Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H17/00—Fencing, e.g. fences, enclosures, corrals
  • E04H17/26—Devices for erecting or removing fences
  • E04H17/261—Devices for erecting or removing fences for post and wire handling
  • E04H17/263—Devices for erecting or removing fences for post and wire handling for erecting posts
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01F—ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE
  • E01F9/00—Arrangement of road signs or traffic signals; Arrangements for enforcing caution
  • E01F9/60—Upright bodies, e.g. marker posts or bollards; Supports for road signs
  • E01F9/70—Storing, transporting, placing or retrieving portable devices

Definitions

• This invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic placing of bank sticks and the like for snow clearing and similar purposes, said apparatus being intended to be mounted onto a vehicle and, preferably, assigned partly an automatically working percussion hammer adapted to make a hole in the ground for each snow bank stick, partly a magazine for a supply of bank sticks.
• vehicle-carried apparatus With vehicle-carried apparatus, the working operations thereof are to be controlled from the driver's cabin.
• So-called bank stick setters are previously constructed in various designs.
• Mutual features in known placing apparatus of this kind consist in the use of a percussion hammer designed and supported for "drilling" of the hole in the ground for the bank stick, while the placement of the stick in the hole is performed manually.
• the apparatus may be mounted at the rear of a truck or in front on another vehicle.
• Prior art bank stick setters presuppose that one man stays outside the vehicle, thereby being under the necessity of working in a place subjected to both traffic and polution, involving risk of being run over, as well as being bothered by noice and exhaust. Therefore, there is a need of an automatic bank stick setter operable from the driver's cabin of the vehicle carrying the apparatus.
• an apparatus for automatic placement of bank sticks comprises a vertically pivotable funnel narrowing downwardly in the active position thereof, said funnel co-operating with said percussion hammer during the making of holes, and being assigned a bank stick fetching, handling and placing device equipped with a releasable catching and holding means for one single bank stick, said fetching, handling and placing device being pivotable between two extreme positions, in one of which the catching and holding means occupies a position for the fetching of a bank stick from the magazine, said other extreme position corresponding to the position of the catching and holding means when placing the bank stick in an upright position, said catching and holding means during the last phase of the bank stick handling operation, via the bank stick itself, co-operates such with the funnel that the latter guides the bank stick into vertical position, with the lower stick end alligned with the hole in the ground made by the percussion hammer during a previous operation.
• the bank stick fetching, handling and placing device carrying the catching and holding means may be mounted on the guide funnel, via a support bracket rigidly fastened to the funnel and being incorporated into said handling device and to which one end of said device's pivot or articulation arm is pivotably supported about a horizontal axis.
• the other end of the articulation arm is articulated to the releasable catching and holding means for the bank stick, the handling device comprising an articulated parallelogram permitting a controlled rotation between the two extreme positions of the catching and holding means, i.e. the fetching and placing positions thereof.
• the vertical rotational plane of the funnel extends laterally of the vehicle's longitudinal/driving direction, the bank stick handling device being rotary partly in relation to the funnel, partly in relation to the vehicle, in a vertical plane crossing the vertical rotational plane of the funnel at right angles, i.e. extending in parallel to the longitudinal vertical central plane of the vehicle.
• the bank stick handling device is presupposed to be connected to the guide funnel, said handling device, moreover, is pivotable in relation to the vehicle, in the rotational plane of the funnel, together with the latter.
• said percussion hammer and its turning device may advantageously be incorporated as a further component within the coherent apparatus, the bank stick magazine constituting an independent component, the lower outlet of which being assigned means, e.g. brushes, in their uninfluenced condition adapted to keep overlaying bank sticks in place in the magazine, said means/brushes when activated through external influence from the releasable catching and holding means of the handling device, permitting individual downwardly directed extraction of one bank stick at a time.
• the bank stick magazine constituting an independent component, the lower outlet of which being assigned means, e.g. brushes, in their uninfluenced condition adapted to keep overlaying bank sticks in place in the magazine, said means/brushes when activated through external influence from the releasable catching and holding means of the handling device, permitting individual downwardly directed extraction of one bank stick at a time.
• the funnel may advantageously be formed with a through-going cavity in the rear wall of the funnel, as seen in the driving direction, the cavity extending over the full height extent of the funnel in the active guiding position thereof.
• a number of bank sticks may be placed with the funnel at least partially swung-down ( some swinging-up of the funnel takes place whenever a new bank stick is picked from the magazine ) .
• the releasable catching and holding means of the bank stick handling device may be designed in various ways, provided that it is capable of being brought into firmly maintaining releasable engagement with one single bank stick.
• the catching and holding means may be formed with an inwardly narrowing V-shaped guide slot opening into a locking groove wherein one bank stick might be kept sufficiently securely retained for rotational movement into guiding engagement with one end thereof resting against the inner surface of the front wall of the guide funnel, as seen in the driving direction, and thereby being oriented into vertical placement position.
• Said V-shaped guide slot may for instance be formed from one pair of legs of two cooperating spring-loaded V-shaped guide plates movable in relation to each other between a first outer position wherein the distance between the opposing V-points of the V-guide plates exceeds the bank stick diameter, and a second inner position wherein said distance is less than the bank stick diameter.
• the V-shaped guide slot In said first position, the V-shaped guide slot is open towards said locking groove, for the supply of one bank stick into the latter, while the guide slot in said second position is closed with regard to the locking groove, in order to prevent extraction of a bank stick accomodated therein.
• V-shaped guide plates in relation to each other may be effected, by way of example, by means of a hydraulic cylinder which in active position urges the guide plates out from each other, thereby opening the guide slot into the locking groove, for therein to enable insertion of one bank stick via the guide slot; whenever the piston is withdrawn into the cylinder, corresponding to the inactive position thereof, the guide plates are brought to take said second inner position wherein the V-shaped guide slot towards the locking groove is closed or narrowed so that the narrowest location thereof is smaller than the bank stick diameter.
• Figure 1 shows a perspective view (sloping from above/ downwards ) of the rear portion of a truck having a guide funnel, a bank stick handling device and a percussion hammer mounted thereon as well as an independent bank stick magazine located on the loading area, where a bank stick is firmly maintained in the catching and holding means of the handling device, the bank stick being extracted from the magazine in a horizontal position, and where the percussion hammer is brought into position for making a suitable hole in the ground for the placement of the bank stick, which is to be rotated and placed during subsequent operations;
• Figure 2 - 4 are rear end views showing especially the percussion hammer in different positions, and wherein Figure 2 illustrates the handling device with its catching means in the bank stick fetching position;
• Figure 5 - 7 are side elevational views showing the guide funnel in active position and the handling device with a bank stick maintained in the catching and holding means in different positions; and
• Figure 8 is a rear end view corresponding to Figures 2 - 4, but wherein the guide funnel, the handling device and the percussion hammer are brought into inactive transport position, wherein the individual components take positions ensuring the desired compactness.
• the reference numeral 1 generally denotes a bank stick placing apparatus mounted to the loading area 2 of a vehicle, also carrying an independent magazine 3 for bank sticks 4.
• the apparatus 1 comprises a vertically oriented U-shaped main frame 5, preferably attached rearwardly on the loading area 2 by means of rapid couplings or the like (not shown).
• the actual percussion hammer 11 is movable in a vertical plane in relation to the funnel 7 in the rotational plane of the boom 6, and is for that purpose articulated to the frame 8 attached to the boom, via an articulation arm 12, which in its turn is operated by means of a hydraulic cylinder 13.
• a support bracket 14 extending at right angles to the rotational plane of the funnel 7, i.e. in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the loading area 2.
• a pivot or articulation arm 15 which, at the opposite end thereof, is articulated to a bank stick catching and holding means 16.
• the articulation arm 15 is assigned a parallel strut 17, and each of them forms one of two opposing sides of an articulated parallelogram, which together with the catching and holding means constitute the actual bank stick handling device, which is operated by means of a hydraulic cylinder 18 coupled in between the bracket 14 and the articulation arm 15.
• the bank stick magazine 3 extends funnel-shapedly narrowing in a downward direction towards a downwardly open outlet opening 3 ' , at each of the axial ends thereof there being mounted a pair of opposing brushes 19, the bristles of which facing each other, thereby trapping and retaining the ends of the lowermost bank sticks 4.
• the arrangement is such that one bank stick 4 at a time will occupy the lowermost discharge portion defined by the brush pairs 19.
• the brushes 19 will keep all bank sticks in place within the magazine, one lowermost bank stick being retained in readiness for downwardly directed extraction.
• the fetching of one bank stick 4 from the magazine 3, 3', 19 is effected by means of the catching and holding means 16, which for that purpose is formed with a V-shaped guide member 20, the inwardly (from the free ends of the guide member extending) narrowing groove of which terminating into a locking slot 21.
• the V-shaped guide member 20 may comprise two possibly spring-loaded parts movable in relation to each other between two positions, said parts in one position having a spacing, at the narrowest groove portion, exceeding the bank stick diameter, in order to, in this position, to allow insertion of one bank stick into the locking slot 21, said parts in another position defining a narrowest groove portion of smaller width than the bank stick diameter, in order to prevent the bank stick from leaving the locking slot 21 unintentionally.
• the mutually movable parts of the guide member are adapted to be activated by a pressure fluid cylinder or similar operating means which, possibly in cooperation with springs, moves the guide member 20 between the open and closed position thereof.
• the detail designing of the catching and holding means is not directly the subject matter of the present invention; it should, however, be mentioned that the device further should be such that the bank stick is securely kept during the handling thereof by means of said handling device 15-18,20,21, from its horizontal position in the magazine 3 to its vertical position when placed into the ground, whereafter the releasable engagement of the bank stick with the catching and holding means 16 is brought to a cessation by means of said pressure cylinder/operating means, opening the groove of the guide member 20 at the narrowest location thereof forming the transition zone to the locking slot 21, whereby the width of said narrowest groove location exceeds the diameter of a bank stick.
• the bank stick handling device 15-18,20,21 has just been turned upwards and caught a bank stick 4, as shown in Figure 2, which illustrates the fetching position of the handling device; whereafter the catching and holding means 16 of the handling device, retaining a bank stick 4 according to Figure 1, has been turned slightly downwards again, in order to bring the bank stick 4 clear of the magazine.
• the bank stick placing apparatus together with guide funnel 7 and percussion hammer 11 have been rotated from the placing position, Figures 6 and 7, to said fetching position, from which the funnel and percussion hammer may be rotated to the hole-making position according to Figure 3, wherein the funnel 7 with the lower end thereof is urged against the ground, and wherein the pointed end 11' of the percussion hammer 11 is making a hole 4a for a bank stick 4.
• the funnel 7 which has an open bottom end, guides the percussion hammer 11,11' before and during the hole-making, preventing soil particles and lumps from falling into said hole prior to the placement of the bank stick 4. Subsequently to the hole-making, the percussion hammer 11, 11 ' is rotated upwards by means of the hydraulic cylinder 13 via the articulation arm 12, and takes thereafter a withdrawn position, Figure 4, wherein the funnel 7 is ready to receive the bank stick 4 carried by the catching and holding means 16,20,21 of the handling device 15-18,20,21.
• bank stick placement itself, which is the main subject matter of the present invention, continues - after a bank stick 4 has been extracted from the magazine 3 and being retained within the catching and holding means 16,20,21 - in that the stick 4 via the handling device 15-18 is rotated into an upright position, Figure 6, wherein the lower end of the bank stick 4 has been brought into guided engagement with the inner surface of the front wall of the funnel 7, as seen in the driving direction, the funnel during the downwardly rotation of the handling device 15-18 guiding the lower end portion of the bank stick 4 downwards into the hole 4a just made by the percussion hammer 11,11' .
• the rear wall of the funnel 7 is formed with a cavity 7' which is through-going in the direction of height.
• the funnel 7 together with associated components 11 and 15- 18 are turned up into the bank stick fetching position shown in Figure 2.
• the components of the apparatus are rotated such that they are crowded space- savingly together, Figure 8, substantially located within the lateral limitations of the vehicle.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
• Placing Or Removing Of Piles Or Sheet Piles, Or Accessories Thereof (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
• Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
• Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)
• Adjustment And Processing Of Grains (AREA)
• Cookers (AREA)
• Steroid Compounds (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
• Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
• De-Stacking Of Articles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=19892698

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (16)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1989
  • 1989-12-20 NO NO895133A patent/NO168721C/no unknown
• 1990
  • 1990-11-29 DE DE69017045T patent/DE69017045D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1990-11-29 WO PCT/NO1990/000176 patent/WO1991009194A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1990-11-29 EP EP91900963A patent/EP0506735B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1990-11-29 AT AT91900963T patent/ATE118587T1/de active
  • 1990-11-29 AU AU69610/91A patent/AU6961091A/en not_active Abandoned
• 1992
  • 1992-06-18 FI FI922845A patent/FI94790C/fi not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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