ITMI20110284A1 - TIPPING TROLLEY FOR DRUMS. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the industrial invention entitled:

"Tilting trolley for drums"

The present invention relates to a tilting trolley particularly for handling drums.

Some types of trolleys for handling drums have already been proposed, often used in mechanical workshops or warehouses, or where drums containing lubricants or other materials can be found.

Certainly when metal drums are taken into consideration, filled with liquid or solid material of various types, their handling presents some difficulties linked to their weight and size.

Trolleys for tires have already been proposed consisting of a frame, extending mostly vertically, having handles for maneuvering in the upper part, resting on a pair of wheels positioned below and in contact with the ground, and support means for a drum. at the bottom. On the same side of the handles, there is another wheel, provided in an intermediate position between the first pair of wheels and the handles, so that the user of this known type of trolley can position a drum on the support means and , after having unbalanced the trolley by pulling it towards you, it will also bring the third wheel to the ground and, not without a certain effort, it will push it until the drum is transported where necessary. The maneuver to bring the trolley back to a vertical position can be quite tiring due to the weight of the frame, unbalanced backwards.

Other types of overturning carriages are known in which it is possible for the frame to rotate around the front wheels until it assumes a horizontal position substantially flush with the ground when further rear wheels rest on the ground.

Known trolleys of the tipping type have front movement wheels and pivots positioned and rotatably constrained to the frame near the support surface or compartment to facilitate the overturning action. However, this configuration means that the overturning action is accompanied by the lowering of the support surface which, as mentioned, becomes low to the ground, or in a position in which it is really unlikely to be able to unload the drum. In these known types of tilting trolleys, the action to bring the trolley from the vertical to the horizontal position can involve a considerable effort, since the drum must be raised from the ground, albeit by means of a lever that facilitates its maneuver. the latter can be very heavy (200-300 kg).

Other known types of overturning trolley for drums, the frame has, at the bottom and on the opposite side of the supporting means, some supports shaped like an arc of a circle which allow to pass from the vertical to the horizontal position (in which an additional pair of wheels will rest) without make considerable efforts, being able to roll the trolley resting on these curvilinear supports. Even these last known types of trolley have the drawback that the drum is not easily unloadable on a plane other than that where the wheels rest.

Finally, trolleys with motorized lifting and overturning means and / or equipped with hydraulic systems are known.

It would be desirable to have a trolley for handling cylindrical drums, of a new concept that does not complain of the aforementioned drawbacks.

The international patent application PCT / EP2011 / 050990 of the present Applicant describes a tilting trolley.

The purpose of the present invention is to make a trolley that can be overturned between a substantially vertical position for loading / unloading cylindrical drums, and a substantially horizontal raised position for transporting and unloading drums on a raised surface, without the aid of means. pneumatic, hydraulic or motorized actuation.

In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved with a trolley for drums which comprises a supporting frame identifying a housing for drums, which can be overturned between a vertical position and a horizontal position, at least one pair of wheels suitable for moving said frame, characterized by made of comprising an attachment unit for drums sliding, by means of movement, along a guide, rigidly connected longitudinally to said frame.

These and other characteristics of the present invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description of an example of its practical embodiment illustrated by way of non-limiting purposes in the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective side view of a trolley for cylindrical drums according to the present invention in vertical position and loaded with a drum (dashed to show the details of the trolley);

Figure 2 shows a perspective side view, in horizontal position, of the carriage of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a side view of the means for engaging the drums of the trolley of Figure 1 in the unlocked position;

Figure 4 shows a plan view of the means for engaging the drums of the trolley of Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows a front view of the means for engaging the drums of the trolley of Figure 1;

Figure 6 shows an enlarged perspective front view of the means for engaging the drums of the trolley of Figure 1 in the unlocked position;

Figure 7 shows an enlarged perspective front view of the means for engaging the drums of the trolley of Figure 1 in the locking position;

Figure 8 shows another side view of the engagement means for drums of the trolley of Figure 1 in the locking position;

Figure 9 shows another side view of the engagement means for drums of the trolley of Figure 1 in the unlocked position;

Figure 10 shows a side view of the means for engaging the drums of the trolley of Figure 1 in the locking position; And

Figure 11 shows a front view of a sliding guide for the locking means;

figure 12 shows a side view of the means for locking the carriage in a horizontal position;

Figure 13 shows a rear perspective view of the locking means of the carriage in vertical position.

With reference to the Figures listed above, it will be noted that a trolley 1, for drums 50, has a frame 2 comprising a first pair of longitudinal members 3, preferably substantially straight and consisting of substantially parallel metal tubing, each of which has one end upper end 31 usable as a handle, and a lower end 32 intended, if desired, to support support means 4 for stacks of tires 5 or other stacked objects. Said support means 4 may consist of two bars, for example straight or better shaped to support tires 5. Said support means 4, can be closed again parallel to the longitudinal members 3. Said ends 31 can be connected to each other by means of a "U" bar 310 for maneuvering possibly sliding inside said longitudinal members 3 at said ends 31.

A second pair of side members 6, parallel to each other, and also parallel to the side members 3, are rigidly connected by means of a cross member 7 which joins their upper ends 61, and a cross member 8 which joins their lower ends 62. Each side member 3 is connected by means of a pair of brackets 9 to the longitudinal member 6 so that the longitudinal members 3 and 6 are mutually connected parallel two by two.

The frame 2, consisting of the side members 3, the side members 6, the cross members 7 and 8, actually constitutes a housing or concave compartment particularly for drums 50.

On each side member 3, preferably at a short distance from the upper end 31, a bar 14 is orthogonally connected which can be used as a handle and can be equipped with a grip of the preferred material.

It will be noted that the two side members 3 are connected to a crosspiece 71, substantially parallel to the crosspiece 7, positioned at approximately the same height as the bars 14, to which the upper end 721 of a guide 72 is connected, parallel to the side members 3 and equidistant from each of them. The lower end 722 of the guide 72, on the other hand, will be connected to another crosspiece 91, parallel to the crosspiece 71, connected to the longitudinal members 3 in an intermediate position between the crosspiece 71 and the support means 4. Inside the guide 72, preferably hollow, with a substantially rectangular section and with a longitudinal slot 74, known transmission means 77 are provided, for example of the screw-nut type (not visible in the attached Figures) for mutual engagement with movement means 75, connected with a crank 76, suitable for to rotate the movement means 75, engaged with the transmission means 77. The crank 76, which can also be replaced with motor means, is connected for example to a gear 75, placed in contact with a screw and causing the rotation of the crank 76 causes said screw to rotate. The transmission means 77 along the screw will be able to move smoothly on it, according to the direction of rotation of the latter. Coupled integrally with the transmission means 77, an attachment assembly 80 for drums 50 is provided, designed to slide longitudinally along the guide 72, with a direction of motion dependent on the direction of rotation of the crank 76. In this version, the transmission means 77 , the operating crank 76 and the handling means are constituted by a mechanical jack of the known type.

In a simplified version (Figure 11), the crank 76 can be keyed directly on the upper end of the screw constituting the transmission means 77, so that the rotation of the crank 76 will directly involve the rotation of the screw 77 which in turn will involve depending on the direction of rotation, the vertical sliding on the guide 72, upwards or downwards, of the nut screw to which the attachment block 80 is integrally connected.

The attachment assembly 80 is coupled to the transmission means 77 by means of a locking element 81 for a stem 50, which has a section 84 parallel to the guide 72 and provides a tooth 82 at the top (the element 81 as a whole can be seen as an inverted "J") intended to engage with the upper edge 51 of a stem 50. In the intermediate position of the portion 84 of the blocking element 81, a movable element 83 orthogonal to the guide 72 is provided, sliding within the element 81: the movable element 83 will be able to move from a position flush with the locking element 81 to a position of maximum protrusion from the locking element 81.

Said locking element 81 is integrally coupled with a sealing element 86 in horizontal position able to guide the horizontal sliding of the movable element 83 between said locking and release positions.

A thrust screw 85 is coupled not only to the movable element 83 but also to said sealing element 86. In the preferred embodiment, the movable element 83 penetrates both the locking element 81 and the sealing element 86 and may protrude from the locking element 81 by 2 or 3 cm.

The sealing element 86 consists of a plate 861, having a central threaded hole intended for coupling with the screw 85, placed parallel to the guide 72, but on the opposite side with respect to the locking element 81, rigidly connected to the plate 861 by means of two tubular elements 862 hollow.

The movable element 83 is also composed of a plate 831, of similar dimensions to the plate 861, parallel to it and with a threaded hole in axis with that of the latter, so that the thrust screw 85 can pass from both holes. The plate 831 is rigidly connected to another plate 833, housed in a niche obtained in the block element 81, connected to the plate 831 by means of a pair of cylindrical elements 832, sliding within the tubular elements 862.

In the preferred version of the trolley 1, on each side member 6, in a median position and on the opposite side to that in which the side member 3 is located, rotatable engagement means or hinges 15 are provided (in the embodiment shown a simple plate with hole rotatably housing a fulcrum pin) on which one end 181 of an arm 18 is pivoted which at the other end 182 provides a wheel 19 rotatably connected to said arm 18, in addition to another arm 30, with its end 301, supporting a preferably pivoting wheel 40 at the other free end 302. A pair of arms 18, substantially parallel to each other, and a pair of arms 30, also parallel to each other, are designed to support the trolley 1 in a horizontal position (Figure 2), after it has been overturned from the vertical position. (Figure 1).

The carriage 1 in fact provides that it is possible to pass from the vertical position to the horizontal position and, thanks to the coupling of a hooking element 335 with a support crosspiece 325, as well as to the coupling of a box-shaped element 321 for receiving a bracket 323 in resting on the latter, the horizontal position will be maintained. The disengagement of the coupling element 335 from the support crosspiece 325 by means of a disengagement rod 37, will allow the carriage 1 to be brought back from the horizontal position to the vertical position.

The hooking element 335, is connected with one end 371 of a rod 37 that can be operated through its other end 372.

The arm 18 is intended, in addition to being pivoted in the hinge 15, to rigidly support the bracket 323, connected not far from the end 181 of the arm 18. Said brackets 323, when the longitudinal member 6, rotating around an axis parallel to the crosspieces 7 and 8 by means of the rotatable engagement means 15, will move from a first vertical position (figure 1) to a second horizontal position (figure 2) in which the end 62 of the side member 6 has moved away from the end 182 of the arm 18, will rest on the box-shaped elements 321, provided on the side member 6 precisely at the point where said brackets 323 would meet the side member 6, and the side member 6 itself can, by means of said brackets 323, reach a predetermined (angular) distance from the free end 182 of arm 18.

Each arm 30 is rotatably constrained to the hinge 15, and is movable between a first vertical carriage position (Figure 1) in which said arm is substantially parallel or nearly parallel to the longitudinal members 3 and 6, and a second horizontal carriage position (Figure 2) in which said arm 30 forms an angle of approximately 90 ° with arm 18 and is held in position by the support crosspiece 325.

The trolley 1 described above is very flexible in use.

To load a drum 50, for example, the user will approach it with the trolley 1, causing the support means 4 to fold along the side members 3 (useful instead in the case of loading tires 5) as shown in figure 1 ( in figure 2 said means 4 are shown unfolded, but in the presence of the stem 50 they are folded). To hook the drum 50 to the trolley 1, the attachment assembly 80 is brought into contact with the drum 50 and, more precisely, by acting on the crank 76, the attachment assembly 80 will slide along the guide 72, moved by the transmission means 77, causing the upper edge 51 of the stem 50 to be hooked by the tooth 82 of the locking element 81 (Figures 8 and 9). Subsequently, the user will act on the thrust screw 85 by rotating it and causing the movable element 83, and in particular the plate 833, to come out of the niche obtained in the blocking element 81, until the plate 833 , it will not be perfectly supported on the side wall of the drum 50. At this point the drum 50 will be fixed integrally to the carriage 1 by means of the attachment assembly 80 since the tooth 82 will be pushed on the inside of the edge 51 due to the thrust exerted by the plate 833 on the outer wall of the drum 50. If you want to lift the drum 50 from the ground, you can act by rotating the crank 76 which, moving the transmission means 77, will cause the vertical sliding of the attachment assembly 80, and therefore of the drum 50, along the guide 72.

To move the trolley 1 with the loaded drum 50, the user can pull the trolley 1 towards him by using the bars or handles 14. In this way the arms 30, free to rotate, pivoting on the rotatable engagement means 15 due to their weight, the wheels 40 move away from the longitudinal members 6 until reaching the position of figure 2 in which the arms 30 rest on the support crosspiece 325 and at the same time the plates 323 rest on the box-like elements 321, preventing the trolley 1 to reach an inclination greater than that desired or by arranging the trolley in a substantially horizontal position as shown in figure 2.

To reduce the effort that the user has to make to bring the trolley 1 from the vertical to the horizontal position, it is sufficient to act on the crank 76 to lift the drum 50, thus causing the center of gravity of the trolley 1 to also be raised, so that its overturning it will be facilitated.

To unload the drum 50 from the trolley 1, the user will bring the latter from the horizontal to the vertical position, then making the coupling element 335 uncouple from the support crosspiece 325, by pulling the rod 37, which will lead to the release of the element 335. When the user has disengaged the hooking element 335 from the support crosspiece by means of the lever 37, it will be sufficient to slightly raise the handles 31 to return the carriage 1 to a substantially vertical position. By acting on the crank 76, the stem 50 can be lowered until it touches the ground and, then retracting the mobile element 83 by loosening the thrust screw 85, the stem 50 will be disengaged from the attachment unit 80.

In addition to this unloading of a drum 50 on the ground, the trolley 1 can also be used to unload the drum at a certain height from the ground, such as for example over a step. The user, approaching the latter with the trolley 1 in a horizontal position, will place the lower ends 32 of the side members 3 above the step. By disengaging the coupling hook 335, the side members 3 will rest on the surface of the step and , as already described for the unloading of the drum 50, by acting on the crank 76 it is possible to lower the drum 50 until it touches the raised surface above the step and, subsequently, will disengage the drum from the attachment unit 80. The user pushing towards the The upper ends 31 of the longitudinal members 3 will bring the shaft 50 vertically, unloading it completely from the trolley 1 above the step.

The user using the trolley 1 according to the present invention will thus be able to load, move and unload a drum 50 with very little effort, using very little force and, above all, without running the slightest risk of being crushed by the drum 50.

The trolley 1 for drums could similarly be used to move cylindrical elements such as stacked tires, and in any case any heavy object of any shape to be handled and overturned, the housing being modifiable according to the object to be overturned (it could be a simple plan).

In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS 1. Trolley (1) for drums (50) which comprises a supporting frame (2) identifying a housing for drums (50), which can be tilted between a vertical position and a horizontal position, at least one pair of wheels (19, 40) suitable for being able to move said frame (2), characterized in that it comprises an attachment unit (80) for drums (50) sliding, by means of handling means (76, 77), along a guide (72), rigidly connected longitudinally to said frame (2). 2. Trolley (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said attachment assembly (80) for drums (50) comprises fixed locking means (81, 86) of the drum (50) integral with the guide (72) and means locking devices (83, 85) of the stem (50) slidingly associated with said fixed locking means (81, 86). 3. Trolley (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said attachment assembly (80) for drums (50) comprises a locking element (81), a movable element (83) slidingly associated with a sealing element ( 86) rigidly connected to the guide (72), and a thrust screw (85) associated to said movable element (83) and to said sealing element (86). 4. Carriage (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said blocking element (81) comprises a straight section (84), substantially parallel to said guide (72) and an end terminating with a tooth (82) adapted to mate with an upper edge (51) of a stem (50). 5. Carriage (1) according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that said movable element (83) is substantially orthogonal to said guide (72) and can move from a retracted position, in which it remains flush with said rectilinear section ( 84), to an extracted position, in which said movable element (83) protrudes from said rectilinear portion (84). 6. Carriage (1) according to claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said movable element (83) comprises a plate (833) parallel to said guide (72) and placed on the same side as the locking element (81) with respect to said guide (72), a plate (831) parallel to said plate (833) and on the opposite side of said block element (81) with respect to said guide (72), a pair of cylindrical elements (832) orthogonal to the plates (831) and (833), parallel to each other, and each having one end connected to said plate (833) and another end connected to said plate (831). 7. Carriage (1) according to claims 3 to 6, characterized in that said sealing element (86) comprises a plate (861) parallel to said plate (831) and placed between the plate (831) and the guide ( 72), and a pair of tubular elements (862) hollow and perpendicular to the plates (861) and (863), parallel to each other, and each having one end connected to said plate (861) and the other end connected to said element lock (81). 8. Trolley (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that each element of said one pair of cylindrical elements (832) is slidably inserted in a respective tubular element of said one pair of tubular elements (862). 9. Carriage (1) according to claims 3 to 9, characterized in that said plate (861) and said plate (831) comprise a through hole for housing a thrust screw (85) adapted to modify the mutual distance between dete plates (861) and (831). 10. Carriage (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it provides an operating crank (76) keyed onto an upper end of a transmission screw (77) to which the coupling block (80) is slidingly associated ). 11. Process for loading and unloading drums (50) by means of a trolley (1) that can be tilted between a vertical position and a horizontal position, which includes the following steps: - hooking a drum (50) to the trolley (1) by anchoring an upper edge (51) thereof to a coupling assembly (80); - lifting of the drum (50) by means of actuation means (76, 77) able to move said attachment group (80), thus raising the center of gravity of the drum (50), thus facilitating the overturning of the housing compartment for drums (50) of the carriage (1), both from the vertical position to the horizontal position, and from the horizontal position to the vertical.