Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
W(~ 90/ 1 Q~8~ V~ UUUJJ
2 0 ~ t 7 ~ ~
DEVICE FOR CONVEYING FLUID MATERIALS
The pre~ent inventlon relates to a device ~or
conveying fluid materials as de~ined in claim l.
German patent publication DE 2,055,2~8
describes a concrete conveyor comprising a set of tele-
scopic booms and a hose through which concrete i6 con-
veyed. Moreover, the device is provided with a windingdrum on which the hose i5 wound and from which it is
unwound as required.
A problem with the previously known devices is
that the telescopic boom structure is general}y rela-
tively heavy. Consequently, this 6ets rather. narrow
limits on the extension leng~h o~ the boom structure.
Especially the weight o~ the outermost partis of the
telescopic structure have a considerable e~ect on the
extension length.
Another p~oblem with previously known devices
is that the ~lexible ho~e ueed ln connection wlth the
telesGopic boom structure has a rough interior surface
retarding the motion o~ the material conveyed through
the hose. Therefore, the pump used for moving the ma-
terial is subject to a hard strain, naturally dependiny
on the material being pumped.
A further problem with previously known de-
vices is that pro~ection and cooling arran~emets must
be provided to protect the end of the hose attached to
the~ out~mos~ mem~er of the telescopic boom structure
1f the device i8- used e.g. for rire-flgnting: purposes.
Ths object of the pre6ent in~ention is to
e}iminate or at least to reduce the above-mentioned
drawbacks.
~he device of the invention is characterized
by what i5 pre~ented in clalm 1.
The device o~ the invention comprisa5 a ~rame
provided with a tel~scopic boom structure and a hose
~or conveying a fluid material, the hose being fitted
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WO 90t10588 PCr~F190/00053
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inside the tele~copic boom structure. According to the
invention, the outermost membar of the telegcopic boom
struature consists o~ a rigid tube ~lidably fitted
inside the pracedln~ member o~ ~aid ~tructure, the end
of the hose inside this member b~ing connected to the
feed end o~ 6aid rigid tube.
In an embodiment of the device, the member
preceding the outermost one in the telesooplc boom
structurè is provlded with internal sliding rings placed
at a distance from each other, said rings supporting
the outermost member as it slides through them.
In an embodlment of the device, the outermost
member o~ the telescopic boom structure is provided
with a no2zle placed at the delivery end of the member.
In an embodiment of the device, the nozzle is
provided with a valve, e.g. a magnetic valve, permit-
. I ~. .~ ~
~ng remo~e con~ro~.
In an embodlment of the device, a Plexible
tube i6 provlded at the delivery end o~ the outermost
member of the telescopic boom structure.
In an embodiment of the device, the outermost
member o~ the tele6copic boom structure consi~s of a
metal pipe.
The invention has the advantage that the outer-
most member of the telescopic boom structure i5 of a
simple construction.
~other advantaye ofithe invention i6 that the
outermos~ mem~e~ o~ the te~leficD~ic boom ~ruc~ure i9
relatively light and yet- 6turdy.
A furtèr adyantage of the invention is that
the outermost member of the-telescopic boom structure
can b~ easily connected to the rest of the boom struc-
ture.
Moreover, the invention has ~he advantage that
the extQnsion length o~ the boom strUctUre can be in-
creased as compared to previously known telescopic boom
structures without increasing the stress moment.
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4~ ` 2 0 ~ 7 ~
Furthermore, the ir.vention allows a more
efficlent conveyance of fluid materials through the
device. Tha outermost member of the telescopic boom
structure is a tube with a smooth interior surface,
presenting a low frictional opposition to the flow of
the material. Regarding the material flow .in the
critical part of the boom structure, a con~lderable
improvement is thu~ achieved a6 compared to earlier
~oulutions. Thls is of great import~nce e.g. in the
lo case of concrete as the material conveyed.
In addition, the device of the invention can
be used in fire-~ighting without protecting or cooling
the outermost member of the telescopic boom structure.
The end of this member can be brought close to ~he flre.
Be~ides, the invention permits simple mounting
of a nozzle and/or valve on the outermo~ member of th~
telescopic boom ~tructure.
A further adv~ntage of th~ lnv~ntion i~ that
the end of the telescopic boom struc~ure can be easily
directed and the material will ~low in a clearly defined
direction. This is important e.g. in fire-fighting.
In the following, the invention is described
in detail by referring to the appended drawings, in
which: .
Fig. 1 present6 an embodiment of the device of the
invention ln lateral view; ~-
Fig. 2 illu6trate6 the outermo~t member of the
telescop.lc boom. structure and: the marmer in which it is
~ connected-t~--the re~t o~ the-structure;
Fig. 3 ~hows the telescopic boom structure of fig.2 a6
sectioned along line A-A;
Fig. 4 ~how~ the boom ~tructure of fig.2 as sectloned
along line B~
The device o~ the invention comprlse~ a frame
2 supportlng a ~lescopic boom structur~ 3, a hose 4
for`conveying a ~luid matërial, and a winding drum 5.
The hose 4 is fitted inside the telescopic boom
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WO90/l0588 PCT/FI90/00053
structure and p-rt of it is wound on the drum 5 at lea
when the device is not being used.
- The telescopic boom structure 3 cansists of
two or more elongated telescopic members 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d
movable relative to each other and mounted at least
partially inside each other. The outermost member 3a of
the tele5copic boom structure 3 consists of a rigid
tube slidably mounted in5ide the preceding telescopic
member 3b. The end 4a of the hose 4 inside the
tele~coplc boom structure 3 is connected to the feed
end of the ri~ld tube 3a.
The telescop~c boom structure 3 is prov1ded
with at least one hydraulic motor 7, by means. of which
the telescopic members of 3a, 3b, 3c and the hose can
1~ be moved.
The hose ~ is ~itted in5ide the telescopic
boom 6tructure 3. Thus it is well protected against
external stres~e5 and impacts. The hub 6 o~ the winding
drum 5 is attached to the ~rame 2 of the dovic~ 1. At
least part o~ the ho5e 4 i~ wound on the reel 4c when
the device is in the re5~ po5ition. From the reel 4c.
an extenslon 4b of the hose 4 goes through the hub 6
into the ~rame 2. The hose extension 4b leads out from
in6ide the frame, e.g. into a pump unit 8. Thi6 can be
provided with a 5uitable addi~ional hose 4d through
which the material in question is pumped into the device
1.
Mounted in conjunction with the winding drum S
is a power- means, e.g. a hydraul~c motor 9, en~bltng
t;ne drum 5`- to be. ro~3t~d i~ ~he desired d~r~c~lon,
depandlng on whether the hose ~ is to be coiled off
from the reel 4c or on to the reel 4c.
The telescopic member 3b preceding the outer-
most one in the boom structure is pro~ided wlth intern-
t~ al sliding rings 12 placed at a c~ t~.noe rrom eachother. These sliding rings 12 support the oUtermost
member 3a or rigld tube o~ the telescopic boom struc-
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WO90/10588 PCr/FI~/wvjs
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ture as it slides through them.
The end 4a of the hose 4 and the feed end 3a'of the the outermost member 3a of the tele~copic boom
structure 3 are preferably provided with flanges 13a,
13b, recpectively. Tha ends 4a, 3a' of the hose 4 and
the tube 3a are coupled together by the flanges 13a,
13b by means of bolts 14.
In certain appllcatlons of the devlce Q~ the
invention, 1~ ls prePerable to provide the delivery end
3a" o~ the outermost member 3a of the telescopic boom
structure 3 with a nozzle lo. The nozzle i6 preferably
provided with a valve 14, e.g. a magnetic valve, which
can be adjusted via remote control.
Alternatively, instead of a nozzle 10, the
delivery end 3a" of the outermost member 3a o~ the
telescopic boom structure 3 can be provided with a
~lexible tube 15 with a ~upport 16. By mean~ o~ the
flexible tube 15, the mat~rial pumped through th~ d~via~
can easily be directed manually ko khe target. In thi~
case, the telescopic boom ~tructure 3 need not be
accurately directed at the target, because the tube lS
can be bent and adjusted as far as its length permits.
This is an impoxtant feature e.g. when the devlce l is
used for conveying concrete.
The.outermost member 3a of the telescopic boom
structure 3 consists of a rigid and durable tube, ~-
preferably made of metal, with a smooth interior
s~rface. -~
MountPd between t~e telescopic ~oom. structure
3 and the frame 2 i6 a hydraulic cyllnder 12 enabling
the hoom structure 3 to be turned vertlcally about its
pivot 17 relative to the frame 2.
The operation of the, device of the invention
can be controlled in a centralized manner via a control
unit 11. E~g. the hydraulic motors 7 ackuaklng khe
telescopic memb~rs 3 as well as the hydraulic cylinder
12, the hydraulic motor 9 of the winding drum 5 and the
WO 90/10588 PCI/F190/OOU53
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6 .
pump unit 8 are all connected to the control unit ~
Also, the po5sible valves provided in conjunction with
the hose 4 can bs controlled via the control unit 11.
The control unlt can be placed in the lmmediate viclni-
ty of the device 1 or at a ~uitable distance from it.
Thus, if the device 1 ig mounted on a vehicle, the
control unit may be placed ln the cabin of the vehicl~.
~ n principle, the device o~ the invention
works as follows. For example, when a suitable ~luid
lo material is to be conveyed ~rom a tran6port container
into a ~torage container using the device of the
invention, mounted in conjunction with the storage
container, the device i5 operated as follows. The end
3a" o~ the outermost member 3a tor the end of the
flexib~e tube 15 in ~ig. 2). of the tele~copic boom
structure i8 brought into aontaat wikh the tran~port
contain~r by operating the hydraulia a~llnder 12 to
lift the boom structure 3 to a ~u~ficient h~ight and
the hydraulic motors 7 to extend the telesaopic members
3a, 3b, 3c to a suf~icient distance ~rom the frame 2.
Slmultaneously, the required length of the hose 4 is
automatically unwound from the reel 4c of the winding
drum 5 by means of the hydraulic motor 9 in synchroni6m
with the telescoping action of the boom 6tructure 3.
After the end 3a" has been connected to the transport
containerr the pump 8 i6 started and the mnterial in
the transpor~ container i6 conveyd through ths hose
:~ : into: the: storag8~ containe . A~t~r- the tr~n~por~
~:con~a-iner has^been~smptied, thie end 3a" is-d~tached
f~om the trans~ort container, whereupon the tele~copic
`members 3a, 3b, 3c are driven into one another by the
~: hydraulic motors 7 and the boom ~tructure i8 lowered to
a suitable rest posltion. If neces5ary, the device 1
can be turned about the verlcal ax~ B o~ the ~rame 2 to
a dasired po~ition.
The device o~ the invention can be used to
handle many kinds of ~luid materials, e.g. liquids,
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gases, solid, granular or powdered mat~rial6 and variou~
mixtures thereof. Moreover, it is to be noted that
these materials or mixtures thereof can be conveyed in
a manner known in itself, e.g. using underpressure or
overpressure or trans~er air, or the material can be
pumped through the hose 4 in a desired direction using
the pump 8.
A remote-controlled nozzle 10 can be employed
e.g. when the devlce of the invention is used in
~ire-fighting to convey ~luid materials 6uch as water
or fire foam.
The device of the invention can also be applied
in the conveyance of materials li~e concrete, coarae~
aggregate, gravel and sand. A signi~icant advantage
with the device is that the outermost member 3a of the
boom structure can be relatively ldng in relatlon to
the total length o~ the structure, ~o tha~ A large
ranye of adjustment and radiu~ o~ oporatlon, e.g. 4 - 20
m, o~ the boom etructure i~ achi~ved.
In the ~oregoing, the invention has been
described by referring to only one of its preferred
embodiments, but it is obvious that the invention can
be implemented in various ways within the scope of the
idea of the invention as defined in the following
claims.
