Fluid handling – Systems – Articulated or swinging flow conduit
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-10
2002-10-15
Lee, Kevin (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
Articulated or swinging flow conduit
C141S387000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06463958
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a distribution device as for slurries, especially concrete. The distribution device has a distributing boom supporting a concrete-conveying conduit. The distributing boom consists of several sections, which can be folded towards each other. At least one of the several sections is telescopic, having at least a first telescopic pipe and a second telescopic pipe that can be extended from the first telescopic pipe. The concrete-conveying conduit is designed in the region of the telescopic distributing boom section as a system consisting of several articulated conveying-conduit elements in order to ensure lengthwise adjustment of the concrete-conveying conduit to the telescopic movement. One of said conveying-conduit elements is articulated at one end with the first telescopic pipe. The other conveying-conduit element is articulated at one end with the second telescopic pipe. The articulation points of the two conveying-conduit elements are articulated with the two telescopic pipes. The two telescopic pipes alternately assume essentially transposed positions in the two telescopic end positions, so that the one telescopic pipe is retracted and extended into its telescopic end positions, the two articulation points move past one another. The conveying-conduit elements are extended against the direction of concrete conveyance in one telescopic end position and in the direction of concrete conveyance in the other telescopic end position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such distribution devices are used in particular to convey concrete in building construction, for example, to pour concrete ceilings in buildings. Depending on the height and size of the building, the concrete may have to be distributed over a wide area. For this purpose, distribution systems are used, which are mounted on a transport vehicle, a crane or the like and which mostly consist of a distribution boom divided into several boom sections. The prime concern in respect of the distribution booms is to achieve maximum distribution reach for concrete conveyance, a requirement satisfied by skillful division of the boom into individual boom sections that are connected with each other in an articulated or telescopic manner.
This is why highly sensitive, articulated distribution booms are a characteristic of mobile concrete pump systems. The distribution booms are disposed on a pivot mounting and support a concrete-conveying conduit. Such distribution booms can assume the most varied types of work positions that may be required at the job site, e.g. vertical or horizontal extension, angular positions, etc. Regardless of their configuration, the booms thus enable the delivery end of the concrete-conveying conduit to be guided precisely to the place at which the concrete is to be poured. The tip of the distribution boom is guided by turning the latter and/or adjusting the angles between the individual boom sections.
The distribution boom's high degree of mobility is especially important at its front end, i.e. in the vicinity of concrete delivery. For the section nearer the pivot mounting, by contrast, the telescopic function is more important because of the height and width of reach that it permits. In this context, it has proved expedient to design at least one section of the distribution boom, preferably the basic boom, as a telescopic section. Compared to the alternative of bringing the boom sections into angular positions, this solution has the advantage of requiring less space.
For the telescopic section of the distribution boom, provisions must be made for lengthwise adjustment of the concrete-conveying conduit. Of course, lengthwise adjustment may be achieved by using flexible concrete-conveying-conduit elements in the region of the telescopic boom section. Such a solution, however, is restricted to small extension/retraction lengths, since flexible concrete-conveying conduits can only be bent to a limited extent. In cases involving greater extension/retraction lengths, such a design is out of the question. Here, rigid concrete-conveying-conduit elements must be used instead.
In a known distribution device of the same type, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,134, the distribution device is supported on a pivot mounting of a truck. This distribution device has a telescopic basic boom, and lengthwise adjustment of the concrete-conveying conduit is achieved by means of a scissor-type system consisting of several conveying-conduit elements. The known scissor-type conveying conduit for lengthwise adjustment to the telescopic travel of the basic boom uses at least three conveying-conduit elements which are connected in series. The conveying-conduit elements are arranged in such a manner that they can be folded variably between a fully folded position when the telescopic section is fully retracted and a fully extended position, when the telescopic section is fully extended. During the telescopic process, every conveying-conduit element swings by about 180° and, at one stage, assumes a position perpendicular to the telescopic axis. The known scissor-type conveying conduit requires at least three conveying-conduit elements, of which the two outer elements are each articulated at one end with the central conveying-conduit element. With their respective other ends, the outer elements are connected with the respective telescopic section of the distribution boom and there with the concrete-conveying conduit that supplies or carries off the concrete. Basically, however, these two outer of the three conveying-conduit elements are insignificant for lengthwise adjustment to the telescopic travel. Compared to the telescopic pipes which support them, the outer elements only perform an insignificant dodging movement perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the telescope and only move to the extent to which the articulation points with the central conveying-conduit element move away at right angles from the telescope's longitudinal axis during the telescopic process. Thus, lengthwise adjustment to the telescopic boom section is effected exclusively by the swiveling of the middle conveying-conduit element. This middle element is supported centrally on a member which is guided on the distribution boom in longitudinal direction, and because of the arrangement surrounding the boom profile, can only swing up to about 120°. As a result, only about 1.7 times the actual length of the central conduit element can be used for lengthwise adjustment to the telescopic boom section. If the telescopic boom section is extended by approximately 50%, a position at which the central conveying-conduit element forms an angle of approximately 90° to the telescopic boom section, this concrete-conveying-conduit element protrudes on both sides of the distribution boom by approximately one-fourth of the telescopic length, so that the entire system size of such a device amounts to approximately half the telescopic length. With telescopic lengths of 4 to 6 m commonly encountered in practice, this is extremely irritating.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,134 does in fact suggest an alternative two-fold scissor-type conveying conduit for systems involving great telescopic lengths or multiple telescopic sections. However, this suggestion has the disadvantage that for each additional scissor-type conveying conduit, additional conveying-conduit elements would have to be used, i.e. one element relevant for lengthwise adjustment to the telescopic boom and one intermediate connecting element which is irrelevant for lengthwise adjustment. This inevitably adds considerably to the cost of the construction and requires a complex arrangement of concrete-conveying-conduit elements.
The known concrete distribution device thus has the disadvantage that widthwise it requires rather a lot of space. This presents a problem in view of the fact that with such distribution devices a large number of folded boom sections together with the multisection concrete-conveying conduit they support and further distribution-device accessories must be acco
Kinney & Lange , P.A.
Lee Kevin
Schwing GmbH
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