Transport system

Abstract

This invention relates to a transport system for moving at least one automated maintenance device for large substantially perpendicular surfaces, for example ship hulls, comprising a monorail system which can be laid freely and at least one drive device which can be moved on the monorail system along a movement direction. The at least one drive device has a drive unit with at least one running wheel, and the running wheel can be driven via at least one drive, preferably an electric drive. At least one pressing unit, is provided which is connected to the drive unit). The at least one pressing unit has at least one loading roller which can be pressed onto the monorail system via at least one spring element, and/or a fixing device is arranged on the drive unit, wherein a fixing roller is provided which interacts with the monorail system.

Claims

1. A transport system for moving at least one automated maintenance device for large, essentially vertical surfaces, the transport system comprising: a monorail; and at least one drive device configured to move on the monorail along a direction of movement, the at least one drive device includes a drive unit with at least one running wheel, and at least one electric drive coupled to the at least one running wheel and configured to drive the at least one running wheel, and at least one pressing unit connected to the drive unit, wherein the at least one pressing unit includes at least one loading roller configured to be pressed against the monorail via at least one spring element, and/or a fixing device arranged on the drive unit; and the fixing device including a fixing roller which interacts with the monorail.

2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pressing unit is additionally in contact with the monorail via at least one guide roller.

3. The transport system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one pressing unit is in articulated connection with the drive unit.

4. The transport system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one pressing unit is connected to the drive unit via a swivel arm with at least one swivel axes.

5. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit is in contact with the monorail via at least one guide roller, wherein the axis of rotation of the at least one guide roller is aligned substantially normally to the axis of rotation of the at least one running wheel of the drive unit.

6. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the fixing device additionally includes at least one pivotable stabilizing roller which cooperates with the monorail.

7. The transport system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one pivotable stabilizing roller is pressed against the monorail via at least one hydraulic cylinder.

8. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit has a connecting element in the form of a king pin.

9. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the monorail includes a plurality of rail segments, wherein the plurality of rail segments include at least two curved rail segments, wherein the first curved rail segment is a convexly constructed rail end piece and the second curved rail segment is a concavely constructed rail end piece, and the first and second curved rail segments are coupled to one another in an articulated fashion.

10. The transport system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one convexly constructed rail end piece of the first curved rail segment engages into the concavely constructed rail end piece of the adjacent second curved rail segment, and wherein a fitting bolt connects the two curved rail segments to one another, the fitting bolt configured to facilitate a pivotable relationship between the two curved rail segments.

11. The transport system according to claim 9, wherein two set screws are provided on each curved rail segment, the two set screws are configured for adjusting the curvature of a section of track which is essentially formed from curved rail segments and which cooperate with a stop arranged on the adjacent curved rail segment.

12. The transport system according to claim 9, further including additional ballast elements arranged on at least one rail segment of the monorail.

13. The transport system according to claim 9, wherein the monorail further includes at least one switch element.

14. The transport system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one switch element has two switch tongues configured to be pivoted substantially parallel to one another.

15. The transport system according to claim 9, wherein the monorail further includes at least one length compensation element.

16. The transport system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one length compensation element has two running surface elements which are separated from one another by a gap extending obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the length compensation element and which are arranged movably relative to one another on a base element.

17. A method of operating a transport system including the steps of: providing a monorail; providing at least one drive device to move on the monorail along a direction of movement, the at least one drive device including a drive unit with at least one running wheel and at least one electric drive coupled to the at least one running wheel and configured to drive the at least one running wheel, and at least one pressing unit connected to the drive unit, wherein the at least one pressing unit includes at least one loading roller configured to be pressed against the monorail via at least one spring element, and/or a fixing device arranged on the drive unit; and providing the fixing device including a fixing roller which interacts with the monorail; moving maintenance devices across the monorail via the at least one drive device; and processing substantially vertically extending surfaces via the maintenance device.

18. The method of claim 17, further including fixing the monorail to a base by means of frictional locking.

19. A maintenance system comprising: at least one maintenance device; and a transport system including a monorail, and at least one drive device configured to move on the monorail along a direction of movement, the at least one drive device including a drive unit with at least one running wheel, at least one electric drive coupled to the at least one running wheel, the at least one electric drive configured to drive the at least one running wheel, and at least one pressing unit connected to the drive unit, wherein the at least one pressing unit includes at least one loading roller configured to be pressed against the monorail via at least one spring element, and/or a fixing device arranged on the drive unit; and the fixing device including a fixing roller which interacts with the monorail; and wherein the at least one maintenance device is arranged on the at least one drive device of the transport system and is configured to be moved automatically on the monorail.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail using non-restrictive embodiment examples with associated figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the transport system according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 a sectional view of the drive device from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the pressing unit from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the drive unit of the drive device in a first perspective view;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the drive unit from FIG. 4 in a second perspective view;

(7) FIG. 6 shows the drive unit from FIG. 4 in a third perspective view which is arranged on a rail section of the monorail system;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of the transport system according to the invention with maintenance devices;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a section of the monorail system from FIG. 1 or FIG. 7;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a first detailed view of the monorail system from FIG. 8 on the straight rail segments;

(11) FIG. 10A shows a second detailed view of the monorail system from FIG. 8 on the curved rail segments;

(12) FIG. 10B shows a detailed view of the curved rail segments from FIG. 10A;

(13) FIG. 11A shows a top view of a switch element in a first position;

(14) FIG. 11B shows a top view of the switch element from FIG. 11A in a second position;

(15) FIG. 12A shows a top view of a length compensation element; and

(16) FIG. 12B shows a sectional view of the length compensation element from FIG. 12A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(17) FIG. 1 shows the transport system 1000 according to the invention in a perspective view. Here a rail-bound drive device 100 can be moved along a monorail system 200 in two directions of movement A1, A2. The drive device 100 is provided, for example, for accommodating an automated maintenance device.

(18) The drive device 100 has a drive unit 101 with a drive 102, wherein this drive 102 is designed, for example, as an electric drive in the form of an electric motor.

(19) To support a load, for example a maintenance device, a connecting element 110, which in the present embodiment of the invention is designed as a king pin, is arranged on the drive unit 101.

(20) The sectional view of the rail-bound drive device 100 shown in FIG. 2 shows a running wheel 103 arranged in the drive unit 101, which is in friction contact with the rail surface 201, the upper flange (FIG. 1), and causes the movement of the rail-bound drive device 100 along the monorail system 200 via the drive 102. Since the running wheel 103 is moved substantially unguided along the sliding surface 201 as a non-profiled roller, two guide rollers 104a, 104b engaging in the rail flank 202 are provided, the axes of rotation D1 of which are substantially normal to a parallel to the axis of rotation D2 of the running wheel 103. In this way, the two guide rollers 104a, 104b stabilize the position of the running wheel 103 on the rail surface 201.

(21) The rail-bound drive device 100 according to the invention has two pressing units 120a, 120b in this embodiment of the invention, which can be taken in detail in particular from FIG. 3. The pressing units 120a, 120b are each connected to the drive unit 101 via a swivel arm 121a, 121b. Each pressing unit 120a, 120b can be pivoted via two swivel axes S1a, S1b, S2a, S2b via the swivel arm 120a, 120b. Each pressing unit 120a, 120b also has a loading roller 122a, 122b, which is in contact with the rail surface 201. The loading roller 122a, 122b is pressed in this case onto the rail surface 201 via a spring element 123a, 123b. The spring element 123a, 123b is arranged in such a way that its longitudinal center axis, which coincides with the swivel axis S2a, S2b, stands normal to the base in order to ensure maximum transmission of force to the loading roller 122a, 122b and subsequently to the monorail system 200. This contact pressure ensures that the monorail system 200 is pressed onto the base in a stable and non-displaceable manner. An improved guidance of the pressing unit 120a, 120b is achieved by the additional guide wheels 1241a, 1241b, 1242a, 1242b of the pressing units 120a, 120b, which in turn are in contact with the rail flank 202.

(22) If, for example, the rail-bound drive device 100 according to the invention is moved along the direction of movement A1 along the monorail system 200, which is laid on the base without additional fixation such as for example by means of bolts, then the pressing unit 120a, which moves forward in the direction of movement A1, ensures by means of the loading roller 122a, which is pressed onto the monorail system 200 via the spring element 123a, and the thus resulting contact pressure that the monorail system 200 remains in its position on the base and is not displaced or even partially lifted from the base as a result of a load, for example a maintenance device, arranged on the rail-bound drive device 100. The second pressing unit 120b trailing in the direction of movement A1 also ensures the stability of the rail section of the monorail system 200 in the immediate vicinity of the rail-bound drive unit 100.

(23) The pivotability of the pressing unit 120a, 120b via the swivel axes S1, S2 improves the movement of the rail-bound drive device 100 according to the invention along the monorail system 200, which usually also extends in curves.

(24) Another embodiment of the drive device 100 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. The drive unit 101 of the rail-bound drive device 100 according to the invention has an additional fixing device 130, which further improves the running stability of the running wheel 103 on the monorail system 200. The fixing device 130 consists of a fixing roller 131, which is arranged in a plane normal to the running roller 103, and which is also designed to be in frictional contact with the rail flank 202. Further stabilizing rollers 134a, 134b can be pressed against the rail flank 202 via one hydraulic cylinder 132a, 132b each, which is in articulated connection with an oscillating lever 133a, 133b.

(25) The fixing roller 131 of the fixing device 130 as well as the guide rollers 104a, 104b of the drive unit 101 each lie in one plane (FIG. 4) and form a (virtual) triangle, in the center of which the running roller 103 of the drive unit 101 is arranged parallel to the base line of the triangle. The pivotable stabilizing rollers 134a, 134b of the fixing device 130 are pressed against the rail flank 202 depending on the direction of movement A1, A2 in such a way that the leading stabilizing rollers 134a, 134b are in frictional contact with the rail section of the monorail system 200 (FIG. 6).

(26) The variant of the drive unit 101 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 can be driven with or without additional pressing units 120a, 120b, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

(27) The monorail system described in the following is also part of the transport system 1000 according to the invention, which is shown in a preferred embodiment in FIG. 7. Here the monorail system 200 is arranged along a ship hull 1 in order to be able to move maintenance devices 1100 as required along the hull 1. The maintenance devices 1100 are arranged on the drive device 100 described above. According to the invention, the monorail system 200 is simply laid on the ground without additional fixation, in this case on the ship dock.

(28) It can be seen from FIG. 8 that the monorail system 200 according to the invention is composed of a multitude of straight rail segments 210a, 210b as well as curved rail segments 220a, 220b, 220c. The monorail system 200 is held in this case in position on the base solely by frictional engagement, wherein the weight of the maintenance devices 1100, which can be moved on the monorail system 100, in particular presses said device onto the often uneven surface.

(29) In addition, this frictional connection is supported by ballast elements 230, preferably in the form of concrete slabs, which are detachably attached to one, preferably two, adjacent rail segments 210a, 210b, 220a, 220b, 220c. These ballast elements 230 can also be equipped with anti-slip mats arranged on their support surface.

(30) Elongated rail segments 210a, 210b are provided for the laying of essentially straight sections, which are laid flush together with their straight rail segment ends 211a, 211b and screwed together by means of fixing screws 212 (FIG. 9). These elongated rail segments 210a, 210b have an essentially I-shaped cross-section with a bearing surface resting on the base, the lower flange 203, a rail surface preferably provided with a wear layer, the upper flange 201 as well as a web which is positioned normal to the lower flange 203 and the upper flange 201 and which forms the rail flank 202.

(31) Curved rail segments 220a, 220b, 220c are provided according to the invention for the laying of curved sections. These curved rails segments 220a, 220b, 220c each have a convex rail end piece 221a, 221b, 221c which engages in a concave rail end piece 222b, 222c of an adjacent curve segment 220a, 220b (FIG. 10A).

(32) According to FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B, in which the upper flange 201 of the first curved rail segment 220a was only partially shown to illustrate the articulated connection between adjacent curved rail segments 220a, 220b, 220c, a fitting pin 223 is provided, which connects the rail end pieces 221a, 222b to each other so that they can be pivoted in relation to each other. To adjust and fix the curvature of the track section, the curved rail segments 220a, 220b, 220c which are connected to each other in an articulated manner are rotated relative to each other via the longitudinal axis L1 of the fitting bolt 223 and fixed in their position relative to each other by means of set screws 224a, 224b. The set screws 224a, 224b of the first curved rail segment 220a each interact for this purpose with a stop 225a, 225b on the adjacent second curved rail segment 220b.

(33) If both set screws 224a, 224b touch the respective stop 225a, 225b, then the two adjacent curved rail segments 220a, 220b are aligned straight to each other as shown in FIG. 10B, their respective longitudinal axes lie on a common straight line. If the two adjacent curved rail segments 220a, 220b are arranged pivoted relative to each other in order to obtain a curvature of the track section of the monorail system, their respective longitudinal axes intersect at a predeterminable angle, wherein the first set screw 224a touches its stop 225a, while the second set screw 224b is in a position spaced from its stop 225b.

(34) Furthermore, the monorail system 200 according to the invention has switch elements 240, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B. The switch element 240 according to the invention has two pivoting switch tongues 241a, 241b, each of which is in articulated connection with one rail section 204a, 204b. By pivoting the two switch tongues 241a, 241b substantially parallel, either the first rail section 204a is connected to a third rail section 204c (FIG. 11A) or the second rail section 204b is connected to the third rail section 204c (FIG. 11B) and can be driven on accordingly by the maintenance device 1100 (FIG. 7).

(35) The monorail system 200 according to the invention is usually installed outdoors, for example on ship docks, and is thus exposed to outside temperatures and at least partially to solar radiation. These often high temperatures cause a linear expansion of the monorail system 200, which may lead to bulging and/or displacement of the monorail system 200. However, this poses a significant risk to the operation of maintenance devices 1100.

(36) Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, additional length compensation elements 250 are provided (FIGS. 12A and 12B), which are preferably arranged at regular intervals, usually in the straight line sections, between the rail segments 210a, 210b.

(37) The length compensation element 250 is rigidly connected to the adjacent rail segments 210a, 210b via rail connection elements 251. It consists of two tread elements 252a, 252b, which are each connected to a base element 253, which rests on the base when assembled, via a screw connection 254a, 254b. These screw connections 254a, 254b are immovably screwed to the tread elements 252a, 252b, but can be moved within the base element 253 parallel to the longitudinal axis L2 of the length compensation element 250. The two tread elements 252a, 252b are arranged at a distance from each other via a gap 255. If, for example, the longitudinal extension of the rail segments of the monorail system 200 changes due to solar radiation, the distance between the tread elements 252a, 252b also changes due to the resulting compression and the gap 255 is thus reduced. Since the change in the length extension of the rail segments due to temperature fluctuations can be significant, this embodiment of the length compensation element 250 according to the invention provides that the required gap 255 extends obliquely to the longitudinal axis L2 of the length compensation element 250 in order to ensure trouble-free movement of a running wheel 103, located on the tread elements 252a, 252b, of the previously described drive device 100 for the maintenance device 1100.

(38) In order to lay the monorail system 100 according to the invention on a base, e.g. a ship dock, it is preferably provided that in a first step the individual rail segments 210a, 210b, 220a, 220b, 220c as well as, if necessary, switch elements 240 and length compensation elements 250 are connected to each other. The curved rail segments 220a, 220b, 220c are first joined together in a straight line and then, by adjusting the corresponding set screws 223a, 223b in the manner described above, a curved course of this section of track is obtained, for example by means of ground markings on the ground.

(39) In a final step, ballast elements 230 may be placed at particularly vulnerable points on the rail segments 210a, 210b, 220a, 220b, 220c in order to improve the frictional connection of the monorail system 200 with the base in the corresponding areas. This is particularly necessary at the end sections 205 of the monorail system 200 to prevent the end sections 205 from being lifted off when the 200 monorail system is driven over by the maintenance devices 1100 which weigh tons. In fact, the fixation of the monorail system 200 on the base is practically achieved by the frictional locking achieved by the weight of the maintenance devices 1100.

(40) An essential advantage of the monorail system 200 according to the invention lies in its frictional or non-positive positioning on the base, without the need for additional positive-locking measures such as screw or bolt connections with the base or complex preparations of the base, such as in the form of a track bed. This allows a quick assembly or disassembly of the monorail system 200 according to the invention on the spot, as well as a quick and easy relocation of the monorail system and, if necessary, adaptation of the rail course.