Attachment for clearing and spreading surfaces and clearing device with such an attachment

Abstract

A mounting device and a snow removal vehicle with such a mounting device are described, which can be moved or pivoted laterally out of the snow removal vehicle's lane, so that areas to be cleared, in particular areas to be cleared of snow, such as bus stop areas, can be cleaned or cleared at least partially to the side of the snow removal vehicle without changing the lane, and which, in the case of snow removal, is additionally equipped with a spreading and / or spraying device.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an attachment for clearing and spreading areas outside a lane of a clearing vehicle and a clearing vehicle with such an attachment.

[0002] Vehicles to which various attachments with different work tools for performing different tasks are detachably attached are well known. In particular, these include excavators, usually with multi-link boom arms, to which various attachments such as dozer blades, buckets, magnets, or similar can be attached. It is also known to equip pneumatic-tyred tractors, such as those frequently used in agriculture, with corresponding couplings on the front or rear so that various attachments can be attached.

[0003] The carrier vehicles referred to as clearing vehicles in the context of this invention are primarily understood to refer to the tractors mentioned above, which – unlike conventional excavators – do not have a multi-section boom and, moreover, travel significantly faster than excavators. Therefore, within the scope of this invention, clearing vehicles with attachments are considered, which are primarily used for clearing areas, in particular for clearing snow from areas.

[0004] For clearing tasks, especially snow, or cleaning tasks, there are numerous areas that cannot easily be cleaned mechanically because traffic signs, traffic lights, bus stop signs, bus shelters, wastepaper baskets, telephone booths, light poles, electricity poles, high curbs at disabled-accessible bus stops, and electrical boxes are located in these areas, meaning that emergency vehicles can no longer easily enter these areas or even drive up over curbs into these areas.

[0005] Traffic signs, traffic lights, bus stop signs, and bus shelters are often wider at the top than at the ground, which poses additional obstacles for emergency vehicles attempting to navigate the area to be cleaned. These obstacles on sidewalks, bike paths, and especially at bus stops require emergency vehicles to maneuver, and the area cannot be completely cleared, gritted, or swept due to the size of the emergency vehicles used. Therefore, the municipality or authority responsible for cleaning will not be able to easily fulfill its traffic safety obligations.

[0006] These areas may therefore have to be driven over multiple times, causing the snow to become compacted and then impossible to clear. Furthermore, due to the obstacles, many areas of these areas are inaccessible to conventional vehicles, so the only alternative is clearing or cleaning by hand. This is very time-consuming and requires considerable physical effort and exertion, especially when dealing with snow, and especially wet snow.

[0007] These areas, which require clearing or cleaning, are legally required to have a turnaround time of approximately three hours during winter service for safety areas, i.e., pedestrian areas. As a rule, these areas are not accessible by vehicle if the permissible total weight is exceeded or due to lack of space. They must therefore be cleaned entirely by hand. However, the aforementioned obstacles not only pose a challenge to cleaning when it comes to sidewalks and bus stops, but also pose a risk of accidents between emergency vehicles and people.

[0008] Attachments and snow clearing vehicles equipped with such attachments, in particular for snow clearing, are known in principle. WO 2011 / 034487 A1 describes a vehicle with a multi-link lifting arm for moving an attached work tool, which is also intended to be used for snow clearing. The multi-link boom arm, as is common on excavator vehicles, allows the work tool, which can also be designed as a snow clearing shovel, to be pivoted on the multi-link arm and raised and lowered, so that the work tool can also be pivoted laterally with respect to the vehicle's lane onto areas adjacent to the lane, with pivoting possible about a vertical axis directed towards the ground.

[0009] The disadvantages of such an arrangement of a articulated boom arm are, in addition to the low working speed and the more complicated design of the snow clearing vehicle with the boom arm, also due to the bulkiness of such a construction, the relatively high forces acting on the sides of the snow clearing vehicle, especially when there is a lot of wet snow to be cleared, as well as the cumbersome and time-consuming setting up of the snow plough with the correct contact pressure and the correct inclination of the snow blade in relation to the area to be cleared.

[0010] A construction of this type, as described above, is also described, for example, in EP 3 323 283 A1, in which a likewise articulated boom arm has a mowing head arranged as a working device at its front end.

[0011] Furthermore, EP 2 949 198 A1 describes a device for cultivating ground surfaces and a corresponding holding device as a kit for such a device in conjunction with a corresponding carrier vehicle. Again, the attachment, which can be designed as a mower or a snow blower, is attached to the carrier vehicle by means of an articulated boom arm. The carrier vehicle can certainly be described as a snow clearing vehicle, since it can be used as a tool for clearing snow using the snow blower. Using the articulated boom arm, the snow blower or the described mower can also be moved laterally relative to the path of the snow clearing vehicle. The corresponding disadvantages were already mentioned in the previously described prior art and are also present in this design.

[0012] EP 1 759 572 B1 describes a mowing and / or cutting device mounted on a segmented boom with a high-rising first section, a transversely extending second section, and a third section extending downwards to the working head. This segmented and therefore long boom is designed to pivot the mowing and / or cutting head backward from a working position over the driver's cab of the vehicle onto its loading area for storage. A snow blade is not provided, nor is there any indication of its use for snow clearing.

[0013] DE 10 2016 102 894 A1 describes a front-mounted implement carrier with an extendable boom for attachments and a method for controlling such a front-mounted implement carrier. The attachment attached to the front-mounted implement carrier and boom is a mowing head, a hedge trimmer, a cleaning device, a weed brush, or a saw. A snow plow for clearing snow is not described in this document. The attachment, designed, for example, in the form of a mowing device or a hedge trimmer, is connected to a front mount of the vehicle with movable front anchorage via a multi-part boom.

[0014] US 2020 / 0354910 A1 describes a snow plow with a multi-part boom that folds sideways from a rear attachment point. The sideways folding is achieved by approximately 180°. The snow plows are folded out laterally behind the vehicle, preferably on each side, so that snow clearing is always carried out symmetrically to the vehicle's path. The device is not designed to avoid obstacles. In the transport position, the snow plows are folded back from the side onto the rear of the vehicle.

[0015] DE 10 2017 112 014 A1 describes a method for controlling attachments for an attachment vehicle and a mobile municipal technology system with automatic obstacle detection. The attachment is intended for sweeping, brushing, mowing, cutting, or watering, and for example for the intensive cleaning and maintenance of squares, roadways, paths, hedges, adjacent buildings, soundproof walls, privacy screens, dyke structures, boundary strips, and other boundaries. Asymmetric lateral cleaning of, for example, bus stop areas by clearing snow is not described in this prior art document. The pivoting cleaning device attached to the front of an attachment vehicle is connected to the front of the vehicle via an articulated, multi-part boom.The attachment is attached to the vehicle via a mounting plate on a support frame, to which a support carriage is movably mounted. A support arm with a multi-section support arm extension is arranged on the support carriage. An obstacle detection system can detect obstacles such as road markers, marker posts, traffic signs, guardrails, fences, as well as trees, bushes, and other plants and objects.

[0016] JP S63 22 906 A describes a rail-bound vehicle that can be used, for example, to clear railway platforms with a clearing blade. The clearing blades can be pivoted laterally into the clearing area and are attached to a multi-articulated boom without a lateral guide carriage. The pivoting is achieved via corresponding pivot axes.

[0017] DE 10 2011 051 223 B4 describes a clearing device that has a clearing blade attached to a vehicle, for example, at the front of the vehicle, on an articulated boom without a guide carriage. The clearing blade is attached to a mobile cart, vehicle, or other mobile device on a corresponding mount with a pivot joint for pivoting about a vertical axis. This allows the clearing device to be aligned with a horizontal longitudinal axis that deviates from the longitudinal direction.

[0018] Finally, G 92149556 U1 describes a street cleaning machine equipped with a suspension for a ploughshare. This ploughshare consists of a cutting disc and a ploughshare and, to facilitate the driver's observation during clearing, is not located at the front of the street cleaning machine, but rather under the chassis. This ploughshare is only of limited use for snow clearing or other clearing work that takes place to the side of a snow clearing vehicle's path, as it must be raised or lowered depending on the height of the ground being driven over. Lateral extension is only possible to a limited extent, which rules out the use of this device as a snowplough.

[0019] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an attachment and a clearing vehicle equipped with such an attachment, by means of which areas located laterally next to the lane of the clearing vehicle, such as narrow sidewalks, which may also be narrower than the clearing vehicle, sidewalks with or without stops, lane islands, etc.of snow or other debris to be cleared and, if necessary, also provided with grit for blunting and / or thawing, without the snow clearing vehicle having to leave the lane on a road, for example, without the snow clearing vehicle having to drive with two wheels on the pavement and the other two wheels on the road, for example, so that the snow plough would not land straight on the area to be cleared but at an angle, and without a large number of vehicles of different sizes having to be present in order to carry out all the clearing tasks, and without the forces exerted on the working tool and thus the snow clearing vehicle when clearing snow, in particular wet snow, exceeding acceptable limits.

[0020] This object is achieved with an attachment having the features according to claim 1 and with a clearing vehicle with an attachment attached thereto according to claim 10 and claim 11. Appropriate further developments are defined in the respective dependent claims.

[0021] According to the invention, the snow clearing vehicle with a first attachment and the attachment for coupling to such a snow clearing vehicle are designed such that the attachment, as is the case with vehicles commonly used in the construction industry, to which different work tools can be coupled and uncoupled by means of, for example, quick couplings, is attached to the front or rear of the snow clearing vehicle such that the attachment can be pivoted and / or displaced in working positions relative to the side of the lane of the work vehicle, so that the attachment with the corresponding work tool, preferably a snow clearing device, in particular a snow plough, can be displaced into areas partly inside or completely outside the lane of the vehicle, relative to the transverse direction thereto.

[0022] The work vehicle can be swiveled sideways and / or moved into the appropriate working position by means of a guide carriage across the lane via a drive cylinder connected to the work tool. To perform clearing work, the work tool can then perform clearing work to the side of, and preferably above, the roadway of the clearing vehicle without the clearing vehicle having to change its lane. The vehicle can also clear at a different level than the roadway.

[0023] Such a simple and stable structure for attaching and relocating the working tool, especially a snow removal tool such as a snow plow, on a snow clearing vehicle advantageously makes it possible to clear areas of the public road and path network beyond the actual roads and paths accessible by vehicles. These are, in particular, the edges of paths and roads that cannot be accessed by snow clearing vehicles. These edge areas are often slightly raised above street level to facilitate boarding and disembarking for passengers, especially when used at public bus or tram stops.These stop areas are usually cleared by hand these days, for example when snow needs to be cleared, because snow-clearing vehicles cannot usually access these areas because they are provided with a waiting shelter or seating, for example.

[0024] The manual work required for clearing is time-consuming and costly. The present invention provides a suitable remedy. These areas, especially bus stop areas and pedestrian crossings, can now be cleared effectively and reliably in a short time, without requiring significant manual labor.

[0025] A significant advantage of the invention is that cleaning tasks and additional work associated with cleaning—such as snow clearing, spreading anti-icy grit, removing debris, removing ice, snow accumulation, etc.—can be reliably performed on sidewalks, bike paths, pedestrian crossings with central dividers or islands, and bus and tram stops without the snow clearing vehicles themselves having to drive over these areas. In the described areas, where traffic signs, traffic lights, stop signs, bus shelters, wastebaskets, telephone booths, light poles, or power poles represent additional obstructions, the snow clearing vehicles themselves cannot easily avoid or drive around them as easily as a flexible and relocatable tool according to the invention.

[0026] In addition, work vehicles are often not allowed to enter such areas due to their heavy weight, as these areas are not capable of supporting such heavy loads. Therefore, driving and / or maneuvering in these areas is generally prohibited by law. Furthermore, driving into bus stop areas, for example, where numerous people are usually present, with the clearing vehicles could lead to accidents, which can be largely avoided with the present invention.

[0027] The inventive design of the attachment and the clearing vehicle with attachment makes it possible for the working tool of the attachment to be displaceable between an operating position and a rest position. An operating position would, for example, be a position in which a working tool, in particular a clearing tool, is pivoted laterally out of the vehicle's lane, regardless of whether the working tool or attachment is arranged at the front or rear of the clearing vehicle. A rest position for the working tool of the attachment would expediently be a position of the working tool such that it is arranged centrally to the longitudinal axis of the clearing vehicle without lateral offset in the sense of being stowed on the clearing vehicle.

[0028] To ensure that the respective operating or working position of the first working tool can be changed, a pivoting device is preferably provided with respect to the coupling, by means of which the first working tool can be pivoted about a vertical axis within each working area. This resulting inclination of the working tool with respect to a direction essentially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the clearing vehicle can also be advantageous for the execution of the clearing work in that it allows the material to be cleared to be diverted from the front area, which must be cleaned first, to a rear area.

[0029] The working position of the first working tool can be shifted or pivoted both to the left and to the right by means of the guide carriage and the drive cylinder attached thereto, or preferably also by means of a pivoting device transverse to the coupling, into working areas at least partially laterally outside the lane, in particular horizontally. In such an inventive design, an articulated boom, as is frequently used in such vehicles and known in the prior art, is deliberately omitted in order to reduce the stresses when clearing, for example, wet snow, which presents considerable resistance to the clearing tool and thus to the clearing vehicle. This means that, for example, areas on bus stop islands or road dividers or train platforms can also be cleaned.With conventional snow clearing vehicles with snow plows, however, it is difficult or even impossible to clear pedestrian crossings in the road divider because, for example, the front axle drives onto the curb and the snow plow lifts up.

[0030] If the working tool of the attachment is preferably a plate-shaped snow clearing device in the form of a snow plough, such a snow plough can further preferably consist of three partial surfaces which, when the attachment is arranged on the front of the clearing vehicle, form a trapezoid opening in the direction of travel, i.e., in the clearing direction. This means that the middle of the three partial surfaces is preferably arranged perpendicular to the surface to be cleared, from which side surface elements extend on both sides in the transverse direction diagonally forwards or, if appropriate, also backwards, so that the shape of the snow plough resembles or corresponds to an open trapezoid.

[0031] Preferably, the two side parts of the trapeze are separately movable or adjustable. However, it is also possible for the trapeze to be movable and adjustable as a whole. In embodiments not according to the invention, however, it is also possible for a snow blower, a snow thrower, or a brush to be provided instead of a snow plow.

[0032] A guide carriage, which has a hydraulic drive, a pneumatic drive, or an electric actuator in the form of a linear drive, serves as the drive for the lateral displacement or pivoting of the work tool out of the path of the clearing vehicle. In addition to the guide carriage, a pivoting device is preferably also provided, which makes it possible to avoid obstacles.

[0033] The attachment is preferably designed such that it can be pivoted about an axis that is essentially horizontal with respect to the ground surface. This allows the angle of attack of the working tool to be adjusted depending on the material to be cleared, deviating from a vertical arrangement of the trapezoidal surfaces. The clearing vehicle and the attached attachment are preferably designed such that the aforementioned pivoting movements can be actively influenced by a driver of the clearing vehicle. Therefore, suitable actuating elements are preferably provided in the cockpit of the clearing vehicle, by means of which motorized, i.e. electric or hydraulic, drives can be influenced.As a rule, the driver has a visual check of a front-mounted work device so that he can change its position visually, for example when clearing snow from a bus stop area if a collision with an object or person located there is to be avoided.

[0034] In order to compensate for differences in height between the areas to be cleared and the road surface, for example, on which the snow clearing vehicle is traveling, additional drives are provided for raising or lowering, i.e., for adjusting the height, of the working tool or the entire attachment relative to the snow clearing vehicle. Height adjustment here refers to the adjustment of the lower edge of the working tool relative to the surface to be cleared. Height adjustment preferably occurs in the operating position; however, it can also be provided in the rest position.

[0035] Preferably, the contact pressure of the attachment or working device is adjustable, in particular via a lift relief device of the clearing or carrier vehicle. The inclination of the working device is preferably adjusted to the ground by a working tool suspended by springs, in particular a snow plow, with height adjustment possible in the range of one to several centimeters.

[0036] Preferably, the first working tool - especially when this working tool is used for snow clearing - is furthermore assigned a spreading and / or spraying device for spreading grit such as brine, grit, granulate, sand, etc. This spreading or spraying device is fed with grit from a container, which can be attached to either the front or the rear of the snow clearing vehicle. Preferably, the spreading and spraying device has a distance sensor to the ground, which automatically switches it on or off. Instead of a distance sensor, it can also preferably be provided that when a defined pivoting range is exceeded or undershot when the working tool is extended, it is switched on or off.

[0037] Further preferably, the clearing vehicle according to the invention, i.e., the working tool of the attachment associated therewith, is provided with a sensor system for detecting obstacles or for initiating evasive movements in the event of an imminent collision of the working tool with the obstacle. The sensor system for obstacle detection generally serves to pivot the working tool and at least partially sideways out of the actual lane or into an area adjacent to the lane, so that the corresponding obstacle is, so to speak, bypassed by the working tool without the clearing vehicle having to leave its lane.

[0038] Of course, it goes without saying that a combination of swiveling and changing the position of the working tool, as well as the direction of the clearing vehicle's path, can also be implemented based on the situations detected by the sensors and the corresponding signals transmitted. The sensors can, for example, be based on radar, ultrasound, or camera monitoring with connected signal or image analysis.

[0039] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a snow clearing vehicle is designed for use on paths and roads for clearing areas or for cleaning areas, in particular of snow and old grit after a winter season. Such a snow clearing vehicle has a laterally pivoting working tool, which performs the actual clearing work next to, within, or completely outside the clearing vehicle's lane. The attachment with the working tool is pivoted so far laterally next to the clearing vehicle's lane that the clearing vehicle, which remains on the paths and roads, for example, can clear, clean, sweep, etc., areas next to the paths and roads - such as bus stops, cycle paths, etc.

[0040] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a snow clearing vehicle with a rail-bound device for use on elevated surfaces, in particular railway platforms, is connected to an attachment according to claims 1 to 9. It is preferably conceivable that the snow clearing device itself is intended for use on rails and that a working device is formed on its front or rear side, for example for clearing snow from railway platforms or island areas of tramway areas.

[0041] It is also conceivable that a traditional clearing vehicle intended for unbound use on paths and roads is coupled with a rail-bound device, on which a conventional clearing vehicle intended for paths and roads is placed and fixed on the rail-bound device in a "piggyback" manner, so to speak, so that this clearing vehicle can then be intended for rail-bound use.

[0042] Preferably, the clearing vehicle intended for paths and roads can be mounted on and removed from the rail-mounted device. This has the advantage that a conventional clearing vehicle for paths and roads can be combined with a rail-mounted base on which the conventional clearing vehicle intended for paths and roads can be mounted, so that both use on paths and roads and use from rails can be achieved with ultimately one and the same clearing vehicle and one and the same attachment.

[0043] The described clearing vehicles are preferably equipped with a spreading and / or spraying device with an attachment according to claim 8, by means of which spreading material can be fed to the spreading or spraying device from a container arranged at the front or rear of the clearing vehicle. The spreading material can preferably be metered via a closed rotary valve, so that the spreading material can be applied to the area to be cleared via a flexible hose directly behind the working tool, for example, a spreading blade, with simultaneous use of guide plates and influence by means of an air stream. The spreading material can be grit, soil, salt, or pre-wetted salt.

[0044] Additionally, a spreading disc can be provided, particularly at the rear of the snow clearing vehicle. However, it is advantageous to arrange such a spreading disc at the front of the vehicle, with the spreading depth being adjustable and the grit being fed by a conveyor screw. Precisely adjusting the depth can prevent the grit from being thrown into adjacent gardens when spreading or spreading grit on areas to be cleaned, for example, in bus or tram stop areas.

[0045] The grit is distributed via nozzles designed to ensure that the grit can only be spread across the width of the snowplow's blade. This is the effective width, which can be reduced by tilting the blade relative to the path of the snowplough. The spreading disc is preferably positioned so that the material is spread directly behind the snowplow and only across the width of the snowplow, as this is the only width that is cleared. A spreading disc directly behind the snowplow and firmly attached to it is also conceivable.

[0046] When the snow removal tool clears snow from a bus stop, a railway platform, or a pedestrian crossing, for example, it is unavoidable that snow will leave the blade surface and accumulate on the sides of the snow plow. To prevent such accumulations, the attached tool, preferably on the snow clearing vehicle, is equipped with a second tool, which can be used to clear debris accumulated next to the first tool.

[0047] Preferably, the side snow plow according to the invention expediently clears the snow to an area at the end of the stop, i.e., away from the area to be cleared. The trapezoidal shape is particularly suitable for this. However, it is also possible to clear the snow toward the vehicle, particularly onto the roadway, because the snow plow can be pivoted to the left and right, with additional adjustability of its inclination.

[0048] Furthermore, an additional implement can preferably be attached to the rear of the vehicle, allowing clearing from the front and rear of the vehicle. When mounted to the rear of the vehicle, the implement preferably yields if it hits a curb, for example. This implement can also clean the gutter and be protected from damage by its evasive action.

[0049] Preferably, an additional collision protection device, such as a nitrogen bladder, spring, shock valve, etc., is provided, which yields upon impact. In a mechanical design, the collision protection device can be secured against overload by means of a spring assembly either on the suspension or in the kinematics area, which then deflects in the opposite direction to the obstacle.

[0050] A further advantage of the snow clearing vehicle according to the invention with the attachment according to the invention, in particular in the form of a snow blade, is that clearing speeds of up to 10 or even more km / h are possible. This is still a considerably faster clearing process than if such areas to be cleared had to be cleaned manually. The coupling for attaching the attachment according to the invention to a snow clearing vehicle can in particular be designed as a base plate as a coupling option. Such a coupling point is designed in such a way that it also allows for the use of a power take-off shaft, so that different attachments with different attachment tools can also be attached to the side pivot unit. In embodiments not according to the invention, these working tools can be, for example, sweepers, weed brushes, belt rakes, etc.

[0051] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in detail below in the drawings. The drawings show: Fig. 1 an embodiment of a clearing vehicle according to the invention in a schematic plan view with a working tool mounted on the front and in the rest position for clearing external surfaces; Fig. 2 the clearing vehicle in an operating position according to Fig. 1 in schematic side view; Fig. 3 the clearing vehicle with the working tool in the operating position according to Fig. 2 in schematic front view; Fig. 4 the clearing vehicle with the working tool in the operating position according to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 in schematic plan view; and Fig. 5 a working tool in the form of a trapezoidal blade.

[0052] Identical reference numerals are used for identical or equivalently functioning elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures that are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The embodiments illustrated merely represent examples of how the invention can be configured and do not constitute a final limitation. Furthermore, the features described below are not to be understood in close connection with other features of the respective embodiment, but can each be provided in a general context or individually, or used for this purpose.

[0053] In Figure 1is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the snow clearing vehicle 10 according to the invention with attachment 18, which can be used as a snow clearing vehicle and which is an agricultural or municipal tractor, conventionally also referred to as a tractor. However, the use of such a four-wheeled tractor, whose four wheels 16 are all driven by an internal combustion engine, is by no means to be understood as restrictive, since the snow clearing vehicle 10 designed as a snow clearing vehicle can also be formed by a truck, an equipment carrier, a self-propelled work machine, a universally applicable municipal street cleaning machine, or the like, optionally also by a tracked vehicle or the like.Of course, other drive variants are also conceivable, for example an electric motor drive, without this having any influence on the functioning of the work tools essential to the invention.

[0054] The clearing vehicle 10, which moves along a lane 20, is equipped with a front-mounted, movable, motor-driven, position-adjustable working tool 18, which will be described in more detail below, including its functionality and applicability. In the illustrated embodiment, the working tool 18 is formed by a movable, variably deployable clearing blade 12, which is mounted and secured to a guide carriage that is pivotally suspended from the clearing vehicle 10 and displaceable transversely to a vehicle longitudinal axis 22.

[0055] As the top view according to Figure 1As can be seen, the vehicle longitudinal axis 22 running horizontally through the vehicle center runs parallel or is congruent with a direction of travel of the clearing vehicle 10 moving forward in a straight line, indicated by an arrow 26 drawn on the right side of the clearing vehicle 10.

[0056] The clearing blade 12 and the guide carriage are located in the top view according to Figure 1 in a rest position in which the clearing blade 12 is attached or folded to a front coupling or suspension 28 in such a way that the entire working tool 18 is located at the front in front of the clearing vehicle 10, wherein the working tool 18 protrudes only slightly laterally beyond the outline of the front of the vehicle.

[0057] As the top view according to Figure 1 and the schematic side view according to Figure 2As can be seen, the coupling 29 or suspension for the working tool 18 arranged at the front of the clearing vehicle 10 forming the snow clearing vehicle can in particular be a conventional, hydraulically operated coupling such as a three-point power lift 30, as every modern agricultural tractor has at least at the rear, but usually at the front and rear for the purpose of connecting a wide variety of working tools, for example working tools for soil cultivation, plant care, etc. The same basically applies to municipal vehicles or other special vehicles.

[0058] The Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the working tool in an outwardly pivoted operating position, in which its clearing blade 12 is pivoted out over the front outline of the clearing vehicle 10, so that an area to the right of the clearing vehicle 10 can be worked and cleared (cf. Figures 3 and4 ). This means that the clearing blade 12 of the working tool 18 is normally located, in particular, completely to the right of the tracks 20 of the clearing vehicle 10 defined by the wheels 16 in the operating position.

[0059] The schematic side view according to Figure 2 , which shows the working tool 18 in the operating position not clearly visible here, shows that the front coupling 28, together with the working tool 18 coupled to it, is raised even in its rest position at least so far above the ground level or the road surface 32 traveled on by the clearing vehicle 10 that the working tool 18 has a sufficient distance from the road surface 32 and cannot touch there during lateral displacement.

[0060] As shown in the schematic front view of the clearing vehicle 10 according to Figure 3 and the schematic plan view of the clearing vehicle 10 according to Figure 4As can be seen, the drive cylinder 24 and the dozer blade 12 pivotably mounted thereon are moved from the rest position into the operating position, in which the dozer blade 12 is pivoted out over the front outline of the clearing vehicle 10.

[0061] The drive cylinder 24, which also acts as a telescopic arm, is mounted at one end in a swivel joint 34 (see Figure 4 ), while its other end carries the dozer blade 12. The swivel joint 34 enables a swivel movement about a substantially vertical swivel axis 36 by a swivel angle of at least 150° to a maximum of 180° or slightly more than 180°, as shown in the plan view according to Figure 4 The approximately vertical pivot axis 36, which runs through the pivot joint 34, is shown in the front view according to Figure 3 shown.

[0062] The swivel joint 34 is located at one end of a guide carriage 40, which is part of the front or front-side coupling or suspension 28 of the working tool 18.

[0063] The guide carriage 40, which is essentially aligned horizontally and transversely to the vehicle's longitudinal axis 22, can be moved in the horizontal direction, which is indicated by the double arrow 42 in the Figures 3 and 4 For this purpose, the guide carriage 40 is mounted in a coupling plate 44 of the front suspension 28 so as to be displaceable in the horizontal direction and can be displaced between two end positions by means of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 46.

[0064] In the rest position of the working tool 18 with the clearing blade 12 attached to the front suspension 28 (swivel angle 38 = 0°; cf. Figure 1), the hydraulic cylinder 46 is retracted so that the swivel joint 34 is located approximately at the level of the right front wheel 16 of the clearing vehicle 10, as shown in Figure 1 is clearly visible. Depending on requirements, the hydraulic cylinder 46 for the operating position of the working tool 18 with the dozer blade 12 arranged thereon can be pivoted in the direction of arrow 42 by approximately 150° ... 180° from the rest position or extended horizontally, which also moves the guide carriage 40 to the right, so that the dozer blade 12 is clearly next to the front outline of the clearing vehicle 10. Figures 3 and 4 clearly show that the swivel joint 34 is located to the right of the lane 20 of the two right wheels of the clearing vehicle 10.

[0065] This horizontal displacement 42 can be adjusted to between zero and, for example, up to half a meter or slightly more. Of course, the working tool 18 can also be operated without the horizontal displacement 42 in the manner described, which can be useful for narrower clearing sections. It may also be useful to position the drive cylinder 24 with the mounted clearing blade 12 in the position shown in Figure 4 shown by slightly less than 180° about the vertical pivot axis 36, so that the snow cleared by the clearing blade 12 (not shown here) is pushed to the left and towards the right-hand lane of the clearing vehicle 10. If it is necessary or desired to push the snow away in the other direction, it may also be useful to pivot the clearing blade 12 by more than 180° about the vertical pivot axis 36, which can be easily achieved using the design of the pivot joint 34 shown here.

[0066] What is shown by the schematic front view according to Figure 3 Also illustrated is the optional pivotability and mobility of the clearing blade 12 about a horizontal central axis in order to adapt it to an inclined ground surface 32, which may be formed, for example, by a sloping sidewalk that needs to be cleared of snow and cleared. This adjustability of the clearing blade 12 about a horizontal central axis (not shown here) running approximately through its center point and thus around its rear connection to the drive cylinder 24 is indicated by the double arrow 50 drawn to the left of the clearing blade 12.

[0067] This pivoting capability, indicated by the double arrow 50, can also be activated by a motor, as can the adjustability of the clearing blade 12 about the vertical axis 36, which can be achieved, for example, by a hydraulic motor (not shown in detail here) assigned to the pivot joint 34. All of these motor drives, as well as the horizontal displacement 42 activated by the hydraulic cylinder 46, enable central control from the driver's position, for example, using an operating terminal or input manual or the like accessible to the driver. Since the driver has visual control of a front-mounted work tool 18, he can immediately change its position if there is a risk of collision with a solid object such as a bus shelter, a traffic sign, a tree, or another obstacle, or if certain clearing directions are specified, or if space is particularly tight.

[0068] Optionally, the working tool 18 of the clearing vehicle 10 can be assigned a spreading device 52 or optionally also a spraying device, as shown here in the Figures 1 to 4 can be seen in each case. The spreading device 52 shown here serves to distribute grit 62 or de-icing agent or the like directly behind the working tool 18.

[0069] The optional spreading device 52 comprises a funnel-shaped spreading agent reservoir 54 arranged at the rear of the clearing vehicle 10, comprising a metering device 56 with a downstream dispensing and / or distribution device 58. The metering device 56 can be formed here by a rotary valve located at the lower bottom area of ​​the funnel-shaped spreading agent container or spreading agent reservoir 54. Such a rotary valve can also be followed by a pneumatic dispensing device, which delivers the spreading material 62 or de-icing agent to areas adjacent to the clearing vehicle 10 that were previously processed by the working tool 18. A line 60, which is pressurized by pneumatic pressure, can be laid almost anywhere on the clearing vehicle 10 from the rotary valve to a desired dispensing location.Thus, the mouth of the line 60 can be located on the drive cylinder 24 so that the spreading agent can be applied directly behind the clearing blade 12 or the working tool 18.

[0070] In Figure 5an embodiment of a snow plow 12 as a working tool on an attachment 18 is shown, which shows a snow plow 12 which is trapezoidal in shape and opens in the direction of travel of the snow clearing vehicle 10 (not shown). The trapezoidal shape 64 is formed by attaching side wings which point diagonally forward on both sides to the base of the snow plow, so that the snow plow 12 essentially spans a receiving area which forms when clearing snow, for example, so that the cleared snow is collected in this receiving area and is not pushed past its two ends, as is the case with a snow plow which only consists of a base, where it forms a pile there.Preferably, this clearing blade 12 is made of a solid rubber material so that when clearing and sweeping over the areas to be cleared, damage to the surfaces there can be largely excluded, but contact with the surface to be cleaned is nevertheless maintained in order to remove the material to be cleared, in particular snow, as completely as possible from the area to be cleared. List of reference symbols

[0071] 10 Snow clearing vehicle / carrier vehicle 12 Dozer blade / working tool 16 Wheel 18 Attachment with working tool 20 Track 22 Longitudinal axis of the vehicle 24 Drive cylinder 26 Direction of travel 28 Front coupling / suspension 32 Road surface, ground surface 34 Swivel joint 36 Vertical swivel axis 38 Swivel angle 40 Guide carriage 42 Displacement, horizontal 44 Coupling plate 46 Hydraulic cylinder 50 Double arrow swivel ability 52 Spreading device / spraying device 54 Spreading material supply / container 56 Dosing device 58 Distribution device 60 Line 62 Spreading material 64 Trapezoidal shape 66 Snow plow

Claims

1. Attachment (18) having a coupling (28) for releasably connecting to a clearing vehicle (10) moving along a driving lane (20) and having a first working tool, the working positions of which, which move between an operating position and a rest position, can change over into regions inside and outside the driving lane (20) of the clearing vehicle (10) with respect to the coupling (28) attached to the front side or the rear side of the clearing vehicle (10), characterized in that the working tool is designed as a movable clearing blade and can be moved in the transverse direction to the driving lane (20) by means of a guide carriage (40) and a drive cylinder (24), which can be extended transversely to the driving lane (20) and is connected to the working tool (12), and preferably additionally by means of a pivoting device, which can pivot the working tool out by means of a hydraulic motor, wherein the working positions of the first working tool without an articulated boom arm can be changed displaceably and preferably pivotably transversely to the coupling (28) into working regions at least partially laterally outside the driving lane (20) by means of the guide carriage (40) and the drive cylinder (24).

2. Attachment (18) according to Claim 1, wherein the first working tool can be pivoted within each working region about a vertical axis (36) into the respective working positions with respect to the coupling (28) by means of a pivoting device.

3. Attachment (18) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the working positions of the first working tool can be horizontally displaced by means of the guide carriage (40) and the drive cylinder (24).

4. Attachment (18) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the first working tool is a plate-like snow clearing device, in particular a snow plough (66).

5. Attachment (18) according to Claim 4, wherein the snow plough (66) has the shape of a trapezium (64) formed in the direction of the driving lane (20), the middle part and the side flank parts of which can be adjusted relative to one another.

6. Attachment (18) according to one of Claims 3 to 5, wherein provision is made for a linear drive or hydraulic drive or pneumatic drive for laterally displacing or pivoting the working tool on the guide carriage (40).

7. Attachment (18) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein provision is made in the region of the coupling (28) for a device for lifting or lowering the first working tool into its respective working position or for pivoting it to the sides.

8. Attachment (18) according to one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the first working tool is assigned a spreading and / or spraying apparatus (52) for discharging solid and / or liquid spreading material (62).

9. Attachment (18) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, which is assigned a sensor system for obstacle detection, which enables an avoidance movement of the first working tool by way of a control device.

10. Clearing vehicle (10) for unbound use on surfaces to be cleared, in particular paths and roads, having an attachment (18) according to one of Claims 1 to 9 or according to a plurality of Claims 1 to 9.

11. Clearing vehicle (10) having a rail-bound apparatus for the use of an attachment (18) according to Claims 1 to 9 on elevated surfaces, in particular on platforms.

12. Clearing vehicle (10) according to Claim 10, which can be mounted on the rail-bound apparatus according to Claim 11.

13. Clearing vehicle (10) according to one of Claims 10 to 12, wherein solid and / or liquid spreading material (62) can be supplied to the spreading and / or spraying apparatus (52) of the attachment (18) according to Claim 8 from a container (54) arranged at the front side or the rear side of said attachment.

14. Clearing vehicle (10) according to one of Claims 10 to 13, wherein provision is made for a second working tool, which can be used to clear material to be cleared that has accumulated in the region of side flanks of the first working tool, which is designed as a clearing blade.

15. Clearing vehicle (10) according to one of Claims 10 to 14, wherein the at least one attachment can be coupled or uncoupled by means of a quick-action coupling.

16. Clearing vehicle (10) according to one of Claims 10 to 15, wherein provision is made for collision protection means in order to avoid obstacles.

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