Boom Hinge Rail Clamp With Arcuate Cap for Bolt Load Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clamp devices for hinged boom rails in gantry cranes fail to accommodate variations in rail flange positions and production tolerances, leading to improper fitting, deformation, and bolt failure due to uneven stress distribution and high vibration cycles.
Innovation Solution
A clamp device with a cap portion slidably mounted on a base portion, featuring complementary arcuate mating surfaces allowing rotational movement, and a bolt system that distributes forces evenly to prevent bolt failure, ensuring secure clamping across varying rail positions and support surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a clamp is machined to high accuracy to accommodate rail variations, then fitting precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the clamp by providing arcuate mating surfaces with a radius of curvature that matches the rail flange. This allows the clamp to adapt to variations in rail position and support surface flatness through rotational movement, eliminating the need for high-precision machining while maintaining proper fitting.
2Device complexity
If a clamp with a rigid fixed cap portion is used, then structural simplicity is improved, but adaptability to rail position variations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the cap portion dynamically adjustable by allowing it to rotate relative to the base portion through arcuate mating surfaces. This rotational freedom enables the clamp to adapt to different rail positions and support surface conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a clamp with a rockable cap portion is used, then adaptability to rail positions is improved, but stress concentration in the bolt increases leading to failure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses arcuate mating surfaces with a radius of curvature matching the rail flange to enable smooth rotational movement of the cap portion. This curved geometry distributes forces evenly along the arc, preventing stress concentration at specific points and eliminating the prying action that causes bolt failure in rockable cap designs.
4Ease of manufacture
If a clamp with welded metal nose is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but deformation under tightening occurs causing stress locking and eventual failure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the nose geometry to a wedge-shaped profile that converts lateral forces from the rail into vertical forces on the cap and bolt. This parameter change allows the nose to be fabricated without welding while preventing deformation under tightening, as the wedge shape naturally distributes forces to prevent stress locking.
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp device for clamping a boom hinge rail 12 of gantry crane in-situ comprises a cap portion 14 slidably mounted on a base portion 13 and secured together by a Locking bolt 15, the cap portion 14 comprising a body 18 and a nose 19 which extends laterally outwardly from the body 18 along a nose axis. The clamp portion 13 and the body 18 of the cap portion 14 comprise complementary opposed arcuate mating surfaces 21, 22 which permit rotational movement to the cap portion 14 relative to the base portion 13 about an axis P which extends perpendicular to the 10 nose axis. The base and cap portions 13, 14 of the clamp always engage each other regardless of the position of the nose of the clamp, so that forces applied to the nose 19 of the clamp 10 by the rail 12 are directly applied to the base portion 13 of the clamp 10, thereby providing a clamp which is less prone to failure.