US 7,726,497 B1 · Removable externally mounted slewing crane for shipping containers

Abstract

A slewing crane is assembled and installed at the end of a shipping and stowage container having block-shaped corner fittings. Left and right rotatable mounts engage top corner fittings on the container, and a cross piece section engages the rotatable mounts. A boom section has upper and lower hinges rotatably mounting it on the cross piece section via the hinges' axially aligned pins to extend outwardly from the cross piece section. A hoist on the boom section lifts and moves loads, and first and second displacement mechanisms connected to the boom section linearly displace the hoist and angularly displace the hoist and boom section in a slewing motion around the axis of the axially aligned pins. An element connected between the cross piece section and a corner fitting is tensioned by a turnbuckle to securely engage both rotatable mounts and hold the slewing crane on the container.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus for lifting and moving loads at the end of a shipping and stowage container having block-shaped corner fittings at upper top corners at its ends comprising:

left and right rotatable mounts;
means for detachably coupling said left and right rotatable mounts to separate block-shaped corner fittings at the top of one end of said container;
a cross piece section coupled to said rotatable mounts;
a boom section having upper and lower hinges, said boom section being rotatably mounted on said cross piece section via axially aligned pins of said upper and lower hinges and outwardly extending from said cross piece section;
a hoist mounted on said boom section for lifting and moving engaged loads;
and
first and second displacement mechanisms connected to said boom section for linearly displacing said hoist and angularly displacing said hoist and boom section in a slewing motion around the axis defined by said axially aligned pins, respectively.

4 more elements

A method of lifting and moving loads with a slewing crane at the end of a shipping and stowage container having block-shaped corner fittings at upper top corners at its ends comprising the steps of:

engaging separate block-shaped corner fittings at one end of the container with a separate one of left and right rotatable mounts;
engaging said left rotatable, mount and said right rotatable mount on separate corner fittings with a cross piece section of a slewing crane;
rotatably mounting a boom section having upper and lower hinges on said cross piece section via axially aligned pins of said upper and lower hinges;
outwardly extending said boom section from said cross piece section;
mounting a hoist on said boom section for lifting and moving loads engaged thereby;
linearly displacing said hoist by a first displacement mechanism connected to said boom section;
and
angularly displacing said hoist and boom section in a slewing motion around the axis defined by said axially aligned pins by a second displacement mechanism connected to said boom section.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Removable externally mounted slewing crane for shipping containers

Life of this patent

Removable externally mounted slewing crane for shipping containers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17