting an object, the tool being configured to be suspended from one or more hoisting cables, the tool comprising a frame provided with a functional part that is operable for coupling an object to the tool, and the frame being provided with a cable attachment member by means of which the frame of the tool is pivotally connectable to the one or more hoisting cables in order to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis relative to the one or more hoisting cables between:
- a vertical orientation, in which the center of gravity of the frame and the pivot axis are aligned on a vertical line;
- and
- a horizontal orientation, wherein the tool is engageable with the object in a horizontal orientation of the object prior to upending thereof to a vertical orientation thereof by means of the tool,
- wherein in the horizontal orientation of the frame the center of gravity is offset over a horizontal distance from the pivot axis,
- wherein the tool further comprises a cable shifting mechanism, said cable shifting mechanism comprising:
- a cable shifting member mounted to the frame and moveable relative to the frame, the cable shifting member having a cable engagement surface;
- and
- one or more shifting actuators operative between the cable shifting member and the frame,
- wherein the cable shifting mechanism is configured to, with the tool suspended from one or more hoisting cables and with the frame initially in the vertical orientation, perform a routine which comprises:
- operating the one or more shifting actuators, thereby moving the cable shifting member and engaging the cable engagement surface with the one or more hoisting cables at a height above the pivot axis, further continuing said motion of the cable shifting member and thereby applying a cable shifting force on the one or more hoisting cables resulting, in reaction, in a pivoting of the frame into the horizontal orientation thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.