Abstract:
A deployment apparatus for laying a traversable road covering track, the apparatus comprising a base, a spool mounted for rotation on said base, wherein a length of road covering track may be provided on said spool in a roll having a leading outer end at a first longitudinal side of said spool, the apparatus further comprising at least one substantially rigid arm that extends upwardly from said base, at a second, opposing longitudinal side of said spool, such that at least an upper end of said arm is adjacent to the outer surface of said roll, in use.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of British Patent Application No. GB1604523.9, entitled “DEPLOYMENT APPARATUS,” filed on Mar. 17, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates generally to deployment apparatus for coiled or rolled resources and more particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, to deployment apparatus for laying and recovery of road covering track normally stored in a rolled configuration such as, for example, a traversable temporary roadway, walkway or runway. 
         [0004]    Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    It is known, in many applications, to transport and deploy a temporary roadway system, wherein a road-covering track comprising interconnected profiled panels, is wound around a spool into a roll. In a known deployment method, the spool may be mounted, via a spool stand, on a flatbed body or trailer of a heavy goods vehicle, such that the winding axis of the spool is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body. As illustrated in  FIG. 1  of the drawings, the road-covering track  1  is drawn off the spool  2  and a pair of chains and straps  5 , which are attached at the end of the track  1 , are positioned under the vehicle&#39;s rear wheels  4 , over a pair of rollers  4   a,  as shown in  FIG. 1A  of the drawings. The vehicle  3  then reverses, placing the chains/straps  5  under tension and causing the road-covering track  2  to be removed from the rotating spool  2  and laid onto the ground. 
         [0006]    Other methods for deployment of this type of road-covering track are also known, that employ vehicles such as a tele-handler or wheeled loader, but they all operate in much the same manner as described above, whereby a constant tensioning device is used to automatically lay the roadway in tension and the laying process is determined by the speed of the moving vehicle. An alternative method of deployment may be performed by means of a remote control device that requires the operator and driver to synchronise the speed of vehicle travel with the speed of spool rotation. The operator depresses the spool rotation button on the pendant control to correspond with the travelling speed of the vehicle. If the electrical system fails, the operator can use hydraulic manual override levers to rotate the spool and, if complete hydraulic failure occurs, the operator can operate a manual handpump to release the spool rotation and the roadway can be manually pulled from the spool and placed under the vehicle&#39;s wheels. 
         [0007]    In all of these cases, it normally requires at least two people to set up the deployment apparatus for use, namely the driver and an operator, and the process can be time consuming and awkward. There are many commercial and military applications in which a temporary road covering track of this type is required to be deployed and subsequently recovered, quickly and conveniently, especially within rough terrain and/or potentially hazardous environments, where speed and efficiency are paramount, without necessarily requiring two or more operatives to effect such deployment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object of aspects of the present invention to address at least some of these issues and, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deployment apparatus for laying a traversable road covering track, the apparatus comprising a base, a spool mounted for rotation on said base, wherein a length of road covering track may be provided on said spool in a roll having a leading outer end at a first longitudinal side of said spool, the apparatus further comprising at least one substantially rigid arm that extends upwardly from said base, at a second, opposing longitudinal side of said spool, such that at least an upper end of said arm is adjacent to the outer surface of said roll, in use. 
         [0009]    In a first exemplary embodiment, a single arm may be provided at a location substantially half way along the length of said second longitudinal side of said spool. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, at least two arms may be provided at locations substantially adjacent to opposing ends of said longitudinal side of said spool. However, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that any number of deployment arms may be provided, and the present invention is not necessarily intended to be limited in this regard. It is also to be understood that the term ‘arm’ used herein is not intended to limit the configuration of this element of the apparatus—the ‘arm’ could, for example, be wider than it is long and still perform the same function. 
         [0010]    In an exemplary embodiment, the arm may comprise at least two connected or integral arm sections. The arm sections may, in this case, comprise respective elongate bars coupled, joined or formed integrally at adjoining ends, said arm sections being angularly oriented relative to each other. 
         [0011]    More generally, in an exemplary embodiment, an inner profile of said arm may generally define a curve having a radius substantially matching, or greater than, the radius of said roll so as to accommodate the roll in a space defined between said inner profile and said spool. Thus, in theory, the arm could be formed in a single, curved section to accommodate this profile. 
         [0012]    Optionally, the upper end of said arm may terminate at a height substantially half way, or more, up the roll, in use. The or each arm may comprise at least three connected or integral arm sections. In this case, the arm sections may, once again, comprise respective elongate bars coupled, joined or formed integrally at adjoining ends, said arm sections being angularly oriented relative to each other. 
         [0013]    The apparatus may further comprise an upright strut, coupled between said base and said arm. 
         [0014]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heavy wheeled or tracked vehicle having mounted thereon a deployment apparatus substantially as described above. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following specific description, in which embodiments of the present invention are described, by way of examples only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a conventional heavy goods vehicle in a method of deployment of a surface-covering track according to an example of the prior art; 
           [0017]      FIG. 1A  is a close-up partial view illustrating a conventional method of deployment of a surface-covering track according to an example of the prior art; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of a heavy goods vehicle having mounted thereon deployment apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the spool stand is in the transportation configuration; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic perspective view of deployment apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2B  is a close-up view of section A in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2C  is a schematic side view of the deployment apparatus of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2D  is a schematic rear view of the deployment apparatus of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a schematic rear view of the Heavy goods vehicle of  FIG. 2 , illustrating the spool stand of the deployment apparatus in the deployment configuration; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is an image illustrating the apparatus of  FIGS. 2 and 3  in the first stages of deployment of the surface-covering track; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic perspective view of deployment apparatus according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5B  is a close-up view of section A in  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5C  is a schematic side view of the deployment apparatus of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5D  is a schematic rear view of the deployment apparatus of  FIG. 5A ; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is an image illustrating the apparatus of  FIGS. 5A-5D  in the first stages of deployment of the surface-covering track. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 2  of the drawings, a mobility and deployment system  10  for a heaving tracked or wheeled vehicle  12  comprises a frame  14  mounted on the bed of the vehicle  12 . On the frame  14 , a spool stand is mounted for rotation about its vertical axis between the transportation configuration illustrated in  FIG. 2 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the spool stand is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle  12 , and the deployment configuration illustrated in  FIG. 3  of the drawings, in which the longitudinal axis of the spool stand  16  is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle  12 . 
         [0031]    A spool  18  is mounted on the spool stand for rotation about an axis parallel to the above-mentioned longitudinal axis of the spool stand  16 . The spool  18  is supported at each end of the spool stand  16  and rotates on bearing surfaces. A length of road covering track  20  is mounted in a rolled configuration on the spool  18 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 2  of the drawings, in a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a single deployment arm  22  is provided, which is coupled to the spool stand  16 , and supported by an elongate, generally upright strut  24 . The strut  24  extends substantially vertically from the side edge of the spool stand  16 , at a location substantially half way along the longitudinal edge thereof that is nearest the front of the vehicle  12  when the spool stand  16  is in the above-mentioned deployment configuration (such that it cannot be seen behind the spool  18  and roll  20  from the rear of the vehicle in  FIG. 3 , when the spool stand is in the deployment configuration). 
         [0033]    As can be best seen in  FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D  of the drawings, the deployment arm  22  is rigidly coupled at, or formed integrally with, the upper end of the strut  24 , and comprises three integral elongate arm sections, namely a lower arm section  22   a,  an intermediate arm section  22   b  and an upper arm section  22   c.  The lower arm section  22   a  extends upwardly and outwardly at an angle from a location adjacent an inner side edge of the above-mentioned longitudinal edge of the spool stand  16  and meets the upper end of the strut  24  at a location on its outer edge, close to the top of the lower arm section  22   a.  The intermediate arm section  22   b  extends from the top of the lower arm section  22   a  at an angle (relative to a nominal vertical axis) that is less than that at which the lower arm section  22   a  extends outwardly. The upper arm section  22   c  extends upward substantially vertically (or even slightly angularly toward the roll of track  20 ) from the upper end of the intermediate arm section  22   b.  As a result of the above-mentioned configuration, the inner wall of the deployment arm  22  effectively follows a ‘curve’ from the point at which the lower arm section  22   a  meets the spool stand  16 , outwardly and upwardly to the upper end of the upper arm section  22   c,  the radius of the ‘curve’ generally matching that of the fully rolled track  20 . In general, the deployment arm  22  needs only to be shaped and configured (in respect of its inner wall, i.e. the wall thereof that is immediately adjacent the rolled track  20 ) such that it extends outwardly (i.e. toward the front of the vehicle  12  when the spool stand  16  is in the deployment configuration) from where it is joined or coupled to the spool stand  16  (or frame  14 ), to ensure that the resultant space between the inner wall of the deployment arm  22  and the spool  18  is sufficient to accommodate the fully rolled track  20 , and upwardly to terminate at a height around half way (or more) up the roll (as can be seen from  FIG. 3  of the drawings). In theory, the deployment arm could be a single arm section either curved into the required profile to accommodate the roll, or it could extend substantially vertically upward along its entire length, provided its lower end is coupled to the frame/spool stand at a location that is sufficiently far back from the outer surface of the roll. 
         [0034]    The upper arm section  22   c  is generally vertical relative to (or even angled slightly toward) the roll, with its inner wall adjacent to (i.e. very close to or even just touching) the outer surface of the track  20  in the fully rolled configuration, but without exerting any significant force or pressure thereon when it is at rest. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 4  of the drawings, in use, when the spool  18  is rotated (either by an operative pulling the free end of the track  20  (manually) or by means of a motor or the like, the free end of the track is released from the roll and fed out (toward the rear of the vehicle  12 ). Without any tension being applied to the end of the track, the net effect of this rotation is that the roll starts to unravel at the rear (i.e. the side nearest the front of the vehicle  12 ). However, in this case, any such unraveling is counteracted by the upper arm section  22   c  of the deployment arm  22 , which, when the track  20  starts to unravel toward it, has the effect of exerting a radial force thereon (toward the spool  18 ), thereby pushing the leading edge of the track  20  in the opposite direction, toward the rear of the vehicle  12 , and ensuring that the end of the track  20  is correctly fed from the spool  18 . 
         [0036]    Once the end of the track  20  clears the rear edge of the frame  14  and the rear end of the vehicle  12 , gravity acts on it to pull it downwardly toward the ground, thereby applying tension thereto. When the end of the track  20  has dropped to the ground, the vehicle  12  can reverse onto it, and as the vehicle continues to reverse, the remaining length of track  20  is pulled from the spool  18  and laid on the ground beneath the vehicle wheels. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D  of the drawings, a deployment apparatus according to a second exemplary embodiment is illustrated, in which a pair of deployment arms  32  is provided, the deployment arms  32  being substantially identical and located close to opposing ends of the spool stand  16 , spaced apart from one another along the rear longitudinal edge thereof (i.e. the edge nearest the rear of the vehicle when the spool stand  16  is in the above-mentioned deployment configuration). 
         [0038]    Once again, and in respect of each deployment arm  32 , an upright strut  34  extends vertically upwardly from the outer edge of the spool stand  16  (or frame  14 ), but in this case, each deployment arm  32  comprises two integral arm sections, namely a lower arm section  32   a  and an upper arm section  32   b.  The lower arm section  32   a  extends upwardly and outwardly at an angle from a location adjacent an inner side edge of the above-mentioned longitudinal edge of the spool stand  16  and meets the upper end of the strut  34  at a location on its outer edge, close to the top of the lower arm section  32   a.  The upper arm section  32   b  extends substantially vertically upwardly to a point around halfway (or more) up the roll of track  20 . In other exemplary embodiments, the upper arm section  32   b  may, once again, alternatively be angled slightly toward the roll of track  20 . 
         [0039]    As before, in use and referring to  FIG. 6  of the drawings, when the spool  18  is rotated (either by an operative pulling the free end of the track  20  (manually) or by means of a motor or the like, the free end of the track is released from the roll and fed out (toward the rear of the vehicle  12 ). Without any tension being applied to the end of the track, the net effect of this rotation is that the roll starts to unravel at the rear (i.e. the side nearest the front of the vehicle  12 ). However, in this case, any such unraveling is counteracted by the upper arm sections  32   b  of the deployment arms  32 , which, when the track  20  starts to unravel toward it, have the effect of exerting a radial force thereon (toward the spool  18 ), thereby pushing the leading edge of the track  20  in the opposite direction, toward the rear of the vehicle  12 , and ensuring that the end of the track  20  is correctly fed from the spool  18 . 
         [0040]    In the case of both the first and second exemplary embodiments described above, a low friction layer or coating  33 , e.g. low friction sacrificial plastic or even rolling wheels may be provided on the inner surface of the or each deployment arm, to provide a low-friction interface between the deployment arm(s) and the outer surface of the track  20 , in use. 
         [0041]    It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, from the foregoing description, that modifications and variations can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.