Distribution Boom for Mobile Concrete Pumps Comprising Joints for Adjacent Arms, and Mobile Concrete Pump

Abstract

A distribution boom for a concrete pump comprises at least a first and a second boom arm, wherein the first and the second boom arm are connected to one another via a joint and are pivotable relative to one another via the joint about a pivot axis, and a concrete delivery line is provided along the boom arms. The joint connects the first and the second boom arm offset to one another so that the load-bearing structures of each of the two boom arms intersect a separating plane running perpendicular to the pivot axis between the first and the second boom arm only in the joint, wherein a hydraulic cylinder is arranged on one boom arm and connected to the other boom arm via coupling rods so that the two boom arms can be pivoted relative to one another by the hydraulic cylinder about the pivot axis of the joint.

Claims

1. A distribution boom (2) for a concrete pump (1) comprising at least a first and a second boom arm (4, 4), wherein the first and the second boom arm (4, 4) are connected to one another via a joint (5) and are pivotable relative to one another via the joint (5) about a pivot axis (92), and wherein a concrete delivery line (9, 9) is provided along the boom arms (4, 4), wherein the joint (5) connects the first and the second boom arm (4, 4) in a manner offset to one another in the direction of the pivot axis (92) in such a manner that the load-bearing structures of each of the two boom arms (4, 4) intersect a separating plane (90) running perpendicular to the pivot axis (92) between the first and the second boom arm (4, 4) only in the joint (5), and a hydraulic cylinder (21, 21) is arranged on one boom arm (4, 4), said hydraulic cylinder being connected to the other boom arm (4, 4) via one or more coupling rods (22) in such a manner that a pivoting movement of the two boom arms (4, 4) relative to one another can be effected by the hydraulic cylinder (21, 21) about the pivot axis (92) of the joint (5).

2. The distribution boom of claim 1, wherein the joint (5) comprises a lateral projection (10) arranged on the second boom arm (4), which projection protrudes beyond the first boom arm (4) and the two boom arms (4, 4) are pivotably connected to one another via this lateral projection (10).

3. The distribution boom of claim 1, wherein the joint (5) has at least one hollow joint pin (7) coaxial to the pivot axis (92) for carrying fresh concrete from a concrete delivery line (9) on the first boom arm (4) to a concrete delivery line (9) on the second boom arm (4).

4. The distribution boom of claim 1, wherein the joint (5) comprises two joint pins (7) arranged axially along the pivot axis (92) of which at least the joint pin (7) located closer to the separating plane (90) is a hollow joint pin (7), wherein a conveyance of fresh concrete is provided only through the joint pin (7) located closer to the separating plane (90).

5. The distribution boom of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic cylinder (21, 21) is arranged on the first boom arm (4).

6. The distribution boom of claim 5, wherein a coupling rod (22) directly connected to the other boom arm (4) is arranged between two joint pins (7) arranged on the pivot axis (92).

7. The distribution boom of claim 5, wherein the concrete delivery line (9) of one boom arm (4) runs between the hydraulic cylinder (21, 21) and the separating plane (90).

8. The distribution boom of claim 3, wherein the at least one hollow joint pin (7) has a free internal diameter of 80 to 200 mm.

9. The distribution boom of claim 3, wherein an exchangeable delivery line section (8) is arranged in the at least one, hollow joint pin (7).

10. The distribution boom of claim 1, wherein the joint (5) has a maximum pivot angle of more than 150.

11. The distribution boom of claim 1, wherein the distribution boom (2) comprises more than two boom arms (4), wherein the distribution boom (2) is configured as an articulated arm boom.

12. A mobile concrete pump (1) having a distribution boom (2), wherein the distribution boom (2) is configured according to claim 1.

13. The distribution boom of claim 6, wherein the concrete delivery line (9) of one boom arm (4) runs between the hydraulic cylinder (21, 21) and the separating plane (90).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The invention is described by way of example with the help of advantageous embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings:

[0028] FIGS. 1a-1c show a schematic representation of a mobile concrete pump with a distribution boom according to the invention in two side views (a, c) and a plan view (b);

[0029] FIG. 2a shows a schematic sectional view through the concrete pump according to FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 2b shows a schematic sectional view through a concrete pump according to the prior art;

[0031] FIG. 2c shows a schematic sectional view through a variant of the concrete pump from FIG. 1;

[0032] FIGS. 3a-3c show a first exemplary embodiment of a joint for the distribution boom in accordance with FIG. 1;

[0033] FIGS. 4a-4d show a second exemplary embodiment of a joint for the distribution boom in accordance with FIG. 1; and

[0034] FIGS. 5a-5c show a third exemplary embodiment of a joint for the distribution boom in accordance with FIG. 1.

[0035] In FIGS. 1a-1c, a mobile concrete pump 1 with a distribution boom 2 is depicted schematically in plan view (FIG. 1b) and the two associated side views (FIGS. 1a, 1c).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The mobile concrete pump 1 is an automatic concrete pump in which the distribution boom 2 is rotatably fastened to a movable base 3. The distribution boom 2 can be opened out and for this purpose it comprises multiple boom arms 4 that can be pivoted relative to one another about joints 5. A concrete delivery line is provided along the boom arms 4 through which fresh concrete can be conveyed with the help of a concrete pump arranged in the base 3. To provide a better overview, only the load-bearing structure of the boom arms 4 is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0037] The distribution boom 2 comprises a total of five boom arms 4.1, 40.2, 40.3, 4.4, 4.5 which can be folded together in an RZ foldas shown in FIG. 1wherein the lowermost boom arm 4.1 is pivotably fastened to the rotating head 6. In the case of the distribution boom 2 according to the invention, the load-bearing structures of the two lower boom arms 4.1, 40.2 are completely adjacent to the load-bearing structures of the two upper boom arms 40.3, 4.4, 4.5 (see FIG. 1b), wherein, according to their sequence, adjacent boom arms 4 are each pivotably connected to one another via a joint 5, in other words the boom arm 4.1 to the boom arm 40.2, 40.2 to 40.3, etc. In the folded state, the boom arms 4 lie between the pivot legs 11 which, along with the support legs, which are not shown, in the front region of the base 3 ensure greater tilting stability of the mobile concrete pump 1 when the distribution boom 2 is being opened out.

[0038] The position of the load-bearing structure of each of the individual boom arms 4 in the folded state is also made clear in FIG. 2a which shows a schematic sectional view through the concrete pump 1 according to FIG. 1. Between the load-bearing structure of the boom arms 4.1 and 40.2 on one side and the load-bearing structure of the boom arms 40.3, 4.4 and 4.5 on the other side runs a separating plane 90 which is not intersected by any load-bearing structure of the boom arms 4 and, in particular, not by the load-bearing structure of the boom arms 40.2 and 40.3.

[0039] The box-shaped installation space which is used by the boom arms 4 of the boom arm 2 according to the invention in the folded state is indicated in FIG. 2a by the dotted line 91.

[0040] In order to compare the installation space 91 required by a distribution boom 2 according to the invention, the installation space 91 of a boom 100 according to the prior art is shown in FIG. 2b. For ease of comparison, the boom 100 likewise has five boom arms 101 which must be assumed to have identical lengths to the boom arms 4, so that the boom 100 can in principle reach the same maximum height as the distribution boom depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2a.

[0041] In the case of the boom 100 according to the prior art, the middle boom arm 101 is cranked so that when it is in the folded state, the two outer boom arms 101 come to lie in a plane alongside the two lower boom arms 101. Due to the cranking of the middle boom arm 101 provided for in the prior art, a comparatively large installation space 91 is, however, required on account of the not inconsiderable unused regions 102 within the installation space.

[0042] As immediately shown by a comparison between FIGS. 2a and 2b, a substantial amount of installation space 91 can be saved by a distribution boom 2 according to the invention. This installation space saving then also provides the opportunity for additional boom arms 4 to be provided where necessary, without the installation space 91 being enlarged in an unacceptable mannerparticularly with regard to the total height of the concrete pump 1. A corresponding example is depicted in FIG. 2c in which an additional sixth boom arm 4.6 is provided by comparison with the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2a or the prior art according to FIG. 2b. Even though the total installation space 91 required may be larger compared with the exemplary embodiment from FIGS. 1 and 2a on account of the additional boom arm 4.6, the necessary installation space 91 is nevertheless smaller by comparison with a boom 100 according to the prior art with only five boom arms 101.

[0043] In order to achieve the smaller installation space requirement compared with the prior art, it is provided according to the invention that the load-bearing structures of two adjacent boom armsthat of the boom arms 40.2 and 40.3 in the exemplary embodiment shownare connected to one another via a joint in such a manner that a separating plane 90 may be found between them which runs perpendicular to the common pivot axis 92 and which is not intersected by the load-bearing structure of the two boom arms 40.2 and 40.3 in each case. It is advantageous but not strictly necessary that none of the other boom arms 4.1, 4.4, 4.5 and possibly 4.6 intersects the separating plane 90 (cf. FIGS. 2a and 2c).

[0044] Different variants of joints 5 are depicted in FIGS. 3 to 5, showing how the boom arms 40.2 and 40.3 are pivotably connected to one another, so that the aforementioned requirements are met. In the following, the boom arm 40.2 is also generally referred to as the first boom arm 4 and the boom arm 40.3 as the second boom arm 4, in order to illustrate that the joints 4 which are shown need not or cannot necessarily be arranged (only) between the boom arms 40.2, 40.3.

[0045] In the case of the joint variant according to FIG. 3, the two boom arms 4 and, in particular, the load-bearing structures of each of these run parallel to the separating plane 90 and do not intersect it. A joint pin 7 running axially to the pivot axis 92 via which the two boom arms 4 are pivotably connected to one another is arranged in the region of the joint 5. The joint pin 7 in this case extends through both boom arms (cf. sectional view in FIG. 3c) and is rotatably mounted in the first boom arm 4, while it is non-rotatable in respect of the second boom arm 4.

[0046] For the pivoting movement, a kinematic chain 20 comprising a hydraulic pressure cylinder 21, coupling rod 22, articulated lever 23 and guide rod 24 is provided. The articulated lever 23 is fastened to the joint pin 7 in a non-rotatable manner, so that a pivoting movement of the articulated lever 23 in respect of the first boom arm 4 results in a pivoting movement of the second boom arm 4. By means of the pressure cylinder 21, force can be applied to the articulated lever 23 via the coupling rod 22 guided by the guide rod 24, so that the desired pivoting movement is achieved.

[0047] The joint pin 7 has a hollow design with an internal diameter of 150 mm for the conveyance of fresh concrete, wherein an exchangeable delivery line section 8 is arranged through the joint pin 7 via which a concrete delivery line 9 on the first boom arm 4 is connected to a concrete delivery line 9 on the second boom arm 4. The delivery line section 8 in this case is rotatably fastened in respect of the concrete delivery lines 9, 9.

[0048] The joint variant in FIG. 4 comprises a projection 10 arranged on the second boom arm 4, which projection 10 protrudes beyond the first boom arm 4 in the region of the joint 5. Away from the joint 5, the separating plane 90 is furthermore not intersected by the two boom arms 4, 4 and, in particular, by the load-bearing structures thereof.

[0049] The two boom arms 4, 4 are pivotably connected to one another via the projection 10 by two joint pins 7 about the pivot axis 92. The two joint pins 7 are hollow in this case, so that an exchangeable delivery line section 8 for connecting the concrete delivery lines 9, 9 on both boom arms 4, 4 can be guided through both joint pins.

[0050] The kinematic chain 20 for the pivoting movement of the two boom arms 4, 4 relative to one another is arranged within the first boom arm 4 and comprisesas can be seen in particular in the sectional view in FIG. 4da hydraulic pressure cylinder 21, coupling rod 22 and guide rod 24. The pressure cylinder 21 and guide rod 24 are rotatably fastened to the first boom arm 4, while the coupling rod 22 engages the projection 10. Force can be applied to the projection 10 by the pressure cylinder 21 via the coupling rod 22 guided by the guide rod 24, in order to bring about a pivoting movement of the second boom arm 4 in respect of the first boom arm 4.

[0051] In the case of the joint variant according to FIG. 5, similarly to the case of the variant according to FIG. 4, a projection 10 is provided on the second boom arm 4 which protrudes beyond the other boom arm 4 in the region of the joint 5, wherein away from the joint 5 the boom arms 4, 4, or else the load-bearing structures thereof, are completely separated by the separating plane 90 and do not therefore intersect it.

[0052] The projection 10 and therefore the second boom arm 4 are pivotably mounted in respect of the first boom arm 4 via two hollow pivot pins 7 arranged along the pivot axis 92.

[0053] The kinematic chain 20 is completely arranged in the region of the first boom arm 4 and the projection 10 and comprises, in addition to two parallel-running coupling rods 22 and a guide rod 24, a hydraulic traction cylinder 21. The traction cylinder 21 is connected via the two coupling rods 22 to the projection 10, wherein the connection point between the traction cylinder 21 and coupling rods 22 is conducted through the guide rod 24.

[0054] Even if both joint pins 7 are hollow in this exemplary embodiment, the concrete delivery line 9 of the first boom arm 4 is placed in the region of the joint 5 and, in particular, of the kinematic chain 20 between the hydraulic cylinder 21 and the separating plane 90, so that the delivery line section 8 for the conveyance of fresh concrete is only guided through the joint pin 7 arranged closer to the separating plane 90. It is thereby ensured that the concrete delivery line 9 does not obstruct the hydraulic traction cylinder 21 or the kinematic chain 20.

[0055] It is also possible, of course, for the joint variant according to FIG. 5 to be alternatively configured with a hydraulic pressure cylinder and kinematic chain 20 adapted thereto.

[0056] All exemplary embodiments and joint variants shown have a maximum pivot angle of 180.