WORKING PLATFORM
The invention concerns a working platform assembly for use in the interior of a tower-like building. The object of the present invention is to provide a working platform assembly which can be used in the interior of a tower-like building even if the tower is closed at the top by an upper structure thereon. According to the invention that object is attained by a scissor lattice-like carrier structure and a working platform arranged on the carrier structure. In that respect the invention is based on the that the working platform assembly according to the invention can be adapted to different inside diameters of the tower-like building by virtue of the scissor lattice-like carrier structure and can thus extend completely across the tower cross-section. That makes it possible to work on the platform assembly. The working platform assembly can be released from the tower wall by the scissor lattice-like carrier structure and fixed again in another region of the building of a different cross-section.
1. Technical Field
The present invention concerns a working platform assembly for use in the interior of a tower-like building.
2. Description of the Related Art
When erecting a tower-like building such as for example a pylon of a wind power installation it is necessary inter alia also to carry out operations in the interior of the tower-like building. For that purpose typically a working platform assembly is fixed to a crane and introduced from above into the interior of the tower-like building. That is only possible however as long as the upper end of the tower-like building is open. As soon as the tower-like building is closed off upwardly it is no longer possible to use a working platform assembly on a crane. As the pylon of a wind power installation can attain for example a height of 100 meters operations in the interior of the pylon are not readily possible.
At this juncture as state of the art attention is directed generally to the following publications: DE 366 A; AT 203 033 and U.S. Pat. No 1,652,403.
BRIEF SUMMARYTherefore the object of the present invention is to provide a working platform assembly which can be used in the interior of a tower-like building.
That object is attained by a working platform assembly as set forth in claim 1 and by a system for the use of a working platform assembly as set forth in claim 8.
Thus there is provided a working platform assembly which can be used in the interior of a tower-like building such as for example a pylon of a wind power installation. The working platform assembly has a scissor lattice-like carrier structure. A working platform is arranged on that carrier structure.
Therefore there is provided a working platform assembly which can be adapted to different cross-sections. That is of significance in particular in relation to tower-like buildings whose cross-sections narrow upwardly so that the available area for a working platform assembly varies accordingly.
A scissor lattice-like support arrangement is provided as the carrier structure for a working platform assembly, which support arrangement climbs upwardly in the interior of a tower or pylon with the building progress and has a working platform assembly. Such a working platform assembly or internal platform assembly can advantageously be used in relation to towers or pylons which are made from pre-cast concrete parts.
The pre-cast concrete parts used for erecting a tower or pylon have at their inner periphery holders on which the inner platform assembly or parts thereof can be suspended. Preferably those holders are disposed at predetermined heights and spacings. Holders can either be mounted at the outset in the pre-cast concrete parts or they can be subsequently fitted therein. The holders which are arranged in a distributed configuration permit the working platform assembly to behave in a similar fashion to a mountain climber who drives hooks into a mountain face above his position and then continues to climb up to those hooks.
Subsequent fitment of those hooks is basically possible but is time-consuming. Thus the holders are preferably fitted at the start so that a working platform assembly can quickly climb up or down on those holders.
It will be noted however that subsequent installation may be appropriate if the alternative is temporary dismantling of the wind power installation pod as that requires considerably more effort.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention arranged around the central carrier element is an actuating element which acts on the lower scissor lattice bars which bear against the central carrier element. The lower scissor lattice bars can be subjected to a tensile force by the actuating element. That results in retraction of the scissor lattice and thus a reduction in the size of the working platform assembly so that it can be moved into a part of the tower which is of smaller cross-section. In contrast, acting on the scissor lattice bars with a pressure force results in extension of the scissor lattice structure and thus an increase in the size of the working platform assembly. If the working platform assembly already extends through the entire tower cross-section and bears against the wall of the tower the pressing force exerted on the scissor lattice bars can provide for adjusting the contact pressure with which the peripheral edge of the working platform assembly bears against the tower wall.
Further configurations of the invention are set forth in the appendant claims.
The embodiments by way of example of the present invention are described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
A power supply for the working platform assembly and its Tirak winches can be provided for example by a cable 2 from below.
During those preparatory operations for displacing the working platform assembly within the tower it is repeatedly not held for a short time by a respective winch or the associated cable. The load of the working platform assembly must then be respectively carried by the other holders and cables.
The platform includes a predetermined number of plates 17, which is greater by 1 than the number of carrier arms. All plates 17 are of a circular round configuration in the present embodiment. One of those plates includes a central rod (see reference 60 in
The other plates 17 are each arranged on a respective carrier arm and fixed to the outer end of the carrier arm. Those plates are further provided with an opening slot 19. That opening 19 extends outwardly in a straight line in a radial direction from the center of the plate. In that respect the opening is of a width which is slightly greater than the diameter of the central rod. In situ each of those plates is so oriented that its opening faces towards the central rod 60. As the arms 5 expand, the plates 17 spread apart, providing a larger platform 7.
Accordingly there can be provided an internal platform assembly or working platform assembly which can itself climb up or down in the tower. For example in the case of a pylon of a wind power installation it is no longer necessary to go up or down from the pod in a basket with a winch. Rather there is now provided an internal platform assembly which can extend completely across the pylon and which can easily climb up where precisely working operations are to be executed. Furthermore by virtue of the configuration of the scissor lattice-like carrier arms 5 it can adapt to different pylon cross-sections.
As soon as the working platform assembly is no longer required it can be retracted by the scissor lattice-like carrier arms being contracted. Thereafter the working platform assembly can be removed again for example through a door in the pylon of a wind power installation. Preferably the working platform assembly has a central rod 60 and scissor lattice/carrier arms 5 pivotably mounted thereto. Arranged on the carrier arms 5 are plates 17 which then form the working platform 7. The so-called through-pass winches or Tirak winches are provided beneath the carrier arms. With Tirak or through-pass winches of that kind, the working platform assembly can itself climb up or down on cables extending through the winches. The cables of the Tirak winches 1 are preferably fixed to holders 3 at the inside of the tower-like building so that the Tirak winches can run up or down on the cables. Preferably a plurality of Tirak winches are provided at the periphery of the working platform assembly. For moving up or down the cables of the Tirak winches have to be successively released from the holders and fitted to the next higher or next lower holder, depending on whether the working platform assembly is to be moved up or down. Preferably there are at least five Tirak winches at the periphery of the working platform assembly so that there are also at least five cables with the corresponding holders 3.
The plates 17 of the working platform are preferably of such a configuration that they overlap each other so that the working platform 7 can adapt to the different cross-sections within a tower-like building.
That adaptation operation takes place as follows. As the plates 17 of the working platform 7 overlap and do not lie in front of each other in butting relationship, they can move relative to each other. That movement of a plate 7 inevitably occurs upon actuation of the scissor lattice. When the scissor lattice is retracted the plate which is fixed thereto moves towards the central rod and vice-versa.
As each of the plates 17 in fixed to a carrier arm 5 has an opening which is directed towards the central rod and is somewhat wider than same retraction of a carrier arm with the concomitant movement of the corresponding plate 7 does not result in the plate 7 colliding with the central rod. Rather the opening moves towards the central rod and receives it. The length of the opening is a measurement of the extent to which the platform can be pushed together or the scissor lattice-like carrier arm can be retracted.
A simplified representation of a plate 17 is shown in
The rollers 6 at the periphery of the working platform assembly 50 are provided so that the working platform assembly rolls against the inside of the tower wall and does not scrape along it there.
The working platform assembly which is adjustable in its cross-section can provide a working platform which is adapted to the cross-section of a tower-like building which narrows upwardly.
The above-described working platform assembly is found to be particularly advantageous when a pod of a wind power installation is already arranged on the pylon of the wind power installation and there is thus no longer any possible way of gaining access to the interior of the pylon of the wind power installation by means of a crane from above. In such a situation the working platform assembly which can be collapsed or which can be dismantled can be introduced through the door in the lower region of the pylon and appropriately set up so that it can then move up and down along the pylon by means of the holders 3 which are disposed in the pylon segments.
As the scissor expands, the plate 17 that is fixed to the respective arm 5 also moves from the center, providing an enlargement of the platform 10. As the arms are pushed together, the slots 19 go over central rod 60, making the platform smaller.
The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.
These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
Claims
1. A working platform assembly for use in the interior of a tower-like building comprising:
- a scissor lattice-like carrier structure,
- a working platform arranged on the carrier structure,
- wherein the carrier structure has at least three scissor lattice-like carrier arms spaced at a uniform arcuate distance,
- a central carrier element to which the scissor lattice-like carrier structures are pivotably mounted in radial orientation and are radially extendable,
- a plurality of mutually partially overlappling plates that form at least a portion of the working platform.
- each of the plates having an opening that, extends from a central position of the plate in a radial direction towards the central carrier element.
2. A working platform assembly according to claim 1 characterized by a Tirak winch at the peripheral end of each carrier arm.
3. A working platform assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterized by an actuating element which is arranged around the central carrier element and acts on the lower scissor lattice bars bearing against the central carrier element and is arranged along the central carrier element.
4. A working platform assembly according to claim 1 characterized by a holder for attaching cables which are fixed to the wall in the interior of the tower-like building at predetermined spacings, wherein the cables are guided through the Tirak winches.
5. A working platform assembly according to claim 4 characterized by a transverse member which can be arranged releasably in a tower segment which is to be fitted in position and which co-operates with the actuating element by means of a cable and a winch.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 16, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 9, 2009
Inventor: Aloys Wobben (Aurich)
Application Number: 11/817,950
International Classification: E04G 1/36 (20060101);