EP0046703A2 - Automatic means for connecting two lapped bridge elements, and bridge element comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to means for snap fastening two bridge elements to each other on the lower surface or on the upper surface, the lower bridge element possibly becoming an upper element and vice versa.

A first bridge element according to the invention comprises movable fingers (1, 2) which can be erased in the structure of the bridge or be projecting in a position where they cooperate with bores (11, 12) of a second element deck, bores in which they can be locked.

Application to the construction of bridges, floating or not, of all lengths.

Description

The present invention is located in the technical field of fixed or floating bridges and more precisely means for hooking two bridge elements together.

Many devices have already been proposed in this area. Thus, there is known from French Patent No. 2 158 618 a device for assembling two clapboard bridge elements, that is to say in which the two elements to be assembled are superimposed at their ends. This device comprises a ball suspended from a muffled chain to assemble the two elements as well as spherical pins for fixed centering and a protruding engagement in funnels. Locking is effected by an annex set of hooks actuated by jacks.

The main function of this device is to pick up and drop off a bridge element and requires manual intervention for setting up the gripping balls. In certain cases of use, the centering pins which do not erase may be subject to deterioration.

German patent 1 124 383 describes a device for assembling two bridge elements end to end and requires a manual operation of fitting the locking hooks.

Other devices are also known which are used on crossing machines.

But all these devices include, depending on the types of stirrups, forks, hooks, mechanical or hydraulic spindles serving both as an assembler and as a locker.

These devices are not always protected from dirt and are sometimes subject to significant deterioration during the passage of vehicles. These problems make it difficult to unlock and disassemble the bridge elements. In addition, most of these devices are set up only manually, some being semi-automatic, however.

One of the aims of the present invention is to provide a fastening device making it possible to hold assembled and locked one on the other bridge elements (so-called clapboard assembly) such as: walkways, spans, ramps from the supports fixed or floating in order to produce a structure allowing vehicles to cross any type of breach, while avoiding the drawbacks presented by the prior devices.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the implementation times of a bridge by the installation of an automatic locking after assumption.

The invention also aims to ensure the continuity of the rolling track formed by the various assembled elements as well as to allow the assembly of elements all identical and without particularization.

Another object of the invention is to allow the lap joint, that is to say by superimposing the ends of the elements, either on the upper surface of an element, or on its lower surface depending on the circumstances and without having to modify or adapt each element according to the chosen positioning.

The subject of the invention is therefore an automatic device for the lap joint assembly of two bridge elements on the lower or upper surface, the lower bridge element possibly becoming an upper element and vice versa, such as a first bridge element comprises an assembly of movable fingers from a first position where they are erased in the plane of the bridge element towards two second positions where the fingers are projecting either on the lower surface or on the upper surface and such that the second bridge element is compressed bores opening right through on its lower surface and on its upper surface intended to receive the centering fingers of the first element and in combination a set of latches to block the fingers of the first element in the assembly position and that the movable fingers of the first element are integral with a shaft perpandicular to the longitudinal axis of the bridge element and movable in rotation under the action of a motor to bring the fingers from their first position towards one of s two locking positions.

According to the invention, the latches of the second element are arranged inside, in the section of the bridge element, in such a way that the locking pins pass, after assembly, through bores made in the centering fingers.

According to an alternative embodiment, the centering fingers have their frustoconical ends, the bores of the second element having a biconical shape flared towards the upper surface and the lower surface to promote centering.

The invention also relates to a bridge element comprising an assembly device as described above and comprising at one of its ends at least one set of centering fingers arranged perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and to its end. opposite at least one set of bores opening right through the lower surface and the upper surface of the element.

• la figure 1 une coupe longitudinale de l'extrémité de deux éléments de ponts assemblés et incluant deux variantes de forme des doigts de centrage.
• La figure 2, deux demi-coupes suivant AA et BB de la figure 1 perpendiculaires à l'axe longitudinal des éléments en cours d'assemblage et montrant les deux variantes de la figure 1.

The invention will be better understood in the light of the additional description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, which represent:

• Figure 1 a longitudinal section of the end of two bridge elements assembled and including two variant shapes of the centering fingers.
• FIG. 2, two half-sections along AA and BB of FIG. 1 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elements being assembled and showing the two variants of FIG. 1.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the two elements C and D are arranged in the blink of an eye, the element C comprises two rows of fingers 1 and 2 arranged along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bridge elements. The centering and locking fingers and 2 are carried by two shafts 3 and 4 mounted on bearings 3 'and 4' in the core of the element C and made mobile in rotation by means of motors 5 and 6 controlled by any means appropriate.

The motors 5 and 6 can have a two-direction of rotation or have a reverse gear on the output shaft so that the fingers 1 and 2 can move from their rest position 7 inside the elements C and D to an assembly position, either on the lower surface as shown in Figure 1 in solid lines, fingers 1 and 2 or on the upper surface (position 1 'and 2 shown in broken lines) for a reverse assembly of elements C and D.

The fingers 1 are provided with bores 8 cooperating with the locks of the element D which will be described later and the fingers 2 in an alternative embodiment have two bores 9 and 10.

Element D comprises two rows of latches 11 and 12 cooperating with fingers 1 and 2. These latches have either a locking pin 13 (for the latches 11) or two locking pins 14 and 15 (for the latches 12) which can be operated automatically by any appropriate means.

The locks are arranged in such a way that they open into bores 16 and 17 intended to receive the fingers 1 and 2.

Depending on the shape of the fingers (cylindrical for finger II and conical for finger 12) the bores 16 will be cylindrical and will have a centering chamfer 18 or biconical (bores 17) of so as to ensure perfect positioning of the elements relative to each other.

to assemble the elements C and D, the fingers 1 and 2 are actuated in the appropriate direction according to the positioning chosen for the elements. The clapboard elements are then placed, the fingers 1 and 2 ensuring the correct centering of the spans. When the span C rests on D, the latches 11 and 12 are actuated. The fingers 13, 14 and 15 are then positioned in the bores 8, 9 and 10 thus ensuring the maintenance of the assembly of the two elements.

The fingers 13, 14 and 15 can be suitably sized so that during locking, their length is large enough to pass through the fingers 1 and 2 and rest in bearings 19, 20 and 21 so as to make the force participate , the span itself.

A bridge element according to the invention may comprise at one of its ends one or more rows of centering fingers 1 or / and 2 while its other end will include latches 11 or / and 12, the only mounting requirement being to have the same number of rows of locks as corresponding fingers.

Thus the assembly of a bridge is carried out simply using identical identical elements which can be arranged either in the upper position or in the lower position without any problem of adaptation.

The invention therefore advantageously applies to the reaction. erection of bridges of all lengths.

Claims (6)

1 - Automatic device for blunt assembly of two bridge elements on the lower or upper surface the lower bridge element which can become an upper element and vice versa, characterized in that a first bridge element comprises a set of movable fingers (1, 2) from a first position where they are erased in the plane of the bridge element, towards two second positions where the fingers are projecting either on the lower surface (1,2) or on the upper surface (1 ', 2 ') and in that the second bridge element comprises bores (16, 17) opening right through on its lower surface and on its upper surface, intended to receive the centering fingers (1,2) of the first element and combination a set of latches (11,12) for locking the fingers (1,2) of the first element in the assembly position, and in that the movable fingers of the first element are integral with a shaft (3,4) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bridge element and movable in rotation under the action of a motor (5,6) for bring the fingers from their first position to one of the two locking positions. 2 - assembly device according to claim 1 characterized in that the fingers (1,2) comprise at least one bore (8,9,10) perpendicular to their longitudinal axis cooperating with dice locking pins (13, 14, 15 ) locks of the second element. 3 - assembly device according to claim 2 characterized in that the latches (11,12) of the second element are arranged inside the section of the bridge element so that the locking pins (13, 14, 15) after assembly pass through the practical bores (8, 9, 10) in the centering fingers. 4 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the centering fingers (2) have their frustoconical ends, the bores (17) of the second element having a bitronconic shape flared towards the upper surface and the lower surface . 5 - bridge element comprising an assembly device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that it comprises at one of its ends at least one set of centering fingers (1,2) arranged perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis and at its opposite end at least one set of bores (16,17) opening right through. 6 - bridge element according to claim 5 characterized in that it comprises at one of its ends centering fingers and at its opposite end centering bores.

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