A platform set for a mobile elevator

Abstract: The present invention relates to a platform set for mobile elevator (1). It consists of a platform boom (9) hinged to a coupling element (7) mountable to (and dismountable from) a fast coupling (6) for fork groups or similar, located at the extremity of the manoeuvring boom (4) of a mobile elevator (1)

Description: The present invention concerns a platform set for a mobile elevator. 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. Also in the prior art there are devices with platforms mountable to hydraulic crane booms. US-A- 4 744 718 discloses a main extendable boom on a support vehicle which boom carries at a free end an attachment plate or coupling to permit of mounting or dismounting a fork group or an extendable mast or coloumn bearing a work platform at a free end. 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. 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. An advantage of the present invention consists in its ability to reach a compact rest-configuration whose total volume is extremely small. 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. 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. 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). 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. 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) arranged 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. 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. 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.

Claims: Platform set for mobile elevator (1) comprising a telescopic manoeuvring boom (4) hinged at its lower extremity to a frame (3) of the elevator and provided with a fast coupling (6) at an upper extremity to permit the mounting and dismounting of a fork group or the like; a coupling element (7) for attaching to or detaching from said fast coupling (6); a platform boom (9) bearing a platform (10) hinged to its free end, and being hinged (8) at its other end to said coupling element (7); characterized in that the said platform (10) is hinged to the free end of the said platform boom (9) by means of a symmetrical fork which is so dimensioned and conformed as to confer on the said platform (10) full rotation liberty about the platform hinge axis; being equipped with hydraulic activating means (11, 12) 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). 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 (15) being symetrically fork-shaped, with said platform (10) being hinged between its prongs.

Inventors: MAGNI RICCARDO DR, MAGNI, RICCARDO, DR.
Applicants: MANITOU COSTR IND SRL, MANITOU COSTRUZIONI INDUSTRIALI S.R.L.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B66F11
IPC codes: B66F11