Patent Publication Number: US-2012034057-A1

Title: Storage wagon for transporting bulk material, and a method

Description:
The invention relates to a storage wagon for transporting bulk material, including a bottom conveyor belt extending in a longitudinal direction of the wagon, which is arranged within a container and serves as a bottom surface and comprises a receiving- and discharge end, and also including a transfer conveyor belt positioned at a front end of the wagon and projecting beyond the same, wherein a loading conveyor belt, displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the wagon, as well as an excavating device and a work cabin are provided at a rear end of the wagon. 
     Further, the invention also relates to a method for putting the loading conveyor belt into operation. 
     A storage wagon of this type is known from WO 2007/116249 A3. The excavating device is fastened, together with a work cabin, directly on the wagon frame, with the loading conveyor belt being displaceable relative to the wagon frame into a working position. A solution with this kind of structure permits only a limited width and length of the loading conveyor belt. 
     It is the object of the present invention to provide a storage wagon of the type mentioned at the beginning, or a method, which makes it possible to perform a more efficient loading operation. 
     According to the invention, this object is achieved with a storage wagon of the specified type in that the excavating device and the work cabin are arranged directly on the loading conveyor belt in a section of the loading conveyor belt immediately adjoining a receiving end. 
     This structural solution allows the loading conveyor belt to be designed with greater width and thus greater efficiency, since the excavating device together with the work cabin is arranged above the loading conveyor belt. Additionally, optimal positioning of both the excavating device and the work cabin close to the excavation site is ensured. 
     With the method according to the invention, a very simple change between working- and transfer position is possible even in the case of a heavier loading conveyor belt designed for greater efficiency. 
     Additional advantages of the invention become apparent from the dependent claims and the drawing description. 
    
    
     
       The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to embodiments represented in the drawing in which 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of a storage wagon having a loading conveyor belt, and  FIGS. 2 to 4  show a variant of a method for transferring the loading conveyor belt into the working position. 
     
    
    
     A storage wagon  1 , visible in  FIG. 1 , for transporting bulk material  2  has a container  3  with a bottom conveyor belt  4  serving as a bottom surface. Said bottom conveyor belt  4  has a discharge end  7 , positioned at a front end  6  of the container  3  with regard to a longitudinal direction  5  of the wagon, and a receiving end  9  situated at a rear end  8  of the container  3 . 
     Provided at a front end  13  of the wagon is a transfer conveyor belt  12  which is pivotable about an axis  10  and projects beyond a wagon frame  11 . The transfer conveyor belt  12  has a receiving end  14 , situated underneath the discharge end  7  of the bottom conveyor belt  4 , and a discharge end  15  positioned higher in relation to the former. 
     Arranged in an upper end region  16  of the container  3  is a loading conveyor belt  17 , extending in the longitudinal direction  5  of the wagon, which has a front discharge end  18  and a rear receiving end  19 . A work cabin  20  and an excavating device  21  are connected to the loading conveyor belt  17  in a section immediately adjoining the receiving end  19 . The excavating device  21  is configured as an excavator boom  23  which is pivotable and changeable as to its length by means of drives  22  and has an excavator shovel  24 . 
     In the transfer position, a front end  25 —in the longitudinal direction  5  of the wagon—of the loading conveyor belt  17  rests on a belt support  28  in the shape of a roller. Arranged at a rear end  29  of the wagon is a second belt support  31  having support rollers  30  for resting the loading conveyor belt  17  on. 
     The wagon frame  11  is mobile on a track or, selectively, on a ballast bed or ground surface  34  by means of two on-track undercarriages  32  as well as two vertically adjustable crawler undercarriages  33 . A motor  36  serves for actuating motive drives  35  and the various other drives. The work cabin  20 , directly connected to the loading conveyor belt  17 , is equipped with a control device  37  for actuation of various drives  22  of the excavating device  21 . 
     The storage wagon  1 —expediently together with several storage wagons coupled to the front end of the wagon—is driven on a track to a construction site. During this, the loading conveyor belt  17  is in a transfer position, shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the entire loading conveyor belt  17  is situated above the wagon frame  11 , or in the upper end region of the container  3 . 
     In order to transfer the loading conveyor belt  17  into a working position visible in  FIG. 4 , a winch  38  is actuated. The latter causes a longitudinal displacement of the loading conveyor belt  17 , resting on the belt supports or support rollers  28 ,  30 , relative to the storage wagon  1  into a working position shown in  FIG. 4 . In this position, on the one hand, the excavating device  21  and the work cabin  20  are situated immediately above the ballast bed  34  and, on the other hand, the discharge end  18  is situated above the receiving end  9  of the bottom conveyor belt  4 . Thus, bulk material taken up by the excavator shovel  24  can now be discharged upon the receiving end  19  and in further sequence, via the discharge end  18  of the loading conveyor belt  17 , upon the bottom conveyor belt  4 . The loading conveyor belt  17  is moved back into the transfer position again by actuation of the winch  38 . 
     A second, alternative method for putting the loading conveyor belt  17  into operation will be described in more detail below. As soon as the storage wagon  1  has entered the track-less construction site with the aid of the lowered crawler undercarriages  33 , the receiving end  19  of the loading conveyor belt  1  is lifted relative to the wagon frame  11  by lowering the excavator shovel  24  upon the ground surface  34  (see  FIG. 2 ). During this, the loading conveyor belt  17  is swivelled slightly about axes  27  of the two belt supports  28 . Subsequently, the storage wagon  1  is moved in the longitudinal direction  5  of the wagon while being distanced from the locally unmoved excavator shovel  24 , until the discharge end  18  of the loading conveyor belt  17  comes to lie above the receiving end  9  of the bottom conveyor belt  4  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     In further sequence, the excavator shovel  24  is raised relative to the loading conveyor belt  17  until the receiving end  19  thereof rests on the ground surface  34  ( FIG. 4 ). 
     In order to displace the loading conveyor belt  17  into the transfer position, the receiving end  19  is lifted slightly by pressing the excavator shovel  24  against the ballast bed. Subsequently, the storage wagon  1  is moved in the direction towards the excavator shovel  24  by actuation of the motive drive  35 . With this, the loading conveyor belt  17  is automatically displaced into the transfer position situated above the wagon frame  11 . This retracting motion may be assisted by the second belt support  31 .