EP1820712B1 - System of driving an element to slide on a guide and platform for engaging an element to be driven to slide on a guide - Google Patents

Abstract

The system (15) has an upstream jack (7) and a downstream jack (8) arranged to be integrated to a bow (3) and a feed carriage (4) by sliding. The jacks are mounted to exert driving action of the bow and the carriage in series. A transfer platform is arranged to disintegrate the bow and the carriage from the jack (7) and integrate the carriage with the jack (8). The jacks have fingers arranged to co-operate with clutch devices of the carriage.

Description

A drive system for sliding a member on a guide and a platform for transferring a clutch of a member to slide on a guide.

The document GB-A-2 157 246 describes a system according to the preamble of claim 1.

The present invention arose from a problem of handling roofs of cargo storage structures by folding tarpaulins, in this case the roofs or roofs of railroad cars.

Generally, goods wagons comprise a so-called cargo platform intended to support the freight to be transported and a roof reinforcement consisting of arches covered with a tarpaulin held in place on the arches so as to protect the freight from the weather. during its transportation or storage.

In the place of tarpaulins and arches, it may also be provided other kinds of roofing elements or roofing, including rigid, and does not require reinforcement.

It is by sliding the cover elements on guides integral with the platform that completely covers the cargo once loaded and partially discovered for unloading.

The cover is generally the same length as the freight platform, that is to say eighteen meters in a general case.

But the manipulation of the covering elements concerns only the two-thirds front or rear of the wagon, over a length of twelve meters, a third of the wagon then remaining covered by the cover folded on itself to the maximum. But it is also possible to discover a certain length of platform at each of its two ends simultaneously.

This manipulation is currently done manually and is long and arduous, because the cover elements, designed to slide on the sides of the platform, have a natural tendency to get crooked or crab. The use of so-called "anti-crab" systems, that is to say links between the first two arches of the frame of the cover at the head and tail of the wagon does not diminish the painful side of the operation sliding.

Proceeding with the help of a forklift, so on one side of the cover, is not more satisfactory because of the torque created on the hoops operated by the truck.

It has been imagined to equip the loading and unloading wharves with gantry freight spanning the wagons, but if this solution makes it possible to automate the operations, it requires a heavy infrastructure and is not usable everywhere.

The applicant has sought another simpler solution, by motorizing the cover elements on the wagon itself, using as actuators pneumatic cylinders rodless piston. It is a cylindrical casing in which a piston is slidably mounted, leaving on both sides two chambers, the casing being split to ensure the connection between the piston and a drive carriage, the slot of the housing being closed by a lamelliform seal passing through the piston.

And it is then that, looking for such pneumatic cylinders of a length which corresponds to the need (twelve meters) and having not found it, she proposes her invention which she intends to generalize to any training system of a sliding element on a guide by means of jacks of driving length less than the length of the guide, the element in question may naturally be the mounting frame of the two head or tail hoops of the cover of a platform. form of freight for railroad.

Thus, the invention relates first of all to a drive system of an element sliding on a guide by means of actuators with a drive length less than the length of the guide, characterized in that it comprises at least two actuators arranged to be secured to the sliding element and mounted to exert their drive actions of the element in series and a transfer platform, arranged between the two actuators, arranged to separate the element from one of the actuators and secure it to the other.

Preferably, the element to be driven comprises two clutch devices, each actuator comprising a clutch member arranged to cooperate with one of the clutch devices of the element, the platform being arranged so that, at the end of stroke of one of the actuators, the element to be driven is engaged on both actuators, driving the element by the other of the actuators causing the disengagement of the actuator element at the end of travel.

In this case, it is interesting that the clutch of the element on said other actuator is made with clearance.

In this case again, it is advantageous for each clutch device to comprise a clutch rocker pivotally mounted on the element with two clutch hooks spaced apart from one another for driving by the two actuators. series, respectively, as well as for driving by each of the actuators in both directions, respectively.

Preferably, the two clutch rockers are identical and mounted head to tail on the element.

Preferably still, the transfer platform comprises a cam path arranged to cooperate with the clutch devices of the element and engage one on one of the actuators while disengaging the other of the devices of the other actuators.

Advantageously, the cam path of the transfer platform comprises, in the two driving directions, a rising path portion and a descending path portion spaced apart by a bearing portion.

In this case, each clutch lever of the element has an inclined edge arranged to cooperate with one of the rising and falling portions of the cam path of the transfer platform.

Advantageously, the path is a cam path with two portions rising and falling in the direction of driving, preferably spaced apart by a bearing portion.

Preferably, the element to be slidably driven is a frame for mounting a blanket covering an element of the assembly comprising a rail, road or maritime freight platform, a silo, a shed or other area. activities, like a swimming pool.

More preferably, the actuators are pneumatic piston cylinders without rod, the clutch member, preferably a finger, being mounted on the piston.

Naturally, the invention should not be considered as limited to a system with two actuators or jacks. In the case of a railway car freight platform, 18 m in length, three cylinders of 4.5 m, 9 m and 4.5 m, respectively, should be considered.

• la figure 1 montre deux vues générales 1-A et 1-B d'un wagon de chemin de fer à plate-forme de fret l'une avec la bâche déployée et couvrant entièrement le wagon et l'autre, avec la bâche reployée en son milieu et découvrant partiellement le wagon en tête et en queue ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de profil d'une plate-forme de fret d'un wagon de chemin de fer, équipé des dispositifs d'embrayage des systèmes d'entraînement des éléments de tête et de queue et des plates-formes de transfert selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une vue identique à la précédente, à une plus grande échelle ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe transversale partielle de la partie basse d'un élément en coulissement sur un guide, de la plate-forme de fret et de l'ensemble du vérin à piston sans tige avec son organe d'embrayage;
• la figure 5 une vue de profil partielle des dispositifs d'embrayage en position de transfert sur le guide de coulissement, et de la plate-forme de transfert correspondante selon l'invention, et
• la figure 6 représente cinq vues 6a-6e des positions relatives des dispositifs d'embrayage et de la plate-forme de transfert à des étapes successives significatives du transfert de l'embrayage de l'élément de couverture d'un vérin sur l'autre.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the following description of the drive system and the transfer platform of the invention, with reference to the appended drawing in which:

• the figure 1 shows two general views 1-A and 1-B of a freight platform railway car, one with the tarpaulin deployed and covering the wagon completely and the other with the tarpaulin folded in the middle and partially discovering the car at the head and tail;
• the figure 2 is a profile view of a freight platform of a railway car, equipped with clutch devices for drive systems of the head and tail elements and transfer platforms according to the invention;
• the figure 3 is a view identical to the previous one, on a larger scale;
• the figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower part of an element sliding on a guide, of the freight platform and of the assembly of the rodless piston cylinder with its clutch member;
• the figure 5 a partial profile view of the clutch devices in the transfer position on the sliding guide, and the corresponding transfer platform according to the invention, and
• the figure 6 represents five views 6a-6e of the relative positions of the clutch devices and the transfer platform in successive steps significant of the transfer of the clutch of the cover element of a cylinder on the other.

With reference to the figure 1 a goods wagon comprising a freight platform 1 is covered with a tarpaulin 2, totally in figure 1-A and partially in figure 1-B . The sheet 2 is held in place by arches 3.

The first two hoops 3 of the cover at the head and tail of the wagon, partially visible at the bottom figures 2 and 3 are connected by a structure 4 which forms a carriage 4 running on two parallel longitudinal guides 6 allowing the sliding operation to proceed without crabbing all the arches.

The drive carriage 4 comprises on each guide 6, better visible on the figure 3 , rollers 5, here eight in number enclosing the guide 6 in two places corresponding to the legs of the hoops 3 on the carriage 4 so as to ensure a stable ride. The guides 6 are integral with the platform 1 and on each side thereof.

By sliding the carriage 4, the rollers 5 are rolled on the guides 6, and thus the platform 1 is covered or uncovered, either at the head or at the tail of the wagon (as shown in FIG. figure 1 ), over a maximum length of twelve meters corresponding to a minimum length of six meters of folding of the sheet 2.

To slide the carriage 4 over a length of twelve meters, it was chosen to equip the platform 1 with cylinders.

As the length of each guide 6 is greater than the useful stroke of the jacks available on the market, three have been arranged per guide 6, acting in series, referenced 7, 8, 9 on the figure 3 , that is to say and here two cylinders 7, 9 of 4.5 meters at the head and tail, and a cylinder 8 of 9 meters between the two, integral with the carriage 4. The cylinders are thus aligned along the guides 6 to cover the entire length of the car.

We could have provided only two cylinders 7 and 9 of nine meters each. Conversely, for other civil or industrial applications requiring longer removable covers, one could put more in series, as will appear later in the description.

For the present application, pneumatic rodless piston cylinders, well known to those skilled in the art, have been chosen.

This type of cylinder 7, 8, 9, with reference to the figure 4 as taught by the document EP 1364129 , comprises a housing 10 forming a cylinder 11 in which a piston 12 slides, and having a longitudinal opening 13, such as a slot, over the entire length of the stroke of the piston 12 (either 4.5 meters or 9 meters) .

Through the slot 13, there is provided a mechanical connection 14 between the piston 12 and the drive carriage 4 which must be engaged so as to ensure its drive.

For this, the slot 13 of the housing 10, on either side of the piston 12 is closed by a lamelliform seal (not shown), which passes longitudinally through the piston 12, so that the latter can move back and forth in the cylinder 11 without the chambers (not visible in the figures) of the cylinder 7, 8, or 9 lose their hermeticity.

Thanks to a drive system 15, the three cylinders 7, 8, 9 of the same guide 6 are in turn secured or engaged at the beginning of the race and during the drive of the carriage 4 which follows and then disengaged or disengaged at the end race, exercising successively and in series their driving action of the cover element 3, as will now be explained.

On the one hand, with reference to figure 5 , the carriage 4 comprises two clutch devices 41, 42 symmetrical with respect to a median plane M, one 41 upstream side of the sliding A and the other 42 downstream side, and the mechanical connection 14 of the piston 12 of each cylinder 7, 8 comprises a clutch finger 22 arranged to cooperate with one of these two clutch devices 41, 42, regardless of the direction of sliding A or B.

On the other hand, between two successive cylinders 7 and 8, or 8 and 9, is disposed a transfer platform 16, or 17 respectively, arranged to separate the drive carriage 4 from the upstream cylinder 7, respectively 8, and connect it to the downstream cylinder 8, respectively 9, in the direction of the indicated sliding A. In the sliding direction B, it suffices to invert the references.

For this, by limiting itself to the direction of sliding A, and to the platform 16, the platform 17 being identical, the latter platform 16 comprises a cam track 18 with two ramps or inclined paths 19, 20 of slopes equal but opposite, rising upstream and downstream downstream, separated by a bearing 21.

The profile of the cam path 18 as described above and shown on the figure 5 allows to guide the two clutch devices 41, 42 so that, at the end of travel of the upstream cylinder 7, the drive carriage 4 is in the clutch position on the two cylinders 7 and 8 and that the drive trolley 4 by the downstream cylinder can cause its disengagement of the upstream cylinder 7.

For this, each clutch device 41, 42 comprises a clutch rocker 43 pivotally mounted about an axis 44 on the carriage 4, the two axes 44 being eccentric with respect to a vertical plane M, transverse to the wagon and plane of symmetry for this carriage 4, and each latch 43 comprises two clutch hooks 45, 46 spaced apart from each other by a clearance 47 sufficient to allow placing the two fingers 22, upstream and downstream, simultaneously in position clutching the two latches 43 without mechanical interference.

Note that the two hooks 45, 46 of each latch 43 are not identical and have an inclined edge slopes chosen to slide on the slopes of the cam path 18 in both directions A and B taking into account the positions of the axes 44 of pivoting on the drive carriage 4.

In particular, each hook 45, 46 of each clutch lever 43 of the carriage 4 externally has an inclined edge (not referenced) slidable on one or the other of the ramps 20 up or down the cam path 18 of the transfer platform 16.

Note also that the two clutch rockers 43 pivot about axes 44 symmetrical with respect to the plane M and that consequently the four hooks 45, 46 of the two latches 43 allow the carriage 4 to cooperate with the two fingers 22 simultaneously in the two sliding directions A or B, or to disengage from them.

The operation of the drive system 15 will now be described, with reference to the figure 6 and more specifically with reference to drawings 6-a, 6-b, 6-c, 6-d, and 6-e thereof. figure 6 , assuming the drive carriage 4 of the cover element 3 sliding in the direction indicated by the arrow A.

• à l'étape 6-b, il pousse la bascule aval 43" du chariot 4 sur la rampe amont montante 19 de la plate-forme 16 et continue de la pousser jusque sur le palier 21. Cette opération se fait sans grande opposition mécanique autre que la gravité s'opposant au soulèvement de la bascule autour de son axe de pivotement 44 grâce à la forme du bord externe du crochet aval 45 de la bascule aval 43".
• A l'étape 6-c, le vérin amont 7 continue de pousser le chariot 4 jusqu'à arriver en fin de course 30, poussant du même coup le crochet aval 46 de la bascule amont 43' contre la rampe montante amont 19 pour mettre la bascule 43' en position de gravir aisément cette rampe 19 grâce à la forme du bord externe aval du crochet 46 relativement à elle. Simultanément, la bascule aval 43" a franchi le palier 18 et est retombée de l'autre côté de la plate-forme 16, le bord externe amont de son crochet amont 46 glissant sur la rampe descendante aval 20 de la plate-forme 16. Quand le piston amont 7 est en fin de course, le crochet aval 45 de 1a bascule aval 43" est en position d'être engagé ou embrayé par le doigt 22 du vérin aval 8 de sorte que le chariot d'entraînement 4 est potentiellement en position d'être embrayé par les deux vérins 7 et 8 et que son entraînement par le vérin aval 8 peut provoquer son débrayage du vérin amont 7, ou vice-versa, dans le sens de coulissement B.
• A l'étape 6-d, puis à l'étape 6-e, le vérin aval 8 est actionné et le doigt 22 de son piston 12 embraye le crochet aval 45 de la bascule aval 43 ", entraînant du même coup le chariot 4 et débrayant les crochets 45 et 46 de la bascule amont 43'en lui faisant gravir la rampe amont 19 du chemin de cames 18, ce sans difficulté par son pivotement autour de son axe 44 et grâce à la compatibilité des bords externes des deux crochets 45 et 46 relativement aux trois portions 19, 21, 20 du chemin de cames 18.

At the stage of drawing 6-a, the two clutch rockers 43 'and 43 "are upstream of the transfer platform 16, and the finger 22 of the upstream cylinder 7 is engaged in the downstream hook 46 of the upstream rocker 43 'of the carriage 4. The upstream cylinder 7 slides the carriage 4 towards the platform 16 until:

• in step 6-b, it pushes the downstream lever 43 "of the carriage 4 on the rising up ramp 19 of the platform 16 and continues to push it up to the bearing 21. This operation is done without much mechanical opposition other the gravity opposing the lifting of the rocker about its pivot axis 44 through the shape of the outer edge of the downstream hook 45 of the downstream latch 43 ".
• In step 6-c, the upstream cylinder 7 continues to push the carriage 4 until it reaches the end of the stroke 30, thereby pushing the downstream hook 46 of the upstream rocker 43 'against the upstream ramp 19 to the flip-flop 43 'in position to easily climb this ramp 19 thanks to the shape of the downstream outer edge of the hook 46 relative thereto. Simultaneously, the downstream rocker 43 "has crossed the bearing 18 and has fallen back on the other side of the platform 16, the upstream outer edge of its upstream hook 46 sliding on the downstream downstream ramp 20 of the platform 16. When the upstream piston 7 is at the end of travel, the downstream hook 45 of the downstream rocker 43 "is in position to be engaged or engaged by the finger 22 of the downstream cylinder 8 so that the drive carriage 4 is potentially in position. position to be engaged by the two cylinders 7 and 8 and that its drive by the downstream cylinder 8 can cause its disengagement of the upstream cylinder 7, or vice versa, in the sliding direction B.
• In step 6-d, then in step 6-e, the downstream cylinder 8 is actuated and the finger 22 of its piston 12 engages the downstream hook 45 of the downstream rocker 43 ", thereby causing the carriage 4 and disengaging the hooks 45 and 46 of the upstream rocker 43 'by causing it to climb the upstream ramp 19 of the cam track 18, this without difficulty by its pivoting about its axis 44 and thanks to the compatibility of the external edges of the two hooks 45 and 46 with respect to the three portions 19, 21, 20 of the cam path 18.

It is easy to automatically trigger the actuation of the downstream cylinder 8 when the upstream cylinder 7 reaches the limit stop 30, so that any dead time can be avoided in the crossing of the transfer platform 16, therefore Suddenly detrimental to the proper functioning of the system 15.

It will be noted that the above process is perfectly reversible, so that the clutch transfer platform 16 of the cover element 3 sliding on the guide 6, a driving jack 7 to a another 8, comprises a path 18 with two clutch-clutch functions 20 and 19 respectively exerting a clutch function and a disengagement function in the direction A or B of the driving of the element 3.

Here, the element to be slidably driven is a frame for mounting a tarpaulin cover of a rail freight platform, but as the drive system above can be iterated along a guide as much as times that the relative lengths of the jacks and the freight platforms require it, it can be a platform of road or maritime freight, or even of a silo, a hangar or a other activity area, for example sports or seasonal, such as a swimming pool.

Claims (14)

1. System (15) for driving an element (3, 4) to slide on a guide (6) by means of actuators (7, 8, 9) having a driving length less than the length of the guide (6), the system being characterised in that it comprises at least two actuators (7, 8) which are arranged to be fixed to the element (3, 4) in sliding and mounted to exert in succession their actions for driving the element (3, 4), and a transfer platform (16, 17) which is disposed between the two actuators (7, 8) and arranged to disconnect the element (3, 4) from one of the actuators (7) and connect it to the other (8).
2. System according to claim 1, wherein the element (3, 4) to be driven comprises two coupling devices (41, 42), each actuator (7, 8) comprising a coupling member (22) arranged to cooperate with one of the coupling devices (41, 42) of the element (3, 4), the platform (16) being arranged such that, in the end position (30) of one of the actuators (7), the element (3, 4) to be driven is coupled to the two actuators (7, 8), the driving of the element (3, 4) by the other (8) of the actuators (7, 8) causing the element (3, 4) to be released from the actuator (7) in the end position (30).
3. System according to claim 2, wherein the element is coupled to said other actuator with play (47).
4. System according to either claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each coupling device (41, 42) comprises a coupling rocker (43) pivotally mounted (44) on the element (4) having two coupling hooks (45, 46) spaced apart from one another for driving by the two actuators (7, 8) in succession, respectively.
5. System according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein each coupling device (41, 42) comprises a coupling rocker (43) pivotally mounted on the element (4) having two coupling hooks (45, 46) spaced apart from one another for driving by each of the actuators (7, 8) in the two directions (A, B), respectively.
6. System according to either claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the two coupling rockers (43) are identical and mounted in opposite directions on the element (4).
7. System according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the transfer platform (16) comprises a cam path (18) arranged to cooperate with the coupling devices (41, 42) of the element (4) and couple one (42) of the devices to one (8) of the actuators while releasing the other (41) from the other (7) of the actuators.
8. System according to claim 1, wherein the cam path (18) of the transfer platform (16) comprises, in the two drive directions (A, B), an upward path portion (19) and a downward path portion (20) spaced apart by a level portion (21).
9. System according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein each coupling rocker (41, 42) of the element (4) comprises an inclined edge arranged to cooperate with one of the upward (19) and downward (20) portions of the cam path (18) of the transfer platform (16).
10. System according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the element (4) to be driven in a sliding manner is a mounting frame for a sheeting cover (2) for an element (3) of the assembly comprising a platform for railway, road or sea freight.
11. System according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the element (4) to be driven in a sliding manner is a mounting frame for a sheeting cover (2) for the assembly comprising a silo, a warehouse and a pool.
12. System according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the actuators (7, 8) are rodless-piston pneumatic cylinders.
13. System according to claim 12, wherein the coupling member of the cylinders (7, 8) is a finger (22) mounted on the piston (12) thereof.
14. Railway car comprising a freight platform (1) and a drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 comprising three actuators (7, 8, 9) and two platforms (16, 17) positioned in succession on the freight platform (1).

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