System for spreading and depositing a spanning beam from a vehicle such as an armored vehicle of the engineer corps for clearing an obstacle

The present invention relates to a system for spreading and depositing a spanning beam from a vehicle wherein, in the transport position of the spanning beam on the vehicle, the outer extreme element of the spanning beam is pivotally supported and maintained at its free end by a mobile support device of the vehicle occupying a raised position while the inner extreme element of the spanning beam rests on the outer extreme element along same and wherein the spanning beam can be raised by winding of the working cable on a winch of the vehicle into a position where the inner extreme element is pivotally supported at its free end by the support device with concomitant release of the free end of the outer extreme element from the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a system for spreading and depositing a 
spanning beam from a vehicle such as an armoured vehicle of the Engineer 
Corps for clearing an obstacle formed for instance of a breach which may 
possibly be located in a NBC (Nuclear, Bacteriological, Chemical) 
contaminated area. 
Spreading systems for such vertically pivoting spanning beams are known; in 
these systems, the spanning beam comprises at least two successive main 
elements, i.e. one inner extreme element and one outer extreme element 
which folds down against the inner extreme element along same, these 
elements being mounted in a hinged manner with respect to each other 
towards their adjacent ends through a hinge axis substantially 
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spanning beam which is 
secured at least at one point of one of the inner and outer extreme 
elements to at least one working cable winding for example on at least one 
winch disposed on the vehicle. 
However, these known systems comprise at least one control means formed for 
example of a hydraulic jack to ensure the pivoting of the outer extreme 
element with respect to the inner extreme element about the hinge axis. 
The drawback of such control means is that the spanning beam is burdened 
and especially that a great amount of additional energy is consumed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above drawbacks 
of the known systems by proposing a spreading and depositing system for a 
spanning beam which necessitates no control means and no additional source 
of energy. 
For that purpose, the spreading and depositing system according to the 
invention is characterized in that, in a transport position of the 
spanning beam on the vehicle, the outer extreme element is supported and 
pivotally maintained at its free end by a mobile support device of the 
vehicle occupying a raised position while the inner extreme element rests 
along the outer extreme element; in that the spanning beam can be raised 
through winding of the working cable on the winch into a position where 
the inner extreme element is pivotally supported at its free end by the 
support device with concomitant releasing of the free end of the outer 
extreme element from the support device; in that the support device is 
then lowered towards a bearing position on the ground to cause the outer 
extreme element to move from the inner extreme element thus permitting the 
spreading of the spanning beam; and in that the working cable is unwound 
from the winch to lower and deposit the spanning beam over the breach. 
According to a feature of the invention, the free end of the inner extreme 
element is released from the support device through backward movement of 
the vehicle with respect to the spanning beam. 
According to another feature of the invention, the support device comprises 
at least one means for locking the free end of the outer extreme element 
to the said device, which locking device being unlocked when the free end 
of the inner extreme element is caused to rest on the support device in 
the raised position of the spanning beam. 
According to still another feature of the invention, the locking means 
comprises a hook-forming part for holding on the support device an axis of 
the free end of the outer extreme element, disposed transversally to the 
longitudinal axis of the spanning beam, and which can pivot with respect 
to the support device in the unlocking direction against the restoring 
force of a resilient means such as a draw spring and a part, solid with 
the hook-forming part, forming a pivoting arm for the hook-forming part, 
which arm is actuated by an axis of the free end of the inner extreme 
element disposed transversally to the longitudinal axis of the spanning 
beam in the raised position of the spanning beam. 
According to still another feature of the invention, the support device 
further comprises at least two parallel plates perpendicular to the 
ground, solid with a support element of the device and a bearing part for 
the respective end axes of the inner and the outer extreme elements, 
pivotally mounted between the two plates and which can co-operate 
alternately with two stops solid with the plates and limiting the range of 
pivoting of the bearing part between two extreme angular positions, one 
bearing position for the end axis of the outer extreme element in the 
transport position of the spanning beam and for the end axis of the inner 
extreme element in the raised and spreading positions of the spanning 
beam, and one release position for the end axis of the inner extreme 
element when the vehicle moves backwards. 
According to still another feature of the invention, the bearing part 
comprises two bearing recesses with round bottom respectively for the two 
end axes of the inner and outer extreme elements, and the hook-forming 
part of the locking means co-operates with the bearing recess of the end 
axis of the outer extreme element and with a front edge of each of the 
parallel plates to lock the axis in the transport position of the spanning 
beam. 
According to still another feature of the invention, the locking means, 
made in one piece with the pivoting arm opposite to the hook-forming part, 
is pivotally mounted inside the bearing part, which the pivoting arm 
projects into the bearing recess of the end axis of the inner extreme 
element in the transport position of the spanning beam.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIGS. 1A to 1H, the reference sign 1 designates a vehicle, in 
particular an armoured vehicle of the Engineer Corps, comprising a support 
device 2 for a spanning beam 3 fixed at least one point 4 to at least one 
working cable 5 winding for example on at least one winch disposed on the 
vehicle 1. The working cable 5 is linked to the winch through a lifting 
beam with pulleys 6 hinged to an arm 7 of the vehicle 1, which arm is 
maintained on the vehicle by a bracing 8. 
The support device 2 comprises one actual support element 2a formed in the 
present case of a hollow blade forming part similar to that of a 
bulldozer. The support device 2 is mounted in a movable manner with 
respect to the vehicle 1 between a raised position represented in dotted 
line in FIG. 4 and a position lowered down on the ground. For that 
purpose, a main arm 1a is pivotally mounted at one of its ends on the 
vehicle 1 and is solid at its other end with the lower part of the support 
device 2. The main arm 1a is solid with a transmission arm 1b, the free 
end of which is linked to the free end of a stem of a control means formed 
e.g. by a hydraulic jack 1c disposed on the vehicle. A strengthening arm 
1d is located between the middle part of the main arm 1a and the upper 
part of the support device 2. Such a blade raising and lowering mechanism 
is already known per se so that there is no need to describe it in more 
detail. 
The spanning beam 3 comprises at least two successive main elements, one 
inner extreme element 3a and one outer extreme element 3b, mounted in 
hinged relationship with respect to each other towards their adjacent ends 
through a hinge axis 3c substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal 
axis X--X' of the spanning beam (see FIG. 8). 
The principle of operation of the system according to the invention will 
now be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1H. 
The working cable 5 connected in the present case to the outer extreme 
element 3b of the spanning beam 3 while moving on this element as will be 
described in more detail later, and on the pulleys of lifting beam 6 which 
are secured on arm 7 of vehicle 1, maintains the spanning beam 3 on the 
support device 2 in a transport configuration of the spanning beam as 
shown in FIG. 1A. In this transport position of the spanning beam, the 
outer extreme element 3b is supported and maintained in a pivoting manner 
at its free end by the support device 2 which occupies the raised position 
while the inner extreme element 3a rests on the outer extreme element 3b 
along same through a bumper-forming device schematically represented by 
reference sign 3d and solid e.g. with element 3b. It is to be noted that 
the free end of element 3a is totally released in the transport position, 
i.e. this element does not rest by any way on the support device 2. 
Moreover, a locking means, which will be described with further detail 
later, mounted on the support device 2, keeps the free end of element 3b 
on the support device 2. Thus, the spanning beam 3 is transported by 
vehicle 1 which positions itself on the chosen launching area represented 
in the present case by a breach B. 
Once the vehicle is positioned, the spanning beam 3 is raised through 
winding of the working cable 5 on the winch of to vehicle up the position 
shown in FIG. 1B, close to the vertical position, and in which the inner 
extreme element 3a is supported in a pivoting manner at its free end by 
the support device 2 with concomitant release of the free end of the outer 
extreme element 3b from the support device. In the raised position of FIG. 
1B, the support device 2 still occupies the raised position of FIG. 1A. 
The raising of the spanning beam makes it possible to pass from the 
carrying of the outer extreme element 3b to the carrying of the inner 
extreme element 3a, the change of bearing point of the spanning beam on 
support 2 permitting the release of the lower part of outer extreme 
element 3b by actuating the locking means of the free end of this element 
as will be described later. In the raised position of FIG. 1B, the center 
of gravity of the spanning beam is substantially located at the bearing 
end of the inner extreme element on the device so that the outer extreme 
element is folded down against the inner extreme element. 
The support device 2 is then lowered as shown by arrow A so as to lower the 
bearing point of the inner extreme element 3a on the device 2 and to 
separate the outer extreme element 3b from the inner extreme element 3a 
and thus to permit a spreading of the spanning beam, as shown in FIG. 1E. 
During the lowering of the support device 2, the working cable 5 moves 
round a side extension 3b1 of element 3b so that the latter acts as a 
lever arm about the hinge axis 3c to facilitate the spacing of the outer 
extreme element 3b from the inner extreme element 3a. It is to be noted 
that from the raised position of the spanning beam shown in FIG. 1B to the 
spread position of same shown in FIG. 1E, the length of the working cable 
5 remains constant so that the lowering of the support device 2 alone, 
taking into account the moving of the cable round the extension 3b1 and 
its point of attachment 4, ensures the spreading of spanning beam 3. 
From the spreading position of the spanning beam shown in FIG. 1E in which 
the support device 2 rests on the ground, the working cable 5 is unwound 
from the winch to lower and deposit the spanning beam 3 over the breach B 
as shown in FIG. 1F. 
Once the spanning beam deposited over the breach, the working cable 5 is 
unwound more from the winch to slacken it and to release it automatically 
from its point of attachment on outer extreme element 3b in the way which 
will be described later (see FIG. 1G). 
The vehicle 1 is then moved backwards with respect to the spanning beam 3 
as shown by arrow R in FIG. 1H to release the end of the inner extreme 
element 3a of the spanning beam from the device 2 and to withdraw the 
working cable 5 from the spanning beam. 
After use of the spanning beam, the spanning beam is folded up as follows. 
The vehicle 1 comes closer to the spanning beam, the support device 2 being 
in the lowered position so that it raises the end of the inner extreme 
element 3a and positions it at its bearing point on device 2. The working 
cable 5 is then fixed to a point of anchoring or attachment of the inner 
extreme element 3a located near its end opposite to its supporting point 
on device 2. The cable 5 is then wound on the winch so as to raise the 
spanning beam towards the approximately vertical position shown in FIG. 
1B. During this phase of raising of the spanning beam, the outer extreme 
element 3b folds down towards and against the inner extreme element and 
the support device 2 passes from the lowered position to the raised 
position. In the raised position of FIG. 1B, the center of gravity of the 
spanning beam is substantially located at the bearing end of the inner 
extreme element on device 2 so that the outer extreme element 3b is well 
folded down against the inner extreme element. The working cable 5 is then 
unwound from the winch to bring the spanning beam into an angular position 
corresponding to that shown in FIG. 1A (for example of about 30.degree. 
with respect to the ground). Of course, in this position, the outer 
extreme element 3b is locked and maintained on the support device 2 and 
the other element 3a rests on element 3b. A trailer (not shown) is then 
caused to come close to the spanning beam along its longitudinal axis. The 
working cable 5 is unwound again to bring the end of the spanning beam 
opposite to its end supported on device 2 on the trailer according to such 
a configuration that the bearing point of the inner extreme element on 
device 2 is at a somewhat greater height than that of the opposite end of 
the spanning beam. The support device 2 is then lowered so as to totally 
deposit the spanning beam on the trailer and the unlocking means is 
manually actuated to release the free end of the inner extreme element 3b 
from the device 2. 
The recovery of the spanning beam from the trailer on the support device 2 
is performed by bringing the trailer near to the device so that the free 
end of the outer extreme element 3b is caused to face the locking means of 
the device and is manually locked in it. The working cable 5 which is 
partially wound round the extension 3b1 and fastened to the point of 
attachment 4, is then wound on the winch so as to raise the spanning beam 
about its hinge point on device 2 and to put it in the transport position 
shown in FIG. 1A. The spanning beam is then ready for a new spreading 
operation over another breach. 
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 8, there will now be described in detail the 
structure and the operation of the point of attachment of the end of cable 
5 on the outer extreme element 3b which makes it possible to automatically 
unhook the cable in the spread position of the spanning beam. The point of 
attachment 4 is formed of a support plate 4a for a hook-forming part 4b, 
which can co-operate alternately with two stops 9 and 10 solid with the 
extension 3b1 of the outer extreme element to limit the range of pivoting 
of the plate 4a about an axis 4a1 solid with the extension 3b1 between two 
extreme angular positions respectively of hooking of the working cable 5 
as shown in FIG. 2 and of unhooking of the cable as shown in FIG. 3. A 
resilient restoring means such for example as a draw spring 11 is 
connected at one of its ends to the support plate 4a and at its other end 
to the extension 3b1. This spring tends to draw the support plate 4a back 
against the stop 10. The hook-forming piece 4b is pivotally mounted about 
an axis 4b1 solid with the support plate 4a and comprises a projecting lug 
4b2 to which is connected the end of a resilient restoring means 12 formed 
also for example of a spring, which other end is connected to the common 
point of attachment of the end of spring 11 on plate 4a. The spring 12 
tends to draw the hook-forming part 4b back clockwise with respect to 
plate 4a. The lateral lever arm forming extension 3b1 of the outer extreme 
element 3b is laterally solid with the latter, near its hinge axis with 
element 3a as clearly shown in FIG. 8, and spreads substantially in a 
direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of element 3b beyond axis 3c. 
The assembly formed of the support plate 4a and the hook-forming part 4b 
is housed inside the extension 3b1 near the end of the outer extreme 
element 3b close to axis 3c. The arm 3b1 comprises at its free, rounded 
end, a guiding path for the working cable 5. This cable is connected to 
the hook of part 4b through a clevis 13. 
The inner extreme element 3a comprises also, laterally solid with it, and 
near the axis 3c, a lateral lever arm-forming extension 3a1 (FIG. 8) 
identical to the arm 3b1 and which extension 3a1 includes a point of 
attachment 4, the structure and the operation of which are identical to 
those of the point of attachment 4 shown in FIG. 2. The arm 3a1 spreads 
substantially in a parallel direction to the longitudinal axis of said 
element beyond axis 3c. 
In the transport position of the spanning beam, shown in FIG. 2, the cable 
5 moves round the extreme periphery of arm 3b1 and exerts a traction on 
the hook-forming part 4b through the clevis 13. The hook-forming part 4b, 
against the restoring action of spring 12, is caused to rest against a 
corresponding part of the support plate 4a, which is urged against stop 9 
against the restoring action of spring 11. The position of the point of 
attachment 4 with respect to the extension 3b1 shown in FIG. 2 is 
maintained during the phases of raising and of spreading of the spanning 
beam. When the spanning beam rests on the breach B as shown in FIG. 1G, 
the winch is actuated so as to slacken the cable 5. In this state, as 
shown in FIG. 3, the spring 11 draws the support plate 4a back against 
stop 10 and spring 12 draws the hook-forming part 4b back clockwise with 
respect to plate 4a towards a position where the clevis 13 of cable 5 
disengages through gravity from the hook of part 4b. The range of pivoting 
of part 4b with respect to plate 4a is limited by a heel 4b3 which is 
caused to rest on a corresponding part of plate 4a. 
FIG. 8 shows in addition a damping device 14 formed for example of a 
hydraulic jack mounted along axis X--X' and the body 14a of which is solid 
with the outer extreme element 3b and the stem 14b, passing over axis 3c, 
is solid at its free end with the inner extreme element 3a. The damping 
device 14 has as an effect to delay the effect of acceleration of the 
opening movement of spanning beam 3 appearing before the complete 
spreading of the spanning beam. 
The support device 2 will now be described in detail with reference to 
FIGS. 5-7 and 9. 
This device comprises at least two parallel plates 2b solid with the blade 
2a and located respectively in a transversal plane with respect to blade 
2a and thus perpendicular to the ground. Each plate 2b has an arc-shaped 
part conjugate to the hollow part of blade 2a in order to rest on this one 
and includes at its upper end a bent part 2b1 enclosing the upper part of 
blade 2a. A fixing means, such for example as a screw shown in dot- and 
dash-line, can be provided at the upper part of blade 2a to improve the 
fixing of plate 2b on blade 2a. The plates 2b further include respectively 
two front edges 2b2 connected at the lower part of the plates to a 
nose-forming part 2b3 to form a guiding path for the end of the inner 
extreme element 3b of the spanning beam as will be explained later. 
The support device 2 further comprises a bearing part 2c for the respective 
ends of the extreme elements 3a and 3b, pivotally mounted between the two 
plates 2b about an axis 2c1 disposed transversally between the two plates 
2b and which can alternately co-operate with two stops 15 and 16 solid 
with the plates and limiting the range of pivoting of the bearing part 
between two extreme angular positions, i.e. one bearing position for the 
end of the outer extreme element 3b in the transport position of the 
spanning beam shown at I in FIG. 5 and for the end of the inner extreme 
element 3a in the raised (shown at II in FIG. 5) and in the spreading 
position of the spanning beam, and one releasing position for the end of 
the inner extreme element 3a when the vehicle 1 moves backwards as shown 
in FIG. 7. 
The bearing part 2c comprises two recesses 2c2 and 2c3 with rounded bottom 
for bearing respectively two respective end axes 3a2 and 3b2 of the inner 
and outer extreme elements 3a and 3b. The axes 3a2 and 3b2 are disposed 
transversally to the longitudinal axis of the spanning beam respectively 
at the ends of the inner extreme element and of the outer extreme element. 
The bearing part 2c further comprises two axes 2c4 and 2c5 transversally 
projecting from both sides of the bearing part 2c and to which respective 
ends is attached the end of a draw spring 17 which maintains the bearing 
part 2c in one or in the other of its extreme angular positions. As better 
shown in FIG. 9, each of the axes 2c4 and 2c5 passes through a bean-shaped 
oblong hole 2b4 formed through each of plates 2b. When the bearing part 2c 
moves between the two aforesaid extreme angular positions, the axes 2c4 
and 2c5 move within their corresponding oblong hole. 
The support device 2 comprises also a means 2d for locking the end axis 3b2 
of the outer extreme element 3b on said device, which means is pivotally 
mounted inside the bearing part 2c about an axis 2d1 mounted transversally 
inside the bearing part 2c. The locking means 2d, made in a single piece, 
comprises a hook-forming part 2d2 for holding the axis 3b2 back in the 
transport position of the spanning beam as well as in the position of the 
spanning beam on the trailer, schematically shown at III in FIG. 5, this 
hook-forming part projecting in these positions from the recess 2c3 to 
maintain the axis 3b2 in a holding space partly defined by the recess 2c3 
and the front edges of plates 2b. The locking means 2d further comprises a 
pivoting arm-forming part 2d3 of the hook-forming part, opposite to the 
latter and projecting from the recess 2c2 of the bearing part 2c in the 
transport position of the spanning beam. A resilient means, such for 
example as a draw spring 18, connected at its free ends respectively to a 
fixing point solid with the locking means and to a fixing axis 2c6 solid 
with the bearing part 2c, draws the locking means 2d back into its locking 
position. 
Preferably, two pairs of parallel plates 2b, each comprising the assembly 
formed by the bearing part 2c and the locking means 2d, are mounted on 
blade 2a symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of vehicle 1 which 
coincides with the axis X--X' of the spanning beam mounted on the vehicle. 
The operation of the support device 2, which already follows partly from 
the preceding explanations, will now be described in more detail. 
When the support device 2 is in the raised transport position of the 
spanning beam, the end axis 3b2 of element 3b is maintained on the device 
2 through the hook-forming part 2d2 of the locking means 2d. When the 
spanning beam is raised towards the approximately vertical position, the 
end axis 3a2 of the element 3a, by contacting the arm 2d3, causes the 
hook-forming part to pivot in the unlocking direction shown in dotted line 
in FIG. 5, thus releasing the end axis 3b2 of element 3b. Of course, the 
end axis 3a2 of element 3a rests inside the recess 2c2 of the bearing part 
2c to ensure the pivoting of the spanning beam during the spreading. FIG. 
6 shows its extreme part of inner element 3a resting through its end axis 
3a2 in the recess 2c2 when the spanning beam is spread and deposited as 
shown in FIG. 1G. From this position, the vehicle 1 is caused to move 
backwards in the direction of arrow R as shown in FIG. 7, so as to move 
the support device 2 in the same direction and to cause the end of the 
inner element 3a to move by gravity first along a leg 2c7 of part 2c 
defined between the two recesses 2c2 and 2c3 to provoke the pivoting of 
part 2c against stop 16. Then, the edges 2b2 of plates 2b and the nose 2b3 
form a guiding path for the end axis 3a2 of element 3a in the descending 
direction, as shown by arrows D so as to deposit the end of element 3a and 
thus the spanning beam on the launching area. After use of the spanning 
beam, the recovery of element 3a is carried out by causing the 
nose-forming part of plates 2b to move towards the end axis 3a2 to put it 
again on the nose and on the guiding path-forming edges 2b2 and to bring 
it into its bearing recess 2c2 as shown by arrows A in FIG. 7. Before 
entering the recess 2c2, the end axis 3a2 exerts a pivoting action on 
bearing part 2c towards the extreme angular position defined by stop 15. 
The device returns then into the position shown in FIG. 6. The beam is 
then raised as already described before, in order to be thereafter put on 
the trailer. The unlocking of the end axis 3b2 of element 3b before the 
beam is totally put on the trailer is ensured by manually exerting a 
pressure on the pivoting arm 2d3 of the hook-forming part 2d2. 
Of course, instead of recovering and raising the spanning beam when the 
vehicle 1 is in the position shown in FIG. 1H, it is also possible to 
recover the spanning beam when the vehicle is on the other side of the 
breach, the outer extreme element becoming then the inner extreme element 
while the inner extreme element becomes the outer extreme element. 
Moreover, the spreading of the spanning beam may be carried out from the 
vehicle 1 located on the side of the breach B opposite to the side where 
the vehicle is located, as shown in FIG. 1A. In this case, the 
hook-forming assembly 4 of arm 3a1 will act in the same way as the 
hook-forming assembly 4 of arm 3b1. Moreover, it is to be noted that the 
point of attachment which permits the fixing of the working cable 5 in 
order to raise the spanning beam may be the hook-forming assembly 4 of the 
inner extreme element. 
Besides, the mechanism shown in FIG. 4 has been given by way of example, it 
being understood that other mechanisms performing identical functions to 
the described mechanism may be used. Finally, although the present 
invention has been described with reference to an armoured vehicle of the 
Engineer Corps, it nevertheless also applies to other vehicles having the 
same functions.