Automatic cleaning and lubricating device for open gear of tower crane

Abstract

The application discloses an open gear automatic cleaning and lubricating device for tower crane rotation, which comprises a cam, a fixed hinge base, a spring device, a movable small wheel, a movable support, a supporting wheel, an oil collecting device, a cleaning arm, a lubricating arm, a driving device, a lubricating oil pump and a control device. The cam is installed on the fixed hinge base and is driven to rotate by the driving device, so as to push the movable small wheel to roll on the movable support, and then push the cleaning arm and the lubricating arm to move forward and backward. Through matching of the cam profile and the open gear tooth profile, the cleaning arm and the lubricating arm are always close to the tooth surface during the rotation of the open gear, so that effective cleaning and lubricating actions are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automatic cleaning and lubrication device, and more particularly to an automatic cleaning and lubrication device for large open gears used in the slewing mechanism of engineering machinery, belonging to the field of crane technology. Background Technology

[0002] The slewing mechanism of a tower crane is its core component, comprising the slewing bearing and the slewing drive. Lubrication directly affects its operational status and service life. Traditional construction machinery, especially large tower cranes, with their large lifting capacity and high lifting height, uses an upward slewing mechanism driven by a small gear from a reducer meshing with the large gear ring of the slewing bearing. The slewing mechanism is located at a considerable height above the ground. Currently, for open gears in the slewing mechanism, manual cleaning and grease application are the primary methods used both domestically and internationally. This is labor-intensive and inefficient. For open gears requiring regular cleaning and lubrication, space is limited, and the work involves working at height, posing significant safety hazards. Existing automatic lubrication devices offer dripping and spraying methods. While these devices are simple in structure, they have limitations. These methods typically use nozzles to apply lubricating oil locally, either dripping or spraying it onto the gear surface. While this allows for continuous lubrication over a long period, it cannot achieve uniform lubrication across the entire gear surface and can cause pollution in the slewing space and the environment. This contradicts current environmental protection requirements. Another approach involves machining oil holes inside the pinion or adding a separate meshing gear for oil lubrication. For rotary mechanisms, open gears have a relatively large transmission ratio, and the pinion's operating frequency is inherently higher than that of the large gear ring, thus requiring higher fatigue and bending strength. Drilling oil holes inside the pinion results in uneven lubrication if too few holes are used, and if too many are used, it reduces the pinion's load-bearing capacity and increases its machining difficulty and cost. Furthermore, being located in the meshing area, the pinion is easily clogged by aged grease and contaminants, failing to achieve the desired lubrication effect.

[0003] Furthermore, since the slewing bearing's large gear ring is not equipped with a dust cover or housing, the gears are completely exposed, resulting in a relatively poor working environment. Dust, iron filings, and other impurities can easily penetrate the tooth surface, causing abrasive wear on the tooth surface during gear meshing. This reduces the stability of the open gear transmission and shortens the gear's service life. Moreover, none of the aforementioned lubrication methods can automatically clean impurities and aged grease from the tooth surface, significantly reducing the service life and lubrication effect of newly added lubricating oil. Consequently, they cannot achieve effective lubrication and effectively reduce gear wear. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic cleaning and lubrication device, particularly an automatic cleaning and lubrication device for large open gears used in the rotary mechanism of engineering machinery. This device facilitates the removal of impurities and aged grease from the tooth surface of the rotary open gear, ensures continuous and uniform application of new grease, and is easy to operate without causing environmental pollution.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane slewing; it includes a fixed hinge base, a first cam and a second cam connected to the fixed hinge base via the same rotating shaft, and a driving device simultaneously driving the first cam and the second cam to rotate; the first cam drives a first movable pinion to rotate, the first movable pinion drives a first movable support to move linearly, and the first movable support is connected to a lubrication arm; the second cam drives a second movable pinion to rotate, the second movable pinion drives a second movable support to move linearly, and the second movable support is connected to a cleaning arm; the two ends of the connecting shaft of the first movable pinion and the second movable pinion are mounted on a track connected to the fixed hinge base, and are also connected to the fixed hinge base via a tension spring through the connecting shaft; the lubrication arm and the cleaning arm are arranged side by side.

[0007] The cleaning arm and lubrication arm of the above-mentioned tower crane slewing open gear automatic cleaning and lubrication device are arranged side by side. The rotation of the front cam drives the movable small wheel to move back and forth, thereby driving the cleaning arm and lubrication arm to move forward or backward along the tooth surface. In conjunction with the rotation of the slewing bearing, the cleaning shovel and lubricating brush at the front end of the cleaning arm and lubrication arm move close to the tooth surface, realizing fully automatic cleaning and lubrication at the same time. The two movable small wheels are connected to the cam slewing hinge shaft on one side through a spring device to ensure that the wheel groove of the movable small wheel is pressed against the cam and meshes with each other to roll. The other side is connected to the movable bracket. At the same time, the guide groove of the hinge support and the support wheel support ensure that the front cleaning arm and lubrication arm move linearly.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes an oil collection device, which is placed below the cleaning arm and the lubrication arm; it receives the tooth surface impurities and aged grease cleaned by the cleaning arm to prevent secondary pollution; it receives the lubricating grease dripping from the lubrication arm, which can be filtered and returned to the oil pump for reuse to prevent secondary pollution and save energy and protect the environment.

[0009] Furthermore, a track is provided on the oil collection device, and a support arm is provided at the bottom of the first movable support and the second movable support. A support wheel is provided at the bottom of the support arm. The support wheel moves along the track to guide the movement direction of the first movable support and the second movable support, while also supporting the first movable support and the second movable support.

[0010] Furthermore, a cleaning shovel is fixed to the front part of the cleaning arm, and the cleaning shovel ensures thorough cleaning without damaging the tooth surface.

[0011] Furthermore, a lubricating oil brush with appropriate hardness is fixed at the front of the lubrication arm. The lubricating oil brush is supplied with oil through evenly distributed internal oil holes to ensure that the lubricant on the tooth surface is applied in an appropriate and even manner.

[0012] Furthermore, the first cam and the second cam are arranged with a certain degree difference, and the degree of lag of the lubrication part is determined according to the distance between the two sets of protruding parts.

[0013] Furthermore, the shapes of the first and second cams are determined entirely by the radial dimension changes of the large gear ring teeth during uniform rotation. By controlling a certain speed ratio between the cam and the gear ring, the cleaning arm and lubrication arm driven by the cam can be made to fully fit with the tooth surface of the large gear ring, ensuring the uniformity and effectiveness of cleaning and lubrication.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a lubricating oil pump and control device, which is connected to the lubrication arm to control the amount and duration of oil output from the lubrication arm's oil brush. It is also interconnected with the tower crane's main control circuit to receive feedback from the main control circuit regarding the total running time of the slewing mechanism and to determine whether oiling is required.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention also includes a fully automatic control system. The fully automatic control system communicates with the electrical control system of the tower crane equipment, the drive device, the lubricating oil pump and the control device. By reading the actual cumulative operating time of the slewing mechanism collected and recorded by the electrical control system of the tower crane equipment, and through comparison and calculation by the control system, when the actual cumulative working time of the tower crane slewing mechanism reaches the set lubrication time point, the control system issues an alarm signal and automatically performs automatic cleaning and lubrication operations on the slewing gear ring.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the above embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] 1. This invention changes the traditional design approach by using electronic control to match the output speed of the cleaning and lubrication device with the rotation speed of the large gear ring, enabling simultaneous cleaning and lubrication of the large gear ring. This overcomes the drawbacks of limited internal space, especially in internal meshing conditions, where manual brushing is inconvenient. The equipment can be stored permanently and operated only when needed, or it can be used as a mobile device shared by multiple tower cranes. Installation is simple and convenient. It significantly reduces damage to the large gear ring caused by poor lubrication, and the automatic cleaning and lubrication device has a simple structure, making mass production easy.

[0018] 2. The cleaning arm and lubrication arm of the open gear automatic cleaning and lubrication device for tower crane slewing proposed in this invention are arranged side by side. The rotation of the front cam drives the movable small wheel to move back and forth, thereby driving the cleaning arm and lubrication arm to move forward or backward along the tooth surface. In conjunction with the rotation of the slewing bearing, the cleaning shovel and lubricating brush at the front end of the cleaning arm and lubrication arm move close to the tooth surface, realizing fully automatic cleaning and lubrication at the same time. The two movable small wheels are connected to the cam slewing hinge shaft on one side through a spring device to ensure that the wheel groove of the movable small wheel is pressed against the cam and meshes with each other to roll. The other side is connected to the movable bracket. At the same time, the guide groove of the hinge support and the support wheel support ensure that the front cleaning arm and lubrication arm move linearly.

[0019] 3. In this invention, the first cam and the second cam are arranged with a certain degree difference, and the degree of lag of the lubrication part is determined according to the distance between the two sets of extended parts; ensuring that the front cleaning arm and the lubrication arm 9 act on different positions of the tooth surface at the same time, and perform cleaning and lubrication at the same time; and always maintain the same cleaning and lubrication speed, so as to achieve effective cleaning and lubrication in the entire circumference range.

[0020] 4. The front ends of the cleaning arm and lubrication arm are respectively fixed with a cleaning shovel and a lubricating oil brush of appropriate hardness. The front end of the cleaning arm is responsible for cleaning dust, aged grease and other impurities from the surface of the gear teeth. The lubrication arm is supplied with oil through evenly distributed oil holes inside, and the front oil brush provides uniform lubrication to the cleaned tooth surface. On the one hand, the cleaning device uses special materials to prevent unnecessary wear on the tooth surface caused by the lubrication and cleaning device, thereby improving the service life of the gears. On the other hand, by reasonably setting the sequence of cleaning and lubrication actions, the uniformity of lubrication is ensured, and the stability of transmission is improved. Its design is reasonable, its structure is simple, and it is easy to operate. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0022] Figure 1 This is the front view of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention;

[0024] In the diagram: 1. Cam, 1-1 Cam, 1-2 Cam, 2. Fixed hinge, 3. Spring device, 3-1 Spring device, 3-2 Spring device, 4. Movable wheel, 4-1 Movable wheel, 4-2 Movable wheel, 5. Movable bracket, 5-1 Movable bracket, 5-2 Movable bracket, 6. Support wheel, 7. Oil collection device, 8. Cleaning arm, 9. Lubrication arm, 10. Drive device, 11. Lubricating oil pump and control device, 12. Rail, 13. Support arm. Detailed Implementation

[0025] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0026] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, unless otherwise expressly indicated by the invention, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0027] For ease of description, the words "up," "down," "left," and "right" appearing in this invention only indicate that they are consistent with the up, down, left, and right directions of the accompanying drawings themselves, and do not limit the structure. They are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0028] Terminology Explanation: "Cleaning arm" refers to an arm with a cleaning function; "Lubricating arm" refers to an arm with a lubrication function.

[0029] As described in the background section, there are shortcomings in the existing technology. In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention proposes an automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane slewing.

[0030] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, this embodiment provides an automatic cleaning and lubrication device, including a cam 1, a fixed hinge seat 2, a spring device 3, a movable pinion 4, a movable bracket 5, a support wheel 6, an oil collection device 7, a cleaning arm 8, a lubrication arm 9, a drive device 10, a lubricating oil pump, and a control device 11. Two cams 1 are coaxially and rotate at the same speed, fixed on the fixed hinge seat 2, and respectively connected to and pressed against the movable pinion 4 via the spring device 3, ensuring they are always in a meshing rolling state. Simultaneously, the meshing line position matches the tooth profile of the open gear to be cleaned and lubricated, ensuring that during the rotation of the open gear... The movable wheels 4 are pushed out one after the other, cleaning first and then lubricating; the front end of the movable wheels is connected to the movable bracket 5, and the lower part of the movable bracket 5 is connected to the support wheel 6. The support wheel 6 rolls back and forth on the guide rail in the oil collection device 7, playing a supporting and guiding role; the front end of the movable bracket 5 is connected to the cleaning arm 8 and the lubrication arm 9 respectively; the cleaning part of the cleaning arm 8 uses a special material as a cleaning shovel to ensure thorough cleaning without damaging the tooth surface; the lubrication part of the lubrication arm 9 uses a lubrication brush made of a special material with evenly distributed oil holes inside to ensure that the lubricant is applied to the tooth surface in an appropriate amount and evenly.

[0031] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, two cams, cam 1-1 and cam 1-2, are mounted on a fixed hinge 2. A drive shaft passes through the tail of the fixed hinge 2 and is driven by the same drive device 10 to ensure the same speed output. However, cam 1-1 and cam 1-2 have the same shape and size. Cam 1-1 and cam 1-2 are arranged on the drive shaft with a certain degree difference. Cam 1-1 corresponds to the lubrication part, and cam 1-2 corresponds to the cleaning part. In this embodiment, cam 1-1 lags behind cam 1-2 by a certain degree. The degree of lag of cam 1-1 is determined according to the distance between the protruding parts in the cleaning part and the lubrication part, ensuring that the front cleaning arm and the lubrication arm 9 act on different positions of the tooth surface at the same time, performing cleaning and lubrication simultaneously; and always maintaining the same cleaning and lubrication speed to achieve effective cleaning and lubrication throughout the entire circumference.

[0032] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the tail of the fixed hinge 2 is connected to cam 1-1 and cam 1-2 via rolling bearings. There is a track at the front of the fixed hinge 2. The track supports and guides the movable pinion 4-1 and the movable pinion 4-2. The movable pinion 4-1 can move left and right along the track under the drive of cam 1-1, and the movable pinion 4-2 can move left and right along the track under the drive of cam 1-2. The movable pinion 4-1 drives the movable bracket 5-1 to move back and forth, realizing the back and forth movement of the lubrication arm 9; the movable pinion 4-2 drives the movable bracket 5-2 to move back and forth, realizing the back and forth movement of the lubrication arm 8.

[0033] Furthermore, in order to guide the movement trajectory of the movable brackets 5-1 and 5-2, a support arm 13 is installed at the bottom of each of the movable brackets 5-1 and 5-2. The bottom of the support arm 13 is a support wheel 6. There is a track 12 inside the oil collection device 7, which supports and guides the support wheel 6.

[0034] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the rear of the oil collecting device 7 is connected to the front of the hinge support 2. At the same time, the interior is divided into two spaces, which are located under the cleaning arm 8 and the lubrication arm 9 respectively. One side receives the aged grease and dust and other impurities cleaned by the cleaning arm 8, and the other side receives the lubricating grease dripping from the lubrication arm 9. It can be filtered and returned to the oil pump for reuse, preventing secondary pollution and saving energy and protecting the environment.

[0035] Furthermore, the lubricating oil pump and control device 11 are relatively independent parts, which are connected to other parts of the equipment through quick plugs. The placement is flexible and can be adjusted according to the site conditions and control requirements. The control part can be operated independently or integrated into the main control circuit of the tower crane and operated from the operator's cab.

[0036] Furthermore, the cleaning and lubrication device can be equipped with different cams according to different tooth profile requirements to achieve cleaning and lubrication of rotating open gears of various machine types. It can also be used for cleaning and lubrication of large open gears in the hoisting mechanism of other machine types, such as port mast cranes.

[0037] Furthermore, this embodiment also includes a control system. This control system can be configured according to the automation requirements of the host equipment, enabling automated and intelligent control. The control unit can integrate the program into the equipment control program and integrate with the centralized lubrication control of the raceway. This control system communicates with the electrical control system of the host equipment. By reading the actual cumulative operating time of the slewing mechanism collected and recorded by the host equipment's electrical control system, and through comparison and calculation, when the actual cumulative working time of the slewing mechanism reaches the lubrication time point set by the lubrication system, the control system issues an alarm signal and automatically starts the lubrication device to automatically clean and lubricate the slewing gear ring, achieving fully automatic cleaning and lubrication of the slewing mechanism. It can also be set to a semi-automatic lubrication mode as needed. In this mode, the control system only issues a signal to the operator that the slewing mechanism needs lubrication. After receiving the signal, the operator can select a suitable non-working time to start the self-lubricating device to automatically clean and lubricate the slewing gear ring, ensuring timely and sufficient lubrication, and perfectly matching the actual working conditions of the crane. This better improves the operating conditions of the slewing bearing, a key load-bearing component of the equipment, significantly improves the comfort of maintenance work, and extends its service life.

[0038] How to use this invention:

[0039] In use: First, assemble all the cleaning and lubrication devices except for the lubricating oil pump and control device 11. As a whole, fix it to the toothed part that needs to be cleaned and lubricated by the fixed hinge 2. Adjust the fit between the cleaning arm 8 and the lubrication arm 9 and the toothed part. Finally, quickly connect the lubricating oil pump and control device 11 to the drive device 10 and the lubrication arm 9 respectively.

[0040] This invention revolutionizes traditional design by using electronic control to match the output speed of the cleaning and lubrication device with the rotation speed of the large gear ring. This allows for simultaneous cleaning and lubrication of the large gear ring, overcoming the drawbacks of limited internal space, especially in internal meshing conditions, where manual brushing is inconvenient. The equipment can be permanently stored and operated only when needed, or it can be used as a mobile unit shared by multiple tower cranes. Installation is simple and convenient. It significantly reduces damage to the large gear ring caused by poor lubrication, and the automatic cleaning and lubrication device has a simple structure, making mass production easy.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0042] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane slewing, characterized in that, The device includes a fixed hinge base. A first cam and a second cam are connected to the fixed hinge base via the same rotating shaft. A driving device simultaneously drives the first and second cams to rotate. The first cam drives a first movable pinion to move linearly, and the second cam drives a second movable pinion to move linearly. The connecting shafts of the first and second movable pinions are mounted on a track connected to the fixed hinge base. These connecting shafts are also connected to the fixed hinge base via tension springs. The connecting shaft of the first movable pinion drives a first movable support to move linearly, and the first movable support is connected to a lubrication arm. The connecting shaft of the second movable pinion drives a second movable support to move linearly, and the second movable support is connected to a cleaning arm. The lubrication arm and the cleaning arm are arranged side-by-side. The first cam and the second cam are arranged with a certain degree difference, and the degree of lag of the first cam is determined according to the distance between the lubrication arm and the cleaning arm. The shapes of the first and second cams are determined entirely by the radial dimension change of the large gear ring teeth during uniform rotation, and the electronic control achieves the matching of the output speed of the cleaning and lubrication device with the rotation speed of the large gear ring.

2. The automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane rotation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an oil collection device, which is placed below the cleaning arm and the lubrication arm.

3. The automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane rotation as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The oil collecting device is equipped with a track, and support arms are provided at the bottom of the first movable support and the second movable support. A support wheel is provided at the bottom of the support arm, and the support wheel moves along the track.

4. The automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane slewing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front of the cleaning arm is fixed with a cleaning shovel.

5. The automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane slewing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front part of the lubrication arm is fixed with a lubricating oil brush, which is supplied with oil by evenly distributed oil holes inside.

6. The automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane rotation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a lubricating oil pump and control device, which is connected to the lubrication arm to control the amount and duration of oil output from the lubrication arm brush. It is also interconnected with the tower crane's main control circuit to receive the total running time of the slewing mechanism from the main control circuit and determine whether oiling is needed.

7. The automatic cleaning and lubrication device for open gears used in tower crane rotation as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a fully automatic control system. The fully automatic control system communicates with the electrical control system of the tower crane equipment, the drive device, the lubricating oil pump and the control device. By reading the actual cumulative working time of the slewing mechanism collected and recorded by the electrical control system of the tower crane equipment, and through comparison and calculation by the control system, when the actual cumulative working time of the tower crane slewing mechanism reaches the set lubrication time point, the control system issues an alarm signal and automatically cleans and lubricates the slewing gear ring.

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