Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61B—RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B61B13/00—Other railway systems

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a rail-travelling conveyor device to be advanced supported on two mutually parallel rails and comprising a carrier frame, a load compartment substantially firmly connected with the carrier frame, said load compartment being arranged at least partly be ⁇ low the rails, said load compartment having a maximum ex ⁇ tent in the longitudinal direction of the rails, a plu- rality of driving wheels engaging the rails, and at least one motor which is connected with the conveyor device and which drives at least one driving wheel.
• "firmly" means that, when being advanced, the load compartment is connected with the carrier frame in such a manner that the location of its centre of gravity sub ⁇ stantially cannot change with respect to the carrier frame, i.e. the load compartment cannot pivot freely like a pendulum.
• Conveyor devices which travel on rails and are used e.g. to feed viscous masses through production systems, are generally known.
• the conveyor devices may be advanced supported by rail systems, which comprise a single rail or two rails extending mutually in parallel, and which are either supported by columns or are suspended from an overhead structure.
• the rail systems used may be provided with upward gradients in the longitudinal direction, as required, and may comprise curved track segments and switches allowing the travelling direction of the con- veyor devices to be changed.
• one rail system or another is selected for a given production system usually depends on the occurring loads from the conveyor devices and on the mutual loca- tion of the production buildings. Further, the selection may determined by the simplicity with which the load com- partments of the conveyor devices must be capable of be ⁇ ing filled with the viscous mass. Particularly in connec ⁇ tion with rail systems having two rails extending mutu ⁇ ally in parallel, it is possible to fill the conveyor de- vices from a position centrally above the load compart ⁇ ment, without the access to the access opening of the load compartment being blocked by a rail .
• an object of the present invention is to provide a simplified conveyor de ⁇ vice, which must also be capable of being advanced through bends without any risk of derailing. Further, the conveyor device must also be capable of being produced at a lower cost than the known conveyor devices and moreover be cheaper to operate and maintain.
• each driving wheel having a separate rotational shaft connected with the carrier frame, said rotational shafts having rotational axes fixed with respect to the carrier frame, said rotational shafts being arranged within the said maximum extent of the load compartment in the longi ⁇ tudinal direction of the rails, and by guide means for guiding the conveyor device through bends .
• the driving wheels are provided with separate rota- tional shafts located within the said maximum extent of the load compartment in the longitudinal direction, and when guide means are provided for guiding the conveyor device through curves, while the rotational shafts have rotational axes fixed with respect to the carrier frame, it has surprisingly been found that it is possible to drive the conveyor devices through bends without any risk of derailing, with an uncomplicated and low-cost bearing structure, while still providing unobstructed access to the load compartment during filling.
• the load compart ⁇ ment is arranged at least partly below the rails, so that the centre of gravity is located below the driving wheels, the conveyor device does not tend to tilt during acceleration and deceleration.
• the invention moreover allows the driving wheels to be arranged close to each other in the longitudinal direc ⁇ tion, so that the conveyor devices can follow the rails in bends and curves with an even smaller risk of derail ⁇ ing.
• the invention provides special advantages when the load compartment has an access opening, particularly a filling opening, arranged at a position between and preferably also above the rails, and optionally a discharge opening disposed at a distance below the rails, as the filling opening may preferably have the same dimensions as the load compartment.
• the conveyor device is pro- vided with respective drives extending at least partly along respective longitudinal sides of the load compart ⁇ ment, said respective drives connecting at least one re ⁇ spective driving wheel with a drive means, it is possible to connect the driving wheels with a single propelling device which may be arranged in front of or behind the load compartment, and which has a drive take-off that may extend to the longitudinal sides of the load compartment.
• the guide means may moreover be arranged on the front and rear ends, re ⁇ spectively, of the carrier frame with respect to the di ⁇ rection of travel and may engage the rails to guide the conveyor device through the curves.
• the conveyor device may comprise four driving wheels and support means arranged on the front and rear ends, respectively, of the carrier frame with respect to the travelling direction to prevent tilt ⁇ ing of the conveyor device under special loads, as, in that case, the support means will provide a support against the rails.
• This embodiment is particularly expe ⁇ trans in situations where the driving wheels are arranged two and two above each rail with a relatively small mu ⁇ tual spacing. It is also possible to use the support means when just two driving wheels are used.
• the guide means and/or the support means may comprise a car ⁇ rier element having two separate guide wheels and support wheels, respectively, said carrier element itself being mounted for rotation about an axis which extends perpen ⁇ dicularly to the rotational axes of the driving wheels.
• the respective carrier elements may be arranged for rotation about a common shaft in a particularly advantageous manner, thereby pro ⁇ viding a particularly simplified structure.
• Fig. 1 schematically shows a known conveyor device, seen in perspective view
• FIG. 2 schematically shows a conveyor device according to the invention, seen in perspective view
• fig. 3 is a front view of a carrier frame for a conveyor device according to the invention, supported by two par ⁇ allel rails,
• fig. 4 is a top view of the carrier frame illustrated in fig. 3,
• fig. 5 is a lateral view of the carrier frame illustrated in fig. 3,
• fig. 6 is a lateral enlarged view of a carrier element according to the invention.
• fig. 7 schematically shows the conveyor device according to the invention when travelling through a bend.
• Fig. 1 schematically shows a known conveyor device 10, which is marketed by the applicant.
• the conveyor device is used particularly in production systems for producing cast concrete objects and is advanced supported by two mutually parallel rails 1, 2.
• the conveyor device com ⁇ prises a carrier frame 8, which is firmly connected with a load compartment 5 having a first or upper opening lo ⁇ cated in a plane above the rails, said load compartment 5, as indicated in broken line, extending at a distance below the plane of the rails and being provided with a second or lower opening (not shown), which may be blocked, and which is used for emptying the load compart ⁇ ment.
• the conveyor device is moreover provided with four driving wheels 3 connected in pairs with rotational shafts, which extend transversely between the rails, and which are arranged in front of and behind the load com ⁇ partment.
• each of the rotational shafts is mounted for rotation with respect to the load compartment 5 about a vertical axis 6 so as to avoid derailing of the conveyor devices in the bends.
• this results in a structure with two separate bogies which are connected with the carrier frame of the conveyor device by means of a pivot joint 6.
• a separate drive means in the form of a motor which drives the wheels, and a brake are mounted on each bogie.
• Fig. 2 schematically shows an embodiment of a conveyor device 20 according to the invention.
• the conveyor device travels on two parallel rails 21, 22, which may particu- larly be formed as I profiles having an upwardly directed engagement flange, which expediently forms a carrier face for the driving wheels and support means described below.
• the rails moreover have a web part which may expediently form an engagement face for the guide means also de- scribed below.
• the conveyor device is particularly expedient for use in connection with rail systems having curved rail segments of the type shown in fig. 2.
• the conveyor device 20 is constructed with a carrier frame 25 firmly connected with a load compartment 26, which has an upper filling opening and a lower discharge opening 30 provided at a level below the rails.
• the con ⁇ veyor device is used particularly expediently in systems where viscous masses, such as liquid concrete in particu- lar, are to be conveyed rapidly and reliably from one lo ⁇ cation to another, said load compartment being filled from above at a filling station and emptied at an empty ⁇ ing station located at e.g. floor level below the load compartment and between the rails.
• the shown load com- partment 26 has an extent L in the longitudinal direction of the rails and may optionally be provided with parti ⁇ tions (not shown) which divide the load compartment into independent cells.
• the conveyor device is additionally provided with four driving wheels 36, of which only two are shown in the figure, and which, in pairs, engage the upper flange of a respective rail 21, 22.
• the driving wheels may advantageously be constructed as rubber wheels, as the deformation of the rubber material facili ⁇ tates the travel of the conveyor device through curves .
• each driving wheel has a separate rotational shaft, which is mounted on the carrier frame 25, and which extends on the outer side of the boundary walls of the load compart ⁇ ment 26.
• the rotational shafts are fixed with respect to the carrier frame, in the sense that the driving wheels cannot be steered to provide a change in the direction of travel of the conveyor device.
• the driving wheels 36 are arranged along the extent L of the load compartment 26, preferably relatively close to the line of symmetry at L/2, so that only a limited displacement of the wheels transversely to the rails will take place in bends, thereby obviating de ⁇ railing of the conveyor device when it travels through the curve shown.
• the carrier frame 25 moreover mounts a drive motor (drive means) 35 connected by means of suit ⁇ able drives with the driving wheels to drive these.
• drive means drive means
• FIG. 3-5 show an embodi ⁇ ment of a carrier frame 25 for the conveyor device of the invention in greater detail.
• the carrier frame is com ⁇ posed of two parallel and longitudinal beams 28 and de- fine a rectangular area in which a load compartment may be mounted.
• a load compartment is preferably firmly connected with the carrier frame 25 between the beams 27, 28 to be arranged at least partly below the rails 21, 22, as the load compartment 25 is to be filled from above from a position between the rails.
• a propelling motor 35 is mounted on one of the transverse beams 28 of the carrier frame.
• two mutually spaced driving wheels 36 are mounted along each of the longitudinal beams 27, and, according to the in ⁇ vention, these driving wheels have individual, separate rotational shafts 37 which are mounted on the beams.
• the propelling mo- tor 35 is connected to the driving wheels by means of re ⁇ spective drives 39, each drive extending at least partly along an associated longitudinal beam 27. It is hereby possible to drive the conveyor device by means of a single propelling motor which can drive all the driving wheels, while the conveyor device may be advanced through curves by guide means 40, which are preferably arranged on the front and rear ends, respectively, of the carrier frame 25 with respect to the direction of travel at a distance from the driving wheels, and which can engage the vertical web part of each rail 21, 22.
• drives are provided along both longitudinal beams so that all driving wheels may be driven, but in some situations it may be relevant not to drive all the drawing wheels .
• Each guide means 40 may engage a rail either directly or indirectly and comprises a carrier element 44 in the ex- ample shown.
• the carrier element 44 shown in greater de ⁇ tail in fig. 6, carries a pair of rotatable guide wheels 40', 40" and is rotatable itself with respect to the car ⁇ rier frame about a vertical axis 42.
• the carrier frame is moreover provided with support means 46, which are like ⁇ wise arranged on the front and rear ends, respectively, of the carrier frame with respect to the direction of travel.
• the support means 46 may be formed by a carrier element 47, which carries a pair of rotatable support wheels 46', 46", and which is rotatable with respect to the carrier frame about the said, vertical axis 42.
• the carrier element 47 of the support means 46 may be con ⁇ nected with the carrier element 44 of the guide means 40 by a connecting part 100, which results in a quite simple structure. As appears from fig. 3 in particular, the con ⁇ necting part 100 is angled.
• the carrier elements 44, 47 and the connecting part 100 are connected with a pipe section 105, which is received in a bushing 110 mounted on the carrier frame.
• a spring device 120 is received be ⁇ tween an end face 115 in the bushing and an engagement face in the pipe section to provide for spring cushioning of the conveyor device and to allow unobstructed movement of said device through upward and downward gradients along the path of travel.
• the pipe section 105 can rotate about the vertical axis 42 by means of a pin connection 130.
• Fig. 7 schematically shows a conveyor device according to the invention when travelling through a bend.
• the rails 21, 22 are just illustrated with their web part.
• the guide wheels 40 engage the outer rail 22, thereby guiding the conveyor device through the bend, as the driving wheels 36 will be displaced slightly transversely to the upper horizontal flange of the rail.
• the web part of the internal rail 22 has welded thereon a supplementary flange part, which is so adapted that also the internal guide wheels engage the rail. This results in extremely reliable travel of the conveyor device through the bend.
• the carrier elements 44 will adjust themselves tangentially to the rails at any time.
• the conveyor device shown in fig. 2 was constructed with a frame having a length dimension L of 2200 mm and a transverse dimension of 2000 mm.
• the load compartment 26, which was connected with the frame, had an opening at the upper side of the frame with a length dimension of 1500 mm and a transverse dimension of 1500 mm, and extended at a distance of 1100 mm below the rails and was provided with a discharge opening at this location.
• the conveyor device was advanced on rails by means of two pairs of driving wheels 36, each pair of driving wheels being ad ⁇ vanced on the upper flange of a respective rail.
• the driving wheels had a diameter of 320 mm and were mounted with a mutual centre distance (shaft distance) of 500 mm on each side of the line of symmetry of the frame.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Storing, Repeated Paying-Out, And Re-Storing Of Elongated Articles (AREA)
• Escalators And Moving Walkways (AREA)
• Intermediate Stations On Conveyors (AREA)
• Platform Screen Doors And Railroad Systems (AREA)
• Control Of Motors That Do Not Use Commutators (AREA)
• Discharge Of Articles From Conveyors (AREA)
• Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)
• Framework For Endless Conveyors (AREA)
• Spinning Or Twisting Of Yarns (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Chain Conveyers (AREA)
• Pusher Or Impeller Conveyors (AREA)
• Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
• Tumbler Switches (AREA)
• Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
• Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)
• Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)
• Automobile Manufacture Line, Endless Track Vehicle, Trailer (AREA)

Priority Applications (9)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26064088

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1996
  • 1996-04-25 PL PL96322967A patent/PL179073B1/pl unknown
  • 1996-04-25 AT AT96911936T patent/ATE183158T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1996-04-25 DK DK96911936T patent/DK0824434T3/da active
  • 1996-04-25 US US08/945,306 patent/US5983804A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-04-25 AU AU54960/96A patent/AU5496096A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-04-25 EP EP96911936A patent/EP0824434B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-04-25 DE DE69603717T patent/DE69603717T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1996-04-25 WO PCT/DK1996/000186 patent/WO1996033897A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1996-04-25 ES ES96911936T patent/ES2134612T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1997
  • 1997-10-15 NO NO19974772A patent/NO313087B1/no unknown
  • 1997-10-24 FI FI974050A patent/FI112459B/fi active

Patent Citations (3)

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