Abstract:
A self-loading tricycle transporter directed to 10-50 ton load ranges having a three-point tricycle type configuration providing superior suspension in terms of natural load contact on any type of surface condition. The tricycle transporter includes a fluid lifting suspension at each of three points. One point utilizes an on-center rotation fluid suspension axle assembly working in conjunction with solid elastomer tires at each end axle beam at the rear that attaches to the underside of the tricycle transporter platform with heavy fluid cylinder at each end. Accordingly, the three suspension points have the capability of being able to lift and lower to accommodate self-loading.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a tricycle transporter having two or more fluid suspension axle assemblies in order to carry very heavy loads. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a tricycle transporter having two arrangements of axle assemblies that have both dependent and independent suspension, and is capable of self-loading in order to carry very heavy loads without damaging the transport surface. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Industrial facilities, including factories, power plants and shipyards, often require that very large, heavy and often delicate objects be moved both within buildings of the industrial facility and between buildings. 
         [0005]    One method in which very heavy objects can be moved within an industrial facility is through the use of cranes. One example of a crane used in an industrial facility is a gantry crane which includes a hoist in a trolley running horizontally along gantry rails. The gantry crane has the disadvantages of a large size, especially height, and a lack of maneuverability. Another example of a crane used in an industrial facility is an overhead crane system including beams mounted on the side walls of a building. In the overhead crane system, the hoist is on a trolley which moves along the beams. A disadvantage of the overhead crane is that objects cannot be transported from one bay to another or outside of the building beyond which the overhead crane&#39;s track system extends. 
         [0006]    Another method of moving objects within an industrial facility is through the use very heavy capacity fork lifts and heavy capacity trailers, both of which require extended operating space and place heavy point-loading on the operating surfaces. 
         [0007]    Heavy capacity fork lifts typically have solid, or limited mechanically equalizing suspension relying on compression of the tires for compliance to uneven operating surfaces. Very heavy capacity solid tire trailers are limited to mechanical equalizing suspension, therefore providing limited compliance and maneuverability on irregular floors and congested spaces. The latter have sharply diminishing capabilities for loads above 40 tons. 
         [0008]    For the transport of very heavy loads within an industrial facility—, where loads are generally in excess of 80 tons, In Plant—Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (IP-SPMT) may be utilized. An IP-SPMT refers to a low-profile deck, multi-axle, self-propelled transporter, with independent-fluid suspension axle assemblies that are typically used to carry loads heavier than 40 tons and ranging into hundreds of tons. An IP-SPMT is typically internal combustion engine-electric powered and has four to twelve or more on-center rotation axle assemblies. The on-center rotation axles can be independently steered by varying each wheel motor speed and direction. 
         [0009]    Another method of moving heavy objects within an industrial facility are air bearings which have the capability of self-loading and omni-directional movement, including their inherent ability to lift for independent equalized load sharing across any number of support points; however, that technology is sharply restricted by the surface texture, smoothness, and uninterrupted surfaces of the floors, along with requiring relatively level operating conditions. 
         [0010]    The inventor of the present application has previously proposed an IP-SPMT in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,842 capable of carrying very heavy loads of over 40 tons to address some of the shortcomings of the prior art. In the material-handling equipment of U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,842, a multi-wheeled transport vehicle capable of carrying very heavy loads while crossing uneven terrain without torquing the load was disclosed. The material handling equipment included a modular wheel unit  5  shown in  FIG. 1 . The modular wheel unit  5  permitted a low profile and included means  7  to equalize the load between a plurality of individual wheel units located in any spacing pattern. The advantages of the transporter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,842 included the ability to offer similar capabilities to that of air bearings of self-loading and omni-directional movement without concern for floor surface textures, severe floor irregularities, or level conditions. 
         [0011]    While the capabilities of the transporter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,842 have allowed highly efficient movement of heavy loads of virtually any size, the cost has prevented the technology to be accepted by industries in lower weight capacities, for example to transport loads in the 30 to 50 ton range, and the 10 to 30 ton range. Accordingly, there is a need to have a self-loading capability that can be adapted to lighter, though still unquestionably heavy load ranges that can be more cost acceptable to industry. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0012]    The present disclosure provides the self-loading feature into lighter load ranges by reducing the number of required components in a three-point tricycle type solid configuration providing superior suspension in terms of natural load contact on any type of surface condition. The present disclosure further provides a fluid lifting suspension at each of three points. One point utilizes an on-center rotation fluid suspension axle assembly working in conjunction with solid elastomer tires at each end axle beam at the rear that attaches to the underside of the tricycle transporter platform with heavy fluid cylinder at each end. Accordingly, the three suspension points have the capability of being able to lift and lower to accommodate self-loading. 
         [0013]    The processor of the tricycle transporter may include a machine logic controller (PLC) to control each of the wheel drive motors, and the machine logic controller includes steering logic to linearly and rotationally control the tricycle lifting suspension; a steering calculator to perform steering algorithm calculations for the steerable front axle assembly and the fixed rear axle driven wheels, a speed/direction controller to provide command signals to the rear wheel rotations to match with the angularity of the steering axle; and a suspension controller to lift and carry the load, raise and lower the tricycle transporter, establish and maintain a mean travel height. 
         [0014]    One of the rear cylinder housing connecting to the tricycle transporter platform may be pivotally mounted on the axle frame and to the underside of the tricycle transporter&#39;s load platform by a pair of trunnion pins that allow the cylinders to articulate laterally if and when load leveling is a desirable added feature. Under normal operating conditions all cylinders will raise and lower in unison and the base of the load will simply be parallel to the plane established with the three points of contact on the operating surface. 
         [0015]    The second rear axle cylinder will have a fixed mounting to either the underside of the tricycle transporter or the axle while the other end is free to rotate laterally should the leveling feature be activated 
         [0016]    The suspension controller of the tricycle transporter may control a fluid pressure acting on each of the fluid pistons of each of the three axle suspension points to provide vertical lifting and lowering for the self-loading feature. 
         [0017]    The lift circuit of the tricycle transporter may be fitted with one or more pressure transducers. 
         [0018]    The electrical compartment of the tricycle transporter may include a shore power connection. 
         [0019]    The suspension points of the tricycle transporter may include a fluid pressure transducer, angularity and lift sensors, and wheel speed/direction sensor. 
         [0020]    The tricycle transporter may also include a wireless, tethered or embedded operator interface. 
         [0021]    An aspect of the present disclosure is the method of electronically differentially driving the independently driven wheels on the rear axle assembly to accurately respond to the angularity of the driven front axle. 
         [0022]    It is recognized that the rear axles need not be driven if loads are light enough that the front steerable drive axle has sufficient torque to handle the operating condition. 
         [0023]    Additional aspects and/or advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. 
         [0024]    According to an aspect of the present disclosure a tricycle transporter includes a frame and a load deck; a machinery compartment, the machinery compartment including a fluid power unit, a processor, and at least one of a combustion engine, a generator, a battery and an external power connection; a single front wheel module; and a dual rear wheel module. 
         [0025]    In the tricycle transporter, the single front wheel module may include an axle frame including a cylinder and fluid piston; and first and second wheels connected on opposing sides of the axle frame, each of the wheels being independently driven by a servo motor. 
         [0026]    In the tricycle transporter, the dual rear wheel axle assembly may include a beam transversely mounted on an underside of the load deck at a rear portion thereof; a right rear wheel module mounted on a right end of the axle beam; a left rear wheel module mounted on a left end of the axle beam; a right rear fluid cylinder including a fluid piston; and a left rear fluid cylinder including a pneumatic or fluid piston, where the beam is mounted to the underside of the load deck via the right rear fluid cylinder and the left rear fluid cylinder. 
         [0027]    In the tricycle transporter, the right rear wheel module may include a right rear wheel positioned on an axle frame formed on a right side of the beam, the right rear wheel being independently driven by a servo motor, and the left rear wheel module may include a left rear wheel positioned on an axle frame formed on a left side of the beam, the left rear wheel being independently driven by a servo motor. 
         [0028]    In the tricycle transporter, the processor may include a machine logic controller to control the single front wheel module and the dual rear wheel module, the machine logic controller including a steering mode controller to rotationally control the single front wheel module; a steering calculator to perform steering algorithm calculations for the single front wheel module and the dual rear wheel module; a speed/direction controller to provide command signals to the single front wheel module and the dual rear wheel module; and a suspension controller to lift and carry a load, raise and lower the tricycle transporter, establish and maintain a mean travel height, and to provide sequential load height control. 
         [0029]    In the tricycle transporter, the load height controller may increase or decrease fluid pressure to the fluid cylinders of the single front wheel module and the dual rear wheel module as would be used to precision mate the carried load in X, Y, and Z planes with a previously positioned component, the suspension controller may control fluid pressure acting on each of the fluid pistons of the single front wheel module and the dual rear wheel module to provide interaction between the single front wheel module and the dual rear wheel module to if it is desirable for the load to remain level while negotiating angular surfaces along a line of travel of the tricycle transporter. 
         [0030]    In the tricycle transporter, the single front wheel module and the dual rear wheel module axle assemblies each may include a fluid pressure transducer, angularity and lift sensors and wheel speed/direction sensors. 
         [0031]    The tricycle transporter may further include a wireless, tethered or embedded operator interface. 
         [0032]    According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a tricycle transporter includes a frame and a load deck; a machinery compartment, the machinery compartment including a hydraulic power unit, a processor, and at least one of a combustion engine, a generator, a battery and an external power connection. For example, the tricycle transporter may be powered by a plurality of heavy batteries. The tricycle transporter includes a pair of on-center rotation front wheel modules positioned side by side in a transverse direction of the tricycle transporter; and a pair of dual rear wheel axle assemblies positioned consecutively in a longitudinal direction of the tricycle transporter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0033]    These and/or other aspects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
           [0034]      FIGS. 1-3  are top, side and end views of a tricycle transporter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively; 
           [0035]      FIG. 4  is a control schematic of the tricycle transporter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0036]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the tricycle transporter carrying a load according an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0037]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are top and side views of a tricycle transporter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively; and 
           [0038]      FIGS. 8 and 9  are top views of the tricycle transporter performing radial turning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0039]    Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present disclosure by referring to the figures. 
         [0040]      FIGS. 1-3  show a tricycle transporter  10  which includes a frame  11 , a machinery compartment  80 , a load deck  40 , a single front wheel module  20  and a dual rear wheel module  70 . 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the machinery compartment  80  contains a combustion engine  82 , generator  84 , hydraulic power unit  86  and an electronic controls compartment  88 . As an alternative to the combustion engine  82  driven generator  84 , shore power or battery power may be connected to the tricycle transporter  10  to power the tricycle transporter  10  through an electrical panel  87  (See  FIG. 4 ). The electronic controls compartment  88  includes an onboard processor  90 . 
         [0042]    The front wheel module  20  is a multi-directional articulating frame structure where the imposed load is equally transmitted and distributed to the road surface in the broadest possible individual points of contact. The front wheel module  20  connects to the underside of the tricycle transporter  10  at a front center portion of the tricycle transporter by a mounting plate  26 . Attached to mounting plate  26  is the top of a center column fluid piston  28 . The fluid piston  28  is contained in a fluid cylinder  30  which is trunnion-pin mounted into the open-center axle frame  34  in such a manner as to allow the axle frame to tilt in either direction to accommodate lateral variances in the travel surface. Wheels  22  and  24  are formed on opposing sides of the axle frame  34 . Each of the wheels  22  and  24  includes a side plate  36  pivotally mounted on the axle frame  34  by using trunnion pins with heavy low-friction thrust washers. The trunnion pins have a bolted face plate and thrust washer to securely hold the side plates in contact with the open-center axle frame  34 . To the side plates  36  are mounted driver axles  42  and  44  supporting the wheels  22  and  24 . Also mounted to the side plate are servo motors  46  and  48 , of the servo motors  46  and  48  including a gear box. The drive shaft of the respective servo motors  46  and  48  extends through the side plates  36 , and are fitted with a sprocket and an encoder that transmits data to the onboard processor  90 . Power transmission means from the gear box of the servo motors  46  and  48  to the driver axles  42  and  44  may include a roller chain, timing belt, gear train, or other suitable power transmission means. 
         [0043]    While a fluid piston is discussed herein, the present disclosure is not limited to a fluid piston and hydraulic action may be accomplished through other mediums such as a compressed gas as the fluid medium. 
         [0044]    On the back of the tricycle transporter  10  is the dual rear wheel module  70 . The rear wheel module  70  includes an axle beam  72  transversely mounted on an underside of the load deck  40  of the tricycle transporter  10  at a rear portion thereof and further includes a right rear wheel module  120  and a left rear wheel module  220  mounted on the right and left ends of the axle beam  72 , respectively. The axle beam  72  is mounted to the underside of the tricycle transporter  10  via a right rear fluid cylinder  128  including fluid piston  129  and a left rear fluid cylinder  228  including fluid piston  229 . 
         [0045]    The right rear wheel module  120  includes right rear wheel  122  positioned on an axle frame  134  formed on the right side of the beam  72 . The right rear wheel module  120  includes a side plate  136  pivotally mounted on the axle beam  70  using trunnion pins with heavy low-friction thrust washers. The trunnion pins have a bolted face plate and thrust washer to securely hold the side plate in contact with the beam  72 . To the side plate  136  is mounted a driver axle  144 . Also mounted to the side plate are a servo motor  146  and gear box. The driver axle  144  extends through the side plate  136 , and is fitted with a sprocket and an encoder that transmits data to the onboard processor  90 . Power transmission means from the gear box of the servo motor  146  to the driver axle  144  may include a roller chain, timing belt, gear train, or other suitable power transmission means. 
         [0046]    The left rear wheel module  220  includes left rear wheel  222  positioned on an axle frame  234  formed on the left side of the beam  72 . The left rear wheel module  220  includes a side plate  236  pivotally mounted on the beam  70  using trunnion pins with heavy low-friction thrust washers. The trunnion pins have a bolted face plate and thrust washer to securely hold the side plate in contact with the beam  72 . To the side plate  236  is mounted a driver axle  244 . Also mounted to the side plate are a servo motor  246  and gear box. The driver axle  244  extends through the side plate  236 , and is fitted with a sprocket and an encoder that transmits data to the onboard processor  90 . Power transmission means from the gear box of the servo motor  246  to the driver axle  244  may include a roller chain, timing belt, gear train, or other suitable power transmission means. 
         [0047]    Wheels  22 ,  24 ,  122  and  222  are preferably constructed of solid urethane, but may also be constructed of any suitable material. 
         [0048]    In order to enable rear fluid equalizing suspension, fluid cylinder  228  is rigidly attached at either the top of the beam  72  while the fluid piston  229  is free to laterally articulate about a suspension pin, while fluid cylinder  128  and fluid piston  129  are both free to articulate laterally through suspension pins. 
         [0049]    Fluid pistons  28 ,  129  and  229  lift and lower in tandem and hold their elevations, thereby providing a self-loading, three-point, rigid suspension. Further, as a manual or automatic load leveling system, fluid pistons  28 ,  129  and  229  can have the added feature of their lift heights being variable to respond to a solid state load leveling sensor or manually controlled to control pitch, yaw, and roll in the X, Y, and Z planes when mating the carried load with a stationary item. For maintaining a level load condition while traveling on uneven surfaces or handling laterally slanting surfaces, such as moving perpendicular on a ramped surface, fluid cylinder  128  may include an inclinometer device and make stroke corrections for slopes in rare cases where load leveling is desired. 
         [0050]    Although the present embodiment shows the right rear wheel  122  and left rear wheel  222  being powered by servo motors  146  and  246 , the left and right rear wheel modules could be non-powered and the tricycle transporter  10  could rely only on the front wheel module  20  for tractive effort. 
         [0051]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a user directs the path of the tricycle transporter  10  through a wireless user interface  190  to direct the path of the tricycle transporter anywhere on the tricycle transporter&#39;s 10 X or Y centerlines. 
         [0052]    The onboard processor  90  collects and combines information from the encoders of the front wheel module  20  and each of the rear axle wheels  70 , to steer the tricycle transporter. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the encoders for the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70  include fluid pressure transducers  61 ,  161 ,  162 , wheel speed/direction encoders  62 ,  162 ,  262  and lift encoders  63 ,  163 ,  263 . 
         [0053]    The configuration of the tricycle transporter  10  including the front wheel module  20  and the rear fixed direction rear axle wheels  70  provides the capability of tight radial turns. 
         [0054]    Control operations of the tricycle transporter  10  take place in the processor  90 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the processor  90  includes a machine logic controller  92 , a steering controller  93 , a suspension controller  94 , an engine/generator controller  95 , a speed/direction controller  96 , a lift/lower self-loading controller  97 , a mean travel height controller  98  and a load leveling controller  99 . 
         [0055]    The machine logic controller  92  controls each of the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70 . The machine logic controller  92  includes a steering mode controller  93  for angular direction control of the front wheel module  20 . The speed/direction controller  96  provides command signals to the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70 . The suspension controller  94  includes a lift/lower controller  97  to lift and lower the tricycle transporter  10 , a mean travel height controller  98  and a load leveling controller  99 , when load leveling is provide as an optional control feature. The engine/generator controller controls the engine  82  and generator  84 . 
         [0056]    The suspension controller  94  provides interaction between the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70  while negotiating undulating surface irregularities along the line of travel of the tricycle transporter  10 . The suspension controller  94  controls the fluid pressure acting on each of the fluid pistons  28 ,  129  and  229 . As previously discussed, the fluid cylinders  30 ,  128 ,  228  are pivotally mounted to allow the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70  to articulate or tilt in reaction to laterally uneven surfaces. The fluid pistons  28 ,  129 ,  229  and fluid cylinders  30 ,  128 ,  229  also provide fluid suspension lift for self-loading. It is contemplated that the only time the suspension control come into play is in the initial lift to the carry/travel position. Essentially, suspension is rigid for all normal travel. The only time to control the lift otherwise is during aligning a load with another object during mating for alignment of bolting or other tasks. The tricycle transporter&#39;s  10  loading deck  40  can be lowered to drive under column, stand, or rail supported loads, and the tricycle transporter  10  can then be driven into the resulting portal or tunnel space. Once in position, the fluid pistons  28 ,  129 ,  229  of each of the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70  will raise the deck  40  of the tricycle transporter  10  to engage and then lift the load clear of contact with the floor surface. During travel with the load, the fluid pistons  28 ,  129 ,  229  are positioned at roughly their mid-stroke point, which allows them to provide the solid suspension function. Specifically, the tricycle transporter  10  is designed to be a nearly rigid suspension except the fluid cylinders in the two steerable front modules are on a common fluid circuit that allows them to freely move oil from one side to the other to accommodate floor irregularities. The same is true of the rear axles They will share oil between the two cylinders on the left and the two cylinders on the right, but the solid point of lift is midpoint between the leading and following axles. 
         [0057]    In the case of gas suspension, the cylinders are either at the top or bottom of stroke instead of a mid stroke, but still have shared loading capability. 
         [0058]    As discussed, each of the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70  with an array of sensors/encoders including fluid pressure transducers, angularity and lift sensors and wheel speed/direction sensors which are monitored by the processor. It is to be noted that equalizing suspension can also be accomplished by dividing the number of cylinders into a three fluid line interconnected group that will allow free interchange of oil between all of the cylinders. Based on three-point suspension geometry enabled by the structure of the front wheel module  20  and the dual rear wheel module  70 , this configuration also assures equalized loading on every axle&#39;s surface contact points. 
         [0059]    Further, in a liquid suspension, the information obtained from each cylinder&#39;s  30 ,  128 ,  228  pressure transducer allows the processer  90  to calculate and show on the display  85  (See  FIG. 4 ) the weight and center-of-gravity of the load being carried on a real time basis. In a typical transporter configuration, the load on each cylinder  30 ,  128 ,  228 , will be monitored by linear position sensors that report to the processor  90  the individual lift height of the fluid pistons  28 ,  129 ,  229 . This information, along with output from a two-axis inclinometer, can be further used to provide automatic load leveling, if required for the particular application, when the transporter is negotiating ramps or similar surface conditions. 
         [0060]    The tricycle transporter  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-3  shows a single front wheel module  20  and a single dual rear wheel module  70 , the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a tricycle transporter  100  may also include a right front wheel module  200 , a left front wheel module  202 , and first and second dual rear wheel modules  700  and  702 . As the construction of the modules  200 ,  202 ,  700  and  702  corresponds to the construction of the modules  20  and  70 , respectively, a detailed description thereof is omitted. Further other components of the tricycle transporter  100  such as the machinery compartment containing a combustion engine, generator, hydraulic power unit and an electronic controls compartment are the same as the tricycle transporter  10 , and a detailed description thereof is omitted. 
         [0061]    In the tricycle transporter  100  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , first and second dual rear wheel modules  700  and  702  include pivot pins  710  and  720 , respectively, to allow the first and second dual rear wheel modules  700  and  702  to pivot. In view of the pivotal nature of the first and second dual rear wheel modules  700  and  702 , the first and second dual rear wheel modules  700  and  702  may also be provided with lubricated skid plates to prevent friction between the first and second dual rear wheel modules  700  and  702  and the underside of the tricycle transporter  100 . 
         [0062]    As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the configuration of the tricycle transporter  100  provides that for both wide and tight radial turns. 
         [0063]    Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. For example, although the present disclosure discusses a transporter having a single suspension point in the front of the transporter and two suspension points in the rear of the transporter, this may be reversed and the tricycle transporter of the present invention may have two suspension points in the front of the tricycle transporter and one suspension point in the rear of the tricycle and still maintain the capability of being able to lift and lower to accommodate self-loading.