Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02629669 2008-04-24
MECHANICAL SWEEPER
FIELD OF TILLINVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a mechanical sweeper. More
specifically, the
present invention relates to a mechanical sweeper comprising a deployable
conveyor for
conveying debris toward an auxiliary vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Debris including litter, dust, sand, gravel and abrasive used during winter
time and the like
are often found on roads, parking lots, airport runways and other surfaces
aimed at
circulation of vehicles. Since debris may damage vehicles circulating on such
surfaces
and/or impair the security of the passengers thereof; removal of sand, gravel
and the like
from road surfaces has become very common.
Amongst the most common technologies developed for removing debris from road
surfaces
are the self-propelled sweeper vehicles. Typically, such vehicles are provided
with a rotary
brush for lifting the debris toward a container, where the debris are
captured. A conveyor
such as a vacuum conveyor or a belt conveyor then carries the debris from the
container,
toward a recipient or reservoir mounted in the vehicle, where the debris are
stored. Once the
reservoir has been substantially filled with the debris, the vehicle travels
to a landfill or
depot, where the reservoir is emptied.
The quality of cleaning of these types of systems tend to be satisfactorily in
that minimal
amounts of debris are found on such surface after the passage of the vehicle.
However, the
efficiency of these systems is greatly reduced by the limited size of the
debris reservoir,
involving frequent interruption of sweeping activities for the vehicle to
travel back and forth
to the landfill areas. In some cases, the travel time may represent up to 75%
of the operation
time of the vehicle while cleaning operation per se only represents 25%, As
such, traditional
sweepers tend not to be cost effective.
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To minimize travel time of the sweeping vehicles, other vehicles such as dump
truck may be
brought to the cleaning sites. In these occasions, the debris reservoir of the
sweeping vehicle
is emptied into the dump truck, which will further deliver the debris to the
landfill. Although
this mode of operation considerably reduces travel time, interruption of the
cleaning
" activities is still required and efficiency of the sweeping vehicles
still not optimized.
To avoid the need for emptying debris reservoirs, some have proposed
mechanical sweepers
provided with conveyor assemblies for carrying the debris from the road
directly towards
another vehicle. For instance, some have come with a mechanical sweeper towed
by a
vehicle such as a dump truck. Such a mechanical sweeper comprises a pickup
broom
transferring debris on a first conveyor belt, which in turn transfers the
material on a second
conveyor belt. The second conveyor belt conveys the material into the dump
body of the
dump truck. Because the sweeper is towed by a vehicle, it must be detached
from the vehicle
when the latter is full or, alternatively, be brought to disposal site. In any
event, operating or
cleaning time tends to be reduced by any of these additional operations.
Some others have come with self-propelled mechanical sweepers. Such mechanical
sweepers
of the prior art comprise a pickup broom transferring debris toward an auger
(i.e. an endless
screw), which directs the debris on a first belt. A second belt conveyor
carries the debris from
the first conveyor toward an auxiliary vehicle. Larger debris found on roads
(i.e, rooks,
plastic bottles, wheel coven) tend to remain jammed in the auger and impair
proper
functioning of the sweeper. Further, the mechanical sweepers of the art need
to be
transported from one cleaning site to another on a truck or a trailer as they
tend to be very
slow.
Therefore, it would be desirable to be provided with a mechanical sweeper
capable of
independently and efficiently traveling between cleaning sites and capable of
handing
relatively large debris.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to address the above and other drawbacks, and in accordance with the
present
invention, there is disclosed a self-propelled mechanical sweeper for cleaning
debris from a
surface.
According to one embodiment, there is provided a mechanical sweeper comprising
a frame
mounted on wheels for motion on the surface and a pickup broom assembly
mounted to the
frame for lifting the debris from the surface. The mechanical sweeper also
comprises a first
belt conveyor mounted to the frame for collecting the debris lifted by the
pickup broom
assembly and conveying the same away from the surface, and a deployable
conveyor
assembly mounted to the frame and operable for conveying debris conveyed by
the first
conveyor toward another vehicle.
The deployable conveyor assembly comprises a first conveyor portion comprising
a coupling
means and a second conveyor portion mounted to the first conveyor portion via
the coupling
means, The coupling means enables movement of the second portion relative to
the first
portion between a folded position and an extended position. The deployable
conveyor
assembly further comprises at least one belt operatively mounted on the first
conveyor
portion and the second conveyor portion and operable for motion thereon.
An actuator assembly is mounted to the deployable belt conveyor for urging the
movement of
the second conveyor portion between the folded position and the extended
position. Further,
a drive assembly is mounted to the frame of the mechanical sweeper for driving
operation of
the pickup broom, the first belt conveyor, the deployable conveyor assembly
and the actuator
assembly.
According to one aspect, the first conveyor portion comprises a first end and
a second
opposed end. The second conveyor portion also comprises a first end and a
second opposed
end. The first end of the second conveyor portion is connected to the second
end of the first
conveyor portion via the coupling means, the coupling means being preferably a
hinge
assembly or a slide mechanism.
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According to another aspect, the mechanical sweeper further comprises at least
one gutter
broom assembly. The at least one gutter broom is mounted to the frame for
rotation about a
vertical axis and is operable to contact the surface and to direct debris
toward the pickup
broom assembly.
According to yet another aspect, the mechanical sweeper further comprises a
deflector. The
deflector is mounted to the frame and adapted for controlling the movement of
the debris
directed by the at least one gutter broom and directing the same toward the
pickup broom
assembly.
According to a further aspect, the mechanical sweeper further comprises an
operator cab
mounted to the frame. The operator cab is preferably mounted to the frame for
movement
between a lower position and an upper position and the mechanical sweeper may
further
comprise an actuator assembly for urging movement of the operator cab between
the lower
position and the upper position.
According to yet a further aspect, the deployable conveyor assembly is mounted
to the frame
for pivot movement about a vertical axis. The vertical axis is preferably
located proximal to
the first end of the deployable conveyor assembly. The mechanical sweeper may
further
comprise an actuator assembly for urging pivoting of the deployable conveyor
assembly
about the vertical axis.
According to another aspect, the deployable conveyor assembly is mounted to
the frame for
pivot movement about a horizontal axis, the horizontal axis being preferably
located
proximal to the first end of the deployable conveyor assembly. The mechanical
sweeper may
further comprise an actuator assembly for urging pivoting of the deployable
conveyor
assembly about the horizontal axis.
According to another embodiment, there is provided a deployable conveyor
assembly for a
mechanical sweeper. The deployable conveyor assembly comprises a first
conveyor portion
comprising a coupling means and a second conveyor portion mounted to the first
conveyor
portion via the coupling means. The coupling means enables movement of the
second
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portion relative to the first portion between a folded position and an
extended position. At
least one belt is operatively mounted on the first conveyor portion and the
second conveyor
portion and is operable for motion thereon. The deployable conveyor assembly
further
comprises an actuator assembly connected to the first conveyor portion and the
second
conveyor portion for movement of the second conveyor portion between the
folded position
and the extended position.
According to one aspect, the first conveyor portion comprises a first end and
a second
opposed end. The second conveyor portion also comprises a first end and a
second opposed
end. The first end of the second conveyor portion is connected to the second
end of the first
conveyor portion via the coupling means, where the coupling means is
preferably a hinge
assembly.
According to yet another embodiment, a self-propelled mechanical sweeper for
cleaning
debris from a surface is provided. The mechanical sweeper comprises a frame
mounted on
wheels for motion on the surface and a pickup broom assembly mounted to the
frame for
lifting the debris from the surface. The mechanical sweeper further comprises
a first belt
conveyor mounted to the frame for collecting the debris lifted by the pickup
broom assembly
and conveying the same away from the surface and a deployable conveyor
assembly.
The deployable conveyor assembly is mounted to the frame and is operable for
conveying
debris conveyed by the first conveyor toward another vehicle. The deployable
conveyor
assembly comprises a first conveyor portion comprising a first end mounted to
the frame and
a second opposed end comprising a hinge assembly. The deployable conveyor
assembly also
comprises a second conveyor portion comprising a first end connected to the
hinge assembly
and a second end for pivoting relative to the first conveyor portion between a
folded position
and an extended position, and a belt operatively mounted on the first conveyor
portion and
the second conveyor portion and operable for continuous motion thereon, An
actuator
assembly is mounted to the deployable belt conveyor for urging pivot of the
second conveyor
portion between the folded position and the extended position.
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According to this embodiment, the mechanical sweeper also comprises a drive
assembly
mounted to the frame for driving operation of the pickup broom, the first belt
conveyor, the
deployable conveyor assembly and the actuator assembly.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will
become more
apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the details of the invention
more fully set
forth below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will
now be made to
the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration an illustrative
embodiment
thereof, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a right elevation view of a mechanical sweeper in accordance with
one embodiment
of the present invention, showing the deployable conveyor assembly in fully
folded
configuration;
FIG. 2 is another right elevation view of the mechanical sweeper shown in FIG.
1, with the
back portion of the deployable conveyor assembly in an upper position and the
front portion
thereof folded;
FIG. 3 is a further right elevation view of the mechanical sweeper shown in
FIG. 1, with the
deployable conveyor assembly in a fully deployed configuration;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged right side view of the pickup broom assembly and
receptacle assembly
of the mechanical sweeper shown in FIG. I;
FIG. 5 is a right, partial cross-sectioned view of the mechanical sweeper
shown in FIG. 1 for
showing the movement of the debris on the first conveyor assembly and the
deployable
conveyor assembly in operation;
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FIG. 6 is an enlarged front right perspective view of a turntable of the
deployable conveyor
of the mechanical sweeper, according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the mechanical sweeper showing the deployable
belt conveyor
from moving betwein the left and right sides the mechanical sweeper to the
other side, in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG, 8 is a front righi perspective view of the junction between the back
portion and the front
portion of the deployable conveyor according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 9 is a right elevation view of a mechanical sweeper transferring debris
in an auxiliary
vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, with the
operator cab in
lower, travel position.
FIG. 10 is another right elevation view of the mechanical sweeper shown in
FIG. 10, with the
operator cab in uppei , cleaning position;
PIG. 11 is a top view of a mechanical sweeper showing the gutter brooms
directing the debris
toward the deflector and the pickup broom, in accordance with one embodiment
of the
present invention; and
FIG. 12 is another t, ip view of the a mechanical sweeper showing the debris
lifted by the
pickup broom and conveyed on the first conveyor assembly and on the second
conveyor
assembly.
DESCRIPTION Of THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
The description which follows, and the embodiments described therein are
provided by way
of illustration of an example, or examples of particular embodiments of
principles and
aspects of the presem invention. These examples are provided for the puipose
of explanation
and not of limitation, of those principles of the invention. In the
description that follows, like
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parts are marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same
respective
reference numerals.
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a mechanical sweeper in accordance with one
embodiment of
the present invention is shown using the reference numeral 20. The sweeper 20
comprises a
frame 22 mounted on wheels 24 for movement on a surface such as a road, a
parking lot an
airport runway and the like. The sweeper 20 further comprises pickup broom
assembly 26
mounted on the frame 22, between the flout and back wheels 24, a pickup
receptacle
assembly 28 for receiving the debris lifted by the pickup broom assembly 26
and a first
conveyor assembly 30 mounted to the frame 22 and operable for collecting the
debris from
the receptacle assembly 28 and to move them upwardly, toward a second conveyor
assembly
32. As at will become apparent below, the second conveyor assembly 32 is
adapted for
conveying the debris from the first conveyor assembly 30 in a container
carried by another,
auxiliary vehicle such as, for instance, a dump truck 34 (shown in FIGS. 9 and
10).
The sweeper 20 also comprises a drive assembly (not shown) mounted on the
frame 22 and
operatively coupled to the wheels 24, the pickup broom assembly 26 and the
first and second
conveyor assemblies 30 and 32, for driving operation thereof as it will become
apparent
below. In one embodiment, the sweeper 20 is further provided with an actuated
cab assembly
38 for controlling the operation of the sweeper 20 and with gutter brooms
assemblies 40a,
40b on each side of the frame 22, for directing debris toward the pickup broom
assembly 26
during operation of the sweeper 20 (as shown in FIGS. 7 and II).
Referring to HGS. 4 and 1 1 , the pickup broom assembly 26 is mounted below
the frame 22
and comprises a pair of spaced-apart support members 44, 46. Each support
member 44, 46
being mirror image of one another, only support member 44 will be described
throughout the
description. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that a similar
description also applies
to support member 46. The support member 44 comprises a front end 48 pivotably
mounted
to the receptacle assembly 28 and a back end 50.
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Mounted for rotation between the support members 44, 46, proximal to the back
end 50
thereof, is a cylindrical pickup broom 52. The pickup broom 52 comprises a
cylindrical shaft
54 from which are radially extending bristles 56 distributed along the entire
length of the
shaft 54. In one embodiment, the shaft 54 of the broom 52 has a length L1
(shown in FIGS.
11 and 12) corresponding to the distance between the support members 44, 46
and comprises
mounting rods (not shown) concentrically extending from each end of the shaft
54 for
rotatively mounting the pickup broom 52 to the support members 44, 46. In this
embodiment,
the length L1 ranges from about 1 foot to about 20 feet, preferably between
about 3 and 15
feet, and corresponds more preferably to 5 feet. A person skilled in the art
will appreciate
that the length L1 of the shaft 54 (or the width of the broom 52) can be
adapted to the width
of the surface to be cleaned and to the transport regulations or constraints
relevant to
circulation on surface. For instance, where regulations determine a maximum
width for
vehicles circulating on a type of roads (e.g. highways or secondary roads) the
length L1 of the
shad 54 and the width of the sweeper 20 will be adapted to comply with such
regulations.
On the other end, where regulations are permissive and the surface to he
cleaned is wider,
(e.g. on airport runways) the length L1 of the shaft 54 may well exceed 20
feet,
The pickup broom 52 is configured for rotating about a horizontal rotation
axis
the axis R'-R' being perpendicular to the travel direction T of the sweeper in
operation (shown in FIGS. 11 and 12), The pickup broom assembly 26 also
comprises a
hydraulic motor (not shown) mounted to one of the support member 44 and 46 and
operatively coupled to the pick up broom 52 for urging rotation thereof about
the axis R..1-R1.
In one embodiment, the hydraulic motor (not shown) is operable to urge
rotation of the
pickup broom 52 in a rotation direction countersense to the rotation direction
of the wheels
24 when the sweeper 20 travels forward. In other words, the motor (not shown)
is operable to
urge counterclockwise rotation of the pickup broom 52, when seen from the
right side of the
sweeper (e.g. as shown in FIG. 5) as the mechanical sweeper travels forward on
the surface
to be cleaned.
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Still referring to FIG. 4, the pickup broom assembly 26 is further provided
with a pair of
actuators 58 coupled to the frame 22 and connecting each support members 44 or
46 between
the pickup broom 52 and the front end 48. The actuator 58 is adapted for
adjusting the
position of the pickup broom 52 relative to the receptacle assembly 28
therefore the pressure
exerted by the pickup broom 52 on the surface to be cleaned by pivoting the
same about the
front end 48 of the support members 44, 46.
The pickup broom assembly 26 collaborates with the receptacle assembly 28 for
cleaning the
debris from the surface. More specifically, as the broom 52 of the pickup
broom assembly 26
is rotated, the bristles 56 lift the debris and project them frontwardly,
toward the receptacle
assembly 28. As such, the receptacle assembly 28 is located below the frame
22, frontward
from the pickup broom assembly 26.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 11, the receptacle assembly 28 is similar to
receptacles assemblies
known in the art and comprises a hopper 60 and a pair of vertically extendible
mounting
members 66a, 66b. Each mounting member 66a, 66b being mirror image of one
another, only
mounting member 66a will be described. It will be appreciated that a similar
description also
applies to mounting member 66b. The mounting member 66a comprises an upper end
68
connected to the frame and a lower end 70 connected to the hopper 60 of the
receptacle
assembly 28. A hydraulic actuator 72 is connected to the upper and lower ends
68 and 70,
respectively of the mounting member 66a, for causing extension thereof from a
travel
position (i.e. when the receptacle assembly 28 and the pickup broom 52 are
lifted away from
the surface as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4) and a cleaning position (i.e. when the
receptacle and
the pickup broom assemblies 28 and 52, respectively are lowered down on the
surface and
contact the same, as shown in FIGS. 5, 9 and 10).
Returning to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 7, the first conveyer assembly 30 comprises a
frame 74 on
which is rotatably mounted a conveyor belt 76. More specifically, the frame
comprises two
spaced-apart side members 78a, 78b connected to one another by a cross-member
(not
shown). The frame 74 of the conveyor assembly 30 is angularly mounted to the
frame 22 of
the sweeper 20 and comprises a lower end extending 80 in the receptacle
assembly 28 (i.e.
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below the frame 22 of the sweeper 20) and an upper end 82 extending above the
frame 22 of
the sweeper 20. In one embodiment, the frame 74 of the first belt conveyor 30
defines an
angle 01 of approximately 600 with the frame 22 of the sweeper 20. A person
skilled in the
art will appreciate that the angle 01 may be different. For instance, angle 01
may be adjusted
according to the configuration of the sweeper and the room available for
positioning such
first belt conveyor 30. For instance, where the frame 22 of the sweeper 20 is
shorter and less
room is available, the first belt conveyor 30 may be positioned at a higher
angle (e.g. about
80 ) while where the frame 22 is longer and more room is available, the angle
01 may be
reduced (e.g. about 45 ).
Mounted at the lower and upper ends 80, 82 of the frame 74 are two parallel
rollers 84, 86,
each roller 84, 86 being configured for rotation about a horizontal axis
(shown in FIG. 5). In
one embodiment, at least one of the rollers 84, 86 is coupled to a hydraulic
motor (not
shown) for urging rotation thereof and thereby driving rotation of the belt
76.
In one embodiment, the rotation direction of the rollers 84, 86 is opposed to
the rotation
direction of the pickup broom 52. As the sweeper 20 travels forward, the
rollers 84,86 of the
first conveyor assembly 30 rotate clockwise (when seen from the right side of
the vehicle, as
shown in FIG. 5).
Mounted on the rollers 84, 86 is the belt 76. In one embodiment, the belt 76
is preferably a
rubber belt carrying a plurality of V-shaped protrusions 88 (shown in FIG. 6)
for enhancing
the gripping properties of the belt 76 over debris as the sweeper 20 is
operated. The belt 76
has a top portion 90 and a bottom portion 92. A person skilled in the art will
appreciate the
belt 76 could be made from any suitable material. Further, such a conveyor
belt 76 could be
exempt of protrusions or, when present, such protrusions 88 may have a
different shape.
In one embodiment, the belt 76 of the first conveyor assembly 30 has a width
W1
corresponding to the length L1 of the pickup broom 52 (shown in FIG. 12). As
such, the
width W1 of the belt 76 preferably ranges between about 1 and 20 feet,
preferably between
about 3 and 15 feet, and more preferably has a width of 5 feet. A person
skilled in the art will
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appreciate that the length WI of the belt 76 is adapted to the lengths L1 of
the shaft 54 and,
similarly, can be adapted to the width of the surface to be cleaned and to the
transport
regulations or constraints relevant to circulation on surface. As it will
become apparent
below, the first conveyor assembly 30 is configured to capture the debris from
the receptacle
assembly 28 and to convey the same toward the second, deployable conveyor
assembly 32.
The deployable conveyor assembly 32 comprises a turntable 94 rotatably mounted
on the
frame 22 of the sweeper 20, proximal to the front end 96 of the sweeper 20
(best shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7). The turntable 94 comprises a vertical pivot axis R2-R2 about
which the
deployable conveyor assembly 32 can be pivoted, between the left and right
sides of the
sweeper 20 (best shown in FIG. 7). For causing rotation thereof about the R2-
R2 axis, the
turntable 94 is coupled to a pair of hydraulic actuator 98a, 98b. The
hydraulic actuators 98a,
98b being similar to one another, only hydraulic actuator 98a will be
described. It will be
understood that a similar description also applies to hydraulic actuator 98b.
The hydraulic
actuator 98 has a back end 100 mounted to the frame 74 of the first conveyor
assembly 30
and a front end 102 coupled to the turntable 94. When a first hydraulic
actuator (e.g. actuator
98a) is extended and the other hydraulic actuator (e.g. actuator 9813) is
retracted, the turntable
94 is forced to rotate towards the left side of the sweeper 20 and displacing
the deployable
conveyor assembly 32 towards the same direction. At the opposite, when the
first hydraulic
actuator (e.g, actuator 98a) is retracted and the other hydraulic actuator
(e.g. actuator 98b) is
extended, it causes the turntable to move in the opposite direction, thus
displacing the
deployable conveyor assembly 32 towards the right of the sweeper 20. A person
skilled in the
art will appreciate that the turntable 94 could be configured differently. For
instance, pivoting
about the vertical R2-R2 axis could be provided by using only one hydraulic
actuator. Further,
rack and pinion means or other actuator means known in the art could replace
the hydraulic
actuators 98a, 98b.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 8, the deployable conveyor assembly 32 also
comprises a
deployable conveyor 104 mounted on the turntable 94. In one embodiment, the
deployable
conveyor 104 comprises a back portion 146 pivotably connected to the turntable
94 via a
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hinge bracket 108, and a front portion 110 articulately mounted to the back
portion 106, as
best described below.
The back portion 106 comprises a pair of spaced-apart frame members 112a, 112b
connected
to one another by a cross-member (not shown) and having a top side 114 and a
bottom side
116. The back portion 106 also comprises a back end 118, and an opposed front
end 120.
Mounted between the frame members 112a, 112b, at the back end 118 of the back
portion
106, is a roller 122 adapted for rotation about a horizontal rotation axis.
As best shown in FIG. 5, the back end 118 of the back portion 106 is
positioned below the
upper end 82 of the first conveyor assembly 20, for receiving debris conveyed
by the first
conveyor assembly 30 during operation of the sweeper 20.
Now returning to 1 to 3 and FIG. 8, the back portion 106, at the front end 120
thereof, is
provided with a hinge bracket 122 extending from the bottom side 116 of the
frame members
112a, 112b and a lock bracket 124 extending from the top side 114 of the frame
members
112a, 112b. The hinge bracket 122 comprises two pairs of spaced-apart plates
126a, 126b
and 128a, 128b, each pair extending downwardly from the bottom side 116 of a
corresponding frame member 112a, 112b, respectively. The plates 126a, 126b of
the hinge
bracket 122 are provided with horizontally aligned holes (not shown) for
receiving therein
pins 130 for pivotably mounting the front portion 110 of the deployable
conveyor assembly
32 to the back portion 106, as best described below.
The lock bracket 124 comprises two lock plates 132a, 132b, each lock plate
extending
upwardly from the top side 114 of one corresponding frame member 112a, 112b
and
projecting slightly forwardly from the front end 120 of the frame members
112a, 112b. Each
plate 132a, 132b is provided with a circular hole 134a, 134b, the holes 134a,
134b of the two
plates 132a, 132b being horizontally aligned to one another.
Similarly to the back portion 106, the front portion 110 of the deployable
conveyor assembly
32 comprises a pair of spaced apart frame members 136a, 136b connected to one
another by
a cross-member (not shown). Each frame members 136a, 1361) comprises a back
end and 138
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a front end 140 mounted for rotation between the frame members 136a, 136b, at
the front end
140 and thereof, is a roller 142 (shown in FIG 5)
As best shown in FIG. 3 and 8, the frame member 136a of the front portion 110
is slightly
bending between the back and front ends 138, 140 to define a back linear
portion 142 and a
front linear portion 144. The frame member 136b has a similar configuration.
As it will
become apparent below, this configuration. reduces the angle of the front end
of the
deployable conveyor assembly 32, relative to the auxiliary truck 34 receiving
the material
from the sweeper 20 when the conveyor assembly 32 is filly deployed.
The front portion 110 comprises a hinge bracket 146 comprising two plates
148a, 148b, each
plate extending downwardly form the bottom side of one frame member 132a, 132b
and
having a hole (not shown) extending therethrough. Once the front portion 110
of the
deployable conveyor 32 is assembled to the back portion 106, each plate 148a,
148b of the
front portion 110 is received between the corresponding plates 126a, 126b or
128a, 128b of
the back portion 106, and the corresponding holes aligned. The pins 130 are
then secured in
the hinge brackets 122 and 146, thereby enabling the front portion 110 of
deployable
conveyor assembly 142 to pivot upwardly and downwardly relative to the back
portion 106,
between a folded position (shown in FIG. 1) and a deployed position (shown in
FIG. 3).
For urging deployment thereof, the deployable conveyor assembly 32 is provided
with a pair
of hydraulic actuators 149 mounted on each side of he frame members 112a,
112b. Each
hydraulic actuator 149 has a back end 150 operatively connected to one frame
member 112a,
112b of the back portion 106 and a front end 152 operatively connected to one
corresponding
frame member 136a,136b of the front portion 110. When the hydraulic actuators
149 axe in a
retracted position, the front portion 110 is positioned downwardly, in the
folded position
(shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). As the actuators 149 are actuated toward an extended
position,
they force the front portion 110 to pivot upwardly toward the deployed
position (as best
shown in FIG. 4).
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To maintain the deployable conveyor assembly 32 in the deployed configuration
during
cleaning operation of the sweeper 20, the front portion 110 is provided with a
lock assembly
154, shown in FIG. 8. The lock assembly 154 comprises two pairs of spaced-
apart plate
members 156a, 156b and 158a, 158h extending upwardly from the top side of
frame
members 132a, 132b, slightly frontwardly, and a lock actuator 160 mounted
between the two
pairs of plate members 126a, 128b and operatively connected thereto. The lock
actuator 160
comprises a left and a right end 162, 164, each end carrying a lock pin (not
shown), the lock
pin being configured to fit within corresponding holes 166a, 166b in the plate
members.
When the conveyor assembly 32 is in deployed position, the plate members 132a,
I32b of the
back portion 106 are received between two corresponding plate members 156a,
156b and
158a, 158b of the front portion 110, the holes 134a, 134b and 166a, 166b of
the back and
front plate members 132a, 132b and 156a, 158b being aligned. The lock actuator
160 is then
actuated. As it extends, the lock pins (not shown) move toward each side of
the conveyor,
inside the aligned holes of the lock bracket 124 and lock assembly 152
therefore preventing
downward movement of the front portion 110, toward the folded position.
As best shown in FIG. 2, the back portion 106 of the deployable conveyor
assembly 32 is
generally horizontal when the conveyor 32 is completely folded, while it
defines an angle 02
relative to the frame 22 of the sweeper 20 when partially deployed (FIG. 2) or
full deployed
(FIG. 3). As such, the front end 120 of the back portion 106 can move upwardly
and
downwardly. To move the back portion 106 upwardly and downwardly, the
deployable
conveyor assembly is provided with a pair of hydraulic actuators 168a, 168b
(shown in FIGS.
1 to 3 and 6). Each actuator 168a, 168bhas a lower end 170 operatively
connected to the
turntable 94 and an upper end 172 coupled to a frame member 112a, 112b of the
back portion
106. When the actuators 168a, 168b are retracted, the back portion 106 becomes
generally
horizontal, while when the actuators 168a, 168b are extended, they force the
back portion
106 to pivot upwardly.
Mounted on the back and front portions 106, 110 of the deployable conveyor 104
is a
conveyor belt 170 (FIGS. I to 3 and 6). The conveyor belt 170 extends from the
back end
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118 of the back portion 106 to the front end 140 of the front portion 110 and
is operable to
rotate about the roller 122 of the back portion 106 and the roller 142 of the
front portion 110
when the conveyor 32 is deployed. For urging rotation of the belt 170, the
roller 122 of the
back portion 106 is coupled to a hydraulic motor (not shown). A person skilled
in the art will
appreciate that both the back and front rollers 122 and 142 could be coupled
to a hydraulic
motor.
In one embodiment, the belt 170 is a rubber belt carrying V-shaped protrusions
172 for
enhancing the grip of the belt 170 over the material conveyed thereon (shown
in FIG. 8).
Similarly to the belt 76 of the first conveyor assembly 30, the belt 170 could
be made from
any suitable material. Further, such a conveyor belt 170 could be exempt of
protrusions or,
when present, such protrusions 172 may have a different shape.
A person skilled in the art will appreciate that when the deployable conveyor
assembly 32 is
in folded configuration (as shown in FIG. 1), the belt 170 may sag or slack
from the bottom
side 116 of the back portion 106, which may impair proper positioning of the
belt 170 during
deployment of the conveyor assembly 32. To avoid such sagging of the belt 170
and maintain
the same into position during folding and deployment of the conveyor assembly
32, the back
and front portions 106, 110 are provided with auxiliary rollers 172. Each
auxiliary roller
extends between the frame members, on the bottom side thereof. The back and
front portions
106, 110 of the deployable conveyor may also comprise guard means 174, 176
mounted on
the frame members 112a, 112b and 132a, 132b, respectively for controlling the
movement of
the debris conveyed on the belt 170 and avoid unwanted falling thereof during
the operation
of the sweeper 120 (shown in FIG. 8).
In one embodiment of the present invention, the belt 170 of the deployable
conveyor
assembly 32 has a width W2 ranging from about 6 inches to about 6 feet, and
preferably from
about 1 foot to about 4 feet and has preferably a width of 32 inches. A person
skilled in the
art will appreciate that the width W2 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32
is smaller than
the width WI of the belt 76 of the first conveyor assembly 30. To direct or
funnel the debris
falling from the upper end 82 of the first conveyor 30 on the belt 170 of the
deployable
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conveyor assembly 32, a chute 178 is mounted on the frame members 112a, 112b
of the back
portion 106 (shown in FIGS. 3, 6 11 and 12). The chute 178 comprises a pair of
sidewalls
180a,180b made from a flexible material such as rubber, each wall 180a,180b
angularly
extending from the top side of a frame member 112a, 112b , proximal to the
back end 118
thereof The chute 178 also comprises a back wall 182 comprising a row of
bristles extending
upwardly to contact the belt 76 of the first conveyor 30. A person skilled in
the art will
appreciate that the chute 178 could be made from any other suitable material
and that such
chute may take different configurations.
While the second, deployable conveyor assembly 32 has been described in
connection with
one embodiment, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple
deployable conveyor
configurations would be possible. For instance, rather than providing a hinge
assembly (e.g.
hinge brackets 122 and 146), the front portion 110 of the deployable conveyor
assembly
could be mounted to the back portion 106 via a slide mechanism (not shown) or
other
coupling means. Where such a slide mechanism is provided, deployable conveyor
assembly
would be telescopically deployed and folded rather than being provided with a
pivoting-type
deployment assembly. In such an embodiment, retracting or folding of the
second portion
may render impractical the use of a single belt such as belt 170 as it may
tend to loosen or
slack, Therefore, one may opt for using an individual belt on each of the back
and front
portions rather then using a single belt.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the mechanical sweeper 20 is
provided with the
gutter broom assemblies 40; 40b for directing debris toward the pickup broom
52 shown in
FIGS. 1, 4, 7, 11 and 12). hi this embodiment, each gutter broom assembly 40;
40b
comprises a mounting member 184 having a back end 186 connected to the
extending
member 66a of the receptacle assembly 128 for pivot about a vertical axis, and
a front end
188. The front end 188 carries a broom 190 configured to rotate about a
vertical axis and a
hydraulic motor (not shown) coupled to the broom 190 for urging rotation
thereof A
hydraulic actuator (not shown) is coupled to the frame 22 of the sweeper 70
and to the
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mounting member 184 and is operable to cause the gutter brooms to move between
a close
position (as shown in FIG. 7) and an open position (as shown in FIGS. 11 and
12).
The gutter brooms 190a, 190b rotate countersense from one another so as to
direct the debris
toward the opposite side of the sweeper. To stop the course of such debris
toward the
opposite side of the sweeper, a deflector 192 can be provided. As known in the
art, the angle
of the gutter brooms 190a, 190 relative to the surface to be cleaned can be
adjusted to
optimize directing debris toward the deflector 192. For instance, the gutter
brooms 190a,
190b can be inclined such that only a portion thereof will contact the surface
to be cleaned.
Now returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the operator cab assembly 38 will be described
in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, According to this
embodiment,
the cab assembly 38 is mounted at the back end of the frame 22 and comprises a
pair of
spaced-apart mounting bracket 200 extending upwardly from the frame 22 of the
sweeper 20,
parallel to one another. Each bracket 200 comprises a bottom end 202 welded or
otherwise
fastened to the frame 22 and a tapering top end 204.
The cab assembly further comprises a cab 206 mounted to the brackets 200 by a
lift arm
assembly 208 and a pair of hydraulic actuators 210 coupled to the bracket 200
and to the lift
arm assembly 208. The hydraulic actuators 210 are operable for causing the cab
206 to move
between a lower, travel position (as shown in FIG. 9) and an upper, cleaning
position (shown
in FIG. 10).
The cab 206 is provided with a steering wheel (not shown) operatively
connected to the
wheels 24 of the sweeper 20 for controlling the direction thereof, and with
controls for
actuating the various components of the sweeper 20. A person skilled in the
art will
appreciate that many other cab configurations are possible. For instance, the
cab assembly
could be positioned beside the deployable conveyor assembly 32, at the front
end of the
sweeper 20.
The drive assembly (not shown) of the sweeper 20 comprises a main motor and a
transmission for coupling the motor to the wheels 24 of the vehicle. In one
embodiment, the
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main motor is a diesel engine and the transmission is a hydrostatic
transmission. A person
skilled in the art will appreciate that such a diesel engine could be replaced
by a gas motor,
an electric motor and the like and that the hydrostatic transmission may be
replace by chain
and sprockets, belt and pulleys, or gears and shaft transmissions.
The transmission is also adapted for coupling the main motor to a hydraulic
pump. The
hydraulic pump is coupled to the various hydraulic actuators and motors by
hydraulic hoses
and is operable for driving actuation thereof. A person skilled in the art
will appreciated that
the hydraulic pump may alternatively be coupled to an auxiliary motor rather
than being
coupled to the main motor.
Having described the general configuration of the sweeper 20, its operation
will now be
described. According to one embodiment, the sweeper 20 is in a travel
configuration when it
travels from one operation site to one another. When the sweeper 20 is in such
a travel
configuration, the operator cab is in lower, travel position, the deployable
conveyor assembly
32 and the gutter brooms 40a, 40b are in folded configurations (as best shown
in FIG. 1).
This enables the sweeper 20 to travel safely on roads, highways and the like
with a speed up
to 100 km/h, thereby reducing the time spend for traveling from one site to
another,
Once the mechanical sweeper 20 has reached the operation site, the operator
actuates the
various components of the sweeper to adopt the operation or cleaning
configuration (shown
in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 10 to 12). More specifically, the operator actuates the
hydraulic actuators
168a, 168b of the deployable conveyor 32 for lifting the front end 120 of the
back portion
106 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32. As the front end 120 of the back
portion 106
reaches the upper position (shown in FIG. 2), the front end 140 of the front
portion 110 of the
deployable conveyor 32 is caused to move upwardly, toward the fully deployed
configuration, by actuating the hydraulic actuators 149 toward the extended
position. Once
the deployable conveyor is fully deployed (as shown in FIG 3), the hydraulic
actuator 160 of
the lock assembly 154 is urged to extend, thereby forcing the locking pins to
enter the holes
134a, 134b and 166a, 166b of the brackets 1321, 132b, 156a, 156b and 158a,
158b and
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locking the front portion 110 of the deployable conveyor 32 into the fully
deployed
configuration (shown in FIG. 3).
The operator then turns to deploy the gutter brooms assemblies 40a, 40b on
each side of the
sweeper 20. More specifically, the hydraulic actuators (not shown) are
extended, thereby
causing the mounting members 184a, 184b to pivot and the gutter brooms 190a,
190b
attached thereto to move laterally, away from one another, and downwardly to
contact the
surface to be cleaned. As it will become apparent below, deployment of the
gutter brooms
190a, 190b enables extending the width of the cleaning a surface wider beyond
the length LI
of the pickup broom 52.
The sweeper 20 is then moved frontwardly, toward the dump truck 34, in which
the debris
collected by the sweeper 20 will be transferred, as it will become apparent
below. As best
shown in FIG. 9, the front end 140 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32 is
located above
the dump body of the dump track 34, such that debris falling therefrom will be
received in
the dump body. The operator can modify the angle of the deployable conveyor
assembly 32
by controlling the hydraulic actuators 168a, 168b to reduce or increase the
distance between
the deployable conveyor and the dump body of the truck as the sweeper is
operated.
To have a better vision during cleaning operations, the operator may further
actuate the
hydraulic actuators 210 of the cab assembly 38 to move the cab 206 from the
lower position
toward the upper position (shown in FIG. 10). A person skilled in the art will
appreciate that
the sweeper can also be operated with the cab in lower position, for instance
when operating
under structure having a limited height such as bridges, viaducts and the
like.
For cleaning the surface, the hydraulic motors of the gutter and pickup brooms
assemblies
26, 40a and 40b are actuated. The gutter brooms 190a, 190b rotate countersense
from one
another to direct the debris on each side of the sweeper toward the deflector
192, which
deflector 192 stops the debris and keep the same in the course of the pickup
broom 52
(shown in FIG. 11). The pickup broom 52 then lifts the debris and moves them
towards the
receptacle assembly 28. The debris are then captured from the receptacle
assembly 28 by the
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conveyor belt 76 of the first conveyor assembly 30, at the lower end 80
thereof, and
conveyed toward the upper end 82 thereof (FIGS. 11 and 12). The debris then
fall from the
upper end 82 of the first conveyor assembly 30, into the chute 178, which
directs the debris
toward the back end 118 of the deployable conveyor assembly 32, which in turn
conveys the
debris toward the dump truck 34 (as shown in FIG. 10).
When a sufficient amount of debris has been conveyed into the dump truck 34,
the operator
of the sweeper 20 signals the operator of the truck 34, which then leaves the
operation site to
travel to the landfill where the truck 34 will be emptied. During the travel
time of the dump
truck toward the landfill, another dump truck is positioned for receiving the
debris from the
sweeper 20. To facilitate movement of the trucks relative to the sweeper 20,
the deployable
conveyor assembly 32 may be pivoted laterally towards the left or right sides
thereof (shown
in FIG. 7).
Once the cleaning operations are completed, the operator cab 206 is lowered,
the gutter
brooms 190 retracted and the deployable conveyor folded for the mechanical
sweeper 20 to
travel from the operation site toward another operation site.
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