Abstract: The present invention relates to a dockside crane for moving cargo between a dock and a water-borne vessel. The crane has an elongated girder extending horizontally over the dock and the vessel. The crane can vertically raise and lower the girder to change its elevation, so as to minimize distance and time travel for the cargo. A trolley moves horizontally on the girder, and has a cargo engaging device which is lowered to and raised from cargo locations on the dock and vessel. The cargo engaging device can be raised sufficiently adjacent to the trolley, and may be held tightly thereagainst, to permit large horizontal accelerations and velocities with virtually no attendant sway of the trolley or cargo. Preferably, paddles extend downwardly from the trolley to beneath the center of gravity of the cargo, to further ensure no sway is encountered.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dockside crane for moving cargo between a dock and a water-borne vessel. The crane has an elongated girder extending horizontally over the dock and the vessel. The crane can vertically raise and lower the girder to change its elevation, so as to minimize distance and time travel for the cargo. A trolley moves horizontally on the girder, and has a cargo engaging device which is lowered to and raised from cargo locations on the dock and vessel. The cargo engaging device can be raised sufficiently adjacent to the trolley, and may be held tightly thereagainst, to permit large horizontal accelerations and velocities with virtually no attendant sway of the trolley or cargo. Advantageously, an operator cab is provided which moves independently of the trolley, so that the operator can view the load from a variety of angles throughout the cargo moving process.

Abstract: The electronic anti-sway system involves two modes, a "LEARN mode" and an "AUTO mode". In the LEARN mode, an experienced operator operates the crane manually while his specific control movements are observed by the inventive system. The movements are stored, along with such parameters as load position as a function of time, and the weight of the load. Preferably, for loads and movement paths which are substantially identical, only the most efficient path produced by the experienced human operator is recorded permanently, less efficient paths being discarded. A library of preferred paths is thus accumulated, preferably with one preferred path for each type of load and source/destination. Thereafter, in the "AUTO mode", an operator may entrust movement of the load to the present system, which causes the load to efficiently and safely traverse an optimum path (with minimum sway) in a minimum period of time. Preferably, various safeguards are provided by the system.

Abstract: Cargo containers are moved between a dock and a ship by a crane which has a vertically movable landing platform, a waterside trolley for moving cargo between the ship and the landing platform, and a landside trolley for moving cargo between the dock and the landing platform. The landing platform is moved to different elevations to change the extent of vertical movement performed on the cargo by each of the tolleys. In the course of operations, the landing platform is movable to an elevation which corresponds approximately to the higher of: (a) the elevation of the designated location on the ship where the article of cargo is to loaded or unloaded, or (b) the elevation of the highest obstacle between the dock and the designated location; and, both trolleys are operated while the landing platform is at this elevation.