Ballasting device for a crane

A ballasting device for a 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 designed to be connected, during use, to a handling device that provides a nonpermanent connection, by hooking, between the gripper and a ballast block, and also centers stacked ballast blocks relative to one another, wherein the handling device comprises:

• two opposed gripping hooks mounted pivotably, about horizontal pins, in 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 a hoisting cable, each gripping hook provided with a lock that is borne by the lifting beam and designed to temporarily keep a corresponding gripping hook in a position in which the transverse pin is released.