AU2018101869B4 - Mobile test bed - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile test bed for testing the tensile strength of lifting equipment including a horizontal test bed and a vertical test frame so that lifting equipment can be tested both horizontally and vertically on the mobile test bed, wherein the vertical test frame extends from the horizontal test bed.

Description

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a mobile tensile force testing apparatus.

Background of the Invention [0002] Rigging equipment such as wire ropes, slings, lever blocks and other tensile force bearing devices used in industry are important safety devices. Their maintained strength and integrity is critical for safety. In many jurisdictions, such as Australia it is a requirement that these wire ropes are tested at regular intervals to ensure that they are still strong and maintain their integrity. If they meet the strength and integrity standards they are able to obtain certification recognising this.

[0003] The test beds used to test these devices are large and exert large tensile forces on the devices. There exist both horizontal and vertical test beds to test the devices in different circumstances experienced by the devices. As the test beds must exert and accurately test large forces they are typically large and weighty. Therefore it is common in the industry for these test beds to be in a fixed location such as a factory where they are fixed to the floor.

[0004] Having to transport the wire ropes and slings to the location of the test beds adds extra expense and time to the users of that rigging equipment.

[0005] Mobile test beds exist, but these mobile test beds typically only test one of horizontal or vertical arrangements or cannot effectively distribute the forces acting on the rigging to allow accurate testing.

[0006] Reference to cited material or information contained in the text should not be understood as a concession that the material or information was part of the common general knowledge or was known in Australia or any other country.

[0007] Each document, reference, patent application or patent cited in this text is expressly incorporated herein in their entirety by reference, which means that it should be read and considered by the reader as part of this text. That the document,

2018101869 30 Nov 2018 reference, patent application, or patent cited in this text is not repeated in this text is merely for reasons of conciseness.

Summary of Invention [0008] In a first embodiment, the present invention seeks to provide a mobile test bed for testing the tensile strength of lifting equipment including:

a horizontal test bed and a vertical test frame so that lifting equipment can be tested both horizontally and vertically on the mobile test bed;

wherein the vertical test frame extends from the horizontal test bed.

[0009] Preferably, the horizontal test bed and the vertical test frame are powered by the same hydraulic source.

[0010] Preferably, the horizontal test bed includes at least two balanced hydraulic rams.

[0011] Preferably, the horizontal test bed is arranged to apply up to 35 tons of force and the vertical test frame is arranged to apply up to 5 tons of force.

[0012] In a second embodiment, the present invention seeks to provide a mobile testing system for testing the strength of lifting equipment:

wherein a vehicle delivers a mobile test bed to a site for testing lifting equipment;

wherein the mobile test bed includes a horizontal test bed and a vertical test frame that extends from the horizontal test bed; and wherein the horizontal test bed and vertical test frame are powered from the same hydraulic source.

Brief Description of the Drawings [0013] Further features of the present invention are more fully described in the following description of several non-limiting embodiments thereof. This description is included solely for the purposes of exemplifying the present invention. It should not be understood as a restriction on the broad summary, disclosure or description of the invention as set out above. The description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

2018101869 30 Nov 2018

Figure 1 is a top down view of a mobile testing bed according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the mobile testing bed of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is rear view of a vertical testing bed in the mobile testing bed of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a rear view of the mobile testing bed of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top down view of the frame of the mobile testing bed of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the mobile testing bed of Figure 1 with a safety curtain.

[0014] In the drawings like structures are referred to by like numerals throughout the several views. The drawings shown are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention [0015] Broadly, the present invention is in the form of a mobile test bed 10 for testing lifting equipment under tensile load including a horizontal test bed 30, a vertical test arrangement 40 and a force balancing arrangement 20. The mobile test bed 10 is arranged to be stored in a trailer or a shipping container that can be transported on a trailer to sites where rigging equipment that experiences tensile load must be tested. Having the horizontal test bed 30 and the vertical test arrangement 40 in the same device that can be transported to a site to test rigging equipment.

[0016] Referring to figures 1 to 6, the present invention includes a mobile test bed 10 for testing lifting equipment designed to be under tensile load. This lifting equipment to be tested includes wire ropes, slings, lever blocks, chains and hooks, shackles, hoists and other lifting equipment used in rigging and other lifting devices.

[0017] The mobile test bed 10 comprises a horizontal test bed 30 that includes a horizontal test frame 18 and a vertical test frame 40 including a vertical frame 13 that extends from the horizontal test bed 30. In one embodiment the horizontal test frame

2018101869 30 Nov 2018 is 3.6 metres long and arranged to apply up to 35 tons of force. In one embodiment the vertical test frame 40 is 1.5 metres tall and is arranges to apply up to 5 tons of force.

[0018] In alternative arrangements the horizontal test bed 30 and vertical test frame 40 can test for greater loads. For example, the horizontal test bed 30 could be made longer and test for 50 tons and fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0019] The entire length of the mobile test bed 10 must fit within a shipping container that can be towed on a truck or in a truck trailer.

[0020] The horizontal test frame 18 and the vertical frame 13 are made of steel channel extrusions of sufficient strength to withstand and transmit the test forces exerted on the lifting equipment being tested. The skilled addressee will recognise that alternative materials can be used for the horizontal test frame 18 and the vertical frame 13 provided the materials are able to withstand the loads exerted on the lifting equipment being tested.

[0021] In one embodiment, the horizontal test frame 18 is reinforced with I beam sections 19. Similarly, the vertical frame 13 is reinforced with I beam sections 29. Legs 32 extend from the horizontal test bed 18 to attach the mobile test bed to the floor.

[0022] Alternative reinforcements may be used as understood by the skilled addressee and fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0023] The horizontal test bed 30 includes a movable test plate 26. The movable test plate 26 includes a receiving portion 24 at which the lifting equipment to be tested is to be connected at one end. The movable test plate 26 includes apertures 27 on opposite sides. The apertures 27 are arranged to align with corresponding apertures 41 on the horizontal test frame 18.

[0024] The horizontal test bed 30 also includes frame extension 21 to which balanced hydraulic rams 20 are connected. One end or the hydraulic rams 20 are connected to horizontal test frame 18 and the other end of the hydraulic test rams 20 are connected to movable cross frame member 23. Movable test frame member 23 at either end sits on or within frame extension 21.

[0025] In an alternative embodiment, the horizontal test bed 30 uses a single hydraulic ram that can exert the force of several rams rather than hydraulic rams 20.

2018101869 30 Nov 2018 [0026] The movable test plate 26 is moved along the length of the horizontal test frame and fixes to the corresponding apertures 41 that match the length of the lifting equipment to be tested.

[0027] Movable test frame member 23 includes a plate 24 with an anchor aperture 22 arranged to receive and fix the end of the end of the lifting equipment distal the moving test plate 26.

[0028] When lifting equipment is attached to both the movable test plate 26 and the anchor aperture 22, the hydraulic rams 20 are arranged to extend, moving the movable test frame member 23 away from the horizontal test frame 18 into the further frame extension 25 that forms part of frame extension 21. As the hydraulic rams 20 extend exerting force onto the lifting equipment connected between the movable test plate and anchor aperture 22 sensors read the force being exerted on the lifting equipment.

[0029] Figure 1 shows the movable test frame member 23a, the anchor aperture 22a and the plate 24a extended along the further frame extension 25 after the hydraulic rams 20 have extended.

[0030] The hydraulic rams 20 are balanced to ensure that even force is applied to the lifting equipment being tested.

[0031] With specific reference to Figures 2 and 3, the vertical test frame 40 includes vertical uprights 33 horizontal cap member 43 and legs 31 to hold up the vertical frame 40 on the floor. The vertical test frame 40 sits against and extends above the horizontal test bed 30.

[0032] A hydraulic ram 31 extends from the base of the vertical test frame 40. The end of the hydraulic ram 31 distal the floor includes a connection means 11 for attaching lifting equipment to be tested in the vertical test frame 40. The horizontal cap member 43 includes a second connection means 12 arranged to attach to the end of the lifting equipment opposite that which connects to connection means 11.

[0033] In operation, the lifting equipment is connected between connection means 11 and the second connection means 12. The Hydraulic ram 31 pulls down on the lifting equipment exerting tension forces which are measured by sensors at either of the connection means 11 or the second connection means 12.

2018101869 30 Nov 2018 [0034] Including a horizontal test bed 30 and vertical test bed 40 in the same piece of equipment that can be transported with a truck enables the testing of lifting equipment on site for a variety of applications. Including balanced hydraulic rams 20 allows the forces exerted on the lifting equipment to be absorbed and not transferred to the floor.

[0035] In one embodiment the hydraulic rams 20 and hydraulic ram 31 are all powered by the same source. This provides the horizontal test bed 30 and the vertical test frame 40 being powered by the same source.

[0036] With specific reference to Figure 6, in one embodiment the mobile test bed 10 is covered with a curtain 50. The curtain 50 acts as a safety protection for operators and the surroundings. If lifting equipment being tested in the mobile test bed 10 breaks under the testing load the curtain 50 stops the lifting equipment from hitting an operator or the surroundings.

Example [0037] The mobile test bed 10 is located in a shipping container or a trailer. The shipping container or trailer is fitted to a truck to be transported. The mobile test bed 10 is transported by truck to a site that needs lifting and rigging equipment tested for safety and certification.

[0038] When the truck is on site the lifting and rigging equipment is tested for certification and all equipment can be tested in either the horizontal test bed 30 or the vertical test frame 40.

Alterations and Modifications to the Embodiments [0039] Various additions, modifications and substitutions regarding design and construction can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0040] Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to the skilled addressee are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention. The present invention is not to be limited in scope by any of the specific embodiments described herein. These embodiments are intended for the purpose of exemplification only. Functionally equivalent products, formulations and methods are clearly within the scope of the invention as described herein.

2018101869 30 Nov 2018 [0041] Reference to positional descriptions, such as lower and upper, are to be taken in context ofthe embodiments depicted in the figures, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention to the literal interpretation of the term but rather as would be understood by the skilled addressee.

[0042] Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

2018101869 30 Nov 2018

CLAIMS:

1. A mobile test bed for testing the tensile strength of lifting equipment including:

Claims (6)

1. 2018101869 30 Nov 2018

   CLAIMS:

   1. A mobile test bed for testing the tensile strength of lifting equipment including:

   a horizontal test bed and a vertical test frame so that lifting equipment can be tested both horizontally and vertically on the mobile test bed;

   wherein the vertical test frame extends from the horizontal test bed.
2. 2. The mobile test bed according to Claim 1, wherein the horizontal test bed and the vertical test frame are powered by the same hydraulic source.
3. 3. The mobile test bed as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the horizontal test bed includes at least two balanced hydraulic rams.
4. 4. The mobile test bed as claimed in any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the horizontal test bed is arranged to apply up to 50 tons of force and the vertical test frame is arranged to apply up to 10 tons of force.
5. 5. A mobile testing system for testing the strength of lifting equipment:

   wherein a vehicle delivers a mobile test bed to a site for testing lifting equipment;

   wherein the mobile test bed includes a horizontal test bed and a vertical test frame that extends from the horizontal test bed; and wherein the horizontal test bed and vertical test frame are powered from the same hydraulic source.

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