Road structure – process – or apparatus – Apparatus – Material distribution means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-21
2002-11-19
Hartmann, Gary S. (Department: 3671)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Apparatus
Material distribution means
C180S408000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06481924
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a slip-form paver and a truck assembly for a construction machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Slip-form pavers of the above type are used, for instance, to produce road surfaces from concrete or to produce channels, guiding walls or water grooves from concrete laterally of the roadway. Known slip-form pavers have a machine frame with a chassis comprising a plurality of truck assemblies provided with steerable tracks and with lifting columns. The machine frame is adapted for attachment of various working devices for spreading or leveling and forming the concrete.
A generic slip-form paver is known e.g. from DE 198 14 052 A.
It is an object of the invention to provide a slip-form paver of the above type which is improved with respect to stability, traction, directional accuracy and maneuverability when used for offset molding.
The above object is solved by a slip-form paver comprising the features indicated in the present application.
According to the instant invention, it is advantageously provided that at least one transverse beam of the machine frame has a slidable traverse member arranged thereon to be moved transversely to the working direction, and that the truck assemblies are attached on said slidable traverse member instead of the machine frame.
In an arrangement for offset melding, the concrete molds are attached on the sides of the slip-form paver. Since the working tools required for the construction task, e.g. concrete molds, are used laterally of the slip-form paver, considerable yawing moments tend to act on the machine frame of the slip-form paver, thus impairing its stability, traction and directional stability. The invention makes is possible that, in offset molding, a track can be arranged next to the outer side—extending laterally of the machine frame—of the path to be formed. In this manner, the machine frame is given a more stable support relative to forces acting thereon and is held with directional stability. By means of the slidable traverse member, the track position can be adjusted within a wide range so that the width of an obstacle, e.g. a protruding concrete reinforcement or a water ditch, is without problems allowed to amount e.g. up to two meters laterally of the slip-form paver. Up to a width in this range, the truck assembly can also be used beyond the obstacle.
Thus, the slip-form paver according to the invention is adaptable with utmost flexibility to different offset molding requirements and can be very expediently adjusted to a given offset molding requirement.
At least the leading or front truck assemblies in the moving direction can be adjusted in their track width so that, in combination with the above mentioned displacement of the track position, the truck assemblies can be positioned with extreme flexibility. This allows for an adjustment of the track width to the working width of the working devices between the front and rear truck assemblies while also improving the stability of the slip-form paver.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the slidable traverse member carries a pivoting device which is pivotable in the plane of the machine frame and is provided to have a conveyer means attached thereto. Such an arrangement of the pivoting device offers the advantage that no conversion is required when the truck assemblies have to be brought into another track position, since the conveyer means is moved along with the slidable traverse member. This made possible because the mutual attachment is generally provided between the chassis units, and advantageously safeguards that no additional yawing forces from the conveyer means will act on the machine frame. The pivoting device further yields the advantage that the conveyer means can be pivoted to the required site within the desired track position.
Additionally, it can be provided that the pivoting device of the conveyer means is arranged on the slidable traverse member for displacement transversely to the working direction. This option further increases the flexibility of the conveyer means and enlarges the setting range, e.g. the working range of the conveyer means.
The conveyer means is supported on the free end of the pivoting device, which device preferably comprises a parallelogram guiding means, for pivoting movement about an axis extending orthogonally to the plane of the machine frame. Further, it can be provided that the conveyer means, for adjustment of its angle of inclination, is supported to be pivoted about an axis in parallel to the plane of the machine frame. In this manner, the conveyer means can be pivoted, in addition to the pivoting movement through the pivoting device, both laterally relative to the working direction and with respect to the angle of inclination.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the free end of the pivoting device is provided with an auxiliary frame in which the conveyer means can be displaced in a linear sliding movement in the longitudinal direction, thus offering an additional possibility for positioning the conveyer means.
The machine frame can be provided, at least on one side, with an auxiliary frame which is telescopically adaptable transversely to the working direction and is provided to accommodate working devices. This auxiliary frame is suited for attachment of e.g. concrete molds to be used in offset molding for the forming of monolithic profiles in numerous different shapes and sizes.
Below the machine frame, an intermediate frame can be arranged. This intermediate frame can be pivotable by at least 180° about a central axis extending orthogonally to the machine frame. In this manner, adjustment means provided in the intermediate frame and arranged to be telescoped transversely to the working direction, can be made available on both sides of the machines by pivoting the intermediate frame by 180°.
For instance, using the adjustment means, the auxiliary frame can be telescoped out of the intermediate frame. By pivoting the intermediate frame by 180°, the auxiliary frame can be quickly made available on the other side of the machine without extensive conversion procedures.
Further, it can be provided that the position of the intermediate frame is adjustable relative to the machine frame in parallel to the longitudinal beams. Also in this case, the positioning of working devices can be performed without complex conversion procedures.
At least the leading truck assemblies in the working direction are provided with a steering gear mechanism for pivoting the tracks, wherein the steering angle, to be set relative to the central position in the working direction, is larger than an amount of ±50° to 60°, preferably ±75°.
Such a steering angle allows for particularly narrow curve radii, e.g. when in offset molding the offset mold has been mounted on the right side and the moving path will take a curve to the left. In this case, the slip-form paver must follow a particularly narrow inner curve.
For such purposes, the steering gear mechanism comprises two links preferably curved in a circular shape and provided to be moved in a moving plane extending orthogonally to the axis of the lifting column.
Particularly the radius of curvature of the links is adapted to the diameter of the lifting column for the truck assembly, so that, in one end position of the stearing gear mechanism, the links will tightly enclose the lifting column.
The adjustment device of the steering gear mechanism is provided as a piston-cylinder unit comprising a cylinder housing and a piston rod arranged for linear movement in the cylinder housing.
Respectively one end of the two links is coupled to a respective end of the other link via a common joint on the free end of the piston rod, while the other end of the first link is coupled to a second joint with is stationary relative to the truck assembly and the other end of the second link is coupled to a third joint which is stationary relative to the track.
The cylinder housing of the piston-cylinder unit is pivotable about an axis extending in parallel
Smolders Raymond
Thieme Holger
Diller Ramik & Wight
Hartmann Gary S.
Wirtgen GmbH
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