Patent Abstract:
An arrangement of a rail for suspended conveyors or suspended cranes and a slip contact holder mounted thereon, wherein the rail comprises a profile body and a profile head connected thereto and disposed above the profile body, wherein the profile body is C-shaped in cross section, forms a hollow space for chassis, and has a slit open to the bottom, and the profile head comprises upper, substantially horizontal profile walls and the slip contact holder is disposed within the hollow space and attached to the upper profile walls. A plurality of punchouts are disposed in the upper profile walls, disposed in at least one row and at regular, repeated distances as seen in the longitudinal direction of the rail, and barb-like catch pawls are disposed on the slip contact bolder and engage with the punchouts in order to attach thereto.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the priority benefits of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2011/065327, filed on Sep. 5, 2011, and also of German Patent Application No. DE 10 2010 037 520.9, filed on Sep. 14, 2010, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an arrangement consisting of a rail for suspended tracks or suspension cranes and a contact line holder attached thereto, wherein the rail has a profile body and a profile head connected thereto and disposed above the profile body, wherein the profile body is c-shaped when seen in cross-section, forms a hollow chamber for travelling mechanisms and is formed with a slot open in the downwards direction, the profile body has upper profile walls extending essentially horizontally, and the contact line holder is disposed inside the hollow chamber in the region of the upper profile walls and is attached to the upper profile walls. 
     Corresponding rails conventionally have a rail head to provide a suspension for attachment to roofs, walls etc, and a rail body for provision of the functional aspects such as tracks for bogies, carrying portions etc, 
     Such self-supporting tubular rails for suspended tracks, suspension cranes and the like are known, e.g. from DE 1 249 301. The rail described therein is composed, in cross-section, of e.g. two thin-walled profiles which are disposed symmetrically with respect to the vertical longitudinal middle plane, surround roller pairs of a travelling mechanism with upper walls and side walls extending in an inclined manner downwards towards the longitudinal middle plane and two tracks, which lie on both sides of a lower slot and are inclined downwards towards this slot, and are provided at the top on the longitudinal middle plane with a respective first web directed upwards and then outwards from the longitudinal middle plane, which web lies against the web of the second profile rod in the upwardly directed part and is connected thereto. The upper profile walls descend outwards from the longitudinal middle plane and the space between the inclined side walls is only so large that the rail provides space for a travelling mechanism, the width of which is determined only by a plate-shaped support body and rollers disposed tightly against this support body. The rail is attached e.g. to the roof of the building via the upwardly directed webs by means of a suspension, wherein the suspension clasps the upwardly directed webs in the outwardly directed part. 
     In the case of such rails, in order to supply an internal current collector carriage, it is known to provide contact lines which lie against one of the inner walls and which are attached to the inner walls by means of the contact line holder. 
     A corresponding so-called KBK II-R hollow rail with internal bogie track and contact line disposed at the top is known from Demag Cranes &amp; Components GmbH, Wetter, Germany. The KBK II-R profile is fitted with five internal power conductors. The power supply is effected via end or path feeds. The actual contact line is held via a holder which can be screwed to the upper profile walls from the outside, for which purpose it can be pushed into a c-shaped, downwardly-open groove in the holder. The holder is thus held on both sides by screws screwed in from the outside. The holders can be disposed with a preset spacing along the rail portions, for which purpose corresponding through bores are formed for the attachment screws. 
     Although this construction has proved its worth, it is not readily usable with rails in which there is no access or only poor access to the upper profile walls from the outside, as is the case with double-chamber rails. Double-chamber rails have, apart from the tubular or chamber-like profile body, a correspondingly formed profile head above the profile body. Thus, as seen in cross-section, an approximate  FIG. 8  is produced. Therefore the upper profile walls of the profile body are not readily accessible for screw attachment since they are covered by the profile head. 
     On the other hand, accessibility from inside is practically impossible since the lower slot of such rails hardly allows any access owing to its narrow width. 
     From DE 103 37 122 A1 a dovetailed power rail is known which is pushed into a groove channel of the corresponding rail from the end of the section and is attached by means of the dovetail guide. 
     In the case of longer rail sections, however, a contact line holder would be desired not only at the more easily accessible rail section ends. 
     A contact line arrangement is known form DE 33 11 362 C1, having mutually parallel contact lines which are attached to a common holder and are disposed on a support rail via this holder. The two-part holder is held in bores of the support rail by means of a holding arm via sleeve-like spreading pins. The support rail is a simple I-shaped rail so that it is accessible from above in order to form the bores. Furthermore, it is already known from the French patent FR 2 201 561 to screw a contact line to a wall of a rail using a threaded screw. The Swiss patent CH 429 816 describes the provision of a large number of insulators on a rear side of a contact line in order by that means to attach the contact line to a rail. The insulators are inserted in bores in a wall of the rail and are held therein in the manner of a snap connection. For this purpose, each insulator is provided with two latch elements which, upon insertion of the insulator into the bore, can move towards each other elastically and spring back in their final position and engage behind the bore. 
     The patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,698 A discloses a rail which includes a profile body having a hollow chamber for travelling mechanisms and a profile head. In the upper region of the hollow chamber, contact lines are disposed which are attached to the upper profile walls via a contact line holder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides an arrangement consisting of a rail and a contact line holder attached thereto, which offers simple and secure attachment of the contact line. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, in the case of an arrangement consisting of a rail for suspended tracks or suspension cranes and of a contact line holder attached thereto, wherein the rail has a profile body and a profile head connected thereto and disposed above the profile body, wherein the profile body is c-shaped when seen in cross-section, forms a hollow chamber for travelling mechanisms and is formed with a slot open in the downwards direction, the profile body has upper profile walls extending essentially horizontally and the contact line holder is disposed inside the hollow chamber in the region of the upper profile walls and is attached to the upper profile walls, simple and secure attachment of the contact line is achieved in that a large number of punch-outs are provided in the upper profile walls and, when seen in the longitudinal direction of the rail, are disposed in at least one row and at regular repeated intervals and barb-like latching lugs are disposed on the contact line holder and engage into the punch-outs to effect attachment, wherein latching lugs of the contact line holders are disposed only in some of the large number of punch-outs. Since a plurality of punch-outs are disposed at a regular repeating interval, i.e. at a spacing, in the longitudinal direction of the rail, it is possible for a plurality of contact line holders to be attached when necessary in a simple manner and as desired at suitable locations and at suitable intervals. Since the upper profile walls are provided with punch-outs and the contact line holder is formed with barb-like latching lugs which engage into the punch-outs to effect attachment, the contact line holders can be clipped into the upper walls from below without the use of tools. For this purpose, the holders only have to be pushed with the latching lugs into the punch-outs from below. The punch-outs are, for this purpose, introduced into the raw metal sheets prior to the sheet metal profile being bent. The metal sheets are then bent and angled in such a way that they each constitute one half of the rail and the punch-outs are disposed at the desired location. Since a large number of punch-outs are provided the contact lines can be attached by means of a desired number of contact line holders. Naturally, the majority of the punch-outs are then unoccupied. 
     A latching lug is understood in this case to mean a pin-like tab standing out with respect to the main body of the holder in a transverse, preferably approximately perpendicular, manner, which tab is formed with a barb-like protrusion at its end remote from the main body of the holder. 
     In an embodiment, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the rail, at least two rows of punch-outs are disposed next to each other and the punch-outs of the at least two rows are disposed spaced apart from each other and next to each other in relation to the longitudinal direction of the rail. 
     In a particular embodiment the punch-outs are formed in a rectangular, in particular square, manner as seen in plan. 
     As a preferred location for the punch-outs provision is made to dispose them on both sides of the webs connecting the profile head and the profile body. 
     In an embodiment provision is made for the latching lugs to be disposed in pairs on the contact line holder for engagement into two of the punch-outs. This produces simple and secure holding and the contact line holder is held in a stable and non-rotatable manner. In other words, there are pairs of mutually opposing latching lugs and punch-outs disposed on the left and right of the longitudinal middle plane respectively. In a preferred manner, the barb-like protrusions are oriented away from each other in each case in order to engage behind the profiled sheet metal. The barb-like protrusions are usefully chamfered in the longitudinal direction of the latching lugs so that they can easily be introduced into the punch-outs. In addition, it is useful for the individual latching lugs to be pretensioned away from each other so that secure engagement behind the profile walls is achieved. 
     In a particular embodiment of the rail, provision is made that profile side walls, which extend in a slightly inclined manner downwards towards a longitudinal middle plane of the profile body adjoin the upper profile walls, lower profile walls adjoin the lower end of the profile side walls and are inclined downwards towards the lower slot. 
     The profile head, as seen in cross-section, may comprise a profile head which is essentially C-shaped and open in the upwards direction, the opening of which forms a gap extending along the longitudinal middle plane. 
     Further details, features and advantages of the invention are provided by the following description of an exemplified embodiment with the aid of the drawing in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective schematic view of a single-girder suspension crane in accordance with the prior art to illustrate the possible uses of corresponding rails; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an arrangement in accordance with the invention consisting of a rail and contact line holder and 
         FIG. 3  is an end-face view of the arrangement of  FIG. 2  and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective schematic view of the contact line holder of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to illustrate the widest range of possible uses of connected rail sections to form rails, in  FIG. 1  a single-girder suspension crane according to the prior art is shown. 
     By virtue of suspension means  1 , essentially horizontally extending c-shaped profiled rails  2 , which are open in the downwards direction, are suspended on bearing elements  3  or further rails  2 . The bearing elements  3  are formed as I beams. Since the present exemplified embodiment relates to a single-girder suspension crane, two first rails  2   a , which extend essentially horizontally, in parallel and spaced apart from each other, are provided and serve as rails for the single-girder suspension crane, as is a second rail  2   b , which forms a crane rail, which is oriented essentially transverse to the first rails  2   a  and can travel along the first rails  2   a . For this purpose the second rail  2   b  is suspended via two suspension means  1  in each case on a travelling mechanism, not shown, which can travel along the first rails  2   a . In a conventional manner, a lifting gear  4 , such as a chain or cable hoist, is suspended on the second rail  2   b  and is able to travel along the second rail  2   b  with a further travelling mechanism, not shown. The lifting gear  4  can be controlled via a pendant switch  5  suspended on the lifting gear  4 . 
     The rails  2   a ,  2   b  can thus be selectively used as crane track or girder rails. 
     With the aid of  FIGS. 2 to 4  an arrangement in accordance with the invention consisting of a rail  2  and a contact line holder  39  for a contact line  40  is now described. The rails will be discussed first. 
     The rails  2   a  and  2   b  each consist—depending on the length required—of two or more rail sections  2   aa  and  2   ab  or  2   ba  and  2   bb.    
     The rail sections  2   aa  and  2   ab  or  2   ba  and  2   bb  are connected to each other by end-face abutment connections  6 . 
     Only the abutment connection  6  of the rail sections  2   aa  and  2   ab  will be explained hereunder by way of example with the aid of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , since the abutment connection of the rail sections  2   ba  and  2   bb  is formed in a corresponding manner. 
     In order to form the abutment connections  6  of the rail sections  2   aa  and  2   ab  the rail sections  2   aa  and  2   ab  each have holding elements formed on their outsides as sleeves  7 , which are disposed on the rail section ends  8  in longitudinally extending angular spaces or grooves  9  of the rail sections  2   aa  and  2   ab.    
     In the illustrated example, four sleeves  7  are used per rail section and are each disposed in corresponding longitudinal grooves  9 . Two sleeves  7  are provided for each long side of a rail section. 
     The sleeves  7  have screw bolts as connecting elements passing through them and form, for the heads or nuts thereof, a contact surface  16  as a counterbearing surface, extending transverse to the longitudinal direction of the rail sections. 
     The sleeves  7  are attached to the rail sections  2   aa  and  2   ab  in each case by a weld seam  12 , extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail section  2   aa  and  2   ab , on each of the two long sides of the sleeves  7 . The weld seams  12  do not have to extend over the whole length of the sleeves  7  and can be formed differently from each other. 
     The end  13  of the weld seam  12  remote from the end face deviates from the longitudinal direction. In so doing, the end  13  forms an angle  14  with respect to the rest of the weld seam  12  and extends out of the groove  9  to the side surface  15  of the rail profile or the continuing profile wall. 
     The rail  2  consists in cross-section of two identical profiles  20   a ,  20   b  disposed symmetrically with respect to the vertical longitudinal middle plane L. 
     The rail has a profile head  22  disposed at the top in a relative manner along the longitudinal middle plane L and a profile body  23  connected to it and lying below it. 
     When seen in cross-section the profile head  22  is an essentially C-shaped profile head open in the upwards direction, the opening of which forms a gap  24  which extends along the longitudinal middle plane L and which is defined on both sides by first web portions  25   a ,  25   b  which, when seen from the longitudinal middle plane L, extend in an inclined manner outwards and upwards at the same time. 
     The angle  21  of the web portions  25   a ,  25   b  is about 25 degrees relative to the longitudinal middle plane L. 
     The profile head  22  also has, in cross-section, two opposing downwardly and outwardly extending second web portions  26   a ,  26   b  which adjoin the first web portions  25   a ,  25   b , and finally third web portions  27   a ,  27   b  protruding back inwards in the direction of the vertical longitudinal middle plane L, which adjoin the second web portions  26   a ,  26   b.    
     This means that the profile head  22  is wider at its base and narrows in the direction away from the profile body  23 . Thus a suspension  34  for the rail  2  can be used which can “pivot into” the hollow profile head  22  through the gap  24  since the diagonal extension (as seen in cross-section) is therefore large enough to receive a pivotable pivot-in part  35  of the suspension  34 , which is then pivoted approximately horizontally and in so doing engages in a positive-locking manner into the beads  36   a ,  36   b  of the profile head  22 , which are formed by the first web portions  25   a ,  26   b . Therefore, with appropriate mutually adapted dimensioning of the profile head  22  and of the suspension  23  or of its pivot-in part  25  the profile head  22  is held in a simple manner in the transverse direction by a positive locking arrangement. 
     Alternatively, the height of the profile head  22  would have to be substantially larger and the rail  2  as a whole could be formed in a less compact and rigid manner. 
     In order to attach and fix the suspension  34  to the profile head  22 , the said pivot-in part  35  is first pivoted approximately vertically lying against the suspension on one side so that it can be introduced into the gap  24  with the other side. 
     The suspension  34  is then pushed with the pivot-in part  35  in an inclined manner into one of the lower corners of the profile head  22  which are formed by the web portions  26   a ,  27   a  or  26   b ,  27   b.    
     It is then possible to introduce the lower end of the pivot-in part  35  past the web portion  25   a  or  25   b  into the gap  24  and finally to pivot the pivot-in part horizontally and to introduce it into the beads  36   a ,  36   b . In order to provide fixing in the longitudinal direction of the gap  24  a frame-like counterbearing  38  is screwed to the pivot-in part  35 , clamping in the web portions  25   a  and  25   b.    
     The suspension  34  is therefore already carrying the rail  2  via the pivot-in part  35  without screwing etc. The entire load is therefore borne by the pivot bolt  37  of the suspension, which can be dimensioned to be substantially more load-bearing than a normal screw bolt of a clamping connection from the prior art. 
     In addition, fourth web portions  28   a ,  28   b  extending approximately along the longitudinal middle plane L are provided on the profile head  22 , which adjoin the third web portions  27   a ,  27   b  and connect the profile head  22  to the profile body  23  via its upper profile walls  29   a ,  29   b.    
     The fourth web portions  28   a ,  28   b  of the profile head  22  lie against each other and are welded to each other at that location. Therefore the profiles  20   a ,  20   b  are connected to form the rail  2 . 
     With upper profile walls  29   a ,  29   b , which extend essentially horizontally, and with profile side walls  30   a ,  30   b  extending in a slightly inclined manner downwards towards the longitudinal middle plane L and with two lower profile walls  32   a ,  32   b  lying on both sides of a lower slot  31  and being inclined slightly downwards towards it, the profile body  23  forms a hollow chamber H for travelling mechanisms, wherein lower profile walls  32   a ,  32   b  form a running surface for the corresponding wheels. In addition, it is possible to dispose a contact line in the region of the upper profile walls  29   a ,  29   b.    
     The lower profile wall  32   a ,  32   b  at the slot  31  continues essentially downwards and then in an inclined manner outwards and finally in an inclined manner downwards. The end portions  33   a ,  33   b  thus formed of the lower profile wall  32   a ,  32   b  permit the weld seam  12  to be guided out as explained above. 
     The angle of end portions  33   a, b  of the lower profile wall  32   a ,  32   b  amounts to about 110 degrees relative to the horizontal. 
     The upper profile walls  29   a ,  29   b  are provided with punch-outs  41  which were introduced into the raw metal sheets before the sheet metal profile was bent. The metal sheets were then bent and angled in such a way that they each constitute one half of the rail  2  and the punch-outs  41  are disposed at the desired location in the groove  9  between the profile head  22  and the profile body  23  on both sides of the longitudinal middle plane L in each case next to the web or webs  28   a ,  28   b.    
     The punch-outs  41  are disposed at a regular repeating interval, i.e. at a spacing, in the longitudinal direction of the rail. Therefore, a plurality of contact line holders  39  can be attached when necessary in a simple and selectable manner. In this case, only some of the large number of punch-outs  41  are occupied by latching lugs  42  of the contact line holders  39 . Owing to the large number of punch-outs  41  the contact line holders  39  can be disposed in a desired number and at a desired interval as seen in the longitudinal direction of the rail  2 . As seen in the longitudinal direction of the rail  2 , two rows of punch-outs  41  are thus disposed next to each other. The punch-outs  41  of the at least two rows are also disposed spaced apart from and next to each other, i.e. at the same level with respect to the longitudinal direction of the rail  2 . 
     The punch-outs  41  are formed square as seen in plan. 
     The contact line holder  39  is formed with barb-like latching lugs  42  (cf.  FIG. 4 ) which engage into the punch-outs  41  to effect attachment, in order to clip or latch the contact line holder from below into the upper walls  29   a ,  29   b  without the use of tools. For this purpose the holder  39  only has to be pushed with the latching lugs  42  into the punch-outs  41  from below. 
     Each latching lug has a pin-like tab  44  standing out with respect to the main body  43  of the holder  39  approximately perpendicularly, which tab is formed with a barb-like protrusion  45  at its end remote from the main body  43  of the holder. 
     The barb-like protrusions  45  engage, during installation, behind the profiled sheet metal of the upper walls  29   a ,  29   b  in the region of the punch-outs  41 . The barb-like protrusions  45  are chamfered in the longitudinal direction of the latching lugs  42  so that they can easily be introduced into the punch-outs  41  while being resiliently deflected in the meantime. 
     The contact line holder  39  is a strip-like injection moulded part which has an essentially downwardly open c-shape. On its rear facing upwards towards the upper walls  29   a ,  29   b  in the installed state, the latching lugs  42  are disposed in pairs. Thus in other words there are pairs of mutually opposing latching lugs  42  disposed in each case left and right of the longitudinal middle plane, the barb-like protrusions  45  of which latching lugs face away from each other. 
     With the lateral webs  46   a, b  of the “C” and with a correspondingly formed central groove  47  in the main body  43  the actual contact line  40  is supported. 
     For this purpose, it is pushed into the groove formed by the webs  46   a ,  46   b  of the “C” and the main body  43 , wherein it engages behind the webs  46   a ,  46   b  and at the same time engages into the groove  47  with a central web  48  which has a T-shaped cross-section. 
     REFERENCE LIST 
     
         
           1  suspension means 
           2  rail 
           2   aa ,  2   ab ,  2   ba ,  2   bb  rail section 
           3  bearing elements 
           4  lifting gear 
           5  pendant switch 
           6  abutment connection 
           7  sleeve 
           8  rail section end 
           9  groove 
           12  weld seam 
           13  end of the weld seam 
           14  angle 
           15  side surface 
           16  contact surface 
           20   a ,  20   b  profile 
           21  angle 
           22  profile head 
           23  profile body 
           24  gap 
           25   a ,  25   b  first web portion 
           26   a ,  26   b  second web portion 
           27   a ,  27   b  third web portion 
           28   a ,  28   b  fourth web portion 
           29   a ,  29   b  upper profile wall 
           30   a ,  30   b  profile side wall 
           31  slot 
           32   a ,  32   b  lower profile wall 
           33   a ,  33   b  end portion 
           34  suspension 
           36   a ,  36   b  bead 
           35  pivot-in part 
           37  pivot bolt 
           38  counterbearing 
           39  contact line holder 
           40  contact line 
           41  punch-out 
           42  latching lug 
           43  main body 
           44  tab 
           45  barb-like protrusion 
           47  groove 
           46   a ,  46   b  web 
           48  T-shaped web 
         L longitudinal middle plane 
         H hollow chamber

Technology Classification (CPC): 1