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Gantry Cranes
Gantry cranes are modifications of traveling cranes and are generally
used outdoors where it is not convenient to erect on overhead runway.
The bridge (Fig. 10.4.14) is carried at the ends by the legs a, supported
by trucks with wheels so that the crane can travel. As with the traveling
crane, the bridge carries a hoisting unit; a cover to protect the
machinery from the weather is often used. The crane is driven by motor
b through a gear reduction to shaft c, which drives the vertical shafts d
through bevel gears. Bevel and spur gear reduction connect the axel of
the wheels with shafts d. Many gantry cranes are built without the cross
shaft, employing separate motor, brakes, and gear reducers at each end
of the crane. Gantry cranes are made in the same sizes as standard
traveling cranes.
Gantry cranes, bridge cranes, and overhead cranes, are all types of
cranes which lift objects by a hoist which is fitted in a hoist trolley and
can move horizontally on a rail or pair of rails fitted under a beam. An
overhead travelling crane, also known as an overhead crane or as a
suspended crane, has the ends of the supporting beam, the gantry,
resting on wheels running on rails at high level, usually on the parallel
side walls of a factory or similar large industrial building, so that the
whole crane can move the length of the building, while the hoist can be
moved to and from across the width of the building. A gantry crane or
portal crane has a similar mechanism supported by uprights, usually
with wheels at the foot of the uprights allowing the whole crane to
traverse. Some portal cranes may have only a fixed gantry, particularly
when they are lifting loads such as railway cargoes that are already
easily moved beneath them. Overhead crane and gantry crane are
particularly suited to lifting very heavy objects and huge gantry cranes
have been used for shipbuilding where the crane straddles the ship
allowing massive objects like ships' engines to be lifted and moved over
the ship. Two famous gantry cranes built in 1974 and 1969 respectively,
are Samson and Goliath, which reside in the largest dry docking the
world in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Each crane has a span of 140 meters
and can lift loads of up to 840tonnesto a height of 70 meters, making a
combined lifting capacity of over 1,600 tones, one of the largest in the
world. However; gantry cranes are also available running on rubber tires
so that tracks are not needed, and small gantry cranes can be used in
workshops, for example for lifting automobile engines out of vehicles.
Samson and Goliath are now retained in Belfast as historic monuments
under Article 3 of the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects
(Northern Ireland). A ship-to-shore rail mounted gantry crane is a
specialized version of the gantry crane in which the horizontal gantry
rails and their supporting beam are cantilevered out from between
frame uprights spaced to suit the length of a standard freight container,
so that the beam supporting the rails projects over a quay side and over
the width of an adjacent ship allowing the hoist to lift containers from
the quay and move out along the rails to place the containers on the
ship. The uprights have wheels which run in track allowing the crane to
move along the quay to
position the containers at any point on the length of the ship. The first
version of these cranes were designed and manufactured by paceco
corporation. They were called Portainers and become so popular that
the term Portainer is commonly used as a generic term refer to all – to
shore rail mounted gantry cranes.
Workstation gantry cranes
Workstation gantry cranes are used to lift and transport smaller items
around a working area in a factory or machine shop. Some workstation
gantry cranes are equipped with an enclosed track, while others use an
I beam, or other extruded shapes, for the running surface. Most
workstation gantry cranes are intended to be stationary when loaded,
and mobile when unloaded. Work station Gantry Crane can be Outfitted
with either a wire rope hoist as shown in the above hoist picture.
Gantry cranes, bridge cranes, and overhead cranes, are all types of
cranes which lift objects by a hoist which is fitted in a hoist trolley and
can move horizontally on a rail or pair of rails fitted under a beam.
An over head traveling crane, also known as an overhead crane or as a
suspended crane has the ends of the supporting beam, the gantry,
resting on wheels running on rails at high level, usually on the parallel
side walls of a factory or similar large industrial building, so that the
whole carne can move the length of the building, while the hoist can be
moved to and from across the width of the building. A gantry crane or
portal crane has a similar mechanism supported by uprights, usually
with wheels at the foot of the uprights allowing the whole crane to
traverse. Some portal carne may have only a fixed gantry, particularly
when they are lifting loads such as railways cargoes that are already
easily moved beneath them.
Types of gantry cranes
Container crane
A ship-to-shore rail mounted g
crane in which the horizontal
vered out from between frame
rd freight container, so that th
side and over the width of an a
ners from the quay and move o
ship. The uprights have wheel
e along the quay to position th
p. The first versions of these c
eco Corporation They were ca
e term Portainer is commonly
re rail mounted gantry cranes.
Workstation gantry cranes
Workstation gantry cranes are used to lift and transport smaller items
aroun
a working area in a factory or machine shop. Some workstation gantry
cran
are equipped with an enclosed track, while others use an I-beam, or
other
extruded shapes, for the running surface. Most workstation gantry
cranes a
intended to be stationary when loaded, and mobile when unloaded.
Workstation Gantry Cranes can be outfitted with either a Wire Rope
hoist as
shown in the above hoist (device) picture or a lower capacity Chain
Hoist.
Adjustable Height
An adjustable-height gantry crane has grooves on the support
horizontal beams fits into the grooves to adjust the hoist to re
heights. These gantry cranes are equipped with wheels or caste
objects to different heights in construction and in other industries.
Single Girder
A single-girder gantry crane lifts heavy objects in small manufacturing
and warehouses. These gantry cranes are equipped with wheels that c
fixed in different areas of a factory. The height of the hoist fastened und
girder in a single-girder gantry crane is lower than that of a double-
crane. A single-girder gantry crane has lateral braces for added strength.
Double Girder
Double-girde
objects than
horizontal b
under the ho
girder crane.
Types of cranes
There are different
tures and specific uses. So
Stationary Cranes
(i)Jib crane
(ii)Overhead Tra
(iii)Gantry crane
Stationary Revolving Cr
(i)Wharf crane
(ii)Pillar crane
(iii)Tower crane
Mobile Cranes
(i)Truck/wagon
(ii)Crawler crane
(iii)Railway/Loco
(iv)Floating crane
Gantry Cranes
nition, Characteristics and U
Gantry cranes have a girde
head travelling crane, except t
h run on fixed rails or runway
manually or through motor.
The characteristics of a gantry crane are :
(i)Can be used indoors or outdoors.
(ii)Relatively easy to change its location.
(iii)Simple operation.
(iv)Long life and low maintenance.
These crane are used for loading and unloading carriers, outdoor s
unit or even bulk materials where movement is short. These cranes
serve
are used where installation of a bridge crane is not possible. Limitation
o
movement and capacities up to a maximum of 300 te.
Types of gantry crane
A few types of gantry cranes are possible based mainly on the de
(i)Fixed gantry crane whose both legs are fixed on floor
(ii)Portable gantry crane in which both legs are fitted with sm
plain floor. These are generally of small capacity up to 3 te.
Semi-gantry or single leg gantry crane is a gantry crane with one end of
the bri
rigidly supported on one or more movable legs supported on fixed rail
or runway, th
end of the bridge being supported by a truck running on an elevated rail
or runway.
Cantilever gantry crane in which the bridge girder is extended beyon
on one or both sides. Its runway may be either on the ground or elevat
Fig. 8.5.13 shows photograph of a large capacity outdoor gantry crane.