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(11) | EP 0 953 305 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels |
(57) The supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels consists of load sledges
with capacity to hold at least three barrels each, comprising:
Each frame (4) is provided on its top face with two fitting pegs (5) linking it to the top two frames lying thereon and preventing the barrel layers from sliding sideways, and further conventional lifting and suspension means for an easier handling of the bearing structures. |
OBJECT
[0001] The object referred to in the invention and protected in this Patent consists of a supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels.
[0002] Barrels are medium-sized casks made using specially shaped wooden staves (wider at the centre than at the ends) which, butted together with hot-fitted steel hoops, make up a sealed container with the classic shape of an ellipsoid of rotation with the ends each cut by planes perpendicular to their longitudinal axis.
BACKGROUND
[0004] The above-mentioned preferred design, construction and use of barrels has been known since ancient times.
[0005] Their use as temporary storage means for wines is inconvenient in stacking the barrels, because since that cannot be done with their longitudinal axis standing upright for oenological reasons, they must be stacked with the axis horizontal, which poses many problems as regards
a) - Stability : the shape of the barrels as an ellipsoid of rotation is detrimental to stability when they are stacked overlying each other, and the use of wooden chocks inserted between the abutting surfaces of the barrels is therefore resorted to.
[0006] Needless to say, the above-described chocking is slow, costly in labour and rather futile because oenological requirements demand that the barrels be moved fairly frequently.
b) - Mechanical strength : the shape characteristics of the barrels also means that there are limited abutting surfaces upon being stacked, resulting in specific pressures which may easily reach the limits of compressive mechanical strength of the wooden staves that make up its side walls.
[0007] This demands that the number of stacked barrel layers be limited to not more than four, thereby wasting available building space (height of the warehouses) and requiring that the ground surface be extended and substantial investments to be made in storage buildings.
[0008] As for the handling of barrels, as required for the wine making and ageing steps (decanting, washing the inside, refilling), this has heretofore been made in wine cellars where this is automated using one the following two processes:
a) - Tackles fitted with pulley-blocks and hooks specifically designed to lift and lower the barrels one by one.
b) - Trucks working with special pallets provided on their top face with a cradle adapted to the shape of the barrels, with capacity to hold two barrels. These pallets fail to solve the stacking problems because they lie on the barrels in the layer beneath it and result in the heights being limited due to the reduced compressive mechanical strength of their walls.
[0009] In any event, the usual handling performance lies at some 25 barrels/day with a team of five operators, which is token of the high cost of this operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention subject of this Patent simultaneously solves the above-mentioned problems arising in both handling and stacking the barrels in wine cellars, making the former more efficient and productive and the latter more intensive and cost-effective.
[0011] The supporting structure essentially consists of sledges with capacity to hold at least three barrels each longitudinally aligned, comprising the following elements:
- A longitudinal cradle which may be made of stiff rods that are preferably made of metal (three for instance; two end rods and a central rod), held in the appropriate relative position by arcuate spacers (for instance, two end spacers for every barrel housing) crossed by the rods; or it may be made of a suitably bent metal plate provided with end spacers to hold its profile unchanged, it being possible to suitably line the areas supporting the barrels in the cradles, in order to prevent the metal from contacting the wood.
- Rectangular metal tube bearing and suspension frames, which are preferably shaped as an irregular hexagon (the top half being a trapezium and the bottom a rectangle), arranged between every two adjacent barrels (and therefore two per sledge), firmed fixed to the cradles (for they are the means supporting the sledges when at rest and the means suspending the same when carried), which are provided on the top face of their top horizontal side with two fitting pegs which, upon stacking, enter holes purposely provided on the bottom horizontal side bearing face of each of the two top frames lying thereon, preventing the barrel layers from sliding sideways, for the frames lie on one another, the top frame distributing its load onto the two bottom adjacent frames.
[0012] Operation with the above sledges has the following advantages over known systems:
a) - For handling:
- A better performance, since the barrels are moved at least in threes.
- Capacity to use mechanical means for suspending and carrying the barrels (for instance a gantry crane, with direct manual control).
- Possibility of fully automating all operations, with computer means.
b) - For stacking:
- Lifting a greater number of layers, since the limitation demanded by the lower compressive strength is eliminated because the barrels no longer lie on one another.
- Consequently, a better use of the wine cellar building space.
- A greater stacking stability, because the supporting frames are fitted to each other.
- Elimination of the costly chocking of the barrels, with the resultant savings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Drawings are attached for a fuller description of the invention and an easier understanding of the formal, structural and functional features thereof, which schematically show various elements of a preferred embodiment of the supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels subject of the present Patent.
[0014] In the drawings,
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the load sledges, showing the two variants of the longitudinal cradles: rod or bent plate cradles.
- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stacking of three sledges, each loaded with three barrels.
- Figure 3 is a perspective diagram of the arrangement of the supporting frames, in a stacking of three sledges, as in figure 2.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0015] In order to clearly show the nature and scope of advantageous application of the supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels subject of the invention, its structure and operation will now be described with reference to the drawings, which represent a preferred embodiment of said object for informative purposes and should therefore be construed in the broadest sense and not so to limit the application and contents of the invention.
[0016] The supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels essentially consists of load sledges with capacity to hold at least three barrels, each longitudinally aligned.
[0017] They comprise: a longitudinal cradle made up of stiff rods (1) held in a suitable relative position by means of arcuate plate spacers (2) crossed by the rods.
[0018] They may alternatively be made up of bent metal plate (3) with end spacers (2) to hold their profile.
[0019] The areas supporting the barrels in the cradles are designed to be lined in order to prevent the metal from contacting the wood.
[0020] The sledges are provided with rectangular metallic tube bearing and suspension frames (4) preferably shaped as an irregular hexagon, arranged between every two adjacent barrels and firmly fixed to the cradles, provided on the top face of their top horizontal side with two fitting pegs (5) which, upon stacking, are inserted in holes provided in the bottom horizontal side bearing face of each of the top two frames lying thereon, and prevent the barrel layers from sliding sideways.
1. A supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels, essentially characterised in that it consists of load sledges with capacity to hold at least three barrels
each longitudinally aligned, comprising the following elements: a longitudinal cradle
which may be made of stiff rods (1) held in the appropriate relative position by arcuate
plate spacers (2) crossed by the rods; or else made of a bent metal plate (3) provided
with end spacers (2) to hold its profile, it being possible to line the areas supporting
the barrels in the cradles, in order to prevent the metal from contacting the wood;
and in that rectangular metal tube bearing and suspension frames (4) are provided,
which are preferably shaped as an irregular hexagon, arranged between every two adjacent
barrels, firmed fixed to the cradles, which are provided on the top face of their
top horizontal side with two fitting pegs.
2. A supporting structure for handling and stacking barrels, essentially characterised in that, upon stacking, the two fitting pegs (5) are inserted in holes provided on
the bottom horizontal side bearing face of each of the two top frames lying thereon,
and prevent the barrel layers from sliding sideways, for the frames (4) lie on one
another, the top frame distributing its load onto the two bottom adjacent frames;
whereas the frames have conventional lifting and suspension means for the bearing
structures to be handled.