EP0727527A1 - Sweeping device for utility vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The sweeper (1) has a motor-driven rotary brush (2), and a motor-driven conveyor worm (4) in front of it. The rotary brush has an initial diameter (D1) of approx. 30-100 cm, and a bristle length of approx. 10-40 cm. It is driven at such a speed, that it generates an air flow between itself and the take-in aperture (45) of a sweepings collection container (3/38). The container is simultaneously formed as conveyor and flow channel, and the air flow extends to its discharge aperture. The conveyor worm consists of a radial metal plate helix around a central cylindrical hollow. It is enclosed via a small relative distance by a cylindrical jacket pipe (38), which is closed at one end. The take-in aperture extends across at least 1/5 of the jacket pipe circumference.

Description

The invention relates to a sweeping device for work vehicles for cleaning traffic areas with a motor-driven, rotating bristle roller, which is covered on the top by a protective housing, and with a conveying device arranged directly in front of it in the direction of travel, consisting of a conveyor screw running parallel to the sweeping roller, which is also driven by a motor one with a rear-side, extending over the length of the bristle roller throw-in opening and at the screw end with an outlet opening is arranged sweeping waste housing, the dirt hopper housing below its throw-in opening has an obliquely downward baffle with a flexible bottom bar and one between the protective housing of the sweeping roller and the Waste collector housing existing gap is closed by a cover.

A snow plow for trucks is already known (DE 40 22 390 C2), in which between the ploughshare and a motor-driven sweeping roller running parallel to it, in a dirt collector housing a screw conveyor is arranged, which conveys the collected debris sideways to the outside. The screw conveyor is located in a feed trough, the wall of which is semicircular in cross section, begins directly at the rear of the snow plow above the screw axis and ends at an approximately diametrically opposite end edge. At this end edge a diagonally directed baffle is attached with a flexible bottom bar. The dirt hopper housing, the lower part of which is formed by the conveyor trough, also has a baffle wall that extends obliquely upwards at the rear of the snow plow and ends at an upper cover plate that has a vertical distance from the screw conveyor that is approximately that corresponds to half the diameter of the screw conveyor and which rests on a top cover of the sweeping roller.

This sweeping device can only be used in combination with the pre-built snow plow, which always takes an inclined position to the direction of travel when working. It is also attached to the snow plow in such a way that it is always parallel to it. For this reason, the sweeping device is also set up in such a way that its screw conveyor can either convey in one direction or the other, the two of which collect the housing have load-bearing side walls each with outlet openings for the sweepings conveyed by the screw conveyor to the respectively set discharge side.

With the help of this sweeping device, the so-called black clearing of winter roads is to be made possible, the sweeping device being responsible for picking up the snow remnants not covered by the snow plow and conveying them to the same side as the inclined snow plow.

In the operation of these known sweeping devices, the sweeping roller is driven at a relatively low speed, which is between 150 rpm and 250 rpm, depending on the roller diameter, so that the bristles of the sweeping roller are not subjected to excessive wear on the one hand, but the rotational speed is sufficient to achieve this to sweep debris caught by the sweeping roller into the conveyor trough of the screw conveyor.

Because the conveyor trough is open on both ends so that the swept material can either be conveyed out to one side or the other, care must be taken with this known sweeping device that there is no, albeit weak, air flow caused by the rotation of the sweeping roller Air flow emerging laterally from the collecting housing. Such a Air flow is also avoided in particular in that the collecting housing has a relatively large cavity above the screw conveyor and in that the working speed of the screw conveyor is kept relatively low. However, the low speed of the screw conveyor is synonymous with a relatively low work rate or with a reduction in the mode of operation of the sweeping roller to the purely mechanical loosening, picking up and hurling of the debris into the area of the conveyor trough or screw conveyor. Driving speeds of 3 km / h to 7 km / h are common when using the sweeping device.

The invention has for its object to improve the mode of operation and sweeping performance of a sweeping device of the type mentioned in such a way that, in particular at higher driving speeds of the working vehicle equipped with the sweeping device, optionally in combination with an upstream coulter, e.g. a snow plow or the like, perfectly clean surfaces can be achieved both when cleaning dirty traffic areas and when snow-free roads or other traffic areas are cleared of snow.

This object is achieved in that the initial diameter of about 30 cm to 100 cm and an initial bristle length of about 10 cm to 40 cm having a bristle roller is driven at such a rotational speed that it generates an air flow in the area lying between it and the insertion opening of the dirt hopper housing, which airflow can develop up to in the dirt hopper housing, which is also designed as a conveying bowl and flow channel the outlet opening continues.

The inventive solution to the problem, the operation of the sweeper roller is expanded by an additional aerodynamic component, which in the section between the sweeping mirror of the sweeping roller and the bottom bar of the collecting housing of the traffic area treated in each case has the effect of a blower, by means of which loose debris before it comes into contact with the bristles of the sweeping roller, blown into the collecting housing and entrained by the air flow still prevailing there up to the outlet opening. Debris with a larger grain size or higher specific weight, such as grit, fine gravel, sand or the like, will be deposited somewhere in the area of the screw conveyor within the collecting housing to be conveyed from the screw conveyor to the outlet opening, while fine-grained, light debris directly is blown to the outlet opening.

The embodiments of the invention provided according to subclaims 2 to 10 serve to optimize the work result and to achieve the simplest possible construction.

Fig. 1

eine mit einem wahlweise vorgebauten Schneepflug versehene Kehrvorrichtung in Seitenansicht;

Fig. 2

eine teilweise geschnittene Seitenansicht der Kehrvorrichtung ohne Schneepflug und ohne Tragvorrichtung;

Fig. 3

die antriebsseitige Seitenansicht des Kehrgutauffanggehäuses mit dessen Tragrahmen;

Fig. 4

die ausgabeseitige Seitenansicht des Kehrgutauffanggehäuses;

Fig. 5

in vergrößertem Maßstab eine Schnittansicht des Kehrgutauffanggehäuses mit der darin angeordneten Förderschnecke;

Fig. 6

in teilweise aufgeschnittener parallel-perspektivicher Darstellung das Auffanggehäuse mit der darin befindlichen Förderschnecke;

Fig. 7

eine Frontansicht der Förderschnecke in verkürzter Darstellung;

Fig. 8

einen Schnitt VIII-VIII aus Fig. 7;

Fig. 9

einen Schnitt IX-IX aus Fig. 7;

Fig. 10

einen Schnitt X-X aus Fig. 9;

Fig. 11

eine Kreuzverbindung der in der Förderschnecke angeordneten Stabilisierungsstäbe in perspektivischer Darstellung.

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

a side view of an optionally pre-assembled snow plow;

Fig. 2

a partially sectioned side view of the sweeper without snow plow and without a carrying device;

Fig. 3

the drive side view of the dirt hopper housing with its support frame;

Fig. 4

the output side view of the dirt hopper housing;

Fig. 5

on a larger scale a sectional view of the dirt hopper housing with the screw conveyor arranged therein;

Fig. 6

in a partially cut-away parallel perspective view of the collecting housing with the screw conveyor located therein;

Fig. 7

a front view of the screw conveyor in a shortened view;

Fig. 8

a section VIII-VIII of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9

a section IX-IX of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10

a section XX of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11

a cross-connection of the stabilizing rods arranged in the screw conveyor in a perspective view.

The sweeping device 1 shown in the drawing consists of a motor-driven rotating bristle roller 2 and a screw conveyor 4 arranged in a dirt-collecting housing 3 parallel to the bristle roller 2, which is also motor-driven.

The bristle roller 2 and the debris collecting housing 3 with the screw conveyor 4 rotatably mounted therein are jointly fastened to a support frame 5 which is fastened in a vertically movable manner to a vertical support frame 7 of the front mounting plate 8 of a work vehicle 9 by means of a support device 6. The bristle roller 2 is located directly behind the screw conveyor 4 in relation to the direction of travel indicated by the arrow 25. The carrying device 6 consists of two pairs of parallel links 10 and 11 which are each articulated on the one hand on the supporting frame 5 and on the other hand on the supporting frame 7. By means of a hydraulic lifting cylinder 12, the sweeping device 1 from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 Working position be lifted up in a transport position. In the working position shown in FIG. 2, the bristle roller lies in the area of a so-called sweeping mirror 24 on a traffic area 52, the width S of which, depending on the setting that can be selected, can be approximately 10 cm to 25 cm. Both the bristle roller 2 and the screw conveyor 4 are driven in the exemplary embodiment from the work vehicle via a clutch shaft 13 coupled to the PTO shaft of the work vehicle 9 and a transfer gear (not shown) and via two separate belt transmissions 14 and 15, which are arranged on the same end face.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a snow plow 17 is additionally arranged on the front of the support frame 5, which is usually provided with two wheels 16, which is also connected to the support frame 5 in a height-adjustable manner by means of two parallel link pairs 18 and 19 and by means of an obliquely articulated hydraulic cylinder 20 in the vertical direction separately, ie relative to the support frame 5, can be adjusted. Instead of a snow plow 17, a low ploughshare for clearing away coarse debris, e.g. B. of larger stones, boulders, chunks of ice or the like. Application.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sweeping device can also be used, for example, without a ploughshare or scraper roads contaminated by construction vehicles. It can even be assumed that this type of application will be the predominant one.

The bristle roller 2 and the screw conveyor 4 rotatably mounted in the dirt collector housing 3 are arranged parallel to one another so that their axes run transversely to the direction of travel 25 of the work vehicle 9. Their approximately equal axial length is dimensioned such that they extend at least across the width of the work vehicle. Depending on the application, their axial length can be one meter to four meters or more. Approx. 2.5 m are common for street cleaning.
In a preferred embodiment, the bristle roller has an initial diameter D1 of approximately 60 cm with a bristle length of approximately 20 cm. The screw conveyor 4, which consists of a radial sheet metal spiral 23 wound around a central, quasi-cylindrical cavity 23, is provided with a diameter D2 of 45 cm, the diameter D3 of the quasi-cylindrical cavity of the sheet metal coil 23 being approximately 16 cm. The screw diameter D2 thus corresponds to three quarters of the bristle roller diameter D1. The screw diameter should not be smaller. Larger screw diameters enable greater conveying capacities or a higher throughput, however at the cost of a weight saving.
With the bristle roller size given here, a ratio D1: D2 = 1: 1 would be considered optimal.
Basically, however, bristle rollers 2 with an initial diameter D1 of approximately 30 cm to 100 cm and with initial bristle lengths of 10 cm to 40 cm can also be used.

For radial stabilization of the sheet metal coil 23 against sagging, four axial stabilizing rods 26 are arranged in the cylindrical cavity 22, which are connected to one another in pairs and crosswise by a plurality of radial rods 27 and 28 welded crosswise. These stabilizing rods 26 end at the drive-side end section of the screw conveyor 4 on a radial coupling disc 29, to which they are individually welded, while the opposite ends of the stabilizing rods 26 are fastened on the circumference of two radial bearing discs 30 and 31 which are arranged at a short axial distance from one another and which are central Wear journal 32. Between the clutch disc 29 and a radial, circular end disc 33, a coaxial pipe section 34 is arranged, in which a gear coupling, not shown, is accommodated, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the clutch disc 29 and via which the screw conveyor 4 is driven by the belt transmission 15.

The sheet metal coil 23 is welded on the one hand to the pipe section 34 and on the other hand several times to the stabilizing bars 26, as a result of which it obtains sufficient dimensional stability over its entire length.
Between the clutch disk 29 and the bearing disk 30 arranged at the other end of the screw conveyor, the quasi-cylindrical cavity 22, which the sheet metal coil 23 surrounds, is only interrupted by the stabilizing bars 26 and the radial bars 27 and 28, the cross sections of which are so small that they are one oppose airflow flowing through this cavity with little resistance.

The dirt collector housing 3 consists of a cylindrical cladding tube 38 which is surrounded by a polygonal sheet metal wall 39. This cladding tube 38 surrounds the screw conveyor 4 at a small radial distance, which can be only a few mm. On the drive end face, this cladding tube 38 is completely closed except for a central passage opening for the drive elements by an end wall 40. An end wall 41 is also provided on the opposite end face, but this has an outlet opening 42 which extends over a center angle α of approximately 240 ° to 250 ° and through which the screw conveyor 4 conveys the collected debris to the outside. This outlet opening 42 should in any case have a size that corresponds to at least half the cross-sectional area of the dirt hopper housing 3/38.
In the remaining wall segment 43 there is the roller bearing 44 of the screw conveyor 4 receiving the journal 32. The end walls 40 and 41 (FIGS. 3 and 4) are each provided with triangular extensions 40 'and 41', which are at the level of an insertion opening 45 of the dirt collector housing 3 and the cladding tube 38 are arranged and directed against the lower region of the bristle roller 2 and largely close the space between the bristle roller 2 and the insertion opening 45 on the end face.

The insertion opening 45 of the cladding tube 38 has a vertical dimension H , which corresponds approximately to the initial bristle length of the bristle roller 2 and is therefore approximately 20 to 25 cm in the dimensions specified, for example. The lower axially parallel boundary edge 46 of the insertion opening 45 lies at the lowest point of the cladding tube 38, a short wall section 46 'lying between the lower boundary edge 46 and the vertical plane 48' of the screw axis 48 running horizontally. The upper, likewise axially parallel boundary edge 47 lies approximately at the level of the screw conveyor axis 48. The insertion opening 45 thus extends approximately over a quarter of the circumference of the cladding tube, the minimum width of the insertion opening 45 should correspond to approximately one fifth of the circumference of the cladding tube for fluidic reasons.
Adjoining the lower boundary edge 46 of the insertion opening 45 is a baffle 50 which runs obliquely downwards against the bristle roller 2 and which is provided with a flexible base strip 51. This bottom bar 51 generally consists of a rubber plate which rests on the traffic surface 52 to be cleaned in the working position of the sweeping device.

The bristles 55 of the bristle roller 2 are each arranged radially in a tight arrangement, evenly distributed over the circumference and over the length, on a central shaft, which is not visible in the drawing, and are enclosed on the upper side by a hood-like protective housing 56, which is approximately on the back of an end edge 57 ends at the level of the bristle roller axis 58, while the opposite end edge 59 of the protective housing 56 on the side facing the screw conveyor 4 lies about half the radius of the bristle roller 2 above the bristle roller axis 58.
As can be seen from FIG. 2, there is a gap 60 between this upper end edge 59 of the protective housing 56 and the debris collecting housing 3, which is preferably by a Arched cover 61 consisting of a rubber plate is closed. This cover 61 is fastened to an obliquely downwardly extending wall section 62 of the protective housing 56 and, with its loose end section 62, rests elastically on a section 63, likewise obliquely downward, of the sheet metal wall 39 surrounding the cladding tube 38. This elastic cover 61 extends over the entire length of the housing and prevents debris from being thrown upwards through the gap 60. At the same time, it also prevents the air flow generated by the bristle roller 2 from escaping vertically at this point.

The elasticity of this cover 61 is necessary because the bristle roller 2 with its protective housing 56 must be vertically adjustable relative to the screw conveyor 4 and its debris collecting housing 3 in order to be able to take account of the wear-related reduction in the bristle length.

In order not only to achieve a mechanical sweeping action of the bristle roller but also to achieve that loose, fine-grained, light or dust-form debris, which is located in small depressions on the road surface, is also detected and conveyed into the debris collecting housing 3, the works Bristle roller 2 with such a rotational speed that in the area lying between it and the insertion opening 45 of the sweepings collection housing 3/38 it generates an air flow indicated in FIG. 2 by a family of directional arrows, which is present in the sweepings collection housing which also serves as a trough and as a flow channel 3/38 continues to its lateral outlet opening 42 channeled. Given the conditions, such a rotational speed is approximately between a threshold value of 380 rpm and a maximum value of approximately 1500 rpm, it being possible to vary within this speed range depending on the driving speed and the type of contamination of the traffic area 52 to be cleaned, which is to be removed. A standard speed that is optimal for the most common applications is around 550 rpm. Experience has shown that the driving speed of the work vehicle 9 at which the sweeping device 1 moves over the traffic area 52 to be cleaned also plays a certain role. In the case of heavy soiling, the driving speed will have to be reduced while the speed of rotation of the bristle roller 2 is to be increased. In this context, it is advantageous to use a separate, controllable drive for the bristle roller. The screw conveyor can also be provided with such a separate hydraulic drive. It is favorable if the dimensions specified Provided screw conveyor 4 is driven at about half the speed of rotation of the bristle roller 2, wherein the direction of rotation of both the bristle roller 2 and the screw conveyor 4 is opposite to that of the impellers 16 or the vehicle wheels.

It is also important that the air flow causing the aerodynamic cleaning effect, which is generated by the bristle roller 2, can continue as freely as possible within the debris collecting housing 3/38 up to its outlet opening 42, the described design of the screw conveyor 4, its sheet metal coil 23 encloses a central quasi-cylindrical cavity 22 which extends almost over the entire length of the screw, has a very advantageous effect.

It has been shown that the sweeping device designed and equipped according to the invention has considerable, in particular performance, advantages over the conventional sweeping devices with a relatively light construction and that, despite the relatively high working speeds of the bristle roller 2, there is no noticeably increased wear of the sweeping bristles.

Claims (10)

Sweeping device (1) for work vehicles (9) for cleaning traffic areas (52) with a bristle roller (2) driven by a rotating motor, which is covered on the upper side by a protective housing (56), and with a conveyor device arranged directly in front of it in the direction of travel (25), Consisting of a screw conveyor (4) running parallel to the sweeping roller (2), which can also be driven by a motor in a dust collector housing provided with a rear opening (45) extending over the length of the bristle roller (2) and an outlet opening (42) at the screw end (3, 3/38) is arranged, the dirt hopper housing (3, 3/38) below its insertion opening (45) has an obliquely downwardly directed baffle (50) with a flexible base strip (51) and one between the protective housing (56 ) the sweeping roller (2) and the dirt collector housing (3, 3/38) existing gap (60) is closed by a cover (61),
characterized by
that an initial diameter (D1) of about 30 cm up to 100 cm and an initial bristle length of about 10 cm to 40 cm bristle roller (2) is driven with such a rotational speed that it generates an air flow in the area between it and the insertion opening (45) of the dirt collector housing (3/38) which continues in the dirt hopper housing (3/38), which is also designed as a conveying bowl and flow channel, up to its outlet opening (42). Sweeping device according to claim 1, characterized in that the screw conveyor (4) consists of a radial sheet metal spiral (23) wound around a central, cylindrical cavity (22) and over its entire length at a small radial distance from a cylindrical cladding tube closed on one end face (38) is enclosed, and that the insertion opening (45) of this cladding tube (38) extends at least over a fifth of the cladding tube circumference. Sweeping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vertical dimension (H) of the insertion opening (45) corresponds approximately to the initial bristle length. Sweeping device according to claim 3, characterized in that the lower boundary edge (46) of the insertion opening (45) is located approximately at the lowest point of the cladding tube (38) and the upper boundary edge (47) of the insertion opening (45) is arranged approximately at the level of the screw axis (48). Sweeping device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the working speed of the bristle roller (2) is above a threshold value of approx. 350 rpm. lies. Sweeping device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the screw conveyor (4) has an outer diameter (D2) which corresponds to at least three quarters of the initial diameter (D1) of the bristle roller (2). Sweeping device according to claim 2, characterized in that the diameter (D3) of the cavity (22) enclosed by the screw helix (23) corresponds to approximately one third of the outer diameter (D2) of the screw conveyor (4). Sweeping device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the working speed of the screw conveyor (4) corresponds to approximately half the working speed of the bristle roller (2). Sweeping device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the size of the end outlet opening of the dirt hopper housing (3/38) is at least as large as half its cross-sectional area. Sweeping device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that at least the closed end wall (40) of the dirt hopper housing (3) located at the start of the screw conveyor has an extension directed towards the lower region of the bristle roller (2) at the level of the insertion opening (45) (40 ', 42'), which at least for the most part closes the space between the bristle roller (2) and the insertion opening (45) on the front side.

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