The instant application should be granted the priority dates of Aug. 10, 2011, the filing date of the corresponding German patent application 10 2011 052 544.0.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for replacing or changing a shaving blade that is secured or securable to a blade holder beam below the shaving carriage of an ice resurfacing machine via a plurality of screws.
Without such an apparatus the disassembly of a worn-out shaving blade, as well as the remounting of a new or freshly sharpened blade, on such an ice resurfacing machine is very time consuming and is extremely difficult and dangerous.
With ice resurfacing machines, the shaving blade is generally securely screwed below the shaving carriage. The spacing of the blade relative to the workshop floor when the shaving carriage is raised is generally about 200 mm. The distance of the blade to the rear edge of the shaving carriage is generally about 400 mm. Present for the securement of the blade, as part of the ice resurfacing machine, is a blade holder beam to which the blade is secured, in particular via counter-sunk or slotted flat-head screws, which via the flat head are inserted from below through the blade and the blade holder beam, and are secured from above by means of a nut. Multi-cornered, countersunk socket head screws, such as hexagonal socket screws, are generally used as the screws.
For the changing of the blade, the mechanic, who is on his knees, must grasp from behind the shaving carriage and below the shaving carriage, must from below fix with a screw driver, for example a hollow screw driver, the socket screws that are screwed in about 400 mm ahead of the rear edge of the carriage, and at the same time must loosen the tightened nuts that are disposed about 400 mm ahead of the rear edge of the carriage of the ice resurfacing machine and about 300 mm below the upper edge of the shaving carriage.
Prior to loosening the screws in order to remove the blade, the blade must be fixed on both sides by lowering the shaving carriage onto beams, generally wooden beams. After all of the screws have been removed, the shaving carriage is again raised, and the blade that is disposed on the beams must be pulled out and placed upon an available blade protector.
The sharpened new blade is subsequently placed upon the wooden beams and is shoved together with the wooden beams approximately into position below the shaving carriage, which must subsequently again be lowered to the required height in order to be able to guide the blade screws through the blade and the blade carrier.
US 2007/0277360 discloses an apparatus for changing ice scraper blades that are fastened or may be fastened by screws to a blade holder beam of an ice resurfacing machine. Mounted on opposite ends of the base frame of the ice resurfacing machine are two caster wheels upon which the base frame can be rolled over a horizontal ice surface or floor. A flat or shallow lift can be used for the placement, lowering, raising, and moving back and forth of the blade.
Other devices for changing ice scraper blades of ice resurfacing machines are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,350 and CA 2,643,560.
It an object of the present invention to provide an improved blade-changing apparatus with which the necessary mounting work can be effected more rapidly, and in particular the loosening and also the mounting of the blade can be effected almost without any danger from the upper side of the shaving carriage without the mechanic having to kneel down and grasp below the shaving carriage, thereby also entirely avoiding any contact with the shaving blade.
This object, and other objects and advantages of the present invention, will appear more clearly from the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
To inventively realize the aforementioned object, for each screw the blade carrier is provided with a respective fixing element that cooperates with a head of that screw, wherein the fixing elements reliably fix the screws in a prescribed position.
A metal rail is advantageously provided as a blade carrier, which, preferably with the aid of two handles, can in a simple manner be disposed below the shaving blade in such a way that all of to the blade screws are or can be simultaneously fixed against rotation by a respective fixing element that cooperates with the screw head in order to be able to loosen the nuts. The blade and the screws are held by the blade carrier even after the nuts have been removed.
Further specific features of the present application will be described in detail subsequently.
Referring now to the drawings in detail,
The inventive blade changing apparatus (see also
Depending upon the type of screw that is used, preferably a screw having a hexagonal recessed hole, the fixing pin 7 has, for example, the shape of a hexagonal screw driver. In principle, the end portion of the fixing pin 7 can be embodied as a screw driver for, in particular, double six, triangular, square, slotted, cross-slotted or Philips, torx, or even specially made screws,
Each fixing pin 7 is spring-loaded in the axial direction by means of a compression spring 6, which is preferably supported between the base of the housing 5 and the pin holder 4, in such a way that when the apparatus is being used, the fixing pin 7 is pressed from below against the screw 8 that is associated with that pin 7. The compression spring 6 can also be replaced by an appropriate permanent magnet arrangement.
As shown in
As can be seen in
As can be seen in
If for removal of a shaving blade that has become dull the inventive blade-changing apparatus is mounted or, by means of the securing devices 10, is clamped on the ice resurfacing machine, the fixing pins 7 can either be disposed aligned opposite the receiving openings 8.1 of the screws 8, so that pursuant to the positions “A” (see
If in the case of position “B” the corresponding nuts 8.2 are to be loosened, the screw 8 is first rotated therewith until the fixing pin 7 and the receiving opening 8.1 of the screw 8 are disposed opposite one another in an aligned manner, so that the fixing pin 7 is pressed upwardly by the compression spring 6 into the receiving opening 8.1, thereby fixing or securing the screw 8 against rotation.
The inventive blade-changing apparatus is preferably mounted on rollers, for example by mounting on each side a roller pair that is respectively pivotable about 360°.
To change the blade, the shaving carriage 9 of the ice resurfacing machine is raised approximately 100 mm above the ground. With the aid of the customary blade adjustment device of the ice resurfacing machine, the shaving blade is then placed out of the working position and into that position where it is horizontal to the ground. The blade-changing apparatus is thereupon rolled from behind transversely below the shaving carriage 9 until the blade cutter beam 1 is disposed below the shaving blade. Subsequently, with the aid of the spring-loaded handle 11 the blade carrier 3 is successively raised on both sides until it comes to rest against the shaving blade, in connection with which one must pay attention that the blade carrier 3, by means of the guide pins 15 and the lateral set screw 17, is oriented exactly below the shaving blade 2 that is securely bolted to the blade holder beam 1, and hence the fixing pins 7 are disposed below the screws 8. The unit 19, composed of the handle 11 and the clamping element 12, is pulled upwardly against the force of the tension spring 18 and is pivoted out of the pivot position illustrated in
The nuts 8 are subsequently loosened with a ratchet or drive tool, or some other appropriate tool, and are placed upon the blade holder beam 1 in the vicinity of the screws.
The two handles 11 are thereafter again subsequently raised and are pivoted into the pivot position illustrated in
The used or worn out blade, preferably with the aid of two magnetic holding devices, is subsequently raised from the blade carrier 3 and placed upon an available blade protector. In this connection, the individual screws 8 remain upon the fixing pin 7 and the blade carrier 3. The new or sharpened blade, again with the aid of the magnetic holding devices, can then be placed upon the blade carrier 3 and the screws 8. Subsequently, the blade-changing apparatus, with the shaving blade 2 resting upon the blade carrier 3, is rolled below the shaving carriage 9 in such a way that the blade screws 8 are placed below the holes in the blade holder beam 1 of the ice resurfacing machine. The blade-changing apparatus is then raised by means of the securing devices 10 so that the screws 8 pass through the holes in the blade holder beam 1. The blade-changing apparatus is thereupon secured to the shaving carriage 9 by means of the unit 19. Subsequently, the nuts 8.2 are placed upon the screws 8 from above, and are tightened by means of a ratchet or drive tool or other appropriate tool.
After pivoting the unit 19 into the pivot position illustrated in
The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of German priority document 10 2011 052 544.0 filed Aug. 10, 2011.
The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2011 052 544.0 | Aug 2011 | DE | national |