[0001] The present invention concerns a platform set for a mobile elevator.
[0002] Such apparatus are well known in the prior art, and substantially comprise mobile
cranes, or cranes mounted on vehicles, specifically structured with a boom at whose
summit a platform is arranged. Such apparatus, although capable of performing the
work assigned them, present one negative characteristic: an excessive "specialisation"
deriving from the fact that they are conceived, and are therefore only utilisable,
as hoists for lifting persons. Indeed, they are true and proper mobile vehicles specialised
in the lifting of persons, and buying them, considering their not indifferent cost,
is only justifiable when there is the certainty that they will be used adequately
and render a high utilisation coefficient.
[0003] Also in the prior art there are devices with platforms mountable to hydraulic crane
booms. Such applications present limits in their use. One such limit is constituted
by the fact that in order to reach considerable heights it is necessary to mount said
platforms to high-load hydraulic cranes, since the height reached by the platform
is substantially linked to the load by a direct proportion ratio. A further limit
derives from the fact that the mounting of the platform to the boom of such cranes
permits only of rather limited manoeuvrability of the platform. To this must be added
the negative fact that in order to support and move the platform, the base machinery
used is very expensive since it was originally conceived for other and much heavier
uses, and as a result is in the final analysis not economically well-exploited in
relation to its characteristics and work-potential.
[0004] The present invention, as described in the claims which follow, obviates the disadvantages
and lacks of the prior art in a particularly simple and economical way by proposing
a platform set for a mobile elevator that can be defined as a sort of mountable and
dismountable accessory to the fast coupling arranged at the free extremity of the
manoeuvring boom of mobile elevators, said manoeuvring boom being already arranged
in such a way as to permit of mounting and dismounting fork attachments or similar
used on such elevators.
[0005] An advantage of the present invention consists in its ability to reach a compact
rest-configuration whose total volume is extremely small.
[0006] Further advantage derives from the fact that for the movement of the platform-carrying
boom it uses the fork-traversing cylinder forming part of the original base machinery.
[0007] Further characteristics and advantages will better emerge from the detailed description
which follows of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of said invention, illustrated
here purely in the form of a non-limiting example in the accompanying illustrations,
in which:
- Figure 1 shows a schematic side-view;
- Figure 2 shows, schematically and in small scale, the manoeuvring possibilities
with reference to some fundamental positions between the two extremes;
- Figure 3 shows, in large scale, a particular of Figure 2;
- Figure 4 shows a left side-view of a part of Figure 3.
[0008] With reference to the figures, fig. 1 represents a mobile elevator (1), mobile on
wheels (2), on whose frame (3) is fixed a telescopic manoeuvring boom (4). The manoeuvring
boom (4) is hinged to the frame (3) by means of a pivot (5) with horizontal axis parallel
to the axes of the wheels (2). The rotations of the manoeuvring boom (4) about the
axis of the pivot (5) and thus the lifting and lowering of the same manoeuvring boom
(4) are realised by means of a hydraulic jack (26) operating between the frame (3)
and the manoeuvring boom (4).
[0009] At the extremity of the last segment of the manoeuvring boom (4) a fast coupling
(6) is arranged in such a way as to permit of rapid mounting and dismounting of the
fork group or similar usually utilised for the lifting of loads.
[0010] On the fast coupling (6), instead of the usual fork group or similar, a coupling
element (7) is directly mounted, to which a platform boom (9) is hinged by means of
a pivot (8). Said platform boom (9) is telescopically extendable and has hinged to
its other, fork-shaped extremity, a platform (10). The platform boom (9) and the coupling
element (7) are fixed one to the other by means of two hydraulic cylinders (11, 12)
which are located in diametrically opposite positions with regard to the pivot (8)
and on the same plane perpendicular to the axis of the pivot (8). In particular, the
ends of the stems of the two hydraulic cylinders (11, 12) are hinged to two pivots
(21, 22) arranged on the platform boom (9). The bases of the two hydraulic cylinders
(11, 12) are instead hinged on two pivots (31, 32) fixed to the coupling element (7).
The reciprocal positions of the hydraulic cylinders (11, 12) and their fixture to
the coupling element (7) and to the platform boom (9) are made in such a way as to
permit of 90° rotation of the platform boom (9) on both sides, starting from the central
position indicated by A in fig. 3. To this possibility of movement, which is obtainable
only through the activating of the two hydraulic cylinders (11, 12), must be added
the movement possibilities obtainable by the manoeuvring of the fast coupling (6)
which can be rotated around the pivot (13). Obviously also the movements of the manoeuvring
boom (4) add to the above-described possibilities of manoeuvre of the platform set
for mobile elevator (1), since the platform set is mounted to the manoeuvring boom's
(4) free end. Furthermore, the platform boom (9) is telescopically extendable, comprising
of at least two segments (14, 15) activated by means of a hydraulic cylinder (16)
arrange coaxially to the said segments (14, 15). The free extremity of segment (15)
is symetrically fork-shaped, with the platform (10) hinged between its prongs.
[0011] Thanks to its great capacity of movement, the platform (10) can easily be moved into
an infinity of positions, including positions not normally accessible to the usual
platforms in the prior art.
[0012] Further to the advantage of permitting of reaching high elevation, the invention
has the positive characteristic of being very compact when in the rest configuration,
and therefore taking up relatively very little space.
1) Platform set for mobile elevator (1) comprising a telescopic manoeuvring boom (4)
hinged at its lower extremity to the frame (3) of the elevator and provided with a
fast coupling (6) at its upper extremity to permit of the mounting and dismounting
of a fork group or similar, having:
- a coupling element (7) for attaching to or detaching from said fast coupling (6);
- a platform boom (9) bearing hinged to its free extremity the platform (10), and
being hinged at its other end to said coupling element (7);
being equipped with hydraulic activating means functioning between said coupling element
(7) and said platform boom (9) aimed at producing rotation of the platform boom (9)
with respect to the coupling element (7).
2) Platform set for mobile elevator as in claim 1, wherein said hydraulic activating
means comprise two hydraulic cylinders (11, 12) located in diametrically opposite
positions with regard to the pivot (8) of the hinge by means of which said coupling
element (7) and said platform boom (9) are constrained and are on the same plane perpendicular
to the axis of said pivot (8).
3) Platform set for mobile elevator as in claim 1 wherein said platform boom (9) is
extendable and comprises a plurality of segments (14) and (15) arranged telescopically
and activated hydraulically, the last of which segments, eg. (15), being symetrically
fork-shaped, with said platform (10) being hinged between its prongs.