METHOD FOR INTRODUCING A THREADED ROD INTO A SUBSTRATE, AND A DRIVE-IN SYSTEM FOR THIS PUTTING IN THERE

Description

[0001] The subject matter of the invention is a screwing system according to claim 6 for inserting a threaded rod into a substrate and a method according to claim 1 for inserting such a threaded rod.

[0002] EP 2 689 071 B2 discloses a screwing system for inserting a threaded rod axially into a substrate, comprising a drive unit that rotates a drive sleeve. The threaded rod can be inserted into the drive sleeve, which positively drives the threaded rod. Additionally, a component with an internal thread is arranged between the drive unit and the substrate, which converts the rotational movement of the drive sleeve into a translational movement of the threaded rod.

[0003] Document CN109441443A represents the closest prior art and discloses a method very similar to that claimed in claim 1, which is used for screwing in a threaded rod. In contrast to the claimed method, the insertion device in CN109441443A is designed such that the rotary motor is conventionally attached to the end of the threaded rod, and then the motor is pushed out of its carriage toward the installation location along the entire length of the threaded rod. The invention according to claim 1, as well as the associated device according to claim 6, attempts to remedy this long length of the installation device in CN109441443A. Further prior art screwing systems are also disclosed in WO2020 / 047562A1, EP1959091 A1, and WO2021 / 102485A1.

[0004] Such screwing systems, in which a threaded rod is rotated through a positive connection inside a tool, have the problem that the threaded rod moving through the tool places stress on the mechanism of the screwing system. This is due to the high internal friction inside the tool and the associated heat generation. This can lead to failures of the screwing system or a slowing down of the screwing process if care is taken to ensure the drive sleeve is not subjected to excessive stress.

[0005] The present invention is therefore based on the object of enabling a safe and cost-effective screwing of threaded rods into a substrate without pre-drilling, whereby a simple, low-wear mechanism is to be used that reduces assembly time.

[0006] The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the independent patent claims, while advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be found in the subclaims.

[0007] An advantageous feature is that the screwing machine is mounted on a carriage that can be moved relative to a component with a thread. The carriage's feed rate is determined by the revolutions per minute x the thread pitch in cm.

[0008] The screwing system has a carriage with at least one rail on which the carriage can be moved back and forth in a translational manner in order to minimize the internal friction in the drive sleeve that rotates the threaded rod during the screwing process.

[0009] Basically, the carriage is mounted on a linear support and guide element and can move relative to the fixed threaded sleeve. This linear support and guide element is a rack or, preferably, a rail.

[0010] The drive sleeve engages the threaded rod with a profile on its inner circumference, positively engaging it around its axis of rotation. This internal profile ensures a positive engagement with the outer surface of the threaded rod, particularly the key flats, with the profile of the drive sleeve being matched to the key flat of the threaded rod. Depending on the shape of the threaded rod to be screwed in, a specially adapted drive sleeve is used, which can be interchangeably connected to the drive machine.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the profiling on the inner circumference of the drive sleeve is provided with two parallel or angled surfaces that accommodate the threaded rod with a corresponding "spanner size." These surfaces, in a figurative sense, have a key dimension between them that at least partially matches the profile shape of the threaded rod and thus fulfill a key function.

[0012] The profiled inner diameter of the drive sleeve is, so to speak, the negative form of the rod.

[0013] The present invention is not limited to the use of a pair of surfaces, since three or more surfaces can also be driven.

[0014] With this screwing machine, which primarily has a hydraulic but also electric or air-operated rotary drive, a threaded rod is driven in rotation and experiences a feed movement through a front thread of a threaded sleeve or alternatively a nut when the thread of the rod engages in the thread of the sleeve, etc.

[0015] In the following, a threaded sleeve is understood to be a hollow, arbitrarily shaped body which is formed with an internal thread which is in threaded engagement with the external thread of the threaded rod.

[0016] The threaded sleeve is preferably held within the screw-in system by a clamping device mounted on the carriage at the ground-side end of the carriage. The threaded sleeve is preferably held in position within the clamping device by two or more movable clamping jaws, or alternatively, it is fixed to an existing structure by one or more clamping jaws, or it is manually held in position with an open-end wrench.

[0017] By rotating the thread of a fixed threaded sleeve, the threaded rod is forced into an axial movement and moves through the threaded sleeve.

[0018] Thus, in a method for screwing a threaded rod into soil or rock by means of a carriage and a carriage which can be moved translationally on rails of the carriage and with a drive machine arranged on the carriage which is in positive engagement with the threaded rod by means of a drive sleeve, compensation of a feed movement of the threaded rod is made possible.

[0019] The threaded rod can be inserted via an insertion opening arranged on the mounting head into the drive sleeve which is driven in rotation in the mounting head and which drives the threaded rod in rotation in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] For this purpose, it is known to provide the threaded rods with flats on opposite sides, so that the thread pitches are only located outside these flats on the outer circumference of the threaded rod. These flats are referred to below as the key flat.

[0021] In this way, it is possible to insert the threaded rod into the rotating drive sleeve, which is profiled to match the profile of the threaded rod described above, and to establish a frictional connection with the flat sides of the threaded rod there, after which the drive sleeve is then driven in rotation, whereby a torque is transmitted and the threaded rod is screwed from top to bottom through the threaded hole into a component with an internal thread.

[0022] There is a slight amount of play between the profile of the drive sleeve and the wrench flats of the threaded rod, so that the threaded rod can be pulled out of the drive sleeve when the surfaces of the profile and the wrench flats are opposite each other. This means that the drive sleeve can also be moved along the threaded rod without engaging the wrench flats. In particular, when the drive sleeve has reached the threaded sleeve due to the relative movement of the drive machine, the rotary drive is deactivated and the drive sleeve is pulled backwards along the threaded rod onto the carriage, where the drive sleeve and wrench flats engage again. For this type of engagement, the parallelism between the profile of the drive sleeve and the wrench flat is canceled, so that the surfaces are slightly angled to one another and contact is created to transfer the rotary movement of the drive machine to the threaded rod.

[0023] In a further development, the rotary drive of the drive sleeve is disengaged during the retraction process. This means that there is little or no resistance from the drive sleeve to the threaded rod.

[0024] By placing the threaded rod on an element with a threaded hole, for example a threaded sleeve, the thread-like profile of the threaded rod engages with the thread of the threaded hole of the element, whereby the internal thread of the threaded hole has the same pitch as the threaded rod.

[0025] For the sake of simplicity, the invention will be described below using a threaded sleeve, although any other element having an internal thread into which the threaded rod can be screwed may be used.

[0026] The drive motor runs in the feed direction, allowing axial movement of the threaded rod without causing any significant friction.

[0027] This makes it possible to achieve greater movement speeds with lower drive power. Furthermore, the drive sleeve's profile, which corresponds to the drive profile of the threaded rod, allows for reduced wear. According to the invention, this results in less frictional resistance than, for example, in known devices that exhibit high surface friction.

[0028] The device according to the invention can thus reduce wear and set-up time.

[0029] With the screwing system according to the invention, not only a feed, ie a screwing-in movement of the threaded rod is possible, but also an unscrewing movement of the threaded rod

[0030] The drive motor is mounted on a carriage and moves with the advance of the threaded rod. This advance can be seen as analogous to the rod length, meaning that an adjustment is usually made between 1 / 3 and 1 / 4 of the rod length, for example, 1 to 3 meters.

[0031] With the screw-in system, hundreds of linear meters of threaded rods can be installed in a very short time. The large number of threaded rods installed allows for the creation of numerous anchor points in a short time or the construction of foundations for higher load ranges, such as temporary bridge bearings with foundation loads exceeding 1200 kN.

[0032] As soon as the drive sleeve, driven by the rotary drive and connected to the threaded rod by a positive connection, reaches the threaded sleeve due to the feed movement, it is pulled back along the carriage in the opposite direction without the rotary drive. This prevents the threaded rod from rotating in the opposite direction. Once the carriage with the drive sleeve has returned to the starting point at the beginning of the rails, the screwing-in process begins again.

[0033] The drive sleeve is replaceably connected to the drive machine by means of a flange connection.

[0034] Depending on the outer profile of the threaded rods, a drive sleeve with a corresponding inner profile can be used. For example, rods with a diameter of 15 mm can be rotated with one drive sleeve, while a different drive sleeve is mounted via the flange connection to drive rods with a diameter of 26 mm.

[0035] The sleeve is made of hardened steel and is therefore harder than the threaded rod; tungsten carbide cobalt is preferred.

[0036] In another version, only the inner sleeve is made of tungsten carbide cobalt and the outer sleeve is made of a cheaper material with a higher yield strength.

[0037] The preferred drive unit is a hydraulic rotary drive, which, thanks to its compact cylindrical design, can be mounted on the carriage in a space-saving manner for rotary movements. This is particularly well-suited for applications involving large radial loads. This allows for trouble-free insertion of the threaded rod into the ground, as the acting forces can be absorbed by the drive's bearings.

[0038] The drive motor, which runs along the rails, thus generates a rotation of the threaded rod, which is converted into a translation by the threaded sleeve. Because the drive motor runs with the drive sleeve during the threaded rod's feed movement, there is no loss due to friction between the drive sleeve and the threaded rod.

[0039] On the one hand, this results in significantly less wear in the sleeve (longer service life), and on the other hand, the threaded rods can be screwed in deeper with the same torque.

[0040] According to the invention, there is a method for screwing a threaded rod into soil or rock, with a drive machine which has a drive sleeve which creates a positive engagement with the threaded rod via an internal profiling in order to drive the threaded rod in rotation and to screw it through the internal thread of a component, wherein the rotary movement of the threaded rod is converted into a translational movement by the internal thread of the component, wherein the drive machine is mounted on a translationally movable carriage which is moved along the threaded rod axis in accordance with the feed movement of the threaded rod, and in that the drive sleeve interrupts the positive connection with the threaded rod when the carriage moves counter to the screwing-in direction in order to create a positive connection again in a different area of ​​the threaded rod and to drive the threaded rod in rotation again.

[0041] The carriage is mounted on a guide (e.g. rail, rack, etc.) and can be moved relative to the fixed threaded sleeve.

[0042] According to the invention, the drive sleeve interrupts the positive connection with the threaded rod when the carriage moves counter to the insertion direction in order to create a positive connection again in another area of ​​the threaded rod and to drive the threaded rod to rotate again.

[0043] The carriage is moved relative to the threaded sleeve along one or more rails using a linear drive, whereby rails mean a form-fitting longitudinal guide.

[0044] The gun carriage can be mounted on the boom arm of a mobile vehicle, such as a tracked vehicle, quad bike, or similar.

[0045] The subject matter of the present invention results not only from the subject matter of the individual patent claims, but also from the combination of the individual patent claims with one another.

[0046] All information and features disclosed in the documents, including the abstract, in particular the spatial configuration depicted in the drawings, could be claimed as essential to the invention, insofar as they are novel, individually or in combination, compared to the prior art. The use of the terms "essential" or "according to the invention" or "essential to the invention" is subjective and does not imply that the features so named must necessarily be part of one or more patent claims.

[0047] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings illustrating several embodiments. Further essential features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and their description.

[0048] They show: Figure 1: a front view of a threaded rod Figure 2: a perspective view of the screwing system Figure 3: a rear perspective view of the screwing system Figure 4: a sectional view of the screwing system in a side view from the left Figure 5: a perspective view of the clamping device Figure 6: schematic view of a tracked vehicle with screwing system Figure 7: a sectional view of the screwing system in a side view from the left Figure 8: a perspective view of the carriage without clamping device Figure 9: a perspective view of the screwing system without clamping device in use with an anchor plate

[0049] Figure 1shows a threaded rod 2 that can be rotated in the direction of rotation 24 about a threaded rod axis 23 running centrally in the axial direction through the threaded rod. The threaded rod has a thread 4 at certain sections on its outer circumference, which, despite interruptions in the axial direction, has a continuous helix. Outside of these sections, the threaded rod has flats that form the drive profile of the threaded rod and are referred to below as wrench flats 3.

[0050] Figure 2 shows the screwing system 1, with which the threaded rod 2 can be inserted into a substrate 22. For this purpose, the threaded rod 2 is driven in rotation by a drive sleeve 13, with a threaded sleeve 19 converting this rotation into a translation in the direction of arrow 25. The inner profile 34 of the drive sleeve 13 forms a clamping chuck for the threaded rod 2.

[0051] The drive sleeve 13 is detachably and replaceably connected to the rotary coupling 14 via a flange connection 12, which transmits a rotary movement generated by the drive machine 5 to the drive sleeve 13.

[0052] The drive motor 5 is mounted on a carriage 8, which can move forward in the direction of arrow 25 and backward in the opposite direction of arrow 25. For this purpose, the carriage is mounted on two rails 11, which are part of the carriage 6.

[0053] A feed drive 27 moves the carriage forward on the carriage 6, while the threaded rod 2 is rotated in the direction of rotation 24 about its threaded rod axis 23.

[0054] The threaded rod 2 is clamped into the profile 34, which has the function of a clamping chuck, of the drive sleeve 13 and then the threaded rod is placed with its front end 33 onto the thread of the threaded sleeve 19 and then the drive machine 5 is switched on.

[0055] The screwing of the threaded rods 2 into the substrate 22 takes place automatically, so to speak, because the advance of the threaded rods 2 is caused by the engagement of the thread 4 of the threaded rods 2 in the thread on the threaded socket side.

[0056] Due to the rotating drive of the drive sleeve 13, the rotating threaded rod 2, which moves with a feed rate, is thus progressively driven into the soil or rock below the threaded sleeve 19. This is supported by the thread 4, since the thread pitches of the thread 4 arranged around its circumference pull the threaded rod into the subsoil 22.

[0057] The threaded rod 2 can be inserted via an insertion opening 38 arranged on the rear side of the drive machine 5 into the drive sleeve 13 which is rotatably driven on the front side of the drive machine 5 and which in turn drives the threaded rod 2 in a rotating manner in the longitudinal direction.

[0058] The threaded sleeve 19 is received in the clamping opening 18, which is formed between two clamping jaws 16. These clamping jaws 16 are part of the clamping device 15.

[0059] The carriage 6 has at its bottom end, after the clamping device 15, a guide plate 20 with a crescent-shaped recess 21 at the top end through which the threaded rod 2 runs.

[0060] The carriage 6 also has a similar guide plate 9 at its insertion end, which has a hole 10 through which the threaded rod 2 is inserted.

[0061] Figure 3 shows another perspective view of the screwing system 1 without the threaded rod. To equip the carriage 6, such a rod is guided in the direction of arrow 25 through the hole 10 of the guide plate 9 and inserted at the rear into the insertion opening 38 of the drive motor 5 until contact is made with the drive sleeve 13.

[0062] Due to the internal profiling 34 of the drive sleeve 13, which has a certain amount of play relative to the key surfaces 3 of the threaded rod 2, the rod can be pushed through the drive sleeve until it protrudes from the drive sleeve 13. Preferably, the carriage 8 is located on the guide plate 9, i.e., at the inlet end of the rails 11. The threaded rod 2 is guided through until it rests on the thread of the threaded sleeve 19 at the base end of the carriage 11. The drive sleeve 13 is then rotated by the drive motor 5, so that this rotation is transferred to the threaded rod 2.

[0063] In this case, the threaded rod 2 is fed in the direction of arrow 25 by the thread engagement in the thread of the threaded sleeve 19, whereby the drive motor 5 also runs on the carriage at the same speed in the direction of arrow 25. The movement of the carriage is controlled by the control 26, which sends the corresponding control commands to the Figure 4 shown feed drive 27.

[0064] Thus, during the entire feed path of the carriage 8 between the insertion end and the base end of the rails 11, the drive sleeve 13 engages only in a constant section of the threaded rod 2 and drives it in rotation.

[0065] Once the maximum feed movement in which the slide 11 can travel has been reached, which is the case when the drive sleeve 13 has reached the threaded sleeve 19, the positive connection between the drive sleeve 13 and the threaded rod 2 is released, and the slide 8 with the drive machine 5 is moved against the direction of the arrow 25 along the threaded rod axis 23 of the threaded rod 2 until the inlet-side end of the rails 11 is reached. At this position, the drive sleeve 13 again engages the key surfaces 3 of the threaded rod 2, this time in a different area of ​​the threaded rod.

[0066] Figure 4shows a partially sectioned view of the screwing system 1. The controller 26 controls, among other things, the feed drive 27 of the carriage 8. The feed drive 27 drives a roller 28, which rolls along the underside 29 of the rail 11. Alternatively, a gear is provided which engages with a rack on the underside. The frictional connection thus created moves the carriage 8 connected to the feed drive 27 along the longitudinal extent of the rail 11. The drive sleeve 13 can thus be moved to any position along the rail 11 and engage the threaded rod 2 at defined areas.

[0067] In addition, the idler rollers 30 are located on the side of the rails 11, which laterally support the linear movement of the carriage 11.

[0068] Figure 5shows the clamping device 15, which, via a clamping drive 17, actuates the two clamping jaws 16 in and against the opening direction 39. The two clamping jaws 16 form a clamping opening 18 between them, into which a threaded sleeve 19 (not shown here) can be received and fixed in position. At the ground-side end of the clamping device 15 is the guide plate 20, which also forms the ground-side end of the carriage 6.

[0069] Figure 6 shows a tracked vehicle 31, which in the example shown here is an excavator, with a hydraulically raised and lowered boom arm 32, on which the carriage 6 is mounted and which can be freely moved and aligned in the desired insertion direction of the threaded rod 2 by means of the boom arm. Thus, the threaded rod 2 can be inserted into the subsoil 22 in the direction of arrow 25 by the screwing system 1 according to the invention.

[0070] Figure 7shows a sectional view of the screwing system 1. The threaded rod 2 is guided along the threaded rod axis 23 within the drive machine 5. The drive machine 5 drives the drive sleeve 13 via the rotary coupling 14 and a flange connection 12. This drive sleeve 13 has an internal profiling 34 which enables a positive engagement with the threaded rod 2, in particular its wrench surfaces 3. In this way, it is possible to insert the threaded rod 2 into the rotatingly driven, profiled drive sleeve 13 adapted to the above-described profile of the threaded rod 2, and there to establish a frictional connection with the flat sides of the threaded rod 2, after which the drive sleeve 13 is then driven in rotation and the threaded rod 2 is screwed from top to bottom through the thread of the threaded sleeve 19 and is driven into the ground or rock with its front end 33.The advance of the threaded rod 2 occurs by engaging the threaded rod in the threaded sleeve.

[0071] Figure 8 shows a retracted drive unit 5, which is located at the insertion end in the area of ​​the rear guide plate 9. In Figure 8 The clamping device and threaded sleeve have been omitted from the illustration.

[0072] To ensure the smoothest possible movement on the rails 1, the carriage 8 is provided with sliding elements 35 that laterally engage around the rail 11. When the screwing machine is put into operation, the rotating drive sleeve 13 moves toward the guide plate 20, which is located at the insertion end, thereby driving the threaded rod 2.

[0073] The control unit 26 is arranged to the side of the carriage 5 and part of the extension arm 32 can be seen.

[0074] In order to unscrew the threaded rod 2 from the substrate 22, the drive machine 5 is moved on the translationally movable carriage 8 in accordance with the reverse movement of the threaded rod 2 along the threaded rod axis 23 and the drive sleeve 13 is rotated in the direction opposite to the screwing-in direction.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the use of a threaded sleeve as in Figure 9 The thread, which enables the translational movement of the threaded rod 2 into the substrate 22, is located in the example shown here as a threaded bore 37 in an anchor plate 36, which rests on the substrate 22. In this way, the driven threaded rod 2, rotating by the drive motor 5 or drive sleeve 13, can be introduced into the substrate 22. Drawing legend

[0076] 1. Driving system 2. Threaded rod 3. Wrench flats 4. Thread 5. Drive unit 6. Mounting frame 7. 8. Carriage 9. Guide plate 10. Hole 11. Rails 12. Flange connection 13. Drive sleeve 14. Rotating coupling 15. Clamping device 16. Clamping jaws 17. Clamping drive 18. Clamping opening 19. Threaded sleeve 20. Guide plate 21. Recess 22. Base 23. Threaded rod axis 24. Direction of rotation 25. Arrow direction 26. Control system 27. Feed drive 28. Roller 29. Underside 30. Idler roller 31. Tracked vehicle 32. Boom arm 33. End (of 2) 34. Profiling 35. Sliding body 36. Anchor plate 37. Threaded hole 38. Insertion opening 39. Opening direction

Claims

1. A method of screwing a threaded rod (2) into soil or rock using a drive unit (5) that has a drive sleeve (13) which, by means of an internal profile (34), produces a form-fitting engagement on the threaded rod (2) in order to drive the threaded rod (2) in a rotational manner and screw it through the internal thread of a component (19), the rotational movement of the threaded rod (2) being converted into a translational movement by the internal thread of the component (19), wherein the drive unit (5) is supported on a translationally movable slide that is moved in unison along the threaded rod axis (23) in accordance with the forward feed movement of the threaded rod (2), and the drive sleeve (13) interrupts the form-fitting connection with the threaded rod (2) when the slide (8) moves in the opposite direction to the screw-in direction, in order to create a form-fitting connection with another area of the threaded rod (2) and to drive the threaded rod (2) in a rotational manner again.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the threaded rod (2) is screwed through the internal thread of a threaded socket (19).

3. The method according to claim 2, characterised in that the threaded rod (2) is inserted at the rear into an insertion opening (38) of the drive unit (5) and pushed through the drive sleeve (13) until it protrudes from the drive sleeve (13) and stands on the thread of the threaded socket (19) at the underground end of the slide (11) and is then experiences a forward feed by the rotationally driven drive sleeve (13) and by the thread engagement in the threaded socket (19).

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the slide (8) is supported on a linear support and guide element (11) and is movable relative to the threaded sleeve (19) fixed in position.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that, in order to screw the threaded rod (2) out of an underground (22), the drive unit (5) on the translationally movable slide (8) is moved in unison along the threaded rod axis (23) in accordance with the rearward movement of the threaded rod (2) and the drive sleeve (13) is screwed in the direction opposite to the screw-in direction.

6. A screw-in system (1) designed to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the screw-in system (1) has a drive unit (5) with a drive sleeve (13), wherein the drive sleeve (13) can produce a form-fitting engagement with the threaded rod (2) via an internal profile (34) in order to rotationally drive the threaded rod (2) and screw it through the internal thread of a component (19), wherein the internal thread of a component (19) is fixed in position by a clamping device (15) that is mounted on the mount (6) at the underground end of the slide (8).

7. The screw-in system (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that the screw-in system (1) has a mount (6) with at least one rail (11), on which the slide (8) can be moved in a translational manner.

8. The screw-in system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the drive sleeve (13) has an internal profile (34) that ensures a form-fitting engagement on the lateral surface of the threaded rod (1).

9. The screw-in system (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that the form-fitting engagement between the profile (34) and lateral key surfaces (3) of the threaded rod (2) is formed by lateral and thread-free flattened areas of the threaded rod (2).

10. The screw-in system (1) according to claim 9, characterised in that on the inner circumference of the drive sleeve, the profile (34) has two parallel surfaces or surfaces lying at an angle to each other.

11. The screw-in system (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterised in that the relative movement of the slide (8) along the threaded rod axis (23) corresponds to the forward feed of the threaded rod (2).

12. The screw-in system (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterised in that the drive sleeve (13) is connected to the drive unit (5) in a torque-transmitting manner via a flange connection (12).

13. The screw-in system (1) according to claim 12, characterised in that the drive sleeve (13) is replaceable and is selected according to the expected diameter of the threaded rod (2).

14. The screw-in system (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 13, characterised in that a forward feed drive (27) drives a roller (28) or a gear wheel in a rotational manner, which rolls off on the underside (29) of the rail (11) in order to move the slide (8).

15. The screw-in system (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 14, characterised in that the mount (6) is mounted on the boom arm (32) of a mobile vehicle.