Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a boom arrangement and a personnel hoist, and associated method of use. The boom arrangement includes a boom, a man cage, a pivoting frame connected to the boom, a base for supporting the arrangement and a turning joint for turning the pivoting frame. A mechanical parting joint allows the boom arrangement to be divided into two boom units. The parting joint is located in a section between a lower end of the boom and the base, and the parting joint is separate from the turning joint.
Claims
1. A boom arrangement comprising: a boom; a man cage at a distal first end of the boom; a pivoting frame; a horizontal joint for connecting the boom to the pivoting frame and configured for allowing lifting and lowering of the boom relative to the pivoting frame; a turning joint configured for turning of the pivoting frame around a vertical turning axis; and a base for providing support for the boom arrangement; wherein the boom arrangement is configured with: a first boom unit; and a second boom unit connected to the first boom unit by a mechanical parting joint between the boom units; the first boom unit including at least the boom and the man cage, and the second boom unit including at least the base; the parting joint between the first and second boom units is being demountable and mountable allowing thereby the boom arrangement to be divided into two boom units; the parting joint is being located separate from the turning joint; and the parting joint including at least one aligning element for determining pre-designed alignment between connected components of the first and second boom units.
2. The boom arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the parting joint comprises: only a mechanical fastening means between the first and second boom units, whereby the parting joint is without any other connectable elements.
3. The boom arrangement according to claim 1, wherein: the parting joint is located at a vertical section between the turning joint and the base, whereby the parting joint is located underneath the pivoting frame.
4. The boom arrangement according to claim 3, comprising: an intermediate element arranged between the turning joint and the base; wherein: the base includes comprises mounting surfaces facing towards the intermediate element; the intermediate element being arranged vertically and having a first end and a second end; the first end facing towards the pivoting frame and having support surfaces for turning elements of the turning joint; and the second end facing towards the base and having first fastening surfaces and being part of the parting joint.
5. The boom arrangement according to claim 1, wherein: the parting joint is located at a section between the boom and the turning joint.
6. The boom arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the pivoting frame comprises: a top part and a bottom part between which is the parting joint.
7. The boom arrangement according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one aligning element is positioned asymmetrically in the parting joint.
8. The boom arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the parting joint comprises: at least two aligning elements determining pre-designed alignment between the connected components, the at least two aligning elements being positioned asymmetrically in the parting joint.
9. The boom arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the parting joint comprises: mating fastening flanges provided with several fastening openings; and the parting joint includes several fastening screws for fastening the mating fastening flanges to each other.
10. The boom arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the parting joint comprises: mating fastening flanges and hydraulic quick-release fasteners for fastening the mating fastening flanges to each other.
11. A personnel hoist comprising: a mobile carrier; and a boom arrangement supported to the carrier; wherein the boom arrangement comprises: a boom; at least one man cage at a distal end portion of the boom; a pivoting frame; a horizontal joint for connecting the boom to the pivoting frame and configured for allowing lifting and lowering of the boom relative to the pivoting frame; a turning joint configured for turning the pivoting frame around a vertical turning axis; a base for supporting the boom arrangement to the carrier; and a parting joint for dividing the boom arrangement into two separate boom units for transportation, and for coupling the two separate boom units to each other for a hoisting operation; the parting joint being located separate from the turning joint; and the parting joint having at least one aligning element for determining pre-designed alignment between connected components of the two separate boom units.
12. A method of using a personnel hoist, wherein the method comprises: executing hoisting operations at a first work site; transporting the personnel hoist to a second work site by utilizing road transportation; preparing for the road transportation by dividing a boom arrangement of the personnel hoist into two boom units at a dedicated mechanical parting joint for providing the personnel hoist with a road transportation state; preparing the hoisting operation after the road transportation by coupling the boom units together for providing the personnel hoist with an operational hoisting state; and executing the preparing for road transportation and the hoisting operations of the first and second work sites without demounting and mounting a boom and a turning joint of the boom arrangement.
13. The method according to claim 12, comprising: aligning the boom units before coupling the boom units together.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the personal hoist includes: a mobile carrier; and a boom arrangement supported to the carrier; wherein the boom arrangement includes: a boom; at least one man cage at a distal end portion of the boom; a pivoting frame; a horizontal joint for connecting the boom to the pivoting frame and configured for allowing lifting and lowering of the boom relative to the pivoting frame; a turning joint configured for turning the pivoting frame around a vertical turning axis; a base for supporting the boom arrangement to the carrier; and a parting joint for dividing the boom arrangement into two separate boom units for transportation, and for coupling the two separate boom units to each other for a hoisting operation; the parting joint being located separate from the turning joint; and the parting joint having at least one aligning element for determining pre-designed alignment between connected components of the two separate boom units.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0047] Some embodiments of the disclosed solution will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
[0048] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a personnel hoist in an operational hoisting mode;
[0049] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a personnel hoist which is prepared for a road transport mode by dividing a boom arrangement into two boom units;
[0050] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a feasible parting joint, which is located at a section between a turning joint and a base;
[0051] FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded view of the parting joint of FIG. 3 and the related components;
[0052] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a pivoting frame comprising a horizontal joint provided with laterally movable joint assemblies for coupling and uncoupling a boom between them;
[0053] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a pivoting frame comprising two upwardly directed support lugs provided with detachable top elements, and wherein parting joints are located between the top elements and the lugs;
[0054] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a pivoting frame comprising two upwardly directed support lugs provided with detachable top elements, and wherein parting joints are at a horizontal joint;
[0055] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a pivoting frame comprising two support lugs provided with fastening surfaces for receiving horizontal joint assemblies connected to a lower end of a boom, whereby parting joints are located between the lugs and the horizontal joint assemblies;
[0056] FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a boom arrangement comprising a support module connectable to a base, which is located at rear end of a carrier, whereby the mounting and dismounting is executed by moving the support module in a longitudinal direction of the carrier;
[0057] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of flexible fluid hoses passing unbroken over the parting joint to remote fluid connectors; and
[0058] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a rotating electric distribution system and wires passing unbroken over the parting joint and comprising electric connectors at a distance from the parting joint.
[0059] For the sake of clarity, some embodiments of the disclosed solution have been simplified in the figures. Like parts are denoted with like reference numerals.
DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF SOME EMBODIMENTS
[0060] FIG. 1 shows a personnel hoist 1 comprising a carrier 2 provided with a boom arrangement 3. The carrier 2 may be a truck of other vehicle suitable for road transportation on public roads. The boom arrangement 3 is provided with a pivoting frame 4 to which the bottom end of a boom 5 is attached by a horizontal joint 6 so that the boom 5 may lifted and lowered relative to the horizontal joint 6. The boom 5 may comprise several articulated boom parts and actuators for moving the parts relative to each other. The top end of the boom 5 may be provided with a man cage 7 accommodating one or more persons to be lifted. By pivoting the pivoting frame 4 the boom 5 may be moved in a lateral direction. The pivoting frame 4 may be turned relative to vertical axis by means of a turning joint 8. The length of the boom 5 may be changed telescopically, which allows the boom 5 to be retracted for transport mode and extended into a desired length in operating mode. The personnel hoist 1 may have a very long reach. As number of high-rise buildings, windmills and other objects increase, personnel hoists 1 used in repair and service operations must allow ever greater heights to be reached. However, transportation of such vehicles on public roads is difficult and expensive because they are oversized and overweight.
[0061] FIG. 2 shows that personnel hoist 1 may be prepared for a road transport mode by dividing the boom arrangement 3 into two boom units 9, 10. In the solution disclosed in FIG. 2 a first boom unit 9 comprises the man cage 7, the boom 5, the pivoting frame 4, the turning joint 8 and an intermediate element 11 below the turning joint 8. A base 12 is fastened to a carrier 2. The base 12 is part of the boom arrangement 3 and in the solution of FIG. 2 the base forms a second boom unit 10. The lower part of the intermediate element 11 may comprise a fastening flange provided with a fastening surface 13, and the base 12 may also comprise a fastening flange provided with a corresponding fastening surface 14. When the fastening surfaces 13, 14 are arranged against each other and locked immovably to each other, a mechanical parting joint is formed between them. As can be seen, the first boom unit 9 may be lifted away by means of a crane 15 after fastening means of the parting joint are removed or loosened. This way, the first boom unit 9 may be separated as one entity from the second boom unit 10. The second boom unit 10, in this case the base 12, remains connected to the carrier 2. After the disclosed parting, the vehicle is significantly smaller is size and weight and may therefore be driven on public roads without special arrangements.
[0062] FIG. 2 further shows that flexible passages 16, such as fluid hoses and electric wires may pass over the parting joint in one piece so that there are no connectors at the parting joint. As can be seen, the flexible passages 16 may have free length so that they hang freely when the first boom unit 9 is lifted. Distal ends of the flexible passages 16 may be provided with fluid and electric connectors, whereby they can be connected at separate connection points.
[0063] FIG. 3 discloses enlarged the parting joint 17 utilized in the boom arrangements of FIGS. 1 and 2. The parting joint 17 is located between a bottom end of the intermediate element 11 and a top end of the base 12. Between the pivoting frame 4 and the intermediate element 11 is the turning joint 8.
[0064] FIG. 4 shows the pivoting frame 4, the intermediate element 11 and the base 12 as separated components. Inside the intermediate element 11 may be an inner space provided with a rotating coupling device 18 for the flexible passages. The rotating coupling device 18 allows the pivoting frame to turn without transmitting the turning movement to the hoses and electric wires. Further, the base 12 may comprise aligning elements 19, such as pins, which may protrude to openings 20 of the intermediate element 11. The aligning elements 19 ensure correct alignment between coupled components at the parting joint 17, whereby fastening screws 21 match with fastening openings 22.
[0065] FIG. 5 discloses a pivoting frame 4 comprising two support lugs 23 top portions of which are provided with horizontal joint assemblies 24, which are laterally movable to a locking position for connecting a boom, and to a release position for releasing the connection between the pivoting frame 4 and the boom. In this embodiment a parting joint 17 is in connection with the horizontal joint 6.
[0066] In FIG. 6 a pivoting frame 4 of the boom arrangement comprises two upwardly projecting support lugs 23. The support lugs 23 are provided with top elements 25, which are demountable from the support lugs 23 and comprise horizontal joint assemblies 24 or means. Upper parts of the support lugs comprise mounting surfaces 26 facing towards the top elements 25. The mounting surfaces may also comprise aligning elements 19. Parting joints are formed between the top elements 25 and the mounting surfaces 26.
[0067] FIG. 7 discloses a feasible solution which differs from the solution of FIG. 6 in that the parting joint is formed at the horizontal joint. Therefore, the top elements 25 and the mounting surfaces 26 are provided with cavities 27 for receiving a connection pin or joint assembly of the horizontal joint.
[0068] FIG. 8 discloses an alternative solution wherein a top element 25 remains connected to a lower end of the boom 5 by means of a horizontal joint 6 when the first boom unit is separated. A parting joint 17 is formed between mounting surfaces 26 of the support lugs 23 and the top elements 25.
[0069] FIG. 9 discloses a boom arrangement 3 comprising a support module 28 connectable to a base 12, which is located at a rear end of a carrier 2. Mounting and dismounting of a first boom module 9 is executed by moving the support module 28 in a longitudinal direction of the carrier 2. A parting joint 17 may be vertical.
[0070] FIG. 10 shows that flexible fluid hoses 16 pass unbroken over a parting joint 17. The hoses 16 may be connected at a remotely located coupling box 29 to a fluid system. Lengths of the hoses 16 are dimensioned so that they extend to a connecting point and their ends are provided with connectors 30.
[0071] FIG. 11 shows an example of a rotating coupling device 18 or rotating electric distribution device. Electric wires 16 having extra lengths pass unbroken over the parting joint. Ends of the wires 16 are provided with electric connectors 31 for executing connection at a distance from the parting joint.
[0072] In some cases features disclosed in this application may be applied as such, independently of other features. On the other hand, features disclosed in this application may be combined, when necessary, to provide different combinations.
[0073] The drawings and the related specification are only intended to illustrate the idea of the invention. The details of the invention may vary within the scope of the claims.
