FR2661307A1 - Handling device for an electronic rack - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment includes: - two grouping devices (7, 8) fixed to the top (11) and to the base (12) of the rack (1), in order to facilitate handling and movements of the rack after it has been unpacked; - four wheeled corner pieces (2 to 5) allowing movement along an approximately straight-line trajectory; - means (6) for successively raising two sides of the rack so as to put in place and fix the wheeled corner pieces (2 to 5), and for making it possible to move the rack along a curved trajectory, these means including a steerable castor, a lever, and an L-shaped protecting plate for supporting the rack. Application to handling electronic racks on the installation site of a telephone exchange.

Description

Handling device for an electronic rack.

 The invention relates to a handling device for an electronic rack such as those constituting a telephone exchange.

 The racks intended for the installation of a telephone exchange are wired and are optionally equipped with their cards in the factory, then they are packaged and transported to the site of the telephone exchange. They are then unpacked and then moved to a room where they are permanently fixed.

Certain handling operations are therefore necessary to set them up after unpacking. However, a bay fitted with cards has a weight of the order of 350daN. A handling device is therefore necessary.

 Various handling devices are known for moving a packaged or slightly fragile object, such as a piece of furniture for example. It is known to use a forklift to lift an object from the ground and then move it, but this object must first be installed on a pallet. There are therefore two additional operations: placing on a pallet and removing the pallet, which are difficult to do manually when the object is heavy.

 It is known to use four rolling corners to move an object having a parallelepiped shape, each rolling corner consisting of an L-shaped piece and a roller, orientable or not. Each rolling corner is not fixed, it may escape during transport, which is particularly troublesome and dangerous. In addition, it is difficult to manually lift a bay to set up four rolling corners.

 To move a bay, it is known to use two shoes having a gutter shape adapted to the shape of the frame constituting the base of the bay, so that one side of this frame can be fitted into a shoe. Each shoe has two swivel casters underneath. It is fixed to the base of the rack by screws and nuts. These clogs raise the height of the bay by about ten centimeters, which can prevent it from passing through a door, and is a cause of instability. They are difficult to set up and remove, because you have to lift the bay at least ten centimeters; and because, during the insertion or removal of one shoe, the other shoe makes the bay unstable.

 It is also known to use a carriage comprising a plate and four wheels fixed to this plate. Such a carriage requires transporting a bay in the supine position, otherwise its stability is precarious and the bay may not pass through the doors, due to an excessive height due to the height added by the carriage. Placing the rack on the cart is also difficult.

 A first object of the invention is to propose a device making it possible to move a rack, without the drawbacks of known devices.

 The handling of unpackaged electronic bays presents a particular problem due to the fact that there is no cover or door on the main front face, nor on the rear main face, at the time of installation on site. .

On the front side there are electronic cards; and on the back there are backplanes and many cables that are fragile. It is absolutely essential that personnel handling the bays do not touch cards or cables. On the other hand, electronic cards, backplanes, and the carcass of a rack have many rough edges which are dangerous for personnel handling the racks.

 Another object of the invention is therefore to propose a handling device which comprises gripping and protective means making it possible to grasp a bay, while ensuring good security both for the material contained in the bay and for the personnel who manipulates it, to cross obstacles such as door sills, inclines, stairs, which require lifting or tilting the bay.

 According to the invention, a handling device for an electronic rack, comprising four rolling corners to support the rack, means for lifting the rack in order to put the rolling corners under the rack, and for directing it, and gripping means and of protection for moving said bay by hand, is characterized in that each rolling corner comprises means for fixing it to the base of the bay.

 The device thus characterized makes it possible to move a bay by rotation, in complete safety since none of the rolling corners can escape during handling.

According to another characteristic, the means for lifting and directing the bay comprise
- a lever;
- A hook that can be hung in a hole provided on each side of the base of the bay, this hook extending the lever to raise the bay when the lever is moved in rotation around a fulcrum;
- an L-shaped flap located between the hook and the lever, comprising a plate intended to be pressed against one side of the base and a flange intended to be inserted below the base, the flap being put in place when the lever is moved in rotation around a fulcrum ;;
- a support device on the ground, placed below the flap so that when the flap has been put in place, the bay rests stably on the edge of the flap, and the flap rests stably on the support device, without a force being applied to the lever.

 The device thus characterized makes it possible to raise the bay from one side and to keep it raised. It therefore makes it possible to set up and fix the rolling corners under the bay, very easily and by a single fitter. The lever makes it possible to lift the high weight of the bay and the latter can remain raised without the assembler continuing to apply a force on the lever. The fitter then has his hands free to set up two rolling corners and fix them. He repeats the same operations on the other side of the bay to fix two other rolling corners.

 According to another characteristic, to allow the bay to be displaced along a curved path in a horizontal or inclined plane, the support device for the lifting means consists of at least one orientable roller.

 The device thus characterized makes it possible to lift one side of the bay by pressing it on one or more swivel casters, which makes it possible to rotate the bay, even if the rollers of the rolling corners are not swivel casters.

 According to another characteristic, to allow the bay to be lifted safely, and to allow the lever to be used like a drawbar, to orient the path described by the bay, the means for lifting further comprise means for fixing the flap to the base of the bay, when the flap has been put in place.

 The device thus characterized is particularly practical for lifting the bay, or moving it along a curved trajectory, since the bay does not risk escaping from the flap and falling back.

 According to another characteristic, the means for fixing the flap comprise two screws passing through two smooth holes provided in each side of the base of the bay.

 The device thus characterized is particularly simple, since the holes used can be holes provided for fixing each bay to its two neighbors.

According to another characteristic, the gripping and protection means comprise, for each of the two main faces of a bay, a device comprising
- a horizontal U-shaped bar, the ends of which are fixed respectively to the two sides of the top of the bay;
- another horizontal U-shaped bar, the ends of which are fixed respectively to the two sides of the base of the bay;
- a plurality of straight, vertical bars, connecting the two U-shaped bars;
- a plurality of horizontal spacers, connecting the vertical bars.

 The handling device thus characterized makes it possible to grasp the bay very easily by the vertical bars and the spacers. These bars also make it possible to secure and protect a rack during transport without packaging. They also constitute protection of the equipment against impact and protection of the personnel against injuries which may be caused by the roughness of the equipment, in particular during difficult movements in places such as: stairs, inclined planes, door sills.

The invention will be better understood and other details will appear with the aid of the description below and the accompanying figures.
- Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the assembly of an embodiment of the device according to the invention;
- Figure 2 shows the means for lifting and steering, of this embodiment;
- Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the operation of these means for lifting;
- Figure 5 shows a bottom view of one of the rolling corners of this embodiment;
- Figure 6 shows a side view of this rolling corner, with a section of a portion of the base of the bay;
- Figures 7 and 8 respectively show two views of the gripping means that includes this embodiment.

 Figure 1 shows one set of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, for moving or handling a bay 1 which is shown without the cards, without the backplane, and without the cables, for clarity. The bay 1 comprises: a top 11 and a base 12 consisting essentially of two square section tube frames; and two uprights, 13 and 14, in thick sheet metal. The apex 11 has on two sides two smooth holes, 24 and 26, intended to fix the bay 1 to two neighboring bays. The base 12 has on two sides two smooth holes, 19 and 20, also intended to fix the bay 1 to these two neighboring bays.

 A telephone exchange consists of several rows of bays. Each row consists of bays fixed to each other, side by side, and resting on two rails parallel to the direction of the row. In the case of an ordinary installation, each rack is supported on the rails by four screws playing the role of plumb adjustment. In the case of an anti-seismic installation, the ends of the four screws are screwed into nuts trapped in the rails. The assembly of a row of bays is generally started at one end or in the middle of the row, and the bays are placed successively in the order in which they are located in the row. Thus the location of a bay is always accessible on three sides at the same time.

 To move a rack, after unpacking it and before putting it in a row, a first operation consists in fixing on this rack two gripping and protective devices, 7 and 8. These two devices respectively occupy the two main faces of the bay. Each device is fixed to the top 11 by two screws and two nuts, such as the screws 25 and 27 and the nuts 28 and 29. The screws pass through smooth holes such as the holes 24 and 26 which are intended to fix the bay 1 to a nearby bay. Each device is fixed to the base 12 by two screws, such as screws 15 and 21, and two nuts, such as nuts 17 and 23. The screws 15 and 21 pass through two smooth holes, such as holes 19 and 20 , intended to fix bay 1 to a neighboring bay. The devices 7 and 8 will be described in more detail below.

 The editor raises a first side of the bay by means 6 which will be described later. It sets up, under the raised base 12, two rolling corners, 3 and 4. It each fixes by means of a screw and a nut, such as the screw 9 and the nut 10.

The screws used are the four screws provided to adjust the plumb of the bay or to fix the bay on the rails.

 This operation can be carried out by a single fitter thanks to the fact that the means 6 have two stable positions, one of which is the position where the bay 1 is raised.

 The editor moves the means 6 to the other side of the bay 1 to lift this other side. It sets up then fixes two other rolling corners: 2 and 5. The rolling corners will be described in more detail below.

 The editor removes the means 6 if the displacements to be made are approximately translations. Otherwise, it leaves the means 6 in place, because they make it easier to move according to a curved path.

Figure 2 shows in more detail the means for lifting and steering, 6, of this embodiment. The means 6 comprise: a lever 31 consisting of a tube having a length of 70 centimeters, for example; a hook, 32, which extends the lever 31 and whose shape will be described later; a flap 33 having a general L shape, comprising a plate 33 and a flange 34; two reinforcements, 30 and 35, welded at the two ends of the plate 33; a roulette 36; a support 37 supporting the roller 36, and movable in rotation about a vertical axis; a profile in the form of
U, 38, welded perpendicular to the plane of the plate 33 and supporting the support 37; screws and nuts 39 fixing the support 37 to the profile 38; a pin 40. All the parts of the means 6 are made of steel, except the caster 36, which is made of plastic and has a bearing not shown.

 Figure 3 shows a side view of the means 6, and shows a first step in their use. The hook 32 has approximately the shape of a semicircle. It crosses the plate 33, to which it is welded on both sides. It enters the lever 31 over a certain length. It is fixed to the lever 31 by the pin 40. The support 38 is welded to the plate 33 on the side where the lever 31 is located, while the flange 34 is located on the side where the free end of the hook 32 is located. .

 The side of the base 12 of the bay 1, which is to be lifted, is shown in section. It has a square section tube 41, and the upright 14. A hole 18 is provided in the upright 14 at its junction with the tube 41, to facilitate the flow of liquids used for surface treatments during the manufacture of the rack . This hole 18 is also used to lift the bay by introducing the hook 32 into this hole 18, then by exerting a force from top to bottom on this lever. The caster 36 constitutes the fulcrum of the lever 31. The caster 36 moves towards the bay by rolling on the ground. The plate 33 of the flap is pressed against the base 12 and the rim 34 is inserted below the base 12.

 FIG. 4 shows the position of the means 6 and of the base 12 when the displacement of the means 6 has pressed the plate 33 and inserted the rim 34. It appears that the hook 32 no longer exerts forces on the upper part of the hole 18, the weight of the bay, on this side, being entirely supported by the rim 34. On the other hand, it appears that the means 6 have a stable position, thanks to the friction of the base 12 on the rim 34 and thanks at the position of the roller 36 which is below the flap, almost vertical to the plate 33. It is no longer necessary for the fitter to exert a force on the lever 31, so that the bay remains raised.

 The lifting on one side of the bay allows two rolling corners to be attached to it. When the four rolling corners, 2 to 5, have been fixed, the means 6 can be removed. Bay 1 can be moved along an approximately straight path. The opening is slightly raised thanks to the fact that the rolling corners 2 to 5 have a shape adapted to raise the opening very little. It is then stable and easily passes through the doors.

 The means 6 can also be used to move the bay 1 along a curved path, thanks to the fact that the support 37 of the caster 36 is free to rotate about a vertical axis. The lever 31 can even be used as a drawbar to guide the bay with precision.

 So that the means 6 remain in position securely, while the means 6 are used to move the opening along a curved path or to set up the rolling corners, there are provided fixing means which are shown in FIG. 1 They consist of two rectangular plates, made of steel, 16 and 22, each having a hole. The plate 16 is threaded the screw 15 before screwing the nut 17, at the moment when the gripping and protection device is put in place. Similarly, the plate 22 is threaded on the screw 21 before screwing the nut 23.

 The nuts 17 and 23 are only tightened after the means 6 have been put in place. The holes in the plates 16 and 22 are off-center. When the nuts are not tightened the pads hang; their main axis is vertical. Their width is chosen such that they allow the plate 33 to pass. When the plate 33 has been pressed against the base 12, the plates 16 and 22 are turned so as to retain the plate 33, then the nuts 17 and 23 are tightened to prevent the plates from rotating on their own and releasing the plate 33.

 FIG. 2 shows that the plate 33 comprises two reinforcements 30 and 35 which also have the function of compensating for the difference in thickness between the plate 33 and the ends of the handling devices 7 and 8, in order to ensure good adhesion of the plate 33 on the side of the base 12. If the handling devices 7 and 8 are not used, two shims, not shown, having a thickness equal to that of the ends of the devices 7 and 8, are put in place to compensate for their absence .

 It should be noted that the spacing of the rollers 2 to 5 is greater than the spacing of the rails located under each row of bays, and the free height below the rolling corners 2 to 5 is greater than the height of the rails. Thus it is possible to transfer a bay above these rails, parallel to these rails.

 Figure 5 shows a bottom view of the rolling corner 4, by way of example. The other rolling corners 2, 3, 5 have a similar shape. It comprises: a rectangular plate, 54, comprising a cutout 57 in the form of a notch, the bottom of which is rounded in a semicircle; two brackets, 55 and 59, welded to the plate 54 and constituting stops for positioning the rolling corner in a corner of the base 12 of the opening; an axis 51 welded to the plate 54; a caster 50 mounted on the axle 51; a pin 52 retaining the roller 50 on the axis 51; a washer 53 threaded on the axis 51 and welded thereon, to keep the caster 50 at a certain distance from the edge of the plate 54, so that the caster does not rub against the plate 54, nor against the base 12 bay; two shims 56 and 58, welded on the top of the plate 54. All these parts are made of steel, except the caster 50 which is made of plastic and has a bearing, not shown. The use and fixing of each rolling corner are illustrated in Figure 6.

 FIG. 6 represents the rolling corner 4, in side view, and the corresponding part of the base 12 of the bay 1, this base being shown in section to show the details of the fixing of the rolling corner 4. The example shown comprises anti-seismic fixing means. The base 12 consists essentially of segments of square section steel tube, such as the segment 63, each corner of the base being provided with a triangle of sheet steel 61, having a smooth hole through which passes a screw. 9 intended to fix the rack on one of the rails located below each row of racks. The head of the screw 9 rests on a steel washer 49. A shim 48, made of anti-vibration material, is interposed between the washer 49 and the triangle 61. Another shim, 47, made of anti-vibration material, is threaded on the threaded rod of the screw 9, on the other side of the triangle 61. When the bay is installed on its rails, it rests on four wedges such as wedge 47. During handling, it does not rest on this wedge 47, but on the shims 56 and 59, which are rigid and raise the base 12 just enough so that the anti-vibration shim 47 does not press on the plate 54 of the rolling corner.

 At the time of the installation of the rolling corner 4, after having raised the base 12 with the means 6 mentioned above, the screw 9, the washer 49, and the anti-vibration wedges 47 and 48 are put in place. Then the rolling wedge 4 is put in place by introducing the threaded rod of the screw 9 into the notch 57 of the rolling wedge 4. Then a nut 10 'is screwed onto the threaded rod of the screw 9, to tighten the rolling wedge 4 against base 12.

 The nut 10 'has a rectangular shape which allows it to be trapped in the rail, in the case of an anti-vibration attachment. In the case of an ordinary fixing, an ordinary hexagonal nut is used to fix the rolling corner then to screw the screw 9 like a jack making it possible to adjust the plumb of the bay.

 Figure 6 shows how the brackets 55 and 59 position the sides of the base 12 to facilitate the establishment of the rolling corner 4 and to contribute to its fixing. It also shows that the bay is raised by a height less than the diameter of the rollers, because these are offset so as not to be below the base 12.

 FIG. 7 represents a front view of the gripping and protective device 7. It comprises: two horizontal bars, 71 and 72, in the shape of a U, intended to grip respectively the apex 11 and the base 12 of the bay 1; two vertical bars, straight 73 and 74, usable as handles to grip and manipulate the bay in all positions; and two horizontal spacers, 75 and 76, connecting the bars 73 and 74, approximately one third and two thirds of the height of these bars. They stiffen the vertical bars, 73 and 74, and can be used as handles. The device 8 has a similar shape.

 Figure 8 shows a top view of the gripping and protective device 7, which shows the details of the construction of the horizontal bar 71. It comprises an L-shaped section segment, 77, the length of which is equal to the width from summit 11 of the bay; two segments of flat profile, 78 and 79, are welded perpendicular to the major axis of profile 77; two smooth holes, 80 and 81, are drilled in the segments 78 and 79 to allow the passage of fixing screws, such as the screws 25, 27, screwed into the apex 11 of the bay. The bar 72 has a similar shape. The vertical bars 73 and 74, and the spacers 75 and 76 are made of steel tubes with circular section, preferably, having a diameter of 27 millimeters, for example, to allow a good grip.

 The scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, many variants are within the reach of those skilled in the art. In particular, it is possible to modify the means 6, for example by providing two orientable castors instead of one; or else to modify the arrangement of the vertical bars and spacers of the gripping and protection devices 7 and 8; or else to modify the fixing means 15 to 17 and 21 to 23 of the means 6, and the fixing means 9, 10, 57, of the rolling corners 2 to 5. The rollers of the rolling corners 2 to 5 cannot be oriented, which simplifies the production of rolling corners and minimizes the height of the rolling corners.

However, it is also possible to provide the rolling corners with swivel casters.

Claims (6)

Claims:  1) Handling device for an electronic rack (1), comprising: four rolling corners (2, 3, 4, 5) for supporting the rack, means (6) for lifting the rack (1) in order to put the rolling corners under the bay, and for directing it, and gripping and protective means (7, 8) for moving said bay by hand;  characterized in that each rolling corner (2 to 5) comprises means (9, 10) for fixing it to the base (12) of the opening.  2) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (6) for lifting and directing the opening (1) comprise:  - a lever (31);  - A hook (32), capable of being hooked in a hole (18) provided on each side of the base (12) of the bay, this hook extending the lever (31) to raise the bay when the lever (31) is moved in rotation around a fulcrum (36);  - an L-shaped flap (33, 34), located between the hook (32) and the lever (31), comprising a plate (33) intended to be pressed against one side of the base (12) and a flange (34) intended to be inserted below the base, the flap being put in place when the lever is moved in rotation around a fulcrum (36) ;;  - A device (36) for support on the ground, placed below the flap (33, 34), so that when the flap has been put in place the bay rests stably on the flap, and the flap rests stably on the support device (36), without force being applied to the lever (31).  3) Device according to claim 2, characterized in that, to allow the bay to move along a curved path, in a horizontal or inclined plane, the support device of the means for lifting and steering (6) consists of at minus a swivel castor (36).  4) Device according to claim 3, characterized in that, to allow the bay to be lifted safely, and to allow the lever (31) to be used as a drawbar, to orient the path described by the bay, the means for lifting and directing (6) also comprise means (15 to 17, 21 to 23) for fixing the flap (33, 34) to the base (12) of the bay, when the flap has been put in place.  5) Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the means for fixing the flap (33, 34) comprise two screws (15, 21) passing through two smooth holes (19,20) provided in each side of the base (12 ) from the bay.  6) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping and protective means (7, 8) comprise, for each of the two main faces of a bay, a device (7) comprising  - A horizontal bar (71) U-shaped, the ends of which are fixed respectively to the two sides of the top (11) of the bay;  - Another horizontal bar (72) U-shaped, the ends of which are fixed respectively to the two sides of the base (12) of the bay;  - a plurality of straight bars (73, 74), vertical, connecting the two bars (71, 72) in a U shape;  - a plurality of horizontal spacers (75, 76), connecting the vertical bars (73, 74).