Crane

Claim 1

IN A CRANE THAT INCLUDES A BOOM SUPPORT STRUCTURE, A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED BOOM SUPPORTED ON SAID BOOM SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID BOOM LONGITUDINALLY OF THE LATTER IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM A PREDETERMINED RETRACTED POSITION, A LOAD TROLLEY MOUNTED ON SAID BOOM FOR RECIPROCABLE MOVEMENT THEREON LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, A PAIR OF SHEAVES RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BOOM, A PAIR OF CABLES DEAD ENDED AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS ON SAID TROLLEY AND RESPECTIVELY REEVED OVER SAID SHEAVES AND DEAD ENDED AT THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS ON A MEMBER ON SAID BOOM SUPPORT STRUCTURE, THE IMPROVEMENT THAT COMPRISES: (A) MEMBER-SUPPORTING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID MEMBER ON SAID BOOM SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR MOVEMENT FROM A POINT ON SAID BOOM SUPPORT STRUCTURE ADJACENT TO AND INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID BOOM WHEN THE LATTER IS IN SAID RETRACTED POSITION TO AN OFFSET POSITION BETWEEN SAID ONE END OF SAID BOOM AND SAID POINT; (B) MEMBER-LOCKING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID MEMBER-SUPPORTING MEANS STATIONARY RELATIVE TO SAID BOOM SUPPORT STRUCTURE AT SAID OPERATIVE POSITION, TO THEREBY PROVIDE A GREATER OUTREACH OF SAID BOOM AND TROLLEY IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID MEMBER IS OFFSET THAN WHEN SAID MEMBER IS AT SAID POINT, UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID BOOM RELATIVE TO SAID MEMBER IN SAID LAST-MENTIONED DIRECTION.