System for traveling on a cylindrical or frustoconical surface
The invention relates to a travel system for cylindrical and/or conical surfaces, in particular for the outer surface or the inner surface of a pipe or mast ( 1 ), having: an assembly platform ( 4 a, 4 b ); a plurality of connected undercarriage elements ( 6 ), preferably identical undercarriage elements ( 6 ), which form a closed ring in a circumferential direction, in particular together with the assembly platform ( 4 a, 4 b ) integrated between two undercarriage elements ( 6 ); a clamping system ( 7 ) which connects at least the undercarriage elements ( 6 ) to each other and with which the distance between the connected undercarriage elements ( 6 ) can be changed; at least one other undercarriage element ( 8 ) which is situated on the assembly platform ( 4 a, 4 b ) at an axial distance from the ring of connected undercarriage elements ( 6 ); wherein at least the undercarriage elements ( 6 ) connected to the ring, preferably also the undercarriage element ( 8 ) axially spaced therefrom, are each in the form of a continuous track system. The invention also relates to a continuous track vehicle ( 11 ), in particular a 2-track continuous track vehicle ( 11 ), having at least one chain guided around two spaced deflection wheels ( 17 ), in particular deflection gears ( 17 ), running surface elements ( 20 ) being secured to the links ( 18 ) of the chain, wherein the running surface elements ( 20 ) each comprise rollers ( 21 ) for contacting a driving surface, the axes of rotation of the rollers being oriented in the direction in which the deflection wheels ( 17 ) are spaced or the running surface elements ( 20 ) being displaceable relative to the associated link ( 18 ) by at least one actuator ( 24 ).
1. A system for traveling on a cylindrical or frustoconical surface, the system comprising:
an assembly platform;
a plurality of connected undercarriage elements that form a closed circumferential annular array with the assembly platform integrated between two of the undercarriage elements;
a respective continuous-track drive on each of the undercarriage elements;
a plurality of scissor-joint gripping structures that each circumferentially connect a respective two of the connected undercarriage elements to one another and with which a spacing between the respective connected undercarriage elements can be changed, each gripping structure being of variable circumferential length and having a plurality of crossed scissor levers that are pivoted centrally at intersections, each gripping structure having circumferentially and axially spaced end connectors each carrying a respective support element of the respective undercarriage element and each pivotable on the respective connector by 180° between a first orientation in which the respective undercarriage element is radially inward with respect to the gripping structure and a second orientation in which the respective undercarriage element is radially outward with respect to the gripping structure;
respective actuators each for changing the circumferential length of a respective one of the gripping structures and the circumferential spacing between the respective undercarriage elements; and
a plurality of continuous-track drives on the assembly platform at an axial spacing from the annular array of the connected undercarriage elements.
2. The travel system defined in claim 1 , wherein each gripping structure has at least two scissor-joint chains or scissor-joint lattices spaced apart radially from and arranged next to one another.
3. The travel system defined in claim 1 , wherein each continuous-track drive comprises a continuous-track truck.
4. The travel system defined in claim 3 , wherein each undercarriage element has a support element connectable to the respective gripping structure and supporting the respective continuous-track drive truck for movement about a radial and drivable pivot axle.
5. The travel system defined in claim 3 , wherein each continuous-track truck has links carrying respective interchangeable tread elements.
6. A system for traveling on a cylindrical or frustoconical surface, the system comprising:
an assembly platform;
a plurality of connected undercarriage elements that form a closed circumferential annular array with the assembly platform integrated between two of the undercarriage elements, each undercarriage element having a support element connectable to the respective gripping structure and supporting the respective continuous-track drive truck for movement about a radial and drivable pivot axle;
a respective continuous-track drive on each of the undercarriage elements;
a plurality of scissor-joint gripping structures that each circumferentially connect a respective two of the connected undercarriage elements to one another and with which a spacing between the respective connected undercarriage elements can be changed, each gripping structure being of variable circumferential length and having a plurality of crossed scissor levers that are pivoted centrally at intersections;
respective actuators each for changing the circumferential length of a respective one of the gripping structures and the circumferential spacing between the respective undercarriage elements; and
a plurality of continuous-track drives on the assembly platform at an axial spacing from the annular array of the connected undercarriage elements, each continuous-track drive having a respective continuous-track truck, each continuous-track truck having two such continuous tracks and being pivotal perpendicular to the respective radial pivot axle about a respective drivable axle extending in a direction of travel between the respective two continuous tracks, the two axles being parallel.
7. The travel system defined in claim 6 , wherein at least one of the two continuous-track trucks is mounted on a support so as to be pivotal about an axis perpendicular to a direction of travel and perpendicular to the radial pivot axle, with the other dual-track continuous-track truck being also fastened to the support and not being pivotal about the same axis.
8. A system for traveling on a cylindrical or frustoconical surface, the system comprising:
an assembly platform;
a plurality of connected undercarriage elements that form a closed circumferential annular array with the assembly platform integrated between two of the undercarriage elements;
a respective continuous-track drive on each of the undercarriage elements;
a plurality of scissor-joint gripping structures that each circumferentially connect a respective two of the connected undercarriage elements to one another and with which a spacing between the respective connected undercarriage elements can be changed, each gripping structure being of variable circumferential length and having a plurality of crossed scissor levers that are pivoted centrally at intersections; and a plurality of continuous-track drives on the assembly platform at an axial spacing from the annular array of the connected undercarriage elements, each continuous-track drive having a respective continuous-track truck having links carrying respective interchangeable tread elements, the links of each continuous-track truck having tread elements that can be displaced relative to the respective link.
9. The travel system defined in claim 8 , further comprising:
controllable linear actuators displacing the tread elements and extending between each link and the respective tread element.