Design Challenge - March 2010

POPE DESIGN

The crane caddie could be used on many old or new large-capacity crane designs that require assembly and disassembly for transport. The system enables components to be unloaded on a quiet side street and then assembled at the staging site on a busier street, without the use of other cranes or rigging forklifts that might require the busy street to be closed while the main crane is being erected.

It consists of two straddle carriers, each of which can individually spread apart or come together using a telescopic frame powered by a hydraulic ram. With another hydraulic ram on each side, this straddle frame can also be raised and lowered, enabling each carrier to pick up, transport and put down crane components weighing up to 80 tons (160 tons when in combination mode).

The crane caddie is trailered to the work site while mounted on the decked rotating bed and carbody assembly. Once the crane has been fully assembled, the caddie is stored on the crane itself, becoming part of the upper counterweights.

The crane caddie has a four-bogie suspension system (eight in total) that provides excellent ground contact and traction for off-road conditions. It could therefore be used to unload crane sections in an area accessible to on-highway tractor trailers, before carrying them for assembly at a remote rough-terrain staging site.

Each straddle carrier has four compact 40hp air-cooled diesel-electric engines (two on each side) for a total of 160hp. With eight wheels and electric traction motors per straddle carrier, each wheel assembly is able to rotate 360°, enabling travel in any direction.

As the entire crane caddie system is remote controlled, it allows for crane assembly and disassembly with a minimum of only three crane rigging workers. In fact, most of the crane could be assembled without the need for a certified crane operator who would normally be required to assemble and raise the boom. It also cuts down on the amount of transport trailers, as no extra rigging cranes or forklifts are needed.

More images from Pope Design

* Click on a thumbnail below to view a larger image.

BIOGRAPHY

I would have to say just about 100% of my Matchbox and Tonka toys were trucks and construction equipment. Basically I have been fascinated with heavy equipment for as long as I can remember.  I received a B.S. for Industrial design at University of Bridgeport and I have been an industrial designer for 15 years. The last 12 of those years have been specializing in heavy equipment. I have worked on projects for several different OEM’s while I was employed at Teague and later as a design consultant. I’ve had the pleasure to work on projects from a 400 ton dump truck to a powered wheelchair. I also have a bad habit of designing conceptual construction in my spare time.

CONTACT DETAILS

Email: contact@pope-design.net

Tel: +1 201 343 9065