Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D13/00—Steering specially adapted for trailers
  • B62D13/04—Steering specially adapted for trailers for individually-pivoted wheels
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60D—VEHICLE CONNECTIONS
  • B60D1/00—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices
  • B60D1/24—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices characterised by arrangements for particular functions
  • B60D1/42—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices characterised by arrangements for particular functions for being adjustable
  • B60D1/44—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices characterised by arrangements for particular functions for being adjustable horizontally
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60D—VEHICLE CONNECTIONS
  • B60D1/00—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices
  • B60D1/48—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices characterised by the mounting
  • B60D1/54—Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices characterised by the mounting collapsible or retractable when not in use, e.g. hide-away hitches

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a trolley which is used for transporting material or parts, for example, in a workshop.
• the carriages are generally assembled to each other to form carriages that are towed from one point to another.
• US 5,090,719 discloses a carriage which comprises a frame, a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, the two wheels of each of the pairs being interconnected and the two pairs of wheels being connected together, a drawbar which is connected to the front wheels, and a fastener, located at the rear of the frame and which, when connected to the drawbar of a similar carriage, allows them to be assembled, to form trains of carts.
• the aforementioned document proposes to have means for limiting the rotation of the front and / or rear wheels, formed by at least one stabilizing jack consisting of a cylinder in which is mounted movably in translation, a piston carrying a jack rod.
• the free end of the cylinder rod, which comes out of the cylinder, is pivotally mounted on the drawbar while the cylinder is mounted on the frame.
• the cylinder to effectively filter the vibrations and oscillations of the wheels or axles of the towed truck, must exert a fairly large force on the latter. In the case of a truck whose drawbar can be raised, in a maneuvering position for manually directing the truck, it is impossible for an operator to direct the truck by operating the drawbar, because of the excessive force exerted by the cylinder on the wheels or axles.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a carriage of the aforementioned type whose drawbar is movable between a traction position and a truck operating position, which makes it possible to form stable carriages trains and which is easily manipulated by an operator.
• a carriage comprising, in known manner, a chassis equipped with a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, the two wheels of each pair being connected and the two pairs of wheels. being connected together, the front and / or rear wheels being connected to a fastener and steering member which, when it cooperates with the fastening means of a similar carriage, to connect the two carriages and the moving together, the carriage comprising means for limiting the rotation of the wheels, of the type comprising at least one stabilizing jack, comprising a cylinder in which slides a piston carrying a jack rod, the jack connecting one of the wheels to the frame and exerting, on this wheel, a force which brings it in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the frame.
• the fastener and steering member is movable between an elongate traction position substantially parallel to the length of the chassis and a maneuvering position, raised, substantially perpendicular to the chassis, one end of the jack is mounted movably in longitudinal translation on the frame and the means for limiting the rotation of the wheels comprise means forming a stop, movable between a first position in which they serve to support the movable end of the jack so that the latter exerts a force of determined intensity on the wheel, and a second position in which the intensity of the force exerted by the jack on the wheel is less, whereby the fastener and steering member can be maneuvered manually to direct the wheels.
• the fastener and steering member allows, during its passage from the traction position to the operating position, to move the abutment means from their first position to their second position.
• the jack is mounted movably on the frame by means of a strip, fixed on the frame and having a longitudinal slot, parallel to the length of the frame in which slides the movable end of the jack.
• the abutment means comprise hinge means which deform during the passage of the fastening member and direction of the traction position to the operating position, to move the abutment means.
• the abutment means comprise at least one bar, articulated in rotation on the frame, about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame, a first end can be longitudinally lock the movable end of the cylinder on the frame and a second end is connected to the fastening member and direction.
• the movable end of the jack comprises a stop rod, substantially perpendicular to the frame and which slides in the longitudinal slot of the slider so as to bear against the abutment means, when they are in their first position.
• the carriage comprises two jacks each connected to a wheel or the front or rear axle and which are arranged to work in compression.
• the cylinders can be of the pneumatic type, for example.
• the frame comprises at least one longitudinal crosspiece on which is mounted movably, in longitudinal translation, one end of the jack.
• FIG 1 shows a perspective view of the carriage of the invention, the drawbar being in traction position
• FIG 2 shows a perspective view of the carriage of Figure 1, the drawbar being in the operating position
• FIG. 3 represents a partial view, from the front, of the jack fixed to the frame of the carriage represented in FIG. 1; and
• FIG. 4 represents a partial view, from the front, of the jack fixed to the chassis of the carriage represented in FIG.
• the carriage of the invention comprises a frame 1 which comprises a substantially rectangular frame and two longitudinal cross members 2 which are arranged to form the floor of the carriage.
• Under the chassis 1, are mounted four wheels which form a pair of front wheels 3 and a pair of rear wheels 4.
• the front wheels 3 are connected by a front axle 5, which is a rigid bar, arranged according to the width of the chassis 1
• the rear wheels 4 are connected by a rear axle 6, similar and parallel to the front axle 5.
• the two axles 5 and 6 are connected by a connecting rod 7 which connects a front wheel 3 and a rear wheel 4 located each on a different side of the frame 1.
• the connecting bar 7 thus connects front wheels 3 and rear 4 which are diagonally opposite.
• a fastening and steering member 8 also known as a drawbar, is disposed at the front of the carriage and is connected to the front axle 5.
• This drawbar 8 is movable at a pivot 9 and can thus pass from an elongated traction position, as shown in FIG. 1, in which it is substantially parallel to the plane of the chassis, and which allows the carriage to be towed, to a maneuvering position, raised, as shown in FIG. 2, in which it is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the frame, and which allows an operator, by grasping its free end directed upwards, to manually direct the carriage.
• the means for limiting the rotation of the wheels comprise two lateral cylinders each connecting a longitudinal cross member 2 to the front axle 5.
• the cylinders are formed of a cylinder 1 in which moves, in translation, a piston carrying a cylinder rod 12.
• the cylinders are pneumatic cylinders which work in compression.
• the cylinder rod 12 of each cylinder has a free end which leaves the cylinder 11 and which is slidably mounted at a longitudinal cross member 2, by means of a strip 13, which will be more fully described with reference to FIGS. 4.
• the free end of the cylinder that is to say the end of the cylinder closed and opposite to that through which the cylinder rod 12 passes, is mounted on the front axle 5.
• the cylinders because of the arrangement of the cylinders, they only work in compression to straighten the front axle 5 but, it is also possible, without departing from the scope of the present invention. to provide the chassis 1 with two jacks working in tension or one in tension, the other in compression, depending on the arrangement of the cylinders on the front axles 5 and / or rear 6, or even to provide the carriage that a cylinder working in traction and compression.
• the cylinder or cylinders may be pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic or oleopneumatic.
• the free end of the cylinder rods 12 is integral with an abutment rod 14 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the chassis 1 and which projects under the longitudinal cross-member 2.
• the stop rod 14 slides in the longitudinal slot of the strip 13 which is fixed on the longitudinal cross member 2.
• Stop means comprise two bars 15, articulated with respect to each other, in the plane of the frame 1, at the level of a pivot 16, disposed to one of their ends to form an abutment, here V-shaped. These abutment means allow the stop rod 14, either to slide freely in the longitudinal slot of the strip 13, or to bear on the free end of bars 15, so that the cylinders exert a determined force on the front wheels 3 to prevent them from turning.
• Each of the bars 15 is thus also mounted under a longitudinal cross member 2 and articulated in rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the frame 1, at a pivot 18, so that the free end of each of the bars 15 protrudes below the ruler 13 so that the stopper rod 14 can bear against the bar 15, when the drawbar 8 is in its traction position, as will be explained in more detail later.
• the pivot 16 is connected to the drawbar 8 by a connecting element 17 so that in the draw position of the drawbar 8, the V formed by the two bars 15 has its tip oriented towards the rear wheels 4, the free ends of the bars 15 coming to stop and wedging the stopper rod 14 of each of the cylinders.
• the strips 13 each comprise a light which is arranged longitudinally on the frame 1.
• the stop rods 14 can each slide in one of the aforementioned lights, so as to lengthen the stroke of the piston is that is, in this case, the abutment rods 14 can move towards the rear wheels 4 of the carriage.
• the abutment rods 14 are arranged substantially in the middle of the slots and the free end of the bars 15 comes, under the longitudinal cross member 2, against the portion of the abutment rods 14 which protrudes under them. longitudinal struts 2, and prevents them from moving, thus limiting the stroke of the piston to the length 1 shown in FIG. 1.
• the stop rods 14 bearing against the end of the bar 15, the jacks can counteract the force exerted by the wheels or axles in rotation.
• the stop rods 14 are arranged in the bottom of the lights, to the rear wheels 4 and the free ends of the bars 15 are arranged towards the rear of the carriage, beyond the strips 13.
• the stroke of the piston cylinders, represented by the length L, visible in Figure 2 is thus elongated which reduces the force exerted by each of the cylinders on a front wheel 3 and allows an operator to manually operate the carriage.
• the cylinders are no longer supported on the bars 15 but in the bottom of the lights of the strips 13, they exert and a force less or virtually zero on the front wheels 3, when the latter turn.
• the operation of the carriage of the invention is as follows.
• the drawbar 8 When the drawbar 8 is in the traction position (see FIGS. 1 and 3), it is possible to form carriages trains according to the invention, by attaching the free end of the drawbar 8 to the fastening member 20, arranged at the rear of the frame 1 of another carriage according to the invention or the like.
• the V formed by the bars 15 has the tip oriented towards the rear wheels 4 and the ends of the bars 15 wedge the stop rods 14 in the slots of the strips 13.
• the pistons of the cylinders therefore have a stroke length 1 determined, as shown in Figure 1 and the cylinders exert a determined force on the front wheels, whose intensity is sufficient to counteract their rotation during the movement of the carriage train.
• the operator maneuver the drawbar 8 so as to raise it and to move it to its maneuvering position.
• the passage of the drawbar 8 from the traction position to the maneuvering position represented in FIGS. 2 and 4, causes the deformation of the V formed by the bars 15 which is connected to the drawbar 8 by the connecting element 17.
• the tip V is reversed and the ends of the bars 15 move towards the rear wheels 4, at the rear of the strips 13.
• the free end of the cylinder rod 12 - and the stop rod 14 - is free to slide in the light of the slider 13, towards the rear wheels 4.
• the stroke of the piston of the cylinder is thus elongated and the force exerted by the cylinder on the front wheel 3 is thus reduced (it no longer has a fulcrum or a distant point of support that corresponds to the bottom of the light, facing the rear wheels 4) which allows the operator to easily manage the carriage without effort.
• the drawbar 8 When it is necessary to form carriages trains, the drawbar 8 is moved in its traction position, as shown in Figure 1.
• the bars 15 are moved by the connecting element 17 and drive the stop rods 14 to the front wheels 3.
• the stop rods 14 are locked, substantially in the middle of the light of each strip 13 (see FIG. 4) by the bars 15.
• the stroke of the pistons being reduced , the cylinders exert a greater force on the front wheels 3 which avoids the oscillations of the wheels front and rear (the two pairs of wheels being connected) and train trains trolleys that are stable, even when cornering or at high speed of movement.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Handcart (AREA)
• Steering-Linkage Mechanisms And Four-Wheel Steering (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=37776870

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (6)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 2006
  • 2006-06-29 FR FR0605834A patent/FR2903068B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2007
  • 2007-06-25 EP EP07803932A patent/EP2032417A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-06-25 WO PCT/FR2007/051509 patent/WO2008000999A2/fr active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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