Telescoping shuttle for a cargo container handling crane

A vertically telescoping shuttle for a cargo container handling crane having a horizontal gantry supported at an elevated location above container pickup and deposition areas, said crane having independent lifting and lowering apparatus for cargo containers disposed at opposite ends of said gantry and formed for movement therealong, each of said apparatus having a cargo container lifting spreader suspended therefrom for lifting and lowering cargo containers from and to said pickup and deposition areas, said shuttle comprising

• a framework suspended from said gantry and formed for movement along said gantry between the two lifting spreader apparatus, said framework including vertically-disposed tubular guide members,
• a floor in said subframe and formed for receiving cargo containers from said lifting spreaders and transporting said containers on said floor from either of said spreaders to the other irrespective of their positioning along said gantry, and
• an elevator means for raising and lowering said subframe with respect to said framework.

The method of operation of a cargo container handling crane having a horizontal gantry, supported at an elevated location above the container pickup and deposition areas, on which cargo containers are lifted and lowered from and to said pickup and deposition areas independently and simultaneously at locations proximate to opposite ends of said gantry, and said cargo containers are transported between said locations concurrently on an automatic shuttle whereby each cargo container is first lifted from a pickup area at one end of said gantry, transported along said gantry by said automated shuttle, and lowered to a deposition area at the other end of said gantry while other containers are concurrently being lifted, lowered and transported, the method comprising

• performing a portion of the lift and lower cycle by raising and lowering the floor of the shuttle during its horizontal traverse between the lifting and lowering spreaders at opposite ends of the gantry.