Abstract:
The machine comprises a rotating crane column ( 1 ) with a telescopic arm ( 3 ) activatable by a hydraulic cylinder ( 5 ). The arm ( 3 ) supports a second arm ( 6 ) to which the cleaning tools ( 7 ) are fitted. The arm ( 6 ) can make different movements with a view to directing and adapting the cleaning tools ( 7 ) over any surface (walls, ceiling and floor). Said cleaning tools ( 7 ) are fitted to a chassis ( 22 ) attached to the arm ( 6 ), a chassis ( 22 ) which has a series of mutually articulated sections ( 22′ ), in such a way that the various articulated arms, sections and elements enable all types of movements driven by appropriate hydraulic cylinders ( 10, 15, 25, 29 ).

Description:
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    As stated in the title of this descriptive specification, the present invention relates to a machine for cleaning tunnels, walls and similar, which has been conceived for being able to carry out the cleaning in all kinds of tunnels, whether the roadway is wide or narrow, whether the height is high or low, as well as in tunnels with square cross-section or even those in the form of an arch in which the roof has a very pronounced curvature. 
         [0002]    The object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of carrying out cleaning operations in tunnels, for both the walls and the roof and floor, on the basis of some special means which permit the positions of the cleaning tools to be adapted in the most appropriate and convenient way, according to is the type of tunnel or surface to be cleaned in each case. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    When cleaning tunnels, machines are normally used which are mounted on the trailer of a towing vehicle, whether this be a truck or other vehicle for hauling and/or appropriate transportation, and in this regard a machine described in WO 9749868 can be cited, as well as that described in Spanish Utility Model U 9301786, in which a machine is described that is preferably hauled with a towing vehicle and that comprises a tank with water for cleaning, along with an array of arms with nozzles for the outlet of water which is projected in the form of a curtain on the surfaces to clean. The cleaning elements themselves which consist of brushes, are fitted in a chassis made up of several articulated sections which can be activated by hydraulic cylinders, said chassis with the brushes forming a unit which is mounted in articulated fashion on the telescopic arm provided on the platform of the machine or carrier vehicle under consideration. 
         [0004]    The said machine is valid for cleaning concrete tunnels in the form of an arch and those that are wide, carrying out the cleaning in the direction perpendicular to that in which the machine itself advances. 
         [0005]    Nevertheless, when the tunnel has a square cross-section or its roof has a large curvature, or it is low and also very narrow, then the machine described in U 93017686 is not valid, or at least it encounters serious difficulties when it comes to carrying out the cleaning of the roof and walls, and it is currently impossible to clean the floor or the left-hand wall for all kinds of tunnel. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The machine forming the object of the present invention presents a series of features which permit an efficient cleaning to be carried out on any kind of tunnel, whether of the kind which has its roof in a pronounced arch and/or very high, or the kind which has a rectangular or quadrangular cross-section etc., which is achieved on the basis of certain means that allow for rotation and/or swiveling both upwards and downwards, as well as to the right and to the left, and it can be said that it performs three movements of rotation which make it possible to position the brushes on any part and surface. 
         [0007]    Specifically, the inventive machine consists of a rotating cane column fitted on the appropriate transport or hauling vehicle, to which column is fitted an upper telescopic arm, with the ability to swivel upwards and downwards in order is to position its end at a higher or lower height, and fitted to this arm is an arm for holding the cleaning tools, the latter arm being able to rotate to the right or to the left in the horizontal plane, as well as to swivel upwards or downwards, and to have an end part holding the cleaning brushes, with the ability to rotate in order to achieve the folded position during transportation or the extended position in the work position, all this in such a way that, based on said rotations and/or swivelings, three movements are established which correspond to those that are considered as being the folding movement, the twisting movement and the tilting movement, according to three different points of rotation. 
         [0008]    In terms of the means which the machine incorporates so that the arm holding the cleaning tools can perform the movement of folding towards the left and towards the right in the horizontal plane, these are constituted on the basis of a rotation shaft, by means of which the union is established between the telescopic arm of the crane, said rotation shaft belonging to that telescopic arm, and with respect to which is mounted a first piece which corresponds to the initial part of the arm holding the cleaning tools, in order to permit the rotation of the latter with respect to the said telescopic arm of the crane. That part of the arm holding the cleaning tools incorporates a hydraulic cylinder attached, via an articulation, to the first piece belonging to the said arm holding the cleaning tools, while the piston of that cylinder is articulated via its end to the actual arm of the crane, in such a way that the extension and/or retraction of the piston entails the lateral pushing or pulling of the arm holding the cleaning tools and with it the rotation of the same in one direction or the other, forming in each case an angle with the said telescopic arm of the crane. 
         [0009]    In terms of the means which the machine incorporates so that the arm holding the cleaning tools can perform the swiveling movement of twisting upwards or downwards in the vertical plane, these are constituted on the basis of the first piece belonging to the initial part of the arm holding the cleaning tools, on which first piece is articulated, via a rotation shaft, a second piece belonging to that arm. Articulated to the rear end of the first piece is a hydraulic cylinder whose piston is simultaneously articulated to two plates, one articulated via its other end to said first piece and the other articulated via its free end to the second piece of the said arm holding the cleaning tools, in such a way that the extension or retraction of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder entails the swiveling upwards or downwards of the said second piece and with it that of the is rest of the arm holding the cleaning tools. 
         [0010]    In terms of the means which the machine incorporates so that the arm can hold the cleaning tools, and more specifically the chassis forming part of that arm and in which the actual cleaning tools are fitted, they are constituted on the basis of a third piece articulated to the second piece of the said arm, and joined via its other end to the actual chassis of the cleaning tools. Between both second and third pieces is fitted a hydraulic cylinder whose piston is articulated to the second piece of the arm, while the cylinder itself is attached to the third piece, in such a way that the extension or retraction of the piston of the cylinder entails the rotation in the vertical plane in one direction or the other of the third piece and therefore of the chassis in which the cleaning tools are fitted. 
         [0011]    In accordance with the three movements described for the arm holding the cleaning tools, the cleaning can be carried out of any kind of tunnel, be it of the kind with an arched roof, or of quadrangular or rectangular cross-section, permitting to carry out the cleaning of walls and floors with complete efficiency, by virtue of the fact that the chassis on which the cleaning brushes or tools are fitted is determined by a succession of articulated sections on one side and the other, in which sections the actual brushes constituting the cleaning tools are fitted, said sections being able to occupy different angular positions between each other, commanded by the respective hydraulic cylinders associated with the same, and thereby being able to adopt a trajectory that is twisted, appreciably bent or straight and thus being able to adapt itself to the surfaces to clean. 
         [0012]    Finally, it can be said that the machine will be complemented with the appropriate water/detergent ducts along with control and handling devices for its correct functioning. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    In order to complement the description that is going to be made forthwith, and with the aim of facilitating a better understanding of the characteristics of this invention, this specification is accompanied by a set of drawings on the basis of which the innovations and advantages of the inventive machine will be more easily understood. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1 . Shows a general schematic view of the machine on a carrier vehicle. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2 . Shows a perspective view of part of the machine where the means of rotation in the horizontal plane, to the left and the right, of the arm holding the cleaning tools are established. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3 . Shows a perspective view of part of the machine where the means of swiveling upwards and downwards of the arm holding the cleaning tools are established. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4 . Shows a perspective view of part of the machine where the means of rotation in the vertical plane of the chassis, forming part of the arm holding the cleaning tools are established, in which chassis the actual cleaning tools are fitted. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5 . Shows a schematic plan view of the telescopic arm belonging to the crane of the machine, connected to the arm holding the cleaning tools and the chassis of this arm with the articulated sections on which the actual cleaning tools will be fitted. This figure allows one to see by means of dashed lines the different angular positions which can be occupied by the sections of the chassis corresponding to the arm of the cleaning tools. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED FORM OF EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]    With the said figures in view, it can be seen how the machine forming the object of the invention is constituted on the basis of a crane column  1  mounted in rotating fashion on the platform of a carrier vehicle  2 , which can be a truck, a tractor with trailer, etc. Articulated on the upper end of said column  1  is a telescopic arm  3  able to swivel upwards or downwards by means of a hydraulic cylinder  4 , said telescopic arm  3  having another hydraulic cylinder  5  which is in charge of carrying out the extension or retraction of said arm  3 , the free end of which is in turn articulated to an arm  6  holding the cleaning tools  7 , such as brushes, scrapers or similar. 
         [0020]    The said arm  6  can carry out various rotation movements in order to appropriately direct and adapt the cleaning tools  7  on the surface to clean, whether these be the side walls or even the floor, independently of the width, height and general configuration of the tunnel in question. 
         [0021]    One of the movements which the arm  6  can make is the horizontal rotation to the left and to the right with respect to a rotation shaft  8  provided in the end of the telescopic arm  3  and secured to it. This rotation shaft  8  forms a means of articulation of a first piece  9  belonging to the arm  6  on the actual telescopic arm  3 , to which piece  9  is laterally articulated the body of a hydraulic cylinder  10  whose piston  10 ′ is articulated to the actual telescopic arm  3 . The articulation of the body of the cylinder  10  to the first piece  9  of the arm is referenced with  11 , while the articulation of the piston  10 ′ to the telescopic arm  3  is referenced with  12 . On the basis of the aforementioned means, when the piston  10 ′ of the cylinder  10  extends or retracts, the rotation of the piece  9  will take place and therefore of the entire arm  6  to the left or to the right, forming an angle with respect to the telescopic arm  3 . 
         [0022]    Another movement which the arm  6  can make is that of swiveling in the vertical plane, upwards or downwards, for which provision has been made for a second piece  13  of the arm  6  to be articulated by means of the rotation or swiveling shaft  14  to the first piece  9  of said arm  6 . 
         [0023]    The activation is effected starting from a hydraulic cylinder  15  with its end  16  articulated to the first piece  9 , in correspondence with the lower and rear part of the latter, while the piston  15 ′ of said cylinder  15  is articulated, according to the point  16 , simultaneously to two plates  18  and  19 , the first of them articulated via its other end  20  to the first piece  9  while the second plate  19  is articulated via its other end  21  to the second piece  13  of the arm  6 . In this way, when the piston  15 ′ of the cylinder  15  is extended or retracted, the swiveling will be produced upwards or downwards of the second piece  13  with respect to the first piece and therefore of the arm  6 , starting from said first piece  9 . 
         [0024]    Moreover, the arm  6  can carry out a third rotation movement, specifically of the end chassis  22  which forms part of the actual arm  6 , and on which the cleaning tools  7  are fitted. 
         [0025]    Said chassis  22  is integral with a third piece  23  of the actual arm  6 , this third piece  23  being fitted in an articulated and rotary manner with respect to the second piece  13 , with the particular feature that articulated to a lug  24  of that piece  13  is the end of the piston  25 ′ corresponding to a hydraulic cylinder  25 , the body of which is articulated to the said third piece  23 , this articulation being referenced with  26 , while the articulation of the piston  25 ′ to the lug  24  is referenced with  27 . 
         [0026]    In accordance with the aforementioned means, when the piston  25 ′ of the cylinder  25  is extended or retracted the swiveling or rotation is produced towards the right or left, in the vertical plane, of the third piece  23 , and with it that of the chassis  22  on which the cleaning tools  7  are fitted. 
         [0027]    The said chassis  22  is prolonged to both sides in an array of sections  22 ′ successively articulated together, permitting the assembly to adapt itself to the is different zones or surfaces on which the cleaning is intended to take place, since it is on those sections where the actual cleaning tools  7  are fitted. The articulations between sections  22 ′ are referenced with  28 , between each pair  22 ′ of which is a hydraulic cylinder  29  by means of which one or the other orientation of a section is carried out with respect to the contiguous one and so an appreciably bent, straight, twisted, etc., trajectory is thus obtained. 
         [0028]    Logically, the machine being described will be complemented with the appropriate ducts and means suitable for pumping water and detergents towards the cleaning tools  7 , these elements not having been represented since they are conventional and in order to permit a greater clarity in the representation of the means involved in executing the movements which the arm  6  can, as a whole, carry out, in accordance with what has been described above.