WELCOME to the Port of Visakhapatnam, the Gateway to the East Coast of India.

It plays a crucial role as the middle point distribution base for Southern, Eastern, Central and Northern states of India. Described as the Brightest Jewel of all Indian major ports for its outstanding performance and productivity, Visakhapatnam Port serves as a catalyst in spurring domestic and international trade.
he need for a port in this part of the country was emphasised as early as in 1858 in a report of a British Survey Party. This was underlined in the report titled Vizag, the Port of central Provinces (1877). Mr. E.S. Thomas, while submitting the proposals for creation of the port in 1872 described it as the most natural and most easily formed port on the east coast of India. The daughter of Sir Arthur Cotton described the Harbour as a natural outlet for northern India by a direct railway to Allahabad and observed the location as a strategic point on the eastern coast where incomparably the `best harbour can be made by a single break-water run out from the bold promontory of the Dolphins Nose. It was only in 1914 that the proposal for construction of a harbour at Visakhapatnam was initiated by the then Bengal Nagpur Railway and in 1922 a proposal of Col. H. Cartwright Reid of British Admiralty for the construction of a harbour at the mouth of river Meghadrigedda was adopted. The construction work which started in 1927 continued upto 1933 and the first commercial vessel S.S. JALADURGA of M/s. Scindia Steam Navigation Co., entered the Port on the 7th October, 1933 providing initially a sea outlet for Manganese Ore. The Saga of the construction of the harbour particularly forming of entrance channel, sinking of two old ships `JANUS and `WELLESDONE to form break-water instead of building a wall in the sea were all feats in engineering and are subjects of discussion even today. Mr.W.C. Ash and Mr. D.B. Ratternberry were the Engineers who played prominent role in constructing this beautiful harbour. The port was formally inaugurated by His Excellency Lord Willingdon, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India on 19th Dec. 1933. Nestling among a chain of hills, the Vizag harbour is really one of the wonders of the nature, as if it has been intended by God that a man in this area must benefit by a very safe anchorage to ships. The entrance channel is protected by, two massive rock hills, namely Dolphins Nose on the Southern side and Ross Hill on the Northern side and these two hills shelter a bay which possessed sufficient depth for the ships which were engaged in sea trade upto 1950s. The high promontory of the Dolphins Nose hill into the sea provides protection from cyclones which strike the East Coast. The low tidal range of a maximum of 1.82 mtrs., is also advantageous for the location of the Port. The existence of this natural harbour has transformed the sleepy fisherman village once called as `Vizag into one of the fastest growing industrial cities of the world. The Port has striking similarities with Durban Port of Africa in the sense that the later is also surrounded by a hill on the South Side. It is due to this reason that Engineer Mr. W.C. Ash studied Durban Port before developing this Port. Mr. Chalapathi Rao, one of the famour writers described the Docks and Harbour works of this Port as `PICASSOs cubist pictures. The port Administration which was under Bengal-Nagpur Railway in 1933 passed through different departments and Ministries of the Government. of India till its transfer to the Port Trust in Feb. 1964 under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 as shown below: 1926-35 1935-37 1937-42 1042-44 1944-46 1946-56 1956-64 RAILWAY BOARD COMMERCIAL DEPT. COMMUNICATIONS DEPT WAR TRANSPORT DEPT DEFENCE (WAR) DEPT BENGAL NAGPUR RLY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT

1964-FEB

TRUST, UNDER MPT ACT

When opened for sea going vessels in 1933, the port had only three berths with a cargo handling capacity of 0.3 million tonnes. The chronological events of developments are described in the succeeding paras. 1951-61: During this period, three jetty berths and one quay berth (EQ.4) were constructed. One transit shed (T-5) was built and T-1 was upgraded. To enable M/s. Caltex (renamed as M/s. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.) to establish a refinery and to facilitate discharging crude oil and pumping petroleum products direct to/from the storage tanks, an oil wharf consisting two oil berths was constructed in 1957. During 1950s, slings and pallets for cargo loading/unloading were introduced which were later augmented and replaced by grabs. Electrical wharf cranes of 3 tonne capacity, fork-lift-trucks of 1 to 3 tonne capacity and a floating crane of 30 tonne capacity were procured during the 1950s. A selfpropelled 150 tonne floating crane, Bheema the first of its kind in major ports was added to the fleet of craft. Facilities for discharge/pumping of mineral oils, through pipelines, direct to the storage tanks of the refinery were introduced in 1957. 1961-71: In tune with the deployment of specialized ships for specific cargo and to fulfil the long term agreement entered by the Government of India for exporting Bailadilla ore to Japan, two captive berths were added in 1965. In order to meet the long term ore export commitments to Japan, the system of loading iron ore by semi-mechanised means was dispensed with. A Mechanical ore handling plant to load iron ore at the rate of 8000 TPH the first of its kind in the Indian Port Sector and acclaimed as `Gem of Automation was built in 1965. In response to requirements projected by a private fertilizer factory M/s. Coromandel Fertilisers Ltd., a captive berth for unloading fertilizers was constructed in the year and leased out way back in 1967 and thius earned the reputation of the first major port to introduce the concept of privatization. Mechanised facilities for discharging fertilizer raw materials through conveyors were introduced in 1968. Also, two multi-purpose cargo berths were commissioned during 1966-68 to meet increasing trade demand. 1971-81: The closure of the Suez canal in the mid sixties necessitated the deployment of deep draft tankers in the global shipping. To meet this challenge, an oil mooring was developed in 1976 to accommodate large crude ships. In consonance with the changing technological trends in shipping and transportation systems, an outer port was commissioned in 1976 to accommodate ships of size 150,000 DWT at a cost of about Rs.110 crores, which stands out as the biggest expansion programme of the Indian Port Sector during the firth five year plan. The outer port construction gave further fillip to the cargo throughput and in the succeeding years, the cargo throughput at outer port dominated the founding port (inner port). The primary objective of the outer port was to provide an outlet for export of iron ore through deep draft bulk carriers. 1981-91: As a response to the increasing trading of oil by large crude carriers, an off shore tanker terminal to accommodate crude tankers upto 150,000 DWT was commissioned in 1985. In conformity with the increasing trading of bulk carriers of 50,000 to 85,000 DWT, a General-cum-Bulk cargo berth to cater to ships upto 60,000 DWT was commissioned in 1985. 1991-2001: Keeping in view the changing needs of sea transportation system, the old jetties were converted into a regular quay berth with more apron width in 1992 and 1994 to facilitate installation of heavier loads. A multi-purpose berth to cater to ships upto 11 mtrs. Draft was commissioned on 30.7.1995. An exclusive and specialized terminal for discharging LPG from gas carriers at the outer harbour was constructed in 2001.

2001-2006 Berths: The first BOT project - Container terminal at outer harbour - commenced its operation in June, 2003 which was concessioned to Visakha Container Terminal P Ltd.,- A Joint venture company owned by Dubai Port International and J.M. Baxi (P) Limited. Two new berths in the extended Northern arm of Inner Harbour (EQ.8 & EQ.9) were developed on BOT basis by M/s.Vizag Sea Port Pvt. Ltd., a Joint Venture between Portia Management Services, U.K. & M/s.Gammon India Ltd., Mumbai and commissioned during 1994 and 1995. One multi purpose berth WQ-7 in the inner harbour was commissioned on 29th July 2005 by Honble Minister for Shipping , Road Transport and High ways. Other facilities : One 50 tonne BP tug was commissioned in the year 2000-01. Ten No.s of 15 Tonne Electric Wharf cranes were commissioned in 2001. Mechanised dust suppression system designed and erected by MECONS was commissioned on 5th June 2002. One rail mounted stacker of 2700 TPH capacity was commissioned on 28th May, 2003. One No. fire float of Agni Class-I was commissioned on 2nd September, 2003. Four wharf cranes of 20 Tonne were commissioned in 2004-05. One FRP launch was commissioned on 2nd January, 2005. One dredger built by M/s. Hindutan Shipyard Ltd., was commissioned on 9th Feb. 2005. Information Technology was introduced into port operations 1 st. April, 2002.

HARBOUR FACILITIES

INNER HARBOUR Panamax 100 210 up to 195 11.00 32.26 45,000 18

FACILITY

OUTER HARBOUR

10.70 32.50

Water spread 200 (Hectares) LOA up to 280 (Mts.) Draft (on high tide) 17 (Mts.) Beam 48 (Mts.) D.W.T. 1,50,000 Berths 6

BERTHING FACILITIES
INNER HARBOR NORTHERN ARM - EAST SIDE Quay Berths Berth length (Mtrs) East Quay-1 Permissible beam (Mtrs) 167.64

Permissible draft (Mtrs)

32.50

Crane deployment
10.06

4 Nos. 15T. wharf Cr

East East East East East East East * East *

Quay-2 Quay-3 Quay-4 Quay-5 Quay-6 Quay-7 Quay-8 Quay-9

167.64 167.64 231.00 167.64 182.90 255.00 255.00 255.00

32.50 32.50 32.50 32.50 32.50 32.50 32.50 32.50

10.06 10.06 10.06 10.21 10.21 11.00 11.00 11.00

4 4 4 4 3 4

Nos. Nos. Nos. Nos. Nos. Nos.

10T. 10T. 15T. 15T. 10T. 20T.

wharf wharf wharf wharf wharf wharf

Cr Cr Cr Cr Cr Cr

3 Nos. 104T. Harbou mobile cranes of B.O Operator

* Awarded to B.O.T. Operator M/s. Vizag Seaport Pvt. Ltd.

INNER HARBOUR NORTHERN ARM - WEST SIDE

Quay Berths West Quay-1 West Quay-2 West Quay-3 West Quay-4 West Quay-5 RE WQ-1

Berth length (Mtrs) 212.00 226.70 201.12 243.00 241.70 170.00

Permissible beam 32.50 32.50 32.50 32.50 32.50 25.00

(Mtrs)

Permissible draft 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 8.00

INNER HARBOUR NORTH WESTERN ARM

Quay Berths Fertiliser berth Oil Refinery Berth-1@ Oil Refinery Berth-2@ @ Berth length (Mtrs) 173.13 183.00 183.00 Permissible beam (Mtrs) 32.50 32.50 32.50

Permissible draft ( 10.06 10.06 9.75

Subject to a max. 195 Mts. at one of the two berths

OUTER HARBOUR
Berth Ore Berth-1 Ore Berth-2 Oil Mooring General Cargo Berth Offshore Tanker Terminal Berth length (Mtrs) 270.00 270.00 250.00 356.00 408.00 Permissible beam (Mtrs) 48.00 48.00 48.00 42.00 48.00 Permissible draft (Mtrs) 16.50 on rising tide of 0.3 Mtrs. 16.50 15.00 14.5 0 on rising tide of 0.5 Mtrs. 17.00 on rising tide of 0.5 Mtrs.

L.P.G. CONTAINER TERMINAL** **

370.92 451.00

42.00 42.00

13.00 14.50

Operated by

M/s. Visakha Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd.

BALLAST DRAFT REQUIREMENT

To avoid delay for Berthing, Shifting or Sailing of your Vessel, you are requested to maintain minimum ballast draft with propeller fully submerged as indicated below. BALLAST DRAFT REQUIREMENT FOR INNER HARBOUR BALLAST DRAFT REQUIREMENT FOR OUTER HARBOUR Propeller should be fully submerged. Trim not greater than 3.0 m by stern. Minimum draft forward should be as given below

Propeller should be fully submerged. Trim not greater than 2.5 m by stern. Minimum draft forward should be as given below

(In Meters) DRAFT LOA DRAFT FORWARD LOA FORWARD 150 2.5 220 4.5 160 3.0 230 5.0 170 3.5 240 5.5 180 4.0 250 6.0 190 4.5 260 6.5 195 5.0 270 7.0 280 7.5 Whenever smaller vessels are berthed at Outer Harbour, the Inner Harbour draft requirement should be adhered to
Your attention is drawn to the Section 42 of Visakhapatnam Port Trust Dock Regulations, 1971, which reads as follows:

MASTERS, ETC., OF VESSELS RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE

Masters and Owners of Vessels shall be held liable for any damage whatsoever that shall have been caused by their vessels or servants to any of the works or property of the Board and Board reserves the right to detain their vessels in Port until security has been given for

the amount of damage caused. Further, you are hereby informed that the Tugs employed for shipping in this Port are normally Tractor /Twin Screw Tugs, the propellers of which are turning at a very high speed. If the Tow Lines of the Tugs engaged by the ship is damaged or if the Tug has its propeller fouled or sustained any other damages, you may be held responsible for the same.

Deputy Conservator

Material Handling is the movement, storage, control and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal. The focus is on the methods, mechanical equipment, systems and related controls used to achieve these functions. The material handling industry manufactures and distributes the equipment and services required to implement material handling systems. Material handling systems range from simple pallet rack and shelving projects, to complex conveyor belt and Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS). Material handling equipment is all equipment that relates to the movement, storage, control and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal. Material handling equipment is the mechanical equipment involved in the complete system. Material handling equipment is generally separated into four main categories; Storage and Handling Equipment, Engineered Systems, Industrial Trucks and Bulk Material Handling.

Types of Material Handling Equipment

[edit] Storage and Handling Equipment
Storage and handling equipment is a category within the material handling industry. The equipment that falls under this description is usually non-automated storage equipment. Products such as Pallet rack, shelving, carts, etc. belong to storage and handling. Many of these products are often referred to as "catalog" items because they generally have globally accepted standards and are often sold as stock materials out of Material handling catalogs.

[edit] Engineered Systems

Engineered systems are typically custom engineered material handling systems. Conveyors, Handling Robots, AS/RS, AGV and most other automated material handling systems fall into this category. Engineered systems are often a combination of products integrated to one system. Many distribution centers will optimize storage and picking by utilizing engineered systems such as pick modules and sortation systems.

Equipment and utensils used for processing or otherwise handling edible product or ingredients must be of such material and construction to facilitate thorough cleaning and to ensure that their use will not cause the adulteration of product during processing, handling, or storage. Equipment and utensils must be maintained in sanitary condition so as not to adulterate product.

[edit] Industrial Trucks

Industrial trucks usually refer to operator driven motorized warehouse vehicles. Industrial trucks assist the material handling system with versatility; they can go where engineered systems cannot. Forklift trucks are the most common example of industrial trucks but certainly aren't the extent of the category. Tow tractors and stock chasers are additional examples of industrial trucks.

[edit] Bulk Material Handling

Bulk material handling equipment is used to move and store bulk materials such as ore, liquids, and cereals. This equipment is often seen on farms, mines, shipyards and refineries. This category is also explained in Bulk material handling.

Types of Material Handling Equipment

[edit] Storage and Handling Equipment
Storage and handling equipment is a category within the material handling industry. The equipment that falls under this description is usually non-automated storage equipment. Products such as Pallet rack, shelving, carts, etc. belong to storage and handling. Many of these products are often referred to as "catalog" items because they generally have globally accepted standards and are often sold as stock materials out of Material handling catalogs.

[edit] Engineered Systems

Engineered systems are typically custom engineered material handling systems. Conveyors, Handling Robots, AS/RS, AGV and most other automated material handling systems fall into this category. Engineered systems are often a combination of products integrated to one system. Many distribution centers will optimize storage and picking by utilizing engineered systems such as pick modules and sortation systems.

Equipment and utensils used for processing or otherwise handling edible product or ingredients must be of such material and construction to facilitate thorough cleaning and to ensure that their use will not cause the adulteration of product during processing, handling, or storage. Equipment and utensils must be maintained in sanitary condition so as not to adulterate product.

[edit] Industrial Trucks

Industrial trucks usually refer to operator driven motorized warehouse vehicles. Industrial trucks assist the material handling system with versatility; they can go where engineered systems cannot. Forklift trucks are the most common example of industrial trucks but certainly aren't the extent of the category. Tow tractors and stock chasers are additional examples of industrial trucks.

[edit] Bulk Material Handling

Bulk material handling equipment is used to move and store bulk materials such as ore, liquids, and cereals. This equipment is often seen on farms, mines, shipyards and refineries. This category is also explained in Bulk material handling.
You can support Wikipedia by making a tax-deductible donation.

Crane (machine)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search

A modern crawler type derrick crane with outriggers. The latticed boom is fitted with a jib.

An old manual crane with a pivoted boom. The incline of the boom is controlled by means of chains, sprockets and gears.

A crane is a lifting machine, generally equipped with a winder (also called a wire rope drum), wire ropes or chains and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of a human. Cranes are commonly employed in the transport industry for the loading and unloading of freight, in the construction industry for the movement of materials and in the manufacturing industry for the assembling of heavy equipment.

Contents
[hide]

1 Overview 2 History o 2.1 In Ancient Greece o 2.2 In Ancient Rome o 2.3 In the Middle Ages 2.3.1 Structure and placement 2.3.2 Mechanics and operation 2.3.3 Harbor usage 3 Mechanical principles o 3.1 Lifting capacity o 3.2 Stability 4 Types o 4.1 Mobile o 4.2 Fixed 5 Similar machines 6 Special examples 7 See also o 7.1 Related ideas 8 References o 8.1 Further reading

9 External links

[edit] Overview

Fireplace crane

Cranes were used domestically since ancient times. The chimney or fireplace crane was used to swing pots and kettles over the fire and the height was adjusted by a trammel. The same principles used in this piece of hearth equipment are to be found in harbour and tower cranes. [1]

Harbor cranes loading cargo on a ship at the Mundra Port in India

The first construction cranes were probably invented by the Ancient Greeks and were powered by men or beasts of burden, such as donkeys. These cranes were used for the construction of tall buildings. Larger cranes were later developed, employing the use of human treadwheels, permitting the lifting of heavier weights. In the High Middle Ages, harbour cranes were introduced to load and unload ships and assist with their construction some were built into stone towers for extra strength and stability. The earliest cranes were constructed from wood, but cast iron and steel took over with the coming of the Industrial Revolution.

For many centuries, power was supplied by the physical exertion of men or animals, although hoists in watermills and windmills could be driven by the harnessed natural power. The first 'mechanical' power was provided by steam engines, the earliest steam crane being introduced in the 18th or 19th century, with many remaining in use well into the late 20th century. Modern cranes usually use internal combustion engines or electric motors and hydraulic systems to provide a much greater lifting capability than was previously possible, although manual cranes are still utilised where the provision of power would be uneconomic. Cranes exist in an enormous variety of forms each tailored to a specific use. Sizes range from the smallest jib cranes, used inside workshops, to the tallest tower cranes, used for constructing high buildings, and the largest floating cranes, used to build oil rigs and salvage sunken ships. This article also covers lifting machines that do not strictly fit the above definition of a crane, but are generally known as cranes, such as stacker cranes and loader cranes.

[edit] History
[edit] In Ancient Greece

Greco-Roman Trispastos ("Three-pulley-crane"), the simplest crane type (150 kg load)

Greco-Roman Pentaspastos ("Five-pulley-crane"), a medium-sized variant (ca. 450 kg load)

The crane for lifting heavy loads was invented by the Ancient Greeks in the late 6th century BC.[2] The archaeological record shows that no later than c.515 BC distinctive cuttings for both lifting tongs and lewis irons begin to appear on stone blocks of Greek temples. Since these holes point at the use of a lifting device, and since they are to be found either above the center of gravity of the block, or in pairs equidistant from a point over the center of gravity, they are regarded by archaeologists as the positive evidence required for the existence of the crane.[2] The introduction of the winch and pulley hoist soon lead to a widespread replacement of ramps as the main means of vertical motion. For the next two hundred years, Greek building sites witnessed a sharp drop in the weights handled, as the new lifting technique made the use of several smaller stones more practical than of fewer larger ones. In contrast to the archaic period with its tendency to ever-increasing block sizes, Greek temples of the classical age like the Parthenon invariably featured stone blocks weighing less than 15-20 tons. Also, the practice of erecting large monolithic columns was practically abandoned in favour of using several column drums.[3] Although the exact circumstances of the shift from the ramp to the crane technology remain unclear, it has been argued that the volatile social and political conditions of Greece were more suitable to the employment of small, professional construction teams than of large bodies of unskilled labour, making the crane more preferable to the Greek polis than the more labourintensive ramp which had been the norm in the autocratic societies of Egypt or Assyria.[3] The first unequivocal literary evidence for the existence of the compound pulley system appears in the Mechanical Problems (Mech. 18, 853a32-853b13) attributed to Aristotle (384-322 BC), but perhaps composed at a slightly later date. Around the same time, block sizes at Greek temples began to match their archaic predecessors again, indicating that the more sophisticated compound pulley must have found its way to Greek construction sites by then.[4]
[edit] In Ancient Rome

Reconstruction of a 10.4m high Roman Polyspastos at Bonn, Germany (I)

The heyday of the crane in ancient times came during the Roman Empire, when construction activity soared and buildings reached enormous dimensions. The Romans adopted the Greek crane and developed it further. We are relatively well informed about their lifting techniques, thanks to rather lengthy accounts by the engineers Vitruvius (De Architectura 10.2, 1-10) and Heron of Alexandria (Mechanica 3.2-5). There are also two surviving reliefs of Roman

treadwheel cranes, with the Haterii tombstone from the late first century AD being particularly detailed. The simplest Roman crane, the Trispastos, consisted of a single-beam jib, a winch, a rope, and a block containing three pulleys. Having thus a mechanical advantage of 3:1, it has been calculated that a single man working the winch could raise 150 kg (3 pulleys x 50 kg = 150), assuming that 50 kg represent the maximum effort a man can exert over a longer time period. Heavier crane types featured five pulleys (Pentaspastos) or, in case of the largest one, a set of three by five pulleys (Polyspastos) and came with two, three or four masts, depending on the maximum load. The Polyspastos, when worked by four men at both sides of the winch, could already lift 3000 kg (3 ropes x 5 pulleys x 4 men x 50 kg = 3000 kg). In case the winch was replaced by a treadwheel, the maximum load even doubled to 6000 kg at only half the crew, since the treadwheel possesses a much bigger mechanical advantage due to its larger diameter. This meant that, in comparison to the construction of the Egyptian Pyramids, where about 50 men were needed to move a 2.5 ton stone block up the ramp (50 kg per person), the lifting capability of the Roman Polyspastos proved to be 60 times higher (3000 kg per person).[5] However, numerous extant Roman buildings which feature much heavier stone blocks than those handled by the Polyspastos indicate that the overall lifting capability of the Romans went far beyond that of any single crane. At the temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, for instance, the architrave blocks weigh up to 60 tons each, and the corner cornices blocks even over 100 tons, all of them raised to a height of about 19 m.[4] In Rome, the capital block of Trajan's Column weighs 53.3 tons, which had to be lifted to a height of about 34 m.[6] It is assumed that Roman engineers lifted these extraordinary weights by two measures: First, as suggested by Heron, a lifting tower was set up, whose four masts were arranged in the shape of a quadrangle with parallel sides, not unlike a siege tower, but with the column in the middle of the structure (Mechanica 3.5).[7] Second, a multitude of capstans were placed on the ground around the tower, for, although having a lower leverage ratio than treadwheels, capstans could be set up in higher numbers and run by more men (and, moreover, by draught animals).[8] This use of multiple capstans is also described by Ammianus Marcellinus (17.4.15) in connection with the lifting of the Lateranense obelisk in the Circus Maximus (ca. 357 AD). The maximum lifting capability of a single capstan can be established by the number of lewis iron holes bored into the monolith. In case of the Baalbek architrave blocks, which weigh between 55 and 60 tons, eight extant holes suggest an allowance of 7.5 ton per lewis iron, that is per capstan.[9] Lifting such heavy weights in a concerted action required a great amount of coordination between the work groups applying the force to the capstans.

[edit] In the Middle Ages

Small-scale reconstruction of the medieval gantry crane at Brugge harbor

Medieval port crane with building overhanging in the former Hanse town of Danzig.

During the High Middle Ages, the treadwheel crane was reintroduced on a large scale after the technology had fallen into disuse in western Europe with the demise of the Western Roman Empire.[10] The earliest reference to a treadwheel (magna rota) reappears in archival literature in France about 1225,[11] followed by an illuminated depiction in a manuscript of probably also French origin dating to 1240.[10] In navigation, the earliest uses of harbor cranes are documented for Utrecht in 1244, Antwerp in 1263, Brugge in 1288 and Hamburg in 1291,[12] while in England the treadwheel is not recorded before 1331.[13] Generally, vertical transport could be done more safely and inexpensively by cranes than by customary methods. Typical areas of application were harbors, mines, and, in particular, building sites where the treadwheel crane played a pivotal role in the construction of the lofty Gothic cathedrals. Nevertheless, both archival and pictorial sources of the time suggest that newly introduced machines like treadwheels or wheelbarrows did not completely replace more laborintensive methods like ladders, hods and handbarrows. Rather, old and new machinery continued to coexist on medieval construction sites[14] and harbors.[12]

Apart from treadwheels, medieval depictions also show cranes to be powered manually by windlasses with radiating spokes, cranks and by the 15th century also by windlasses shaped like a ship's wheel. To smooth out irregularities of impulse and get over 'dead-spots' in the lifting process flywheels are known to be in use as early as 1123.[15] The exact process by which the treadwheel crane was reintroduced is not recorded,[11] although its return to construction sites has undoubtedly to be viewed in close connection with the simultaneous rise of Gothic architecture. The reappearance of the treadwheel crane may have resulted from a technological development of the windlass from which the treadwheel structurally and mechanically evolved. Alternatively, the medieval treadwheel may represent a deliberate reinvention of its Roman counterpart drawn from Vitruvius' De architectura which was available in many monastic libraries. Its reintroduction may have been inspired, as well, by the observation of the labor-saving qualities of the waterwheel with which early treadwheels shared many structural similarities.[13] [edit] Structure and placement The medieval treadwheel was a large wooden wheel turning around a central shaft with a treadway wide enough for two workers walking side by side. While the earlier 'compass-arm' wheel had spokes directly driven into the central shaft, the more advanced 'clasp-arm' type featured arms arranged as chords to the wheel rim,[16] giving the possibility of using a thinner shaft and providing thus a greater mechanical advantage.[17] Contrary to a popularly held belief, cranes on medieval building sites were neither placed on the extremely lightweight scaffolding used at the time nor on the thin walls of the Gothic churches which were incapable of supporting the weight of both hoisting machine and load. Rather, cranes were placed in the initial stages of construction on the ground, often within the building. When a new floor was completed, and massive tie beams of the roof connected the walls, the crane was dismantled and reassembled on the roof beams from where it was moved from bay to bay during construction of the vaults.[18] Thus, the crane grew and wandered with the building with the result that today all extant construction cranes in England are found in church towers above the vaulting and below the roof, where they remained after building construction for bringing material for repairs aloft.[19] Less frequently, medieval illuminations also show cranes mounted on the outside of walls with the stand of the machine secured to putlogs.[20] [edit] Mechanics and operation

Tower crane at the inland harbour of Trier from 1413.

In contrast to modern cranes, medieval cranes and hoists - much like their counterparts in Greece and Rome[21] - were primarily capable of a vertical lift, and not used to move loads for a considerable distance horizontally as well.[18] Accordingly, lifting work was organized at the workplace in a different way than today. In building construction, for example, it is assumed that the crane lifted the stone blocks either from the bottom directly into place,[18] or from a place opposite the centre of the wall from where it could deliver the blocks for two teams working at each end of the wall.[21] Additionally, the crane master who usually gave orders at the treadwheel workers from outside the crane was able to manipulate the movement laterally by a small rope attached to the load.[22] Slewing cranes which allowed a rotation of the load and were thus particularly suited for dockside work appeared as early as 1340.[23] While ashlar blocks were directly lifted by sling, lewis or devil's clamp (German Teufelskralle), other objects were placed before in containers like pallets, baskets, wooden boxes or barrels.[24] It is noteworthy that medieval cranes rarely featured ratchets or brakes to forestall the load from running backward.[25] This curious absence is explained by the high friction force exercised by medieval treadwheels which normally prevented the wheel from accelerating beyond control.[22] [edit] Harbor usage
Main article: List of historical harbour cranes

Beyond the modern warship stands a crane constructed in 1742, used for mounting masts to large sailing vessels. Copenhagen, Denmark

According to the present state of knowledge unknown in antiquity, stationary harbor cranes are considered a new development of the Middle Ages.[12] The typical harbor crane was a pivoting structure equipped with double treadwheels. These cranes were placed docksides for the loading and unloading of cargo where they replaced or complemented older lifting methods like seesaws, winches and yards.[12] Two different types of harbor cranes can be identified with a varying geographical distribution: While gantry cranes which pivoted on a central vertical axle were commonly found at the

Flemish and Dutch coastside, German sea and inland harbors typically featured tower cranes where the windlass and treadwheels were situated in a solid tower with only jib arm and roof rotating.[26] Interestingly, dockside cranes were not adopted in the Mediterranean region and the highly developed Italian ports where authorities continued to rely on the more labor-intensive method of unloading goods by ramps beyond the Middle Ages.[27] Unlike construction cranes where the work speed was determined by the relatively slow progress of the masons, harbor cranes usually featured double treadwheels to speed up loading. The two treadwheels whose diameter is estimated to be 4 m or larger were attached to each side of the axle and rotated together.[12] Today, according to one survey, fifteen treadwheel harbor cranes from pre-industrial times are still extant throughout Europe.[28] Beside these stationary cranes, floating cranes which could be flexibly deployed in the whole port basin came into use by the 14th century.[26]

[edit] Mechanical principles

Cranes can mount many different utensils depending on load (left). Cranes can be remote-controlled from the ground, allowing much more precise control, but without the view that a position atop the crane provides (right).

The stability of a mobile construction crane can be jeopardized when outriggers sink into soft soil, which can result in the crane tipping over.

There are two major considerations in the design of cranes. The first is that the crane must be able to lift a load of a specified weight and the second is that the crane must remain stable and not topple over when the load is lifted and moved to another location.

[edit] Lifting capacity

Cranes illustrate the use of one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage.

The lever. A balance crane contains a horizontal beam (the lever) pivoted about a point called the fulcrum. The principle of the lever allows a heavy load attached to the shorter end of the beam to be lifted by a smaller force applied in the opposite direction to the longer end of the beam. The ratio of the load's weight to the applied force is equal to the ratio of the lengths of the longer arm and the shorter arm, and is called the mechanical advantage. The pulley. A jib crane contains a tilted strut (the jib) that supports a fixed pulley block. Cables are wrapped multiple times round the fixed block and round another block attached to the load. When the free end of the cable is pulled by hand or by a winding machine, the pulley system delivers a force to the load that is equal to the applied force multiplied by the number of lengths of cable passing between the two blocks. This number is the mechanical advantage. The hydraulic cylinder. This can be used directly to lift the load or indirectly to move the jib or beam that carries another lifting device.

Cranes, like all machines, obey the principle of conservation of energy. This means that the energy delivered to the load cannot exceed the energy put into the machine. For example, if a pulley system multiplies the applied force by ten, then the load moves only one tenth as far as the applied force. Since energy is proportional to force multiplied by distance, the output energy is kept roughly equal to the input energy (in practice slightly less, because some energy is lost to friction and other inefficiencies).
[edit] Stability

For stability, the sum of all moments about any point such as the base of the crane must equate to zero. In practice, the magnitude of load that is permitted to be lifted (called the "rated load" in the US) is some value less than the load that will cause the crane to tip (providing a safety margin). Under US standards for mobile cranes, the stability-limited rated load for a crawler crane is 75% of the tipping load. The stability-limited rated load for a mobile crane supported on outriggers is 85% of the tipping load.[citation needed] Standards for cranes mounted on ships or offshore platforms are somewhat stricter because of the dynamic load on the crane due to vessel motion. Additionally, the stability of the vessel or platform must be considered. For stationary pedestal or kingpost mounted cranes, the moment created by the boom, jib, and load is resisted by the pedestal base or kingpost. Stress within the base must be less than the yield stress of the material or the crane will fail.

[edit] Types

[edit] Mobile Main article: Mobile crane

The most basic type of mobile crane consists of a truss or telescopic boom mounted on a mobile platform - be it on road, rail or water.
Type of crane Description A crane mounted on a truck carrier provides the mobility for this type of crane. Image

Truckmounted crane

Generally, these cranes are able to travel on highways, eliminating the need for special equipment to transport the crane. When working on the jobsite, outriggers are extended horizontally from the chassis then vertically to level and stabilize the crane while stationary and hoisting. Many truck cranes have slow-travelling capability (a few miles per hour) while suspending a load. Great care must be taken not to swing the load sideways from the direction of travel, as most anti-tipping stability then lies in the stiffness of the chassis suspension. Most cranes of this type also have moving counterweights for stabilization beyond that provided by the outriggers. Loads suspended directly aft are the most stable, since most of the weight of the crane acts as a counterweight. Factory-calculated charts (or electronic safeguards) are used by crane operators to determine the maximum safe loads for stationary (outriggered) work as well as (on-rubber) loads and travelling speeds. Truck cranes range in lifting capacity from about 14.5 US tons to about 1300 US tons.

A sidelifter crane is a road-going truck or semi-trailer, able to hoist and transport ISO standard containers. Container lift is Sidelift crane done with parallel crane-like hoists, which can lift a container from the ground or from a railway vehicle. A crane mounted on an undercarriage with four rubber tires that is designed for pick-and-carry operations and for off-road and "rough terrain" applications. Outriggers are used to level Rough terrain crane and stabilize the crane for hoisting.

These telescopic cranes are single-engine machines, with the same engine powering the undercarriage and the crane,

similar to a crawler crane. In a rough terrain crane, the engine is usually mounted in the undercarriage rather than in the upper, as with crawler crane.
A mobile crane with the necessary equipment to travel at speed on public roads, and on rough terrain at the job site using allwheel and crab steering. ATs combine the roadability of Truckmounted Cranes and the manoeuvrability of Rough Terrain Cranes.

All terrain crane

ATs have 2-9 axles and are designed for lifting loads up to 1200 metric tons.[29]
A crawler is a crane mounted on an undercarriage with a set of tracks (also called crawlers) that provide stability and mobility. Crawler cranes range in lifting capacity from about 40 US tons to 3500 US tons.

Crawler crane

Crawler cranes have both advantages and disadvantages depending on their use. Their main advantage is that they can move around on site and perform each lift with little set-up, since the crane is stable on its tracks with no outriggers. In addition, a crawler crane is capable of traveling with a load. The main disadvantage is that they are very heavy, and cannot easily be moved from one job site to another without significant expense. Typically a large crawler must be disassembled and moved by trucks, rail cars or ships to its next location.
A railroad crane has flanged wheels for use on railroads. The simplest form is a crane mounted on a railroad car. More capable devices are purpose-built.

Railroad crane

Different types of crane are used for maintenance work, recovery operations and freight loading in goods yards.
Floating cranes are used mainly in bridge building and port construction, but they are also used for occasional loading and unloading of especially heavy or awkward loads on and off ships. Some floating cranes are mounted on a pontoon, others are specialized crane barges with a lifting capacity exceeding 10,000 tons and have been used to transport entire bridge sections. Floating cranes have also been used to salvage sunken ships.

Floating crane

Crane vessels are often used in offshore construction. The

largest revolving cranes can be found on SSCV Thialf, which has two cranes with a capacity of 7,100 metric tons each.
Aerial crane or 'Sky cranes' usually are helicopters designed to lift large loads. Helicopters are able to travel to and lift in areas that are difficult to reach by conventional cranes. Helicopter cranes are most commonly used to lift units/loads onto shopping centers and highrises. They can lift anything within Aerial crane their lifting capacity, (cars, boats, swimming pools, etc.). They also perform disaster relief after natural disasters for clean-up, and during wild-fires they are able to carry huge buckets of water to extinguish fires.

Some aerial cranes, mostly concepts, have also used lighter-than air aircraft, such as airships.
[edit] Fixed

Exchanging mobility for the ability to carry greater loads and reach greater heights due to increased stability, these types of cranes are characterised that they (or at least their main structure) does not move during the period of use. However, many can still be assembled and disassembled.
Type of crane Description The tower crane is a modern form of balance crane. Fixed to the ground (and sometimes attached to the sides of structures as well), tower cranes often give the best combination of height and lifting capacity and are used in the construction of tall buildings. Image

The jib (colloquially, the 'boom') and counter-jib are mounted to the turntable, where the slewing bearing and Tower crane slewing machinery are located. The counter-jib carries a counterweight, usually of concrete blocks, while the jib suspends the load from the trolley. The Hoist motor and transmissions are located on the mechanical deck on the counter-jib, while the trolley motor is located on the jib. The crane operator either sits in a cabin at the top of the tower or controls the crane by radio remote control from the ground. In the first case the operator's cabin is most usually located at the top of the tower attached to the turntable, but can be mounted on the jib, or partway down

the tower. The lifting hook is operated by using electric motors to manipulate wire rope cables through a system of sheaves. In order to hook and unhook the loads, the operator usually works in conjunction with a signaller (known as a 'rigger' or 'swamper'). They are most often in radio contact, and always use hand signals. The rigger directs the schedule of lifts for the crane, and is responsible for the safety of the rigging and loads. A tower crane is usually assembled by a telescopic jib (mobile) crane of greater reach (also see "self-erecting crane" below) and in the case of tower cranes that have risen while constructing very tall skyscrapers, a smaller crane (or derrick) will often be lifted to the roof of the completed tower to dismantle the tower crane afterwards. It is often claimed that a large fraction of the tower cranes in the world are in use in Dubai. The exact percentage remains an open question.[30][31]
Generally a type of tower crane, these cranes, also called selfassembling or "Kangaroo" cranes, lift themselves off the ground using jacks, allowing the next section of the tower to be Self-erecting inserted at ground level or lifted into place by the partially crane erected crane itself. They can thus be assembled without outside help, or can grow together with the building or structure they are erecting.

Telescopic crane

A telescopic crane has a boom that consists of a number of tubes fitted one inside the other. A hydraulic or other powered mechanism extends or retracts the tubes to increase or decrease the total length of the boom. These types of booms are often used for short term construction projects, rescue jobs, lifting boats in and out of the water, etc. The relative compactness of telescopic booms make them adaptable for many mobile applications.

Note that while telescopic cranes are not automatically mobile cranes, many of them are. These are often truckmounted.

The "hammerhead", or giant cantilever, crane is a fixed-jib crane consisting of a steel-braced tower on which revolves a large, horizontal, double cantilever; the forward part of this cantilever or jib carries the lifting trolley, the jib is extended backwards in order to form a support for the machinery and counter-balancing weight. In addition to the motions of lifting and revolving, there is provided a so-called "racking" motion, by which the lifting trolley, with the load suspended, can be moved in and out along the jib without altering the level of the load. Such horizontal movement of the load is a marked feature of later crane design. These cranes are generally constructed in large sizes, up to 350 tons.

The design of hammerkran evolved first in Germany around the turn of the 19th century and was adopted and Hammerhead devloped for use in British shipyards to support the battleship construction program from 1904-1914. The crane ability of the hammerhead crane to lift heavy weights was useful for installing large pieces of battleships such as armour plate and gun barrels. Giant cantilever cranes were also installed in naval shipyards in Japan and in the USA. The British Government also installed a giant cantilever crane at the Singapore Naval Base (1938) and later a copy of the crane was installed at Garden Island Naval Dockyard in Sydney (1951). These cranes provided repair support for the battle fleet operating far from Great Britain. The principal engineering firm for giant cantilever cranes in the British Empire was Sir William Arrol & Co Ltd building 14. Of around 60 built across the world few remain; 7 in England and Scotland of about 15 worldwide.[32] The Titan Clydebank is one of the 4 Scottish cranes on the Clydebank and preserved as a tourist attraction.

Normally a crane with a hinged jib will tend to have its hook Level luffing also move up and down as the jib moves (or luffs). A level luffing crane is a crane of this common design, but with an extra crane mechanism to keep the hook level when luffing.

A gantry crane has a hoist in a fixed machinery house or on a trolley that runs horizontally along rails, usually fitted on a single beam (mono-girder) or two beams (twin-girder). The crane frame is supported on a gantry system with equalized beams and wheels that run on the gantry rail, usually Gantry crane perpendicular to the trolley travel direction. These cranes come in all sizes, and some can move very heavy loads, particularly the extremely large examples used in shipyards or industrial installations. A special version is the container crane (or "Portainer" crane, named by the first manufacturer), designed for loading and unloading ship-borne containers at a port. Also known as a 'suspended crane', this type of crane work very similar to a gantry crane but instead of the whole crane moving, only the hoist / trolley assembly moves in one direction along one or two fixed beams, often mounted along the side walls or on elevated columns in the assembly area of factory. Some of these cranes can lift very heavy loads. Located on the ships and boats, these are used for cargo operations or boat unloading and retrieval where no shore unloading facilities are available. Most are diesel-hydraulic or electric-hydraulic.

Overhead crane

Deck crane

Jib crane

A jib crane is a type of crane where a horizontal member (jib or boom), supporting a moveable hoist, is fixed to a wall or to a floor-mounted pillar. Jib cranes are used in industrial premises and on military vehicles. The jib may swing through an arc, to give additional lateral movement, or be fixed. Similar cranes, often known simply as hoists, were fitted on the top floor of warehouse buildings to enable goods to be lifted to all floors.

Bulk-handling cranes are designed from the outset to carry a Bulk-handling shell grab or bucket, rather than using a hook and a sling. They are used for bulk cargoes, such as coal, minerals, scrap metal crane etc.

A loader crane (also called a knuckle-boom crane or articulating crane ) is a hydraulically-powered articulated arm fitted to a truck or trailer, and is used for loading/unloading the vehicle. The numerous jointed sections can be folded into a small space when the crane is not in use. One or more of the sections may be telescopic. Often the crane will have a degree of automation and be able to unload or stow itself without an operator's instruction.

Unlike most cranes, the operator must move around the vehicle to be able to view his load; hence modern cranes Loader crane may be fitted with a portable cabled or radio-linked control system to supplement the crane-mounted hydraulic control levers. In the UK and Canada, this type of crane is almost invariably known colloquially as a "Hiab", partly because this manufacturer invented the loader crane and was first into the UK market, and partly because the distinctive name was displayed prominently on the boom arm. A rolloader' crane is a loader crane mounted on a chassis with wheels. This chassis can ride on the trailer. Because the crane can move on the trailer, it can be a light crane, so the trailer is allowed to transport more goods.

A crane with a forklift type mechanism used in automated (computer controlled) warehouses (known as an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS)). The crane moves on a track in an aisle of the warehouse. The fork can be raised or lowered to any of the levels of a storage rack and can be Stacker crane extended into the rack to store and retrieve product. The product can in some cases be as large as an automobile. Stacker cranes are often used in the large freezer warehouses of frozen food manufacturers. This automation avoids requiring forklift drivers to work in below freezing temperatures every day.

Similar machines
The generally-accepted definition of a crane is a machine for lifting and moving heavy objects by means of ropes or cables suspended from a movable arm. As such, a lifting machine that does not use cables, or else provides only vertical and not horizontal movement, cannot strictly be called a 'crane'. Types of crane-like lifting machine include:

Block and tackle Capstan (nautical) Hoist (device) Winch Windlass

More technically-advanced types of such lifting machines are often known as 'cranes', regardless of the official definition of the term.

Special examples

Finnieston Crane (aka the Stobcross Crane) Category A -listed example of a 'hammerhead' (cantilever) crane in Glasgow's former docks 50 m tall, 175 tons capacity, built 1926

Taisun double bridge crane at Yantai, China. 20,000 tonne capacity, World Record Holder 133 m tall, 120 m span, lift-height 80 m

Kockums Crane shipyard crane formerly at Kockums, Sweden. 138 m tall, 1500 tonne capacity, since moved to Ulsan, South Korea

Samson and Goliath (cranes) two gantry cranes at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast Goliath is 96 m tall, Samson is 106 m span 140 m, lift-height 70 m, capacity 840 tonnes each (1600 tonnes combined)

Breakwater Crane Railway self-propelled steam crane that formerly ran the length of the breakwater at Douglas ran on 10 feet (3.05 m) gauge track, the broadest in the British Isles

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cranes

Banksman Pallet Steam shovel National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools US educational organisation Naval lifting devices with one, two, and three legs: derrick, sheers, and gyn

[edit] Related ideas

Skyhook (structure)

[edit] References

A crane driver during the 1942 construction of Douglas Dam, United States. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. ^ The Victorian Web ^ a b Coulton, Lifting in Early Greek Architecture, p.7 ^ a b Coulton, Lifting in Early Greek Architecture, p. 14f ^ a b Coulton, Lifting in Early Greek Architecture, p. 16 ^ All data from: Hans-Liudger Dienel, Wolfgang Meighrner, p.13 ^ Lancaster, Lynne (July 1999). "Building Trajan's Column". American Journal of Archaeology 103 (3): p.426. ^ Lancaster, Trajan's Column, p.427ff. ^ Lancaster, Trajan's Column, p.434ff. ^ Lancaster, Trajan's Column, p.436 ^ a b Andrea Matthies, p.514 ^ a b Andrea Matthies, p.515 ^ a b c d e Michael Matheus, p.345 ^ a b Andrea Matthies, p.524 ^ Andrea Matthies, p.545 ^ Andrea Matthies, p.518 ^ Andrea Matthies, p.525f. ^ Andrea Matthies, p.536 ^ a b c Andrea Matthies, p.533 ^ Andrea Matthies, p.532ff. ^ Andrea Matthies, p.535 ^ a b Coulton, p 6 ^ a b Hans-Liudger Dienel, Wolfgang Meighrner, p.17 ^ Andrea Matthies, p.534 ^ Andrea Matthies, p.531 ^ Andrea Matthies, p.540 ^ a b Michael Matheus, p.346 ^ Michael Matheus, p.347 ^ These are Bergen, Stockholm, Karlskrona (Sweden), Kopenhagen (Denmark), Harwich (England), Gdaosk (Danzig), Lneburg, Stade, Otterndorf, Marktbreit, Wrzburg, strich, Bingen, Andernach and Trier (Germany). Cf. Michael Matheus, p.346 ^ "LTM11200-9.1". Liebherr. http://www.liebherr.com/at/en/products_at.asp?menuID=106082!8607-0. Retrieved on 200806-01. ^ "Debunking Dubai". ENR. 2000-11-05. http://enr.construction.com/people/blogs/hampton/061115.asp. Retrieved on 2008-05-05. ^ Carl Bialik (2008-05-20). "Dubais Rampant Crane Inflation". The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company). http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/dubais-rampant-crane-inflation-341/. Retrieved on 2009-06-13. ^ http://freespace.virgin.net/iw.history/cowes/crane.htm]

29.

30. 31.

32.

[edit] Further reading

History of cranes

Matthies, Andrea (July 1992). "Medieval Treadwheels. Artists' Views of Building Construction". Technology and Culture 33 (3): pp. 510-547. Dienel, Hans-Liudger; Meighrner, Wolfgang (1997). Der Tretradkran (2nd ed.). Mnchen. Coulton, J. J. (1974). "Lifting in Early Greek Architecture". The Journal of Hellenic Studies 94: pp. 1-19. Lancaster, Lynne (July 1999). "Building Trajan's Column". American Journal of Archaeology 103 (3): pp. 419-439. Matheus, Michael (2001). Uta Lindgren. ed. "Mittelalterliche Hafenkrne". Europische Technik im Mittelalter. 800-1400 (Berlin): pp. 345-48. ISBN 3-7861-1748-9.

[edit] External links

VRML Simulation of a tower crane Gantry Crane Safety Procedures [hide]

vde

Types of Cranes
Container crane Crane vessel Gantry crane Level luffing crane Sidelift Straddle carrier Tow truck Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_(machine)" Categories: Cranes | Machines Hidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from March 2009
Views

Article Discussion Edit this page History

Personal tools

Log in / create account

Navigation

 Search

Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article

Special:Search

Go

Search

Interaction Toolbox

About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact Wikipedia Donate to Wikipedia Help

What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page

Languages

Azrbaycan esky Dansk Deutsch Espaol Esperanto Euskara Franais Galego Hrvatski Italiano

Latina Nederlands Norsk (bokml) Polski Portugus Romn Simple English Slovenina Suomi Svenska Trke Ting Vit

This page was last modified on 2 July 2009 at 17:29. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers