Pipe transportation vehicle

Abstract

To enable carrying-in of a new pipe in a tunnel or an existing pipe in the tunnel, easy vertical movement on a step of the bottom surface of the tunnel, and returning of the currently carried-in new pipe from a strike slip.SOLUTION: A pipe support is erected from a frame connected between a drive vehicle and a driven vehicle. The driven vehicle and the frame move along with advancing or retreating of the drive vehicle. Running wheels of the drive vehicle and the driven vehicle can be lifted so as to be able to go over a step in a tunnel. Both a driving wheel of the drive vehicle and the running wheel of the driven vehicle can be turned small or large by forcibly changing the directions thereof. The pipe support can be lifted, and butts the inner surface of the new pipe when lifted to be able to support the new pipe. The support can tilt back and forth in the lateral width direction of the frame, and can return the supported new pipe to an original position even when the new pipe is shifted in a lateral direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention is a pipe transporter capable of carrying a new steel pipe (hereinafter referred to as "newly installed pipe") into a tunnel or into a steel pipe (hereinafter referred to as "existing pipe") already laid in the tunnel, and is suitable for carrying into tunnels for hydroelectric power facilities, sewer facilities, etc.

Background Art

[0002] Tunnels include those for vehicles and trains to run, and those used as waterways for hydroelectric power facilities and sewer facilities, etc., for various purposes.

[0003] Tunnels may age and be damaged. In this case, a newly installed pipe is carried into the tunnel (loaded) to repair the aged or damaged parts.

[0004] The repaired existing pipes may also age and be damaged due to aging. In this case, a newly installed pipe is carried into the existing pipe to repair the aged or damaged parts.

[0005] The pipe-in-pipe method is known as a method of carrying a newly installed pipe into an existing pipe for repair. In this method, the newly installed pipe is carried into the existing pipe by a pipe transporter.

[0006] There are pipe transporters as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 for carrying newly installed pipes into tunnels or existing pipes. In addition, there are those in which a carriage is connected to the rear of a tractor so that the carriage can be towed by the tractor. As the tractor, a compact self-propelled unit (Non-Patent Document 1), a battery-powered tractor (Non-Patent Document 2), etc. are used. In some cases, a general-purpose forklift is used as the pipe transporter.

[0007] The newly installed pipes to be carried in vary in length, inner diameter, and weight. Generally, the inner diameter of the newly installed pipe is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tunnel or the existing pipe. Newly installed pipes for waterways are often about 2500 mm in inner diameter and about 2000 mm to 9000 mm in length.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Documents

[0009]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

[0010] The tunnel has both sharp curve sections and gentle curve sections. In sharp curve sections, if the newly installed pipe supported by the bogie is long, the tip side of the newly installed pipe may collide with the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel and may not be able to enter.

[0011] The cross-sectional shape of the tunnel is approximately circular, and the bottom surface slopes downward on both sides in the width direction. For this reason, even if the pipe carrier travels in the center of the width direction of the bottom surface of the tunnel, it is likely to shift laterally. If it shifts laterally, the newly installed pipe supported by the bogie may contact the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel and may not be able to enter. If a short newly installed pipe is carried in, contact can be avoided, but with a short newly installed pipe, the number of pipes carried in increases, and the carrying-in work and laying work become troublesome, and the work period also becomes long. In some cases, the length of the bogie may need to be adjusted according to the length of the newly installed pipe to be carried in. To adjust the length of the bogie, it is necessary to replace the bogie with a long one or a short one, or add or remove relay bogies, and the adjustment work is troublesome. Also, various bogies with different lengths need to be prepared, which increases the cost and makes inventory management difficult.

[0012] Existing pipes laid in a tunnel are usually suspended several tens of millimeters (usually about 50 mm) from the bottom surface of the tunnel, and the space between the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel and the outer peripheral surface of the existing pipe is filled with concrete. For this reason, the bottom surface on the inlet side or the outlet side of the existing pipe is higher (has a step) than the bottom surface of the tunnel. In order for the pipe carrier to enter the existing pipe, it must overcome this step. When overcoming the step, the tip side of the new pipe supported by the carriage may rise forward by the amount of the step. Also, when exiting (descending the step) from the existing pipe, the rear end side of the new pipe may rise backward by the amount of the step.

[0013] Even if there is no existing pipe laid in the tunnel, there are height differences (usually uphill and downhill) on the bottom surface of the tunnel. For this reason, for the new pipe supported by the carriage, when going uphill, the tip side becomes higher by the amount of the height difference, and when going downhill, the rear end side becomes higher by the amount of the height difference. Also in this case, when going up and down the step, the tip side rises forward and the rear end side rises backward in the same way as when going up and down the step.

[0014] However, since the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the new pipe and the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel or the existing pipe is only about several tens of millimeters, when the tip side of the new pipe becomes higher, the tip side may come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel or the existing pipe. Also, when the rear end side of the new pipe becomes higher, the rear end side may come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel or the existing pipe. In such a case, if a short new pipe is carried in, contact can be avoided. However, as described above, with a short new pipe, the number of pipes to be carried in increases, making the carrying-in work and the laying work troublesome, and the working period also becomes longer. Also, as described above, it may be necessary to adjust the length of the carriage, and that adjustment work is troublesome.

[0015] Since the inside of the tunnel is a closed space, using an engine has problems with oxygen deficiency due to exhaust gas, and there are difficulties in the working environment. To eliminate oxygen deficiency, a tractor or an electric forklift with a battery as the power source is used.

[0016] In the case of a tunnel for a waterway, when a new pipe is carried in, the water in the tunnel is to be drained. However, in some cases, there may be water remaining at the bottom of the tunnel (about 100 mm to 150 mm in depth). The batteries of the tractors and electric forklifts in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 are usually installed at a low position (about several tens of millimeters higher than the bottom surface of the tunnel). Therefore, if there is water in the tunnel, they may be flooded during travel and become inoperable. Also, the space for mounting the batteries is narrow, and the number of batteries that can be mounted is small (at most about two or three), so there is a limit to the travel distance.

[0017] Some electric forklifts used for carrying in new pipes have a roof on the driver's seat. Since the height of the roof cannot be adjusted without permission, depending on the inner diameter of the tunnel and the inner diameter of the existing pipe, they may not be able to enter them, and it may not be possible to carry in the new pipe. Also, the battery of the electric forklift is usually built-in and cannot be replaced with a battery of a large capacity without permission. Therefore, there is a limit to the travel distance with only the existing battery.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0018] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pipe carrier that can support a new pipe and carry the new pipe into a tunnel or into an existing pipe laid in the tunnel, can easily go up and down a step even if there is a step between the bottom surface of the tunnel and the existing pipe, and can return the new pipe supported by the pipe carrier to the center side in the lateral width direction of the tunnel even if the new pipe is displaced in the lateral width direction of the tunnel.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0019] The pipe carrier of the present invention includes two vehicles, a gantry connected between the two vehicles, and a pipe support body erected from the gantry. The vehicle enters a newly installed pipe outside the tunnel and guides the gantry into the newly installed pipe, leaves the gantry inside the newly installed pipe and exits outside the newly installed pipe, and can support the newly installed pipe from the inside with the pipe support body provided on the gantry. In this supported state, the gantry is moved by the movement of the vehicle so that the newly installed pipe supported by the pipe support body can be carried into the tunnel or into an existing pipe in the tunnel.

[0020] Both of the two vehicles may be driving vehicles, or one may be a driving vehicle and the other may be a driven vehicle. The driving vehicle has driving wheels and traveling wheels under the driving vehicle body, and the driven vehicle has supporting wheels and traveling wheels under the driven vehicle body. A driving body is mounted on the driving vehicle. When the driving body of the driving vehicle rotates, the driving wheels rotate and the vehicle moves forward, and when the driving body rotates reversely, the driving wheels rotate reversely and the vehicle moves backward. The driven vehicle does not include a driving body (motor), and when the gantry moves as the driving vehicle moves forward and backward, the driven vehicle moves forward and backward as the gantry moves.

[0021] There may or may not be an existing pipe in the tunnel. When there is an existing pipe, the traveling wheels of the driving vehicle and the traveling wheels of the driven vehicle are made elevating so that they can overcome the step difference between the bottom surface of the tunnel and the existing pipe.

[0022] The driving wheels and the traveling wheels of the driving vehicle can be interlocked to switch their directions in the same direction, and the two traveling wheels of the driven vehicle can be interlocked to switch their directions in the same direction. By this switching, the driving wheels and the traveling wheels of the driving vehicle, and the two traveling wheels of the driven vehicle can be forced to turn inward extremely (make a small turn) or turn outward extremely (make a large turn).

[0023] The pipe support has a contact portion on the support rod. The support rod is movable up and down. When it rises, the contact portion can abut against the inner surface of the newly installed pipe to support the newly installed pipe. Further, the support rod can reciprocally tilt in the lateral width direction of the gantry. When the newly installed pipe supported by the contact portion is displaced laterally, it tilts to the side opposite to the displacement direction so that the displacement of the newly installed pipe can be corrected.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] The pipe transporter of the present invention has the following effects. 1. Since both the driving wheels and the driven wheels of the vehicle can be raised and lowered, even if there are steps in the tunnel, it can overcome them and enter the existing pipe. 2. The pipe transporter running in the tunnel may be displaced in the lateral width direction of the tunnel. There may or may not be existing pipes in the tunnel. If there are existing pipes, the displaced newly installed pipe may contact the inner peripheral surface of the existing pipe. If there are no existing pipes, the displaced newly installed pipe may contact the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel. However, in the present invention, since the support rod of the pipe support can reciprocally tilt in the lateral width direction of the newly installed pipe, it can be tilted to the side opposite to the direction in which the newly installed pipe is displaced to return the newly installed pipe to the center side in the lateral width direction of the tunnel, and contact between the newly installed pipe and the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel or the inner peripheral surface of the existing pipe can be avoided. 3. Since the driving wheels and the driven wheels of the driving vehicle and the driven vehicle can be forcibly switched so that they can make small turns or large turns, it becomes easier to move forward and backward at sharp curve locations in the tunnel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] (Embodiment) An example of an embodiment of the pipe transporter of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The pipe transporter 1 of the present invention is formed by connecting a gantry 30 between two vehicles 10 and 20. Both of the two vehicles 10 and 20 may be driving vehicles, but in the following embodiment, one is the driving vehicle 10 and the other is the driven vehicle 20. In this embodiment, the case where the driving vehicle 10 is at the rear in the moving direction (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1) and the driven vehicle 20 is at the front in the moving direction will be described as an example.

[0027] [Overview of the Pipe Transport Vehicle] The pipe transport vehicle 1 in Fig. 1 includes a driving vehicle 10, a driven vehicle 20, a gantry 30 connected between the two vehicles 10 and 20, a pipe support 40 erected above the gantry 30, a battery mounting part 50 provided on the gantry 30, a chair 60a provided on the rear end side in the moving direction of the driving vehicle 10, and a chair 60b provided on the front end side in the moving direction of the driven vehicle 20.

[0028] [Driving Vehicle] Under the driving vehicle body 11 of the driving vehicle 10, as shown in Fig. 2(a), there are one driving wheel 12 and two traveling wheels 13a, 13b. The two traveling wheels 13a, 13b are in front of the driving wheel 12 and are arranged on both sides in the width direction of the gantry 30. Both the driving wheel 12 and the two traveling wheels 13a, 13b are rubber wheels, have the same diameter, with a diameter of several tens of centimeters, for example, 50 cm to 70 cm, and at least the upper part thereof is made not to be immersed in the water in the tunnel.

[0029] [Driving Wheel of the Driving Vehicle] The driving wheel 12 is rotatably mounted on a vehicle axle 15 between the opposing walls 14a, 14b of a front-view downward U-shaped mounting jig 14 (Fig. 3(b)). Further, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the mounting jig 14 is attached to the rod (movable shaft) 12b of a hydraulic cylinder, and the cylinder (fixed shaft) 12a of the hydraulic cylinder is fixed on the driving vehicle body 11, so that the driving wheel 12 is attached under the driving vehicle body 11.

[0030] The driving wheel 12 is connected to a motor M by a belt B as shown in Fig. 1, and is configured to rotate forward when the motor M rotates forward and rotate backward when the motor M rotates backward. The belt B is covered by a cover C (Fig. 7).

[0031] [Traveling Wheels of the Driving Vehicle] Each of the two traveling wheels 13a, 13b (Fig. 3(b)) of the driving vehicle 10 is mounted on a vehicle axle 17 between the opposing walls 16a, 16b of a front-view downward U-shaped mounting jig 16 and is rotatable in the same direction. By attaching this mounting jig 16 under the driving vehicle body 11, the two traveling wheels 13a, 13b are attached under the driving vehicle body 11.

[0032] [Expansion and contraction of drive wheels and lifting of running wheels of a driven vehicle] When the movable shaft 12b (Fig. 5(b)) of the drive wheel 12 is extended and pressed against the ground E, the drive vehicle body 11 is pushed up, and the running wheels 13a, 13b that are in contact with the ground E as shown in Fig. 5(a) are lifted from the ground E as shown in Fig. 5(b). When the movable shaft 12b is contracted, the drive vehicle body 11 descends, and the running wheels 13a, 13b that are floating from the ground E as shown in Fig. 5(b) come into contact with the ground as shown in Fig. 5(a). In this grounded state, when the drive wheel 12 rotates forward, the running wheels 13a, 13b also rotate forward and the driven vehicle 10 moves forward, and when the drive wheel 12 rotates backward, the running wheels 13a, 13b also rotate backward and the driven vehicle 10 moves backward.

[0033] [Connection between running wheels and drive wheels of a driven vehicle] One drive wheel 12 of the driven vehicle 10 and the two running wheels 13a, 13b are interlocked so that they can be forced to change direction. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9, the central portions in the lateral width direction of the two mounting jigs 16 are connected by a coupler 18, one end of a jack (for example, a hydraulic cylinder) 19 is connected to the mounting jig 16 of one running wheel 13a, and the other end of the hydraulic cylinder 19 is connected and fixed to the drive vehicle body 11. Also, one end of a tension rod 31 with a ball joint is connected to the mounting jig 16 of the other running wheel 13b, and the other end is connected to the mounting jig 14 of the drive wheel 12.

[0034] [Change of direction of drive wheels and running wheels of a driven vehicle] When the drive wheel 12 and the running wheels 13a, 13b of the driven vehicle 10 are connected as shown in Fig. 9, when the mounting jig 16 on the side of the running wheel 13a is pushed or pulled by the hydraulic cylinder 19 to change the direction, the direction of the mounting jig 16 on the side of the running wheel 13b changes in the same direction in conjunction with this, and the directions of both running wheels 13a, 13b become the same. When the direction of the mounting jig 16 on the side of the running wheel 13b changes, the direction of the mounting jig 14 on the side of the drive wheel 12 also changes in the same direction via the tension rod 31. In this case, as shown in Fig. 5(b), when the drive wheel 12 is grounded and the two running wheels 13a, 13b are lifted from the ground E, it becomes easier to change the directions of both running wheels 13a, 13b.

[0035] [Following vehicle] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a), the following vehicle 20 is provided with support wheels 22a and 22b and driving wheels 23a and 23b. Both support wheels 22a and 22b are iron wheels or resin wheels and have the same diameter. Both driving wheels 23a and 23b are rubber wheels, have the same diameter, and have a larger diameter than support wheels 22a and 22b.

[0036] [Support wheels of the following vehicle] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the support wheels 22a and 22b of the following vehicle 20 are arranged in two side by side between the opposing walls 24a and 24b of the downward-facing U-shaped mounting jig 24 in a front view and are rotatably mounted on the axle 25. Further, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the support wheels 22a and 22b are attached to the lower end of the rod (movable shaft) 28b of the hydraulic cylinder 28, and the movable shaft 28b is connected to the cylinder (fixed shaft) 28a of the hydraulic cylinder 28 so as to be able to move up and down. By attaching this fixed shaft 28a under the following vehicle body 21 as shown in FIG. 4(a), the support wheels 22a and 22b are rotatably attached to the following vehicle body 21. The support wheels 22a and 22b are attached to the central portion in the lateral width direction of the following vehicle body 21 as shown in FIG. 2(a). The support wheels 22a and 22b can also be made into one with a wider width. Further, they can also be made into rubber wheels.

[0037] [Driving wheels of the following vehicle] Each of the two driving wheels 23a and 23b of the following vehicle 20 is rotatably mounted on the axle 27 between the opposing walls 26a and 26b of the downward-facing U-shaped mounting jig 26 in a front view as shown in FIG. 4(a), and by attaching this mounting jig 26 under the following vehicle body 21 as shown in FIG. 4(a), the two driving wheels 23a and 23b are attached under the following vehicle body 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the two driving wheels 23a and 23b are attached in parallel behind the following vehicle body 21 (the left side in FIG. 2(a)) with respect to the support wheels 22a and 22b.

[0038] [Lifting and movement of the driving wheels of the following vehicle] As shown in Fig. 6(a), when the support wheels 22a and 22b of the driven vehicle 20 rise (float from the ground) and the driving wheels 23a and 23b are both in contact with the ground, and the movable shaft 28b is extended (lowered) as shown in Fig. 6(b), the driven vehicle body 21 is pushed up and the two driving wheels 23a and 23b lift off the ground E. Conversely, when the two driving wheels 23a and 23b are lifted off the ground E as shown in Fig. 6(b) and the movable shaft 28b is contracted (raised) as shown in Fig. 6(a), the driven vehicle body 21 descends so that the two driving wheels 23a and 23b are in contact with the ground. When the driving vehicle 10 (Fig. 1) moves forward and backward with the driving wheels 23a and 23b installed as shown in Fig. 6(a) and the support wheels 22a and 22b floating, the gantry 30 moves in the same direction, and accordingly, the two driving wheels 23a and 23b of the driven vehicle 20 rotate, and the driven vehicle 20 moves in the same direction as the driving vehicle 10.

[0039] [Connection of Two Driving Wheels of Driven Vehicle] The two driving wheels 23a and 23b of the driven vehicle 20 are configured to be forced to change their directions to the same direction. Therefore, the central portions in the lateral width direction of the two mounting jigs 26 (Fig. 4(a)) are connected by a connecting tool 29 as shown in Fig. 10, one end of a jack (for example, a hydraulic cylinder) 32 is connected to one mounting jig 26, and the other end of the hydraulic cylinder 32 is fixedly connected to the driven vehicle body 21.

[0040] [Change of Direction of Driving Wheels of Driven Vehicle] By connecting the two driving wheels 23a and 23b of the driven vehicle 20 as shown in Fig. 10, when one mounting jig 26 is pushed or pulled by the hydraulic cylinder 32 to change the direction, the direction of one driving wheel 23a changes, and in conjunction therewith, the direction of the other mounting jig 26 changes in the same direction, and the direction of the other driving wheel 23b changes in the same direction. In this case, by grounding the support wheels 22a and 22b as shown in Fig. 6(b) and floating the two driving wheels 23a and 23b from the ground, it becomes easier to change the direction of the mounting jig 26 and easier to change the direction of the driving wheels 23a and 23b.

[0041] [Gantry] The gantry 30 is formed by combining and welding steel materials, and is elongated in the front-rear direction as shown in Fig. 1. One end 30a in the longitudinal direction of the gantry 30 (the right end in Fig. 1) is connected to the driving vehicle body 11 of the driving vehicle 10, and the other end 30b in the longitudinal direction (the left end in Fig. 1) is connected to the driven vehicle body 21 of the driven vehicle 20 by connecting tools such as bolts and nuts. Since the driving vehicle body 11 and the driven vehicle body 21 are above the running wheels 13a, 13b, 23a, 23b (Figs. 1 and 2(a)) with a height (diameter) that does not get submerged, the gantry 30 connected to both vehicle bodies 11 and 21 is at a height where it does not get submerged in the water in the tunnel. The gantry 30 can be adjusted in length by adding or removing a plurality of them.

[0042] [Pipe support] As shown in Fig. 1, the pipe support 40 is provided with contact portions 42 at the upper parts of two support rods 41 that are raised at intervals in the front-rear direction of the gantry 30. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 11(a) to (c), a lower base 43 is attached to the gantry 30, and an upper base 44 is attached to the lower base 43 by an attachment shaft 45 so that the upper base 44 can tilt in the left-right direction (the width direction of the gantry 30) in Figs. 11(a) to (c) with the attachment shaft 45 as the rotation axis. The support rods 41 are raised upward from the central part in the width direction of the upper base 44.

[0043] The support rods 41 are provided with hose connection ports 46a, 46b (Figs. 11(a) to (c)), to which hoses of a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) are connected. By operating the hydraulic cylinder, the support rods 41 are made to move up and down.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c), a connecting rod 47 is erected upward from the upper base 44 in parallel with the support rod 41. The lower part of the connecting rod 47 is connected to the lower part of the support rod 41 by a horizontally disposed lower arm 48a, and the upper part of the connecting rod 47 is connected to the upper part of the support rod 41 by a horizontally disposed upper arm 48b, thereby supporting the support rod 41 from its side. Further, the upper end of a rod 49a of a lifting device (for example, a hydraulic cylinder) 49 erected from the left side in the lateral width direction of the lower base 43 is connected to a lateral arm 44a of the upper base 44. With this configuration, when the rod 49a of the hydraulic cylinder 49 in FIG. 11(a) is lowered, the upper base 44 rotates to the left as shown in FIG. 11(b), and the support rod 41 and the connecting rod 47 incline downward to the left, and the contact portion 42 provided on the support rod 41 also inclines downward to the left. Conversely, when the rod 49a of the hydraulic cylinder 49 is pushed upward, the upper base 44 rotates to the right as shown in FIG. 11(c), and the support rod 41 and the connecting rod 47 incline downward to the right, and the contact portion 42 provided on the support rod 41 also inclines downward to the right.

[0045] The contact portion 42 is horizontally long in the lateral width direction of the gantry 30, and the central portion in the horizontal length direction of the upper surface (arc-shaped protruding surface) 42a is convexly curved upward. Hydraulic hoses (not shown) are connected to the hose connection ports 46a and 46b (in FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c)) of the support rod 41 to connect a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). When the support rod 41 is lifted by operating the hydraulic cylinder, the upper surface 42a of the contact portion 42 abuts against the inner peripheral surface n (in FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c)) of the new pipe N from the inside and makes surface contact, so that the new pipe N can be supported from below.

[0046] [Chair] A chair 60a is provided at the end of the driving vehicle 10 (the right end in FIG. 1), and a chair 60b is provided at the end of the driven vehicle 20 (the left end in FIG. 1). An operator (driver) can sit on these chairs 60a and 60b.

[0047] [Electrical equipment] The drive vehicle 10 is equipped with electric devices such as a drive body (motor) M, a battery A, and an inverter I (Fig. 2(b)). It is also equipped with a control panel for controlling these electric devices and an electric switch for operating the electric devices. General-purpose ones can be used for these electric devices and switches, etc., and they can be provided at any location such as the drive vehicle 10, the driven vehicle 20, and the gantry 30, but it is better to provide them at a location that is easy for the operators sitting on the chairs 60a and 60b to operate.

[0048] [Drive body (motor)] The motor M is mounted on a motor mounting portion 70 (Fig. 1) provided on the drive body 11 of the drive vehicle 10. The motor M is connected to the drive wheels 12 of the drive vehicle 10 by a belt B, and is supplied with power from a battery mounted on a battery mounting portion 50 provided on the gantry 30, and rotates forward and backward. Along with its forward and backward rotation, the drive wheels 12 rotate forward and backward. When the motor M rotates forward, the drive wheels 12 and the traveling wheels 13a and 13b rotate forward, and the drive vehicle 10 moves forward, and the gantry 30 and the driven vehicle 20 move forward. When the motor M rotates backward, the drive wheels 12 and the traveling wheels 13a and 13b rotate backward, and the drive vehicle 10 moves backward, and the gantry 30 and the driven vehicle 20 move backward.

[0049] [Battery] As shown in Fig. 2(b), the battery A is mounted on the drive body 11 of the drive vehicle 10. The drive body 11 is above the drive wheels 12 and the traveling wheels 13a and 13b, and is set at a height where it does not get flooded by the water in the tunnel, so the battery A is also at a height where it does not get flooded.

[0050] [Battery mounting portion] The battery mounting portion 50 is a place for mounting spare batteries. It is provided under the gantry 30, and the mounted batteries are set at a height where they do not get flooded by the water in the tunnel. It has a width that can accommodate a large number of batteries, for example, about 10 to 20 batteries, and is open in the lateral direction (side) of the gantry 30 so that the batteries can be taken in and out one by one from the opening. The spare batteries mounted on the battery mounting portion 50 can be exchanged with the battery A mounted on the drive body 11 of the drive vehicle 10.

[0051] [Inverter] The inverter I (Fig. 2) is for converting the power supply of the battery A mounted on the driving vehicle body 11 into the power supply (voltage, frequency, etc.) required for driving the motor M and other electrical equipment. It is desirable to install the inverter I near the battery for easy wiring.

[0052] [Hydraulic equipment] The pipe carrier 1 of the present invention is also equipped with a hydraulic cylinder, a hydraulic pump, an electric motor, a hydraulic controller, etc. required for lifting and lowering the wheels, changing the direction of the wheels, and other operations. These hydraulic equipment are mounted on the vehicles 10 and 20 as a hydraulic unit 71 (Fig. 2(b)). Also, a hydraulic switch for operating the hydraulic equipment is provided. General-purpose products can be used for these hydraulic equipment, and the hydraulic circuit is configured to operate in the same way as a general-purpose hydraulic system.

[0053] The hydraulic equipment is also mounted at a high position so as not to be flooded, for example, on the upper part of the driving vehicle 10, the trailing vehicle 20, or the gantry 30. The hydraulic switches are arranged near the respective chairs 60a and 60b so that the operators sitting on the chairs 60a and 60b can easily operate them. The operation bar 62a (Fig. 1) of the hydraulic cylinder 62 protrudes outside the driving vehicle 10, the trailing vehicle 20, the gantry 30, etc. so that it can be manually operated from the outside.

[0054] (Carrying in of newly installed pipe 1) The pipe transporter 1 of the present invention can carry the new pipe N into the tunnel T or into the existing pipe O in the tunnel T. However, the following description is for the case of carrying it into the existing pipe O in the tunnel T. In this case, either the driving vehicle 10 or the trailing vehicle 20 can be moved forward in the moving direction. However, the following description is for the case where the trailing vehicle 20 moves forward and the driving vehicle 10 moves backward. In either case, the operator can sit face to face on each of the two chairs 60a and 60b and drive. When driving face to face, while each operator confirms that there is a gap between the new pipe N and the existing pipe O (the new pipe and the existing pipe do not contact each other), the operator can operate the driving vehicle 10 or the trailing vehicle 20 to carry the new pipe N into the existing pipe O.

[0055] [Entry of the pipe transporter into the new pipe, support of the new pipe] (1) Move the driving vehicle 10 forward to enter the gantry 30 and the trailing vehicle 20 into the new pipe N outside the tunnel T. At this time, as shown in Fig. 6(b), even if the support wheels 22a and 22b of the leading trailing vehicle 20 are in contact with the ground, if the entrance side end of the new pipe N can be overcome, the support wheels 22a and 22b may remain as they are. However, when it is difficult to overcome, it becomes easier to overcome by lifting the support wheels 22a and 22b above the ground as shown in Fig. 6(a). (2) Even after the trailing vehicle 20 and the gantry 30 enter the new pipe N, still move the driving vehicle 10 forward, send the trailing vehicle 20 outside (ahead) of the new pipe N, store the gantry 30 inside the new pipe N, and stop the driving vehicle 10 before entering the new pipe N. (3) In the stopped state of (2) above, operate a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) to extend the support rod 41 of the pipe support 40 (Figs. 11(a) to (c)), and press the upper surface of the contact portion 42 of the pipe support 40 against the inner peripheral surface n of the new pipe N. Even after pressing, still raise the pipe support 40 to push up (support) the new pipe N.

[0056] [Carrying into the existing pipe] (4) After supporting the new pipe N with the pipe support 40 as in (3) above, move the driving vehicle 10 forward to push the trailing vehicle 20 and the gantry 30 into the tunnel T (Fig. 12(a)). (5) Even if the leading trailing vehicle 20 moves to in front of the existing pipe O in the tunnel T, the driving vehicle 10 is moved forward, and as shown in Fig. 12(a), the trailing vehicle 20 and the gantry 30 are moved into the existing pipe O, and the new pipe N supported by the pipe support 40 of the gantry 30 is carried into the existing pipe O. In this state, the operator operates the hydraulic switch to activate the hydraulic cylinder for lifting and lowering to lower the pipe support 40 and lower the new pipe N into the existing pipe O. (6) After lowering the new pipe N into the tunnel T, the driving vehicle 10 is reversed to take the trailing vehicle 20 and the gantry 30 out of (return them from) the entrance of the new pipe N.

[0057] (Carrying-in of new pipe 2: Carrying-in and passing through the existing pipe) When there are two or more existing pipes O in the longitudinal direction in the tunnel T, the new pipe N is carried into the front existing pipe O as in the above-mentioned carrying-in 1 of the new pipe. After the carrying-in, the forward movement of the driving vehicle 10 is continued to pass through the existing pipe O, carried into the target existing pipe O, and lowered into the existing pipe O.

[0058] (Carrying-in of new pipe 3: Prevention of contact between the new pipe and the existing pipe) The above-mentioned carryings-in 1 and 2 of the new pipe are the cases when the new pipe N is carried into the existing pipe O with both the support wheels 22a, 22b and the traveling wheels 23a, 23b of the leading trailing vehicle 20 in contact with the ground. When the support wheels 22a, 22b cross over the entrance of the existing pipe O, even if the tip side of the gantry 30 faces upward, it is the case where the tip of the new pipe N does not contact the inner peripheral surface of the existing pipe O, but in some cases, it may contact. In this case, in front of the existing pipe O, the hydraulic switch for lifting and lowering is operated, and as shown in Fig. 6(a), the support wheels 22a, 22b are lifted from the ground E, and only the traveling wheels 23a, 23b are in contact with the ground to turn the tip side of the gantry 30 downward so that the tip of the new pipe N does not contact the inner peripheral surface of the existing pipe O.

[0059] (Carrying-in of new pipe 4: Movement at the sharp curve of the tunnel) The tunnel T (Fig. 13) has sharp curve sections, and there are cases where the pipe transporter 1 cannot complete a turn at the sharp curve section. In this case, in the state of Fig. 13, the drive wheels 12, running wheels 13a, 13b of the driving vehicle 10 and the running wheels 23a, 23b of the trailing vehicle 20 are switched from the directions indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 13 to the directions (inward) indicated by the phantom lines in Fig. 13, so that the pipe transporter 1 can make a small turn inward and move forward as shown in Fig. 14. Depending on the situation of the pipe transporter 1 moving in the tunnel T, the drive wheels 12, running wheels 13a, 13b of the driving vehicle 10 and the running wheels 23a, 23b of the trailing vehicle 20 can also be switched from the directions indicated by the phantom lines (opposite to Fig. 13) to the directions indicated by the solid lines (outward rotation), so that the pipe transporter 1 can make a large turn outward.

[0060] (New pipe installation 5: Inclination correction of new pipes) The pipe transporter 1 usually travels in the central part in the width direction inside the tunnel T. However, since the bottom surface inside the tunnel is arc-shaped from the central part in the width direction toward the outside, even when traveling in the central part in the width direction, it is likely to shift outward. Along with this displacement, the new pipe N supported by the pipe support 40 of the pipe transporter 1 may be displaced and inclined to the left or right in the width direction of the tunnel T as shown in Fig. 11(b) or (c). When the inclination becomes large, the new pipe N may contact the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel T. In the pipe transporter 1 of the present invention, the pipe support 40 can be returned to the central side in the width direction of the tunnel T as shown in Fig. 11(a), and the new pipe N can be returned to the position before displacement (correcting the displacement), thereby avoiding contact of the new pipe N with the inner peripheral surface of the tunnel T.

[0061] (New pipe installation 6: Continuous installation) After lowering the new pipe N carried into the existing pipe O to the existing pipe O and then retreating the driving vehicle 10 and returning the trailing vehicle 20 and the gantry 30 to the outside from the entrance of the new pipe N, the next new pipe N can be carried into the existing pipe O in the same manner as in the cases of the above new pipe installations 1 to 5. By repeating this, the new pipes N can be sequentially carried into the tunnel.

Industrial applicability

[0062] The pipe transporter 1 of the present invention is not limited to the structure, shape, and usage of the above-described embodiment, and design changes, usage changes, etc. are possible within the range that can solve the problems of the present invention. For example, the number, material, shape, arrangement of the drive wheels, running wheels, and support wheels, and changes in the operation and procedure of supporting and lowering the steel pipes are possible. Further, it can be used not only for carrying new pipes into the tunnel T or existing pipes but also for moving and transporting steel pipes to other places.

Explanation of Signs

[0063] 1 Pipe transporter 10 Vehicle (motor vehicle) 11 Motor vehicle body 12 Drive wheels (of the motor vehicle) 12a Cylinder (fixed shaft) of the hydraulic cylinder 12b Rod (movable shaft) of the hydraulic cylinder 13a, 13b Running wheels (of the motor vehicle) 14 Mounting jig (for the drive wheels) 14a, 14b Opposing walls (of the mounting jig for the drive wheels) 15 Axle (of the drive wheels) 16 Mounting jig (for the running wheels) 16a, 16b Opposing walls (of the mounting jig for the running wheels) 17 Axle (of the running wheels) 18 Connecting tool 19 Hydraulic cylinder 20 Vehicle (trailer) 21 Trailer body 22a, 22b Support wheels 23a, 23b Running wheels (of the trailer) 24 Mounting jig (for the support wheels) 24a, 24b Opposing walls (of the mounting jig for the support wheels) 25 Axle (of the support wheels) 26 Mounting jig (for the running wheels) 26a, 26b Opposing walls (of the mounting jig for the running wheels) 27 Axle (of the running wheels) 28 Hydraulic cylinder 28a Cylinder (fixed shaft) of the hydraulic cylinder 28b Rod (movable shaft) of the hydraulic cylinder 29 Coupling 30 Stand 30a One longitudinal end of the stand 30b The other longitudinal end of the stand 31 Tension rod 32 Hydraulic cylinder 40 Pipe support 41 Support rod 42 Contact part 42a Upper surface of the contact part 43 Lower base 44 Upper base 44a Lateral arm of the upper base 45 Mounting shaft 46a, 46b Hose connection port 47 Connecting rod 48a Lower arm 48b Upper arm 49 Hydraulic cylinder 49a Rod of the hydraulic cylinder 50 Battery mounting part 60a Chair on the driving vehicle side 60b Chair on the driven vehicle side 62 Hydraulic cylinder 62a Operating bar 70 Motor mounting part 71 Hydraulic unit A Battery B Belt C Cover E Ground I Inverter M Driving body (motor) N Newly installed pipe n Inner peripheral surface of the newly installed pipe O Existing pipe T Tunnel

Claims

1. A pipe carrier comprising two vehicles, a gantry connected between the two vehicles, and a pipe support body erected from the gantry, the gantry enters into the steel pipe by the movement of at least one vehicle, and the two vehicles can put the gantry into the steel pipe and come out of the steel pipe, the pipe support body is liftable and can reciprocally tilt in the width direction of the gantry. When it rises, it can push up and support the steel pipe from the inside thereof. When it descends, it can separate from the steel pipe to release the support, and can tilt in the direction opposite to the displacement direction of the supported steel pipe to correct the displacement of the supported steel pipe. A pipe carrier characterized by the above.

2. A pipe carrier comprising two vehicles, a gantry connected between the two vehicles, and a pipe support body erected from the gantry, the gantry enters into the steel pipe by the movement of at least one vehicle, and the two vehicles can put the gantry into the steel pipe and come out of the steel pipe, the two vehicles are both self-propelled driving vehicles, or one is a self-propelled driving vehicle and the other is a driven vehicle that can travel along with the running of the driving vehicle, the driving vehicle is provided with driving wheels and running wheels, the driving wheels are liftable, can rise to lift the running wheels off the ground, and can descend to ground the running wheels, the driven vehicle is provided with support wheels and running wheels, the support wheels are liftable, can rise to lift the running wheels off the ground, and can descend to ground the running wheels. A pipe carrier characterized by the above.

3. A pipe carrier comprising two vehicles, a gantry connected between the two vehicles, and a pipe support body erected from the gantry, the gantry enters into the steel pipe by the movement of at least one vehicle, and the two vehicles can put the gantry into the steel pipe and come out of the steel pipe, the two vehicles are both self-propelled driving vehicles, or one is a self-propelled driving vehicle and the other is a driven vehicle that can travel along with the running of the driving vehicle, the driving vehicle is provided with driving wheels and running wheels, the driving wheels are liftable, can rise to lift the running wheels off the ground, and can descend to ground the running wheels. The driving wheels and the running wheels can be interlocked to change the direction in the same direction, the driven vehicle is provided with support wheels and running wheels, the support wheels are liftable, can rise to lift the running wheels off the ground, and can descend to ground the running wheels. Two or more running wheels can be interlocked to change the direction in the same direction. A pipe carrier characterized by the above.

4. A pipe carrier comprising two vehicles, a gantry connected between the two vehicles, and a pipe support body erected from the gantry, The gantry enters the steel pipe by the movement of at least one vehicle, and the two vehicles can put the gantry into the steel pipe and get out of the steel pipe. The pipe support can be lifted and lowered and can reciprocally tilt in the lateral direction of the gantry. When it rises, it can push up and support the steel pipe from the inside. When it descends, it can separate from the steel pipe to release the support, and it can tilt in the direction opposite to the displacement direction of the supported steel pipe to correct the displacement of the supported steel pipe. The two vehicles are both self-propelled driving vehicles, or one is a self-propelled driving vehicle and the other is a driven vehicle that can travel along with the driving of the driving vehicle. The driving vehicle is equipped with driving wheels and traveling wheels. The driving wheels can be lifted and lowered. When they rise, the traveling wheels can be lifted off the ground, and when they descend, the traveling wheels can be grounded. The driven vehicle is equipped with support wheels and traveling wheels. The support wheels can be lifted and lowered. When they rise, the traveling wheels can be lifted off the ground, and when they descend, the traveling wheels can be grounded. A pipe transporter characterized by the above.

5. The pipe transporter according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the pipe support is tilt-driven by a hydraulic cylinder. A pipe transporter characterized by the above.

6. The pipe transporter according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the liftable driving wheels of the driving vehicle and the liftable support wheels of the driven vehicle are lift-driven by hydraulic cylinders. A pipe transporter characterized by the above.

7. The pipe transporter according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the driving body of the driving wheels of the driving vehicle is a motor. A pipe transporter characterized by the above.

8. The pipe transporter according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the vehicle body of the driving vehicle and the vehicle body of the driven vehicle are at a height that does not get immersed in the water in the tunnel, the gantry is connected between the two vehicles and is at a height that does not get immersed in the water in the tunnel, and a battery mounting part is provided on this gantry. A pipe transporter characterized by the above.

Images