GB2172529A

GB2172529A - Blast cleaning equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2172529A
Application number: GB08527113A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel John Marriott
Original assignee: HODGE CLEMCO Ltd
Current assignee: HODGE CLEMCO Ltd
Priority date: 1985-03-21
Filing date: 1985-11-04
Publication date: 1986-09-24
Also published as: GB8507411D0; GB8527115D0; GB2172529B; GB8527113D0

Abstract

Transportable blast cleaning equipment which operates in a stable, upright position and can be laid in a horizontal storage condition without risk of damage to connections and ancillary equipment secured externally of the blast pot comprises at least one support leg 4 and at least two transport wheels 5 which co-operate to provide stability in the upright position, and two co-planar rails 9 located in spaced relationship to the blast pot to serve as handles, and to serve as support members to hold the blast machine clear of the ground when positioned in a horizontal storage condition. At least one additional wheel 10 is located rearwardly of the transport wheels (in the direction of intended travel), and at an elevated position in relation to the transport wheels to improve stability and manoeuvrability. The arrangement is such that with the blast equipment tilted to bring the additional wheel into ground contact, the centre of gravity of the equipment lies between the transport wheels and the additional wheel, to provide complete stability as the equipment is wheeled from one location to another. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Blast cleaning equipment This invention relates to blast cleaning equipment and is particularly concerned with equipment intended to be readily transported from location to location on a site where blast cleaning is required.

Transportable blast cleaning equipment is already known and comprises a blast cleaning pot provided with legs orfeetto hold the pot in an upright, operative position, all connections, valved or otherwise, e.g., for a compressed air supply line, a blast line and for control means, being mounted on the outerwall of the machine.

Some such machines simply have legs orfeet, and although relatively smail, are not conducive for easy transportation around a site. Others are known to be provided with a wheeled carriage and appropriate handles, but in the tilted condition for transportation on its wheels, they are unstable.

Equally, such blast cleaning equipment frequently needs to be stored or transported laid on its side in a generally horizontal condition, and when considerable care must be exercised in laying the equipment down for otherwise considerable damage can be occasioned the external valves and connections on the machine.

According to the present invention, blast cleaning equipment comprises a blast machine, at least one support leg, at least two transportwheels to cooperate with the at least one support leg to provide stability in the upright operative condition ofthe equipment, and two co-planar rails located in spaced relationship to the blast pot to serve as handles, and to serve as support members to hold the blast machine clear ofthe ground when positioned in a horizontal storage condition.

By ensuring that the centre of gravity ofthe equipment lies between the point of contact with the ground ofthe wheels, and the point of contactwith the ground ofthe or each support leg, most adequate stability during use is provided. By providing two parallel rails spaced from the blast pot,the machine can most effectively be stored in a horizontal condition, with the substantially complete freedom of risk ofdamage ofany connection orancillary equipment secured to the outside of the machine, by simply ensuring that such connections and equipment lie between the positions of the rails.

To ensure the stability of the equipment during its transport from location to location it is preferred to provide at least one additional wheel, located rearwardly ofthetransportwheels (in the direction of intended travel), and at an elevated position in relation to the transport wheels, the lateral spacing between the transport wheels and the at least one additional wheel, andthe heightofthe at leastone additional wheel above the transport wheels being such that with the blast equipmenttilted to bring the at least one additional wheel into ground contact, the centre of gravity of the equipment is moved to lie substantially mid-way laterally between the transport wheels and the at least one additional wheel, to provide complete stability as the equipment is wheeled from one location to another.

Desirably, two additional wheels are provided, each in line with a respecrive transport wheel.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:- Figure lisa side elevation of a blast cleaning machine according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.

Inthedrawings,ablastcleaning machine 1 hasa pressurisable abrasive container2 with its ancillary and control equipment indicated at 3 secured to the external surface ofthe chamber. Towards one (front) side ofthe chamber, a support leg 4 is provided, and at the opposite (rear) side, two transport wheels 5, which co-operatewith the support leg to provide complete stability to the machine when in its generally upright, operative position, by ensuring that in this condition, the centre of gravity ofthe machine lies between the points of contact between the wheels and the support leg, with the ground.

Rearwardly ofthe container, two inverted Ushaped members 6 are secured to the container in spaced parallel relationship, the bends 7 ofthe Ushaped members serving ashandles,andthe transport wheels 5 being mounted towards the bottom ofthe respective innermost legs 8 ofthe Ushaped members. The outermost legs 9 ofthe Ushaped members serve as two co-planar rails, and serve as support members to hold the container 2 clear of the ground when positioned in a horizontal storage position. Thus, by strategically locating the ancillary and control equipment 3 between the spaced U-shaped members, risk of damage to them when the machine is laid in its horizontal storage condition is completely eliminated.

The outermost legs 9 ofthe U-shaped members are shorterthan the innermost legs 8, and at the end of each outermost leg 9 an additional wheel 10 is provided, the horizontal distance between the wheels 5 and 10, and the height of the wheels 10 above the wheels 5 being such that with the machine tiltedfortransport,the additional wheels are brought into contact with the ground, and the centre of gravity of the machine moved to lie substantially mid-way between thewheels 5 and 10. Inthis condition, complete stability is again provided allowing the easy and safe movement of the machine from one location to another.

1. Blastcleaning equipment comprising a blast machine, at least one support leg, at leasttwo transportwheels to co-operatewiththe at least one support leg to providestability in the upright, operative condition of the equipment, and two coplanar rails located in spaced relationship to the blast pot of the machine two serve as handles, and to serve as support members to hold the blast machineclear ofthe ground when the machine is positioned in a horizontal storage condition.

2. Blast cleaning equipment as in Claim 1,wherein all connections and ancillary equipment secured to the outside of the machine are located between the two co-planar rails.

3. Blast cleaning equipment as in Claim 1 orClaim

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Blast cleaning equipment This invention relates to blast cleaning equipment and is particularly concerned with equipment intended to be readily transported from location to location on a site where blast cleaning is required. Transportable blast cleaning equipment is already known and comprises a blast cleaning pot provided with legs orfeetto hold the pot in an upright, operative position, all connections, valved or otherwise, e.g., for a compressed air supply line, a blast line and for control means, being mounted on the outerwall of the machine. Some such machines simply have legs orfeet, and although relatively smail, are not conducive for easy transportation around a site. Others are known to be provided with a wheeled carriage and appropriate handles, but in the tilted condition for transportation on its wheels, they are unstable. Equally, such blast cleaning equipment frequently needs to be stored or transported laid on its side in a generally horizontal condition, and when considerable care must be exercised in laying the equipment down for otherwise considerable damage can be occasioned the external valves and connections on the machine. According to the present invention, blast cleaning equipment comprises a blast machine, at least one support leg, at least two transportwheels to cooperate with the at least one support leg to provide stability in the upright operative condition ofthe equipment, and two co-planar rails located in spaced relationship to the blast pot to serve as handles, and to serve as support members to hold the blast machine clear ofthe ground when positioned in a horizontal storage condition. By ensuring that the centre of gravity ofthe equipment lies between the point of contact with the ground ofthe wheels, and the point of contactwith the ground ofthe or each support leg, most adequate stability during use is provided. By providing two parallel rails spaced from the blast pot,the machine can most effectively be stored in a horizontal condition, with the substantially complete freedom of risk ofdamage ofany connection orancillary equipment secured to the outside of the machine, by simply ensuring that such connections and equipment lie between the positions of the rails. To ensure the stability of the equipment during its transport from location to location it is preferred to provide at least one additional wheel, located rearwardly ofthetransportwheels (in the direction of intended travel), and at an elevated position in relation to the transport wheels, the lateral spacing between the transport wheels and the at least one additional wheel, andthe heightofthe at leastone additional wheel above the transport wheels being such that with the blast equipmenttilted to bring the at least one additional wheel into ground contact, the centre of gravity of the equipment is moved to lie substantially mid-way laterally between the transport wheels and the at least one additional wheel, to provide complete stability as the equipment is wheeled from one location to another. Desirably, two additional wheels are provided, each in line with a respecrive transport wheel. One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:- Figure lisa side elevation of a blast cleaning machine according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1. Inthedrawings,ablastcleaning machine 1 hasa pressurisable abrasive container2 with its ancillary and control equipment indicated at 3 secured to the external surface ofthe chamber. Towards one (front) side ofthe chamber, a support leg 4 is provided, and at the opposite (rear) side, two transport wheels 5, which co-operatewith the support leg to provide complete stability to the machine when in its generally upright, operative position, by ensuring that in this condition, the centre of gravity ofthe machine lies between the points of contact between the wheels and the support leg, with the ground. Rearwardly ofthe container, two inverted Ushaped members 6 are secured to the container in spaced parallel relationship, the bends 7 ofthe Ushaped members serving ashandles,andthe transport wheels 5 being mounted towards the bottom ofthe respective innermost legs 8 ofthe Ushaped members. The outermost legs 9 ofthe Ushaped members serve as two co-planar rails, and serve as support members to hold the container 2 clear of the ground when positioned in a horizontal storage position. Thus, by strategically locating the ancillary and control equipment 3 between the spaced U-shaped members, risk of damage to them when the machine is laid in its horizontal storage condition is completely eliminated. The outermost legs 9 ofthe U-shaped members are shorterthan the innermost legs 8, and at the end of each outermost leg 9 an additional wheel 10 is provided, the horizontal distance between the wheels 5 and 10, and the height of the wheels 10 above the wheels 5 being such that with the machine tiltedfortransport,the additional wheels are brought into contact with the ground, and the centre of gravity of the machine moved to lie substantially mid-way between thewheels 5 and 10. Inthis condition, complete stability is again provided allowing the easy and safe movement of the machine from one location to another. CLAIMS

3. Blast cleaning equipment as in Claim 1 orClaim 2, wherein there is provided at least one additional wheel, located rearwardly of the transport wheels (in the direction of intended travel), and at an elevated position in relation to the transport wheels, the lateral spacing between the transport wheels and the at least one additional wheel, and the height of the at least one additional wheel above the transport wheels being such that with the blast equipment tilted to bring the at least one additional wheel into ground contact, the centre of gravity of the equipment is moved to lie substantially mid-way laterally between the transport wheels and the at least one additional wheel, to provide complete stability as the equipment is wheeled from one location to another.

4. Blast cleaning equipment as in Claim 3, wherein two additional wheels are provided, each in line with a respective transport wheel.

5. Blast cleaning equipment as in Claim 4, wherein the co-planar rails are formed by inverted U-shaped members suitably secured to the blast pot of the machine, the transport wheels being secured to the bottoms of the legs of the U-shaped members of closest approach to the blast pot, and the additional wheels being secured to the bottoms of the legs of the U-shaped members spaced from the blast pot.

6. Blast cleaning equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.