WO2014122360A1

WO2014122360A1 - Snow loading machine

Info

Publication number: WO2014122360A1
Application number: PCT/FI2014/050069
Authority: WO
Inventors: Esko Siirtola
Original assignee: SOTHER Oy
Current assignee: SOTHER Oy
Priority date: 2013-02-11
Filing date: 2014-01-29
Publication date: 2014-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-11

Abstract

The object of the invention is a snow loading machine comprising a snow collection chute (1) transverse to the direction of travel (A) of the snow loading machine and movable along the ground, the chute being provided with a screw conveyor (2) for moving snow in the snow collection chute, in the longitudinal direction of the chute, towards a scraper conveyor (3) and for moving the snow with the scraper conveyor onto a platform body or other desired collection base. At the discharge end of the screw conveyor (2) is arranged a conical compacting means (5) for compacting the snow fed by the screw conveyor (2) and for guiding it from the side to the scraper conveyor (3). In addition are arranged means for adjusting the speed of movement of the scraper conveyor (3) and the screw conveyor (2) with respect to one another.

Description

Snow loading machine

The invention relates to a snow loading machine comprising a snow collection chute transverse to the direction of travel of the snow loading machine and movable along the ground, the chute being provided with a screw conveyor for moving snow in the snow collection chute, in the longitudinal direction of the chute, towards a scraper conveyor which is provided at the discharge end of the screw conveyor for moving the snow with the scraper conveyor onto a platform body or other desired collection base, while the screw conveyor is arranged to feed the snow to the scraper conve - or from the side of the scraper conveyor.

The mechanical removal of snow from passages is usually carried out by using different types of snow clearance equipment or snow blowers. If the snow also has to be transported away from the site, this is usually done by using bucket loaders and trucks. From this follow various disadvantages and above all high costs. When driving uncompacted snow, or snow that has become only slightly compacted through handling, to snow tips, only a part of the carrying capacity of the trucks is in use as regards the weight of the load. A snow loading machine of the above type is known from the publication

CN201678971U. This solution does not describe the compacting of snow either.

The aim of the invention is to develop a practical solution for a continuous-drive loading machine, which is applicable to clearing snow in population centres, from thoroughfares as well as from pavements and yards, and by means of which the snow can also be compacted in order to reduce the number of loads driven.

This aim is achieved in accordance with the invention, on the basis of the character^¬ istics disclosed in claim 1. The dependent claims disclose preferred embodiments of the invention.

It is preferable to arrange the actuator of the scraper conveyor to be adjustable according to the load on the screw conveyor, whereby the snow is compacted in the desired manner regardless of the type of the snow. For this purpose, the bearing wheel of the scraper conveyor is fitted with bearings to rotate independently at the discharge end of the screw conveyor.

The screw conveyor collects the snow and moves it onto an ascending scraper con- veyor. The scraper conveyor discharges the snow either onto the work machine's own platform, a trailer or the platform of a truck travelling parallel to it. The solution does not set limits to efficiency, that is, the device can be made as small or as large as desired and the solution still functions. The only factor to be considered is the efficiency of the device's own or separate working power machine and the readiness for connecting the loading device (hydraulics).

Since the movement of the scraper conveyor is adjusted in accordance with the load on the screw conveyor, the snow can always be compacted as desired regardless of the type of snow.

The snow loading machine according to the invention can be applied in a new type of snow loading system for clearing snow from the street. The solution according to the application comprises a comprehensive system for collecting snow from the streets into readiness for transportation on interchangeable platforms to snow tips.

It is known to use a snow blower and a separate load collector which proceed at the same speed. The blower and the load collector have to travel on their own lanes, whereby the width of the system becomes too wide for it to be used in population centres for clearing snow from the streets. In addition, the snow blower requires a high output, which means that the energy consumption of the combination is too high with respect to the amount of material handled. In order for the combination to be efficient, a ready-made snowbank is required. This multiple handling further increases the output required and the carbon footprint. Furthermore, using a snow blower in population centres may cause damage since snow and stones contained by it may fly over the platform, for example, into windows.

The purpose of the preferred embodiment of the invention is to avoid the foregoing drawbacks and to provide a practical snow loading system applicable to population centres, by means of which roads and lanes can be continuously cleared of snow immediately after snowfall, or in wider streets after snow ploughing, and the energy consumption of which is low in relation to the amount of snow loaded and transported. Furthermore, in the system according to the embodiment of the invention, the snow is compacted to reduce the number of loads driven to the tips. The above-mentioned additional purpose of the invention is achieved in accordance with the invention, on the basis of the characteristics disclosed in the accompanying claim 7.

The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows the snow loading machine according to the invention as a diagrammatic top view and in partial section. Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows diagonally from the front a top view of the system according to the invention with the interchangeable platform removed, and Figure 4 shows the same as Figure 3, as seen from the side, with the interchangeable platform in operating position.

The snow loading machine according to the invention comprises a snow collection chute 1 transverse to the direction of travel A of the snow loading machine and movable along the ground. The collection chute 1 is provided with a screw conveyor 2 for moving the snow in the snow collection chute 1, in the longitudinal direction of the chute, towards the bull chain conveyor 3. The snow loading machine formed by these machine parts 1, 2, 3 can be connected to an independently moving motor vehicle, for example a truck or a tractor, or it may be a completely independent machine.

The scraper conveyor 3 is arranged to the discharge end of the screw conveyor 2, transversely to the feeding direction B of the screw conveyor. The bearing wheel 4 of the scraper conveyor 3 is fitted with a bearing to rotate independently at the dis- charge end of the screw conveyor 2. In the solution according to the invention, the scraper conveyor 3 is preferably a bull chain conveyor, where the scraper plates 7 are attached to a chain 8 supported by the bearing wheels 4.

In the embodiment shown, the screw conveyor 2 has a first and a second screw half with a mutually opposite helix direction, whereby when rotating in the same direction, the screw halves feed snow towards the central area of the screw conveyor to which the scraper conveyor 3 is connected. Both screw halves have their own hydraulic driving motors 9 which drive either a drive shaft common to both screw halves (joint drive) or separate drive shafts (separate drive).

In the embodiment shown, between either screw side of the screw conveyor 2 and the scraper conveyor 3 is a conical compacting means 5 for compacting the collected snow at the transfer stage from the screw conveyor 2 to the scraper conveyor 3. In the embodiment shown, the compacting means 5 are comprised of conical sur- faces expanding towards one another, which limit the transporting space of the scraper conveyor 3. In other words, on either side of the bearing wheel 4 of the scraper conveyor 3 is a conical compacting means 5 which is formed into a conical surface expanding away from the screw conveyor 2, across which the scraper plates 7 of the scraper conveyor travel in an area where the direction of travel of the scraper conveyor turns on the bearing wheel 4. The conical surfaces of the compacting means 5 also facilitate the flow of snow from the screw conveyor to the scraper conveyor. Furthermore, the conical surfaces support the supporting frame of the bearing wheel 4, on which the bearing wheel is fitted with a bearing. In order to ensure appropriate compacting of the snow, the actuator (not shown) of the scraper conveyor 3 is arranged to be adjustable according to the load. It is thus possible to adjust the speed of movement of the scraper conveyor 3 according to the type and/or quantity of the snow, whereby the compacted pieces moved by the scraper conveyor 3 are always as compact as desired. The more snow the screw conveyor 2 feeds into the space defined by the conical surfaces of the compacting means 5 and the protective casing 6, and the slower the scraper conveyor 3 is moved, the more the snow is compacted. In addition, the space between the scraper plates 7 becomes smaller on the straight part of the conveyor compared to the part which travels around the bearing wheel 4, which increases the compacting of the snow. In the centre in front of the collection chute 1 is a plough-like snow-guiding means 12, behind which is a protective casing 6 (shown only in Figure 1 and omitted from Figure 2 for the sake of clarity). The protective casing 6 partly surrounds the bearing wheel 4. The direction of travel of the scraper conveyor 3 turns 180° on the bearing wheel 4. The direction of travel turns in the same way at the opposite end of the scraper conveyor (not shown). The compacted pieces are then formed as the screw conveyor 2 compresses snow between the conical surfaces of the compacting means 5 and the protective casing 6 of the scraper conveyor 3. The scraper plates 7 of the scraper conveyor 3, which on the one hand define the size of the compacted piece, on the other hand at the same time move the compacted pieces further to the desired location.

The snow loading machine is supported on the ground by support wheels 13 and attached to the shafts 10a of the motor vehicle by links 10b, which are connected to lugs 10. At the ends of the collection chute 1 are ploughing wings 11, the ploughing angle of which is preferably adjustable by means of hydraulic regulating units.

The snow loading machine described above can be applied in a snow loading system described in the following with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

The system comprises a snow collection device moving with a motor vehicle 14, the device comprising a collection chute 1 transverse to the direction of travel A, which is provided with a rotatable screw conveyor 2 for moving snow towards the centre of the collection chute 1, where there are compacting cones 5 for compacting the snow mechanically before the snow moves on to a chain-driven scraper conveyor 3. In other words, the screw conveyor 2 rotated in the chute feeds the snow collecting in the chute 1 via the compacting cones 5 to the scraper conveyor 3. By means of the scraper conveyor, the snow is moved further to an interchangeable platform 15 designed for the purpose which moves with a motor vehicle 14. The speed of the scraper conveyor 3 is adjusted according to the load of the screw conveyor 2 in or^¬ der to be able to always compact the snow in the desired manner, regardless of the type of snow.

The interchangeable platform 15 is adapted to fit between the branches 17 of the body of the motor vehicle 14, when the motor vehicle 14 is reversed. The inter- changeable platform 15 is lifted hydraulically to the operating position by the normal ground clearance. The rails 16 on the sides of the interchangeable platform 15 slide into supports on the body branches 17. In the invention can be used an interchangeable platform 15 suitable for common interchangeable platform transport. A loaded interchangeable platform 15 is lowered to street level and passed on for further transportation.

At the ends of the collection chute 1 are ploughing wings 11, the ploughing angle of which is preferably adjustable by means of hydraulic regulating units. In the centre of the collection chute is a plough-like snow-guiding means 12 for guiding the snow to the ends of the feed screws of the screw conveyor 2. If so desired, circular brushes can be mounted in front of the screw conveyor 2 to function as auxiliary collectors brushing off light snowfall (10-40 mm). This helps to prevent the formation of hard ridges of snow on roads and streets.

The collection equipment consisting of the collection chute 1 and the screw conveyor 2, the compacting equipment consisting of the screw conveyor 2 and the compacting cones 5, and the conveying equipment consisting of the scraper conveyor 3, together form a unit which is attached to the supporting shafts 10a of a motor vehi- cle 14 by means of a reversal link 10b. The collection, compacting and conveying equipment rests on the ground by means of support wheels 13. The invention can also be applied to trucks and tractors. The snow loading system according to the invention can be made small or large according to use and need. The solution according to the invention is practical and economical and the following advantages are achieved with it:

- it collects the snow with a single contact to transporting readiness immediately after snowfall

- it prevents the formation of snowbanks on roadsides and of piles of stored snow in parks, market places and parking spaces

- it minimises multiple handling of the snow

- the proportion of overtime work falls markedly

- the compacting technique reduces the number of loads by 30-40% (tested) - it is environmentally friendly; low output and low emissions with respect to the amount of material handled and no problems caused by idle running

- snow cleared immediately after snowfall is clean and does not burden the water system.

Claims

1. A snow loading machine comprising a snow collection chute (1) transverse to the direction of travel (A) of the snow loading machine and movable along the ground, the chute being provided with a screw conveyor (2) for moving snow in the snow collection chute, in the longitudinal direction of the chute, towards a scraper conveyor (3) which is provided at the discharge end of the screw conveyor (2) for moving the snow with the scraper conveyor onto a platform body or other desired collection base, while the screw conveyor (2) is arranged to feed the snow to the scraper conveyor (3) from the side of the scraper conveyor, characterised in that between the screw conveyor and the scraper conveyor is a conical compacting means (5) for compacting the collected snow at the transfer stage from the screw conveyor (2) to the scraper conveyor (3).

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the actuator of the scraper conveyor (3) is arranged to be adjustable according to the load on the screw conveyor (2).

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the bearing wheel (4) of the scraper conveyor (3) is fitted with bearings to rotate independently at the discharge end of the screw conveyor (2).

4. A machine as claimed in any of the claims 1-3, characterised in that the screw conveyor (2) has a first and a second screw half with a mutually opposite helix di- rection, whereby when rotating in the same direction, the screw halves feed snow towards the central area of the screw conveyor to which the scraper conveyor (3) is connected.

5. A machine as claimed in any of the claims 1-4, characterised in that on either side of the bearing wheel (4) of the scraper conveyor (3) is a conical compacting means (5) which is formed into a conical surface expanding away from the screw conveyor 2, across which the scraper plates 7 of the scraper conveyor travel in an area where the direction of travel of the scraper conveyor turns on the bearing wheel (4).

6. A machine as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, characterised in that in the centre in front of the collection chute (1) is a plough-like snow-guiding means (12), behind which is a protective casing (6) which partly surrounds the bearing wheel (4) on which the direction of travel of the scraper conveyor turns 180°.

7. A snow loading system for clearing snow from the streets with a snow loading machine, as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the collection, compacting and conveying equipment (1, 2, 3, 5) for clearing snow from the streets, and the detachable interchangeable platform (15) are adapted to move with an independent moving motor vehicle (14),

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the snow compacted by the combination consisting of the collection (1, 2) and compacting equipment (2, 5) is adapted to be moved by means of the scraper conveyor (3), and that the interchangeable platform (15) can be connected to move with the motor vehicle (14) for loading and detached after loading.

9. A system as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the interchangeable platform (15) is suitable for common interchangeable platform transport and that the interchangeable platform (15) is adapted to attach to the inner sides of the branch-like body (17) of the motor vehicle (14) when the motor vehicle (14) reverses to the sides of the interchangeable platform (15) on street level, wherein the interchangeable platform (15) is adapted to be lifted hydraulically to the operating position by the normal ground clearance.

10. A system as claimed in any of the claims 7 to 9, characterised in that, when the system is in operation, the motor vehicle (14) with its interchangeable platform (15) is directly behind the collection (1, 2) and compacting equipment (2, 5), below the scraper conveyor (3).