FR2499492A1 - Road roller steering and safety control - uses two position steering column for seated or walking operator - Google Patents

Abstract

The roller has a two position steering column (12) which when vertical is suitable for a person seated on the machine and when tilted forward and down is suitable for an operator walking along with the machine. In the lower position gears in the steering box are re-meshed so that the direction of the steering is reversed. This gives the correct directional responce of the steering mechanism in each position. A safety feature in the form of a spring loaded wheel is mounted below the main steering wheel capable of being pulled up by the grip of one hand. Only when this spring loaded device is actuated is it possible to start the machine in motion using the control lever (11).

Description

 The present invention relates to a rolling machine, in particular a compactor roller.

 Numerous rolling machines are known, in particular compacting rollers used on public works sites, which, under certain conditions, should preferably be driven by a driver carried by the rolling machine ellemeame, whereas, under other conditions, employment, it would be desirable that they could be driven by a pedestrian driver. In the case of a compactor roller, for example, driving by a driver is recommended on regular surfaces, such as parking lots, sidewalks .... etc., while driving by a pedestrian driver is preferable when the stability conditions of the craft may be precarious, for example when riding on uneven ground, or in trench.

 The present invention makes it possible to produce a rolling machine, in particular a compacting roller, which can be driven indifferently by a driver carried by the rolling machine or by a pedestrian driver.

 The rolling machine, in particular the compactor roller according to the present invention, is characterized in that it comprises a steering and control device, invertible between a driving position adapted for a driver carried by the rolling machine, and a suitable driving position. for a pedestrian driver.

 In a preferred embodiment of the rolling machine according to the present invention, it further comprises means for automatically reversing the direction of action of the steering member, such as a steering wheel, when the steering and control device is itself inverted between the two driving positions.

This arrangement, which facilitates the realization of the steering and control device, is obviously adaptable to a rolling machine capable of working in equally satisfactory conditions when it moves in one direction, being directed by the driver carried by the machine, and when it moves in the opposite direction, being directed by a pedestrian driver. This is the case of compacting rollers previously noted.

 According to another advantageous characteristic of the machine before the present invention, it further comprises an automatic stopping device, conanded by a member, such as a handle or a circle, associated with the steering member, particularly the steering wheel. automatically discarded, towards its stopping position as soon as the driver stops exercising, on said stop member, an action towards the steering wheel.This automatic shutdown device greatly increases the safety of use of the machine rolling wheel according to the present invention, ensuring its instantaneous stop as soon as, for example, the driver, worn or pedestrian, lsche the steering wheel, voluntarily or because of any unforeseen incident; an automatic and instant stop of the rolling machine is then produced. This advantage is obviously particularly valuable when it comes to a heavy rolling machine, equipped with a powerful engine, and whose inertial force, during rolling, could give rise to serious accidents in the absence of such an automatic shutdown device.

 Finally, means are preferably provided for immobilizing the reversible direction and control device in its two driving positions; these means are preferably arranged to allow-free the invertible device from the position where it is immobilized by applying a moderate action in the direction of its other position. This allows easy manual reversal of the driving mode of the rolling machine according to the present invention.

 By way of example, there is described below and schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawing an embodiment of a vibratory compactor roller according to the present invention.

 Figure 1 is a schematic elevational view of this embodiment illustrating its two modes of driving.

 FIG. 2 is a plan diagram, in which the main mechanisms of the compacting roller of FIG. 1 are indicated.

 Figure 3 shows, in section, by a substantially vertical plane, the steering column, the steering wheel and the conande boftier which is equipped with the compactor roller schematically illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

 FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

 Figure 5 is a partial view in the direction of the arrow V of Figure 3, showing the gate of the control lever.

 The compactor roller shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 comprises, in a manner known per se, two compaction wheels, I 1 and 1 B, each supporting a frame 2A and 2B. The two frames 2A and 2B are joined by at least one vertical pivot coupling, 3.

The frame 2B carries a cover 4, under which are mounted in particular a heat engine 5 and a hydraulic pump 6; the latter is driven by the motor 5, and it delivers in a closed circuit, which passes through two hydraulic motors, 7A and 7B, themselves fixed on the frames 2k and 2B.The hydraulic pump 6 is of the type for reversing the flow direction of the hydraulic fluid - taken from a tank not shown through the mentioned hydraulic circuit passing through the motors 7A and 7Bs when a control lever, 8, of said hydraulic pump 6, is actuated as follows t in the middle position, represented in full milking designated by the reference 8, and corresponding to neutral, the load circuit of the hydraulic pump 6 is not traversed by any flow of hydraulic fluid; in the two extreme positions, 8a and 8b, of said control lever, for example symmetrical with respect to its median position 8, the load circuit of the hydraulic pump 6 is traversed by hydraulic fluid streams of opposite directions which consequently cause hydraulic motors 7A and 7B in respective rotations of opposite directions The shafts of said hydraulic motors 7A and 7B being coupled to the axes of the compaction wheels, 1A and 2B, for example by means of cat transmissions, 9A and 93, said wheels 1A and 1B will be driven in the same direction, so as to advance the entire compactor roller for example to the left of Figures 7 and 2 for the extreme position 8a of the lever 8 (direction of travel to be subsequently designated, by convention , hits that of the forward direction), and in the direction of reverse movement when the control lever 8 is in its other extreme position 8b.

Known means are provided on the frames 2A and 2B for imparting vibration to the compaction wheels 1A and 1B, but it is to be understood that the present invention is also applicable to a non-vibratory compactor roll.

 According to the present invention, the steering member, in particular a steering wheel 10, and at least one gait control member, in particular a control lever Il, are mounted at one end of a steering column 12, the other of which end is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis 13 (Figure 2), itself mounted on the frame 2A of the compactor roller, transversely to its longitudinal direction of displacement. In the embodiment considered, the pivot axis 13 of the steering column 12 is itself pivotally mounted in a casing 14, fixed on the front part of the frame 2 & (taking into account the direction of the forward movement, previously defined) .A helical slot 14a is arranged in the upper and lateral walls of the casing 14, and the lower end of the steering column 12 passes through this helical slot 14a, so as to penetrate inside the casing 14, by the intermediate of a tubular guide slider 15, which is guided in said helical slot 14a, and wherein said end of the steering column 12 is freely rotatable.

 Inside the casing 14, the end of the steering column 12 carries a conical pinion 16, which, depending on the position of the guide member 15 in the helical slot 14a, can cooperate with one or the other. other two other bevel gears, 17 and 18, themselves wedged, with a suitable spacing on the pivot axis 13. One end of this pivot axis 13 out of the casing 14, and is coupled el'axe a standard management box, 19; on the output shaft of this steering box 19 is keyed an end of a link 20, the other end is coupled with the rear end 2B of the compactor roller by a coupling rod 21, articulated at both ends Finally, a transmission 22, of any suitable type, connects the lever 8 of the hydraulic pump 6 to the control lever 11, so that, in normal operation, the lever 8 is held in its central position, from neutral when the control lever 11 is itself in its middle position, shown in solid line, while said lever of the pump is brought into one of its two extreme positions, 8a and 8b, previously defined, when the driver The compactor roller manually engages the control lever 17 in either of its two extreme positions, 11a and 11b. A more ingenious embodiment of the transmission 22, intended to increase, will be written later. the safety of use of the coipactor roll.

The compactor roller illustrated schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2 and previously described, is used as follows
When the guide member 15 of the steering column 12 is in the right end - in FIG. 2 - of the helical slot 14a, the steering column 12 is inclined to the right of its pivot axis 13, in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 1.The driver of the compactor roller can then sit on the seat 23, fixed on the front frame 2A; in this position, the steering wheel 10 and the control lever of the step 11, are indeed within reach; as shown in FIG. 2, the conical pinion 16, integral with the steering column 12, then engages with the conical pinion 17; by rotating the flywheel 10, the driver can therefore rotate the members 12, 16, 17, 13 and 20 such that the coupling rod 21 exerts on the rear frame 2B a torque tending to rotate the latter relative to at the front frame 2A, around the vertical pivot 3, at least monk when the compact roller rolls.

 The driver can also rotate the steering column 12 about the axis 13 in the direction of the arrow F (Figure 1) so as to bring the bodies 10, 11 and 12 in the position shown in phantom in Figure 1 The steering member 15 moves in the helical slit 14a to its left end (in the course of this movement of the steering column 12 and the members which it drives). Figure 2); this results in a translation, of amplitude a, of the steering column 12, this amplitude being chosen, and the entire mechanism enclosed in the casing 14 being dimensioned such that the conical pinion 16, fixed at the end of said steering column 12, first stops meshing with the bevel gear 17, then, in the new limit position, shown in 'lirtes, enggrene with the bevel gear 18.In the new position of the steering column 12, the flywheel 10, as well as the control lever 11, is carried by a pedestrian driver, walking in the direction of movement of the compactor roller.

 The forward movement of the compactor roller, however, has contrary meanings for the driver and the pedestrian; the means described above, however, ensure 'automatic reversal of the direction of action of the steering wheel orque the steering column 12 is brought from one to the other of the two driving positions indicated.

 Known means which it is not necessary to describe in detail, and which may in particular comprise spring-loaded and / or ball-lock detents, are preferably provided, according to the present invention, for immobilizing the steering column 12 in its two driving positions; the latching means mentioned are preferably arranged so as to allow the driver to release the steering column 12 from the driving position where it is momentarily immobilized, by applying a slight thrust towards its other position.

 FIG. 3 shows in partial section the end of the steering column 12, on which the steering wheel 10 is fixed, and a box 24, which is associated with this end of the steering column 12, and into which the joystick, 77. In the embodiment considered, the transmission between the control lever 8 of the hydraulic pump 6 (FIG. 2) comprises a sliding bar 22, the end of which is closest to the control box 24, is connected to the control lever of FIG. the step 11, via a coupling, releasable by an automatic stop member.This particular embodiment of the releasable coupling comprises a sleeve 25, which is mounted freely slidable, inside said casing 24 on an extension 22a of the transnission bar 22; this sleeve 25 is itself coupled to the end of the control lever 11, inside the housing 24, in the following way: the lever 11, which is preferably bent, is joined via a transverse axis 26 ( see also Figure 4), to a fork-shaped piece 27 extending in the extension of said lever 11; this fork-shaped part 27 carries an axis 28, which can be clamped between two jaws, 29a and 29b, in an adjustable manner by means of bolts 30, provided with spring washers 31, so as to adjust the braking of the pivoting lever 11 Below the axis 28 are welded to the two branches of the fork 27, lugs 32a and 32b, which are oriented downwards (in FIG. 3), and whose ends bear lugs, such as 33a, which engage, respectively, in slots such as 32c, arranged in the sleeve 25. The wall of the latter is also traversed for example by two holes, 34a and 34b, through which two balls 35a and 35b, of diameter barely smaller than that of the holes 34a and 34b, can partially engage in an annular groove 36 arranged at the end of the extension 22a of the transmission bar 22.Where there is not coincidence between 1 on the one hand, the holes 34a and 34b, and, on the other hand, the annular groove 36, and that, in addition, nothing prevents the balls 35a and 35b protrude from the wall of the sleeve 25, a helical spring 37, one end of which bears on a fixed wall, 24a of the casing 24, pushes the sliding bar 22 to a position for which the transmission of which it is part maintains the lever 8 of the hydraulic pump 6 in its central position, corresponding to the neutral position. A circle 38, of radius close to that of the flywheel 10, is supported, by means of spokes such as 38a, by a sleeve 39, itself mounted freely sliding on the end of the nearest steering column 12 said steering wheel 10.

A coil spring 40, threaded on said end of the steering column 12, is further compressed between the hub of the steering wheel 10 and the end closest to the sleeve 39, so as to push the other end of the latter. against a stop 41, radially fixed to the steering column 12. A radial piece, 42, laterally joins the sliding sleeve 39, to a tubular drawer 43, which is mounted, freely sliding, on the part of the sleeve 25 where are arranged the holes 34a and 34b, on the left - in FIG. 3, radial cams 37a and 33b. The tubular drawer 43 is arranged so as to comprise, on the side of the circle 38, a section 43a, of inside diameter, which is notably greater than outer diameter of the sleeve 25, so as to allow the balls 35a and 35b to exit completely from the annular groove 36.

 FIG. 5 shows that the control lever 11 passes through the front wall 24a of the casing 24 via a "grid", which consists essentially of two elongated openings 44a and 44b with vertical axes horizontally offset and a horizontal connection element. , 44c, which defines the position of the control lever 71 corresponding to the neutral position.

The forward and reverse of the compactor roller are obtained when the control lever 77 is manually brought from its position corresponding to the dead point, in its respectively lower and upper positions, at the bottom of the vertical elements 44a and 44b; spring blades 45a and 45b maintain, in known manner, the control lever 11 in its neutral position, their deformation requiring the driver exerts minimal force on said lever 11 to bring it forward or backwards. Of course, the horizontal displacements of the lever 11 from the neutral point are allowed by the transverse articulation 26 (FIG. 3).

 The releasable coupling, previously described, is arranged in such a way that when the circle 38 occupies its automatic stop position, shown in full line in FIG. 3, and the control lever 11 is in its position corresponding to the point dead, the tubular drawer 43 occupies a position such that it possibly allows the partial exit of the balls 35a and 35b out of the corresponding holes of the sleeve 25; however, the transmission band 22 being held by the spring 37 in its position corresponding to the neutral position, the annular groove 36 of the extension 22a is also aligned with the holes 34a and 34b of said sleeve 25, as can be seen in FIG. the driver, whether worn or pedestrian, exerts on the circle 38 an action towards the steering wheel 10, the sleeve 39 moves to the left of Figure 3 by compressing the spring 40, and it entrains the tubular drawer 43 in the direction is until a position such that the balls are pocketed out of the holes 34a and 34b and consequently couple in translation the sleeve 25 and the extension 22a of the bar 22. As a result, when the driver moves the control lever Downward or upwardly, the fork-shaped part 27, which is integral with it, by pivoting on the axis 28, pivots, to the right or to the left, the tabs 32a and 321>, and therefore moves in the same direction the man slider 25, via the pins such as 33a.Ce displacement is communicated by the balls 35a and 35b to the rod 22, via its extension 22a, so that the transmission of which is part said rod 22 brings the control lever 8 of the hydraulic pump 6 (Figure 2) in one of its two extreme positions 8a and 8b, respectively corresponding to the forward and reverse. If, during a displacement, forwards or backwards, of the compacting roller, its driver loose for any reason, the flywheel 10, or at least the circle 38, the spring 40 brings it back into its automatic stop position, and the sliding sleeve 39 returns the tubular drawer 43 in a position such that it ceases to oppose the partial exit of the balls 35a and 35b out of the holes of the sleeve 25.

 Considering the spring 37 is then compressed, it can relax by reducing the transmission rod 22 in its position corresponding to the neutral position, since the balls 35a and 35b can, partially out of the holes 34a and 34b of the sliding sleeve 25, out cosplètement the annular groove 36 of said extension 22a. This obviously results in an almost instantaneous stop of the displacement of the compacting roller.

To restart the latter, with this stop, voluntary or accidental, it is not enough that the driver pushes again the circle 38 against the steering wheel 10; it is necessary, beforehand, that he returns the control lever 71 in the neutral position, so as to bring the balls 35a and 35b opposite the annular groove 36 of the extension 22a of the bar 22.

Only then can he, by actuating the circle 38, restore the coupling between the sliding sleeve 25 and said extension 22a, then, thanks to the restoration of this coupling, restart the vehicle in one direction or the another in action nant the control lever It correspondingly.

 The present invention is not limited to the previously described embodiments. It encompasses all their variants. The releasable coupling between the control lever and the transmission rod is capable of various embodiments, functionally equivalent to that illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the other place constituted by a circle, the control member of the Auto stop. Could be a handle, pivoted on the steering wheels or an analogous body. The means for automatically reversing the direction of action of the steering wheel, or the equivalent steering member, are likely to achieve different from that illustrated in Figure 2, which comprises essentially three bevel gears. These means of automatic reversal of direction of the governing body are themselves optional; it is indeed possible to deport the steering wheel relative to the direct ion column in the transverse direction of the compactor roller, and to mechanically couple them by suitable mechanical transmission means, housed for example in a horizontally transversely and sensiblelent box, which is integral with the steering column; in this variant, the driver's seat should obviously be turned in the opposite direction of the seat 23 in Figure 1, and placed laterally to the steering column, facing the boftier mentioned.

This variant would be particularly suitable for a machine whose work requires that it always moves in the same direction.

Claims (8)

 1. Rolling machine, in particular compacting roller, characterized in that it comprises a steering and control device (10-II-I 2), invertible between a driving position adapted to a driver carried by the rolling machine, and a suitable driving position for a pedestrian driver.  2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises means (13-16-I-18) for automatically reversing the direction of action of the steering member, such as a steering wheel ( 10), when the steering and control device (10-11-12) is itself inverted between the two driving positions.  3. Machine according to any one of claims 7 and 2, characterized in that the steering member, such as a steering wheel (10), and at least one control member of the step (11) are mounted at a end of a steering column (12), the other end is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis (13), mounted him-m8ie on the rolling machine, transversely to its longitudinal direction of displacement.  4. Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the pivot axis (13) of the steering column (12) is itself pivotally mounted in a casing (14) fixed to the machine, and that means, such as a helical ramp (14a) formed in the walls of said stationary housing (14), are provided to produce a translation, of defined amplitude, of the steering column (12) when brought from a position of driving to the other, so that a conical pinion (16), fixed at the end of said steering column (I 2), is moved simultaneously between two positions where it meshes respectively with one or the other two bevel gears (17, 18) wedged at a suitable spacing on said pivot axis (13) which is coupled with the steering wheel or wheels (13) of the machine via a suitable transmission (19-20-21).  5. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises an automatic arresting device (22a, 25, 35a, 35b, 39, 43), controlled by an organ, such as a handle or circle (38), associated with the steering member, in particular the steering wheel (10), so as to be automatically spaced to its stop position, as soon as the driver stops exercising, on said organ stop (38), an action towards the steering wheel (10).  6. Machine according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises; between the operation control lever (11) and the engine control device of the machine (8), a transmiision, for example of the sliding bar type (22), one end of which is connected to said control lever (11). ) via a coupling (22a, 25, 35a, 35b, 39, 43), releasable by the automatic stop member (38) when a spring (40) moves it to the stop position, and that means (37) are provided for returning the transmission, for example its slide bar (22), to its position corresponding to the engine engine dead center (8) when said coupling (22a, 25, 35a, 35b , 39, 43) is released.  7. Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the releasable coupling comprises a sleeve (25L which is mounted freely sliding on the end of or on an extension (22a) of the transmission bar (22), and which is coupled with the control lever of the step (II), so that it can be moved by said lever (11) between two positions, respectively of forward and reverse, located on either side of a median position , corresponding to neutral, at least one ball (35a, 35b) passing through a radial hole (34a, 34b) of said sleeve (25) and partially engageable in a blind hole equals the transmission bar (22), a drawer (43), which is coupled with the automatic stop member (38) and arranged so as to allow the ball (35a, 35b) to exit completely from the blind hole (36) of said bar (22) only when the automatic stop member (38) is in its stop position and.  8. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that means are provided for immobilizing the reversible steering and control device (10-11-12) in its two driving positions, these means being preferably arranged so as to release the invertible device from the position where it is immobilized, by applying a moderate action towards its other position.