Patent Publication Number: US-2023150799-A1

Title: Bidirectional anti-slipping apparatus in monorail crane based on inner ratchet mechanism

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation application of international PCT application serial no. PCT/CN2022/082953, filed on Mar. 25, 2022, which claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202110665943.6 filed on Jun. 16, 2021, and entitled “BIDIRECTIONAL ANTI-SLIPPING APPARATUS IN MONORIAL CRANE BASED ON INNER RATCHET MECHANISM”. The contents of both applications are hereby incorporated by reference in the present application. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to the field of transportation equipment, and in particular to a bidirectional anti-slipping apparatus in a monorail crane based on an inner ratchet mechanism. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Coal mine auxiliary transportation is an important part in coal mine production, which undertakes the important tasks for transporting operators, mining equipment and gangues. As important modern efficient auxiliary transportation equipment, monorail crane has incomparable advantages over small winches, gear rail vehicles and trackless rubber-tyred vehicles, and can be applied to the floor conditions of most coal mines in China. During the operation process of the monorail crane, due to the facts such as insufficient pressure of the clamping cylinder, excessive abrasion of the driving wheel, excessive abrasion of the brake block, high-angle transportation gradient, and the damp and moisture return of the I-steel 6 track in summer, the problems of vehicle sliding and slipping after parking are prone to occurring. At present, there is little research on the problem of vehicle slipping in a monorail crane in China, and coal mining enterprises do not have reliable devices to solve this problem, so it is difficult to ensure the safety of coal mine production. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the above technical deficiencies, the objectives of the present disclosure are to provide a bidirectional anti-slipping apparatus in a monorail crane based on an inner ratchet mechanism, which can realize the function of bidirectional anti-slipping in the monorail crane, prevent the accidents of vehicle slipping in the monorail crane, ensure the safety of operators and realize the safe transportation. 
     In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the following technical solutions are adopted in the present disclosure. 
     Provided in the present disclosure is a bidirectional anti-slipping apparatus in a monorail crane based on an inner ratchet mechanism. The apparatus includes a vehicle following stabilizing mechanism, a track, and front and rear sets of locking mechanisms with opposite rotation directions. The vehicle following stabilizing mechanism includes a protective shell. A middle vehicle capable of sliding and a hydraulic cylinder configured to control the middle vehicle to slide are arranged in the protective shell. A front vehicle and a rear vehicle are respectively fixed at front and rear ends of the protective shell through connecting rods. 
     Each locking mechanism includes two left and right groups of ratchet devices adapted to the track. Each of the ratchet devices includes a fixing rod, a plurality of driving plates are respectively fixed at two ends of the fixing rod on a side of the fixing rod proximate to the track. A plurality of ejectable ratchet pawls are arranged along a circumferential direction of each of the driving plates. A rotatable inner ratchet wheel is further arranged along the circumferential direction of each of the driving plates. A plurality of locking grooves adapted to the ratchet pawls are arranged in an inner wall of the inner ratchet wheel attached to the driving plate. The ratchet pawls are capable of limiting the inner ratchet wheel to rotate unidirectionally in cooperation with the locking grooves. Inner ratchet wheels on the front and rear sets of locking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions. 
     A front locking mechanism is arranged between the front vehicle and the middle vehicle, two ends of the fixing rod on the front locking mechanism are respectively hinged with the front vehicle and the middle vehicle through front rocker arms. A rear locking mechanism is arranged between the rear vehicle and the middle vehicle, and two ends of the fixing rod on the rear locking mechanism on rear are respectively hinged with the rear vehicle and the middle vehicle through rear rocker arms. 
     Preferably, a pawl chamber is arranged in the driving plate, and a plurality of notches in communication with the pawl chamber are arranged on a circumferential periphery of the driving plate. The plurality of extendable ratchet pawls corresponding to the notches are pin-connected with the pawl chamber. A resetting spring is further arranged between the ratchet pawls and the driving plate. 
     Preferably, an I-shaped steel is adopted as the track. Track plates are arranged on lower surfaces at two left and right sides of an upper wing plate of the I-shaped steel. Outer meshing gear rings engaged with the track plates are arranged on circumferential peripheries of the inner ratchet wheels. 
     Preferably, outer meshing gear rings on the inner ratchet wheels located in a same row in each set of the locking mechanisms are correspondingly arranged in parallel. 
     Preferably, a width of the track plate is greater than a maximum axial distance of one-sided ratchet wheels of the locking mechanisms. Two sets of the locking mechanisms maintain a certain distance from a web plate at a middle of the I-shaped steel when the two sets of locking mechanisms are disengaged from the track. 
     Preferably, the driving plate is fixed to the fixing rod through a driving-plate fixing-rod, and the driving plate is fixed on an outer wall of the driving-plate fixing-rod. 
     Preferably, each set of the locking mechanisms is provided with eight driving plates. Two ends of each fixing rod are respectively provided with two driving plates, and each driving plate is provided with a corresponding inner ratchet wheel. 
     Preferably, a sliding channel configured to slide the hydraulic cylinder back and forth is provided in the protective shell. 
     Preferably, each of the connecting rods is composed of a plurality of threaded rods threadedly connected together and capable of self-locking in length. 
     Preferably, the connecting rods are respectively connected to the front vehicle, the protective shell and the rear vehicle through fixing plates, and the fixing bolts are respectively fixedly mounted on outer sides of the front vehicle and the rear vehicle. 
     The beneficial effects of the present disclosure lie in the following. The apparatus can simultaneously complete the actions of engaging with the track and disengaging from the track of two sets of the locking mechanisms through one hydraulic cylinder according to the running direction of the monorail crane. The two sets of the locking mechanisms realizes the function of bidirectional anti-slipping in the monorail crane in cooperation with the track by utilizing the characteristic of the forward rotation and reverse locking of the inner ratchet wheel, which prevents the accidents of vehicle slipping in the monorail crane, ensures the safety of operators and realizes the safe transportation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings that need to be used in the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the accompanying drawings in the following description are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art would obtain other drawings according to the drawings without any creative effects. 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a schematic diagram of a bidirectional anti-slipping apparatus in a monorail crane based on an inner ratchet mechanism walking on a track provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a schematic structural diagram of the bidirectional anti-slipping apparatus in the monorail crane based on the inner ratchet mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a schematic diagram of connections between an inner ratchet wheel, a driving plate, and a fixing rod provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle following stabilizing mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates a schematic structural diagram of ratchet pawls provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    illustrates a schematic structural diagram of track plates provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       1 . Front vehicle;  2 , Front rocker arm;  3 , Outer meshing gear ring;  4 , Inner ratchet wheel;  5 , Fixing rod;  6 , I-shaped steel;  7 , Middle vehicle;  8 , Rear rocker arm;  9 , Rear vehicle;  10 , Fixing bolt;  11 , Fixing plate;  12 , Connecting rod;  13 , Hydraulic cylinder;  14 , Protective shell;  15 , Track plate;  16 , Sliding channel;  17 , Bearing wheel;  18 , Piston rod;  19 , Driving-plate fixing-rod;  20 , Driving plate;  21 , Ratchet pawl;  22 , Reset spring;  23 , Pawl chamber. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent that the described embodiments are merely some rather than all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, other embodiments acquired by those of ordinary skilled in the art without any creative effort all belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  1    to  FIG.  6   , a bidirectional anti-slipping apparatus in a monorail crane based on an inner ratchet mechanism includes a vehicle following stabilizing mechanism, a track, two front and rear sets of locking mechanisms with opposite rotation directions. The vehicle following stabilizing mechanism includes a protective shell  14 . A middle vehicle  7  capable of sliding and a hydraulic cylinder  13  configured to control the middle vehicle  7  to slide are arranged in the protective shell  14 . A front vehicle  1  and a rear vehicle  9  are respectively fixed at front and rear ends of the protective shell  14  through connecting rods  12 . 
     Each locking mechanism includes two left and right groups of ratchet devices adapted to the track. Each of the ratchet devices includes a fixing rod  5 , a plurality of driving plates  20  are respectively fixed at two ends of the fixing rod  5  on a side of the fixing rod proximate to the track. A plurality of ejectable ratchet pawls  21  are arranged along a circumferential direction of each of the driving plates  20 . A rotatable inner ratchet wheel  4  is further arranged along the circumferential direction of each of the driving plates  20 . A plurality of locking grooves adapted to the ratchet pawls  21  are arranged in an inner wall of the inner ratchet wheel  4  attached to the driving plate  20 . The ratchet pawls  21  are capable of limiting the inner ratchet wheel  4  to rotate unidirectionally in cooperation with the locking grooves. Inner ratchet wheels  4  on the front and rear sets of locking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions. 
     A front locking mechanism is arranged between the front vehicle  1  and the middle vehicle  7 , and two ends of the fixing rod  5  on the front locking mechanism are respectively hinged with the front vehicle  1  and the middle vehicle  7  through front rocker arms  2 . The rear locking mechanism is arranged between the rear vehicle  9  and the middle vehicle  7 , and two ends of the fixing rod  5  on the rear locking mechanism are respectively hinged with the rear vehicle  9  and the middle vehicle  7  through rear rocker arms  8 . The front vehicle  1 , the middle vehicle  7  and the rear vehicle  9  are all provided with bearing wheels  17  convenient for hinging with the front rock arms  2  or rear rock arms  8 . 
     A pawl chamber  23  is arranged in the driving plate  20 , and a plurality of notches in communication with the pawl chamber  23  are arranged on a circumferential periphery of the driving plate  20 . The plurality of extendable ratchet pawls  21  corresponding to the notches are pin-connected with the pawl chamber  23 . A resetting spring  22  is further arranged between the ratchet pawls  21  and the driving plate  20 . 
     An I-shaped steel  6  is adopted as the track. Track plates  15  are arranged on lower surfaces at two left and right sides of an upper wing plate of the I-shaped steel  6 . Outer meshing gear rings  3  engaged with the track plates  15  are arranged on circumferential peripheries of the inner ratchet wheels  4 . 
     Outer meshing gear rings  3  on the inner ratchet wheels  4  located in a same row in each set of the locking mechanisms are correspondingly arranged in parallel. 
     A width of the track plate  15  is greater than a maximum axial distance of the one-sided ratchet wheels  4  of the locking mechanisms. Two sets of the locking mechanisms maintain a certain distance from a web plate at a middle of the I-shaped steel  6  when two sets of the locking mechanisms are disengaged from the track. 
     The driving plate  20  is fixed to the fixing rod  5  through a driving-plate fixing-rod  19 , and the driving plate  20  is fixed on an outer wall of the driving-plate fixing-rod  19 . 
     Each set of the locking mechanisms is provided with eight driving plates  20 . Two ends of each fixing rod  5  are respectively provided with two driving plates  20 , and each driving plate  20  is provided with a corresponding inner ratchet wheel  4 . 
     A sliding channel  16  configured to slide the hydraulic cylinder  13  back and forth is provided in the protective shell  14 . 
     Each of the connecting rods  12  is composed of a plurality of threaded rods threadedly connected together and capable of self-locking in length. 
     The connecting rods  12  are respectively connected to the front vehicle  1 , the protective shell  14  and the rear vehicle  9  through fixing plates  11 , and the fixing bolts  10  are respectively fixedly mounted on outer sides of the front vehicle  1  and the rear vehicle  9 . 
     When the monorail crane operates in the direction a, the front locking mechanism rises up driven by the hydraulic cylinder  13  to engage with the track and moves forward along with the vehicle. During the operation, the driving plate  20  does not rotate, the inner ratchet wheel  4  and the outer meshing gear ring  3  are engaged with the track, rotate around the driving plate  20  to move forward, and the ratchet pawl  21  is pressed into the pawl chamber  23  during the rotation, which does not affect the rotating of the inner ratchet wheel  4 . When the monorail crane slips in the direction b, the inner ratchet wheel  4  and the outer meshing gear ring  3  are rotated reversely on the track. Due to the mechanism characteristics of the inner ratchet  4 , the ratchet pawl  21  is ejected from the pawl chamber  23  through the resting springs  22  to lock with the inner ratchet wheel  4 , the inner ratchet wheel  4  and the outer meshing gear ring  3  stop rotating, and the gear teeth are locked with the track, which can prevent the monorail crane from slipping in the direction b. 
     The distance between the front vehicle  1  and the rear vehicle  9  maintains constant. When the middle vehicle  7  is driven by the hydraulic cylinder  13  to move in the direction a, under the actions of the rear rock arms  8 , the rear locking mechanism is fed into the track, and the front locking mechanism is disengaged from the track. When the middle vehicle  7  is driven by the hydraulic cylinder  13  to move in the direction b, under the actions of the front rock arms  2 , the front locking mechanism is fed into the track, and the rear locking mechanism is disengaged from the track. 
     The front and rear sets of locking mechanisms rotate in opposite directions during installation, the length of the piston rod  18  of the hydraulic cylinder  13  is adjusted according to the running direction of the monorail crane to push the corresponding locking mechanism into the track during operation, the two sets of locking mechanisms are used in cooperation to play a bidirectional locking role. 
     When the middle vehicle  7  moves to limit positions at the two ends of the sliding channel  16 , it is ensures that the locking mechanism in the engaged state will not extrude and damage the track, and the locking mechanism in the disengaged state will maintains a safe distance from the lower wing plate of the I-shaped steel  6  to avoid the contact collision. 
     The apparatus does not need to be externally connected with a power source during walking, the fixing bolts  10  at the front and rear of the apparatus are connected with the monorail crane, and the vehicle following action is completed through three bearing trolleys. 
     In use, as illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the monorail crane traveling in the direction a is taken as an example, the hydraulic cylinder  13  drives the piston rod  18  in the direction b, and under the actions of the front rocker arms  2 , the front locking mechanism is engaged with the track to get into an engaged state; along with the operation of the vehicle, the driving plate  20  of the front locking mechanism keeps parallel movement with the I-shaped steel  6  and does not rotate, the inner ratchet wheel  4  and the outer meshing gear ring  3  rotate anticlockwise around the driving plate  20  on the track to move forward; during the rotating process, the ratchet pawl  21  pin-connected to the driving plate  20  is pressed into the pawl chamber  23  on the driving plate  20  along with the rotation of the inner ratchet wheel  4 , and the rear locking mechanism is disengaged from the track to get into the disengaged state under the actions of the rear rock arms  8 . 
     When the monorail crane slips, the inner ratchet wheel  4  and the outer meshing gear ring  3  rotate clockwise around the driving plate  20  on the track, at this time, the ratchet pawl  21  pin-connected to the driving plate is automatically locked with the inner ratchet wheel  4  under the action of the resetting spring  22 , the ratchet wheel  4  and the outer meshing gear ring  3  are locked with the track to prevent the monorail crane from further slipping. When the monorail crane travels in the direction b, the hydraulic cylinder  13  drives the piston rod  18  in the direction a, and the remaining principles are the same. 
     Obviously, those skilled in the art would make various modifications and variations to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present disclosure fall within the scope of the claims of the present disclosure and their equivalents, the present disclosure is also intended to include these modifications and variations.