Slipform paver

The disclosure relates to a slipform paver, and to a method for the construction of ground pavements or structures by means of slipform pavers.

Slipform pavers are known, in particular from DE 199 57 048 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,924), which comprise at least one machine frame, travelling devices that are connected to the machine frame, and at least one conveying device. The conveying device can be used, for example, to transport concrete to a working device. The working device can be used to construct ground pavements or structures. The working device may, for example, be a concrete mold. The working device may be exchangeable and may also be alterable in position or extended. The travelling devices may be connected to the machine frame in such a manner that they can change their position in relation to the machine frame.

The conveying device may be connected to the machine frame in such a manner that the conveying device is pivotable, relative to the machine frame, at least about a horizontal axis and at least about a vertical axis, and is preferably movable translationally in at least one first direction. Actuators may move the conveying device about the respective axes and, if necessary, in the respective direction. The conveying device is movable, by means of the actuators, within a zone of movement defined in relation to the machine frame.

The conveying device comprises a material pick-up area for picking up concrete. The concrete is then transported, via the conveying device, to the working device, in particular to the concrete mold, which is used to construct the ground pavement or structure.

With the known slipform pavers, there is frequently the problem that the operator has to control both the slipform paver as such and the conveying device that is part of the slipform paver, which is used to convey the material that is placed in the concrete mold. There is thus an increasing requirement to simplify the operation of the conveying device.

When supplying the slipform paver with concrete, it is necessary that supply vehicles load the concrete onto the conveying device at a first end of the conveying device. The conveying device may, for example, comprise a pick-up device at the first end. When changing the supply vehicles, for example, it may be necessary to adjust the position of the first end of the conveying device in order to ensure continuous loading, while at the same time the position of the second end of the conveying device, where the material is transferred into the concrete mold, should not be changed at all or should be changed as little as possible.

On the other side, it may be necessary to keep the first end of the conveying device, where loading of the conveying device takes place, in a constant position while loading the slipform paver with concrete and to adjust the location of transfer of the material into the concrete mold in order to optimize filling of the concrete mold.

It is therefore the object of the present disclosure to create a slipform paver and a method for the construction of ground pavements or structures by means of slipform pavers that simplify the operation of the entire slipform paver, in particular the operation of the conveying device.

The above mentioned object is achieved by the features of the claims.

The disclosure advantageously provides that at least one controller and at least one input device is provided, wherein the movement of at least one first location of the conveying device is specifiable at the input device, and that the actuators are controllable, by means of the controller, in such a manner that the first location of the conveying device performs the specified movement.

According to the present disclosure, at least one first actuator is provided, which is arranged and designed in such a manner that the conveying device is pivotable at least about the horizontal axis. Furthermore, a second actuator is provided, which is arranged and designed in such a manner that the conveying device is pivotable at least about the vertical axis.

Since the movement of at least one first location of the conveying device may be specified by means of the input device, and the actuators may be controlled by means of the controller in such a manner that at least the first location of the conveying device performs the specified movement, it is possible to optimally position the conveying device.

The first location may be formed by a point of the conveying device permanently stored in the machine control system. In this arrangement, the first location may particularly preferably be arranged at the first end of the transport conveyor or the second end of the transport conveyor.

However, the first location may preferably be selectable or settable by the operator.

Particularly preferably, multiple points along the extension of the conveying device may be stored in the controller, from which the operator may select which point is to form the first location. This allows the operator to determine which location or which point of the conveying device, respectively, performs the movement specifiable by the operator.

In this arrangement, it is particularly advantageous if at least the first end of the conveying device and the second end of the conveying device are selectable. This allows the operator to determine, prior to entering control commands, whether the first end of the conveying device or the second end of the conveying device performs the specified movement as the first location of the conveying device as a result of his control commands.

The operator may then determine the first end of the conveying device as the first location in order to be able to adjust the position of the pick-up location, where the material is loaded onto the belt conveyor, as easily as possible. This facilitates positioning of the pick-up location relative to a loading vehicle.

If the operator selects the second end of the conveying device as the first location, he can optimally adjust the position where the material is transferred to the working device in order to optimize loading of the concrete into the mold.

In addition, further points along the extension of the belt conveyor may be selectable as the first location by the operator in order to enable flexible positioning of the conveyor.

As an alternative to the selection of previously determined points along the extension of the conveying device, the controller may also be designed in such a manner that the operator may determine the first location freely along the longitudinal extension of the conveying device. This allows the operator in every operating situation to optimize positioning of the conveying device in any given location.

The movement performed by the first location of the conveying device is a movement relative to the at least one machine frame.

It is decisive that the movement of the first location of the conveying device, and not the movement of the actuators, is directly specified by means of the input device. The movement to be performed by the actuators is controlled based on an algorithm stored in the controller.

The stored algorithm takes into account the geometrical arrangement of the actuators, the axes, and the arrangement of the conveying device in relation to the machine frame.

The movement of the first location specified in the input device is translated into a coordinated actuation of the actuators by means of the controller so that the at least one first location performs the specified movement.

It is also possible that at least one third actuator is provided, which is arranged and designed in such a manner that the conveying device is movable translationally at least in the first direction. In this design, depending on the embodiment, the conveying device may be moved translationally in the first direction either as a whole or merely one end of the conveying device, which makes it possible to extend the length of the conveying device. Alternatively, both could also be possible.

The precise control of these movements is achieved by means of a controller and an input device. The movement of a specific location of the conveying device is specified at the input device. The controller processes these inputs and controls the actuators accordingly, so that the first location of the conveying device performs the desired movement. This arrangement permits flexible adjustment to different construction site conditions. The combination of pivotable conveying device, precisely controllable actuators and a user-friendly input device, which may be used to specify the movement of at least one location of the conveying device, can therefore represent a substantial improvement in the user-friendliness and flexibility of the slipform paver.

A controller is provided, which is connected to an input device. Said controller receives inputs from the input device and processes the same in order to control the movements of the conveying device. The controller may be connected to the actuators via electrical or electronic interfaces and enable coordinated control of the movement of the conveying device.

The movement of at least the first location of the conveying device may be specified at the input device. This means that the operator may enter specific movement commands, which may be interpreted and implemented by the controller. The input device may be connected to the controller via communication interfaces in order to ensure smooth transmission of the commands.

The actuators are controllable by means of the controller in such a manner that the specified movement of the first location of the conveying device is performed. This may be achieved by means of a precise interaction of control algorithms and actuators, which may ensure that the conveying device performs the desired movements in a precise and reliable manner.

In addition, the controller may also continuously monitor the position and movement of the conveying device, and it may also adapt the control commands accordingly in order to realize the specified movements.

The specified movement may be a direction of movement and/or a speed of movement and/or a predefined movement target.

The first location of the conveying device may be arranged at the first end of the conveying device or the second end of the conveying device.

The second location of the conveying device may be arranged at the first end of the conveying device or the second end of the conveying device.

The first location of the conveying device and the second location of the conveying device exhibit a distance to one another. This means that, if the first location of the conveying device is arranged at the first end, the second location of the conveying device is not arranged at the first end, and vice versa.

There may be at least one first area of collision definable relative to the machine frame, wherein the actuators are controllable, by means of the controller, in such a manner that the conveying device cannot be moved into the at least one first area of collision.

The area of collision may be an area within a zone of movement. The zone of movement may be the space, relative to the machine frame, within which the conveying device can theoretically move, and is necessarily determined by the design of the conveying device and the actuators that move said conveying device.

The area of collision may be an area into which the conveying device should not move. Said area may be an area, for example, in which a collision of the conveying device with at least one object may occur. Said object may, for example, be a part of the slipform paver, such as, for example, a travelling device. In this case, the object would actually be located within the area of collision. On the other hand, this may also be a theoretical danger of a collision with an object. On a carriageway, for example, there could be an area located within the zone of movement, in which vehicles, for example, site vehicles, or other objects may be moved. In this case, a specific area of collision may be defined, in which a collision may theoretically occur.

The position of the conveying device in the zone of movement, in particular the position of the conveying device relative to the area of collision, may be determinable based on the adjustment position of the actuators. The controller may be designed to emit a control signal as soon as it is established by means of the controller that the conveying device comes within a specified distance from the area of collision.

The machine frame may be arranged within the at least one first area of collision so that the actuators may at least be controllable, by means of the controller, in such a manner that the conveying device does not collide with the machine frame.

At least one second location of the conveying device relative to the machine frame may be specifiable at the input device, wherein the actuators may be controlled, by means of the controller, in such a manner that the second location may remain essentially in a specified position relative to the machine frame.

In this arrangement, the second location may remain essentially in the specified position even if the first location of the conveying device performs the specified movement.

In this arrangement, remaining essentially in a specified position may be understood to mean that the at least one second location of the conveying device does preferably move away by no more than 50 cm, in particular by no more than 25 cm, particularly preferably by no more than 10 cm from a specified position relative to the machine frame. It is particularly preferred, however, that the at least one second location of the conveying device does not move away at all from the specified position relative to the machine frame.

Similar to the first location, the second location may also be a position along the longitudinal extension of the conveying device permanently stored in the machine control system.

If, for example, the first end of the conveying device is specified in the controller as the first location, the second end of the conveying device may be determined as the second location in a preferred embodiment. If the second end of the conveying device is determined as the first location, the first end of the conveying device may be determined as the second location.

However, the second location may preferably be selectable by the operator.

The second location may preferably also be selectable and determinable from a plurality of points along the longitudinal extension of the belt conveyor. The machine operator may thus select which points of the belt conveyor are to remain essentially stationary during the movement of the first location. This makes positioning easier, since the operator only has to concentrate on controlling the point to be moved selected as the first location without having to take into account the effects of the movement on the second location.

It is particularly preferred if pairs of points along the longitudinal extension of the longitudinal axis of the belt conveyor are stored in the control system by the operator as pairs of first locations and second locations, and the operator may further select which of the points of the pair of points is to be selected as the first location and/or as the second location.

Such a pair of points is then selectable by the operator. The operator may then further select which of the points is to follow the movement specified at the operating device as the first location, and which point is to remain essentially in a specified position as the second location.

Such a pair of points may be formed, for example, by the first end of the conveying device and by the second end of the conveying device. The operator may select the point of pairs in a first step and then determine whether the first end of the conveying device or the second end of the conveying device is determined as the first location and may therefore subsequently be positioned by means of the operating device. The other of the first end of the conveying device and second end of the conveying device is then determined as the second location. The operator may now freely position the end of the conveying device determined as the first location, and the other end of the conveying device determined as the second location remains essentially in its position despite the free positioning of the first end. Positioning of the individual ends of the conveying device is thus considerably simplified, as it is no longer necessary to take into account the effects of the adjustment operation on the other end of the conveying device.

As a matter of principle, a single pair of points only may also be stored in the control system, and the operator merely has to select which of the two points is determined as the first location and/or which of the points is determined as the second location.