Folding jib main strut and transportable reeved strut caps

A method of transporting and assembling a mobile lift crane, the lift crane comprising, during operation, i) a rotating bed, ii) a boom pivotally mounted on the rotating bed, iii) a luffing jib pivotally mounted to a distal end of the boom, iv) a first strut also pivotally connected to the distal end of the boom, the first strut including a first strut cap, v) a second strut connected to the boom below the connection point of the first strut, the second strut including a second strut cap, and vi) a luffing jib hoist drum and line, the luffing jib hoist drum attached to the rotating bed, the method comprising:

• a) transporting to a job site the first and second strut caps, detached from the first and second struts, with and adjacent to the luffing jib hoist drum, wherein the luffing jib hoist line is reeved through sheaves of the first and second strut caps;
• b) transporting the first and second struts to the job site;
• c) connecting the first strut cap, while reeved to the second strut cap, to the end of the first strut;
• and
• d) connecting the first strut to the distal end of the boom, wherein step d) is executed before step c).

A method of disassembling and transporting a mobile lift crane from a job site, the lift crane comprising, during operation, i) a pair of luffing jib struts including first and second struts that are pivotally connected to the lift crane during operation;

• ii) a cap attached to each first and second strut, each having a plurality of sheaves, and iii) a luffing jib hoist line reeved through the plurality of sheaves of each strut cap, wherein the luffing jib hoist line dead ends on one of the struts or strut caps, the method comprising:
• a) detaching at least one strut cap from a distal end of one of the luffing jib struts;
• b) retracting the luffing jib hoist line until the strut caps are adjacent to each other;
• c) detaching the second strut cap from a distal end of the second strut;
• d) connecting the second strut cap to the first strut cap or to a strut top of the first strut;
• e) connecting a first line to the dead end of the luffing jib hoist line;
• f) retracting the luffing jib hoist line until free of the strut caps and the first line is reeved within the plurality of sheaves of the first and second strut caps;
• and
• g) transporting the first strut and the reeved first and second strut caps together from the job site.

A method of assembling a mobile lift crane, the lift crane comprising, during operation, i) a rotating bed having attached thereto a luffing jib hoist drum and line, and a rigging winch drum and line, ii) a boom pivotally mounted on the rotating bed, iii) a luffing jib pivotally mounted to a distal end of the boom, iv) a first strut also pivotally connected to the distal end of the boom, v) a second strut connected to the boom below the connection point of the first strut, and vi) wherein the first and second struts have respective first and second caps attached thereto, each having a plurality of sheaves, the method comprising:

• a) pivotally connecting the first strut to the distal end of the boom;
• b) pivotally connecting a first section of the second strut to the distal end of the boom adjacent to the first strut;
• c) reeving the luffing jib hoist line through the plurality of sheaves in each of the first and second strut caps;
• d) connecting the rigging winch line to a distal end of the first section after step c) is performed;
• e) pivotally attaching a second section of the second strut to the first section such that the second section lies folded onto the first section, forming a folded second strut;
• and
• f) lifting the second section while retracting the rigging winch line to thereby bring the first and second sections into alignment with each other, wherein lifting the second section comprises lifting, with an assist crane, a raising pendant attached to a strut top of the second section while retracting the rigging winch line to bring the first and second sections into alignment with each other.