GB2112726A - Carriage for storing ceramic articles of manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

The carriage has article-receiving shelves 7 supported by uprights 6 which depend from cantilever portions 5 of the carriage frame. To compensate for bending of the cantilever portions 5 under load, there are provided trim adjusting devices, each including springs inside a tube 13, associated with the carriage frame at the portion thereof not subjected to bending loads to permit the lowering thereof under load by an extent corresponding to the arc of maximum deformation under load of the cantilever portions 5 to restore the shelves to a horizontal trim and so prevent the ceramic articles falling off the shelves or otherwise damaged. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved carriage structure for storing ceramic articles of manufacture This invention relates to improvements to temporary storage carriages for blanks and finished articles of manufacture having a substantially flat shape, such as the industrial carriages employed, for example, in ceramic tile production plants, and more particularly, to such carriages as are equipped with a trim adjusting device.

More specifically, the invention concerns a trim adjusting device for article of manufacture storage carriages of the so-called "dandy" type, wherein elements defining shelves, e.g. for supporting tiles thereon, are suspended from a frame and have their free lower ends unattached.

As is known, carriages of the general type outlined above are largely utilized in the industry for storing articles of manufacture and manufacturing blanks during the inoperative periods of intermittently operated apparatus, as well as for transporting articles from one processing station to another.

These carriages are known to include a plurality of vertical bar-like elements or uprights which support a plurality of horizontal bar-like elements defining multiple stacked horizontal supporting shelves adapted to accommodate the articles of manufacture or tiles. Carriages of the foregoing type generally comprise a frame in the shape of a frontally open double C-like structure for loading or unloading the articles. The uprights which carry the horizontal shelves are attached at the top to the upper cantilever portion of the "C", whilst their lower ends are allowed to hang freely.

The frame having such a structure is made to rest on the floor through wheels which enable the carriage to be moved on rails purposely provided in the plant.

Loading generally takes place on horizontal shelves, starting from the upper shelves down, and the weight which the carriage is to bear is considerably heavy. As an example, with tile manufacturing plants, said weight may range from 300 to 2,000 kilograms.

Thus, under such a load, the C-like frame tends to "close" on itself owing to flexure of its cantilever portion, the upper section of the double "C", the give reaching sometimes quite substantial values in the order of 8-10 mm at the points of deeper flexing, at the free end of said cantilever portion. As a result, those uprights and horizontal shelves which are secured to the frame section undergoing the bending stress are forced to follow the flex, such that the supporting shelves will assume a corresponding inclination toward the front open face of the double "C".

The inclination of the supporting shelves for the articles of manufacture represents a serious drawback, in that it may lead to the articles falling off the shelves, no longer truly horizontal, and/or the articles striking and becoming indented or otherwise damaged and broken while stored on the carriage.

It is a primary object of this invention to obviate the drawback mentioned above and affecting prior carriages, by providing an improved carriage structure capable of restoring to horizontality and keeping horizontal the shelves for supporting the articles of manufacture stored on the carriage, thus effectiveiy preventing the articles from suffering damage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved carriage which is reliable, constructionwise simple, and economically advantageous.

According to our aspect of the present invention these objects and advantages are achieved by a carriage structure, in particular for storing ceramic articles of manufacture thereon, which comprises a plurality of bar-like elements defining a plurality of parallel horizontal shelves and a frame having a fixed portion, at least one cantilever portion carrying said elements and adapted to flex under load and produce accordingly a corresponding inclination of said horizontal shelves, and a remaining portion not subjected to bending loads, characterized in that it comprises at least one trim adjusting device comprising elastically deformable means associated with said frame at said portion not subjected to bending loads to permit the lowering thereof under load relatively to said fixed portion of the frame corresponding in extent to the arc of maximum deformation under load of said flexing portion to restore said shelves to a horizontal trim.

Further features and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description of a carriage structure incorporating the trim adjusting device according to this invention, as illustrated by way of example and not of limitation in the accompanying drawings, where: Figure lisa perspective view of an improved carriage according to this invention; Figure 2 is a side view, showing in section the carriage of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is an enlarged scale sectional view showing the trim adjusting device of the improved carriage structure according to this invention.

Making initial reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, this carriage structure for storing ceramic articles of manufacture comprises a load-bearing structure, generally indicated at 10, and comprising a vertical assembly or square including vertical sectional members 2 and horizontal strengthening upper 3 and lower 4 crosspieces, an upper horizontal assembly or square of sectional members defined by two sectional members 5 and a front crosspiece joining then together (not shown in the drawings), said square being attached cantilever-fashion on top of the vertical square. At the bottom, the frame includes two more sectional members 5' which may be likened to the lower portions of the double "C".

The frame 10 rests on two fixed axles 1 carrying at their ends wheels 8.

The carriage structure comprises a plurality of vertical bar-like elements or uprights 6, attached with their upper ends to the horizontal sectional members 5 of the cantilever portion of the carriage load-bearing frame. Upright pairs arranged to face on one and the other of sectional members 5 support a plurality of bar-like elements or crosspieces 7, extending horizontally and parallel along the height of the uprights 6. The crosspieces of all the upright pairs are arranged in parallel such as to produce shelves for supporting the articles of manufacture stored on the carriage.

With the carriage loaded with articles, owing to weight, the cantilever portion, i.e. the horizontal sectional members 5, yield in conformity with a bending arc similar to that indicated by the arrow B in Figure 2. The bending of the frame cantilever sectional members 5 is, of course, accompanied by a displacement from the vertical of the uprights 6 connected thereto and let free at their lower ends.

The lower ends of the uprights 6 move toward the inside of the "C", and consequently the horizontal crosspieces 7 defining the article supporting shelves, connected to said uprights 6, being no longer vertical, take an inclined position on the horizontal.

To restore the article supporting shelves 7 to their horizontal trim, the carriage structure of this invention comprises at least one trim adjusting device, generally indicated at 11 in the drawings.

The trim adjusting device 11 is shown best in Figure 4. That device comprises elastically deformable means 12 adapted to deform to a degree which corresponds to the arc of maximum deformation or yield under load of the cantilever horizontal square of the frame 10.

The elastically deformable means 12 comprise at least one spring, preferably a plurality of springs.

The elastically deformable means have a yield curve matching the bending curve of the cantilever portion.

The elastically deformable means 12 are arranged inside a first rigid tubular element 13 and are guided by the inside wall thereof. Coupled telescopically with the first tubular element 13 is a second rigid element 14 defining, at its upper end, a fixed detent 15forthe elastically deformable means 12.

The first tubular element 13 is associated, by means of suitable fasteners, with the frame portion not subjected to bending, in particular with the lower horizontal sectional member 4 of the vertical sectional member square of the frame 10. The fasteners for securing the first tubular element 13 to the horizontal sectional member 4 are generally indicated at 16 and will be no further described herein because they may be of any suitable conventional types.

The second element 14 is anchored with its lower end to the wheel axle 1 or fixed portion of the carriage frame through any suitable means, generally indicated at 17. If desired, the trim adjusting device 11 may be also provided with any suitable stiffening means. An example of such stiffening means is shown at 18 in Figure 4. In this example, the stiffening means 18 are actually additional fasteners of the trim adhusting device engaging with the vertical sectional member square, and more particularly to the inside wall of the vertical sectional members 5 not subjected to bending. The structure of the carriage according to this invention, and as specified hereinabove, includes at least one trim adjusting device. Preferably, the carriage is provided with at least two trim adjusting devices.When two such trim adjusting devices are provided, they are placed on the axle 1 of the carriage wheels, as close as possible to the rear wheels, that is to the vertical square not subjected to bending. In this position, the elastically deformable means of the trim adjusting devices can cancel the error, that is the inclination produced by the frame cantilever portion flexing, and restore the article supporting shelves to horizontality.

The operation of the carriage structure incorporating the trim adjusting device according to this invention is quite simple.

When the carriage is loaded, the cantilever portion of the frame flexes in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 2, which results in the horizontal article supporting shelves 7 taking an inclination angle. In this condition, the elastically deformable means 12 associated with the vertical square of framing sectional members through the firsttubular element 13 wherewith they are rigidly connected, yield to a corresponding extent to the arc of maximum deformation under load of the cantilever pOrtion. Said maximum deformation corresponds in practice to the drop under load of the open end of the "C" (that is, the free ends of the sectional members 5). As the elastic means 12 yield down to the fixed detent 15, they bring down the first tubular element 13 which slides over the element 14 telescopically associated therewith, and consequently lower the vertical square of framing sectional members associated with the first tubular element 13 with respect to the frame fixed portion. Since such lowering of the vertical square under load, brought about by trim adjusting device(s) is of the same extent as the lowering under load of the open end of the "C", i.e.

as the maximum deformation of the cantilever portion, the article supporting shelves 7 are restored to horizontality to avoid damaging the articles of manufacture.

In practicing the invention, the materials used and the dimensions may be any selected ones to meet individual requirements.

Claims (6)

1. A carriage structure, in particular for storing ceramic articles of manufacture thereon, which comprises a plurality of bar-like elements defining a plurality of parallel horizontal shelves and a frame having a fixed portion, at least one cantilever portion carrying said elements and adapted to flex under load and produce accordingly a corresponding inclination of said horizontal shelves, and a remaining portion not subjected to bending loads, characterized in that its comprises at least one trim adjusting device comprising elastically deformable means associated with said frame at said portion not subjected to bending loads to permitthe lowering thereof under load relatively to said fixed portion of the frame corresponding in extent to the arc of maximum deformation under load of said flexing portion to restore said shelves to a horizontal trim.

2. A carriage structure according to Claim 1, wherein said trim adjusting device comprises a first tubular element made rigid with said elastically deformable means, and attached to the frame portion not subjected to bending loads, and a second element telescopically coupled with said first tubular element and defining a fixed detent for said elastically deformable means.

3. A carriage structure according to either Claim 1 or 2, wherein said elastically deformable means comprise at least one spring.

4. A carriage structure according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said frame includes a square formed from vertical sectional members and constituting said portion not subjected to bending loads and a horizontal square of sectional members cantilever mounted on the top of said vertical square and defining said portion subjected to bending loads, and wherein said frame is supported through said trim adjusting device on wheel axles for moving said carriage, said axles constituting said fixed portion of said frame.

5. A carriage structure according to Claim 4, wherein said elastically deformable means are fastened through said first tubular element to the lower portion of said vertical square and said second element is anchored with one end to said axles and defines with the opposite end said fixed detent.

6. A carriage structure substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.