Rail brake device for material handling machinery, and material handling machinery

The rail brake device with a tachogenerator and fluid pressure circuit facilitates efficient and rapid installation on material handling machinery, addressing the complexity of conventional brake system modifications by ensuring quick and smooth stops without altering the machinery's basic design.

JP7867687B2Active Publication Date: 2026-06-01NIPPON AIKIYAN

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
NIPPON AIKIYAN
Filing Date
2022-04-19
Publication Date
2026-06-01

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional rail brake systems for material handling machinery require complex and non-universal modification work due to varying specifications, leading to prolonged construction and design periods.

Method used

A rail brake device equipped with a tachogenerator to measure ground speed, a fluid pressure circuit, and a control unit to adjust braking force, allowing for simple installation without altering the basic design or specifications of the material handling machinery.

Benefits of technology

Enables quick and smooth stopping of material handling machinery during runaway conditions with minimal design changes and wiring, reducing construction time and costs.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a rail brake device for a cargo handling machine which enables reduction of a construction period and a design period.SOLUTION: A rail brake device 50 installed at a cargo handling machine 2 including travel devices 30 each of which may drive along a rail 200 installed on the ground, includes: a rail brake body 60 which presses a brake pad 62, which reciprocates in a vertical direction following motion of a fluid pressure cylinder 61, to an upper surface 201 of the rail to put a brake on the cargo handling machine; a fluid pressure circuit 80 for causing the fluid pressure cylinder to operate; a sensor 70 which outputs a speed signal according to a ground speed of the cargo handling machine; and a control unit 51 which outputs a control signal based on the speed signal. The fluid pressure circuit includes a valve mechanism 81 which is controlled by the control signal to adjust an amount of a working fluid in pressure chambers (67a, 67b) of the fluid pressure cylinder. The sensor is a tacho generator 170 and is installed so as to measure the ground speed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rail braking device for cargo handling machines such as container cranes and unloaders, and a cargo handling machine.

Background Art

[0002] Cargo handling machines such as container cranes and unloaders are equipped with a traveling device for self-propulsion. The traveling device is configured to travel, for example, along rails laid on the ground.

[0003] By the way, in cargo handling machines, cargo handling work is performed while the traveling is stopped. Therefore, cargo handling machines are equipped with various braking devices for stopping their own traveling. As braking devices for cargo handling machines equipped with a traveling device that travels on rails, there are braking devices for stopping the rotation of the wheels provided in the traveling device, rail clamps installed on the body of the cargo handling machine to hold the rails, and the like. However, cargo handling machines are huge in size and mass. Therefore, when the cargo handling machine is blown by strong winds during cargo handling work, there is a possibility that the cargo handling machine may run away. If the cargo handling machine runs away, it may lead to serious accidents such as the traveling device crashing into the end buffer and the cargo handling machine tipping over, colliding with other adjacent cargo handling machines, or dropping a container during cargo handling work.

[0004] Therefore, in recent years, some cargo handling machines are equipped with a rail braking device for preventing runaway or for surely stopping the cargo handling machine with a stronger braking force when runaway occurs. Note that the rail braking device may be installed by adding it to an existing cargo handling machine, or may be installed on the cargo handling machine from the beginning.

[0005] As is well known, a rail brake device consists of a rail brake body comprising a fluid pressure cylinder (such as a hydraulic cylinder) and brake pads that reciprocate vertically in accordance with the operation of the fluid pressure cylinder, and a configuration for controlling the operation of the rail brake body. The rail brake body is configured to stop the cargo handling machine by pressing the brake pads against the upper surface of the rail using the fluid pressure cylinder. Examples of rail brake devices for cargo handling machines include the "rail brake device for track-running machinery" described in Patent Document 1 below. Non-Patent Document 1 below describes an overview of port cargo handling machinery. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-104884 [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "Overview of Structural Forms of Port Cargo Handling Machinery," [online], [Accessed March 3, 2022], Internet<URL:https: / / www.mlit.go.jp / common / 001049107.pdf> [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The rail brake device described in Patent Document 1 is intended to be installed in addition to existing material handling machinery, and is configured to activate the rail brake based on the operating state of the rail clamp, the operating state of the travel brake provided by the travel device, and the travel speed of the travel device. This eliminates the need for wiring work from the control device of the travel device or rail brake, which is usually installed on the structure above the material handling machinery, to the rail brake provided at the lower end of the support leg (leg body), thereby reducing the cost of modifying the control device and wiring, and shortening the modification period.

[0009] However, while the rail brake device described in Patent Document 1 can shorten wiring by detecting signals output from the running gear or rail clamp installed below the material handling machine, it is necessary to draw out signal wires from the running gear or rail clamp. If the specifications of individual material handling machines differ, the method and location of drawing out the signal wires must be changed according to those specifications. Therefore, the construction method is not versatile and cannot dramatically reduce the modification period.

[0010] Furthermore, since it is not easy to design the basic structure and configuration of material handling machinery from scratch, even when installing new material handling machinery equipped with rail brakes, in practice, the rail brakes are often installed by modifying the design while using the specifications of existing material handling machinery as a basis. Therefore, even when installing new material handling machinery equipped with rail brakes, it is necessary to consider the method and location of signal wire extraction, etc., according to the specifications of the material handling machinery to be modified, just as with modification work to install rail brakes on existing material handling machinery.

[0011] Thus, with conventional rail brake systems for material handling machinery, the method and location of signal line extraction must be changed depending on the specifications of the material handling machinery being installed or redesigned. In other words, the construction methods and design modification procedures are not universally applicable, making it difficult to significantly reduce the time required for modification work or design changes.

[0012] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a rail brake device for material handling machinery that can shorten construction and design periods, and material handling machinery equipped with the rail brake device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objective is a rail brake device installed on a cargo handling machine equipped with a running gear that can travel along rails laid on the ground, A rail brake body that applies braking to the material handling machine by pressing a brake pad, which moves vertically in accordance with the operation of a fluid pressure cylinder, against the upper surface of the rail, A fluid pressure circuit for operating the aforementioned fluid pressure cylinder, A sensor that outputs a speed signal corresponding to the ground speed of the cargo handling machine, A control unit that outputs a control signal based on the speed signal, Equipped with, The fluid pressure circuit includes a valve mechanism controlled by the control signal to adjust the amount of working fluid in the pressure chamber of the fluid pressure cylinder, The sensor is a tachogenerator, The device includes a cylindrical member mounted coaxially with the rotating shaft, and is positioned so that its outer surface contacts the outer surface of the wheel of the running gear, thereby measuring the ground speed. , This is a rail brake device for material handling machinery.

[0014] The tachogenerator can also be a rail brake device for cargo handling machinery, comprising a cylindrical member mounted coaxially with the rotating shaft, wherein the outer surface of the member is positioned to contact the outer surface of the wheels of the running gear.

[0015] Furthermore, the cylindrical member may be biased in a direction that presses against the outer surface of the wheel, and may be used as a rail brake device for material handling machinery.

[0016] Preferably, the wheel in contact with the cylindrical member is a rail brake device for a cargo handling machine, which is a driven wheel of the running gear.

[0018] A cargo handling machine equipped with the rail brake device according to any one of the above and capable of traveling along a rail laid on the ground is also within the scope of the present invention.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, a rail brake that can be mounted on a cargo handling machine and the cargo handling machine equipped with the rail brake are provided without changing the basic specifications and designs. Other advantages will be clarified in the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a cargo handling machine. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged view of the lower structure of a cargo handling machine. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged view of the traveling device of a cargo handling machine and its periphery. [Figure 4A] It is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the rail brake body included in the rail brake device according to the embodiment and the state of the rail brake body during braking. [Figure 4B] It is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the rail brake body included in the rail brake device according to the embodiment and the state of the rail brake body when the braking is released. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the rail brake device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the installation state of the taco generator included in the rail brake device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the hydraulic circuit included in the rail brake device according to the embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the same or similar parts may be denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions may be omitted. Depending on the drawings, unnecessary reference numerals may also be omitted in the description.

[0022] ===maker=== <Basic structure and components of material handling machinery>

[0023] As an example of a cargo handling machine equipped with a rail brake device according to the embodiment, a container crane capable of self-propulsion on rails is given. Figure 1 shows the schematic structure of the cargo handling machine 1 equipped with the rail brake device. The cargo handling machine 1 is installed on a quay 100 of a port, and in this figure, it is assumed that the wall surface 101 of the quay 100 extends in the direction normal to the plane of the paper. The cargo handling machine 1 is generally composed of a main structure 10 that performs the function of loading and unloading containers 15, and a traveling device 30 for moving the main structure 10 along rails 200 laid on the quay 100.

[0024] The main structure 10 consists of legs 20 extending vertically in pairs on the sea side 102 and land side 103 of the quay 100, a girder 11 extending horizontally on the land side, a boom 12 pivotally supported at the seaside end of the girder 11 so as to be able to be raised and lowered, a trolley 13 that moves horizontally guided by the girder 11 and boom 12, and a spreader 14 that can be raised and lowered relative to the trolley 13 to engage with the container 15. The superstructure, including the boom 12, is also equipped with a machine room 16 that houses various electric motors required for cargo handling operations (e.g., hoisting device, traversing device), and a driver's cab 17 where an operator who operates the cargo handling machine 1 sits.

[0025] Here, if we define the direction normal to the wall surface 101 of the quay 100 (left-right direction in the paper) as the front-back direction, with the sea side 102 being the front and the land side 103 being the rear, and the direction along the wall surface 101 of the quay 100 (depth direction in the paper) as the left-right direction, then rails 200 are laid on the quay 100 in the left-right direction. As a result, the cargo handling machine 1 moves in the left-right direction (depth direction in the paper in the figure) by the traveling device 30.

[0026] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the lower part of the cargo handling machine 1, and corresponds to, for example, a view of the cargo handling machine 1 shown in Figure 1 from the land 103 side or the sea 102 side. In other words, Figure 2 shows a pair of legs 20 on the sea 102 side or the land 103 side. In the cargo handling machine 1 shown here, the legs 20, which are arranged in pairs on the left and right, are connected by sill beams 22 that extend in the left and right direction, and a traveling device 30 is attached to the lower end 21 of each leg 20. The traveling device 30 is driven by electricity from a power supply facility (not shown). In the cargo handling machine 1 shown here, rail clamps 40 are installed at the ends of brackets 23 that are vertically mounted in the left and right center of the sill beams 22.

[0027] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the dashed frame 110 in Figure 2, showing one running device 30 and its surrounding structure. As shown in Figure 3, the running device 30 has a structure in which two bogies 33, each with four wheels 32, are arranged in series. The two bogies 33 are attached to a rocker beam 31 that evenly distributes the load from above in the left-right direction. The wheels on the running device 30 include drive wheels 32a, which have an axle connected to a motor and are used to drive the material handling machine 1, and driven wheels 32b, which rotate in conjunction with the movement of the material handling machine 1. Figure 3 shows a running device 30 in which, of the four wheels 32 on each bogie 33, the two outer wheels 32a are drive wheels 32a, and the two inner wheels 32b are driven wheels 32b. The rail brake body 60, which is the main component of the rail brake device according to this embodiment, is installed on this running device 30. In the illustrated cargo handling machine 1, a bracket 36 is provided at the lower end of the rocker beam 31, and a rail brake body 60 is attached to the lower end of this bracket 36.

[0028] <Rail brake body configuration and operation> The basic configuration of the rail brake body 60, which is the main component of the rail brake device, is a fluid pressure cylinder, and the rail brake device according to this embodiment is equipped with a rail brake body 60 mainly composed of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder that uses hydraulic oil as the working fluid.

[0029] Figures 4A and 4B show the schematic structure of the rail brake body 60. Figure 4A shows the rail brake body 60 in the braking state, and Figure 4B shows the rail brake body 60 in the released state. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the rail brake body 60 consists of a hydraulic cylinder 61, a brake pad 62, and a connecting member 63 interposed between the lower end of the piston 65 of the hydraulic cylinder 61 and the brake pad 62.

[0030] The hydraulic cylinder 61 includes a cylindrical cylinder tube 64 that also serves as the housing, a piston 65 that slides vertically within the cylinder tube, and a passage 66 for inflowing and outflowing hydraulic fluid into the cylinder tube 64. The hydraulic cylinder 61 in the figure is shown as a cross-sectional view taken by cutting the cylinder tube 64 through a plane that includes the vertical and longitudinal directions passing through the axis 164.

[0031] Inside the cylinder tube 64, a two-stage cylindrical space is formed, with the lower part being smaller in diameter. In this space, the upper cylindrical space is the volume chamber 67. The lower, smaller cylindrical space (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "sliding chamber 68") maintains its diameter and opens to the lower end of the cylinder tube 64. The piston 65 is a two-stage cylindrical shape with the lower part being smaller in diameter, with the upper, larger cylindrical portion (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "head 65a") slidably positioned within the volume chamber 67, and the lower, smaller cylindrical portion (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "body 65b") slidably positioned vertically relative to the sliding chamber 68.

[0032] The vertical length of the piston head 65a is shorter than the vertical length of the volume chamber 67, and the vertical length of the piston body 65b is longer than the vertical length of the sliding chamber 68. The overall vertical length of the piston 65 is designed such that when at top dead center, the lower end of the piston body 65b protrudes slightly downward relative to the cylinder tube 64. A connecting member 63 is connected to the lower end of the piston body 65b, and a brake pad 62 is attached to the lower end of this connecting member 63. Pressure chambers (67a, 67b) are formed above and below the piston head 65a in the volume chamber 67, and the flow path 66 opens to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower pressure chambers (67a, 67b).

[0033] Furthermore, with the brake body 60 having the above-described configuration, the piston 65 can be moved downward by flowing hydraulic fluid into the upper pressure chamber (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "upper pressure chamber 67a") of the hydraulic cylinder 61 and flowing hydraulic fluid out of the lower pressure chamber (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "lower pressure chamber 67b"). As a result, as shown in Figure 4A, the brake pad 62 connected to the piston 65 via the connecting member 63 is pressed against the upper surface 201 of the rail 200, and the rail brake body 60 enters a braking state. Also, as shown in Figure 4B, the piston 65 can be moved upward by flowing hydraulic fluid out of the upper pressure chamber 67a and flowing hydraulic fluid into the lower pressure chamber 67b. As a result, the rail brake body 60 enters a braking release state.

[0034] <Outline configuration and basic operation of a rail brake system> The rail brake device according to this embodiment includes, in addition to the rail brake body 60 described above, a configuration for precisely controlling the braking force of the rail brake body 60 when the cargo handling machine 1 runs away, enabling the cargo handling machine 1 to be stopped quickly and smoothly when it is running away.

[0035] Figure 5 shows a schematic configuration of a rail brake device 50 according to an embodiment. The rail brake device 50 according to the embodiment is an electronically controlled brake system and, in addition to the rail brake body 60, is equipped with a basic configuration of a hydraulic circuit 80 which includes a sensor 70 for detecting the runaway state of the cargo handling machine 1, a control unit 51 that outputs a control signal in accordance with the signal output by the sensor 70 when the machine runs away, an amplifier 52 for amplifying the control signal from the control unit 51, and a valve mechanism (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "control valve 81") that operates according to the control signal to adjust the amount of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic cylinder 61.

[0036] The rail brake body 60 is installed in units of one or more (for example, 1 to 8 units) per material handling machine 1, depending on the size and mass of the material handling machine 1 to which it is installed. In addition, in the rail brake device 50, components other than the rail brake body 60 are arranged in appropriate locations on the material handling machine 1. In the rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment, for example, the control unit 51, amplifier 52, and hydraulic circuit 80 are housed in a single enclosure to form a control unit, and this control unit can be placed on the trolley 33 or on the sill beam 22, etc. Furthermore, as will be described later, the sensor 70 is installed in a location suitable for detecting the runaway state of the material handling machine 1.

[0037] In the rail brake device 50 having the above configuration, the control valve 81 constituting the hydraulic circuit 80 is interposed in the flow path of hydraulic fluid that returns from the pressurizing pump 82 through the hydraulic cylinder 61 to the reservoir tank 83. The control valve 81 has a plurality of ports (81a to 81d) that serve as the inlet and outlet for the hydraulic fluid, and forms a flow path between predetermined ports in response to a control signal from the control unit 51. The hydraulic circuit 80 adjusts the amount of oil in the upper pressure chamber 67a and the lower pressure chamber 67b of the hydraulic cylinder 61, respectively, depending on the state of the flow path formed in the control valve 81. If the cargo handling machine 1 runs away, the control unit 51 outputs a control signal based on the signal output by the sensor 70 according to the state of the runaway, and the control valve 81 forms a predetermined flow path in response to the control signal and moves the piston 65 of the hydraulic cylinder 61 downward. As a result, the brake pad 62 of the rail rake body 60 is pressed against the upper surface 201 of the rail 200, and the cargo handling machine 1 in the runaway state stops.

[0038] <sensor> In the rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment, a well-known tachogenerator is used in the sensor 70 to eliminate the need for modification work or design changes to bring out wiring for operation signals of the running device 30, rail clamp 40, etc., in order to detect runaway conditions. The tachogenerator is a generator that generates a DC voltage proportional to the rotational speed of the rotating shaft, and is a configuration independent of the basic configuration of the material handling machine 1. This tachogenerator is installed in an appropriate place on the material handling machine 1 so as to detect the ground speed of the material handling machine 1. Therefore, according to the rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment, it is possible to install the rail brake device 50 on the material handling machine 1 with simple modification work for the minimum necessary wiring, such as wiring for the power supply and wiring to the start switch of the rail brake device 50. Alternatively, it is possible to provide a new material handling machine 1 equipped with the rail brake device 50 without making significant design changes to the existing material handling machine 1.

[0039] <Ground speed of cargo handling machinery> Figure 6 shows an example of the installation of the tachogenerator 170 in the rail brake device 50 according to the embodiment. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the area within circle 120 in Figure 3. The tachogenerator 170 is installed to detect the rotational speed of the wheels 32 of the running device 30 as the ground speed of the cargo handling machine 1. Schematically, a cylindrical member (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "cylindrical member 172") is coaxially attached to the rotation axis 171 of the tachogenerator 170. In the example shown in Figure 6, the cylindrical member 172 is positioned on the left and right outer sides (front side of the page) of the running device 30, and the tachogenerator 170 is positioned on the left and right inner sides (back side of the page). The tachogenerator 170 is attached to an appropriate position on the cargo handling machine 1 via a support member 173 such that the outer circumferential surface 172s of the cylindrical member 172 contacts the outer circumferential surface 32s of the wheels 32 of the running device 30.

[0040] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the support member 173 consists of a fixed member 173a that is fixed to the trolley 33 of the running device 30 and protrudes in one direction, and an L-shaped movable member 173b that bends downward while extending in the front-rear direction. The movable member 173b is pivotally supported at the tip of the fixed member 173a at the L-shaped bend.

[0041] The tachogenerator 170 is fixed to one end of the movable member 173b, which is bent downwards. The other end of the movable member 173b is constantly biased upward by the restoring force of the compressed spring 173c, as shown by the white arrow in the figure. Therefore, even if the wheels 32 of the running gear 30 vibrate during runaway or other incidents, the outer surface 172s of the cylindrical member 172 is constantly pressed against the outer surface 32s of the wheel 32, as shown by the black arrow in the figure, allowing the tachogenerator 170 to continue to accurately measure the speed.

[0042] Furthermore, in the rail brake device 50 according to the embodiment, the tachogenerator 170 is installed to measure the rotational speed of the driven wheel 32b of the running gear 30. Unlike the drive wheel 32a, the driven wheel 32b is not subjected to load torque when the running gear 30 is stopped. Therefore, the driven wheel 32b is less likely to slide on the rail 200 without rotating during runaway than the drive wheel 32a. In other words, the rail brake device 50 according to the embodiment can more reliably detect runaway of the cargo handling machine 1. It is preferable that the outer circumferential surface 172s of the cylindrical member 172 is covered with a material with high frictional force (rubber, soft resin, etc.) or has fine irregularities formed on it so that it can rotate smoothly in accordance with the rotation of the wheel 32.

[0043] Thus, the rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment has an extremely simple structure in which the outer surface 172s of the cylindrical member 172 is brought into contact with the outer surface 32s of the wheel 32, and the ground speed of the cargo handling machine 1 can be continuously measured. In other words, the rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment does not require the addition of complex configurations or mechanisms on the cargo handling machine 1 side to transmit the rotational motion of the wheel 32 to the rotating shaft 171 of the tachogenerator 170. Therefore, when the rail brake device 50 is mounted on the cargo handling machine 1, the modification work or design changes on the running gear 30 side can be made extremely simple.

[0044] <Hydraulic Circuit> In the rail brake device 50 having the above configuration, the tachogenerator 170 outputs a voltage corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels 32 of the running gear 30 during runaway. The control unit 51 outputs a control signal corresponding to that voltage value (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "speed signal") to the control valve 81 of the hydraulic circuit 80 via the amplifier 52.

[0045] Figure 7 shows an example of a hydraulic circuit 80 that constitutes the rail brake device 50. The hydraulic circuit 80 includes a control valve 81, a pressure pump 82, a reservoir tank 83, as well as various check valves 85 including a relief valve 84 and a pilot check valve 85a, a pressure switch 86, a pressure sensor 87, etc., which are appropriately positioned. The control unit 51 also receives signals from the open / closed state of the pressure switch 86 on the hydraulic circuit 80 and from the pressure sensor 87, and operates the pressure pump 82 or a predetermined valve mechanism including the control valve 81 according to these signals. As a result, for example, even if there is a slight leak of hydraulic fluid or insufficient pressure on the hydraulic circuit 80 during braking, the amount of hydraulic fluid to the pressure chambers (67a, 67b) above and below the hydraulic cylinder is readjusted, and the braking state is reliably maintained. Furthermore, the hydraulic circuit 80 is equipped with a port 90 for connecting an external hand pump. This allows the hand pump connected to the port 90 to pressurize the hydraulic cylinder 61 and maintain the braking state even if the hydraulic pressure inside the hydraulic cylinder 61 drops due to a power outage or other reasons while the rail brake body 60 is in a braking state.

[0046] The control valve 81 is composed of a 4-port, 3-position directional control valve. This allows a single control valve 81 to control the flow of hydraulic fluid into and out of the upper pressure chamber 67a and the lower pressure chamber 67b of the hydraulic cylinder 61. In this embodiment, a well-known proportional control type control valve 81 is employed, which can precisely control the flow rate and direction of the hydraulic fluid using a control signal amplified by the amplifier 52.

[0047] The control valve 81 forms a flow path between predetermined ports (81a to 81d) according to a control signal from the control unit 51. As a result, the hydraulic fluid delivered from the pressurizing pump 82 is sent to the flow paths (88, 89) connected to the upper and lower pressure chambers (67a, 67b) of the hydraulic cylinder 61, and the hydraulic fluid inside the hydraulic cylinder 61 is returned to these flow paths (88, 89), thereby precisely controlling the amount of hydraulic fluid in the upper and lower pressure chambers (67a, 67b).

[0048] <Braking control> As a braking control method for stopping a runaway cargo handling machine 1 using the rail brake device 50, for example, one method is to automatically detect the runaway state and stop the cargo handling machine 1 at a constant deceleration, and when an operator who has determined that the machine is runaway manually activates the rail brake device 50 in an emergency, the braking control method is designed to stop the cargo handling machine 1 at a constant deceleration rather than at an abrupt stop with excessive deceleration.

[0049] In a braking control system that automatically detects runaway, for example, if a speed signal corresponding to a speed greater than the maximum running speed of the running device 30 (e.g., 45 m / min) (e.g., 60 m / min) is output from the tachogenerator 170, the control unit 51 determines that the vehicle is in a runaway state and controls the control valve 81 to stop gradually at a constant deceleration (e.g., 0.05 G).

[0050] In a braking control system based on operator operation, for example, when the control unit 51 receives a signal corresponding to an operation instruction for the rail brake device 50 by the operator, a control procedure can be considered in which the control valve 81 is feedback controlled based on the speed signal so that the cargo handling machine 1 stops at a predetermined deceleration.

[0051] The rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment can be used with either of the two braking control methods described above. Of course, other braking control methods are also possible. In any braking control method, the control unit 51 provides feedback control to the control valve 81 based on the speed signal output from the tachogenerator 170, so that the cargo handling machine 1 does not tilt significantly due to the reaction of a sudden stop, nor does it swing back in the opposite direction to the direction of runaway.

[0052] Furthermore, the tachogenerator 170, which detects runaway conditions, outputs a speed signal from the moment the rotation of the cylindrical member 172 begins, so it can detect runaway conditions without delay. It also continuously outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels 32, which reflects the ground speed of the cargo handling machine 1. As a result, the control unit 51 can continuously measure the ground speed of the cargo handling machine 1 from the moment runaway occurs, enabling more precise feedback control.

[0053] ===Other Examples=== The above description is merely one example to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to what has been described above. The concept of the present invention includes various modifications and applications of the embodiments shown above. It is also possible to replace or delete some of the configurations of the above embodiments, or to add other configurations to the configurations of the above embodiments.

[0054] In the rail brake device 50 according to the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the tachogenerator 170 was biased toward the outer circumferential surface 32s of the wheel 32 whose rotational speed was to be measured, together with the cylindrical member 172, using a fixed member 173a and a movable member 173b. However, for example, a support member 173 may be attached at a position facing the outer circumferential surface 32s of the wheel 32, having a structure that linearly transmits the restoring force of the spring 173c to the tachogenerator 170.

[0055] As a method for measuring the rotational speed of the wheel 32 using the tachogenerator 170, in addition to the method using the cylindrical member 172, it is also conceivable to connect the rotation shaft 171 of the tachogenerator 170 and the rotation shaft of the wheel 32 coaxially, or to attach gears to the rotation shaft of the wheel 32 and the rotation shaft 171 of the tachogenerator 170 and mesh the gears of both. Even in these methods for detecting the rotational speed of the wheel 32 without using the cylindrical member 172, it is only necessary to attach mechanical parts such as gears or members for coaxial connection with the rotation shaft 171 of the tachogenerator 170 to the rotation shaft of the wheel 32. Therefore, similar to the rail brake device 50 according to the above embodiment, complex wiring work and changes to the design of the wiring route are unnecessary, and the rail brake device 50 can be mounted on the cargo handling machine 1 with simple modification work or design changes.

[0056] The method for measuring the ground speed of the cargo handling machine 1 using the tachogenerator 170 is not limited to a method based on the rotational speed of the wheels 32 of the running gear 30. For example, the tachogenerator 170 may be installed so that the outer surface 172s of the cylindrical member 172 is in contact with the upper surface 201 or side of the rail 200, or with the ground of the quay 100.

[0057] In the rail brake device 50 according to the above embodiment, the rail brake body 60 was attached to the running gear 30, but it is also possible to install it on the sill beam 22, similar to the rail clamp 40 in the cargo handling machine 1 shown in Figure 2.

[0058] The rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment is not limited to having one tachogenerator 170, one control unit 51, one amplifier 52, one hydraulic circuit 80, and one rail brake body 60. For example, when multiple rail brake bodies 60 are installed on one material handling machine 1, the multiple brake bodies 60 may be configured to be individually controlled by multiple control units 51, or one control unit 51 may be configured to control multiple rail brake bodies 60. Furthermore, the control unit 51 does not have to be configured exclusively for the rail brake device 50. For example, the control unit 51 may control the rail brake device 50 and various electric motors (hoisting device, traversing device, etc.) used for material handling operations on the material handling machine 1. In this way, the arrangement and number of components of the rail brake device 50 on one material handling machine 1, or the components of one rail brake device 50, can be changed as appropriate. In any case, the rail brake device 50 only needs to include a tachogenerator 170, a control unit 51, a fluid pressure circuit such as a hydraulic circuit 80, and a rail brake body 60 as its components, and the number of components (170, 51, 80, 60) that a single rail brake device 50 has can be set as appropriate.

[0059] It should be noted, however, that the rail brake device 50 according to this embodiment can be installed on any cargo handling machine 1 that is capable of traveling along the rails 200 laid on the quay 100, and is not limited to container cranes. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1 cargo handling machine, 10 main structure, 20 legs, 21 lower end of legs, 22 sill beam, 30 running gear, 31 rocker beam, 32 wheels of running gear, 32a drive wheels, 32b Driven wheel, 32s Outer surface of wheel, 33 Bogie, 40 Rail clamp, 50 Rail brake device, 51 Control unit, 52 Amplifier, 60 Rail brake body, 61 Hydraulic cylinder, 62 Brake pad, 63 Connecting member, 65 Piston, 65a Piston head, 65b Piston body, 66 Flow path of hydraulic cylinder, 67 Volume chamber, 67a Upper pressure chamber, 67b Lower pressure chamber, 68 Sliding chamber, 70 Sensors, 80 Hydraulic circuits, 81 Control valves, 82 Pressure pumps, 83 reservoir tank, 100 quay, 170 tachogenerator, 171 Rotating shaft of the tachogenerator, 172 Cylindrical member, 172s Outer surface of cylindrical member, 173 Support member, 173a Fixing member, 173c Spring, 173b Movable part, 200 Rail, 201 Top surface of the rail

Claims

1. A rail brake device installed on a material handling machine equipped with a running gear that can travel along rails laid on the ground, A rail brake body that applies braking to the material handling machine by pressing a brake pad, which moves vertically in accordance with the operation of a fluid pressure cylinder, against the upper surface of the rail, A fluid pressure circuit for operating the aforementioned fluid pressure cylinder, A sensor that outputs a speed signal corresponding to the ground speed of the cargo handling machine, A control unit that outputs a control signal based on the speed signal, Equipped with, The fluid pressure circuit includes a valve mechanism controlled by the control signal to adjust the amount of working fluid in the pressure chamber of the fluid pressure cylinder, The sensor is a tachogenerator, comprising a cylindrical member mounted coaxially with the rotating shaft, and positioned such that the outer surface of the member contacts the outer surface of the wheel of the running gear, to measure the ground speed. Rail brake device for material handling machinery.

2. The rail brake device for cargo handling machinery according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member is biased in a direction that presses against the outer surface of the wheel.

3. The rail brake device for cargo handling machinery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wheel in contact with the cylindrical member is a driven wheel of the running gear.

4. A material handling machine equipped with a rail brake device and a running gear capable of traveling along rails laid on the ground, The aforementioned rail brake device is A rail brake body that applies braking to the material handling machine by pressing a brake pad, which moves vertically in accordance with the operation of a fluid pressure cylinder, against the upper surface of the rail, A fluid pressure circuit for operating the aforementioned fluid pressure cylinder, A sensor that outputs a speed signal corresponding to the ground speed of the cargo handling machine, A control unit that outputs a control signal based on the speed signal, Equipped with, The fluid pressure circuit includes a valve mechanism controlled by the control signal to adjust the amount of working fluid in the pressure chamber of the fluid pressure cylinder, The sensor is a tachogenerator, comprising a cylindrical member mounted coaxially with the rotating shaft, and positioned such that the outer surface of the member contacts the outer surface of the wheel of the running gear, to measure the ground speed. Material handling machinery.