GB2084108A

GB2084108A - Ground working apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2084108A
Application number: GB8126988A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: H Steiner Ltd
Current assignee: H Steiner Ltd
Priority date: 1980-09-13
Filing date: 1981-09-07
Publication date: 1982-04-07

Abstract

A ground working apparatus shown in plan view has a kingpost (12) with a luffing boom (10) mounted for slewing on a mounting (14), the latter being connected to one end of a ram assembly (18), for outward adjustment, and thereby to a power unit (20) on a support such as a road or railway vehicle. The unit (20) with the assembly (18) is mounted on the vehicle through a slew ring (22) so as to be rotatable through 360 DEG . The mounting (14) has a telescopic ground-engaging leg, for stabilising the apparatus in use, which leg may have a wheel track or skid fitted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to ground working apparatus This invention relates to ground working apparatus, particularly of the type adapted for mounting equipment used in carrying out operations such as grabbing, back acting, excavating, craning, augering, and inspection under and over bridges. Such an apparatus if of course not limited to ground working as such and hereinafter the apparatus will be referred to as "apparatus for carrying out site operations".

The versatility of such apparatus is hampered somewhat by the restriction on the type of sites on which the apparatus can operate. For example, it is dangerous for such apparatus to operate in sites close to embankments where, due to the weight of the apparatus and vibration, the apparatus can easily slip into danger.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more versatile apparatus for carrying out site operations.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for carrying out site operations, said apparatus comprising support means for a work assembly, and means for adjustably positioning the work assembly on the support means, the positioning means having an arrangement for adjusting the outwardly extended position of the work assembly relative to the support means and for adjusting the angular position of the work assembly relative to the support means.

Preferably the angular position of the work assembly is adjustable through 360"C. For this purpose the positioning means may be mounted on the support means by virtue of a slew ring.

Preferably also the outwardly extended position of the work assembly is adjustable by means of an hydraulic ram assembly. The ram assembly may mount a support for the work assembly, the support having a retractable ground-engageable stabilising leg and the support and the stabilising leg are preferably provided with adjustable stabilisers connected to the support means. The king post is rotatable and mounts a boom.

The support means may comprise a road or railway vehicle which has a counterbalance weight at a location opposed to the ram assembly. Where the apparatus has a self-contained power unit this may be utilised as the counterbalance weight.

Alternatively, the support means may comprise a canal barge with the weight of the barge acting as a counterbalance.

Advantageously the boom is tiltable on the kingpost, for example to accommodate the chamber of a railway track.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lisa diagrammatic plan view of part of an apparatus according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, an apparatus for carrying out site operations has support means (not shown) which may be one of several forms, for example railway rolling stock, a self-powered railway maintenance truck, a wheel type under carriage for road and cross country work, or a prepared canal barge.

The apparatus further comprises a boom 10 of a conventional type mounted on a kingpost 12, the latter having a slew ring assembly to be rotatable on a mounting 14, the slew ring being driven through a gearbox 16. The mounting 14 mounts one end of a telescopic hydraulic ram assembly 18, the other end of which connects with a self-contained power unit 20. The latter is offset to one side of a slew ring 22 which is mounted on the support means for rotation through an angle of 360 , continuous drive to the slew ring 22 being taken through a gearbox 24.

At each side of the ram assembly 18 and extending parallel therewith is a telescopic leg arrangement 26 extending between the mounting 14 and the power unit 20. By means of the ram assembly 18 and the leg arrangements 26, the mounting 14 together with the boom 10 is outwardly adjustable relative to the slew ring 22 and therefore the support means, while the mounting 14 with the boom 10 is angularly adjustable relative to the support means by virtue of the slew ring 22.

The mounting 14forthe kingpost 12 further mounts a downwardly extendable telescopic stabiliser leg 28 such that when the kingpost mounting is extended relative to the support means, the stabiliser leg 28 is extended downwardly into engagement with the ground to stabilise the apparatus in operation. An adjustable length stabiliser 30 extends between the kingpost mounting 14 and the support means, and a further adjustable length stabiliser (not shown) is connected between an outermost location on the stabiliser leg 28 and the support means. Each adjustable length stabiliser is locked in the working position through an interlocking rack arrangement actuated by means of hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical equipment (not shown).

Supported on the kingpost mounting 14 are the controls 32 for the power unit 20 and for the hydraulics of the boom 10 and the kingpost 12, together with an operator's seat 34 adjacent to the controls 32, a cab (not shown) generally being provided for the seat 34.

The apparatus is designed to be capable of carrying out many functions in the civil engineering industry, and in new construction and maintenance work in circumstances and surroundings where no other apparatus of similar type can operate. The apparatus is moved first to the desired site and the boom 10 can then be extended to a desired outward position by means of the ram assembly 18 and the leg arrangements 26, and to a desired angular position by means of the slew ring 22. The stabilising leg 28 is then extended from the kingpost mounting 14 to engage the ground and stabilise the apparatus.

The weight of the support means itself and the power unit 20 counterbalance the load on the boom 10 during operation of the apparatus. In a modification, a bogie carrier, such as a wheel track or skid, can be fitted to the end of the stabilising leg 28 such that the slew ring 22 can change the angular position of the king post 12 with the leg 28 extended if and when required.

It is proposed that an interlock system will safeguard the apparatus during travelling and it is also proposed that overload cut-off facilities be provided.

For example, when an overload cut-off is provided for the boom 10, the latter is prevented from raising the load further by the cut-off but is not prevented from lowering the load. Further, to accommodate for example the camber of a railway line when the support means comprises a railway vehicle, a main housing for the boom 10 is arranged to be tiltable on the kingpost 12 to such a degree that the boom 10 can still operate as desired.

Where the support means comprises a prepared canal barge the apparatus can operate on the tow paths or embankments of canals, such sites normally being extremely inaccessible to apparatus of the type in question. With such an arrangement the weight of the barge itself can act as a counterbalance to hold the apparatus stable during operation.

It will be appreciated that an apparatus according to the invention is extremely versatile and the support means can be moved without the requirement for adjusting the outwardly extending position of the boom, to enable the apparatus to adjustto a desired position for the following operation. It is also to be appreciated that instead of a self-contained power unit, power can be obtained from the existing drive of a railway or road vehicle or a canal barge or other sea going vessel.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. Apparatus for carrying out site operations as hereinbefore defined, said apparatus comprising support means for a work assembly, and means for adjustably positioning the work assembly on the support means, the positioning means having an arrangement for adjusting the outwardly extended position of the work assembly relative to the support means and for adjusting the angular position of the work assembly relative to the support means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angular position of the work assembly is adjustable through 360 .

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning means is mounted on the support means by virtue of a slew ring.

4. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outwardly extended position of the work assembly is adjustable by means of an hydraulic ram assembly.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ram assembly mounts a support for the work assembly, the support having a retractable groundengageable stabilising leg.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the support rotatably mounts a kingpostwith a boom.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the boom is provided with overload cut-off means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the boom is tiltably mounted on the kingpost.

9. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the support and the stabilising leg are provided with adjustable stabilisers connecting with the support means.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each stabiliser comprises an interlocking rack arrangement.

11. Apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 10, wherein the free end of the stabilising leg mounts a bogie carrier.

12. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, including a self-contained power unit for controlling the adjustments.

13. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support means comprises a road or railway vehicle.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a counterbalance weight is provided on the support means.

15. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the support means comprises a canal barge.

16. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an interlock system is provided which is operable during travel of the apparatus.

17. Apparatus for carrying out site operations as hereinbefore defined, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompaying drawings.