Bridge-laying vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a bridge-laying vehicle (10), in particular a military bridge-laying vehicle, for transporting and laying a transportable bridge (1), having a chassis (2) which accommodates the vehicle crew and which has at least one access opening (2.1) on the top side thereof, and having a support arm (4) which, in a transport position (T) above the chassis (2), provides a first support region (A1) for supporting the bridge (1), wherein the support arm (4) at least partially covers at least one access opening (2.1) in the transport position (T), wherein the support arm (4) can swivel in relation to the chassis (2) about a vertical axis (V) from the transport position (T) into a release position (F) in which the support arm (4) does not cover the access opening (2.1).

Description

[0001] Bridge laying vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a bridge-laying vehicle, in particular a military bridge-laying vehicle, for transporting and laying a transportable bridge, comprising a chassis accommodating the vehicle crew, which chassis has at least one access opening on its upper side, and comprising a support arm which, in a transport position above the chassis, provides a first support area for supporting the bridge, and wherein the support arm at least partially covers at least one access opening in the transport position.

[0003] Such bridge-laying vehicles are used primarily in the military sector and are designed to transport portable bridges and then lay them at the appropriate installation site, largely independently. Portable bridges are generally used when a bridge is only needed for a specific period of time to cross an obstacle, such as a river or a ditch. The bridge can be transported to its location using the bridge-laying vehicle and laid there as required. Once the bridge is no longer needed, it can be reloaded onto the bridge-laying vehicle and transported to the next location.

[0004] Such bridge-laying vehicles typically have a chassis, which forms the actual base of the vehicle and can accommodate both the vehicle crew and the vehicle's drive units. Especially in the military sector, the chassis is usually fully armored against ballistic fire, which is why these vehicles are also referred to as armored bridge-laying vehicles. To allow entry and exit of the vehicle, to enable driving over a hatch, or to access the vehicle's drive components, various access openings are often located on top of the chassis, i.e., essentially in the roof area.

[0005] Since the bridges to be transported are often quite long and sometimes even longer than the chassis itself, it is usually necessary to support them against the chassis via one, or often several, support areas arranged above the chassis. A support arm can be provided for support, which can provide a support area above the chassis so that the bridge then essentially rests on the vehicle. When the support arm is in a transport position, it is able to pick up the bridge or support it. However, this can result in the access openings being at least partially covered by the support arm, so that they can no longer be opened or can only be opened over a limited area, and thus the accessibility of the chassis as a whole is restricted by the support arm.

[0006] Based on this, the invention sets itself the task of specifying a bridge laying vehicle which ensures improved accessibility of the chassis.

[0007] This task is solved in a bridge-laying vehicle of the type mentioned above in that the support arm can be pivoted relative to the chassis from the transport position about a vertical axis into a release position in which the support arm no longer covers the access opening.

[0008] The ability to pivot the support arm sideways allows it to be moved from the transport position, in which access openings may be partially covered and blocked, to a release position in which the access opening(s) are not covered or blocked, or are only partially covered or blocked. In the release position, accessibility to the access openings and thus to the chassis as a whole is improved.

[0009] Covering the access openings in the transport position does not necessarily mean that the support arm is positioned directly above the access openings in this position, but rather that it reduces accessibility. The support arm can therefore also be positioned next to the access openings and still reduce accessibility, for example if it blocks or narrows the path to the access openings. It can be provided that the support arm can only be pivoted about the vertical axis when no bridge is being transported. This is because it is usually necessary to move the support arm into the transport position to transport a bridge. Since the bridge blocks or complicates access to the access openings anyway, it is not necessary to pivot the support arm accordingly even if a bridge is being transported.The support arm can be designed in such a way that it can only be pivoted when no bridge is being transported.

[0010] With regard to the transport position, it has proven advantageous if the support arm extends in the direction of the chassis's longitudinal axis in this position. This is consistent with the fact that the bridge is also generally transported lengthwise on the vehicle, as the vehicle is usually significantly longer than it is wide, thus ensuring vehicle stability. Furthermore, the appropriate arrangement of the support arm can ensure that the weight forces of the bridge are distributed as evenly as possible across the chassis. It is advantageous if the support arm extends toward the front of the vehicle in the transport position.

[0011] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if the bridge-laying vehicle has a laying arm for laying the bridge, which provides a second support area for the bridge above the chassis. The bridge can therefore be mounted on either the support arm or the laying arm, ensuring reliable support. In addition to supporting or transporting the bridge, the laying arm can also be used to lay the bridge. With the laying arm, the bridge can be pushed forward, e.g. over the obstacle to be crossed, and then deposited on the other side. The laying arm can be arranged in the rear edge area of ​​the chassis so that the bridge can be laid backwards during laying, i.e. from the direction of the support arm and against the direction of travel of the vehicle. Due to this arrangement, the laying arm does not have the problem of it compromising the accessibility of access openings.Furthermore, it is of course also possible for the laying arm to be arranged at the front end of the chassis in order to lay the bridge forward, i.e. in the direction of travel.

[0012] According to an advantageous development, it has proven advantageous if the two support areas are aligned in the transport position. This design ensures support of the bridge with a distribution of the load between both the support arm and the installation arm. The corresponding line can be arranged along the vehicle's longitudinal axis or extend parallel to it, so that the bridge rests centrally on the vehicle. This is particularly important for vehicle stability when cornering.

[0013] With regard to the mobility of the support arm, it has proven advantageous if the support arm can be rotated about the vertical axis relative to the laying arm. Since the laying arm is arranged at the edge of the vehicle, there is no risk of parts of the chassis or access openings being covered or obstructed. It is therefore sufficient if the support arm can be pivoted accordingly. The relative mobility of the support arm relative to the laying arm ensures that access openings are no longer covered by a pivoting movement about the vertical axis and accessibility is therefore improved. It is therefore also advantageous if the support arm is decoupled from the laying arm and the support arm can therefore be pivoted about the vertical axis independently of the laying arm. According to a development of the invention, the laying arm can be designed to be fixed in the horizontal direction.The installation arm is therefore not rotatable about a corresponding vertical axis. This is because such a rotational movement is not necessary, as the installation arm does not block or cover any access openings. Nevertheless, the installation arm can rotate about one or more horizontal axes of rotation and can therefore be tilted downwards. Such a tilting movement may be necessary to lower the bridge during installation or to facilitate the installation process. Furthermore, the installation arm can also be linearly movable, particularly in the direction of the vehicle's longitudinal axis. Such a linear movement can also simplify the installation process.

[0014] With regard to access openings, it has proven advantageous if the access opening is designed as an engine cover, a driver's hatch, an air intake, a storage compartment cover, or an assembly hatch. The access opening can open outwards, so that in the transport position the support arm may prevent it from opening completely. The engine cover may cover the engine and drive components, meaning that the engine cover must be at least partially removed or folded up for assembly and maintenance work. The crew can enter or exit the vehicle via the driver's hatch. Over-hatch driving, in which the driver sticks his head through the corresponding hatch to directly observe the surroundings, may also be possible. The air intake may have a filter that filters the air directed to the vehicle's drive components.The air intake can also be integrated into the engine cover. The storage compartment cover can close off a storage compartment where equipment can be stored. The service hatch can provide access to other vehicle components, for example, for assembly or maintenance purposes. It is also advantageous if the chassis has several access openings. The access openings can be arranged side by side on the top of the chassis. It is also advantageous if the access openings are located in the front area of ​​the chassis.

[0015] In a further development of the invention, it has proven advantageous if the support arm can be rotated about the vertical axis in both directions from the transport position to selectively expose at least one of the access openings. This enables selective exposure of the various access openings. For example, the support arm can be arranged in one release position such that the driver's hatch is exposed but not the engine cover, but rather the latter remains covered. In another release position, the support arm can then cover the engine cover but expose the driver's hatch. In this respect, several release positions can exist, and in each release position, one or more specific access openings can remain uncovered. Furthermore, this design also means that the support arm only needs to be pivoted over a comparatively small angular range.As a rule, it is sufficient to selectively release only the access opening to which access is currently required. However, in certain release positions, the support arm can also release access to all access openings.

[0016] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous to mount the support arm on the top of the chassis. This allows the support arm to pivot around the vertical axis over a wide angular range, so that the contour of the chassis does not impede the pivoting movement of the support arm as much as possible.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment, the support arm is connected to the chassis at one end via a horizontal joint. The horizontal joint can provide a vertical axis of rotation for the support arm, so that it can be pivoted from the transport position into the pivoted release positions. The arrangement at one end of the support arm means that the support arm can be pivoted around the vertical axis like a cantilever. A corresponding horizontal joint only allows a pivoting movement around a vertical axis. Other pivoting or rotating movements are not possible with such a joint, so that the support arm can therefore only rotate around the vertical axis.

[0018] To ensure reliable force transmission, it has proven advantageous for the horizontal joint to have two concentrically arranged pin bearings, e.g., in the form of retaining eyes, through which a pivot pin of the support arm can extend. The pivot pin can thus be mounted between the two pin bearings for rotation. Two pin bearings have proven advantageous for reliable force and torque transmission. However, depending on the expected forces, only one pin bearing can be provided.

[0019] From a design perspective, it is proposed that the horizontal joint be connected to the chassis, in particular to the top side of the chassis, via two support struts. The two support struts can absorb transverse forces in particular and transmit them to the chassis. In this respect, they ensure reliable support of the bridge relative to the chassis. The support struts can both be connected to the pin bearing(s), in particular welded, so that the acting forces and moments can be transmitted via the horizontal joint to the corresponding support struts. With regard to the orientation of the support arm in the transport position, it has proven advantageous if it extends from the vertical axis towards the front of the chassis in the transport position. In this respect, the support arm can support the front area of ​​the bridge relative to the chassis in the transport position.The front section of the bridge refers to the bridge area located above the front of the chassis. The rear section of the bridge can be supported by the laying arm. The vertical axis can extend through the middle section of the chassis, allowing the support arm to extend from the middle section to the front section.

[0020] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if the second support area extends at least partially beyond the rear of the chassis. This allows for the transport of large bridges, allowing them to be longer than the chassis and extend beyond the chassis. The laying arm, and thus also the second support area, can extend beyond the chassis to the rear in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0021] In a further development of the invention, it is proposed that the first support region at least partially protrudes beyond the front of the chassis. In this respect, the bridge can also protrude forwards beyond the chassis and still be reliably supported. However, it is also possible for the first support region to have no protrusion and to be arranged above the front of the chassis. In this embodiment, too, the bridge can nevertheless protrude forwards beyond the chassis. The bridge can protrude beyond the chassis both to the rear and to the front. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the two support regions are as far apart as possible, since this ensures reliable support of the bridge.With regard to the design of the support arm, it has proven advantageous if it has two support arm sections that are connected to one another at an angle. This design enables the chassis contour to pivot when the support arm is pivoted about the vertical axis. For example, this design allows viewing dormers, corner mirrors, or, in particular, attachments arranged on the upper side of the chassis to be pivoted over. The first support arm section can be connected to the horizontal joint and extend diagonally upwards. The second support arm section can extend diagonally downwards, so that the support arm is raised in the middle compared to the end regions.

[0022] According to an advantageous development, it is proposed that the support arm has a boom at the front end that can pivot about a horizontal axis. The pivoting boom can be used to move the first support area up and down, thus balancing the bridge. The boom also extends the support arm. Furthermore, the boom enables adaptation to different bridges or different bridge types. The boom can be moved via a hydraulic drive, but alternatively or additionally also via an electric and / or pneumatic drive. For example, to pivot the boom, a hydraulic cylinder can be connected to the boom at one end and to a support arm section at the other end.

[0023] With regard to the boom, it has proven advantageous if the first support area is located on the boom. The boom can thus be used to vary the height of the support area relative to the chassis, and thus also the corresponding height and alignment of the bridge in the transport position relative to the chassis. In a further design development of the support arm, it is proposed that the support arm be fork-shaped. This enables better force distribution and ensures stabilization of the bridge. The support arm is advantageously fork-shaped in the front area.

[0024] To ensure reliable support, a further advantageous embodiment provides for the support arm to be supported against the chassis via support struts. The support struts ensure that compressive forces, in particular, are transferred from the support arm to the chassis. In addition to the horizontal joint, the support struts thus provide an additional connection or support point for the support arm to the vehicle. Advantageously, two support struts are provided, which are connected to the front area of ​​the support arm. Advantageously, the support struts are connected to the support arm in the area of ​​the connection to the boom.

[0025] The support struts can be arranged at an angle to each other, so that the two support struts and the surface of the chassis form an isosceles triangle between the two connection points of the support struts and the chassis. This allows the supports to absorb not only the weight of the bridge but also, to a certain extent, horizontal forces. The support struts can be detachably connected to the support arm, so that they can be easily removed if the support arm needs to be pivoted about the vertical axis. However, the support struts can also be pivotally connected to the support arm and folded into or onto the support arm when the support arm needs to be pivoted from the transport position to a release position.

[0026] To connect the support struts to the chassis, it has proven advantageous if the chassis has interfaces for connecting the support struts. These interfaces can allow for quick connection, but also quick disassembly or quick release of the support struts. In this respect, the support struts can be detachably connected to the corresponding interfaces. These interfaces are advantageously those that the chassis already has, thus serving as multipurpose interfaces. These interfaces can be, for example, towing eyes.

[0027] With regard to the movement of the support arm, it has proven advantageous if it can be pivoted manually. This allows for very easy pivoting of the support arm without the need for an additional power supply. The support arm can thus be moved manually from the transport position to a release position and back again. In the simplest case, the support arm can be moved simply by applying a push or pull force to the support arm itself.

[0028] According to an advantageous development of the invention, however, a drive for rotating the support arm is proposed. The drive can be manual, but it is also possible for it to be electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic. Electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic drives can be operated from the protected interior or remotely, which leads to increased protection, especially when used in military areas. A manual drive, in contrast, is structurally simpler and therefore less prone to errors and more intuitive to operate.

[0029] With regard to the drive, it has proven advantageous if it comprises a length-adjustable drive spindle which is connected on one side to the support arm and on the other side to the chassis. The length of the drive spindle can be changed manually, e.g. by turning a rod, so that the support arm can then also be pivoted accordingly. Furthermore, it is also possible to lengthen or shorten the length of the drive spindle automatically, e.g. using an electric or hydraulic motor. The drive spindle is advantageously detachably connected to the support arm and / or to the chassis. This allows the spindle to be removed, e.g. for quickly pivoting the support arm by hand. The drive spindle can be articulated to the support arm and articulated to the chassis, in particular to the top of the chassis.

[0030] With regard to the drive spindle, it has also proven advantageous if it is connected to the support arm at an angle. Due to this design, a torque can be applied to the support arm by changing the length of the spindle, causing it to pivot about the vertical axis. The connection point between the drive spindle and the support arm is arranged at a distance from the horizontal joint. The angle between the support arm and the drive spindle can determine the maximum pivoting movement of the support arm, since the support arm can only be pivoted in one direction until the drive spindle is aligned parallel to the support arm. In this respect, excessive extension of the drive spindle can also be prevented.

[0031] It is further proposed that the support arm, starting from the transport position, be pivoted in one direction when the drive spindle is extended and in the other direction when it is shortened from the transport position. Depending on which access opening is to be opened, the drive spindle can thus be either extended or shortened and the support arm can be pivoted either clockwise or counterclockwise. Furthermore, with regard to the positioning of the support arm, it is proposed that a positioning rod be provided for positioning the support arm in the transport position. The positioning rod enables the transport position to be easily determined. The positioning rod can have a fixed length and can be connected to the chassis on one side and to the support arm on the other.The positioning rod can be detachably connected to the chassis and / or the support arm, and its length can be such that the positioning rod can only be connected to both the chassis and the support arm in the transport position. Before the support arm can be pivoted about the vertical axis, the positioning rod must first be removed or at least one end of the positioning rod must be unhooked. For connection, both the chassis, particularly the top of the chassis, and the support arm can have a connection point for the positioning rod.

[0032] With regard to the design of the bridge-laying vehicle, it has proven advantageous if it comprises a driving module and a bridge-laying module arranged on the driving module. This design ensures a highly adaptable vehicle. The support arm and / or the laying arm can be part of the bridge-laying module. The access openings can be part of the driving module. The bridge-laying module can rest on the driving module like a container, thus forming the rear part of the vehicle. The driving module and bridge-laying module can be detachably connected to one another, allowing for easy exchange with other modules.

[0033] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a bridge-laying vehicle with a transportable bridge arranged thereon;

[0034] Fig. 2a - 2c different views of a bridge laying vehicle with a support arm in the transport position;

[0035] Fig. 3a - 3c different views of a bridge laying vehicle with a support arm in a first release position;

[0036] Fig. 4a - 4c different views of a bridge laying vehicle with a support arm in a second release position;

[0037] Fig. 5a - 5c different views of a bridge laying vehicle with a support arm in a third release position;

[0038] Fig. 6 a detailed view of a drive spindle.

[0039] Fig. 1 shows a military bridge-laying vehicle 10 in a schematic side view. This vehicle 10 is capable of both transporting a portable bridge 1 and laying it at the laying site. To ensure that the bridge 1 rests as stably as possible on the bridge-laying vehicle 10 and can be transported safely, two support areas A1, A2 are provided, with the first support area A1 supporting the front area of ​​the bridge 1 and the second support area A2 supporting the rear area of ​​the bridge 1 relative to the vehicle 10. The rear, second support area A2 is arranged on a laying arm 3, which is shown purely schematically in Fig. 1. Not only can the bridge 1 be supported on the vehicle 10 via this laying arm 3, but the laying arm 3 also serves to push the bridge 1 forward over the obstacle to be crossed and thus to lay the bridge 1 accordingly.

[0040] The obstacle to be crossed could, for example, be a river. The vehicle 10 is first driven with its rear end to the river bank so that the laying arm 3 points towards the river. In a next step, the bridge 1 is pushed backwards by the laying arm 3 against the direction of travel and, by a tilting movement of the laying arm 3, is finally set down on the opposite bank of the river and thus laid. Once the end on this side has also been placed on the ground, the river can then be crossed using the bridge 1. On the other side of the river, the bridge 1 can then be transported back onto the vehicle 10 in essentially the reverse order and transported to the next location.

[0041] The front support area A1 is arranged on a support arm 4, which will be described in more detail below with reference to Figs. 2a to 2c. The bridge 1, the laying arm 3, and a boom 7, which will be described in more detail below, are not shown in Figs. 2a to 2c.

[0042] As can be seen, the support arm 4 extends essentially from the middle area of ​​the vehicle 10 to the front area and is arranged centrally so that the weight of the bridge 1 can be distributed as evenly as possible across the vehicle 10. This ensures that the first support area A1, which can be seen in Fig. 1, has a large distance from the second support area A2, which also ensures good force distribution.

[0043] The vehicle 10 has a chassis 2, which essentially represents the main body of the vehicle 10 and accommodates the crew as well as the drive components of the vehicle 10. As can be clearly seen in Fig. 2a, for example, the chassis 2 has several access openings 2.1 on its upper side in the front area. The foremost access opening 2.1, which extends across the width of the vehicle, is the engine compartment cover; the engine and the essential drive components of the vehicle 10 are thus arranged beneath it. From the perspective of the vehicle 10, on the left side above the engine compartment cover there is an air inlet covered by an access opening 2.1 in the form of a grille. On the other side of the vehicle 10, or on the other side of the support arm 4, as can be seen in Fig. 2c, another access opening 2.1 can be seen.This is a driver's hatch that can be used for entering and exiting the vehicle 10 as well as for driving over the hatch.

[0044] Fig. 2c further shows that the support arm 4 partially covers the various access openings 2.1, which prevents them from being opened or makes access to the access openings 2.1 more difficult. This is also evident from the side view shown in Fig. 2b. This is because the distance between the surface of the chassis 2 and the underside of the support arm 4 is not large enough to open the various access openings 2.1 or the generally pivoting closing elements of the access openings 2.1.

[0045] In order to enable the corresponding access openings 2.1 to be opened despite the support arm 4, the support arm 4 can be pivoted sideways back and forth from the transport position T shown in Figs. 2a to 2c about the vertical axis V shown in Fig. 2b which intersects the vehicle's longitudinal axis. In these various release positions F, access to the various access openings 2.1 is then unlocked. However, in the various release positions F, the two support areas A1 and A2 are no longer in a line, or the first support area A1 of the support arm 4 is no longer parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis, which is why the support arm 4 can only be pivoted from the transport position T into a release position F to selectively unlock at least one access opening 2.1 if no bridge 1 is arranged on the vehicle 10.

[0046] In order to transfer the support arm 4 from the transport position T into the first release position F shown in Fig. 3a to 3c, the support arm 4 is connected to the upper side of the chassis 2 via a horizontal joint 5. The horizontal joint 5 enables a pivoting movement of the support arm 4 exclusively in the horizontal direction and can therefore also transmit forces from the support arm 4 to the chassis 2, for example in the vertical direction. In terms of construction, the horizontal joint 5 has two pin bearings 5.1 arranged parallel and concentrically to one another, which together form the vertical axis V and through which a corresponding pin of the support arm 4 extends. The pin of the support arm 4 is thus rotatably mounted in both pin bearings 5.1 and the support arm 4 can thus be pivoted back and forth via the horizontal joint 5.

[0047] Since the bridge 1 is very heavy, correspondingly large forces must be transferred from the support arm 4 via the horizontal joint 5 onto or into the chassis 2. To reinforce the connection, the horizontal joint 5 is firmly connected to the top of the chassis 2 via two support struts 6. The support struts 6 can be welded to the top of the chassis and to the horizontal joint 5, thus significantly increasing stability.

[0048] Furthermore, to absorb the weight of the bridge 1 in particular, two support struts 8 are provided, which can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2a to 2c. These support struts 8 are detachably connected on one side to the front area of ​​the support arm 4 and on the other side to the chassis 2. The chassis 2 has two towing eyes 11 on the top side in the front area, via which the support struts 8 can be detachably connected to the chassis 2. As can be seen, for example, from Fig. 1, the force or weight of the bridge 1 can thus be introduced into the chassis 2 at three points, namely in the rear part by the laying arm 3, in the middle part by the horizontal joint 5 and in the front area by the two support struts 8. As can be seen in particular in Fig.As can be seen in Figure 2c, the two support struts 8 form a triangle with the upper side of the chassis 2, so that the support struts 8 can at least to a certain extent also absorb horizontal forces, such as those that occur when cornering.

[0049] Although the boom 7 is not shown in Figs. 2a to 2c, a comparison with Fig. 1 reveals that the support struts 8 engage in the area of ​​the boom 7. The interfaces visible, for example, in Fig. 2b in the front area of ​​the support arm 4 serve for mounting the boom 7 and a drive unit for pivoting the boom 7 about a horizontal axis. The height of the support area A1 can therefore also be adjusted to a certain extent via the boom 7.

[0050] As can further be seen in Fig. 2b, the support arm 4 has two sections, namely a first support arm section 4.1 which is connected to the horizontal joint 5 and a second support arm section 4.2 which is connected on one side to the first support arm section 4.1 and on the other side to the boom 7 and to the support struts 8.

[0051] Furthermore, the two support arm sections 4.1, 4.2 are connected to each other at an angle, which allows for the chassis contour to pivot over and prevents a collision. The second support arm section 4.2 is fork-shaped, as can be seen, for example, in Fig. 2a or 2c. The front end of the support arm section 4.2 is therefore wider, which also allows for a wider support area A1 and thus better stability.

[0052] Before the support arm 4 can be pivoted from the transport position T about the vertical axis V into a release position F to release the access openings 2.1, the support struts 8 must first be removed. Due to the detachable connection of the support struts 8 to both the chassis 2 and the support arm 4, this is easily possible by hand. To pivot the support arm 4, a drive with a drive spindle 9 is provided, which can be seen in the respective top views of Fig. 2c, 3c and 4c. This drive spindle 9 can also be seen in the enlarged view of Fig. 6.

[0053] The drive spindle 9 is pivotally connected on one side to the chassis 2 or to the top of the chassis 2, and on the other side to the support arm 4 or to the first support arm section 4.1. The drive spindle 9 is at an angle to the support arm 4 and at a certain distance from the vertical axis V, so that the support arm 4 can be moved back and forth by changing the length of the drive spindle 9. Such a change in length can be accomplished relatively easily by hand by rotating or twisting the ends of the drive spindle 9 against each other. Furthermore, electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic drives can also be provided to lengthen or shorten the drive spindle 9 accordingly.

[0054] When the drive spindle 9 is shortened, the support arm 4 pivots clockwise into the position shown in Figs. 3a to 3c. In this release position F, the support arm 4 has pivoted approximately 30 degrees around the vertical axis. As can be seen particularly in Fig. 3c, the support arm 4 no longer covers the access opening 2.1 designed as an air inlet, so that it is now easily accessible and can be opened or closed without hindrance. However, the other two access openings 2.1 are still covered by the support arm 4 and are therefore blocked.

[0055] In order to also allow unrestricted access to the access opening 2.1 designed as the engine room cover, the support arm 4 must be pivoted further clockwise. For this purpose, the drive spindle 9 is shortened even further, starting from the position shown in Figs. 3a to 3c. This release position F can be seen in Figs. 4a to 4c. In this release position F, the support arm 4 is pivoted by approximately 60 degrees compared to the transport position T, and the drive spindle 9 has been shortened by a total of approximately 40%. In this position, the support arm 4 protrudes significantly laterally beyond the chassis 2, which means that it no longer covers the wide engine room cover and thus two of the three access openings 2.1 are now accessible in this release position F. However, the access opening 2.1 designed as the driver's hatch remains blocked by the support arm 4.

[0056] To release the driver's hatch, the support arm 4 can now be pivoted in the opposite direction. This position can be seen in Fig. 5a to 5c. Starting from the transport position T, the support arm 4 has been pivoted approximately 30 degrees counterclockwise, and the drive spindle 9 is approximately 10% longer than in the transport position T. In this release position F, the engine compartment cover and the air inlet are covered and therefore blocked, but the driver's hatch is still accessible. In this release position F, the drive spindle 9 then extends parallel to the support arm 4 or rests against the support arm 4. In this respect, further pivoting movement is not possible, so that the drive spindle 9 also limits the corresponding pivot angle. By pivoting the support arm 4 in different directions, the access openings 2.1 can be selectively opened.

[0057] To ensure that the support arm 4 can be easily moved back into the transport position T from the release positions F, a positioning rod 9.1 is provided, which is detachably connected to the chassis 2 on one side and to the support arm 4 on the other side. The positioning rod 9.1 can be seen, for example, in Fig. 2c. In contrast to the drive spindle 9, the positioning rod 9.1 has a fixed length and can therefore only be connected to the chassis 2 and the support arm 4 when the latter is in the transport position T and thus aligned parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis.

[0058] The chassis 2 has a connection point for the positioning rod 9.1 on its upper side, which can be seen, for example, in Fig. 3c. A corresponding connection point is arranged on the support arm 4, so that the distance between these two connection points changes when the support arm 4 pivots about the vertical axis V. Only in the transport position T does the distance correspond exactly to the length of the positioning rod 9.1, so that the positioning rod 9.1 can only be connected to the chassis 2 and the support arm 4 in the transport position T according to Fig. 2c. With the help of the positioning rod 9.1, the transport position T can thus be reliably found, in which the first support area A1 together with the second support area A2 are arranged in a line parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. Reference numerals:

[0059] 1 bridge

[0060] 2 chassis

[0061] 2.1 Access opening

[0062] 3 laying arm

[0063] 4 support arm

[0064] 4.1 Support arm section

[0065] 4.2 Support arm section

[0066] 5 Horizontal joint

[0067] 5.1 Bolt bearing

[0068] 6 support strut

[0069] 7 booms

[0070] 8 support strut

[0071] 9 Drive spindle

[0072] 9.1 Positioning rod

[0073] 10 bridge laying vehicles

[0074] 11 Towing eye

[0075] A1 first support area

[0076] A2 second support area

[0077] V vertical axis

[0078] T Transport position

[0079] F Release position

Claims

24 Patent claims:

1. Bridge laying vehicle, in particular a military bridge laying vehicle, for transporting and laying a transportable bridge (1) with a chassis (2) accommodating the vehicle crew, which has at least one access opening (2.1) on its upper side, and with a support arm (4) which, in a transport position (T) above the chassis (2), provides a first support area (A1) for supporting the bridge (1), wherein the support arm (4) at least partially covers at least one access opening (2.1) in the transport position (T), characterized in that the support arm (4) is pivotable relative to the chassis (2) from the transport position (T) about a vertical axis (V) into a release position (F) in which the support arm (4) does not cover the access opening (2.1).

2. Bridge laying vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by a laying arm (3) for laying the bridge (1), which provides a second support area (A2) for the bridge (1) above the chassis (2).

3. Bridge laying vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the support arm (4) is pivotable relative to the laying arm (3) about the vertical axis (V).

4. Bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support arm (4) is designed to selectively release at least one of the access openings (2.1) from The bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims is pivotable about the vertical axis (V) in both directions in the transport position (T). The support arm (4) is connected at one end to the chassis (2) via a horizontal joint (5). The bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims is characterized in that the support arm (4) extends from the vertical axis (V) towards the front of the chassis in the transport position (T). The bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims is characterized in that the first support area (A1) has at least a partial projection beyond the front of the chassis. The bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims is characterized in that the support arm (4) has two support arm sections (4.1, 4.2) which are connected to each other at an angle.Bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support arm (4) has a boom (7) at its front end that can be pivoted about a horizontal axis. Bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support arm (4) can be braced against the chassis (2) by means of support struts (8). Bridge laying vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a drive for rotating the support arm (4). Bridge laying vehicle according to claim 11, characterized in that the drive comprises a length-adjustable drive spindle (9) which is connected on one side to the support arm (4) and on the other side to the chassis (2). Bridge laying vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that the drive spindle (9) is configured such that, starting from the transport position (T), the support arm (4) pivots in one direction when the drive spindle (9) is extended and is pivoted in the other direction when it is shortened from the transport position (T). Bridge laying vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a positioning rod (9.1) for positioning the support arm (4) in the transport position (T).Bridge laying vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a driving module and a bridge laying module arranged on the driving module.

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