Pivot bearing assembly having a pivot pin and having at least one bearing block and assembly method therefor

Abstract

A pivot bearing assembly includes a pivot pin and at least one bearing block, in which a bearing bush having a bearing bore is accommodated. The pivot pin is slidingly supported in the bearing bore. In order to create an improved pivot bearing assembly, the bearing bush has a rounded outer surface, which is inserted into a negatively rounded inner surface in order to orient the bearing bush.

Claims

1. A pivot bearing assembly comprising: a pivot pin and at least one bearing block with a bearing bush having a bearing bore received in the at least one bearing block, and wherein the pivot pin is slidingly supported in the bearing bore; wherein the bearing bush has a spherical outer surface which is inserted into a negatively rounded inner surface in order to orient the bearing bush relative to the negatively rounded inner surface; and wherein the bearing bush, after being oriented, is rotationally fixed in the bearing block relative to the negatively rounded inner surface.

2. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing block is welded to a strap frame.

3. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the negatively rounded inner surface is formed in a bearing block bore.

4. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the bearing bush is adhered directly into the bearing block.

5. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the negatively rounded inner surface is formed in an intermediate ring which is inserted into the bearing block bore.

6. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bearing bush is adhered into the intermediate ring.

7. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negatively rounded inner surface is formed in a bearing block bore.

8. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bearing bush is adhered directly into the bearing block.

9. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negatively rounded inner surface is formed in an intermediate ring which is inserted into the bearing block bore.

10. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bearing bush is adhered into the intermediate ring.

11. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the intermediate ring is adhered or pressed into the bearing block bore.

12. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the intermediate ring is adhered or pressed into the bearing block bore.

13. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing block includes two bearing blocks, wherein the bearing blocks are spaced apart from one another and support a common pivot pin.

14. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the two bearing bushes, after being oriented, are fixed in the bearing block such that, as seen in a longitudinal direction of the pivot pin, the bearing bores of the bearing bushes are aligned with one another.

15. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing bore is cylindrical.

16. A pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing bush is produced from synthetic material.

17. A mobile crane comprising a pivot bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one chosen from a first said pivot bearing assembly is arranged between a superstructure and a base of a jib, a second said pivot bearing assembly is arranged between the superstructure and a luffing cylinder [and/or] and a third said pivot bearing assembly is arranged between the jib and the luffing cylinder.

18. A mobile crane as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one bearing block is welded to the superstructure or the jib.

19. A method of assembling a pivot bearing assembly, comprising: a pivot pin and at least one bearing block with a bearing bush having a bearing bore is received in the at least one bearing block and wherein the pivot pin is slidingly supported in the bearing bore, wherein the bearing bush which has a rounded outer surface is inserted into a negatively rounded inner surface and the bearing bush is oriented, and the bearing bush, after being oriented, is rotationally fixed in the bearing block.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the bearing bush is adhesively fixed in the bearing block.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter with the aid of an exemplified embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic overall view of a superstructure with a jib mounted thereon;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a pivot bearing assembly of the jib shown in FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of FIG. 2 from the region of a bearing block of the pivot bearing assembly in an alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(5) FIG. 1 shows a schematic overall view of a superstructure 1 of a mobile crane, not illustrated. The superstructure 1 is typically mounted on a lower carriage 3 by means of a rotational connection 2 in such a manner as to be able to pivot about a vertical axis. For reasons of clarity, the lower carriage 3 is illustrated only by a portion of a frame part. A telescopic jib 5 having a central longitudinal direction L is mounted on its base 5a on the superstructure 1 via a first pivot bearing assembly 4a, in order to be able to upright said jib by means of a luffing cylinder 6. Typically, this luffing cylinder 6 is mounted on the superstructure 1 via a second pivot bearing assembly 4b and is mounted on the jib 5 via a third pivot bearing assembly 4c.

(6) FIG. 2 illustrates a rear sectional view of the first pivot bearing assembly 4a of the jib 5. From the base 5a of the jib 5, essentially only a part of a strap frame 7 is illustrated which extends over the entire width of the jib 5 and defines a strap bore 8 extending centrally over the width of the jib 5. The strap bore 8 extends at a right angle to the longitudinal direction L of the jib 5. The strap frame 7 comprises, on its lateral and opposite ends, apertures 7a, into which in each case one of two bearing blocks 9 is inserted and subsequently welded to the strap frame 7 and the adjoining base 5a of the jib 5. A bearing block 9 is understood to be a construction element, with which a rotating pivot pin 11 can be mounted and in this case axial and transverse forces are absorbed in order to keep the pivot pin 11 in its position and to allow it to perform only one rotation. The bearing blocks 9 typically define a bearing bore 9a which is not cylindrical, as is typical, but instead a slightly negatively rounded or concave inner surface 9b is finish-bored. In this case, rounded is understood to mean a slight inner curvature of the inner surface 9b. The curvature is circular arc-shaped with a large radius. This understanding also applies to a correspondingly rounded outer curvature. The bearing block bores 9a of the bearing blocks 9 are each oriented in extension of the strap bore 8. In order to receive a pivot pin 11, the bearing block bores 9a of the opposite bearing blocks 9 should preferably be aligned with one another. Clearance exists between the outer surface of the pivot pin 11 and the inner surface of the strap bore 8 because the pivot pin 11 is supported in the two bearing blocks 9.

(7) During production of the jib 5, the bearing blocks 9 are welded into the strap frame 7. In this case, it is natural for a certain degree of welding distortion to occur which results in alignment errors between the two bearing block bores 9a. Since the apertures 7a for the bearing blocks 9 are provided in the upper region of the jib 5 and therefore are arranged on a more stable lower region of the jib 5, the bearing blocks 9 yield by reason of the welding distortion such that, as seen in the longitudinal direction L of the jib 5 and from below on the base 5a of the jib 5 (corresponds to the view shown in FIG. 2), the bearing blocks 9 in the strap frame 7 are tilted with their outer ends slightly inwards and their bearing block bores 9a have an alignment error with respect to one another. A welding distortion which is to be corrected thus occurs substantially only in a common plane of the two bearing blocks 9. As seen in the longitudinal direction L of the jib 5, after welding, the orientation of the bearing blocks 9 with respect to one another is maintained or changes in parallel with one another so that the longitudinal direction L of the jib 5 does not have to be oriented at a right angle to the axes of the bearing block bores 9a. In other words, the welding distortion occurs directed in a plane as seen in the direction of the upper side of the jib 5 in a horizontal jib 5. This can be effectively compensated for by the pivot bearing assembly in accordance with the invention and the parallelism of the jib 5 with the centre line of the superstructure is maintained. The welding distortion which occurs is in the range of approximately 1 to 2 degrees in relation to the oriented starting position prior to welding.

(8) Bearing bushes 10 having a rounded or convex outer surface 10a are then inserted in these typically non-aligned bearing block bores 9a. The bearing bushes 10 are slotted or split for the insertion procedure into the negatively rounded inner surface 9b of the bearing block 9. The bearing bushes 10 thus have an interrupted bearing surface. Since the pivot pin 11 does not rotate in the bearing bush 10 but instead performs only small angular movements in the region of less than 90 degrees, the region of the interruption of the bearing surface can be easily oriented in a non loaded region. In addition to the outer surface 10a, the bearing bushes 10 have a centrally cylindrical bearing bore 10b, into which the pivot pin 11 is inserted.

(9) Since the outer surface 10a of the bearing bush 10 and the inner surface 9b of the bearing block bore 9a are rounded or negatively rounded and at the same time complement one another, i.e. in other words lie in a planar manner against one another, a rotation of the two bearing bushes 10 in the opposite bearing blocks 9 can ensure in each case that they are aligned with one another. The complementation is achieved by virtue of the fact that the radii of the circular arcs of the roundedness of the outer surface 10a and the inner surface 9b are identical. The outer surface 10a and the inner surface 9b are thus in contact in a form-fitting manner, even if the bearing bush 10 is split or slotted for assembly purposes and therefore the form-fitting connection is interrupted in sections. After orientation, the bearing bushes 10 are fixed in the bearing bores 9a. This can be effected e.g. by adhering the bearing bushes 10 in the bearing block bores 9a. In this case, provision is made that the adhesive only hardens after the bearing bushes 10 have been oriented. The bearing bushes 10 can also be secured in the bearing block bores 9a in a mechanical manner by means of pins, wedges, bolts, screws, disks or plates which engage the outer surface 10a of the bearing bush 10 axially, radially or obliquely. Fixing can be effected by means of a form-fitting connection or clamping. Adequate fixing can also be easily effected by means of increasing the friction of the outer surface 10a and thus by means of frictional engagement. The fixing procedure ensures that the sliding movement required for pivoting the jib 5 takes place in the first pivot bearing assembly 4a between the pivot pin 11 and the two bearing bushes 10.

(10) The bearing bushes 10 are designed as synthetic material bushes having a sliding layer, also known as a heavy-duty sliding bearings. The synthetic material is fibre-reinforced, preferably synthetic resins having glass and/or carbon fibres.

(11) The pivot pin 11 which is inserted into the bearing bushes 10 protrudes on both sides out from the bearing blocks 9 and thus from the strap frame 7. The protruding ends of the pivot pin 11 are each mounted in a yoke-type frame 1a of the superstructure 1 for conjoint rotation therewith.

(12) FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of FIG. 2 from the region of a bearing block 9 of the first pivot bearing assembly 4a in an alternative embodiment, in which the bearing bush 10 is not inserted directly into the bearing block bore 9a of the bearing block 9, but instead is inserted in an intermediate ring 12 arranged at this location. This intermediate ring 12 has a cylindrical outer surface 12a and a negatively rounded inner surface 12b. Accordingly, the bearing block 9 is equipped with a cylindrical bearing bore 9a, into which the intermediate ring 12 is inserted. The intermediate ring 12 can be pressed or adhered in. The fixing alternatives stated in relation to FIG. 2 are also feasible. Therefore, the location where the negatively rounded inner surface 12 is produced is changed from the bearing block 9 to the intermediate ring 1. After insertion of the intermediate ring 12, the structure of the bearing block 9 corresponds to that described in relation to FIG. 2. Accordingly, reference is made to the description in relation to FIG. 2. Alternatively, in the case of this embodiment the intermediate ring 12 can be split or slotted. In this case, the bearing bush 10 is then formed in one piece.

(13) Although the invention has been described above with reference to a mobile crane and a pivot bearing assembly on a base of a jib, it is also feasible to use this pivot bearing assembly in other components of mobile cranes. Correspondingly, the pivot pins, the strap frame and the yoke-type frame are then adapted in terms of their size.

(14) In the case of a mobile crane, the bearing of the luffing cylinder for the jib is also taken into consideration. When used for luffing cylinders 6, either only one bearing block 9 or, as previously described, two bearing blocks 9 are used per pivot bearing assembly 4b, 4c, depending on the structural size of the luffing cylinder 6, because the fastening straps on the luffing cylinder 6 are correspondingly narrow in comparison with the jib 5. The pivot bearing assembly 4b, 4c in accordance with the invention then allows the pivot pins of the luffing cylinders to be oriented in parallel with the pivot pin 11 of the jib 5.

(15) In addition to mobile cranes, it is also possible to use said pivot bearing assembly in other cranes, excavators, other construction machines and agricultural machines if pivot bearing assemblies are used for jibs, rockers, arms, shafts or the like, the pivot region of which is not limited circumferentially but instead is limited to a small angular range.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(16) 1 super structure 1a yoke-type frame 2 rotational connection 3 lower carriage 4a first pivot bearing assembly 4b second pivot bearing assembly 4c third pivot bearing assembly 5 jib 5a base 6 luffing cylinder 7 strap frame 8 strap bore 9 bearing block 9a bearing block bore 9b inner surface 10 bearing bush 10a outer surface 10b bearing bore 11 pivot pin 12 intermediate ring 12a inner surface 12b outer surface L longitudinal direction of the jib 5 l longitudinal direction of the pivot pin 11