SELF-SUPPORTING FRAME FOR VEHICLES

Abstract: Self-supporting frame for vehicles, characterized in that it is at least partially made of a hardened cast material (2) on the basis of at least a mineral hardening binding agent and at least a filling material.

Description: Self-supporting frame for vehicles. 5 -,, The invention concerns a self-supporting frame for vehicles. The term vehicle should be understood in the broad sense 10 here, as any frame resting on wheels, caterpillars or sliding surfaces that can be pulled or pushed, whether or not by its own engine mounted upon it. The invention concerns in particular, but not 15 exclusively, a frame for an industrial vehicle such as a lorry, and even more in particular a frame for a wheeled hoist. The known self-supporting frames for vehicles are usually 20 made of a welded construction of metal, usually steel. Such constructions are relatively expensive, due to the material cost as well as the labour cost required for the fabrication. 25 Moreover, steel constructions are liable to corrosion. That is why they need to be protected against corrosion by means of lacquer, which implies that they require regular maintenance. 30 Of course, frame constructions made of materials which are less liable to corrosion, such as aluminium, are known. Not only are these constructions even significantly more expensive, their strength is usually not quite satisfactory. 35 When having to support constantly varying loads, these metal frame constructions often show haircracks, as a result of which , or also due to metal fatigue, they may break. The invention aims to remedy these disadvantages and to provide a self-supporting frame for vehicles which is cheap and can be made very solid. To this aim the frame is at least partially made of a hardened cast material on the basis of at least a mineral hardening binding agent and at least a filling material. As the material can be cast, it can easily assume any shape whatsoever, and this in a fast and cheap way. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the hardened cast material is provided with a reinforcement. As a result, especially the resistance against tensile strain and torsional strain increases. According to a practical embodiment of the invention, the hardening binding agent is a binding agent which can be hardened by means of water. The cast material may in this case be inexpensive concrete or a similar material. Practically, the binding agent which can be -hardened by means of water is in this case cement or lime. According to the last two embodiments, at least the part made of the hardened cast material is corrosion-proof. This part can be made very solid and has a long service life. The fact that this part is relatively heavy is in many cases, among others with hoists and especially also with lorries, rather an advantage as it increases the stability of the vehicle. The hardened cast material can be made as a monoblock. In this case, protruding points of anchorage can be provided in the hardened material for a possible superstructure or coachwork. Such a monoblock frame should of course be cast in a mould or form. However, the frame can also be partially made of metal pipes filled with the hardened cast material. In this case, the pipes are used as a mould or form. In this case, however, the material costs are higher than in the case of the monoblock embodiment, but the pipes also serve as a reinforcement and a smaller volume of cast material is required for the same strength. Especially, but not exclusively, in the last embodiment the frame can also replace the functional supporting structure and thus also the conventional superstructure in hoists and such like. Other details and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of a self-supporting frame for vehicles according to the invention. This description is given by way of example only without limiting the invention in any way, with reference to the according drawings, where: figure 1 shows a side view of a self-supporting frame for vehicles according to the invention; figure 2 shows a section according to line II-II in figure 1; figure 3 shows a side view analogous to that in figure 1, but with reference to another embodiment of a frame for vehicles according to the invention. The wheeled self-supporting vehicle frame represented in figures 1 and 2 consists of a structure of hollow steel pipes 1 welded to one another which serve as form and reinforcement for concrete 2 which was cast in these pipes 1 and which hardened in these pipes 1. This concrete 2 is a normal concrete in conformity with the Belgian standard NBN B 15-501, with cement as a binding agent which hardens by means of water and with sand and gravel as fillers. Inside the concrete 2, an extra steel reinforcement 3 may possibly be provided. The pipe construction is composed of pipes 1 having a diameter of 40.6 cm (16 inch) and pipes 1 having a diameter of 81.2 cm (32 inch). The construction of pipes 1 filled with concrete 2 is, in an analogous way as a metal frame construction, supported by wheels 4 through the medium of a preferably hydraulic suspension 5. All or a number of the wheels 4 may be rotatable and possibly controllable. A load can be placed on this frame, or a superstructure, whether or not provided with pipes filled with concrete, such as a coachwork, a cockpit, a crane tower or crane boom, etc. The volume of relatively expensive steel in the frame is limited. Part of the steel that would be necessary for a frame which is entirely made of steel, is replaced by concrete, which is much cheaper. Since said concrete can be cast, it can be provided relatively easily and fast. The strength of the concrete is excellent. The frame is relatively heavy, which implies that the frame has an excellent stability. The embodiment of the frame represented in figure 3 mainly differs from the above-described embodiment because the pipes 1 have been left out and the frame is made of the above-mentioned concrete 2 as one single block, i.e. as a so-called monoblock. In this case, no welding is required and any form whatsoever can be obtained easily and fast by casting the concrete. A reinforcement is preferably provided in the concrete. This reinforcement may consist of hoopings, mouldings, fibres, mats which are woven or not and such like. In order to allow for an easy mounting of a superstructure such as a coachwork, a cockpit, a crane tower or crane boom, etc. supporting points may be anchored in the concrete 2 which are preferably inserted before the concrete has entirely hardened or which are even provided in the form or mould in which the concrete is cast. The concrete 2 may be coloured all through or may be provided with a coating such as a layer of paint. Thanks to the usual means or measures for concrete, the outer surface of the cast concrete can be made relatively smooth after the hardening. To this end, the concrete may be vibrated before the hardening, for example by placing the form or mould on a vibrating plate. It is also possible to prestress the concrete 2 when a reinforcement is used. As in the previous embodiment, this frame is also carried by wheels 4 and it * offers the same application possibilities and advantages as this previous embodiment. However, the material costs of this second embodiment are even lower than those of the first embodiment. Moreover, the concrete 2 is not liable to corrosion, such that no anti-corrosion protection is required. The concrete 2 has a long life and requires no or little maintenance. The concrete frame has a good strength, especially when it is provided with a reinforcement. In both embodiments, the wheeled frame can be pulled or pushed. It may also be automotive, in which case a combustion engine or an electrical engine is mounted on the rame to drive the wheels 3. The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above; on the contrary, these embodiments can be made in all sorts of variants while still remaining within the scope of the invention, among others as far as shape, composition, arrangement and the number of parts used are concerned. In particular, another sort of concrete than the one described above can be used. The concrete can also be made with another mineral binding agent than cement or lime. The frame must not necessarily be entirely made of concrete. The two described embodiments can be combined: in the embodiment containing no pipes filled with concrete, parts of the frame may still be made of metal parts such as mouldings, and vice versa, in the embodiment consisting of pipes filled with concrete, concrete parts may be provided which are not cast in metal pipes. In this case, for example in the embodiment represented in figure 1, between the lower horizontal pipes filled with concrete situated between the wheels, a reinforced concrete part which is not cast in pipes, for example a plate, may be provided.

Claims: Claims . 1. Self-supporting frame for vehicles, characterized in that it is at least partially made of a hardened cast material (2) on the basis of at least a mineral hardening binding agent and at least a filling material. 2. Self-supporting frame according to the above claim, characterized in that the hardened cast material (2) is provided with a reinforcement (1, 3). 3. Self-supporting frame according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the hardening binding agent is a binding agent which can be hardened by means of water. 4. Self-supporting frame according to the above claim, characterized in that the cast material (2) is concrete or a comparable material. 5. Self-supporting frame according to any of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the binding agent which hardens by means of water is cement. 6. Self-supporting frame according to any of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the binding agent which hardens by means of water is lime. 7. Self-supporting frame according to any of the above claims, characterized in that the hardened cast material is made as one block. 8. Self-supporting frame according to the above claim, characterized in that protruding points of anchorage are provided in the cast material. 9. Self-supporting frame according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is partly made of metal pipes which are filled with the hardened cast material. 10. Self-supporting frame according to any of the above claims, characterized in that it is part of an industrial vehicle.

Inventors: CALLENS LUDWIG WILLY FLORENTIN, CALLENS, LUDWIG, WILLY, FLORENTINA
Applicants: CALLENS LUDWIG WILLY FLORENTIN, CALLENS, LUDWIG, WILLY, FLORENTINA
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B62D29
IPC codes: B62D21, B62D29