EP0386172A1

EP0386172A1 - Foldable link rod for carrying an operative platform.

Info

Publication number: EP0386172A1
Application number: EP89906058A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Godtfred Vestergaard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-05-17
Filing date: 1989-05-17
Publication date: 1990-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 2009-05-17
Also published as: NL8920493A; DE3990519T1; DE8990045U1; GB9001045D0; DK12590A; FI95120C; DE3990519C2; DK12590D0; NL194644B; GB2229989B; DK174245B1; DK269888D0; JPH02504258A; WO1989011440A1; FI900235A0; SE9000131L; NO900246L; NO900246D0; SE9000131D0; DK269888A

Abstract

Le système de bras articulés pliables décrit, destiné à être placé sur une structure mobile, comprend des bras articulés suspendus pivotants (16, 18) destinés à faire monter et descendre une plate-forme de travail (14). Un plateau rotatif (20) forme l'articulation entre deux bras articulés (16 et 18) qui sont placés en continu l'un après l'autre. L'une des parties du plateau rotatif (20) est reliée à l'extrémité libre du premier bras articulé (16), lequel est relié pivotant par son extrémité opposée à un système de bras pivotants (26, 28, 30, 32). Le second bras articulé (18) est relié à l'autre partie du plateau rotatif et est relié par son autre extrémité à la plate-forme de travail (14). Le mouvement de pivot des deux bras articulés est assuré par chacun de leurs dispositifs pivotants (54-70), lesquels sont soutenus sur la structure mobile (10, 12) et sur le plateau rotatif (20), respectivement. Le système de bras pivotants (26, 28, 30, 32) est destiné à communiquer un mouvement pivotant au premier bras articulé (16), dont l'extrémité libre suit ou jouxte une corde à plomb coupant cette extrémité dans l'une des positions terminales du bras articulé. En même temps, le plateau rotatif (20) du système de bras pivotants (26, 28, 30, 32) est maintenu dans une position essentiellement horizontale.The system of foldable articulated arms described, intended to be placed on a mobile structure, comprises pivoting suspended articulated arms (16, 18) intended to raise and lower a working platform (14). A rotary plate (20) forms the articulation between two articulated arms (16 and 18) which are placed continuously one after the other. One of the parts of the rotary plate (20) is connected to the free end of the first articulated arm (16), which is pivotally connected at its opposite end to a system of pivoting arms (26, 28, 30, 32). The second articulated arm (18) is connected to the other part of the turntable and is connected by its other end to the working platform (14). The pivoting movement of the two articulated arms is ensured by each of their pivoting devices (54-70), which are supported on the mobile structure (10, 12) and on the turntable (20), respectively. The pivoting arm system (26, 28, 30, 32) is intended to communicate a pivoting movement to the first articulated arm (16), the free end of which follows or adjoins a plumb line cutting this end in one of the positions articulated arm terminals. At the same time, the turntable (20) of the swivel arm system (26, 28, 30, 32) is held in a substantially horizontal position.

Description

FOLDABLE LINK ROD FOR CARRYING AN OPERATIVE PLATFORM

The invention relates to a foldable link rod system to be placed on a travelling frame comprising pivotally suspended link rods for raising and lowering an operation platform, said system includes a rotating stool for swinging an operation platform on a mainly horizontal movement plane. During the last years, link rod systems of this kind have been used in many different fields, among others for mounting and maintaining buildings and installations. A special task has been the deicing of aircrafts. In this case, the link rod system is placed on a carriage provided with a deicing device and utilized for manoeuvring a nozzle to atomize a deicing medium.

The object of the present invention is to provide a link rod system which is characterized in a particularly good manoeuvrability which makes it possible to advan¬ tageously use it for tasks demanding great mobility combined with a particularly rapid accomplishment of the task, for instance the deicing of aircrafts immediately before they are taking off.

According to the invention, this object is attained by the fact that the rotating stool constitutes the connec¬ tion between two link rods which are placed in continuation of each other, in as much as the one part of the rotating stool is linked to the free end of the first link rod which mainly is placed above a centre line of the travelling frame and which at its opposite end is pivotally linked on a mainly vertical plane to a swinging rod system orientated on the swinging plane of the rod, and the second link rod is, also for swinging on a mainly vertical plane, linked to the other part of the rotating stool and at its other end it is linked to the operation platform, and by the fact that the two link rods are pivotal by means of each of their swinging devices which are supported on the travelling frame and the rotating stool respectively, and that the swinging rod system is adapted to communicate a swinging movement to the men¬ tioned first link rod, where the mentioned free end of the link rod follows or yet is close to a leadline intersecting this end in one of the end positions of the link rod and at the same time, that the rotating stool of the swinging rod system is kept in a mainly horizontal position.

In contradistinction to known link rod systems of the kind disclosed, the rotating stool thus does not con¬ stitute any longer the lowest anchoring part of the structure which, for instance, should bear the two mentioned link rods, but an intermediate link ovably connecting the men¬ tioned second link rod with mentioned first link rod. That means that the first link rod only needs to be pivotal up and down but not also rotatably anchored with i.e. the tra¬ velling frame. This results in a reduction of the mass which has to be moved when the operation platform has to be moved sideways. The sidewise movement can be achieved by only turning the rotating stool placed at the free end of the first link rod whereby the second link rod is swung sideways.

It is possible to control the swinging up and down movement of the second link rod in a simple way, without depending on the up and down swinging of the mentioned first link rod. That means in practice that the system when used to deice aircrafts rapidly can be accomodated to different sizes of aircrafts by adjusting the height and at the same time, the necessary working distance from the engine is kept. The front of the operation platform can at any time be kept face to the object to be worked on without for this purpose being obliged to move any heavy mass.

As the first link rod mainly shall be placed about the centre line of the travelling frame, a good stability is ensured as the heavier elements of the link rod system are retained above that centre line. While working, only the small masses of the second link rod and the operation plat¬ form will be moved over the wheel base of the vehicle.

With a view to deice aircrafts, the system according to the invention brings about the specific substantial ad¬ vantage that the supply conduits necessary for delivering the spraying media for the purpose of deicing, from the travelling frame to the operation platform may get a εimpel and thus reliable structure as the functioning of the link rod system is not based upon a change of the length of the link rods of the system.

An embodiment of a foldable link rod system according to the invention will be explained in the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing on which

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the link rod system according to the invention mounted on a travelling frame and partly in transport position and partly in operating position,

Fig. 2 shows the same seen from above and in operating position,

Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale the rotating stool with chain driver of the system, seen from the side, and

Fig. 4 shows the stool according to Fig. 3, seen from above.

The invention will be described in connection with a vehicle intended for the deicing of aircrafts. Generally, such a deicing is carried out immediately before the taking off of the aircraft.

The vehicle 10 comprises an engine housing 12 con¬ taining a not specified system for spraying a deicing medium. The spraying is carried out from an operation platform 14. It will be possible to use that platform to other tasks too, for instance to the accomplishment of repairs.

The link rod system comprises two link rods 16 and 18, which are placed in continuation of each other and by means of a rotating stool 20 connected with each other, in as much as the first part 22 of said stool is hinged to the free outer end of the lowest link rod 16 and its second part 24 is hinged to the lower end of the second link rod 18.

The lowest link rod 16 is pivotally anchored on a vertical plane with a swinging rod system consisting of a pair of parallel rods 26 and 28 and a control lever 30 which is mounted on the roof of the engine housing 12 in such a way that the system and the link rod 16 are mainly placed above the centre line of the vehicle 10.

The anchoring comprises a two-armed swinging arm 32 which by means of a journal 34 is pivotally connected with both the lowest end of the link rod 16 and the projecting end of the parallel rod 26. The pivotal anchoring of the parallel rod 26 with the engine housing 12 is designated with 36. At its one end 38, the parallel rod 28 is pivotally connected with the left arm of the swinging arm 32, and at its other end 40 it is pivotally anchored with the engine housing 12. The control lever 30 of the anchoring is at its one end 42 pivotally connected with the link rod 16 at a distance from the lowest end of the latter and by a bed 44 anchored with the engine housing 12.

By means of a bed 46, the rotating stool 20 is pivo¬ tally connected in the drawing plane of Fig. 1 with the outer end of the link rod 16. By means of a bed 50, a control lever 48 is, at its one end, pivotally connected with the rotating stool 20, and at its other end it is, by means of a bed 52, pivotally connected with the right arm of the swinging arm 32.

The link rod 16 can be swung up and down by means of a hydraulic piston driver 54 which is also placed on the roof of the engine housing 12. By means of the beds 56 and 58, the driver 54 is connected with the link rod 16 and the roof of the engine housing 12, respectively.

As it further appears from the drawing, the propor¬ tions of length of the rods 26,28,30 of the swinging rod system and the placing of their pivotal connections with the link rod 16 and the engine housing 12, respectively, are chosen in such a way that an upward swing of the link rod 16 by activating the hydraulic piston driver 54 results in a nearly vertical lifting of the rotating stool 20 from the transport position shown on the left side on the bottom of the Fig. where the link rod 16 is swung to a laying po¬ sition along the roof of the engine housing 12, to an ope¬ rating position shown on the top of the Fig. In this po¬ sition, all the heavier elements of the system, i.e. the swinging rod system 26, 28, 30, the link rod 16 and the rotating stool 20 are still above the centre line of the vehicle 10 which gives a good balance and thus a good manoeu¬ vrability for the vehicle 10.

The fact is that the arrangement brings about that the hydraulic piston driver 54 while being discharged is drawing the lowest anchoring 26, 28, 30 of the link rod 16 somewhat to the left by a swinging movement. At the same time, the swinging arm 32 is turning counter-clockwise and thus, via the control lever and the bed 46, is keeping the rotating stool 20 in a horizontal position.

The rotating stool 20 includes a part 22, which is pivotally connected with the link rod 16 and a part 24 which in relation to the part 22 is pivotal and parallel to it and to which the nearest end of the link rod 18 is pivotally connected. The operation platform 14 is hinged to that outer end of that link rod.

All these connections are shaped in such a way that the link rod 18 with the operation platform 14 can be swung from the above-mentioned transport position to the operating position and vice versa. In the operating position, the operation platform 14 can be further swung on a horizontal plane, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In order to be able to swing on the horizontal plane, the rotating stool 20 is, in its shown embodiment, provided with a chain driver which is shaped as an endless twin chain 60, lead around a chain wheel 62 embedded in the stool part 22 and a chain wheel 64 positioned on a drive shaft 66 on which the stool part 24 is also placed. The chain driver is driven by means of a twin piston driver consisting of two piston cylinders 66 and 68 positioned on the part 22 and coupled to their respective parts of the twin chain 60. By means of a common valve, which is not shown and which is preferably placed on the operation platform 14, the cylinders 66 and 68 are steered in order to operate in the opposite way» The length of stroke of the cylinders forms a limitation of the extent of the swinging movement.

From the above it appears that the adjustment of the operation height which for instance is determined by the height of the aircraft is carried out by lifting the link rod 16. Most of the time it will be sufficient to raise the link rod 16 to a single starting position and from that position, the operation platform 14, by means of the rotating stool 20 and the link rod 18 can be finally driven to the right operating positions as the link rod 18 is also pivotal on the vertical plane by means of a hydraulic piston driver 70 which, by means of the connecting rods 77 is embedded in the part 24 of the rotating stool. Compared to the other part of the entire link rod system, these elements have a little mass. A link connection 74 between the operation platform 14 and the link rod 18 ensures that the platform at any time is in the right operating position.

Instead of a chain-piston drive mechanism, a system of gears may be used.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A foldable link rod system to be placed on a tra¬ velling frame comprising pivotally suspended link rods (16,18) for raising and lowering an operation platform (14), said system including a rotating stool (20) for swinging the operation platform (14) on a mainly horizontal movement plane, characterized in that the rotating stool (20) con¬ stitutes the connection between two link rods (16 and 18) which are placed in continuation to each other, in as much as the one part of the rotating stool (20) is linked to the free end of the first link rod (16) which mainly is placed above a centre line of the travelling frame (10,12) and which at its opposite end is pivotally linked on a mainly vertical plane to a swinging rod system orientated on the swinging plane of the swing rod system (26,28,30,32), and the second link rod (18) is, also for swinging on a mainly vertical plane, linked to the other part of the rotating stool and at its other end it is linked to the operation platform (14) and in that the two link rods are pivotal by means of each of their swinging devices (54,70) which are supported on the travelling frame (10,12) and the rotating stool (20) , respectively, and that the swinging rod system (26,28,30,32) is adapted to communicate a swinging movement to the mentioned first link rod (16)where the mentioned free end of the link rod (16) follows or yet is close to a leadline intersecting this end in one of the end positions of the link rod and at the same time, that the rotating stool (20) of the swinging rod system (26,28,30,32) is kept in a mainly horizontal position.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the swinging rod system consists of two parallel rods (26 and 28) which are linked to a two-armed swinging arm (32) pivotally placed at said opposite end of the mentioned first link rod (16) at its rotation bed and the one free end, respectively, while the second arm of the swinging arm (32) is in link connection with the rotating stool (20) , and of another link rod (30) which is linked to the link rod (16) at a distance from the swinging arm (32) and which, in relation to the parallel rods has such a length that it, during the swinging of the link rod, communicates to the free end of said link rod the mentioned mainly vertical upward swinging movement.