Materials Handling Vehicle Rear Arm Piling Rig Stabilization
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing materials handling vehicles face challenges in efficiently forming and deepening holes in various ground conditions, particularly in 'sticky' materials like clay, where piling rigs can jam, and require powerful hydraulic systems to extract stuck rigs, while also struggling with stability on uneven terrain.
Innovation Solution
A materials handling vehicle design featuring a rear arm with a pivotally mounted piling rig, elastomeric tires, and stabilizers that allow for lateral stabilization and lifting of the vehicle to manage stuck piling rigs, enabling efficient hole formation and deepening without the need for powerful hydraulic actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a piling rig is mounted on a rear arm of a materials handling vehicle, then hole formation and spoil removal efficiency is improved, but the vehicle becomes unstable on uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle is divided into functional segments: a stable chassis platform for support, a movable rear arm for hole formation, and separate stabilizer legs for terrain stabilization. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, maintaining overall vehicle stability while enabling efficient hole formation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Stabilizer legs are introduced as intermediary elements between the vehicle chassis and the ground. These stabilizers provide an intermediate support structure that transfers the vehicle's weight to the ground, creating a stable platform for the rear arm operations without requiring the entire vehicle body to be rigidly fixed.
2Reliability
If powerful hydraulic actuators are used to extract stuck piling rigs, then extraction capability is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's own weight is utilized as a counteracting force to extract stuck piling rigs. By lowering the stabilizer legs, the vehicle's weight creates a downward force that can dislodge stuck rigs from the ground, eliminating the need for additional powerful hydraulic actuators and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle performs self-extraction of stuck piling rigs using its own weight and stabilizer mechanism. The system uses the vehicle's inherent properties (weight, stabilizer movement) to solve the extraction problem rather than relying on separate complex hydraulic extraction systems, thereby simplifying the overall device.
3Strength
If the rear arm is made rigid for stable mounting, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability to different ground conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rear arm is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to pivot and move in response to ground conditions. The arm can be positioned at different angles and orientations, and can dynamically adjust its position during operation to accommodate varying terrain, maintaining both structural strength and operational adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid rear arm is designed to perform multiple functions: supporting the piling rig, providing a stable mounting structure, and enabling adaptability through its pivot capabilities. The same rigid structure serves both as a strength element and an adaptable platform for different ground conditions and operational requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A materials handling vehicle having a chassis, two front ground engaging wheels, two rear ground engaging wheels, a front loading arm pivotally mounted relative to the chassis about a generally horizontal front loading arm axis extending laterally relative to the vehicle, a rear arm being a single rigid rear arm and being pivotally mounted at a first end relative to the chassis about a generally horizontal first axis, the rear arm being pivotable relative to the chassis about a generally vertical second axis and a piling rig for removing spoil to form a hole, the piling rig being pivotally mounted at a second end of the rear arm about a generally horizontal third axis extending laterally relative to the arm.