Method for cleaning a shuttering board and construction machine having a device for cleaning a shuttering board

Abstract

A method for cleaning a shuttering board (60), which is used to form a slot wall in the ground, by means of a construction machine (10) on which a cleaning tool (90) is arranged such that it can be raised and lowered by means of a cable (24; 44) and a cable winch (21; 22), wherein overlay concrete adhering to the shuttering board (60) is stripped and removed during lowering by means of the cleaning tool (90), comprising the following steps: a) lowering the cleaning tool (90) via the cable (24; 44) along the shuttering board (60), b) detecting the presence of overlay concrete not removed by the cleaning tool (90) on the shuttering board (60) manually by an operator or automatically by a control device, c) stopping the cable winch (21; 22) in order to halt the cleaning tool (90) at a stop position along the shuttering board (60) if the presence of overlay concrete is determined during lowering, d) carrying out an automatic cleaning cycle by means of a / the control device, wherein the cleaning tool (90) is automatically raised from the stop position by a predefined distance and then lowered again along the shuttering board (60).

Description

[0001] METHOD FOR CLEANING A FORMWORK BOARD AND CONSTRUCTION MACHINE WITH A DEVICE FOR CLEANING A FORMWORK BOARD

[0002] The invention relates to a method for cleaning a shuttering plank and a construction machine with a device for cleaning a shuttering plank, wherein the shuttering plank is used to form a diaphragm wall in the ground, with a cleaning tool which is arranged on a / the construction machine so as to be liftable and lowerable by means of a support cable and a cable winch, wherein during lowering by the cleaning tool adhering to the shuttering plank excess concrete is stripped off and removed, whereby a release of the shuttering plank from the diaphragm wall is made possible, according to claim 1.

[0003] The invention further relates to a construction machine with a device for cleaning a formwork plank, which is used to form a diaphragm wall in the ground, by means of a cleaning tool which is attached or can be attached to the construction machine in a manner such that it can be raised and lowered via a support cable and a cable winch, according to claim 14.

[0004] When constructing a diaphragm wall in the ground, particularly with a diaphragm wall grab, the diaphragm space is excavated slat by slat in a chronological sequence, and the adjacent slats are created by filling the excavated space section by section with a hardenable compound, particularly a mortar or concrete compound. The compound may already be hardening in a first slit to form a first diaphragm wall segment or slat, or it may be hardened while an adjacent slit is still being worked.

[0005] For a precise joint or contact joint between adjacent slats, a stop-end plank can be used. The stop-end plank is the same width as the slats and typically extends across the entire depth of the slat or slot, i.e., from the slot base to the ground surface. The stop-end plank should be as close as possible to the opposite side walls of the excavation slot to prevent the transfer of hardening compound from the previously created first excavation slot into the adjacent excavation slot still to be processed.

[0006] The stop-end plank is first inserted into the first excavation slot before the hardening compound is poured into the excavation slot. Once the hardening compound has hardened, the adjacent slot is excavated next to the stop-end plank, and the stop-end plank is then removed.

[0007] Specifically, the stop plank is inserted as soon as a slat has been excavated (usually in the form of three slots). One or more rubber sealing elements can also be held in the stop plank, which are partially enclosed by the hardening compound. While the hardening compound is being poured, also known as concreting, the back of the stop plank rests against the ground. After concreting, the ground is excavated on the other side of the stop plank (often again in three steps), the plank is cleaned, pulled out and reinserted at the other end of the slot with new sealing elements. The next slat is then created, with the previously free areas of the sealing elements now enclosed by the hardening compound, thus ensuring a tight connection between the first and second slat.

[0008] The stop-end plank can also serve as a guide for the diaphragm wall grab, allowing it to be guided precisely along a guide surface of the stop-end plank and thus parallel to the first slot when excavating the adjacent slot. This allows a defined, tight butt joint to be created between the adjacent diaphragm wall segments or panels.

[0009] In practice, the stop-end plank inserted into the first slot often fails to form a completely sealed seal against the side walls of the excavation slot in the ground, allowing a certain amount of hardenable compound to penetrate from the first slot past the side of the stop-end plank and then harden on the guide surface of the stop-end plank. This compound, adhering to the side facing away from the hardened concrete, is referred to as excess concrete. The excess concrete can impair the guide properties, make it difficult to pull the stop-end plank, and / or prevent the reuse of the stop-end plank.

[0010] It is known, at least before pulling the stop-end plank out of the slot, to clean or plaster it in order to reduce the required pulling force or to make pulling possible in the first place by guiding a plastering tool along the stop-end plank and thereby stripping off the excess concrete from the stop-end plank.

[0011] In the current state of the art, the removal of excess concrete on the stop-end planks is carried out manually by an operator of the construction machine by lowering the plastering tool connected to the stop-end plank, suspended from the support cable, either force-fit or in free-fall operation, along the stop-end plank in a forced manner.

[0012] If the plastering tool reaches a zone with excess concrete that is not immediately removed, this can cause the plastering tool to be pushed sideways away from the stop plank. The operator can detect this manually, or more accurately visually, as the cable(s) of the main winch(s) on which the plastering tool is suspended are also deflected sideways in the operator's field of vision.

[0013] If there is a large accumulation of adhering overcast concrete, this can also be detected manually, or more precisely visually, by the plastering tool resting on the overcast concrete and unable to be lowered any further, causing slack in the cable(s) of the main winch(s) in the operator's field of vision. If the operator recognizes this condition, they can first attempt to loosen the overcast concrete by lifting the plastering tool slightly and then, while suspended from the support cable, lowering it back onto the overcast concrete.

[0014] If the momentum in force-locked operation is insufficient to loosen the excess concrete, the operator can also lower the machine in free-fall mode. This allows for significantly higher lowering speeds of the plastering tool and thus a significantly higher impact energy to loosen the excess concrete. However, there is a risk that the increased impact energy will suddenly loosen the excess concrete and cause the plastering tool to fall through. In this case, the operator must immediately apply the free-fall brakes to catch the plastering tool. This requires both a quick reaction time and a sensitive braking of the support cable, as otherwise a violent jolt through the entire construction machine and increased stress on it could occur.The well-known procedure of cleaning a formwork plank requires a very experienced operator, is strenuous and can lead to increased stress on the construction machine, which can reduce its service life.

[0015] The invention is based on the object of specifying a method for cleaning a shuttering plank and a construction machine with a device for cleaning a shuttering plank, with which the process of stripping and removing excess concrete adhering to the shuttering plank can be carried out more simply, efficiently and in a way that is gentler on the machine.

[0016] The object is achieved, on the one hand, by a method having the features of claim 1 and, on the other hand, by a construction machine having the features of claim 14. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the respective dependent claims.

[0017] The method according to the invention for cleaning a shuttering plank, which is used to form a diaphragm wall in the ground, by means of a construction machine on which a cleaning tool is arranged so as to be raised and lowered by means of a cable and a cable winch, wherein during lowering by the cleaning tool adhering to the shuttering plank excess concrete is stripped off and removed, is characterized by the following steps: a) lowering the cleaning tool via the cable along the shuttering plank, b) detecting the presence of excess concrete on the shuttering plank which has not been removed by the cleaning tool, preferably by detecting a lateral deflection of the cable or slack rope formation of the cable and / or a change in tensile force on the cable during lowering of the cleaning tool, manually by an operator or automatically by a control device orby means of a measuring device coupled to the control device, c) stopping the cable winch to stop the plastering tool at a stop position along the stop-end plank if the presence of excess concrete is detected during lowering, d) carrying out an automatic plastering cycle by means of a / the control device, whereby the plastering tool is automatically raised from the stop position by a predetermined distance and then lowered again along the stop-end plank (the automatic plastering cycle can be started manually by the operator or automatically by the control device), and e) optionally repeating the automatic plastering cycle - again manually or automatically and preferably at a predetermined frequency, if the presence of excess concrete at the stop position continues to be detected (manually by the operator or automatically by the control device).The automatic cleaning cycle can also be repeated manually by the operator or automatically by the control device.

[0018] A fundamental concept of the invention is to provide a control device that performs the complex process of removing stubbornly adhering concrete from the stop-form planks in an automatic cleaning cycle. The automatic cleaning cycle essentially represents a "mechanical assistant" that enables the removal of excess concrete from the stop-form planks fully or semi-automatically in a reproducibly controlled and efficient process.

[0019] In the course of the method according to the invention, excess concrete adhering to a stop-end plank is stripped off and removed by first engaging the cleaning tool, known per se in its basic design and functional interaction with the stop-end plank as described above, with the stop-end plank and lowering it along the plank in step a). This process can be carried out either automatically by the control system of the construction machine or manually by the operator. Any excess concrete that is not strongly adhering or other simple contaminants are thereby loosened and removed without any particular resistance.

[0020] If the plastering tool reaches a zone with firmly adhering excess concrete during its downward movement along the stop-end plank that cannot be immediately removed by the plastering tool, this is determined in step b), indirectly manually, more precisely visually by the operator or by a suitable measuring device with which, for example, a tensile force on the support cable is recorded during lowering and / or by detecting a lateral deflection of the cable or slack in the cable, which is an indication of the presence of excess concrete on the stop-end plank.

[0021] There are therefore different variants for the detection of excess concrete, namely a "manual", precise visual detection by the operator, if necessary supported by measuring devices on the construction machine, the detection variables of which can be communicated to the operator via the control device, or by an automatic detection of relevant parameters by the control device of the construction machine.

[0022] The manual detection of the excess concrete by the operator can, for example, be done visually based on the path of the cable in the field of vision when the plastering tool is pushed sideways away from the stop plank by the excess concrete, with the result that the cable or cables of the main winch(s) on which the plastering tool is suspended are deflected sideways and also move sideways in the operator's field of vision.

[0023] The operator can also manually detect excess concrete by visually observing the formation of slack in the ropes, for example. As soon as the plastering tool encounters excess concrete during its downward movement along the stop-end plank and the rope continues to unwind, the rope is no longer under sufficient tension, and slack develops. This slack can be visually detected by the operator.

[0024] However, the detection of excess concrete can also be done automatically by the construction machine's control system and signaled to the operator or used directly for automatic control measures on the construction machine. For example, excess concrete can also be detected by monitoring and recording the path of the cable when the plastering tool is pushed sideways away from the stop plank by the excess concrete. The resulting deflection and lateral movement of the cable, or the formation of slack in the cable, can be detected by a suitable sensor and evaluated by the control system as an indication of the presence of excess concrete.

[0025] The detection of excess concrete can also be carried out by monitoring and recording the tensile force on the rope of the plastering tool by the control device using a measuring device coupled to it, if a change in tensile force occurs when the plastering tool is lowered and a minimum tensile force on the rope is not reached.

[0026] The presence of excess concrete can also be detected automatically by the control device by detecting slack in the rope, for example by measuring the rope force on the main winch(s), when the plastering tool begins to stand on excess concrete but the rope continues to be unwound, resulting in a change in the rope force.

[0027] The presence of excess concrete can be indirectly and automatically detected by the control device, for example, by detecting a sideways inclination or lateral deflection of the rope of the plastering tool via a sensor or an image sensor which detects the rope and whose signal or image data is evaluated using image recognition techniques when the plastering tool is pushed sideways away from the screed by excess concrete.

[0028] Detection via cable tensile force generally only allows detection of excess concrete if the excess concrete is so large or strong that the cleaning tool can rest on it. However, there are also forms of excess concrete that are designed in such a way that the teeth of the grab or cleaning tool slide past them without loosening the excess concrete. In this case, the grab or cleaning tool tilts sideways, which can be detected by the lateral deflection of the cable or cables. If the cleaning tool were to be lowered further, the lateral guide would be the next to come into contact with the excess concrete. This can then become stuck to the excess concrete. In practice, in such a situation, the cleaning tool can be lifted out of the slot and the teeth on the cleaning tool, e.g. the grab bucket, removed and reassembled after being rotated so that the tooth tips are closer to the stop plank. Against this background, detection of the deflection of the cable or cables is important.Ropes are preferable to the detection of rope force, whereby the invention includes both variants as alternatives as well as a combined evaluation of both parameters.

[0029] If excess concrete is detected in step c), the lowering of the plastering tool is stopped by the control unit controlling the corresponding cable winch, either automatically or manually by the operator. The presence of excess concrete can be detected, for example, if a change in tensile force occurs and a minimum tensile force on the cable is undershot, and / or a permissible lateral deflection of the cable is exceeded, and / or slack in the cable is detected. The stop position of the plastering tool is preferably detected automatically and stored in the control unit as the position of the excess concrete.

[0030] The subsequent execution of the predefined automatic cleaning cycle by means of the control device, in which the cleaning tool can be automatically raised from the stop position by a predetermined distance and then lowered again along the stop plank and in which the automatic cleaning cycle can be repeated, preferably with a predetermined frequency, if the presence of excess concrete at the stop position continues to be detected and thus the cleaning tool has not passed the previously stored stop position, can be triggered manually by the operator or started and executed automatically by the control device.

[0031] Preferably, in the automatic plastering cycle, the plastering tool is lowered via the cable either force-locked or in free fall. The type of lowering determines the magnitude of the impulse or impact energy for detaching the excess concrete, with free fall providing a greater impulse than force-locked lowering. In contrast, force-locked lowering reduces the dynamics and the associated loads on the construction machine. Preferably, the automatic plastering cycle includes a function whereby, when the plastering tool is lowered via the cable either force-locked or in free fall, the cable winch assigned to the cable is automatically braked, preferably at a predetermined distance from, or more precisely after, the previously saved stop position along the formwork plank or after a predetermined period of time when it is determined that the plastering tool has passed the stop position without the presence of excess concrete being further detected.The cable winch can be braked using a predefined deceleration profile. Free-fall or force-lock lowering, in the current state of the art, places particularly high demands on the operator because the event that the excess concrete has been released cannot be immediately detected by the operator, and the subsequent braking intervention can only be triggered with a delayed reaction from the operator. During this time, however, the cleaning tool can already cover a considerable distance during free-fall lowering or reach a high speed, possibly impacting the ground. Operating the free-fall brake and adjusting the braking force also requires considerable experience to avoid severe vibrations of the construction machine.Overall, the entire process for removing the excess concrete requires considerable attention from the operator, which is associated with high physical strain and increases the likelihood of errors. The reproducibility of the process and compliance with certain constraints are also severely limited, as they essentially depend on the experience and skill of the operator.

[0032] Preferably, according to the invention, when the automatic cleaning cycle is repeated, i.e., if the presence of excess concrete at the stop position continues to be detected, the cleaning tool is raised by a predetermined distance that is greater than the lifting distance during an execution of the automatic cleaning cycle preceding the repetition, or the cleaning tool is lowered at a speed that is higher than the lowering speed during an execution of step d) preceding the repetition. The fall height and / or the lowering speed can be increased step by step by defined amounts with each repetition. In one variant, the cleaning tool can also always be lowered in free fall during the first or a subsequent repetition of the automatic cleaning cycle.This gradual, automatic increase in the detachment impulse exerted by the plastering tool on the overlying concrete at one point reduces the load on the construction machine, as only the energy effectively required for detachment is used.

[0033] Preferably, the automatic cleaning cycle is repeated automatically at a predetermined frequency, if necessary, until the control device or the operator no longer detects excess concrete based on the criteria described above for the stored position (stop position) and the cleaning tool passes this or the operator stops the process manually.

[0034] According to the invention, the execution of the automatic cleaning cycle after stopping the cable winch and / or the optional repetition of the automatic cleaning cycle, if necessary, namely if the presence of excess concrete at the stop position is still detected, can be initiated manually by the operator or automatically by the control device. This allows for flexible, semi-automatic or fully automatic operation for cleaning the formwork planks, depending on the on-site situation.

[0035] The invention then also relates to a construction machine with a device for cleaning a formwork plank, which is used to form a diaphragm wall in the ground, by means of a cleaning tool which is attached or can be attached to the construction machine so as to be liftable and lowerable via a cable and a cable winch, wherein the cleaning device comprises a control device which is coupled to a device for detecting the presence of excess concrete, preferably to a measuring device for directly / indirectly detecting a tensile force on the cable and / or to a measuring device for detecting a lateral deflection of the cable and / or to a measuring device for detecting slack in the cable, and to the cable winch and which is designed to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0036] Preferably, the cleaning tool used in the method or the construction machine is either a diaphragm wall grab suspended from the cable, or a stripping element suspended from the cable, or a stripping element coupled to a diaphragm wall grab suspended from the cable, which is designed to mechanically strip off the excess concrete adhering to the shuttering board. The cleaning tool is preferably guided along the shuttering board in a form-fitting manner during movement along the shuttering board, preferably through mechanical engagement of the cleaning tool with the shuttering board. These types of cleaning tools are known per se in the prior art and can be used for the method according to the invention without modification.

[0037] The invention will be further described below with reference to preferred embodiments, which are schematically illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0038] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a construction machine to which the invention can be applied;

[0039] Fig. 2a-d different views of a diaphragm wall grab connected to the shuttering board via an adapter as a first example of a plastering tool;

[0040] Fig. 3a-d different views of a diaphragm wall grab connected to the shuttering board via another adapter as a second example of a plastering tool;

[0041] Fig. 4a-d different views of a special tool connected to the shuttering plank as a third example of a plastering tool; and

[0042] Fig. 5a-d different views of another special tool connected to the formwork plank as a fourth example of a plastering tool.

[0043] In the following, the invention is described using an exemplary embodiment of a construction machine 10 with a diaphragm wall grab 30 according to Fig. 1, in which the invention can be implemented. In this context, however, components of the construction machine 10 are also described which are provided in a specific configuration in the exemplary embodiment, but which do not have a direct functional connection with the essential features of the invention and which are therefore not necessary for the implementation of the invention or not necessary in the specific configuration of the embodiment. The construction machine 10 shown in Fig. 1, in which the invention can be implemented, is an example of a so-called cable excavator and has a mobile carrier device 12 with a crawler track as the undercarriage 14. Instead of the crawler track, another chassis or, if necessary, a floating pontoon can also be used.A superstructure 16 with an operator's cabin 17 can be mounted on the undercarriage 14, rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation. A control device including an input device for a machine operator can be located within the operator's cabin 17.

[0044] A boom arm 18 can be pivoted about a horizontal axis and pivoted to the superstructure 16. A support or holding cable 24 and / or an actuating cable 44 can be guided to a head 20 of the boom arm 18 with deflection pulleys. A diaphragm wall grab or rope grab 30 with a grab frame 32 and lower grab buckets 34 is attached to the end of the cable grab. A hydraulic grab can also be used instead of the rope grab. The holding cable 24 can be actuated to raise and lower the rope grab 30 via a first cable winch 21 on the carrier device 12. Furthermore, a second cable winch 22 for the actuating cable 44 can be located on the carrier device 12. This cable is also guided via the head 20 of the boom arm 18 to the cable gripper 30 for actuating the gripper blades 34 at the lower end of the gripper frame 32. Alternatively, the gripper blades 34 can also be adjusted by actuating cylinders, preferably hydraulic cylinders.Since the grab can also be held by the closing cable when the buckets are closed, the term "cable" is used in the context of the disclosure of the present invention for the support or holding cable 24 and / or the actuating cable 44, because the cable grab or the cleaning tool to be described later can be held by one or both of these cables. The term "cable" in the singular is therefore intended to encompass multiple cables within the context of the present invention.

[0045] The functioning of the construction machine 10 according to the invention is explained in more detail below in connection with Figures 1 and 2b, but is only relevant for the purposes of the present invention insofar as it concerns the function of lowering and raising the diaphragm wall grab or rope grab 30, or a special tool used in its place as a cleaning tool 90, along the formwork plank 60 for stripping and removing excess concrete. In a central region of the grab frame 32, an actuating carriage 42 of an actuating device for actuating the grab buckets 34 is mounted so as to be displaceable in a vertical longitudinal direction. The end of the holding cable 24 is attached to the upper end of the actuating carriage 42, so that the rope grab 30 is held via the actuating carriage 42.

[0046] At a lower end of the actuating carriage 42, a linkage mechanism 46 with linkage rods 47 is arranged. The linkage rods 47 are pivotally connected, on the one hand, to the actuating carriage 42 and, on the other hand, to one of the gripper blades 34. The gripper blades 34 are themselves pivotally mounted on the lower end of the gripper frame 32 via pivot bearings 35. By a relative displacement of the actuating carriage 42 with respect to the gripper frame 32, the gripper blades 34 can be opened and closed. By a relative upward displacement of the actuating carriage 42, the linkage rods 47 are pulled upward, whereby the gripper blades 34 are pivoted about their pivot axes 35 into their open position, which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2b.

[0047] Below the actuating carriage 42, a pulley assembly 50 is provided for the actuating cable 44. The pulley assembly 50 has at least one upper roller 52, which is rotatably mounted on the actuating carriage 42, and at least one lower roller 54, which is rotatably mounted on a lower region of the gripper frame 32. The actuating cable 44, which is fed from above, wraps around the rollers 52, 54, forming loops or pulls, with the lower end 56 of the actuating cable 44 being firmly connected to the gripper frame 32. The actuating carriage 42 is thus adjustably connected or coupled to the gripper frame 32 via the actuating cable 44.

[0048] Starting from the opening position according to Fig. 2b, the rope grab 30 is lowered into a slot, which is indicated by two schematic side walls 61 of the slot or a guide device. To grab soil material, the actuating carriage 42 can be pulled downwards relative to the grab frame 32 by the pulley assembly 50 by pulling the actuating cable 44 upwards using the second cable winch 22. The linkage rods 47 press the grab blades 34 downwards with an increased closing force, whereby the grab blades 34 are pivoted about their pivot bearings 35 into the closed position according to Fig. 1. When used in a slot in the ground, soil material can be grabbed and enclosed between the grab blades 34 with a closing force that is greater than the tensile force on the actuating cable 44.

[0049] After the rope grab 30 is pulled out of the slot in the ground and moved to an emptying position, the tensile force on the actuating rope 44 can be reduced. In this way, the grab frame 32 moves downward relative to the actuating carriage 42 due to its weight, so that the grab blades 34 are pivoted back into their open position via the linkage rods 47, as shown in Fig. 2b.

[0050] When the grab buckets 34 are filled, the upper carriage 16 is pivoted about the vertical axis from the position shown in Fig. 1 to an emptying position and can then be pivoted back to the position shown in Fig. 1.

[0051] From there, the rope grab 30 is lowered into a slot in the ground to pick up new soil material with the grab buckets 34 open. It is then retracted with the grab buckets 34 closed to the position shown in Fig. 1 and another emptying process takes place.

[0052] This described arrangement is merely an example. In principle, other pulley arrangements with different rope linkages and a different linkage mechanism, or a hydraulic actuation, can also be selected, which enables comparable grapple bucket actuation. For the purposes of the inventive method for removing excess concrete, however, only the raising and lowering of the rope grab 30 with open grab buckets 34, as shown in Fig. 2b, or the raising and lowering of a special tool used in its place and attached to the supporting or holding rope 24 and / or the actuating rope 44 (see Fig.2 to 5 as examples of such plastering tools 90) are relevant, which serve as plastering tools 90 for stripping and removing excess concrete and can be moved along the formwork plank 60 via a control of the cable winch(s) 21; 22 or a free-fall device with a free-fall brake (not shown in detail here).

[0053] The present invention is based on the basic practice described in the introduction of mechanically stripping the excess concrete from a stop-end plank 60 by means of a cleaning tool 90 suspended from a construction machine 10, preferably by knocking it off, in that the cleaning tool 90 is raised a short distance after the downward movement along the stop-end plank 60 and then lowered onto the excess concrete again while suspended from the cable 24; 44 in a force-locking manner or in free-fall operation.

[0054] According to the invention, an automatic plastering cycle, described in more detail later, and, in a further improvement, a form-fitting guide of the plastering tool 90 on the formwork plank 60 are provided. With regard to the plastering tool 90 used according to the invention, the removal of the excess concrete can basically be carried out in at least two ways, which are explained below with reference to Figs. 2a-d, 3a-d, 4a-d, and 5a-d.

[0055] In a first variant, the diaphragm wall grab or rope grab 30 itself used for excavating the diaphragm wall is used as the cleaning tool 90 for removing the excess concrete. It is connected to a shuttering plank 60 by a mechanical engagement with the shuttering plank 60 in such a way that the diaphragm wall grab 30 can only be moved in the longitudinal direction of the shuttering plank 60, i.e., vertically, at a defined distance from the shuttering plank 60. Therefore, the term "cleaning tool" within the scope of the disclosure encompasses the grab itself or a dedicated special tool to be described later.

[0056] The positioning of the diaphragm wall grab 30 in the connected state is selected such that, when the grab buckets 34 are open, the teeth 34a of the bucket, which face the shuttering plank 60, are at a defined, constant distance from the shuttering plank 60, so that by lowering the grab along the shuttering plank 60, the excess concrete can be scraped off and removed with the teeth 34a (see also Fig. 2b and 3b).

[0057] The connection of the diaphragm wall grab 30 to the shuttering board 60 can be established, for example, via an adapter 70, 71, which is permanently mounted laterally on the diaphragm wall grab 30. The adapter 70, 71 is designed to establish mechanical engagement and positive locking with the shuttering board 60 in such a way that the adapter 70, 71 (and with it the diaphragm wall grab 30) is positively guided and can only be moved in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shuttering board. The design of the positive locking engagement depends on the respective shuttering board type. For example, there are shuttering boards 60 with parallel guide rails or recesses on both sides, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the shuttering board 60 and which the adapter 71 engages around and behind with a generally U-shaped profile (see Fig. 3b-d).In a further variant, the shuttering planks 60 are designed with a groove or recess with a T-shaped cross section, which extends in the longitudinal direction and into which the adapter 70 with a complementary shape can be inserted and engaged and can be guided in the longitudinal direction (see Fig. 2b-d).

[0058] Additionally, the adapter 70, 71 can be provided with a cutting tool or a dedicated stripping device 72, which, analogous to the gripper teeth, is positioned at a defined distance from the shuttering board 60 and can be used in addition to, and if necessary alternatively to, the gripper teeth for loosening and stripping the excess concrete (see Figs. 2b and 3b). The defined distance can also be zero, i.e., the stripping device 72 can also have direct contact with the shuttering board 60.

[0059] In a second variant, a dedicated special tool, for example in the form of a chisel or stripping block 80, 81, is used as the cleaning tool 90, which is fastened to the support cable 24 and / or the actuating cable 44 of the construction machine instead of the diaphragm wall grab 30 via a fastening device 83, for example an eyelet, and which, as previously described in connection with the adapter, is connected to the stop plank 60 in a form-fitting manner by a mechanical engagement with the stop plank 60 such that the special tool can be displaced in a positively guided manner at a defined distance from the stop plank 60 in the longitudinal direction of the stop plank 60 (see Fig. 4a-d and Fig. 5a-d).

[0060] The special tool is provided with a stripping device 82, for example in the form of teeth or a blade, which, when the special tool is connected to the shuttering plank 60, are at a defined distance from the shuttering plank 60, so that the excess concrete can be stripped and removed with the stripping device 82 by the guided lowering of the special tool along the shuttering plank 60. Within the scope of this description, the term "plastering tool" is used uniformly as a collective term for all variants of a mechanical stripping device 82, which is positively guided on the shuttering plank 60 in its longitudinal direction, for stripping and removing excess concrete and includes the diaphragm wall grab 30 as the sole stripping device, optionally with an adapter (on which a dedicated stripping device may also be provided), and the special tool with a dedicated stripping device 82.

[0061] According to the invention, forces in the support or holding cable 24 and the actuating cable 44 can be detected via corresponding detection devices, in particular measuring devices, which can be arranged, for example, on the cable winches 21; 22 or on the deflection pulleys on the head 20 of the boom arm 18. A control device, which is preferably arranged in the operator's cabin 17 on the carrier device 12, can display a tensile force on the support cable 24 and / or on the actuating cable 44, for example, during a plastering process, in order to serve as a basis for the manual detection of the excess concrete by the operator, as already described in the introduction, namely when a minimum tensile force on the support cable 24 and / or the actuating cable 44 is undershot during lowering.

[0062] The evaluation of the tensile force measurement and the determination of whether the minimum tensile force on the support cable 24 is undershot, which serves as an indicator for the presence of stubbornly adhering excess concrete on the shuttering plank, can also be carried out automatically by the control device and signaled to the operator or, in the context of an automatic or semi-automatic cleaning program, can lead to the automatic triggering of a stop process of the cable winch 21; 22 in order to stop the cleaning tool 90 at a stop position along the shuttering plank 60 at which the excess concrete that has not already been stripped off in a first process of lowering the cleaning tool 90 is present.

[0063] The detection of the presence of excess concrete on the shuttering plank 60 can, as also described in the introduction, also additionally or alternatively be carried out visually manually (i.e. by the operator) or also automatically indirectly by detecting the deflection of the support or holding cable 24 and / or the actuating cable 44 or the cleaning tool 90 itself by means of corresponding sensors (for example by an inclination or lateral acceleration sensor, a light barrier or by an image sensor in the form of a CCD or a camera, the signal or image data of which are evaluated by means of image recognition techniques) by the control device.

[0064] The detected stop position of the plastering tool 90 can be stored in the control device as a position for over-concrete and used for the following evaluations and control processes.

[0065] Following the detection of the presence of excess concrete, the invention provides for the automatic execution of an automatic cleaning cycle by means of the control device, triggered manually by the operator or automatically initiated by the control device, in which the cleaning tool 90 is raised in a predefined or programmed sequence from the stop position by a predetermined or preselectable distance and then, upon reaching the lifting height or position, is automatically lowered again along the formwork plank 60.This automatic cleaning cycle is automatically repeated, preferably at a predetermined frequency, if the cleaning tool 90 has not passed the stop position, which can be done by monitoring the position along the stop-form plank 60 and comparing it with the stored stop position, because this serves as an indication that the excess concrete has not yet been removed, or can be done again via the previously described detection of tensile force and / or cable deflection.

[0066] The lowering of the plastering tool 90 along the stop-form plank 60 can be carried out in the automatic plastering cycle either force-locked via the cable 24; 44 or in free fall. Due to the higher speed of the plastering tool 90, the free fall lowering provides a greater momentum, which facilitates the stripping—or more precisely, the removal—of the excess concrete.

[0067] In any case, the automatic cleaning cycle according to the invention can be designed such that when the cleaning tool 90 is lowered via the cable 24; 44, either force-locked or in free fall, the cable winch 21; 22 is automatically braked, preferably at a predetermined or preselectable distance from, more precisely, the stored stop position along the shuttering plank 60 or after a predetermined period of time or a measured distance after the stop position, when it is determined that the cleaning tool 90 has passed the stored stop position. The braking of the cable winch 21; 22 can be carried out with a predefined deceleration profile in order to minimize vibration of the construction machine 10 and the associated wear.

[0068] In order to increase the momentum of the cleaning tool 90 when an execution of the automatic cleaning cycle has not resulted in the removal of the excess concrete (which can be determined, for example, by detecting the tensile force and / or the inclination of the cleaning tool 90 or by monitoring the position of the cleaning tool 90 along the shuttering plank in comparison to the stored stop position), when the automatic cleaning cycle is repeated, the cleaning tool 90 can be automatically raised by a predetermined distance which is greater than the lifting distance in an execution of the automatic cleaning cycle preceding the repetition, or the cleaning tool 90 can be lowered at a speed which is higher than the lowering speed in an execution of the lowering preceding the repetition.

[0069] The process can also be designed such that during the first or subsequent repetition of the automatic cleaning cycle at the same location of excess concrete, the cleaning tool 90 is automatically lowered in free fall, even if it was lowered force-locked on the cable 24; 44 in a previous process. This allows a type of controlled "escalation" of the release impulse to be achieved only when needed, which reduces wear on the construction machine 10.

[0070] Finally, the automatic cleaning cycle can also provide a preferably preset limit on the frequency of repetitions, combined with an automated warning to the operator when such a limit is reached.

[0071] The method according to the invention can also comprise an automatic stopping of the cable winch when a target position of the cleaning tool 90 along the formwork plank 60 is reached and, if necessary, an automatic return of the cleaning tool 90 to a standby position after reaching the target position or in the event of a malfunction during the cleaning cycle.

[0072] The automatic cleaning cycle implemented in the method according to the invention simplifies the complex process of removing stubbornly adhering excess concrete for an operator and, on the one hand, enables the construction machine 10 to be operated even by less experienced operators and reduces the mechanical loads on the construction machine 10 through a controlled and defined movement sequence during the cleaning process.

[0073] Within the scope of the method according to the invention, as already explained in the introduction in connection with Figs. 2 to 5, the cleaning tool 90 can be either a diaphragm wall grab 30 suspended from the cable 24; 44 or a stripping element (special tool) suspended from the cable 24; 44 or a stripping element coupled to a diaphragm wall grab 30 suspended from the cable 24; 44, which is designed to mechanically strip off the excess concrete adhering to the stop-end plank 60. Furthermore, the cleaning tool 90 can preferably be guided along the stop-end plank 60 in a form-fitting manner during its movement along the stop-end plank 60, preferably by a mechanical engagement of the cleaning tool 90 with the stop-end plank 60, whereby this engagement - as also described in the introduction - can also be realized via an adapter.

[0074] In addition to the method, the invention also includes a construction machine 10 equipped with a device for cleaning a formwork plank, which is used to form a diaphragm wall in the ground, by means of a cleaning tool 90, which is attached or attachable to the construction machine 10 via a cable 24; 44 and a cable winch 21; 22 so that it can be raised and lowered. The cleaning device can comprise a dedicated control device configured to carry out the method and which communicates with a higher-level machine control system, which is coupled to a device for detecting the presence of excess concrete, preferably with a measuring device for detecting a tensile force on the cable 24; 44 and / or for detecting a cable deflection and / or slack cable, and to the cable winch 21; 22 in order to exchange the required data and control signals, or can be implemented as a functional part in the higher-level machine control system.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1 Method for cleaning a shuttering plank (60), which is used to form a diaphragm wall in the ground, by means of a construction machine (10), on which a cleaning tool (90) is arranged so as to be raiseable and lowerable by means of a cable (24; 44) and a cable winch (21; 22), wherein during lowering by the cleaning tool (90) adhering to the shuttering plank (60) excess concrete is stripped off and removed, comprising the steps of: a) lowering the cleaning tool (90) via the cable (24; 44) along the shuttering plank (60), b) detecting the presence of excess concrete on the shuttering plank (60) which has not been removed by the cleaning tool (90), preferably by detecting a lateral deflection of the cable (24; 44) or slack rope formation of the cable (24; 44) and / or a change in the tensile force on the cable (24; 44) when lowering the cleaning tool (90), manually by an operator or automatically by a control device, c) stopping the cable winch (21 ;22) for stopping the cleaning tool (90) at a stop position along the shuttering plank (60) if the presence of excess concrete is detected during lowering, d) carrying out an automatic cleaning cycle by means of a / the control device, wherein the cleaning tool (90) is automatically raised from the stop position by a predetermined distance and then lowered again along the shuttering plank (60), and e) optionally repeating the automatic cleaning cycle if the presence of excess concrete is still detected at the stop position.; 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the stop position of the cleaning tool (90) is automatically detected and stored in step c).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the automatic cleaning cycle the cleaning tool (90) is lowered via the cable (24; 44) in a force-locking manner or in free fall.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that when the cleaning tool (90) is lowered via the cable (24; 44) in a force-locking manner or in free fall, the cable winch (21; 22) is automatically braked, preferably at a predetermined distance after the stop position along the shuttering plank (60) or after a predetermined period of time when it is determined that the cleaning tool (90) has passed the stop position.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the braking of the cable winch (21; 22) takes place with a predefined deceleration profile.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that when the automatic cleaning cycle is repeated, the cleaning tool (90) is raised by a predetermined distance which is greater than the lifting distance in an execution of the automatic cleaning cycle preceding the repetition, or the cleaning tool (90) is lowered at a speed which is higher than the lowering speed in an execution of step d) preceding the repetition.

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when the automatic cleaning cycle is repeated, the cleaning tool (90) is lowered in free fall.

8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that when repeating the automatic cleaning cycle, it is automatically repeated at a predetermined frequency.

9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the tensile force on the rope (24; 44) is detected directly or indirectly with a measuring device.

10. Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the presence of excess concrete is determined indirectly by a sensor which detects an inclination of the plastering tool (90) or a lateral deflection of the cable (24; 44) or slack formation of the cable (24; 44).

11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the cable winch (21; 22) is automatically stopped by the control device at the stop position along the shuttering plank (60) in step c) if the presence of excess concrete is detected during lowering, in particular by a minimum tensile force on the cable (24; 44) being undershot and / or a permissible lateral deflection of the cable (24; 44) being exceeded and / or slack formation of the cable (24; 44) being detected.

12. Method according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the cleaning tool (60) is either a diaphragm wall grab (30) suspended from the cable (24; 44) or a stripping element suspended from the cable (24; 44) or a stripping element coupled to a diaphragm wall grab (30) suspended from the cable (24; 44), which is designed for the mechanical stripping of the excess concrete adhering to the shuttering plank (60), and in that the cleaning tool (90) is preferably guided in a form-fitting manner on the shuttering plank (60) during the movement along the shuttering plank (60), preferably by an engagement of the cleaning tool (90) with the shuttering plank (60).

13. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the execution of the automatic cleaning cycle and / or the optional repetition of the automatic cleaning cycle is started manually by the operator or automatically by the control device.

14. Construction machine with a device for cleaning a formwork plank (60), which is used to form a diaphragm wall in the ground, by means of a cleaning tool (90) which is attached or can be attached to the construction machine (10) via a cable (24; 44) and a cable winch (21; 22) so as to be raiseable and lowerable, wherein the device for cleaning comprises a control device which is coupled to a device for detecting the presence of excess concrete, preferably to a measuring device for detecting a tensile force on the cable (24; 44) and / or a measuring device for detecting a lateral deflection of the cable (24; 44) and / or a measuring device for detecting slack in the cable, and to the cable winch (21; 22), and which is designed to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 13.

15. Construction machine according to claim 14, characterized in that the cleaning tool (90) is either a diaphragm wall grab (30) suspended from the cable (24; 44) or a stripping element suspended from the cable (24; 44) or a stripping element coupled to a diaphragm wall grab (30) suspended from the cable (24; 44), which is designed for mechanically stripping off the excess concrete adhering to the shuttering plank (60).

16. Construction machine according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the cleaning tool (90) is designed such that it is guided in a form-fitting manner on the formwork plank (60) during the movement along the formwork plank (60), preferably by an engagement of the cleaning tool (90) with the formwork plank (60).

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