EP0663474A1 - Method for working a layer of snow or ice - Google Patents

Abstract

At least one blade in the plane of the ice surface executes a repetitive cross movement in relation to advance feed direction (22), in order to produce a structure of crossing and/or direction-alternating grooves. At least one blade rotates around a vertical axis in relation to the ice surface, and levels or roughens the surface by production of arc-shaped grooves. At least one rotating blade (25.1-25.6) is advanced in a direction (22) parallel to the even surface, leaving behind it a scale-type surface (23,24). The roughening or levelling is achieved with at least two reciprocally moved blades.

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a method for processing, in particular roughening or removing a layer of snow or ice on an essentially flat surface, a device for carrying out the method and a surface of snow or ice processed using this method.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a method of the type mentioned at the outset which is suitable for the partial or complete removal of layers of ice on streets, sidewalks, squares and the like and, if possible, eliminates splitting or salting. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for carrying out the method, which allows efficient and gentle work on the surface of the ice layer.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that at least one knife executes a repetitive transverse movement in the plane of the ice surface with respect to a feed direction in order to produce a structure of intersecting channels and / or changing the direction in small areas.

The end of the knife is therefore constantly in the plane of the ice surface. The movement can be linear or curved. The aim is to cut a profile into the snow or ice layer in a continuous manner, which, in contrast to parallel longitudinal or transverse grooves, enables good accessibility and trafficability.

The knife preferably rotates about an axis which is at least approximately perpendicular to the flat surface to be machined, in order to roughen or remove the ice layer by attaching arcuate channels. Surface structures according to the invention can also be achieved by combining a repetitive transverse movement with a forward movement.

In the invention, rotors guided in the plane (and not perpendicularly thereto) are preferably used, which operate in a certain sense like rotary mowers. The processed ice surface has - if only partially removed - arched channels that give it a scale-like appearance. These channels provide the desired hold when walking on and driving on and do not immediately level off again to a mirror-smooth surface even when briefly thawed. As a rule, this eliminates both the salting and the spreading of grit.

In principle, the axis of rotation is perpendicular to the machined surface and is preferably advanced continuously in a direction parallel to the surface mentioned. Under certain circumstances, however, it can be advantageous to deviate slightly from this geometry and to guide the axis of rotation with a slight inclination in order to cut channels that are more pronounced on one side.

The roughening or removal is preferably carried out with at least two knives moving in opposite directions. An opposite movement is always present within the scope of the invention when the knives run towards or away from one another at least temporarily. This can eliminate certain force components that make guiding the rotors more difficult.

A device according to the invention for carrying out the method that achieves the object is characterized in that a mechanism is provided with at least one knife, which enables the knife to move in the plane of the ice surface in order to avoid a structure crossing and / or the direction to produce small-scale changing channels.

For this purpose, at least one milling rotor with knives protruding in the direction of its axis of rotation into a processing plane is advantageously provided in order to enable gyroscopic processing in the flat surface substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, at least two rotors which are mounted so as to be displaceable relative to one another are provided in order to achieve a variably adjustable working width. If the rotors are pulled together tightly, their working surfaces partially overlap. At maximum distance, on the other hand, they only touch - with the aim of enabling gapless processing of the ice layer. According to this principle, the working width of the device can be varied by a factor of z. B. 1.3 to 2 are enlarged or reduced. This is advantageous not only because paths with very different widths can be processed with a single device, but also because a local narrowing of the passage width (e.g. due to a candelabra) does not interrupt the work flow: the rotors are temporarily moved closer together.

The device is advantageously a unit that can be attached to the front or rear of a suitably equipped vehicle and is driven by it. The vehicle can be a multi-axle general-purpose vehicle or a single-axle vehicle.

Two parallel horizontal supports are advantageously provided, on which a plurality of rotors can be displaced relative to one another with the aid of electrically and / or hydraulically operated displacement units. The feed direction (direction of travel) is generally perpendicular to the above-mentioned carriers. The rotors are driven by intermeshing and interlocking multi-spline profile shafts and tubular sleeves coupled with corresponding multi-spline inner profiles. Profile shafts and tube sleeves are aligned parallel to the beams.

By the adjacent rotors in pairs z. B. connected by hydraulic cylinders and the hydraulic cylinders are all controlled synchronously, the rotors are easily displaceable proportionally with respect to the center of the device and always evenly distributed over the working width. Furthermore, this construction allows the realization of a modular structure: Depending on the desired working width, the support bars are chosen longer or less long and more or fewer rotor modules are attached.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the rotors are equipped with knives with several, in particular three, identical cutting edges. The knives can be fixed in different orientations in holders of the rotor in order to be able to use a still sharp cutting edge when dulling a cutting edge by changing the insertion of the knife into the holder.

The knives, for example, have the shape of a regular triangular prism. They are fixed interchangeably in rotor arms and are parallel to the rotor axis. In order to minimize the power to be expended in the processing of snow or ice, the holder is designed such that an outer surface of the knife assigned to the cutting edge is at an acute angle of approximately 15 ° with respect to a tangential direction of the rotational movement.

In particular for roughening the layer of ice, the knives can be used on the end faces directed downwards against the work surface have replaceable inserts (e.g. pins) made of low-wear material (hard metal, ceramic, diamond or other hard material coating) that protrude by 10 mm in the direction of the work surface. The inserts are typically much smaller in their transverse dimensions than the knife cross sections.

In order to be able to remove the ice layer to a predetermined thickness, sensors for contactless measurement of the thickness of the ice layer and means for the height and depth adjustment of the rotors are provided. The height or depth is adjusted, for example, using a hydraulic system to be attached to a vehicle with automatic height control carried out in accordance with the presetting and the sensor signals.

An assembly according to the invention for mounting on a vehicle can be equipped with rollers or runners in order to simplify the level control. However, it is also possible and even advantageous to keep the unit "floating" using a suitable height adjustment.

To adjust the pitch, z. B. an adjustable spindle is used. The unit can be tilted about a horizontal axis pointing in the direction of feed in the center of the unit to adapt the transverse inclination to the floor area.

Further advantageous features and combinations of features of the invention result from the detailed description and the entirety of the claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1a, b

Das Prinzip der erfindungsgemässen Eisschichtbearbeitung bei maximaler und minimaler Arbeitsbreite;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung mit fünf Rotormodulen;

Fig. 3

eine Seitenansicht einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform eines Rotormoduls;

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Darstellung des in Fig. 3 gezeigten Moduls;

Fig. 5a-c

verschiedene erfindungsgemässe Obeflächenstrukturen.

The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and in connection with the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1a, b

The principle of ice layer processing according to the invention with maximum and minimum working width;

Fig. 2

a schematic representation of an inventive device with five rotor modules;

Fig. 3

a side view of a preferred embodiment of a rotor module;

Fig. 4

a perspective view of the module shown in Fig. 3;

5a-c

various surface structures according to the invention.

In principle, the same parts are provided with the same reference symbols in the drawings.

Ways of Carrying Out the Invention

1a, b illustrates the principle of the invention. The reference numerals 20.1, 20.2, 20.3 denote rotor circles of three milling rotors arranged next to one another. On the rotor circles 20.1, ..., 20.3, knives 25.1, ..., 25.6 are guided to remove or roughen the ice layer. The neighboring rotor circles 20.1 and 20.2 or 20.2 and 20.3 run in opposite directions to each other (see arrows).

The flat surface of the ice layer lies in the drawing plane in the representation according to FIGS. 1a, b. The rotor axes 21.1, 21.2, 21.3 are essentially perpendicular to it. The rotor axes are continuously moved in the direction of travel 22 during processing. A resulting processed ice surface 23, 24 generally has arc-shaped, in particular cycloid-like channels 24 which are offset with respect to one another. They form rows and cover the entire working width B₀ or B₁.

The rotors are displaceable relative to each other, which leads to a variably adjustable working width B₀, B₁. At maximum working width B₀ (Fig. 1a), the distance between the rotor axes 21.1, ..., 21.3 corresponds approximately to a diameter of a rotor circle 20.2. The rotor circles 20.1, ..., 20.3 almost touch. If the rotors are pushed together so that the distances between the rotor axes 21.1, ..., 21.3 correspond to approximately half a diameter of a rotor circle 20.1, the result is a minimum working width B 1 which is approximately 30-50% smaller than the maximum.

2 illustrates the principle of a device which is suitable for carrying out the method. Five rotor modules 1.1, ..., 1.5 are shown as examples. They are clustered around a fixed central rotor module 1.3. The rotor modules 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5 are slidably mounted on two carrier bars 2.1, 2.2 which are parallel to one another and transverse to the direction of travel 22. The carrier bars 2.1, 2.2 are firmly connected to the central rotor module 1.3. The Outer rotor modules 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5 each have two bearing bushes 3.11 and 3.12, 3.21 and 3.22, 3.41 and 3.42, 3.51 and 3.52, which with respect to the center of the respective rotor module 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5 each towards the center of the device , ie the middle rotor module 3.3 are offset. The offset enables a close moving together and a wide extension with relatively short beam spars 2.1, 2.2. (When the modules are moved together, the spars must of course not take up more space in the transverse direction than all the modules together.)

Hydraulic cylinders 4.1, ..., 4.4 are provided between adjacent rotor modules 1.1 / 1.2, 1.2 / 1.3, 1.3 / 1.4, 1.4 / 1.5 to move the outer rotor modules 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5. They are controlled synchronously and ensure a uniform movement and contraction of the rotor modules 1.1, ..., 1.5.

The middle rotor module 1.3 has a drive shaft 5 which is perpendicular to the carrier bars 2.1, 2.2 and the rotational energy from the vehicle z. B. via propeller shaft first to the rotor 6.3 of the middle rotor module 1.3. From this, the rotation is transmitted to the outer rotors 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 6.5 with the aid of transmission shafts 8.1, ..., 8.4 and (with bevel gears) transmission sleeves 7.1, ..., 7.5. The transmission sleeves 7.1, ..., 7.5 each have a multi-spline inner profile that corresponds to the multi-spline profile of the transmission shafts 8.1, 8.4. Transmission sleeves 7.1, ..., 7.5 and transmission shafts 8.1, ..., 8.4 can be pushed one into the other while the rotation is running. This makes it possible to vary the working width when the rotors are running and even when they are loaded. It can easily avoid candelabra and other obstacles without interrupting work become.

3 shows the module 1.2 in a side view. The transmission shaft 8.2, which is also described, protrudes laterally from a gearbox 9 in which, among other things, an already described transmission sleeve is accommodated. A rotor shaft 10 protrudes downward from the gearbox 9. At the lower edge, namely laterally offset with respect to the rotor shaft 10 (marking the center of the rotor module), there is the bearing bush 3.21. Fastening tabs for the hydraulic cylinders are provided at the top of the gearbox 9.

Two rotor arms 11.1, 11.2 are attached to the rotor shaft 10. They protrude radially outwards and at the same time obliquely downwards. At the outer end they each have a holder 12.1, 12.2, which run in a plane that is clearly below the end of the rotor shaft 10. The knives of the similar neighboring rotor can thus pass under the rotor shaft 10. In this way it is possible to push adjacent rotor modules very closely together.

Knives 13.1, 13.2 projecting vertically downward and thus projecting parallel to the rotor axis are clamped in the holders 12.1, 12.2. The mentioned knives 13.1, 13.2 have the shape of regular triangular prisms. Each of the longitudinal edges can be used as a cutting edge if the knife is inserted into its holder in a corresponding manner.

According to a preferred embodiment, pins 14.1, 14.2 made of particularly low-wear material or with a particularly wear-resistant coating are used on the lower sides of the knives 13.1, 13.2. They have a smaller cross section than the knives 13.1, 13.2 and can be replaced in just a few simple steps. You assign a z. B. conically shaped stump and can thus be clamped in the appropriately designed conical bore of the knife. You can with the help of a tool (mandrel), which in the longitudinal channel 15.1 resp. 15.2 of the knife 13.1 resp. 13.2 can be inserted, knocked down. The part protruding from the hole advantageously has the same cutting edge geometry as the knife (ie triangular knife).

The cutting pins located in the largest wear area of the knives, which are used both for roughening and milling away the ice layer, consist for example of hard metal, ceramic or diamond and have the same cutting edge geometry as the main knives.

4 finally shows the brackets 12.1, 12.2 in perspective. They each have a wedge or V-shaped recess 16.1, 16.2, which are adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the knives 13.1, 13.2. On the surfaces of the holder 12.1, 12.2 that point outward in the radial direction, a plate 17.1 or 17.2 can be screwed tight (18.1, 18.2 or 18.3, 18.4: screws) in order to clamp the knives 13.1, 13.2.

The knife 13.1, for example, can be clamped in the holder 16.1 in three cyclically different orientations, a different cutting edge of the knife 13.1 being active in each case. If a knife becomes blunt in the course of ice processing, it is simply unscrewed and fixed again in a different orientation.

The V-shaped recesses 16.1, 16.2 are slightly rotated with respect to the radial direction, so that the outward the side face of the knife 13.1 or 13.2 pointing against the plate 17.1 or 17.2 has an angle of inclination of approximately 15 ° to the tangential direction to the circular movement. It has been shown that such a geometry leads to very low milling resistance. The angle inclination mentioned is adapted to the ratio of the rotational speed to the feed speed. Depending on the choice of the two speeds mentioned, it may be appropriate to change the angle from 15 ° downwards or upwards.

The knives cut to a length of z. B. 10 cm. The pins used in these protrude for their part. B. 1 cm from the bottom of the knife.

Overall, the cutting edge geometry (cross-section of the knife, guidance to the path of movement) is designed so that the rotors have a minimal power consumption on a 180 ° semicircle in the area of the working surface.

According to a preferred embodiment, the device is designed as a unit for a commercial vehicle known per se. The rotors are driven by a vehicle PTO, a cardan shaft or hydraulically. In order to be able to remove the ice layer to a predefinable thickness, depth control is possible on the basis of one or more sliding shoes or rollers. The support via the sliding shoes or the rollers can be designed to be leading or trailing with respect to the direction of travel. In the simplest case, the adjustment is made mechanically. It is particularly advantageous to use hydraulic or electrical control with automatic adaptation based on a knife system with sensors for non-contact ice thickness measurement. The ice thickness can be scanned optically or with ultrasound, for example.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the rotors are held "in suspension" by means of a hydraulic system.

• Voreinstellung der Arbeitstiefe für die verschiedenen Anwendungen (Aufrauhen, Abtragen, Entfernen);
• keine Beschädigung der Fahrbahn oder des Untergrundes;
• regelmässige Schichtdicke auf der ganzen Fahrbahn.

The automatic cutting depth regulation has the following advantages, among others:

• Presetting of the working depth for the various applications (roughening, removal, removal);
• no damage to the road or the subsoil;
• regular layer thickness along the entire road.

The invention is of course not limited to the exemplary embodiments described. Therefore, various possible variations are indicated below.

In principle, the invention is already implemented with a rotor. However, based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, several, in particular three, five or seven rotors are preferably used.

Instead of rotors, linearly moving knives can also be provided, which produce zigzag-like patterns when the ice is roughened. The person skilled in the art can transfer and adapt the corresponding mechanisms for guiding the knives of agricultural machines. The detailed specification of technical constructions is therefore unnecessary.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the middle rotor was immovable. Of course, this is in no way essential to the invention. In principle, all rotors can be moved as desired as well as completely fixed his. With light, e.g. B. uniaxial units, a variation of the working width will not be necessary. Accordingly, the unit can be made lighter. In the case of large units, on the other hand, it might even make sense to keep the individual modules individually displaceable in order to B. enable only one-sided circumvention of obstacles.

The rotary drive can be implemented in a wide variety of ways (electrical or hydraulic, independent or externally controlled). In any case, however, it will make sense to couple the individual modules in terms of movement so that they can easily interlock with one another in terms of work.

In principle, the displaceable modules can also be suspended from a single support rod. The modules do not need to be arranged on a straight line. They can also be staggered with respect to the direction of travel (e.g. in the sense of a two-row arrangement). Even a slidable mounting on support bars is not essential to achieve a variable working width. The modules can e.g. B. be fixed on two V-shaped mutually pivoting supports. By changing the angle between the V-shaped beams, the working direction changes transversely to the direction of travel. Two rotor blades arranged one behind the other can also be provided, which are displaceable in the transverse direction relative to one another for the purpose of changing the working width.

Instead of knives with three edges, those with multiple cutting edges can generally be used, but also those with only one pronounced cutting edge.

Finally, the invention is not limited to single-arm or multi-arm rotors. These can be used to create patterns from ordinary, shortened or elongated cycloids in the ice layer. However, completely different channel structures are also possible. Some variants of this are shown in FIGS. 5a-c.

Figure 5a shows a pattern created by combining a linear forward movement with a linear transverse movement. It is a kind of zigzag curve with cut off peaks.

Fig. 5b shows a pattern of lined up curved lines.

5c shows elongated wavy lines. In the patterns shown in FIGS. 5b and c, the individual lines do not cross. However, it is easily possible to create an overlap by moving the lines closer together. Conversely, the lines shown in FIG. 5a can be pulled apart in the transverse direction so that they no longer cross.

In any case, the lines change their direction over a small area, be it because they have sudden changes in direction (as in FIG. 5 a) or continuous curvatures (as in FIGS. 5 b and c) in quick succession.

In summary, it can be stated that the invention has created a novel method for removing or roughening snow and ice layers as well as a device for carrying out the method, which enables the machined surface to be walked on or driven over and is versatile in use.

Claims (14)

Processing method, in particular for roughening or removing a snow or ice surface, characterized in that at least one knife in the plane of the ice surface executes a repetitive transverse movement with respect to a feed direction (22) in order to avoid a structure that intersects and / or the direction is small to produce changing gutters. Method according to Claim 1, in which the at least one knife rotates about an axis which is at least approximately perpendicular to the surface, roughening or removing the ice layer by attaching arcuate channels. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one rotating knife (25.1, ..., 25.6; 13.1, 13.2) is continuously advanced in a direction (22) parallel to the flat surface to a scale-like surface (23, 24) leave behind. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the roughening or removal is carried out with at least two (25.1, 25.2 and 25.3, 25.4) knives (25.1, ..., 25.6) moving in opposite directions. Device for carrying out the method, according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by a mechanism (1.1, ..., 1.5) with at least one knife (13.1, 13.2), which repetitive transverse movement with respect to a feed direction (22) in the plane of the ice surface to be worked on in order to produce a structure of intersecting and / or changing the direction of small-scale channels. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized by at least one rotor (6.1, ..., 6.5) with at least one knife (13.1, 13.2) projecting downwards in the direction of a respective axis of rotation, for machining in a flat surface substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation to enable. Device, in particular according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that at least two mechanisms (6.1, ..., 6.5) which are mounted with variable spacing from a central axis are provided in order to achieve a variably adjustable working width B₀, B₁. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that in particular two parallel horizontal supports (2.1, 2.2) are provided, on which a plurality of rotors (6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 6.5) relative to one another with the aid of electrically and / or hydraulically operated displacement units (4.1, ..., 4.4) are slidably mounted, and that the rotors (6.1, ..., 6.5) with the help of interlocking and slidable multi-spline profile shafts (8.1, ..., 8.4) and tubular sleeves (7.1, ..., 7.5) are coupled with the corresponding multi-spline inner profiles. Device according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the knives (13.1, 13.2) have several, in particular three identical cutting edges and can be fastened in different orientations in brackets (12.1, 12.2) of the rotors (1.2) in order to avoid blunting one Cutting edge by inserting the appropriate knife in the holder to bring a still sharp cutting edge. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the knives (13.1, 13.2) have the shape of a regular triangular prism and in the holder (12.1, 12.2) at an angle which minimizes the power consumption during machining, in particular about 15 ° with respect to a tangential direction of the rotational movement are held. Device according to one of claims 5 to 10, characterized in that on at least one knife (13.1, 13.2) on its downward-facing end face replaceable, downwardly projecting, low-wear inserts (14.1, 14.2) are provided. Device according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that sensors for contactless measurement of the thickness of the ice layer and means for height adjustment of the rotors (6.1, ..., 6.5) are provided in order to remove the ice layer to a predeterminable thickness. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the means for the height adjustment comprise a hydraulic system controlled according to the signals from the sensors. Surface structure of an ice or snow layer, produced by the method according to claim 1 with intersecting and / or changing the direction of small-scale channels.

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