Apparatus and method for manufacturing a flexible material strand

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device (10) and a method for producing flexible strands of material (11), which can be produced in principle indefinitely. Even with large diameters, the strands of material (11) can be freely handled. Furthermore, production is scalable with respect to the dimensions of the strands of material (11). Furthermore, the strands of material (11) can be laid immediately after production. This means that such flexible strands of material (11) can be used very easily and cost-effectively, for example, for the construction of flood protection structures, protective walls, or targeted landscapes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a flexible material strand as described in the preamble of claim 1, and a method for manufacturing a flexible material strand as described in the preamble of claim 14.

Background Art

[0002] Flexible material strands, especially hoses filled with bulk material or liquid, are used in various ways. For example, they can be used as hose barriers to protect against high water levels, floods and erosion. Further, they can function as the foundation of dikes and dams, in which case the hose is surrounded by soil, waterproof sheets and similar building materials. This can also be used to set up protective walls or to design the landscape in a targeted way.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Instead of filled bags, which are mainly known for flood prevention, such flexible material strands have the advantage that there are fewer predetermined break points where the flood water can penetrate, since the material strand has a much greater length as opposed to relatively small bags. Further, since the material strand can be bent relatively freely with respect to its length, almost any contour can be generated using such a material strand.

[0004] In this context, it is already known from German Patent Application Publication No. 10 2004 009 662 that sand is collected in a loader bucket and filled into a hose that has been collected via a conveyor screw connected to the loader bucket. Subsequently, such a filled tube forms a material strand, which is immediately deposited in place. However, this only enables the handling of material strands having a relatively small diameter and short length. This is because with a larger diameter and associated greater weight, the output to the hose must essentially be at the ground surface; otherwise, the hose will be automatically pulled away due to its high self-weight. However, in the case of such deposits at the ground surface, the wheel loader cannot be operated as required, and in particular, a firm foundation must be present at the location of the deposit, making it impossible to construct facilities formed as required using the material strands. As a result, the length is automatically limited by the push-in hose, which cannot be provided with an arbitrary length.

[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an option for the production of flexible material strands that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material strand should be producible in a principle endless manner. In another preferred embodiment, the free handling of the material strand should be possible even when the diameter of the material strand is large. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the production should be scalable with respect to the dimensions of the material strand. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be possible to lay the material strand immediately after production.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] This object is achieved by the device according to the invention as claimed in claim 1 and the method according to the invention as claimed in claim 14. Advantageous further embodiments are shown in the following description, together with the dependent claims and the drawings.

[0007] On the part of the present inventors, it has been recognized that this object can be surprisingly simply achieved if the device has an apparatus for manufacturing a strand of flexible material, an apparatus for conveying the strand of flexible material, and an apparatus for dispensing the strand of flexible material. This is because, in some cases, the material strand can be manufactured, conveyed, dispensed, or laid in a single operation, and as a result, in particular, economic efficiency and applicability can be obtained that can be adjusted to external conditions as required.

[0008] In an advantageous further embodiment, the apparatus for conveying the strand of flexible material has means for supplying the material of the strand of material, means for joining two opposite sides of the material of the strand of material to form a tube, and means for filling the manufactured hose with material, and the means for joining can preferably be adjusted to join the two opposite sides by means of at least one seam. Thereby, the hose is particularly easy to manufacture, and in principle, in order to continuously continue the manufacture, it is always possible to continuously arrange further material of the strand of material at the end of the strand of material that has just been used, so that it can be manufactured infinitely. For this purpose, if necessary, only the filling of the material and the advancement of the hose need to be interrupted.

[0009] In an advantageous further embodiment, means for winding are provided, the means for winding stabilizing the tube filled with material by means of a winding, and the means for winding includes a KEMAFIL® machine. Thereby, the strand of material maintains a high degree of stability.

[0010] In an advantageous further embodiment, a hose rack is provided, preferably equipped with a vibrator, in particular an eccentric vibrator. Thereby, the material in the strand of material can be compacted.

[0011] In a further advantageous embodiment, the hose rack can be engaged under a first element that is attached upstream and serves to guide the hose while forming a gap. Thus, clogging of the hose in the region between the hose rack and the first element serving to guide the hose is prevented, thereby ensuring a safe hose delivery without damaging the hose. The first element serving to guide the hose can include, for example, a guide tube used within the framework of the hose manufacturing and filling process.

[0012] In a further advantageous embodiment, the hose rack can be engaged with a second element that is attached downstream and serves to guide the hose while forming a gap, or can be engaged on top of this second element attached downstream. Thereby, the hose can be reliably advanced without being damaged by clogging, and at the same time, the hose can be wound in the region between the hose rack and the second element for guiding the hose. In this connection, the gap ensures the removal of the winding. If the part of the hose rack that engages therein or on top is designed as one or more finger and / or shell elements and is designed to be particularly elastic, the hose can easily slide thereon, and the shell element can also be combined with one or more fingers, so that the separation is particularly easy and reliable. The second element serving to guide the hose can be, for example, a receiving tube for the finished material strand. If it includes a tube, the hose rack engages therein, and if it comprises an open shell or a similar element from above, the hose rack engages on top thereof.

[0013] In a further advantageous embodiment, a fill level sensor or another suitable sensor, preferably in the form of a wheel articulated on the lever, is provided, by means of which the fill level in the flexible material strand can be determined, and the device is adapted to control, in particular, the means for filling the material, the means for joining, the means for winding, and / or the means for pulling out the material strand such that a predetermined fill level is maintained, and preferably a certain tolerance range around the predetermined fill level is enabled. Thereby, optimal production with a constant quality can always be achieved.

[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment, strand guiding means are provided for transporting the material strand and having a support for the material strand, the strand guiding means preferably having means for weighting the material strand relative to the support. Thereby, the material strand is transported particularly easily within the device.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment, the means for weighting are designed to be movable relative to the support. Thereby, adjustment to variations in the material strand thickness can be made.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is possible for the means for weighting to be designed to be pressable relative to the support, and preferably there is at least one actuator designed in particular as a hydraulic or pneumatic electric motor. Thereby, particularly safe transport of the material strand within the device is effected.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment, the strand guiding means can have drive means for the material strand, the drive means preferably being designed as one or more rollers and / or one or more belts. Thereby, the transport of the material strand within the device is effected particularly easily.

[0018] In a further advantageous embodiment, the strand guiding means can be provided with means for the lateral guidance of the material strand. Thereby, the conveyance of the material strand within the device is carried out particularly safely and reliably. The means for the lateral guidance of the material strand can also preferably be designed as one or more rollers and / or one or more belts.

[0019] In a further advantageous embodiment, in the case of two successive belts, in the transition region between the belts, the belt end of the upstream belt can be arranged higher in the vertical direction than the belt start of the downstream belt, and at least one belt preferably extends rising with respect to the conveying direction. Thus, jamming of the material strand between the two belts and damage to the hose are effectively prevented. This is particularly advantageous for the drive means. In this context, "belt end" or "belt start" can in some cases mean the respective deflection points of the endless belt.

[0020] Thus, in a further advantageous embodiment, in the case of two successive belts, in the transition region between the belts, the belt end of the upstream belt can also be arranged further inward in the lateral direction than the belt start of the downstream belt, and at least one belt preferably extends inclined in the lateral direction with respect to the conveying direction. Thus, jamming of the material strand between the two belts and damage to the hose are effectively prevented. This is particularly advantageous for the means for lateral guidance. "Further inward in the lateral direction" in this context means a position closer to the average longitudinal axis of the conveyed material strand.

[0021] In a further advantageous embodiment, a roller and / or a slide plate can be arranged between the two belts. At this time, the conveyance of the material strand is managed very easily.

[0022] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is possible for two successive belts to be arranged so as to overlap. Also in this case, the conveyance of the material strands is very easily managed.

[0023] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is possible for the strand guiding means to have one or more strand guiding modules, preferably at least two strand guiding modules being of the same design. Thereby, the conveyance of the material strands within the device can be scaled particularly easily. In particular, this makes it possible to form scalable cantilevers as required for distributing the material strands.

[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is possible for the strand guiding means to be designed to be pivotable with respect to a horizontal plane and / or a vertical plane. Thereby, the material strands can be distributed particularly easily.

[0025] In a further advantageous embodiment, strand supply means and strand discharge means are provided, and a hinge is arranged between the strand supply means and the strand discharge means, thereby making it possible for the strand discharge means to be pivotably arranged with respect to the strand supply means. Thereby, the material strands can be distributed particularly easily.

[0026] In a further advantageous embodiment, conveying means for conveying the device are provided, the conveying means preferably being designed to be self-propelled and the conveying means being designed to be particularly telescopic. Thereby, the device can be conveyed particularly easily, and furthermore, the device can distribute the material strands independently over a longer distance.

[0027] In a further advantageous embodiment, a collection vessel for providing the material is provided, which is connected to the storage vessel via a conveying device. The conveying device may, for example, comprise a screw conveyor. This makes it possible to omit a separate feeding device. Instead, for example, a truck can run up to the collection vessel and release sand there. The sand is then conveyed by the conveying device to the storage vessel and is available for further use.

[0028] The method according to the invention for producing a flexible strand of material, in particular a material hose, allows for the production, transport and distribution of a flexible strand of material.

[0029] In a further advantageous embodiment it is provided that a device according to the invention is used. In particular, the invention can optionally be characterised or further improved by the following set of features:

[0030] I. Set of features for an apparatus for manufacturing flexible strands of material I.1. An apparatus for producing a flexible strand of material, in particular a material hose, comprising means for feeding the strand of material, means for joining two opposite sides of the strand of material to form a hose, and means for filling the produced hose with material, whereby the strand of material can be produced particularly easily.

[0031] I.2. The device according to feature list I.1, in which the means for joining is adapted to join two opposite sides by means of at least one seam, preferably at least two seams arranged in particular parallel, whereby the joining is particularly simple and its speed can also be easily adjusted.

[0032] I.3. There are slots that can guide both opposing sides, and the slots are preferably designed such that a hose is formed under the slots and two opposing sides are both guided above the slots. The means for joining are adjusted, in particular, to perforate a seam in a horizontal plane, for the device described in feature list I.1 or I.2. Thereby, the joining is carried out particularly safely and reliably.

[0033] I.4. The slots are designed such that opposing sides connected to the seam are both bent in one direction, for the device described in feature list I.3. Thereby, the material strands are particularly durable.

[0034] I.5. There are means for winding to stabilize a tube filled with material by a winding, for the device described in one of feature lists I.1 to I.4. Thereby, the produced material strands are particularly stable.

[0035] I.6. The means for winding includes a KEMAFIL® machine and there are at least three stitch-forming parts to which braided materials are each supplied. The stitch-forming parts are always arranged such that one stitch-forming part is placed in front of an adjacent stitch-forming part, and the adjacent stitch-forming part is adjusted to perform a movement to take over the knitting material of the stitch-forming part placed in front of it. Preferably, there are at least four stitch-forming parts, and the stitch-forming parts are particularly designed as hook grippers, for the device described in feature list I.5. Thereby, it becomes particularly easy to generate a winding without sacrificing the flexibility of the material strands. The Kemafil® machine is described, for example, in East German Patent Application Publication No. 110 905, German Patent No. 37 05 573, International Publication Pamphlet No. 00 / 34561 and German Patent Application Publication No. 102 59 845, and the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.

[0036] I.7. There are a guide tube and a hose receptacle, preferably a hose receiving tube, i) The means for stabilization are designed to stabilize the hose filled with material in front of the hose receptacle and / or ii) The hose receiving tube is connected to a removal unit for flexible material strands, the device according to one of features I.1 to I.6. Thereby, further processing of the material strands (in particular, their conveyance and their distribution within the device) is made particularly easy.

[0037] I.8. The hose rack is arranged between the guide tube and the hose receptacle, there is a gap between the guide tube and the hose rack and / or between the hose rack and the hose receptacle, and the hose rack is preferably provided with a vibrator, in particular an eccentric vibrator, the device according to feature list I.7. Thereby, the material can be compacted or compressed, particularly easily in some cases, in order to enable an optimal and consistent material strand quality.

[0038] I.9. The hose rack engages, in some cases, into the hose receptacle while forming a gap or engages onto the hose receptacle, the device according to feature list I.8. Thereby, the hose can be reliably advanced without being damaged by clogging, and at the same time, winding can be performed in the region between the hose rack and the hose receptacle. In this context, the gap ensures the removal of the winding. If the part of the hose rack that engages in or onto it in some cases is designed as one or more fingers and / or shell elements and is designed to be particularly elastic, the hose can easily slide over it, and since the shell elements can also be combined with the fingers, the separation is particularly easy and reliable. If the hose receptacle contains a tube and the engagement of the hose holder takes place therein and it comprises an open shell or a similar element from above, the hose holder engages onto it.

[0039] I.10. The device according to feature list I.8 or I.9, wherein the hose rack engages under the guide tube while forming a gap. Thus, clogging of the hose in the region between the hose rack and the guide tube is prevented, thereby ensuring safe hose delivery without damaging the hose.

[0040] I.11. The device according to one of feature lists I.8 to I.10, wherein a forming shoulder (in particular as a pulling shoulder) for deflecting the material strand material to form the tube is present in front of the guide tube, and the slots according to feature list I.2 are preferably arranged within the guide tube. Thereby, the hose can be manufactured particularly easily and the device remains very compact. The mode of operation of the forming shoulder (in particular the pulling shoulder) is described, for example, in European Patent Application Publication No. 0 729 886, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference.

[0041] I.12. A filling level sensor in the form of a wheel preferably articulated on a lever or another suitable sensor is provided, by means of which the filling level in the flexible material strand can be determined, and the device is adjusted in particular to control means for filling the material, means for joining, means for winding, and / or means for pulling apart the material strand so that a predetermined filling level is maintained, preferably allowing a certain tolerance range around the predetermined filling level. The device according to one of feature lists I.1 to I.11. Thereby, consistent material strand quality is made possible.

[0042] I.13. The means for filling has one or more screws for conveying and preferably compacting the material, in particular there is an outlet tube protruding into the guide tube according to feature list I.7, and preferably there is an annular gap between the guide tube and the outlet tube. The device according to one of feature lists I.1 to I.12. Thereby, the filling of the material is carried out particularly easily while allowing a certain flow of the material.

[0043] I.14. There is a container for the material connected to the means for filling, preferably there is a second container for storing the material, the second container being connected to conveying means for conveying the material from the first container to the second container, in particular a conveyor belt or a screw conveyor, the second container being preferably arranged vertically below the first container, the device according to one of the feature lists I.1 to I.13. Thereby, filling can be carried out not only by an excavator or a crane but also by a truck in operation, and no separate supply device is required.

[0044] I.15. A method for manufacturing a flexible material strand, in particular a material hose, in which a material strand material is supplied, two opposing sides of the material strand material are joined to form a hose, and the manufactured hose is filled with material.

[0045] I.16. The method according to feature list I.15, in which the device according to one of feature lists I.1 to I.14 is used.

[0046] I.17. At least one of the parameters of the filling amount, the joining speed of the opposing sides, the winding speed and the pulling speed is controlled according to the filling level of the flexible material strand such that a predetermined filling level is preferably maintained within an allowable range of the predetermined filling level, the method according to feature list I.15 or I.16. Thereby, a consistent quality of the material strand is made possible.

[0047] I.18. A flexible material strand having a material strand winding and the material received therein, the material strand winding being formed of a tube and having a material strand material joined at two opposing ends.

[0048] I.19. The flexible material strand described in Feature List I.18 is surrounded by a winding formed as a stitch structure, preferably formed by a row of stitches extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the material strand and a bar extending helically around the material strand.

[0049] I.20. The flexible material strand described in Feature List I.18 or I.19, wherein the device described in one of Feature Lists I.1 to I.14 and / or the method described in one of Feature Lists I.15 to I.17 have been used in its manufacture.

[0050] II. Set of features of a device for transporting a flexible material strand II.1. A device for transporting a flexible material strand, in particular a material hose, comprising strand guiding means for transporting the material strand and having a support for the material strand, the strand guiding means having drive means for the material strand. Thereby, the transport is not only effected by the weight of the material strand itself, so that the transport speed can be adjusted to a target value.

[0051] II.2. The device according to Feature List II.1, wherein the strand guiding means have means for weighting the material strand with respect to the support. Thereby, the material strand can always be transported safely and reliably and can be handled freely. In doing so, the weighting in combination with the support causes braking of the material strand, so that even inclined transport is possible.

[0052] II.3. The device according to Feature List II.2, wherein the means for weighting are designed to be movable with respect to the support. Thereby, flexible adjustment to the cross-section of the material strand currently being transported can be made so that optimal transport is always ensured. This cross-section can always change at least slightly due to manufacture and transport.

[0053] II.4. The means for applying pressure can be designed to be pressable against the support, preferably with at least one actuator designed as an electric motor, especially a hydraulic or pneumatic one, existing in the device described in Feature List II.2 or II.3. In this way, an optimal contact pressure against the support can be set for each conveying situation, thereby always ensuring optimal conveyance.

[0054] II.5. The device described in one of Feature Lists II.1 to II.4, wherein the strand guiding means has means for lateral guiding of the material strand. Thereby, optimal conveyance is always ensured.

[0055] II.6. The device described in Feature List II.4 or II.5, wherein the drive means and / or the means for lateral guiding is designed as one or more rollers and / or one or more belts. Thereby, the conveyance is particularly easy to perform.

[0056] II.7. In the case of two consecutive belts, in the transition region between the belts, the belt end of the upstream belt can be arranged higher in the vertical direction than the belt start of the downstream belt, and at least one belt preferably extends so as to rise with respect to its conveying direction, in the device described in Feature List II.6. Thus, jamming of the material strand and hose damage between the two belts are effectively prevented. In this context, "belt end" and "belt start" each mean, in some cases, the respective deflection points of the endless belt.

[0057] II.8. In the case of two consecutive belts, in the transition region between the belts, it is possible for the belt end of the upstream belt to be arranged further inward in the lateral direction than the start end of the downstream belt, and at least one belt preferably extends inclined in a direction transverse to its conveying direction, the device according to feature list II.6 or II.7. Thus, jamming of the material strand between the two belts and damage to the hose are effectively prevented. "Further inward in the lateral direction" in this context means a position closer to the average longitudinal axis of the conveyed material strand.

[0058] II.9. The drive means is at least partially designed as a support for the material strand that supports the material strand, and the support is preferably adjusted to support the material strand in a horizontal plane, the device according to one of feature lists II.4 to II.8.

[0059] II.10. The drive means is at least partially designed as means for weighting, the device according to one of feature lists II.4 to II.9. Thus, the conveyance is particularly economical while at the same time avoiding the influence of shear forces on the cross-section of the material strand, so that it remains stable.

[0060] II.11. The strand guiding means has a strand supply means and a strand discharge means, and the strand supply means is preferably designed to be pivotable relative to the strand discharge means, the device according to one of feature lists II.1 to II.10. Thereby, the material strand can be conveyed regardless of its orientation during its production. Such pivotability can be in the vertical direction and / or the horizontal direction.

[0061] II.12. The strand discharge means is preferably designed as a cantilever having one or more modules, the device according to feature list II.11. Thereby, a large conveying distance can be provided and the conveying distance can be adjusted as required.

[0062] II.13. The apparatus according to one of the feature lists II.1 to II.12, wherein the strand supply means has a separating means designed to separate the material strand from the means for manufacturing the material strand. Thereby, continuous separation at a predetermined separation speed or a separation speed that can be changed as required with respect to the manufacturing means can be ensured.

[0063] II.14. A method for conveying a flexible material strand, in particular a hose, comprising conveying the material strand and comprising strand guiding means having a support for the material strand, the strand guiding means having drive means for the material strand.

[0064] II.15. The method according to feature list I.14, characterized in that the apparatus according to one of the feature lists II.1 to I.12 is used.

[0065] III. Set of features of an apparatus for distributing a flexible material strand within the framework of a hinge III.1. An apparatus for distributing a flexible material strand, in particular a material hose, comprising a strand supply means and a strand discharge means, with a hinge arranged between the strand supply means and the strand discharge means, thereby enabling the strand discharge means to be pivotably arranged relative to the strand supply means. Thereby, the material strand can be distributed particularly easily.

[0066] III.2. The apparatus according to feature list III.1, wherein the hinge has a vertically extending axis such that the strand discharge means is designed to pivot in a horizontal plane about the strand supply means. Thereby, particularly flexible and adjustable distribution with respect to external conditions is possible.

[0067] III.3. The hinge has a support for the material strand, which is preferably adjusted to support the material strand relative to the supply means in a horizontal plane, and the support is designed in particular as drive means for the material strand, the device according to feature list III.1 or III.2. Thereby, even a material strand having a high self-weight can be handled.

[0068] III.4. The device according to one of feature lists III.1 to III.3, in which means for the lateral guidance of the material strand are arranged on the hinge. Thereby, the conveyance of the material strand in the device becomes particularly safe and reliable.

[0069] III.5. The device according to feature list III.3 or III.4, in which means for centering the material strand are arranged on the hinge. Thereby, the conveyance of the material strand in the device becomes particularly safe and reliable.

[0070] III.6. The device according to one of feature lists III.1 to III.5, in which a counterweight for the discharge means is arranged on the hinge, and the counterweight is preferably arranged above the hinge. Thereby, the device does not require a large base to achieve a large swing radius.

[0071] III.7. The device according to one of feature lists III.1 to III.6, in which the discharge means are designed to be pivotable in the vertical direction. Thereby, in particular, a flexible and adjustable distribution of the material strand with respect to external conditions is possible.

[0072] III.8. The device according to one of feature lists III.1 to III.7, in which the horizontal pivotability is realized by a pivot axis arranged at the vertical center within the hinge, and / or the vertical pivotability is realized by an axis intersecting the axis of the hinge. Thereby, particularly easy pivoting becomes possible.

[0073] III.9. The device according to one of features III.1 to III.8, having a hinge module with a frame having means for rotating the hinge module on two opposite sides. Thus, even a material strand with a high self-weight can be handled.

[0074] III.10. The device according to one of features III.1 to III.9, wherein there are means for adjusting the swivel, preferably arranged on a counterweight. Thereby, the distribution can be made particularly flexible and adjustable to external conditions.

[0075] III.11. The device according to III.10, wherein the means for adjusting the swivel are preferably designed as a hydraulic element, for example a hydraulic cylinder, and / or have at least one telescopic element driven by a motor. Thereby, the adjustment of the swivel becomes very easy and reliable even under high loads.

[0076] III.12. The device according to one of features III.1 to III.11, wherein the strand discharging means have one or more strand guide modules. Thereby, a particularly flexible and externally adjustable distribution is possible.

[0077] IV. Set of features of a device for distributing a flexible material strand within the framework of a strand guide module IV.1. A device for distributing a flexible material strand, in particular a material hose, having strand guiding means, wherein the strand guiding means have one or more strand guide modules.

[0078] IV.2. The device according to IV.1, wherein at least two strand guide modules have the same design.

[0079] IV.3. At least one strand guide module has driving means for the material strand, and the driving means is preferably designed as one or more rollers and / or one or more belts, the device described in feature list IV.1 or IV.2.

[0080] IV.4. In the case of two consecutive belts, in the transition region between the belts, the belt end of the upstream belt can be arranged higher in the vertical direction than the beginning of the downstream belt, and at least one belt preferably extends so as to rise with respect to its conveying direction, the device described in feature list IV.4. Thus, jamming of the material strand and damage to the hose between the two belts are effectively prevented. In this context, "belt end" and "beginning of the belt" each mean, in some cases, the respective deflection points of the endless belt.

[0081] IV.5. A roller and / or a slide plate is arranged between the two belts, the device described in feature list IV.4 or IV.5. At this time, the conveyance of the material strand is very easily managed.

[0082] IV.6. Two consecutive belts are arranged so as to overlap, the device described in one of feature lists IV.4 to IV.6. Also at this time, the conveyance of the material strand is very easily managed.

[0083] IV.7. The strand guiding means is designed to be rotatable with respect to the horizontal plane, the device described in one of feature lists IV.1 to IV.6.

[0084] IV.8. The strand guiding means is designed to be rotatable with respect to the vertical plane, the device described in one of feature lists IV.1 to IV.7.

[0085] IV.9. The strand guiding means is arranged on a hinge connecting the strand guiding means to the strand supply means, the device described in one of feature lists IV.1 to IV.8.

[0086] IV.10. The apparatus according to one of Feature Lists IV.1 to IV.9, wherein the strand guiding means has means for lateral guiding of the material strand.

[0087] IV.11. The apparatus according to Feature List IV.10, wherein the means for lateral guiding of the material strand is designed as one or more rollers and / or one or more belts.

[0088] IV.12. In the case of two consecutive belts, in the transition region between the belts, it is possible that the belt end of the upstream - arranged belt is arranged more inwardly in the lateral direction than the starting end of the downstream - arranged belt, and at least one belt preferably extends inclined in a direction transverse to its conveying direction. The apparatus according to Feature List IV.11. Thus, jamming of the material strand between the two belts and damage to the hose are effectively prevented. "More inwardly in the lateral direction" in this context means a position closer to the average longitudinal axis of the conveyed material strand.

[0089] IV.13. The apparatus according to one of Feature Lists IV.1 to IV.12, wherein the strand guiding means is designed as a cantilever.

[0090] Independent protection is claimed for Feature Lists I.1, II.1, III.1, and IV.1 respectively, that is, even if "the device has a device for manufacturing a flexible material strand, a device for conveying a flexible material strand, and a device for distributing a flexible material strand" is not present, protection is claimed for individual combinations of such features.

[0091] In this connection, the characteristics of Sets of features I, II, III, and IV can also be combined with each other.

[0092] The features and further advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments in connection with the drawings. Therefore, the following is shown purely schematically.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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[0094] FIGS. 1-4 show a device 10 according to the invention for manufacturing and dispensing a flexible material strand 11 (see FIGS. 5 and 5a).

[0095] In addition to an apparatus 12 for conveying the flexible material strand, it can be seen that the device 10 has a moving device 14 and means 16 for manufacturing the flexible material strand.

[0096] In this regard, the means 16 for manufacturing includes a storage or supply container 18 for a material, which in this example is sand (not shown), means 20 for generating a material strand winding 22 (FIGS. 5 and 5a), and means 24 for filling the material strand winding 22 with the material.

[0097] Furthermore, there is a housing 26 rotatably arranged with respect to the moving device 14. The means 20 for forming the material strand winding 22 includes a bearing 28 for winding the material 30 held in stock, a draw shoulder (forming shoulder) 32 for forming the tubularly designed material strand winding 22, and a hose forming device 34 for fixing the material strand winding 22 and stabilizing the formed material strand 11.

[0098] The device 12 for conveying according to the invention has a strand supply means 36 designed as a separating unit for means 16 for manufacturing a flexible material strand 11 and a strand discharge means 38 connected to one another via hinge means 40.

[0099] At the rear of the device 10 there is an electrical and hydraulic supply source 41 for the elements of the device 10.

[0100] The means 16 for manufacturing the flexible material strand 11, the strand supply means 36 and the hinge means 40 are arranged on the housing 26 so that they can all rotate together with respect to the vertical axis of rotation 27 relative to the moving device. Thereby, such elements 16, 36, 40 can be positionally aligned with the housing 26 in the horizontal plane if necessary (when the moving device 14 itself is also positioned on the horizontal plane).

[0101] The hinge means 40 includes a vertical axis of rotation 42 and a horizontal axis of rotation 44. Thereby, the strand discharge means 38 can pivot with respect to the longitudinal extension L of the housing 26, i.e., within an angular range of α = ±30° about the axis of rotation 42 (see FIG. 3), and with respect to the horizontal H, i.e., within an angular range of β = ±15° about the axis of rotation 44 (see FIG. 4). However, larger angular ranges, for example α, β = ±90°, can also be used in each case.

[0102] Using this device 10 according to the invention, a flexible material strand 11 can be manufactured and, if necessary, laid to form, for example, the foundation 46 of a flood protection structure as shown in FIG. 5. Thereby, such a flexible material strand 11 has a diameter of about 500 mm so that it can be used to manufacture a foundation 46 having a height of about 2010 mm, a width of about 2750 mm, and an inclination angle δ = 54.7°, which is of a size sufficient to form, for example, a dike (not shown).

[0103] The housing 26, and thus the free rotatability of the moving device 14 of the device 12 for transporting the flexible material strand 11, together with the additional free swiveling possibility of the strand discharging means 38 relative to the housing 26, enables the moving device 14 to move on a solid foundation, while the produced flexible material strand 11 can be freely handled and stacked to form the foundation 46.

[0104] However, instead of the housing 26 being freely rotatable about the axis of rotation 27, the housing 26 can be rigidly arranged relative to the moving device 14, such that the material strand distribution is effected only by the swiveling possibility of the strand discharging means 38. Such a rigid design has the advantage that the supply container 18 always remains in the same place and can be easily filled, for example, by an excavator (not shown).

[0105] In order to also enable the supply container 18 to be filled directly from a truck, in addition to the supply container 18, there may be a receiving container (not shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 29, see FIG. 30 for device 10') which is arranged very low on the device 10 so as to be easily filled directly from a truck. Then, if necessary, additional conveying means in the form of, for example, a screw conveyor or a conveyor belt are provided to transfer the material from the receiving container to the supply container 18.

[0106] The device 12 according to the invention for transporting the flexible material strand 11 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11.

[0107] The separation unit 36 located downstream of the hose forming device 34 has a frame 100, in which it can be seen that there are a lower conveyor belt 102 and an upper conveyor belt 104 arranged directly above it. The lower conveyor belt 102 forms both a support for the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed and a first driving means. The upper conveyor belt 104 also provides means for weighting the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed and a second means for driving the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed. If the manufactured material strand 11 has sufficient self-weight, such weighting by the upper conveyor belt 104 can be omitted as necessary.

[0108] The drive units (not shown) of the lower conveyor belt 102 and the upper conveyor belt 104 are each an electric motor that drives the drive rollers of the conveyor belts 102, 104. Thereby, such drive rollers and associated guide rollers for the conveyor belts 102, 104 can be displaced in distance from each other so as to be able to adjust the tension of the conveyor belts 102, 104.

[0109] Both the lower conveyor belt 102 and the upper conveyor belt 104 are stationary within the frame 100. However, in order to be able to react to the height difference of the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed, it is also possible to make the upper conveyor belt vertically displaceable at least on one side, preferably completely and in any orientation.

[0110] Furthermore, in some cases, there are means 106 in the form of a plurality of vertically oriented drums or rollers arranged opposite each other with respect to the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed for laterally guiding the conveyed flexible material strand 11.

[0111] The removal unit 36 that separates the material strand 11 produced in the means 16 for manufacturing the flexible material strand 11 from the hose forming device 34 provides a stable discharge of the produced material strand 11, and the material strand 11 is simultaneously compressed and shaped.

[0112] In FIG. 8, it can be seen that the strand discharging means 38 is designed as a cantilever having three identically designed cantilever modules 108, 108', 108''. Each such cantilever module 108 has two lower conveyor belts 110 (see FIG. 9) with an intermediate roller 112 arranged therebetween. Unlike the conveyor belt 110 which can also be driven by a drive roller 114 and a corresponding electric motor (not shown), the intermediate roller 112 is rotatably mounted. As shown in FIG. 9, the distance between the drive roller 114 associated with the conveyor belt 110 and the corresponding guide roller 116 can be changed so as to be able to adjust the tension of the conveyor belt 110.

[0113] Furthermore, an upper conveyor belt (not shown) may also be present here to push down the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed by its weight.

[0114] Additional intermediate rollers 118 are arranged between each two cantilever modules 108 as part of the strand discharging means 38. Furthermore, such intermediate rollers 118a, 118b also exist on the cantilever module 108 in the direction towards the housing 26 and on the last cantilever module 108'' in the conveying direction.

[0115] In FIGS. 10 and 11, laterally vertically aligned guide rollers 120, 122 are arranged both in the lateral direction from the conveyor belt 110 and in the lateral direction from the intermediate roller 112, whereby it can be seen that the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed is prevented from protruding from the conveyor belt 110 and the intermediate rollers 112, 118.

[0116] In FIG. 12, the device 10 according to the present invention is shown in a partially manufactured state. It can be seen that the transfer of the flexible material strand 11 from a removal unit 36 (not shown) to a cantilever 38 (not shown) is performed via three roller guides 124, 126, 128.

[0117] The first roller guide 124 is stationary on the housing 26. The second roller guide 126 is stationary on a rotation module 130 (see FIGS. 13 and 14). Also, a third roller guide 128 is stationary on a cantilever connector 132 (see FIGS. 15 and 16).

[0118] The rotation module 130 has a rotation module housing 134, and the roller guide 126, which is shown in FIG. 13 and not shown in FIG. 14 for ease of understanding, is placed on a frame 136 and has a guide plate 138 with a front circular region 140 and a rear straight edge 142, and a roller 144 that can rotate freely between them.

[0119] Furthermore, the rotation module housing 134 has an upper connector 146 and a lower connector 148 for rotatable attachment 44 within the housing 26. Furthermore, bearings 150 for the pivotal attachment 42 of the cantilever connector 132 of the rotation module 130 are present on both sides.

[0120] The cantilever connector 132 has a cantilever connector frame 152 with a pivot bearing 154 that is received within the bearing 150 to provide a pivotal attachment 42.

[0121] In FIGS. 15 and 16, it can be further seen that the third roller guide 128 is placed on a frame 156 and a freely rotatable roller 160 is disposed within a guide plate 158. In FIG. 16, the attachment 162 of such a roller 160 disposed under the guide plate 158 can be seen.

[0122] The guide plate 158 of the cantilever connector 132 has straight edges 164, 166 on both sides. Thus, in the assembled state (see FIG. 12), the front straight edge 164 of the cantilever connector 132 faces the rear straight edge 142 of the rotation module 130, and the rear straight edge 166 faces the first intermediate roller 118a of the cantilever 38 (see FIG. 8). Next, the front circular region 140 of the guide plate 138 of the rotation module 130 covers the first roller guide 124 (see FIG. 12), whereby there are closed roller guide paths 124, 126, 128, 118a for each case of possible horizontal and / or vertical pivoting of the cantilever 38 relative to the housing 26.

[0123] To prevent the possibility of clogging of the material strand 11 between the roller guides 124, 126, 128, 118a and the support surrounding them, it is also possible in some cases to completely omit the roller guides 124, 126, 128 or the intermediate roller 118a and design only the supports 138, 158 as slide plates for the material strand 11.

[0124] In FIG. 17, it can be seen that the rotation module 130 has a hydraulic cylinder 170 arranged on one side (see also FIG. 2) and a lever connector 168 on the other side connected to the housing 26. Thereby, the horizontal pivoting of the cantilever 38 about the vertical axis 42 can be controlled.

[0125] In FIG. 18, it can be seen that the rotation module 130 has four stop points 172, 174, with the lower stop point 172 arranged on the rotation module housing 134 and the upper stop point 174 arranged on the cross beam 176. Such a cross beam 176 is firmly connected to the upper connector 146 via a shaft 178.

[0126] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that there is a rod 180 connected to both the rotation module 130, i.e., the lower stop point 172, and the cantilever stop point 182 (see FIG. 8) fixed between the cantilever 38, specifically the second cantilever module 108' and the third cantilever module 108''.

[0127] The rod 180 has two sides 184, 186 each having two rod portions 188, 190, and at the transition from the first rod portion 188 to the second rod portion 190, there is an intersecting brace 192 connecting and reinforcing the two sides 184, 186.

[0128] Next, there are stop points 194 disposed oppositely on such an intersecting brace 192. In each case, two controllable hydraulic cylinders 196 are connected to the upper stop point 174 of the cross beam 176 and the stop point 194 of the rod 186, whereby the vertical pivoting of the cantilever 38 about the horizontal rotation axis 44 can be adjusted by targeted control of the hydraulic cylinders 196.

[0129] In order to be able to maintain the balance of the device 10 for each case of the horizontal pivoting of the cantilever 38 about the vertical axis 42, there is a counter - cantilever 198 on the cross beam 176 that rotates in the opposite direction to the cantilever 38, and an appropriate counter - weight 200 is arranged thereon. In many cases, when the self - weight of the device 10 on the side of the storage container 18 is sufficiently large, as shown in FIG. 1, such additional counter - cantilever 18 and counter - weight 200 can also be omitted.

[0130] FIG. 19 shows a cross - section of the hinge means 40 across the longitudinal direction L, and FIG. 20 shows a top view of the hinge means 40 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0131] It can be seen that the rotating shaft 42 is formed by two shafts 178, 202, each of which is firmly connected (by key connection) to the housing 134 of the rotation module 130 and each of which is attached to the housing 26 by spherical roller bearings 204, 206. Such bearings 204, 206 can transmit particularly high forces without wear.

[0132] By using the split shafts 178, 202, the rotation module 130 is configured as a cage that can easily convey the material strand 11 for all turning ranges.

[0133] Furthermore, the shafts 42, 44 are in one plane, whereby the hinge means 40 is particularly effective, space-saving and has little wear.

[0134] In the cantilever connector 132, in order to laterally guide the material strands 11 in the hinge means 40 and thereby center them, a guide 207 in the form of a sliding surface is provided laterally in each case, whereby a constant conveyance of the material strands 11 is ensured even in the case of larger horizontal turning. However, the guide 207 can also be formed by rollers or the like.

[0135] The moving device 14 has two chains 208, 210 (see FIG. 12) (not shown) that can be driven separately in order to enable straight running or reverse running in some cases and cornering with corresponding synchronization. Furthermore, the footprint of the underlying moving device 14 can be adjusted as required, or the chains 208, 210 have a lateral expansion and contraction ability with respect to the chassis 212 so that the footprint can be reduced for transporting the device 10 on a tractor-trailer or the like (not shown).

[0136] Figures 21 to 25 show the means 16 for manufacturing in more detail. In addition to the extraction shoulder 32, it can be seen that the means 20 for manufacturing the material strand winding 22 has a hose forming device 34 having a sewing means 220 and a stitch forming means 222. The forming shoulder (extraction shoulder) 32 has a deflecting edge 224 for the winding material 30, and the deflecting edge bounds a guide tube 226, which has a slot 228 that tapers to a narrow gap at its upper end. The guide tube 226 is spaced from the cylindrical segment-shaped rack 230 by a gap 229. A receiving tube 232 joins the rack 230 with a gap 231 therebetween.

[0137] The sewing means 220 is designed as a lockstitch machine in which the sewing direction (the moving direction of the sewing needle along the longitudinal direction of the sewing needle) is horizontal. Thereby, the sewing means 220 is preferably adjusted to arrange two seams 233 in parallel.

[0138] Through such a sewing means 220, two outer edges of the winding material 30 that are joined together in the slot 228 and arranged opposite to each other in the vertical position are sewn together, thereby forming the material strand winding 22.

[0139] The stitch forming means 222 is designed, for example, as a Kemafil® machine described in East German Patent Application Publication No. 110 905, German Patent No. 37 05 573, International Publication No. 00 / 34561 Pamphlet, and German Patent Application Publication No. 102 59 845, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0140] More specifically, the stitch forming means 222 has four hook grippers 234 (stitch forming parts), each of which is pivotally arranged around the gap 231 with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the rack 230, whereby one hook gripper 234 always takes over the incorporated braided material of the hook gripper 234 arranged in front. Thereby, the hose receiving tube 232 takes over the role of the guide tube of the Kemafil® machine.

[0141] Via these stitch forming means 222, the material strand 11 having the material strand winding 22 is surrounded by a stitch structure 236 formed by a row of stitches 238 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the material strand 11 and a stitch bar 240 extending spirally around the material strand 11, as shown in FIG. 26.

[0142] Such a combination of the seam 233 and the stitch structure 236 cooperating with the material strand winding 22 made of fiber material makes the material strand 11 itself very durable, at the same time elastic during transportation and storage, and still flexible enough to be easily manipulated.

[0143] The gap 231 between the rack 230 and the guide tube 232 provides an option to remove the stitch structure 236 away from the rack 230 (if already generated around the rack 230 by the stitch forming means 222), and as a result, the material strand 11 wrapped by the stitch structure 236 can be transferred into the guide tube 232.

[0144] On the one hand, the rack 230 serves to support and guide the material strand 11 between the guide tube 226 and the hose receiving tube 232.

[0145] On the other hand, the rack 230 serves to compact the material within the material strand 11, and for that purpose, the rack is connected to a vibrator 242 designed, for example, as an electrically driven eccentric vibrator.

[0146] Furthermore, the rack 230 serves as a basis for a fill level sensor 243 that includes a rotatable wheel 243a or a similar suitable sensor articulated to a lever arm structure 243b. By using such a fill level sensor 243, the parameters of the filling amount, the joining speed of the opposing sides, the winding speed, and the pulling-away speed are controlled according to the fill level of the flexible material strand 11 such that a predetermined fill level is preferably maintained within an acceptable range of the predetermined fill level.

[0147] The means 24 for filling the sand stored in the storage container 18 has a housing 244 having an inlet 246 connected to the storage container 18 and an outlet tube 248 extending into the passage tube 226 without contacting it, and thus there is an annular gap (not shown) between the outlet tube 248 and the passage tube 226.

[0148] The means 24 for filling is designed as a screw conveyor and has one or more screws inside the housing 244 for conveying and compressing the material from the storage container 18. Preferably, there are three meshing screws and an upper channel for conveying the coarse material can be provided. For the embodiment of the means 24 for filling, reference is made to WO 2007 / 147540 pamphlet, the entire content of which is incorporated herein in this regard.

[0149] In FIG. 26, which shows a detailed view having a cross-section in a horizontal plane above the lower conveyor belt 110, it can be seen that the conveyance of the material strand 11 is carried out without interruption, specifically, from the removal unit (strand supply means) 36, via a fixed guide plate 250 with corresponding rollers 252, then via a guide plate 138 with rollers 144, subsequently via a guide plate 158 with rollers 160, and via an intermediate roller 118b to the lower conveyor belt and an intermediate roller 112, etc.

[0150] FIG. 26 also shows the control unit 254 of the device 10. Figure 27, which shows a detailed cross-sectional view by a vertical plane cutting the means 20 for manufacturing the material strand winding 20, reveals that the hose rack 230 engages below the guide tube 226 located upstream, and a gap 256 is formed. This prevents clogging of the hose 22 in the region between the hose rack 230 and the guide tube 226, thereby ensuring safe and reliable delivery of the hose without damaging the hose 22.

[0151] Also, at the transition between the hose rack 230 and the hose receiving tube 232, it can be seen that the gap 231 is bridged by a shell element 258 that is elastically disposed on the hose rack 230 and engages with the hose receiving tube 232. A gap 260 is designed between this shell element 258 and the hose receiving tube 232. Instead of or in addition to such a shell element 258, one or more fingers (not shown) can also be used.

[0152] This also enables the hose 22 to be reliably advanced without being damaged by clogging. At the same time, the means 20 allows the hose to be wound in the region between the hose rack 230 and the hose receiving tube 232. In this regard, the gap 231, together with the elastic shell element 258, ensures that the wrap is reliably separated. Due to the fact that there is an elastically designed shell element 258, the separation is particularly easy and safe. Furthermore, the material strand can also slide over the shell element 258 and is supported by the shell element, so it is very easily transported.

[0153] In FIG. 28, which shows in detail an alternative embodiment of the strand discharging means 38' of the device 10 according to the invention according to FIG. 1, in the case of two successive belts 110a, 110b in the transition region 262 between the belts 110a, 110b, the belt end 264 of the upstream belt 110a is arranged higher in the vertical direction than the belt start end 266 of the downstream belt 110b, and it can be seen that both belts extend so as to rise with respect to the conveying direction F of the strand discharging means 38'. This results in a kind of stepped conveyance of the material strand 11. Further, there is a slide plate 268 in the transition region 262 between the belts 110a, 110b.

[0154] Thereby, clogging of the material strand 11 conveyed in the conveying direction F and damage to the hose 20 between the two belts 110a, 110b are effectively prevented. The material strand 11 is lifted from the upstream belt 110a above the slide plate 268 to the downstream belt 110b by the stepped arrangement, and clogging is eliminated.

[0155] Instead of the illustrated slide plate 268, a drum or a roller may also be present in some cases (not shown). Further, in some cases, instead of the slide plate 268 or the roller, there may be an overlap (not shown) between the belts 110a, 110b so that the roller or the slide plate 268 can be omitted in some cases because there is a horizontal distance between the belts 110a, 110b. Even if the horizontal distance between the belts 110a, 110b is not too large and the roller or the slide plate 268 is not provided, the clog-free transition still functions.

[0156] FIG. 30 shows an alternative embodiment 10' of the device 10 according to the invention. Since the parts are the same otherwise, only the differences will be described below.

[0157] It can be seen that such a device 10' further comprises a collection container 300 that supplies the storage container 18 via a conveying device 302. The conveying device 302 may include, for example, a belt conveyor. The collection container 300 and the conveying device 302 are arranged on a common platform 304, and the platform has its own carriage 306 and is connected to the rest of the device 10' via a coupling 308.

[0158] However, when the collection container 300 and the conveying device 302 are fixed to the rest of the device 10', the dedicated carriage 306 and coupling 308 can also be omitted.

[0159] With such additions 300, 302, a separate supply device can be omitted. Instead, for example, a truck can travel to the collection container 300 and discharge sand there. Then, the sand is conveyed to the storage container 18 by the conveying device 302 and becomes available for further use.

[0160] The devices 10, 10' are used as follows here. The devices 10, 10' are transported to the place of use by a low-bed truck or the like and unloaded there. Then, the footprint is sized by the telescopic chains 208, 210. Next, the devices 10, 10' are moved to their starting point, and such a point is selected such that the devices 10, 10' find sufficient hold on the ground and, further, the distance to the deposition position of the flexible material strand 11 relative to the cantilever 38 is sufficiently small.

[0161] The storage container 18 is filled with sand and, if necessary, replenished via a supply device (refer to device 10) therebetween or via the collection container 300 and the conveying device 302 (refer to device 10'). Then, the cantilever 38 is pivoted so that its front end is above the position where the starting end of the material strand 11 is deposited. Land 11 is deposited.

[0162] The wound material 30 is unwound from the bearing 28, drawn into the guide tube 226 across the draw-out shoulder (forming shoulder) 32, and thereby formed in the tube. Thereby, the two side ends of the wound material 30 are both guided through the slots 228 and stitched above it by the sewing means 220 to form the tube 22 which is initially closed also at its front end. Next, sand is filled into the formed tube 22 by the filling means 24.

[0163] The hose 22 filled with the material is guided on the rack 230 and vibrated by the vibrator 242, whereby the material in the hose 22 is compacted.

[0164] Next, the filled hose 22 is wrapped in the stitch structure 236 by the stitch forming means 222, and the filled and wrapped hose 22 is subsequently separated by the separating means 36 and conveyed onto the cantilever 38 via the hinge unit 40.

[0165] In the separating means 36, the contact pressure of the upper conveyor belt 104 is adjusted. In addition, the speeds of the conveyor belt 110 of the cantilever 38 and the conveyor belts 102, 104 of the removing unit 36 are synchronized and adjusted together with the speed of the hose forming device 34 and the speed of the filling means 24 so that the flexible material strand 11 is produced (see FIG. 29). The strand is uniformly filled with sand over its entire length and thus has a constant diameter.

[0166] Thereby, the filling level sensor 243 continuously monitors the filling level in the hose 22, and the parameters of the filling amount, the joining speed of the opposite two sides, the winding speed, and the separating speed are controlled according to the filling level in the tube 22, taking into account the tolerance as necessary, so that a predetermined filling level is permanently achieved to ensure a certain quality.

[0167] The flexible material strand 11 reaches the front intermediate roller 188b of the cantilever and then reaches the deposition location. After that, the devices 10, 10' are moved as required by the moving device 14 and / or the cantilever 38 is pivoted so that the flexible material strand 11 is continuously deposited along the planned deposition path.

[0168] When a change in direction is made, in addition to the first flexible material strand 214, the supply rate of the supply means 24 can be decreased to produce a second adjacent flexible material strand 216 or a third applied flexible material strand 218, and / or the pulling speed of the removal unit 36 and the conveying speed of the cantilever 38 can be increased in advance over a certain period, whereby the flexible material strand 11 is filled with less sand over a specific section. Then, in order to make a change in direction, the flexible material strand 11 can be bent 180° in this section.

[0169] When sufficient strand materials 214, 216, 218 have been produced, the winding material 30 is cut, and the rear end of the produced tube 22 is sewn, thereby being closed, and the forward movement inside the devices 10, 10' is stopped.

[0170] In contrast, if additional strand materials 214, 216, 218 are required after the winding material 30 has been completely consumed, an additional roller of the winding material 30 is loaded, and the starting end of the new winding material 30 is sewn to the ending end of the old winding material 30. At this time, the forward movement inside the devices 10, 10' is not performed until the sewing is completed. Then, the described procedure can be executed again, whereby in principle, an endless tube 22 can be manufactured very safely and reliably and deposited as a material strand 11 filled with sand.

[0171] On the one hand, the mobile device 14 can be used to transport the devices 10, 10'. On the other hand, the entire devices 10, 10' can also be transported by a low-bed truck or the like. The mobile device has a central part and a chain drive disposed thereon, and the chain drive can be moved outward or inward with respect to the central part in some cases. In the case of transportation by a low-bed truck, in order to keep the devices 10, 10' as narrow as possible for transportation on a highway or the like, subsequent inward driving is performed, and during use, outward driving is performed, and as a result, the structural stability of the devices 10, 10' is ensured by a stand base as large as possible.

[0172] From the foregoing description, it has become apparent that the present invention provides an option for manufacturing the flexible material strand 11 that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art. Thereby, in principle, the material strand 11 can be manufactured infinitely. Even if the diameter of the material strand 11 is large, the material strand 11 can be freely handled. Furthermore, the manufacturing is scalable with respect to the dimensions of the material strand 11. Furthermore, it is possible to lay the material strand 11 immediately after manufacturing. This means that such a flexible material strand 11 can be provided very easily and cost-effectively, for example, for flood protection structures 46, retaining walls, or the construction of a targeted landscape.

[0173] Unless otherwise specified, all features of the present invention can be freely combined with each other. In particular, the features specified in the claims can also be combined with features from the set of features. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the features described in the description of the figures can be freely combined with other features as features of the present invention. Thereby, the material features of the device can also be used within the framework of the method in the form of method features, and the method features can also be used within the framework of the device in the form of device features.

Description of Reference Signs

[0174] List of Reference Signs 10 Device according to the present invention 10’ Alternative embodiments of the device according to the invention 11 Flexible material strand, flexible material hose 12 Device for transporting the flexible material strand 11 14 Moving device 16 Means for manufacturing the flexible material strand 11 18 Storage or supply container 20 Means for manufacturing the material strand winding 22 22 Material strand winding 24 Means for filling the material strand winding 22 with material 26 Housing 27 Rotation axis between the housing 26 and the moving device 14 28 Bearing 30 Wound material 32 Pull-out shoulder 34 Hose forming device 36 Strand supply means, removal unit 38 Strand discharge means, cantilever 38’ Strand discharge means 40 Hinge means 42 Vertical rotation axis 44 Horizontal rotation axis 46 Foundation of the flood protection structure 100 Frame 102 Lower conveyor belt 104 Upper conveyor belt 106 Means for lateral guidance of the flexible material strand 11 being conveyed, drum or roller 108, 108’, 108’’ Cantilever module 110 Lower conveyor belt 110a, 110b Lower conveyor belt 112 Intermediate roller 114 Driving roller 116 Guide roller 118, 118a, 118b Intermediate roller 120, 122 Guide roller 124, 126, 128 Roller guide 130 Rotation Module 130 132 Cantilever Connector 134 Rotation Module Housing 138 Guide Plate 140 Front Circular Region 142 Rear Straight Edge 144 Roller 146 Upper Connector 148 Lower Connector 150 Bearing 152 Cantilever Connector Frame 154 Swivel Bearing 156 Frame 158 Guide Plate 160 Roller 162 Mounting of Roller 160 164, 166 Straight Edges 168 Lever Connector 170 Hydraulic Cylinder 172, 174 Stop Points 176 Cross Beam 178 Shaft 180 Rod 182 Cantilever Stop Point 184, 186 Sides of Rod 180 188, 190 Rod Parts 192 Cross Brace 194 Stop Point 196 Hydraulic Cylinder 198 Counter Cantilever 200 Counterweight 202 Shaft 204, 206 Spherical Roller Bearings 207 Guide, Slide Surface 208, 210 Chain 212 Chassis 220 Sewing Means 222 Stitch Forming Means, Kemafil (Registered Trademark) Machine 224 Deflection Edge of Draw-Out Shoulder 32 226 Passage Tube, Guide Tube 228 slots 229 Gap between the guide tube 226 and the rack 230 230 Cylindrical segment-shaped rack 231 Gap between the rack 230 and the receiving tube 232 232 Receiving tube 233 Seam 234 Hook gripper, stitch forming part 236 Stitch structure, wound object 238 Row of stitches 240 Stitch bar 242 Oscillator of the rack 230 243 Filling level sensor 243a Rotatable wheel 243b Lever arm structure 244 Housing 246 Inlet 248 Outlet tube 250 Guide plate 252 Roller 254 Control unit of the device 10 256 Gap 258 Shell element 260 Gap 262 Transition region between the belts 110a and 110b 264 Belt end of the belt 110a arranged upstream 266 Belt start end of the belt 110b arranged downstream 300 Collection container 302 Conveying device, belt conveyor 304 Platform 306 Carriage 308 Coupling F Conveying direction of the strand discharging means 38’ H Horizontal L Longitudinal extension of the housing 26 α Rotation angle about the rotation axis 42 β Rotation angle about the rotation axis 44

Claims

1. A device (10; 10') for manufacturing a flexible material strand (11), wherein the device (10; 10') comprises a device (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11), a device (12) for transporting the flexible material strand (11), and a device (38, 40; 38') for distributing the flexible material strand (11), and there is a hose rack (230) provided with a vibrator (242), and / or there is a filling level sensor (243) in the form of a wheel (243a) articulated on a lever (243b), by means of which the filling level in the flexible material strand (11) can be determined, the device (10; 10') is adjusted to control means (24) for filling the material, the device (16) comprises means (220) for joining two opposite sides of a strand material (30) to form a tube (22), and means (222) for winding the tube (22) filled with material to stabilize it by a winding (236), characterized in that the means (220) for joining, the means (222) for winding and / or the means (36) for pulling apart the flexible material strand (11) are adjusted to be controlled, and it is possible that there is a certain tolerance range centered on the predetermined filling level, a device (10; 10').

2. the hose rack (230) engages under a first element (226) attached upstream and serving to guide the hose while forming a gap, and / or the hose rack (230) engages in or engages with a second element (232) attached downstream and serving to guide the hose while forming a gap, or engages with such a second element (232) attached downstream, and the part of the hose rack (230) that engages in or engages on is designed as one or more finger and / or shell elements and is designed to be elastic, the device (10; 10') according to claim 1.

3. A device (10; 10') for manufacturing a flexible material strand (11), wherein the device (10; 10') comprises a device (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11), An apparatus (12) for conveying the flexible material strand (11); an apparatus (38, 40; 38') for distributing the flexible material strand (11); and has strand guiding means (36, 38) which convey the flexible material strand (11) and have a support (102, 110) for the flexible material strand (11); the strand guiding means having means (104) for weighting the flexible material strand (11) relative to the support (102); the strand guiding means (36, 38) having drive means for the flexible material strand (11) and / or means (120, 122, 207) for lateral guidance of the flexible material strand; the drive means and / or the means (120, 122, 207) for lateral guidance of the flexible material strand being designed as one or more rollers (114) and / or one or more belts (102, 104, 110); in the case of two successive belts (110a, 110b), at least one of the belts (110a, 110b), in the transition region (262) between the belts (110a, 110b), having a belt end (264) of the upstream belt (110a) arranged higher in the vertical direction than a belt start (266) of the downstream belt (110b), and extending so as to rise with respect to the conveying direction (F), device (10: 10'). **Claim 4** A device (10; 10') for manufacturing a flexible material strand (11), the device (10; 10') comprising an apparatus (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11); an apparatus (12) for conveying the flexible material strand (11); an apparatus (38, 40; 38') for distributing the flexible material strand (11); and has strand guiding means (36, 38) which convey the flexible material strand (11) and have a support (102, 110) for the flexible material strand (11); the strand guiding means having means (104) for weighting the flexible material strand (11) relative to the support (102); The strand guiding means (36, 38) has driving means for the flexible material strand (11) and / or means (120, 122, 207) for lateral guiding of the flexible material strand, The driving means and / or the means (120, 122, 207) for lateral guiding of the flexible material strand are designed as one or more rollers (114) and / or one or more belts (102, 104, 110), rollers and / or slide plates (268) are arranged between two belts (110a, 110b), and / or characterized in that two successive belts are arranged to overlap, a device (10'). **Claim 5** A device (10; 10') for manufacturing a flexible material strand (11), wherein the device (10; 10') has an apparatus (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11), an apparatus (12) for conveying the flexible material strand (11), and an apparatus (38, 40; 38') for distributing the flexible material strand (11), and there is strand guiding means (36, 38) for conveying the flexible material strand (11) and having supports (102, 110) for the flexible material strand (11), the strand guiding means having means (104) for weighting the flexible material strand (11) with respect to the support (102), characterized in that the strand guiding means (36, 38) has one or more strand guiding modules (108, 108', 108''), and at least two strand guiding modules (108, 108', 108'') are of the same design, a device (10; 10'). **Claim 6** The device (10; 10') according to claim 5, characterized in that the strand guiding means (38) is designed to be pivotable with respect to a horizontal plane (H) and / or a vertical plane (L). **Claim 7** A device (10; 10') for manufacturing a flexible material strand (11), wherein the device (10; 10') has an apparatus (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11), an apparatus (12) for conveying the flexible material strand (11), and an apparatus (38, 40; 38') for distributing the flexible material strand (11), and There are a strand supply means (36) and a strand discharge means (38; 38'), and a hinge (40) disposed between the strand supply means (36) and the strand discharge means (38; 38'), The device (10; 10') is characterized in that the strand discharge means (38; 38') is pivotally arranged relative to the strand supply means (36) by the hinge. **Claim 8** A device (10; 10') for manufacturing a flexible material strand (11), wherein the device (10; 10') has a device (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11), a device (12) for conveying the flexible material strand (11), and a device (38, 40; 38') for distributing the flexible material strand (11). There is a conveying means (14) for conveying the device (10; 10'), the conveying means (14) is designed to be self-propelled, and the conveying means (14) is designed to be telescopic. The device (10; 10') is characterized by this. **Claim 9** A device (10; 10') for manufacturing a flexible material strand (11), wherein the device (10; 10') has a device (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11), a device (12) for conveying the flexible material strand (11), and a device (38, 40; 38') for distributing the flexible material strand (11). The device (16) for manufacturing the flexible material strand (11) has means (28, 32, 226, 228) for supplying a material strand material (30), means (220) for joining two opposite sides of the material strand material (30) to form a tube (22), and means (24) for filling the manufactured tube (22) with a material. The means (220) for joining is adjusted to join the two opposite sides by at least one seam (233), and there is a means (222) for winding that stabilizes the tube (22) filled with the material by a winding (236). The means (222) for winding includes a KEMAFIL (registered trademark) machine. The device (10; 10') is characterized by this. **Claim 10** The flexible material strand (11) having the tube (22) is surrounded by the winding (236), the winding (236) being formed from a row of stitches (238) extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flexible material strand (11) and a bar extending helically around the flexible material strand (11), the device (10; 10') according to claim 9.

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