Low-profile nested crane
A crane for mounting to a vehicle, comprising a base defining a plane, a column member pivotally connected with respect to the base at a first end, and a column lifting arrangement, configured to adjust an angle of the column member with respect to the plane, wherein the column member is configured to be moved between a retracted position, where the column member lies substantially parallel with the plane defined by the base, through to a fully extended position, where the angle between the column member and the plane defined by the base is greater than 90 degrees.
1 . A crane for mounting to a vehicle, comprising:
a base defining a plane;
a column member pivotally connected with respect to the base at a first end; and,
a column lifting arrangement, configured to adjust an angle of the column member with respect to the plane,
wherein the column member is configured to be moved between a retracted position, where the column member lies substantially parallel with the plane defined by the base, through to a fully extended position, where the angle between the column member and the plane defined by the base is greater than 90 degrees; and
a boom member pivotally connected with respect to the column member at a second end of the column member, and a boom lifting arrangement, configured to adjust an angle of the boom member with respect to the column member, wherein the boom member is configured to be moved between a retracted position, where the boom member lies substantially parallel with the column member, through to a fully extended position, wherein the boom lifting arrangement comprises a pair of hydraulic boom cylinders, wherein first ends of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to an intermediate portion of the column member and wherein second ends of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to an intermediate portion of the boom member, such that extension of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders causes an increase in the angle between the boom member and the column member, and retraction of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders causes a decrease in the angle between the boom member and the column member, and
wherein the column member comprises parallel left and right web members and where the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are positioned adjacent to one another with the first ends of the pair of hydraulic coom cylinders located between the left and right web members, and wherein the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are configured such that when the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are fully retracted, the boom and column members are able to be positioned alongside each other in a substantially parallel relationship, with the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders configured to nest substantially between the left and right web members and the boom member.
2 . The crane as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the angle between a fully extended column member and the plane defined by the base is approximately 100 degrees.
3 . The crane as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the column lifting arrangement comprises a pair of hydraulic column cylinders, wherein first ends of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to the base about an axis parallel to and spaced apart from that an axis about which the column member is pivotally connected with respect to the base, and wherein second ends of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to the second end of the column member, such that extension of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders causes an increase in the angle between the column member and the plane, and retraction of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders causes a decrease in the angle between the column member and the plane.
4 . The crane as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the pair of hydraulic column cylinders are double acting.
5 . The crane as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the angle between the fully extended boom member and the column member is approximately 85 degrees.
6 . The crane as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are double acting.
7 . The crane as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the boom member comprises a main section to which the column member and the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders pivotally depend.
8 . The crane as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the boom member further comprises a plurality of telescoping sections, wherein the furthest telescoping section terminates in a boom head.
9 . A vehicle comprising a body and a crane as claimed in claim 1 , mounted to the body of the vehicle.
10 . The vehicle as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the base of the crane is configured to be rotated with respect to the body of the vehicle.
11 . A crane for mounting to a vehicle, the crane comprising:
a base defining a plane;
a column member pivotally connected with respect to the base at a first end;
a boom member pivotally connected with respect to the column member at a second end of the column member;
a column lifting arrangement, configured to adjust an angle of the column member with respect to the plane; and
a boom lifting arrangement, configured to adjust an angle of the boom member with respect to the column member,
wherein the crane is able to be moved between a collapsed configuration, where the column member lies substantially parallel with the plane defined by the base and the boom member lies substantially parallel with the column member, and through to a range of operational configurations where the angle between the column member and the plane defined by the base is anywhere between approximately 0 and 100 degrees and the angle between the boom member and column member is anywhere between approximately 0 and 85 degrees,
wherein the boom lifting arrangement comprises a pair of hydraulic boom cylinders, wherein first ends of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to an intermediate portion of the column member and wherein second ends of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to an intermediate portion of the boom member, such that extension of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders causes an increase in the angle between the boom member and the column member, and retraction of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders causes a decrease in the angle between the boom member and the column member, and
wherein the column member comprises parallel left and right web members and where the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are positioned adjacent to one another with the first ends of the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders located between the left and right web members, and wherein the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are configured such that when the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders are fully retracted, the boom and column members are able to be positioned alongside each other in a substantially parallel relationship, with the pair of hydraulic boom cylinders configured to nest substantially between the left and right web members and the boom member.
12 . The crane as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the column lifting arrangement comprises a pair of hydraulic column cylinders, wherein first ends of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to the base about an axis parallel to and spaced apart from an axis about which the column member is pivotally connected with respect to the base, and wherein second ends of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders are pivotally connected with respect to the second end of the column member, such that extension of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders causes an increase in the angle between the column member and the plane, and retraction of the pair of hydraulic column cylinders causes a decrease in the angle between the column member and the plane.