FR2838461A1 - Autonomous shot blaster for treatment of bituminous surfaces comprises chassis with driving and steering wheels fitted with surface treatment unit connected to suction unit and autonomous energy supply unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The shot blaster comprises a chassis (2) provided with driving displacement wheels (3) and steering wheels (6). It is fitted with a surface treatment unit (20) comprising a working head (23) directed toward the ground. A suction unit (40) is connected to the surface treatment unit. An autonomous energy supply unit (30) is connected to the surface treatment unit, the suction unit and to the driving wheels. A control post (25) comprises a steering wheel control means (27).

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of devices

  used for the treatment of floors or shoe linings by material removal. In a preferred but not exclusive application, the invention relates to the field of devices used for the treatment of bituminous coatings by shot blasting. In the preferred field of application above, it is known to use, in order to ensure a bituminous surface degumming, a mobile shot blasting machine moving on the ground to be treated and being connected by a cable to a generator set carried by an assistance platform. The blast machine is. in addition, connected by a flexible sheath to a suction unit, also arranged on the assistance platform. The blast machine is. in addition, equipped with means of displacement and, in particular, of driving wheels making it possible to ensure the advance or the progression of the

  shot blasting machine on the ground as the treatment is carried out.

  Such a shot blasting machine gives full satisfaction in its surface treatment function but has, however, the disadvantage of having to be connected to an ace platform if by means of servitude channels which hinder the movements of the commanding operator. the operation of the shot blasting machine and which limit the range of action of the shot blasting machine by imposing regular movements of the assistance platform as the treatment progresses. Furthermore, when working on motorway tracks, such a shot blasting machine and its servitude platform are not able to evacuate the work area in a relatively short time, as recommended by labor safety standards on highway. It therefore appears the need to have means which make it possible to dispense with the implementation of the cables or service conduits, in order to make the implementation

  in easier shot blasting.

  In order to achieve this objective, the invention provides a self-supporting device for the treatment of soil by tearing off material which comprises a carrying frame

  provided with a motor and steering displacement member.

  The supporting frame is. in addition, equipped with at least: a surface treatment unit for removing material comprising at least one working head oriented towards the ground, a suction unit connected to the surface treatment unit, an autonomous unit supply of energy connected to the surface treatment unit, to the suction unit and to the engine displacement members, a control station comprising at least control means

governing bodies.

  The combination on the same chassis of the surface treatment unit and the energy supply unit, combined with a control station, makes it very advantageous to have a self-supporting, self-supporting system which does not is not attached to an assistance platform and which has a radius of action significantly greater than

  that of the devices according to the prior art.

  Furthermore, the design of the device according to the invention makes it possible to produce an assembly having a small footprint and a great maneuverability. Thus, the device according to the invention can be used to treat soils on small

  surfaces, both indoors and outdoors.

  In this respect, the term ground must be understood in the broad sense, namely a passage or displacement surface for pedestrians or self-propelled vehicles or not, such as, for example, a sidewalk, a roadway, a building floor, whether upstairs or not, or, even, a deck or a gangway of a ship, without this list being able to

  be considered limiting.

  In a claimed but not strictly procedural manner, the driving position is of the seated position type and comprises at least one driving seat for an operator. According to another preferred embodiment characteristic of the invention, the surface treatment unit is adapted as a cantilever at the front of the chassis. The treatment unit is then, preferably but not exclusively, adapted to the chassis by means of support means designed to allow a modification of the relative position of the working head of the surface treatment unit, by report

to the supporting frame.

  According to a preferred feature of the invention, the support means of the surface treatment unit are then adapted to allow a modification of the angular orientation of the working head relative to the chassis, along a substantially parallel axis of rotation. to a support polygon on the ground, defined by the displacement members of the device according to the invention. Preferably but not strictly necessary, the support means then comprise a deformable polygon mechanism actuated by at least one jack and interposed between the

  surface treatment and the supporting frame.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the support means comprise means for adjusting the transverse position of the surface treatment unit with respect, for example, to a longitudinal axis of the device

self-supporting.

  According to the invention, the engine and / or steering displacement members equipping the carrying chassis can be produced in any suitable manner, such as, for example, in the form of two sets of tracks ensuring a dual driving and steering function. The displacement members can also be constituted by a set of at least three wheels ensuring the driving and steering functions according to different possible combinations: one wheel ensuring the steering function while the other two are driving or, again, the same wheel ensuring the double motor and director function. The displacement members could also consist of two parallel rollers, one and / or the other

director and / or engine.

  Preferably, the displacement members consist of four

  wheels organized into two trains, one of which is driving, while the other is steering.

  Of course any other combination could also be considered.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, in order to offer good visibility to the operator or driver of the autonomous device for the treatment of soils according to the invention, the control post is located in the front part of the chassis just behind the surface treatment unit. The production and energy unit and the unit

  suction, are then preferably behind the control station.

  Preferably but not strictly necessary, the energy production unit occupies a substantially central position on the chassis, while the suction unit is located at the rear of the chassis, so that the openings of

  delivery air are as far away from the operator as possible.

  The energy production unit can be realized in any suitable manner and comprises, according to a preferred variant, a heat engine, such as, for example, a diesel or petrol engine driving at least one hydraulic power station. Preferably but not strictly necessary, the hydraulic power station is also associated with an electricity generator driven by the heat engine. According to another characteristic of the invention, in order to be able to use the same support frame for carrying out different types of surface treatment, the surface treatment unit is removably adapted to the support frame. The support means are then, preferably, adapted to ensure a

  interchangeability of processing units.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the surface treatment unit

includes at least one shot blasting machine.

  Various other characteristics of the invention emerge from the description below

  below made with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment of a self-supporting device for the treatment of floors by

  tearing of material according to the invention.

  Fig. 1 is a schematic elevation in side view of an example of

  realization of a self-supporting device according to the invention.

  Fig. 2 is a top view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1.

  Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations substantially similar to the ffg. 1 monkant the self-supporting device according to the invention in two separate working configurations. A self-supporting device according to the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1 designated as a whole by the reference 1, comprises a support frame 2 provided with displacement members for motors 3, 4 and directors 5, 6. The support frame can be made in any suitable manner such as for example, in the form of self-supporting box or, as illustrated in fig. 2, in the form of two longitudinal members 7, 8 connected by

sleepers 9.

  The displacement members 3 to 6 of the self-supporting device 1 can also be produced in any suitable manner. According to the example illustrated, the displacement members are constituted by four wheels organized in rear axle 3, 4 propellant and in front axle 5, 6 director. In a manner known per se, the rear drive wheels 3, 4 are associated with a differential drive system 10 falling within the general knowledge of those skilled in the art and therefore not requiring

no further descriptions.

  Similarly, the front wheels 5 and 6 are pivotally adapted on the chassis 2 and organized so as to constitute a steering gear. Thus the wheels 5 and 6 are each fixed to the chassis 2 by a pivot 11 and connected to each other by a connecting rod 12 so as to pivot simultaneously. The connecting rod 12 is. in addition, actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 13 associated with control means as will emerge later. Of course, the steering train formed by the wheels 5, 6

  could be controlled by a rack type steering.

  According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the carrying frame 2 is equipped with a unit 20 for surface treatment by removal of material. The processing unit 30 can be designed to carry out different types of surface treatments by removing material such as planing, sanding or even a

rectification.

  According to the preferred embodiment, the processing unit 20 is suitable for blasting a floor covering and comprises two blasting modules 21, 22 juxtaposed. Each module 21, 22 then comprises a working head 23 oriented towards the ground S. As is known to those skilled in the art, each shot blasting module 21 is adapted to ensure projection at the level of the working head 23 of shot or balls on the covering covering the ground S. Insofar as, the embodiment of a shot blasting module 21 is widely known

  of the skilled person it is not necessary to describe it further.

  Preferably, the surface treatment unit 20 is adapted as a cantilever at the front of the support frame 2, as shown more particularly in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. This arrangement allows an operator O installed in a driving position 25 located at the front of the carrying frame 2 just behind the processing unit 20, to be able to visually check the work performed by 1 ' unit of

  surface treatment 20 as the self-supporting device progresses.

  The control station 25 then preferably comprises at least one driving seat 26. The control means are, according to the example illustrated, constituted by an ant flight associated with a hydraulic distributor not shown enté controlling the steering cylinder 13 As mentioned above, the flywheel 27 could also control a rack and pinion system acting on the wheels.

guidelines 5 and 6.

  The self-supporting device I according to the invention also comprises an autonomous energy supply unit 30 which is adapted to the rear of the control station 25 and which occupies, according to the illustrated example, a position substantially

central on the chassis 2.

  The autonomous power supply unit can be made in any suitable way such as for example, in the form of an accumulation assembly

of electrical energy.

  According to the example illustrated, the energy supply unit 30 comprises a heat engine 31 such as for example but not exclusively a diesel or petrol engine. The motor 31 of the energy production unit 30 then drives the propulsion system 10 and also a hydraulic pump 32. The motor 31 also drives an electricity generator 33 forming part of the production unit of energy 30. The generator 33st then connected by any appropriate wiring to the various devices, of the vehicle 1, consumers of electrical energy. The hydraulic pump 32 is in turn connected by appropriate pipes to the organs consuming hydraulic energy. Thus, the hydraulic pump 32 is connected by pipes 34 to the hydraulic motors of

  the surface treatment unit 20.

  In order to ensure recovery of the particles torn off by the treatment unit 20 from the treated soil S. the self-supporting device 1 according to the invention further comprises a suction unit 40 supplied with hydraulic energy by the pump 32 of the autonomous power supply unit 30 by means of hydraulic lines 41. The suction unit 40 is moreover connected by a suction sheath 42 to the surface treatment unit 20 and according to the example illustrated in

  each of the shot blasting modules 21, 22.

  Insofar as the suction unit 40 has a relatively large size, the latter is preferably placed at the rear of the carrying frame 2 opposite to the energy supply unit 30 of the station. control 25. The suction unit 40 then comprises a mouth 43 for discharging the sucked air oriented towards the rear, opposite the station for

command 25.

  The self-supporting device as described above thus allows an operator O placed in the control station 25 to treat the soil S by means of the unit 20 in a completely autonomous manner by moving over the surface to be treated. Preferably, the self-supporting device 1 is designed to have a reduced wheelbase so that it can be used on small surfaces both in an outdoor environment

only inside buildings.

  According to a preferred embodiment, in order to be able to take into account the different configurations of terrain likely to be encountered by the self-supporting device 1, the surface treatment unit 20 is. preferably fixed to the support frame 2 by means of support means 50 adapted to allow a modification of the relative position of the working head 23 relative to the support frame 2. The support means 50 of the unit surface treatment 20 can be designed so as to allow, for example, a modification of the height relative to the ground of the working head 23. Of course any other type

  adaptation could be considered.

  Thus, according to the example illustrated, the support means 50 are adapted to allow a modification of the angular orientation of the working head 23 relative to the chassis 2. For this purpose, the support means comprise two sets of arms 51, 52 pivotally attached, on the one hand, to the supporting frame 2 and, on the other hand, to the surface treatment unit 20, by pivots 53, 54 and 55, 56 of axes of rotation parallel to each other and substantially parallel to a support polygon A, B. C, D on the ground defined by the wheels or displacement members 3 to 6, as shown in fg. 2. According to the configuration illustrated in fg.1, the support polygon A, B. C, D defines a substantially horizontal plane, so that the axis of rotation l \ of the pivots 53 to 56 is also substantially horizontal . The pivots 53 to 56 then define a mechanism with a deformable polygon which is actuated by at least one hydraulic cylinder 57, interposed between the surface treatment unit 20 and the supporting frame 2. According to the example illustrated, the pivots form a quadrilateral deformable and the hydraulic cylinder 57 is more particularly interposed between, on the one hand, the supporting frame 2 while being fixed substantially at the level of the pivot 53 and, on the other hand, the upper link arm 52 to which it is linked by a hinge 58 arranged near the articulation 56. The jack 57 is. in addition, controlled by control means, not shown, arranged at the driving position 25 and supplied by the pump 32. Thus, the control of the extension or retraction of the jack 52 makes it possible to raise the unit of surface treatment 20, as illustrated in fg. 3, in order to enable the working head 23 to follow an upward slope of the ground S. The retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 57 also makes it possible to lower the working head 23 relative to the level of the front axle 5, 6,

  in order to follow a downward slope, as illustrated in ffg. 4.

  In a preliminary but not exclusive manner, the modification of the angular position of the working head is used, on the one hand, for large angular displacements, as shown in fg. 3 and 4, and, on the other hand, to move the head 23 between a raised or rest position and a working position

  in which the working head is in the immediate vicinity of the surface to be treated.

  In the working position, the processing unit then comes to rest on the ground by wheels 60 which determine the distance between the latter and the working head 23. The support means 50 are then adapted to leave the unit 20 a certain amplitude of free movement in a vertical plane, so that the unit 20 can follow the irregularities of the surface S to be treated. Thus, during work, the processing unit is guided in traction or propulsion by the device according to

the invention.

  Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, support means 50 comprise means 65 for adjusting the transverse position of the processing unit 20 relative to the carrying frame 2. This advantageous arrangement of the invention thus makes it possible to follow precisely the layout of a surface to be treated, as is necessary, for example, in the case of operations to erase a marking line on the ground. The adjustment is then carried out without it being necessary

  to move the entire self-supporting device 1.

  The transverse adjustment means 65 can be made in any suitable manner. According to the example illustrated, the means 65 comprise a slide 66 on which is fitted a drawer 67 carrying the support means 50. The drawer 67 is then controlled in translation parallel to the direction l \ by a motor means, such that, by example, a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 68. Of course, the means

  engine 68 could be realized in a completely different way.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the support means 50 are, moreover, removably adapted on the chassis in order to allow an easy change of the surface treatment unit 20. Of course, various modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its scope. Thus, according to the example described, the cockpit is of the seated position type. However, the cockpit could be designed for work in

standing position.

  Similarly, according to the example illustrated, the cockpit is provided for an on-board position on the chassis. However, the cockpit could be located aft of the chassis and adapted so that the operator occupies a standing position on the ground alongside the chassis and guides the surface treatment device by following it while walking.

Claims (11)

  1- Self-supporting device for the treatment of floors (S) by tearing off material, characterized in that it comprises a carrying frame (2) provided with motor displacement members (3, 4) and directors (S. 6) and equipped with at least: A unit (20) for surface treatment by removing material comprising at least one working head (23) oriented on the ground S. a suction unit (40) connected to the unit surface treatment (20), to an autonomous power supply unit (30) connected to the surface treatment unit (20), to the suction unit (40) and to the motor displacement members (3 , 4), at a control station (25) comprising at least means (27) for command of the governing bodies.   152 - Self-supporting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit   surface treatment (20) is adapted as a cantilever at the front of the supporting frame (2).   3- Self-supporting device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises means (50) for supporting the surface treatment unit (20) adapted to allow a modification of the relative position of the working head   (23) relative to the supporting frame (2).   4- Self-supporting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the support means (50) of the surface treatment unit (2) (20) are adapted to allow a modification of the angular orientation of the working head (23) relative to the chassis (2) along an axis of rotation substantially parallel to a polygon   of support (A, B. C, D) on the ground (S) defined by the displacement members (3, 4, 5, 6).   - Self-supporting device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the support means (50) comprise a mechanism with a deformable polygon (53, 54,, 56) which is actuated by at least one jack (57) interposed between the unit of   surface treatment (20) and the supporting frame (2).   306- Self-supporting device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that   that the support means (50) comprise means (65) for adjusting the   transverse position of the processing unit (20) relative to the chassis (2).   7 - Self-supporting device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control station is located in the front part of the frame (2) and comprises at minus a driving seat (26).   8 - Self-supporting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the energy production unit (30) and the suction unit (40) are located behind the station control (25).   9 - Self-supporting device according to claim 8, characterized in that the energy production unit (30) occupies a substantially central position on the chassis carrier (2).   10 - Self-supporting device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that   the energy production unit (30) comprises a heat engine (31)   driving at least one hydraulic unit (32).   11- Self-supporting device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that   that the surface treatment unit (20) is removably adapted on the supporting frame (2).   12 - Self-supporting device according to one of the renditions 1 to 11, characterized in that the surface treatment unit (20) comprises at least one module for