Pavement sweeper with conveyor lift out drop in system

摘要

A mechanized broom-type sweeper vehicle (10) includes a conveyer (14) having two laterally extending pintle-like stub shafts (14-5) with the conveyor (14) received in a cradle (20) that includes split pillow blocks that each receive a respective one of the stub shafts (14-5). The conveyor (14) can be readily lifted from the vehicle (10) by removing structures superposed above the conveyor (14), disconnecting various mechanical and electrical connection removing the cap portion of each pillow-block, and thereafter lifting the conveyor (14) from the vehicle with an overhead crane. In a similar manner, a repaired or replacement conveyor (14) can be lowered via a crane into the cradle (20) with the stub shafts received within the pillow blocks and the caps reinstalled. The use of a top-side removal and a top-side installation technique reduces the time (and associated costs) for the removal and replacement of a conveyor (14) to as little as four hours or less.

主权项

1. A method for removing a conveyor from a mechanical broom sweeper vehicle from the top of the vehicle, the mechanical broom sweeper of the type having a rotatable roadway-engaging broom and a debris conveyor mounted aft of the rear axle of the vehicle and having a cradle for carrying the conveyor at a predetermined angle relative to the roadway, the conveyor having first and second stub shafts, a first stub shaft extending laterally outward from a first side of the conveyor and a second stub shaft extending laterally outward from a second side of the conveyor, the first and second stub shafts coaxial with a common axis, comprising the steps of:
mounting the first and second stub shafts in respective first and second stub shaft receiving formations, each formation having a first part connected to the vehicle and having a semi-cylindrical surface receiving its respective stub shaft and having a second removable part having a semi-cylindrical surface, the second removable part and the first part removeably secured together so that the semi-cylindrical surfaces define a bore for receiving its respective stub shaft; removing each second removeable part from its respective first part; disconnecting any mechanical connections to the conveyor; removing any structures on the sweeper vehicle superposed above the conveyor and interfering with lifting the conveyor vertically from the sweeper vehicle; and lifting the conveyor from the vehicle to effect removal therefrom.