Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02272559 2007-03-21
This invention relates to an apparatus for manipulating
and carrying very large articles in confined spaces. More
particularly, the invention relates to a vehicle adapted to
transport and manipulate the massive tires used on mining
equipment in the confined space of underground mines.
The concept of manipulating a large article in confined
space is, of course, dependent upon the size-of the space
and the size of the article. It could include a small model
handling articles which are small in real terms but large 9.n
comparison to the space available. Thus, while the
invention is intended for operation in large scale mining
operations, it may equally be used in model operations if
desired. Such model operations may be useful in operator
training.
Tires used on underground equipment may be gigantic.
For example, a single tire may weigh well over 3000 lbs. and
as much as 20,000 lbs. and may have a diameter of well over
10 feet. The cost of such tires may be in the region of
$5,000.00 - $15,000.00
Frequently, the dimensions of a mine tunnel which
accommodates mining equipment using such tires may be 16
feet in width and 16 feet in height. In most cases the
height is much less than 16 fee since various impedimenta,
e.g. air ducts etc., are often suspended from the ceiling.
Such impedimenta may not impede the operation of the mining
equipment with the tires installed at the ends of horizontal
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axles extending laterally across the tunnel but may present
serious problems if a tire must be changed.
For the above reasons, if a tire fails during use in
the mine, it has been common practice to drive the
respective vehicle where repairs are convenient. This could
be several hours away. When the vehicle arrives at such a
place the tire is often damaged beyond repair at great
financial loss.
In surface mine applications massive tires for use with
massive vehicles have frequently been handled by heavy
carrier service vehicles having an articulated boom operated
from the top of a support tower, called a mast, for lifting
and carrying the tire. The mast must be tall enough for the
boom to clear upward projections from the service vehicle,
e.g. the cab. It is not possible to use such vehicles in an
underground mine environment since its physical size and the
size and operation of the of the articulated boom would
provide projecting elbows beyond the limits of the mine
tunnel.
Such a vehicle equipped with gripper arms projecting in
front of it to carry the tire is the TireHand (trademark)
manufactured by Iowa Mold Tooling (IMT). Such a machine is
useful in an underground environment but the overall size of
the truck carrier and the combined height of the mast and
the highest peak of the angled articulated boom would cause
problems. It must be limited by the ceiling impedimenta in
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an underground mine tunnel to probably around 12 feet for
stationary equipment and around 9 feet for moving equipment.
Manipulation of a tire on a wheel of massive mining
machinery inevitably causes high peaking of an articulated
boom above the top of the mast.
It would be desirable to provide handling apparatus
which will not only operate to carry a replacement tire to a
disabled vehicle in a mine tunnel but will also locate it in
a position for easy replacement. Still further, it would be
desirable that such apparatus may be provided with equipment
to actually change the tire.
The present inventors have addressed these problems.
Accordingly the invention provides a vehicle to
transport and manipulate large articles in confined spaces.
The vehicle has article manipulating equipment mounted on a
boom thereof, the large article handling equipment
comprising a mast, a first short boom and a second boom
having a telescopic inner boom. The inner boom being
slidable telescopically into and out of the second moveable
boom section. The second moveable boom being tiltably
supported at the end of the boom section. The boom section
is tiltably supported at the end of the mast which is
rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to the vehicle,
a distal end of the inner boom section supporting gripping
equipment for said large article, said unit being adjustably
positionable on said inner boom section.
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The mast may be rotatable about a vertical axis and a
moveable boom section may be hinged to an upper end of the
mast through a horizontal axis. The second moveable boom
carries the telescopic inner boom to be moveable into and
out of a distal end of the second boom.
The mast is rotatable through a continuous 360
rotation. It may be generally vertical and may have a
height for travelling of less than 8 feet.
The length of the mast should be sufficient to allow
manipulation of the article but not so great as to foul the
ceiling of an underground mine tunnel. Thus, if impedimenta
on the ceiling of the tunnel effectively limits tunnel
height to around 12 feet, then the combined height of the
vehicle and the mast with the boom sections extended to
allow for picking up of a tire off the deck would be a
maximum of not more than 12 feet.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described
with reference to the drawings in which:
Figures 1, 1A, 1B and 1C show an articulated boom as
conventionally used showing how, at a particular stage in
manipulation of a tire, the articulated boom peaks at high
level;
Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the vehicle according
to the invention having large article manipulating apparatus
with a telescopic boom;
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Figures 3, 4 and 5 show operation of the equipment
illustrated in Figure 4;
Figures 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D are engineering drawings
showing one specific embodiment of the invention; and
Figures 7A and 7B show aspects of the operation of
sketches 3, 4 and 5 in better mechanical detail.
When a large mining vehicle is disabled to due to a
damaged tire, a major problem exists. A standard service
truck complete with an articula,ted crane and a manipulator
is physically too large to manoeuvre in the underground mine
tunnels. Therefore the mining vehicle must be brought to a.
suitable location for the standard service truck to perform
the tire change. Generally, this location is on surface.
It can be seen, therefore, there is a major problem in the
use of a standard service truck complete with an articulated
crane and manipulator.
It is then necessary to position tire carrying
equipment to accept the wheel from the disabled vehicle from
the side with the wheel in vertical position. Heavy impact
equipment is used to release the wheel from the vehicle and,
conventionally, the tire lifting equipment may be placed in
position as shown in Figure 1 by means of an articulated
boom. In open cast mining equipment as shown, in Figures 1,
1A, 1B and 1C may be used since the size of the truck and
peak of the boom are not confined and there is no particular
difficulty in positioning the equipment to manipulate the
tire.
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The articulated boom 16 is mounted on support tower 22
which is rotatable about a vertical axis and comprises limb
24 articulated to limb 26. The end limb 26 carries the
actual equipment to grip the wheel. In order to bring the
wheel gripping equipment into position to accept the wheel,
a skilled operator may extend the limbs 24, 26, and alter
the angles between them as he rotates the support limb 22 to
bring the equipment into position, first to grip the wheel
before it is released from the disabled vehicle (Figure 1A);
second to lift it (Figure 1B); and third to move it into
position parallel to the front or back of the service
vehicle laterally across the tunnel (Figure 1C). The
position shown in Figure 1A is the lowest (see height hl in
Figure lA). Raising the wheel to the position shown in
Figure 1B necessitates a high peak between limbs 24 and 26
(see height h2 in Figure 1B) as the angle between them
narrows to lift the wheel. In view of the size of the
wheels such high peak 28 is likely to interfere with
impedimenta carried along the roof of the tunnel. The peak
of the articulated boom when the wheel is in transport
position (Figure 1C) is even higher (see height h3 in Figure
1C) .
None of this is of importance for open cast mining but
for underground work it can be seen that , even if it were
possible to get the truck into the tunnel, the space
required for manipulating the articulated boom is too great
for the tunnel.
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Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a vehicle according to
the invention. Vehicle 30 comprises a deck 32 and a mast 34
carrying a boom 42, a moveable boom 48, and a telescopic
inner boom 36 which, itself, carries wheel handling gripping
equipment 38.
The mast 34 is rotatable about a vertical axis over a
continuous 360 rotation so that the wheel gripping
equipment may be directed in any direction.
The mast 34 also comprises a three part structure
including a boom 42, a moveable boom 48, and a telescopic
inner boom 36. Boom 42 is hinged to mast 34 and carries the
moveable boom 48 and telescopic inner boom 36 at its distal
end. The dimensions of booms 42, 48 and 36 and mast 34 are
of importance. Generally speaking, the height of mast 34
must be less than half the height of the mast used with
articulated booms. Thus for heavy mining equipment, the
overall dimensions of the vehicle 30 should be such that
total height of deck 32 and mast 34 with booms 42, 48 and 36
at its maximum height extension is around 12 feet.
Other details of the service vehicle include the
provision of a driver's cab and stabilizing legs extendable
from the vehicle to allow it to support the heavy articles
on a boom extending therefrom without tipping. The
vehicle's diesel engine propels the full hydraulic drive and
four-wheel steering. A hydraulic on board air compressor
allow the operator to remove the wheel nuts.
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Moveable boom 48 is tiltable on the distal end of boom
42 of mast 34. Moveable boom 48 comprises an inner
telescopic member 36 which may be extended out and retracted
into it to position the gripping equipment for the wheel
where desired. Thus, the moveable boom 48 and the inner
telescopic boom 36 are hinged at the end of boom 42 which is
hinged to the mast 34.
In operation, the vehicle is dispatched from the
surface of the mine with a new wheel assembly 44 which is
being carried on deck 32. The service vehicle approaches
the disabled vehicle as closely as possible. The mast 34 is
rotated on its vertical axis to direct the boom 42, moveable
boom 48, inner telescopic boom 36 and the wheel gripping
equipment generally. Inner telescopic boom 36 is extended
and moveable boom 48 with inner telescopic boom 36 is tilted
until the gripping equipment 38 can be positioned to grip
wheel 44 as shown roughly in Figure 3.
The damaged wheel 44 is removed from the disabled
vehicle using heavy impact equipment conveniently carried by
the service vehicle 30.
The inner telescopic boom 36 is then retracted to
remove the wheel 44 from the disabled vehicle as shown in
Figure 4. Some further manipulation of all booms may be
necessary to compensate for any lateral change in position
due to retracting of inner telescopic boom 36. All boom
functions for raising, lowering and rotating are
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conventionally hydraulically controlled especially in view
of the very large weights involved.
Once wheel 44 is released from the disabled vehicle and
laterally displaced therefrom and raised from the ground, it
is possible to move it away from the disabled vehicle in the
direction of the tunnel until it comes alongside service
vehicle 30. Booms 42, 48 and 36 may be retracted to
minimize tipping effect of wheel 44 if there is sufficient
space, mast 34 may be rotated to move wheel 44 into position
behind the vehicle. This position is shown in Figure 5. it
may be seen that at no time during the operation does the
distal end of boom 42 rise unduly.
The new wheel 44 is then retrieved from the deck and
installed in the reverse sequence on the disabled vehicle.
The service vehicle 30 may then remove the damaged wheel 44
from the tunnel and return it back the surface of the mine.
Figures 6A - 6D show mechanical details of an
embodiment of the invention.
Figures 7A and 7B show mechanical details of how the
operation of Figures 3 - 5 is achieved. Figures 7A in
particular shows that, although the apparatus is designed
for operation in confined space, height can be achieved if
desired.
