SE538823C2

SE538823C2 - Conveyor guide track for facade elements and method for assembly of a guide track

Info

Publication number: SE538823C2
Application number: SE1550436A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Falk Henrik; Augustinson David
Original assignee: Brunkeberg Systems Ab
Priority date: 2015-04-13
Filing date: 2015-04-13
Publication date: 2016-12-13
Also published as: EP3283689A1; EP3283689B1; SE1550436A1; WO2016167710A1; EP3283689A4

Description

25 30 538 823 individual facade elements which are installed in one of a variety of Ways to the building. Facade elements are often transported to the building site on trucks. The elements have generally been off-loaded, stored, and subsequently installed to the building. Due to the heavy weight of the facade elements, there is imminent risk of personal injury when the facade elements are lifted off the truck. If the elements are lifted directly from the truck the storage of elements can be bypassed and time and space on the building site can be saved.

The movement and installation of facade elements on a building via a conveyor system is ideal as it removes a portion of the risk of personal injury and allows facade elements to be moved efficiently. The attachment of facade elements to a conveyor guide rail or track is a key point in this process. The attachment process is complex as it requires large, heavy and fragile elements to be gathered from, for example, the bed of a truck and secured in to the conveyor system. A lift capable of reliably and securely lifting facade elements from the bed of a truck and transferring them to a conveyor guide rail or track is needed.

SUMNLÅRY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deﬁciencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination and solves at least the above mentioned problems by providing a conveyor guide track for conveying facade elements, comprising an open- ended rectangular proﬁle having an upper surface and a oppositely disposed lower surface having an slot extending in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular profile, said upper and lower surfaces being joined at their longitudinal extending edges to a pair of side walls, wherein the upper surface, the lower surface and the pair of side walls together from a longitudinal cavity within the profile suitable for slidably receiving a facade attachment trolley member also extending through the slot, at least one attachment unit for connecting the conveyor guide track to a corresponding attachment unit of another conveyor guide track, provided at each longitudinal end of the profile, wherein each attachment unit of the conveyor guide track is positioned transversally within the boundaries of the side walls, thus forming a ﬂat exterior side surface along 10 15 20 25 30 538 823 the entire longitudinal extension of the profile and along at least one sidewall of the profile; and a method for connecting at least two such conveyor guide tracks.

Further advantageous features of the invention are deﬁned in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the invention is capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs 1 and 2 respectively show a perspective view of a conveyor guide rail track according to an embodiment; and Fig. 3 is a ﬂow chart of a method for mounting a system of conveyor guide rail tracks according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS In Figs. 1 and 2 a conveyor guide track 10 for conveying facade elements is provided. The conveyor guide track 10 comprises an open-ended rectangular profile having an upper surface ll and an oppositely disposed lower surface 12. The lower surface 12 has a slot 13 extending in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular profile.

The upper ll and lower 12 surfaces are joined at their longitudinal extending edges to a pair of side walls l4a, l4b. The upper surface ll, the lower surface 12 and the pair of side walls l4a, 14b together form a longitudinal cavity within the proﬁle suitable for slidably receiving a facade attachment trolley member (not shown) also extending through the slot 13. The conveyor guide track 10 further comprises at least one attachment unit 15 for connecting the conveyor guide track 10 to a corresponding attachment unit 15 of another conveyor guide track. At least one attachment unit 15 is provided at each longitudinal end of the proﬁle. Moreover, each attachment unit 15 of the conveyor guide track 10 is positioned transversally within the boundaries of the side walls l4a, 14b, as best shown in Fig. 1, thus forming a flat exterior side surface along 10 15 20 25 30 35 538 823 the entire longitudinal extension of the profile and along at least one sidewall 14b of the proﬁle.

Hence, there are no components, e. g. ﬂanges, of the conveyor guide track protruding transversally or extending radially outwards from the sidewall along the longitudinal extension of the profile. This means that the conveyor guide track 10 of the present invention, when mounted to the overlaying scaffolding structure 110, a larger amount of free space is provided between the facade of the building and the conveyor guide track 10, thereby allowing a lifting jig (not shown) to move freely in this enlarged free space in order to lift off the facade elements from the conveyor guide track for subsequent mounting onto the facade of the building. The conveyor guide track may be formed in a C-shape as shown in Figs 1 and 2.

A single attachment unit 15 may be arranged on the upper surface 11 transversally between the slot 13 and a second sidewall 14a of the pair of sidewalls 14a, 14b.

One attachment units 15 may be arranged on the lower surface 12 transversally between the slot 13 and a second sidewall 14a of the pair of sidewalls 14a, 14b, and a further attachment unit 15 is arranged on the lower surface 12 between the slot 13 and a first sidewall 14b of the pair of sidewalls 14a,14b.

In use the first sidewall 14b is arranged to face the facade of the building to which the facade elements conveyed via the conveyor guide track is to be mounted.

A longitudinally arranged second flange 16 may be arranged on the upper surface 11 of the profile for connection to a clamp 100 connecting the conveyor guide track 10 to a supporting scaffold 110. The flange 16 may be provided with at least one perforation or hole extending transversally through the ﬂange at a longitudinal position thereof. The at least one perforation or hole are used to connect the ﬂange 16 to the clamp 10 via a corresponding number of perforations or holes in the bottom portion of the clamp 100, as shown in Figs 1 and 2.

A first ﬂange 17 may be longitudinally arranged on the upper surface 11 and along the longitudinal edge of the upper surface at the interface to the ﬁrst sidewall 14b for supporting a lifting jig (not shown) arranged to disconnect a facade profile from the facade attachment trolley member (not shown) being connected to the conveyor guide track 10 in use. This first flange 17 is used to support the lifting jig moving downwards from the facade at an angle towards the conveyor guide track 10, thereby improving the accuracy of the subsequent steps of lifting off the facade elements from the conveyor guide track 10. This also means that the complexity of the lifting jig is reduced since its 10 15 20 25 30 35 538 823 relative position in relation to the conveyor guide track 10 does not have to be as precise when the supporting ﬂange 16 is provided on the conveyor guide track 10.

The attachment unit 15 may comprise an attachment loop or cylinder through Which a bolt (not shown) may be inserted. Hence, by providing the bolt through the attachment unit 15 of a ﬁrst conveyor guide track 10 in a direction towards and through the attachment unit of a second conveyor guide track 10, these two conveyor guide tracks 10 can be securely locked together by mounting a nut at the end of the bolt.

The conveyor guide track may be made of a heavy duty material, e.g. stainless steel, or any other suitable material, such as metal/steel of suitable grade or reinforced plastics.

In Fig. 3 a method 30 for connecting at least two conveyor guide tracks 10 described above for conveying facade elements is provided. The method 30 comprises aligning 31 a longitudinal end of a first conveyor guide track 10 to an opposing longitudinal end of a second conveyor guide track 10, thereby aligning at least a first attachment unit 15 of the ﬁrst conveyor guide track 10 to at least a second attachment unit 15 of the second conveyor guide track 10. The method further comprises inserting 32 a bolt through one of the at least one first attachment units 15 of the first conveyor guide track 10 towards and through the corresponding aligned attachment unit 15 of the second conveyor guide track. Furthermore, the method comprises locking 33 the bolt by providing a nut at the end of the bolt.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims and, other embodiments than the specific above are equally possible within the scope of these appended claims.

In the claims, the term “comprises/comprising” does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means, elements or method steps may be implemented by e. g. a single unit or processor.

Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms “a”, “an”, “first”, “second” etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.

Claims

10 15 20 25 30 35 538 823 CLAIMS

1. A conveyor guide track (10) for conveying facade elements, comprising an open-ended rectangular profile having an upper surface (11) and a oppositely disposed lower surface (12) having an slot (13) extending in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular profile, said upper (11) and lower (12) surfaces being joined at their longitudinal extending edges to a pair of side walls (14), wherein the upper surface (11), the lower surface (12) and the pair of side walls (l4a, 14b) together form a longitudinal cavity within the profile suitable for slidably receiving a facade attachment trolley member also extending through the slot (13), at least one attachment unit (15) for connecting the conveyor guide track (10) to a corresponding attachment unit (15) of another conveyor guide track, provided at each longitudinal end of the profile, wherein each attachment unit (15) of the conveyor guide track (10) is positioned transversally within the boundaries of the side walls (l4a, 14b), thus forming a ﬂat exterior side surface along the entire longitudinal extension of the profile and along at least one sidewall (14b) of the profile, characterized by: a first ﬂange (17) arranged longitudinally on the upper surface (1 1) and along the longitudinal edge of the upper surface at the interface to a first sidewall (14b) for supporting a lifting jig arranged to disconnect a facade profile from the facade attachment trolley member in use.

2. The conveyor guide track (10) according to claim 1, wherein a single attachment unit (15) is arranged on the upper surface (11) transversally between the slot (13) and a second sidewall (l4a) of the pair of sidewalls (l4a, 14b).

3. The conveyor guide track (10) according to claim 1, wherein one attachment units (15) is arranged on the lower surface (12) transversally between the slot (13) and a second sidewall (14a) of the pair of sidewalls, and a further attachment unit (15) arranged on the lower surface (12) between the slot (13) and the first sidewall (14b) of the pair of sidewalls (14a, 14b).

4. The conveyor guide track (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a longitudinally arranged second ﬂange (16) on the upper surface (11) for connection to a clamp (100) connecting the conveyor guide track (10) to a supporting scaffold structure (1 10). 10 15 20 25 30 35 538 823

5. The conveyor guide track (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one attachment unit comprises an attachment loop through which a bolt may be inserted, thereby allowing two conveyor guide tracks (10) to be connected by means of the bolt extending through the attachment loops of each conveyor guide track (10), and by the provision of a nut locking the two conveyor guide tracks in place.

6. The conveyor guide track (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the open-ended rectangular profile is C-shaped.

7. A method (30) for connecting at least two conveyor guide tracks (10) for conveying facade elements, each conveyor guide track comprising an open-ended rectangular profile having an upper surface (11) and a oppositely disposed lower surface (12) having an slot (13) extending in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular profile, said upper (11) and lower (12) surfaces being joined at their longitudinal extending edges to a pair of side walls (14), wherein the upper surface (1 1), the lower surface (12) and the pair of side walls (14a, 14b) together form a longitudinal cavity within the profile suitable for slidably receiving a facade attachment trolley member also extending through the slot (13), and at least one attachment unit (15) for connecting the conveyor guide track (10) to a corresponding attachment unit (15) of another conveyor guide track, provided at each longitudinal end of the profile, wherein each attachment unit (15) of the conveyor guide track (10) is positioned transversally within the boundaries of the side walls (14a, 14b), and wherein the outer boundary of at least one sidewall is ﬂat along the entire longitudinal extension of the profile, characterized by further comprising a first ﬂange (17) arranged longitudinally on the upper surface (11) and along the longitudinal edge of the upper surface at the interface to the first side wall (14b) for supporting a lifting jig arranged to disconnect a facade profile from the facade attachment trolley member in use, the method comprising aligning (31) a longitudinal end of a first conveyor guide track (10) to an opposing longitudinal end of a second conveyor guide track (10), thereby aligning at leas a first attachment unit (15) of the first conveyor guide track (10) to at least a second attachment unit (l5); inserting (32) a bolt through one of the at least one first attachment units (15) of the first conveyor guide track (10) towards and through the corresponding aligned attachment unit (15) of the second conveyor guide track; and 538 823 looking (33) the bolt by providing a nut at the end of the bolt.