CONSTRUCTION AND / OR MATERIAL HANDLING MACHINE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a construction and / or material handling machine for creating a structure and / or manipulating a workpiece, comprising a working head that is movably mounted on a support frame structure. The invention further relates to a method for guiding and moving a working head, in particular in the form of a 3D print head.

[0002] More recently, attempts have been made to construct larger structures such as bridges, entire houses, or other buildings using additive manufacturing processes. In this process, a working head for dispensing a building material is moved back and forth multiple times along, for example, a building wall being constructed, applying layer by layer. Such devices are often collectively referred to as 3D printers, whose working head can be a material dispensing head such as a concrete spray head. Depending on the material from which the building structure is constructed, however, other working heads can also be used, such as foam spray heads or multi-component spray heads, for example, when thermally insulated building walls are to be constructed in a sandwich method consisting of a foam core and plaster applied to it.

[0003] 3D printers are currently used primarily on a smaller scale, particularly in industrial manufacturing within factory halls. To move the 3D print head precisely in three-dimensional space and, for example, create relief-like contours, gantry robots are often employed. These robots can achieve relatively high accuracy over a fairly large working area. One such gantry robot is shown in US 8,029,710 B2. In smaller applications, articulated robots are also frequently used to guide the 3D print head.

[0004] To make such articulated robots suitable for construction sites, it has also been suggested that they be mounted on a tracked chassis (see US 2018 / 0345533 A1). Due to their limited reach, even if these articulated robots can be moved around a construction site using a tracked chassis, they are hardly suitable for constructing larger structures such as multi-story buildings, at least not with the desired precision. Extending the boom-like articulated arm leads to twisting and thus positioning inaccuracies, as the articulated arm cannot be made arbitrarily robust to prevent the tracked chassis from tipping over.

[0005] To enable a working head to travel over a sufficiently large area and, for example, to be used for multi-story buildings, the document CN 109129819 A proposes attaching a portal crane-like support structure for the working head to the building facade itself. Support columns are attached to the exterior facade, acting as lifting supports. Using spindle drives, portal columns can be moved vertically along the facade-mounted support columns. These portal columns carry two longitudinal rails above the building, along which a crossbeam supporting the working head can be moved. By repositioning the aforementioned support columns on the exterior facade, the support structure can grow with the building; however, such repositioning is very complex and requires a lengthy conversion process. Document CN106401194B, for example, shows such a construction machine for erecting a building.

[0006] However, in practice, all of the aforementioned approaches have drawbacks and cannot equally satisfactorily meet the diverging requirements: a very long reach combined with high positioning accuracy, as well as quick and easy setup despite often difficult construction site terrain. This is especially true when it comes to adapting the construction or material handling machine to different building sizes and quickly moving it from one building under construction to another. Since additive manufacturing processes are often only used for producing specific sections of a building, a corresponding 3D printer is often only used for short, quick jobs that require the machine to be transported rapidly from one construction site to the next.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an improved construction and / or material handling machine of the type mentioned, as well as an improved method for guiding and moving a working head, avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art and advantageously developing the latter further. In particular, a device and a method for precisely positioning a working head over a wide working range are to be created, which can be easily adapted to different building sizes and quickly moved from construction site to construction site.

[0008] According to the invention, the aforementioned problem is solved by a construction and / or material handling machine according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] It is therefore proposed to move and position the working head using several tower cranes, which initially seems counterproductive given the objective of high positioning accuracy. However, to address this shortcoming, the multiple tower cranes are used in a specific way. According to the invention, at least three tower cranes are attached to one another by their jibs. A guide beam supporting the working head can be attached to at least two trolleys on the mutually stabilizing tower cranes, allowing the working head to be adjusted in its working position by moving the trolleys along two jibs.

[0010] Since the tower cranes are attached to each other via their jibs, the horizontal jibs form a portal-like support structure that can stabilize the tower cranes mutually. The movable linkage of a crossbeam to at least two jibs provides further stabilization, enabling sufficiently high positioning accuracy.

[0011] According to the invention, the tower cranes are positioned such that the booms extend sequentially from tower to tower and / or together form a closed polygon. In particular, the booms can define a polygon corresponding to the number of cranes, i.e., a triangle with three tower cranes, a quadrilateral with four tower cranes, and so on.

[0012] In a further development of the invention, four tower cranes can, in particular, be attached to one another with their jibs, so that the jibs can define a rectangle, in particular a square. Advantageously, the tower cranes are arranged such that at least two jibs of two tower cranes extend parallel to each other. A crossbeam can be easily mounted on the two parallel jibs so as to be movable, in particular rigidly attached directly to the trolleys of the jibs, so that the crossbeam can be moved precisely along a double rail guide formed by the two parallel jibs.

[0013] In principle, it would also be possible, for example when using a telescopic crossbeam, to use two outriggers that are not exactly parallel or slightly V-shaped spread outwards as a rail guide for the crossbeam.

[0014] As is typical for tower cranes, the jibs can each be rotated around an upright slewing axis relative to the tower or together with the tower supporting the jib. The rotation of the tower and / or the jib relative to the tower can be achieved by a suitable slewing drive, for example, an electric motor driving a pinion gear that engages with a toothed ring. This rotatability of the jibs allows them to be easily positioned relative to each other when erecting the support structure for the working head.

[0015] In a further development of the invention, the booms are each attached to a next tower crane with their front end sections, wherein the attachment of the boom tip or the front end section to the tower of the next crane and / or to its boom can preferably take place near the tower.

[0016] In order to enable quick connection and quick release of the fastenings of the tower cranes from one another, in an advantageous further development of the invention, quick couplers or couplings can be provided between the tower cranes, which enable a positive locking and / or force locking of a respective front end section of the respective boom on the next crane, in particular its tower and / or its boom.

[0017] In particular, such mechanical quick couplers or couplings can have movable locking elements and matching positive-locking contours on the end sections of the booms and corresponding connecting sections on the next crane. For example, a locking head can be provided on the tower and / or an adjacent section of the boom and / or counter boom of a respective tower crane, to which another crane can be docked with the end section of its boom, in particular by means of a positive-locking connection. For example, a coupling shoe can be attached to the tower and / or boom and / or counter boom of a crane, into which the tip of the boom of the other crane can be inserted.

[0018] Movable locking elements, such as extendable locking bolts or wedge-shaped clamping bolts, can ensure a positive-locking and / or force-locking securing and / or catching of the boom end section on the counterpart of the other crane.

[0019] The aforementioned locking elements can, for example, be hook-shaped swing bolts and / or include translationally movable locking bolts.

[0020] Advantageously, the aforementioned quick-release couplings can each be switched between a rigidly locking state that prevents any relative movement and a damping and / or yielding holding state. For example, each quick-release coupling can comprise two coupling halves that can move against each other, at least one of which is attached to the corresponding connecting part, namely the projecting end section of the boom and / or the counterpart of the adjacent crane, in particular its tower, for example, by means of spring elements or other yielding and / or movable elements. In the aforementioned damping and / or yielding coupling mode, the respective boom is still connected to the tower or the adjacent structural section of the next crane, but can move to a limited extent.In this mobile mode, the entire support frame structure, i.e., the tower cranes, can be moved together, allowing certain compensatory movements, for example, when the support frame structure encompassing the tower cranes is moved from one building section to an adjacent building section.

[0021] In order to lock the compliance of the respective quick coupling in order to achieve the highest positioning accuracy in the working mode of the work head, the compliant elements, for example the springs mentioned, can be blocked, for example by extending a latch.

[0022] The aforementioned quick-release couplings can be designed to be statically load-bearing in the rigidly locked locking state, in order to minimize deflection of the connected booms. If the booms to be connected have longitudinally extending upper and lower chords in a manner known per se, the aforementioned quick-release coupling can lock both the upper and lower chords of two booms to be connected. The upper chord of one boom can be locked to the upper chord of the other boom, and the lower chords of one boom can be locked to the lower chords of the other boom, thus providing an overall stable, statically load-bearing connection between the booms.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, the aforementioned quick-release couplings can also include additional stiffening elements that, like a stiffening sleeve, connect and stiffen a section of one boom to a section of the other boom, and can in particular be slid over it. For example, such stiffening elements, in the form of a rail, sleeve, or bandage, can connect and stiffen the top chord of one boom to the top chord of the other boom. Similarly, a stiffening element can be provided for one or each of the bottom chords.

[0024] In order to allow the working head to be moved not only along the tower crane boom, a movable carriage is mounted on the aforementioned longitudinally movable crossbeam, which carries the working head, in a further development of the invention. The aforementioned transverse carriage can be moved along the crossbeam by a transverse drive in order to move the working head laterally into various desired working positions.

[0025] The height and depth adjustment of the working head can be achieved in various ways. In particular, to allow for precise height adjustments of the working head, a working head support can be mounted so that it is height-adjustable relative to the aforementioned crossbeam, especially the cross slide. This head support can, for example, be articulated to the cross slide by means of an upright, telescopic arm. Alternatively or additionally, the upright head support can also be moved vertically along the cross slide, for example, by a rack and pinion drive or another suitable adjustment mechanism.

[0026] Alternatively or additionally, vertical movements of the working head can also be achieved by adjusting the height of the tower crane, in particular by a height-adjustable tower to which the crane's boom is attached. In particular, a telescopic tower can be provided, and advantageously, each of the several tower cranes can have such a height-adjustable, in particular telescopic, tower in order to move the attached booms or the horizontal support structure formed by them upwards or downwards by synchronously adjusting the tower height.

[0027] Alternatively or additionally to telescoping the crane towers, the crane towers can also be lengthened by climbing in or otherwise attaching additional tower sections, or shortened by climbing out or removing corresponding tower sections. Advantageously, the respective tower crane can be equipped with a climbing device for this purpose, enabling simple and quick insertion of tower sections. A climbing guide can be provided for this, which can hold a tower section relative to another tower section or a tower base and simultaneously allows a tower section to be moved longitudinally relative to the climbing guide, for example, by a hydraulic cylinder. The climbing guide bridges the resulting gap or space to the next tower section during the movement of the held tower section.to the tower base, so that a new tower section can be inserted from one side and then connected to the tower section held by the climbing section. Such climbing devices for tower cranes are known per se, so reference may be made, for example, to document WO 2015 / 135645 A1.

[0028] Once a tower crane has reached its maximum height, for example by extending its reach or by adding tower sections, the tower can be detached from its slewing platform and / or undercarriage and anchored to the existing building facade using building anchors. This allows the crane to continue growing alongside the building. For instance, a tower section below the climbing mechanism can first be anchored to the facade with one or more building anchors, allowing another tower section to be added. By repositioning or attaching additional building anchors to a higher section of the building or tower, the tower can continue to grow incrementally while remaining attached to the building. A similar approach can be used with a telescopic tower, which can be anchored alternately at its pivot point and its extendable section.

[0029] By cleverly repositioning the building anchors, the arrangement of the tower cranes, which form the supporting structure for the working head, can not only grow vertically with the building, but also in a horizontal direction if a nested building with horizontally offset building sections is to be erected.

[0030] Alternatively or additionally, the supporting structure can also be horizontally extended or repositioned by attaching an additional tower crane to the existing building, for example, on a newly constructed building platform. The tower of the new crane can also be attached to the respective building section using building anchors. The boom of the new crane can be connected to the boom or tower of one of the other already installed cranes to extend the supporting structure horizontally.

[0031] In this context, an auxiliary crane can be helpful, which may take the form of an additional boom attached to one of the cranes that is part of the supporting structure. Such an auxiliary crane, integrated into the supporting structure or a separate auxiliary crane, can also be used to supply the construction site, which has grown upwards, with building materials, tools, and / or other materials.

[0032] To avoid limiting the movement of the working head along the aforementioned crossbeam to the polygonal area spanned by the interconnected booms, an advantageous embodiment of the invention allows the crossbeam to cantilever beyond at least one of the booms and form a track for the cross slide carrying the working head, extending both inside and outside the polygon spanned by the booms. This allows the working head to be moved, so to speak, to the outside of the supporting frame structure, enabling work to be carried out outside the triangle, quadrilateral, or polygon spanned by the crane booms and also allowing the construction of building components outside the aforementioned spanned polygon.

[0033] Advantageously, the aforementioned boom can be designed to extend beyond the respective crane boom at both ends, in order to be able to work on opposite sides even outside the polygon spanned by the booms.

[0034] The projecting part of the crossbeam can be formed by a rigid section of the crossbeam. Alternatively, the projecting part can also be an extendable part of the crossbeam.

[0035] To enable work beyond the polygon spanned by the booms, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam, the aforementioned cross slide, which is movable along the crossbeam, can in turn support a traverse or beam that extends essentially perpendicular or perpendicular to the first-mentioned crossbeam. The working head can be movably mounted on this traverse by means of a slide or similar suspension. If the crossbeam, along the crane booms to which it is suspended, has moved very close to the towers supporting the booms, the aforementioned traverse can project beyond the line connecting the two towers, allowing the working head to move beyond the polygon spanned by the crane booms in this direction as well.

[0036] In order to avoid introducing tilting moments or excessively large tilting moments into the crossbeam via the aforementioned traverse, the traverse can carry two counter-rotating working heads or one working head and a counter-rotating ballast weight to balance the traverse with respect to its pivot point on the crossbeam.

[0037] Alternatively or additionally to such a crossbeam suspended from the aforementioned crossbeam, it would also be possible to suspend two or more working heads from two separate, unconnected crossbeams, advantageously with the two crossbeams extending perpendicular or perpendicular to each other. To prevent collisions, the aforementioned crossbeams can, in this case, be arranged at different heights.

[0038] For example, if four tower cranes are connected by their jibs to form a rectangle, the two crossbeams can each be suspended from two opposing jibs or the trolleys provided there, so that the crossbeams – viewed from above – intersect or form a cross. One of the crossbeams can be suspended higher than the other, allowing them to move over each other. This can be achieved, for example, by installing a height spacer between the crossbeam and the respective trolley. Alternatively or additionally, it would also be possible to arrange the jibs in pairs at different heights.

[0039] To enable the support frame structure for the working head formed by the tower cranes to be quickly moved from one construction site to the next, or even to be moved rapidly within the same construction site, at least one of the several tower cranes can be designed as a mobile crane. Its tower is mounted on a rotating platform, which can be rotatably mounted on a chassis about a vertical axis. The undercarriage has a running gear and advantageously its own drive system to be self-propelled. Such a drive system can, for example, include an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or an electric motor.

[0040] Advantageously, a ballast weight can be provided on the aforementioned superstructure or the turntable to which the tower is articulated, to counteract tipping moments, which can rotate with the turntable and balance the crane independently of its rotational position.

[0041] Alternatively or in addition to such ballast on the slewing platform, the tower crane can also have a counter jib that extends along the tower in the opposite direction to the jib and can carry a ballast weight.

[0042] Advantageously, the tower can be mounted on the aforementioned turntable in a way that allows it to tilt or rock around a horizontal axis, enabling it to be moved from an upright working position to a horizontal transport position. For this purpose, a rocker drive, for example with hydraulic cylinders, can be provided between the turntable and the tower to raise and lower the tower around the horizontal pivot axis.

[0043] A mobile crane of this type can have undercarriages of varying designs. For example, it may be equipped with a multi-axle wheeled chassis, where one or more of the wheel axles can be driven by the drive system. Advantageously, at least one axle is steerable. Alternatively or in addition to wheeled axles, the chassis can also feature a crawler track, allowing the mobile crane to be moved by driving the tracks. Such a tracked chassis is particularly advantageous on rough construction site terrain, enabling the tower crane to be moved safely even on deep, muddy ground, significant unevenness, or sloping terrain.

[0044] The polygonal support frame structure for the working head, spanned by the booms of tower cranes, can serve not only to support and move the working head, but also to roof the area being worked by the working head. In particular, the booms can support a roof that spans the interior of the polygonal profile formed by the booms, either completely or partially covering the interior space. Such a roof can, for example, consist of a large-area textile and / or foil structure, or a hybrid roof structure comprising large-area foil and / or textile materials and supporting ribs.

[0045] Advantageously, such a retractable roof can be designed to be extendable and retractable, in order to reduce the large roof area in strong winds. For example, a roll-up roof, similar to a sun awning or roller blind, can be provided, with a winding roller on one of the arms or between two arms to roll up and unroll the roofing material.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, a folding roof can be provided, which can have spaced-apart pivot points on two opposing outriggers, each of which can be mounted there with sliding pieces, so that the roof can be folded to one side in the manner of a leporello fold.

[0047] Advantageously, such a roof can be hinged to the tops of the outriggers, for example supported on the top chords of the outriggers and / or slidably mounted.

[0048] To protect the working area of ​​the crane head from lateral influences such as wind, rain, and the like, at least one side wall can be attached to the tower cranes that form the supporting frame structure for the working head, either as an alternative or in addition to a roof. This side wall must cover at least part of the span between at least two towers. In particular, the jibs and / or adjacent towers can each support a deployable side wall that can at least partially span the space between two towers and the jib connecting the towers, and which can extend essentially vertically.

[0049] Such a deployable side wall can, for example, have a flat textile and / or foil structure and / or hybrid roof structures comprising flat foil and / or textile materials and load-bearing frames.

[0050] Advantageously, such a protective wall can be designed to be retractable and extendable in order to reduce the wind-exposed surface area in strong winds. For example, a retractable protective wall, similar to a sun awning or roller blind, can be provided, with a winding roller positioned horizontally on one of the outriggers or vertically on one of the towers to roll and unroll the side wall material.

[0051] Alternatively or additionally, a folding wall similar to a curtain or a Venetian blind can be provided, which can have spaced-apart pivot points on a boom or on two adjacent towers, which can each be mounted there with sliding pieces, so that the side wall can be folded upwards towards the boom or to one side towards the tower there, in the manner of a leporello fold.

[0052] To avoid unnecessarily large support frame structures, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the booms of the tower cranes can also be designed to be telescopic and / or length-adjustable, for example by adding or removing boom sections. In particular, a telescopic boom design can also compensate for tolerances or errors in the spacing between adjacent towers.

[0053] If a house with a larger footprint is being built, the outriggers can be extended, while for a smaller house, the outriggers can be retracted and the towers moved closer together. Advantageously, length-adjustable outriggers also allow for easy adaptation to different floor plan shapes. For example, if a square house is being built, all outriggers can be set to the same length, while two outriggers can be set longer and two shorter if a long, narrow house is being built.

[0054] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the interconnected tower cranes can also be used to adjust the working head by means of cables and / or to support a cable robot. In particular, a cable system comprising at least three control cables can be attached to the at least three tower cranes, which are connected to one another by their jibs, especially to the towers and / or the jibs. Cable winches can be provided for adjusting said cable system relative to the interconnected tower cranes and / or relative to the working head and can be controlled by an electronic control device for moving the working head.

[0055] By lowering or hauling in the cables using winches, the cable configuration relative to the supporting structure defined by the interconnected tower cranes can be adjusted, thereby moving the working head. If necessary, the cable configuration can also be adjusted relative to the working head, for example, by a winch such as a capstan winch located on the working head. By coordinating the lowering and hauling of the cables, for example, synchronously or in opposite directions, the working head can be moved either vertically and / or horizontally.

[0056] The stranding advantageously comprises a high-strength fiber rope, which can consist of, or at least contain, high-strength synthetic fibers such as aramid fibers (HMPA), aramid / carbon fiber blends, high-modulus polyethylene fibers (HMPE), or poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) fibers (PBO). The use of such high-strength fiber ropes not only reduces the weight of the stranding itself but also allows for a reduction in the structural weight of the components it supports and the moving masses. This leads to an increase in the application's load-bearing capacity and, above all, facilitates compliance with permissible axle loads for road transport, even with a reduced number of axles. Simultaneously, the low elongation of such fiber components improves the positioning accuracy of the working head.In addition, the fiber rope is less susceptible to wind-induced transverse vibrations, allowing the working head to be positioned more precisely outdoors under less than perfect weather conditions.

[0057] For its function as a load-bearing structural component, the tower of the tower crane can be equipped with an attachment point for a control cable of the cable robot, for example, by means of a pulley in an upper section of the tower and / or by a winch mounted in an upper section of the tower. Advantageously, several attachment points for multiple control cables can also be provided on the tower of the tower crane, for example, in the form of pulleys offset from each other in height, over which the control cables are redirected to winches at the base of the tower. The crane tower can thus form a support column for the cable system. Alternatively or additionally, an attachment point for the cable system can also be provided on the crane boom.

[0058] Regardless of whether the working head is moved through the previously described crossbeam structure with a crossbeam movable on the booms, or via the aforementioned cable system, a further development of the invention may advantageously provide a higher-level control system that coordinates and / or synchronizes the corresponding drives of the tower cranes and / or the cable winches of the cable system.

[0059] The control device, which moves the working head in the desired manner and thereby operates the winches that adjust the cables of the stranding system, can be structured in various ways. Advantageously, this control device is electronic and may, in particular, include a microprocessor capable of executing a control program stored in a memory device. The control device can automatically or semi-automatically follow a predetermined path of travel for the working head, for example, a straight, horizontal path or an ascending or descending curve, which can be specified, for instance, based on a BIM model.Alternatively or additionally, the control device can also react to input commands from a machine operator and translate these into a corresponding positioning movement of the working head, by converting the input commands, for example the tilting or moving of a joystick in a certain direction, into corresponding rotary movements of the winches.

[0060] The aforementioned control device can be modular in design, in particular having a local control device on each of the mobile units that includes a support column with at least one winch or is designed as a crane, which controls the at least one winch and / or monitors the load or the tipping moment acting on the respective unit and, if necessary, shuts down the system if a movement or load endangering stability is imminent.

[0061] In order to align and coordinate the rope movements on the various support columns or at least one crane, the control device may further comprise a higher-level control unit, which may be electronically designed in the aforementioned manner and may include a microprocessor, program memory and other components, wherein the aforementioned higher-level control unit can communicate with the local control devices in order to control and operate the respective rope winches in a coordinated manner via the aforementioned local control units in order to achieve rope movements that are coordinated in the desired manner.

[0062] The aforementioned higher-level control unit can be formed by one of the local control units, which essentially acts as a master unit, monitoring and / or controlling the other local control units. Alternatively, instead of such a modular control architecture, a central control device can be used that directly controls the winches on the individual units.

[0063] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. The drawings show: Fig. 1: A perspective view of a construction and / or material handling machine with a working head in the form of a concrete spray head, which is movably mounted on a support frame structure formed by four tower cranes with jibs attached to one another. Fig. 2: A perspective view of the construction or material handling machine made of Fig. 1together with the control and configuration device implemented in a cloud for controlling and / or configuring the four tower cranes, and Fig. 3: a perspective view of a support frame structure formed by four tower cranes for a working head similar to the Figure 1 and 2 , wherein the tower cranes are each equipped with a climbing device for climbing into tower sections in order to adapt the height of the support frame structure on a larger scale to different buildings and their construction heights, Fig. 4: a top view of a support frame structure formed by four tower cranes similar to the preceding figures, wherein the tower cranes are each equipped with a double jib system with telescoping jib sections, Fig. 5: a side view of one of the tower cranes made of Fig. 5To illustrate the double boom system and the luffing capability of the boom, Fig. 6: a top view of the support frame structure formed by the four tower cranes. Fig. 4 , where partial views a, b and c illustrate the adjustment of the support frame structure by extending and retracting the booms, Fig. 7: a perspective view of a support frame structure formed by four tower cranes attached to one another similar to Fig. 1 , wherein the working head is adjustable relative to the aforementioned support frame structure by means of a cable system comprising control cables attached to the towers of the tower cranes, Fig. 8: a top view of a support frame structure formed by three tower cranes with jibs attached to one another, wherein the working head is again similar to the design according to Fig. 7articulated via a cable system on the towers of the tower cranes and adjustable by adjusting the control cables, and Fig. 9: a perspective view of the support frame structure formed by the four tower cranes, similar to the Fig. 3 , whereby the towers of the four tower cranes are dismantled from the undercarriages of the tower cranes and held by building anchors on the facade of the already erected part of the building.

[0064] As the figures show, the construction and / or material handling machine 1 includes a working head 2 which is suspended on a support frame structure 3 in a movable or adjustable manner and can be moved in all three dimensions, as will be explained below.

[0065] The aforementioned working head 2 can be configured in various ways and / or equipped with different working tools, for example, in the form of a material dispensing head such as a concrete spray head or another manufacturing tool, and / or in the form of a workpiece gripper and / or another handling tool such as a clamshell grab, for example, to handle various materials such as sand, gravel, or bricks. If the working head 2 includes a material dispensing head, the machine can operate like a 3D printer, whereby various materials or building materials can be dispensed via the material dispensing head, for example, concrete, but also alternative building materials such as clay and / or lime mixtures and / or plastics such as synthetic foams.

[0066] How Figure 1As shown, the aforementioned supporting frame structure 3 is formed by several tower cranes 4, each comprising a tower 5 and a boom 6 supported by the tower 5, and are attached to each other.

[0067] In particular, the booms 6 of the tower cranes 4 can form a closed, and understandably not circular, but polygonal ring, like a polygonal chain. Each tower crane 4 can point its boom 6 towards the next tower crane, so that the booms 6 extend sequentially from tower crane to tower crane.

[0068] Each tower crane 4 can be a self-contained and fully functional tower crane, whereby, for example, the jib 6 can be rotated about an upright slewing axis. Depending on whether the tower crane 4 is a bottom-slewing or top-slewing crane, the jib 6 can be rotated relative to the tower 5 or together with the tower 5 about the upright slewing axis, for which a suitable slewing drive may be provided.

[0069] In particular, each of the tower cranes 4 can be designed as a mobile crane, which can be self-propelled to be moved from construction site to construction site, but can also be moved only on a construction site itself.

[0070] In particular, such a mobile crane can include an undercarriage 7 which can be supported on the ground and moved by means of a chassis 8, for example in the form of a crawler chassis or a wheeled chassis. A corresponding drive system powers at least one chassis axle or the crawler tracks.

[0071] How Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned undercarriage 7 can be supported on the ground by ground supports 9 in the working position to increase tipping stability. If necessary, additional or alternative bracing of the tower 5 and / or the boom 6 can also be provided on the ground.

[0072] A turntable 10 can be arranged on the aforementioned undercarriage 7 and rotated relative to the undercarriage 7 about an upright slewing axis. How Figure 1 As shown, a ballast 11 can be provided on the aforementioned turntable 10 to balance the boom 6 and / or loads pulling on the tower crane 4.

[0073] Advantageously, the respective boom 6 can be braced to the ballast 11 or the turntable 10 via a bracing 12.

[0074] In order to be able to move the tower crane 4 from construction site to construction site in a simple manner, the respective tower 5 can advantageously be designed to be length-variable, in particular telescopic, wherein a length adjustment drive can, for example, comprise one or more hydraulic cylinders housed in the tower or a rope drive.

[0075] Advantageously, the boom 6 can be tilted up and down relative to the tower 5, and in particular can also be folded against the tower 5 to achieve a compact transport configuration, whereby a corresponding tilting drive for tilting the boom 6 relative to the tower 5 can be provided, which tilting drive can, for example, include an adjustment of the bracing 12.

[0076] Advantageously, the boom 6 can also be length-adjusted, in particular telescopically, whereby a corresponding adjustment drive can be provided, for example, comprising one or more hydraulic cylinders or a rope drive.

[0077] The tower 5, together with the boom 6, can be pivoted or lowered from the upright working position into a horizontal transport position and is pivotally connected to the aforementioned turntable 5 about a horizontal tower pivot axis for this purpose. A tower tilting drive can, for example, comprise a hydraulic cylinder between the turntable 10 and the tower 5.

[0078] How Figure 1As shown, the tower cranes 4 are attached to one another with their jibs 6, whereby each jib 6 can be attached with its projecting end section to the tower 5 of the next tower crane 4. The attachment can be made to the tower 5 itself, or to an adjacent section of the jib 6, or to a counter jib or tower top, if present.

[0079] To attach the booms 6 to the adjacent tower of the next crane, a quick-release coupling 13 is advantageously provided, which can lock the projecting end section of the boom 6 to the adjacent tower crane 4 in a positive-locking and / or force-locking manner. Such a quick-release coupling 13 can include retractable or pivotable locking elements, as already explained in more detail above.

[0080] Advantageously, the aforementioned quick-release coupling 13 can be switched between a rigidly locking locking state that does not permit any relative movement on the one hand, and a damping and / or yielding holding state on the other. For example, the respective quick-release coupling 13 can comprise two coupling halves that can move relative to one another, at least one of which is attached to the corresponding connecting part, namely the projecting end section of the boom and / or the counterpart of the adjacent crane, in particular its tower 5, for example by means of spring elements or other yielding and / or movable elements. In the aforementioned damping and / or yielding coupling mode, the respective boom 6 is still articulated to the tower or the adjacent structural section of the next crane, but can move to a limited extent.In this mobile mode, the entire support frame structure, i.e., the tower cranes 4 together, can be moved, allowing certain compensatory movements, for example when the support frame structure encompassing the tower cranes is moved from one building section to an adjacent building section.

[0081] In order to lock the compliance of the quick coupling 13 in order to achieve the highest positioning accuracy in the working mode of the working head 2, the compliant elements, for example the springs mentioned, can be blocked, for example by extending a latch.

[0082] The aforementioned quick-release couplings 13 can be designed, in particular, to be statically load-bearing in the rigidly locked locking state in order to minimize deflection of the interconnected booms. If the booms to be connected have upper and lower chords extending longitudinally in a manner known per se, the aforementioned quick-release coupling 13 can lock both the upper and lower chords of two booms 6 to be connected to each other. The upper chord of one boom 6 can be locked to the upper chord of the other boom 6, and the lower chords of one boom 6 can be locked to the lower chords of the other boom 6, thus providing an overall stable, statically load-bearing connection between the booms 6.

[0083] Alternatively or additionally, the aforementioned quick-release couplings 13 can also include additional stiffening elements which, in the manner of a stiffening sleeve, connect and stiffen a section of one boom 6 to a section of the other boom 6, and in particular can be slid over it. For example, such stiffening elements, in the manner of a rail, a sleeve, or a bandage, can connect and stiffen the top chord of one boom 6 to the top chord of the other boom 6. Similarly, a stiffening element can be provided for one or each of the bottom chords.

[0084] To couple the booms 6 or engage the quick-release couplings 13, it is advantageous for the booms 6 to be length-adjustable, in particular telescopic, as this allows the projecting end sections to be extended to engage the coupling halves. Alternatively or additionally, the rocking motion of the booms 6 can also be used to engage the quick-release couplings 13. Alternatively or additionally, a pivoting movement, i.e., a rotation of the booms 10 about the vertical axis of the slewing mechanism, could also be used to engage the quick-release couplings 13.

[0085] As the Figure 1 and 2As shown, the working head 2 can be suspended from a horizontal crossbeam 14, which is movably mounted on two preferably parallel arms 6. For this purpose, the aforementioned crossbeam 14 can include slide- or cat-shaped bearing elements at its ends, which can be moved along the respective arm 6.

[0086] In particular, the trolleys 15, which are movably arranged on the outriggers 6, can also be used to suspend and move the aforementioned crossbeam 14. During normal crane operation, hoist ropes with attached load hooks can be lowered and raised via these trolleys 15. The load hook can also be used, if necessary, to suspend the crossbeam 14 from the respective trolley 15. Advantageously, the crossbeam 14 can also be rigidly or only very loosely attached to the trolley 15.

[0087] The trolleys 15 can be moved longitudinally along the respective boom 6 via a suitable trolley drive, for example a rope drive.

[0088] As the figures show, the crossbeam 14 can be designed to be variable in length, in particular telescopic, in order to compensate for parallelism errors or slight misalignments of the outriggers 6 when the crossbeam 14 is moved along the outriggers 6 supporting it and outrigger sections of varying distances are reached.

[0089] The working head 2 can be mounted on the aforementioned crossbeam 14 so as to be laterally movable, i.e., movable in the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam 14. For this purpose, a crossbeam slide 16 can be moved longitudinally along the crossbeam 14 by a suitable slide drive.

[0090] Furthermore, the working head 2 is advantageously height-adjustable relative to the crossbeam 14. For example, a length-adjustable and / or height-adjustable, vertically extending head support 17 can be provided on the aforementioned crossbeam slide 16, which can be adjusted in height or length accordingly by a height adjustment drive.

[0091] If the working head 2 mentioned is a material dispensing head, for example a concrete spraying head, the material to be dispensed can be supplied to the working head 2 from a supply source 18, for example from a concrete mixer or from a concrete pump, cf. Figure 1 .

[0092] Alternatively or in addition to the described height adjustability of the working head 2 relative to the crossbeam 14, a height adjustment can also be achieved by adjusting the tower heights if the towers 5 of the tower cranes 4 are height-adjustable in the described manner, in particular telescopic.

[0093] Advantageously, such height adjustment of the towers 5 can be used for a rough height setting, for example, when the next floor of a building is to be manufactured. A fine height adjustment of the working position of the working head 2 can then be achieved by adjusting the working head 2 relative to the crossbeam 14.

[0094] How Figure 3To illustrate, a larger-scale height adjustment of the towers 5 of the tower cranes 4 can be achieved by a climbing device 19, which allows additional tower sections to be climbed into the tower 5 or, conversely, if the height is to be reduced, allows the tower sections to be climbed out of the tower 5. Such a climbing device 19 can have a climbing frame movable along the respective tower 5 for climbing in and / or out of tower sections, wherein a guide is provided for longitudinally movable support of the climbing frame against the tower or support of the tower 5 against the climbing frame 20. The aforementioned climbing frame 20 can be arranged at the base of the tower 5, but also at a higher section of the tower 5.In order to be able to push the existing tower 5 further upwards for climbing in a new section, a lifting device may be provided, for example comprising a hydraulic cylinder, to raise or lower the tower section which is movable relative to the climbing frame, depending on whether an additional tower section is to be climbed in or down.

[0095] By adding additional tower sections to the towers 5 of the tower cranes 4, these can grow along with the building being erected, allowing for the construction of buildings of virtually any height. The tower cranes 4 advantageously remain supported on the ground, although cross braces to the building facade can be provided if necessary.

[0096] As the Figures 4 and 5 As shown, tower cranes 4 with double boom systems can be used, whereby the connection between two adjacent cranes can be made via two "half" booms each.

[0097] As the Figures 4 and 5 As shown, such a tower crane with a double boom system can comprise two booms 6 which are articulated to a common tower 5 and which, for example, when viewed along the longitudinal axis of the tower 5, can extend to each other at an angle of 90°, although this angle can also be different depending on how many tower cranes 4 are clamped together to form a support frame structure 3.

[0098] How Figure 4 As shown, the booms 6 of two adjacent tower cranes 4 are directed towards each other so that they extend along a common straight line and their projecting end sections abut each other. The boom ends adjoining each other at their ends can then be fastened together by means of a quick-release coupling 16 as described.

[0099] Even in such tower cranes 4 with double jibs, the jibs 6 can be designed to be length-variable, in particular telescopic, cf. Figures 4 and 5 .

[0100] The Figure 4 This further illustrates in detail the mobility of the working head 2 in the top view. On the one hand, the crossbeam 14 can be moved longitudinally along opposing, parallel outriggers 6 via the trolleys 15. On the other hand, the working head 2 can be moved transversely by moving the crossbeam carriage 16 along the crossbeam 14. This allows any position above the footprint of the area to be built upon to be reached. The height adjustment is then achieved in the aforementioned manner by adjusting the height of the working head 2 relative to the crossbeam 14 and / or, if necessary, by adjusting the height of the towers 5.

[0101] How Figure 6As shown, the supporting frame structure 3 can be easily adapted to different building sizes and floor plan shapes, especially if the booms 6 are adjustable in length. By lengthening or shortening the booms 6, the distances between the towers 5 of the tower cranes 4 can be adjusted to erect larger or smaller buildings, whereby not only as in partial views a, b and c of the Figure 6 The depicted square polygons can be realized, but also an adaptation from square to rectangular and vice versa can be made, for example by shortening or lengthening only two of the four cantilevers.

[0102] To protect the working area of ​​the working head 2, the supporting frame structure 3 can also support a roof 30 spanning the working area, cf. Fig. 4 and Fig. 9 , and / or at least one side wall 31 is attached to the tower cranes 4, cf. Fig. 3 and Fig. 9The roof 30 and the side wall 31 can be designed in the manner already explained at the beginning and attached to the outriggers 6 or the towers 5.

[0103] As the Figure 7 and 8 As shown, the working head 2 - or another, additional working head - can optionally also be suspended via a cable 20 on the support frame structure 3 and moved relative to it, which support frame structure 3 is also formed here by four or three tower cranes 4, which are attached to each other via their booms 6.

[0104] The stranding 20 can, as Figure 7shows, comprising ropes running in four cardinal directions or in four different vertical planes, wherein advantageously two ropes 21, 22 can be provided for each cardinal direction or each vertical plane, which can run from pivot points arranged at different heights, in particular can guide the working head 2 once obliquely upwards and once obliquely downwards in the respective cardinal direction or vertical plane, cf. Figure 7 .

[0105] The aforementioned pivot points of the cable 20 can advantageously be provided on the towers 5 of the tower cranes 4, in particular on upper and lower end sections, cf. Figure 7To utilize the telescoping or height-adjustable function of the towers 5 without having to adapt the cable control system, it would also be conceivable to provide the pivot points of the cable system 20 only on the extendable tower section. Alternatively, it would also be possible to provide at least the upper pivot points on the outriggers 6.

[0106] How Figure 8 As shown, such a cable 20 can also be attached in a simple manner to a support frame structure 3 which is spanned or formed by only three tower cranes 4, the tower cranes 4 being attached to each other in an analogous manner via their booms 6 in order to form a stiff, stable support frame structure 3.

[0107] The aforementioned pivot points can be formed by pulleys 23, over which the control cables 21 and 22 are deflected or guided to corresponding winches, by means of which the control cables 21 and 22 on each tower crane 4 can be adjusted independently of one another, yet in a coordinated manner. As the Figure 7 As shown, the upper and lower pivot points can be sufficiently offset vertically from each other so that the working head 2 can be fixed or guided both upwards and downwards by the respective control cables 21 and 22. However, it would also be possible, if necessary, to feed both control cables from above.

[0108] Due to the different heights of the steering cables 21 and 22, as in Figure 7 As shown, the working head 2 can be guided precisely in its alignment.

[0109] Regardless of whether the working head 2 is suspended via the cable system 20 or via the movable crossbeam 14, an electronic control device 26 can be provided for moving and / or positioning the working head 2, which can control the respective traversing drives, in particular the trolley drives and / or the traversing drive of the crossbeam carriage 16 and / or the height adjustment drive for adjusting the working head 2 relative to the crossbeam 14 and / or the cable winches of the cable system 20 on each tower crane 4.

[0110] Advantageously, a local control unit 27 can be provided on each tower crane 4, which can control the travel drives on the respective tower crane 4, including the trolley drives and the aforementioned winches of the cable system 20. The local control units 27, as well as the higher-level control device 26, can each be electronically designed, for example, comprising a microprocessor and a program memory to execute one or more control routines in the form of a software module.

[0111] Advantageously, the aforementioned local control unit 27 can not only control the traverse drives but also include a load monitoring module that monitors the tipping moment introduced into the respective tower crane 4 and compares it with a maximum tipping moment. To coordinate the adjustment movements on the various tower cranes 4, in particular the movement of the trolleys 15 and / or the extension of the towers 5 and / or the adjustment of the cable rigging 20, the control device 26 advantageously includes a higher-level or central control unit 28 that can communicate with the multiple local control units 27.In particular, the multiple local control units 27 can execute control commands from the central control unit 28 for the corresponding traversing drives, especially for adjusting the trolleys 25 and for extending and retracting the towers, and / or report traversing movements detected by sensors back to the central control unit 28 in order to coordinate the adjustment of the traversing drives so that the working head 2 is moved in the desired manner.

[0112] The aforementioned central control unit 28 can also control the other traversing drives that are not specifically assigned to a tower crane 4, in particular the movement of the crossbeam carriage 16 and the height adjustment movements of the head beam 17.

[0113] The aforementioned superior control unit 28 can be a separate control device for all tower cranes 4, for example in the form of a central control server, or alternatively be formed by one of the local control units 27, which in this case acts as the master control unit.

[0114] How Figure 2 To clarify, the control unit 26, in particular the higher-level control unit 28, can also be connected to a central data server 29, especially to a so-called BIM component, where BIM stands for Building Information Model and contains a multitude of relevant information for the building to be constructed, in particular CAD data, logistics plans, status data on already constructed building components, scheduling data, etc. The connection to such a BIM server 29 can, for example, be provided via a cloud with potentially intended access restrictions or barriers, cf. Figure 2 .

[0115] How Figure 9 As shown, the tower cranes 4 forming the supporting structure can also grow beyond their maximum extendable or climbable height along with a building, in which the tower cranes 4 with their towers are anchored to the facade of an already constructed part of the building by means of building anchors 50.

[0116] Once the respective tower crane 4 has reached its maximum height, for example by extending it or by inserting corresponding tower sections, the tower 5 of the crane can be detached from its slewing platform and / or its undercarriage and anchored to the already erected building facade using building anchors 50. To allow for further extension, a tower section below the climbing mechanism can first be anchored to the facade with one or more building anchors, so that another tower section can be added. By repositioning or attaching additional building anchors to a higher section of the building or tower, the tower 5 can continue to grow incrementally while remaining attached to that section of the building.

[0117] How Fig. 9 As shown, a roof 30 supported by the cranes and / or a side wall 31 attached to a boom 6 or one or more towers 5 can also grow upwards.

[0118] An auxiliary crane 60 can be helpful for bringing in newly installed tower sections. Such an auxiliary crane 60 can advantageously be designed as an additional jib on one of the cranes, which is part of the supporting structure 3. Such an auxiliary crane 60 integrated into the supporting structure, or a separate auxiliary crane, can also be used to supply the construction site, which has grown upwards, with building materials and / or tools and / or other materials.

Claims

1. Construction and / or materials-handling machine for erecting a structure and / or manipulating a workpiece, comprising a supporting frame structure (3) for supporting a roof (30), a protective wall (31) and / or a working head (2), characterized in that the supporting frame structure (3) is formed by at least three revolving tower cranes (4) which each comprise an upright tower (5) and at least one boom (6) which is supported by the tower (5) and can be rotated about an upright slewing axis relative to the tower (5) or together with the tower, wherein the revolving tower cranes (4) are attached to one another by their booms (6) and form a support frame in the type of a polygonal chain.

2. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to the preceding claim, wherein the revolving tower cranes (4) each comprise a climbing device (19) for climbing tower pieces into and out of the tower (5) of the respective revolving tower crane (4).

3. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tower (5) can be dismantled from the undercarriage (7) and / or from the rotating platform (10) of a respective revolving tower crane (4), wherein building anchors (50) are provided for fastening and holding the tower (5) with dismantled rotating platform and / or dismantled undercarriage to the already erected building part.

4. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the roof (30) is attached to the booms (6) of the revolving tower cranes (4) which form the support frame in the type of a polygonal chain, preferably to the upper load-bearing straps of the booms (6).

5. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to the preceding claim, wherein the roof (30) is configured to be adjustable between an extended position and a retracted position, preferably to be retractable and extendable by a roof drive.

6. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to the preceding claim, wherein the roof (30) is configured to be rollable in the manner of a sun awning and comprises a winding roller which is rotatably mounted on at least one boom (6) of a revolving tower crane (4), and / or is configured as a folding roof which has sliding guides on two opposite booms of the revolving tower cranes (4) for sliding on the folding roof.

7. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a side wall (31) is attached to at least two towers (5) of two adjacent revolving tower cranes (4) as a protective wall (31).

8. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to the preceding claim, wherein the side wall (31) is configured to be retractable in the manner of an awning and comprises a winding roller which is rotatably mounted on a boom (6) connecting the two towers (5) or on one of the two towers (5), and / or the side wall (31) is configured as a folding wall which comprises a sliding guide on the boom (6) connecting the two towers (5) or two sliding guides on the two towers (5) for displacing the folding wall.

9. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the revolving tower cranes (4) are each configured as a mobile crane, which mobile crane comprises an undercarriage (7) with a travelling gear (8) which is movable on the ground, and a rotary platform (10) which is mounted on the undercarriage (7) so as to be rotatable about an upright slewing gear axis on which the tower (5) of the revolving tower crane (4) is mounted, wherein the undercarriage (8) comprises a travel drive and / or the tower (5) is mounted to rock relative to the rotary platform (10) about a horizontal tower pivot axis and / or the tower (5) and the boom (6) can be folded against one another.

10. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the revolving tower cranes (4) each comprise a height-adjustable, in particular telescopic tower (5) which is height-adjustable, in particular telescopic, by a length adjustment drive.

11. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the booms (6) of at least two revolving tower cranes (4) are configured to be adjustable in length, in particular telescopic.

12. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, for fastening the revolving tower cranes (4) to one another, quick couplings (13) are provided for positively locking and / or frictionally holding the cantilevered boom end sections to an adjacent section of a respective adjacent revolving tower crane (4), wherein the quick couplings (13) comprise form-fittingly engageable coupling halves which are fixable to each other by movable latching elements, wherein one coupling half of the quick couplings (13) is provided at an end portion of each boom (6) and the other coupling half is provided at the tower (5) or at the boom (6) of the respective adjacent tower.

13. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to the preceding claim, wherein the quick couplings (13) are configured to be switchable between two coupling modes, wherein in a first coupling mode the cantilevered boom end section is rigidly fixed to the adjacent revolving tower crane (4) and in a second coupling mode the cantilevered end section is held on the adjacent revolving tower crane (4) with limited elastic movement and / or with play.

14. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the working head (2) is suspended on a cross member (14) which is mounted on two booms (6) of two revolving tower cranes (4) so as to be longitudinally movable, wherein the cross member (14) is attached to the trolleys (15) of two revolving tower cranes (4), which trolleys (15) are longitudinally movable along the booms (6) of the two revolving tower cranes (4) by trolley drives, wherein the cross member (14) is configured to be variable in length, in particular telescopic.

15. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to the preceding claim, wherein the cross member (14) is configured to be variable in length, in particular telescopic.

16. Construction and / or materials-handling machine (1) according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the working head (2) is suspended on a cross beam carriage (16) which is longitudinally movable along the cross beam (14) by a carriage drive, wherein the working head (2) is suspended from said cross beam carriage (16) in a height-adjustable manner and wherein said cross member (14) cantilevers beyond at least one of the booms (6) and forms a trajectory for the cross member carriage (16) extending both inside and outside the polygon spanned by the booms (6).

17. Construction and / or materials-handling machine according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tower (5) and boom (6) of each revolving tower crane (4) are supported exclusively on its rotating platform (10) and / or are formed free of ground bracings anchored in the ground.