Patent Application
20240228232
The invention deals with self-supporting steel constructions for installations of lifting technologies in exterior with solid or transparent cladding.
Among solution available on the market are mainly standard self-supporting welded structures. Their main disadvantage is a gradual installation on the construction site utilizing welding, grinding and subsequent painting processes carried out on the site. A compromised precision of the structure manufacture depends on the professional skills and precision of the welders and fitters who carry out the manufacture of the structure on the site. Another disadvantage rests in the risk of fire due to hot material spatter accompanying the welding and grinding operations. A major drawback is of course the prolonged manufacture of the structure on the construction site and, in the case of replacement of the previous elevator technological system, also a longer duration of the elevator unavailability. Among the advantages of welded structures are a high load-bearing capacity and design simplicity allowing the same types of elements to be used for all main vertical and horizontal parts of the structure.
In exceptional cases the state of the art offers pre-manufactured structures with on-site installation that eliminate the need for welding operations on the construction site. Nevertheless, such structures are comprised of in particular open sections of bent metal sheets that cannot attain the stability and design simplicity of standard welded structures and that are not suitable for higher load-bearing capacities, lifting operations and the currently widely employed solutions of elevator technological systems with no engine room applying a higher load on the structures of the elevator shaft. In the known cases of the existing solutions various types of elements are manufactured for the main horizontal and vertical load-bearing elements of the structure. In a majority of cases, the more subtle design requires additional reinforcement of wind cables to attain a higher stability of the structure along with the elevator technological system elements anchoring into the surrounding structures outside the structure of the shaft or using robust reinforcing elements at the level of individual floors.
Almost all precast constructions contain components that have to be mostly welded in workshops, so the manufacturing phase depends on the welder's skills and there may be production faults that cannot be easily inspected, so the welds have to be examined using ultrasound or x-ray machines. These inspections are very time and finance consuming so when constructing lifting shafts, therefore they are very rarely used, and the quality of welding depends only on the welder's skills. When the main carrying components are made from bent metal sheets, the components and joints are neither stable enough nor have the adequate loading capacity. The precast constructions are used mostly for interior installations with regard to possible destabilization of the construction due to its exposure out of the floor projection and possible deformations caused by strong wind.
The WO 2006131947 document discloses the structure of an assembled shaft comprised of bent metal sheets connected by screw connections with a loose nut and screw. In addition, the structure is reinforced at the level of individual floors by a perimeter frame providing the height stability of the shaft. The structure is also sufficiently secured by diagonal bracing using steel-wire ropes within the framework of all bays.
A drawback of the disclosed solution is the more complex and rather expensive manufacture considering the different sections of the pillars and cross-beams. The only product based on standard series production of the metallurgical industry is large-size metal sheet, the various types of which need to be cut to pieces and bent to obtain made-to-measure elements of the structure for its pillars and cross-beams. Another disadvantage of the open elements is their lower stability limiting the total height of the shaft, a more difficult access for cleaning the structure. The use of open sections is necessitated by the use of a combination of a loose nut and screw and the provision of access on both sides of the connections requiring two tools on each side of the screw connection for its retightening. Another disadvantage of the construction according to WO 2006131947 is the necessity to use welded joints at the main carrying construction and the complicated manufacturing process overall.
The EP 2162377 document discloses an assembled elevator shaft with complex and rather expensive manufacture of the structure based on a system of bent metal sheets that has a number of openings and screw connections where the screw-nut connection must be used; generally the structure has a very low stability and is only suitable for interiors where guide rails can be anchored into the surrounding structures or where guide rails completely assume the load-bearing function from the elevator technological system. Self-supporting cladding rather than self-supporting structure able to transmit forces from the elevator is concerned.
The EP 3222573 document discloses an assembled structure of the elevator shaft with complex and more expensive manufacture of the structure fitted with a system of bent metal sheets with a lower total stability of the structure and the absence of fixed connections. A solution based on a simple connection of transverse load-bearing elements to vertical load-bearing elements is concerned. No other problematic parts of elevator structures are addressed. The overall construction stability and loading capacity is low making it impossible to be used in exterior.
The CN 106672754 document describes an assembled structure of the elevator shaft with a complex and more expensive manufacture of the structure based on bent metal sheets. The structure has a lower level of stability and is suitable for lower indoor platforms rather than full-valued elevators intended for apartment houses. The overall spatial stability of the construction is low unless anchored into the surrounding structures in all directions. Not suitable to be used in exterior. For a complete attachment of crossbeams, the workshop welding procedures are necessary.
The document CN 102180397 describes the steel shaft construction design with block assembly system. To place the shaft a crane must be used. Handling and transport are complicated. The installation is impossible when accessibility to heavy equipment is restricted. Moreover, to complete the shaft assembly the workshop welding procedures are necessary.
The document CN105329751 describes the assembled lifting shaft construction. The drawbacks of the described design are a complex and more expensive manufacturing of the construction due to the system of bent metal sheets with different profiles for vertical and horizontal components. The construction has a lower stability level, and it is more suitable for smaller house elevator than for full-range elevators in flat blocks. To complete the horizontal components workshop welding procedures are necessary.
The document CN 203428696 describes the assembled lifting shaft constructions for industrial elevators. The shaft design is very rough, without visual design, with reinforced panel bracing. Not suitable for finish constructions of shafts in flat blocks. The preparation of individual construction elements requires welding procedures to be applied.
The document AU 8115491 describes the construction system for building elevators. Not suitable for classic lifting technologies in flat blocks.
The document CN 204096827 describes the construction with block assembly system that is suitable rather for installations in exterior using a crane. Handling and transport are complicated. The installation is impossible when accessibility to heavy equipment is restricted.
The document CZ 30697 U1 describes the lifting shaft construction consisting of stems from bent metal sheets interconnected with horizontal beams in form of open steel profiles wherein the beams are attached to stems via threaded joints. Of drawbacks of such design the most significant is the manufacture of atypical vertical components from bent metal sheets and different component types for horizontal beams. The shaft has a lower loading capacity because of used open components. In addition, the horizontal components require workshop welding procedures to be used. The system is not reinforced at all to fix the floor projection geometry.
The document CZ 307729 B6 introduces a modular construction with sliding connecting elements. The elements are pushed to belts or mandrels from steel profiles welded to angular vertical components. This construction design type without angular braces has a lower stability and it is not suitable for exterior installations. The manufacture depends on the accuracy of measured positions for connecting components and the subsequent workshop welding. The welding directly to vertical components poses a higher danger of deformation of carrying vertical components by thermal material forming. The system of sliding connections into components reduces opportunities to minimize space allowances during assembly. The spatial geometry and reliability of construction joints depends directly on the accuracy and quality of workshop welding.
The document CZ 308008 B6 introduces a composed steel construction suitable to be used rather in interior. The profiles for exterior constructions are subtle; workshop welding is necessary to prepare horizontal components of the construction, which makes the complete machine production of these components impossible and increases the production costs.
The current state of art assumes that even composed constructions with a higher loading capacity require some components to be welded during preparation and there is no way to design any easy production of adequately robust constructions without this production process. So the precast constructions are mostly designed to be safely used for installations in interior with the help of workshop welding. Most so far commonly used composed constructions are known for their mechanical parameters that are inferior to welded constructions, so the common composed constructions are limited to custom-made production, where the loading, stability and mechanical durability requirements are not so high, and they are mostly designed for interior installations. The composed constructions with a higher mechanical stability may require welding for the production of construction components with an adequate carrying capacity. For exterior solutions the constructions welded completely on the spot or composed of pre-welded blocks are preferred nowadays due to their high carrying capacity, stability and resistance to external wind forces.
The component composed assembly of steel structure for lifting equipment consisting of the set of vertical pillars that are horizontally interconnected with vertical beams connected with pillars at outer corners of the construction using a couple of mirror-inverted angular connecting components from bent metal sheets, forming extra stiff angular joints, and connections, from bent metal sheets as well, at frontal parts of the constructions, attached to outer angular construction pillars. The components for construction joints can be manufactured in unified batches without welding.
The component composed assembly of steel structure for lifting equipment does not contain any welded components at carrying or other joints of the construction, however it retains its extreme stiffness and construction stability.
All connecting components from bent metal sheets can be manufactured in bulk series regardless the dimensions of the lifting shaft construction.
All main rods of the construction can be manufactured from identical standardized closed profiles or from closed profiles with various dimensions and with unified angular and frontal connecting components, which gives the construction a big variability, but retains the possibility of standardized batch production of connecting components.
The proposed solution simplifies and cheapens the production and assembly by using identical connecting components manufactured in lots from bent metal sheets and standardized closed bar profiles interconnected via standardized screws. The proposed system without welding processes combined with bent connecting components, closed profiles and threaded joints creates a very robust system that is resistant to forces from lifting technologies and wind that impact on the outer jacketing and carrying construction. All threads at rod components are machine-made. The proposed construction combines the advantages of using unified components for crossbeams and pillars, same as welded construction, with a higher carrying capacity and spatial stability and advantages of composed constructions based on possible workshop production and fast assembly on the construction site. In addition, the proposed system eliminates workshop welding that requires professional skills, risks from defective welds and potential ineffective quality inspection of individual welds. The proposed construction allows to take advantage of simple design, carrying capacity and stability of classic welded constructions as well as fast assembly of composed constructions on the construction site—thanks to the unified construction components, elimination of welding processes and minimization of workshop hand production which is mostly replaced with machine production.
The advantage of the described solution is that all sets of angular connections can be manufactured in big lots regardless the dimensions of pillars and crossbeams that specify the construction dimensions.
An exemplary construction of component composed steel structure for lifting equipment is described in
As described in
The back pillars 2, side crossbeams 3 and back crossbeams 4 are equipped with threaded joints 18 consisting of the screw 30, anti-release washer 31 and threads 19 tapped into the construction profile that use sets of identical mirror-inverted angular joints 16 from bent metal sheets and sets of identical mirror-inverted L-joints 17 from bent metal sheets to secure a firm and extra resistant connection of side crossbeams 3 and back crossbeams 4 with back pillars 2. At the back part of the construction, there are side crossbeams 3 at 900 angle position from back crossbeams 4 at each level, where these adjacent components are linked together using sets of identical mirror-inverted angular joints 16 from bent metal sheets and sets of identical mirror-inverted L-joints 17 from bent metal sheets to secure the exact right angle between the adjacent horizontal components when threaded joints 18 are tightened properly.
The threaded joint system 18 for all threaded joints of the construction is identical except joints for carrying pillars.
The frontal pillars 1 and back pillars 2 in the columnar support 6, as described in
At front part of the constructions there are frontal pillars 1 connected through small bent L-joints 15 of frontal profiles to frontal crossbeams 5 using threaded joints 18 to anchor shaft doors and specify the shaft geometry. The flat L-joints 26 with threaded joints 18 are used to fasten closed gantry profiles 24 that constitute the construction portal.
In side crossbeams 3 and frontal crossbeams 5 there are grooves 14 to fasten the shaft door anchors and holes 12 for self-tapping screws 32 that tighten anchors 11 used for the construction jacketing.
In frontal construction columns 1 there are sliding anchors 10 fastened using a sliding bent joint 27 and sliding plate 28 to attach the whole shaft construction through threaded rod 29 and a chemical anchor to walled or concrete constructions of the object next to the shaft itself.
The advantage of the proposed solution is an easy and accurate machine production without welding processes that eliminates human factor faults as much as possible.
The described solution of self-supporting component assembly construction shaft, with respect to practical experiences with designing and implementation of lifting technologies, deals comprehensively with drawbacks of existing commonly used welding processes and allows a batch production of unified main carrying components and a batch production of joints regardless the construction dimensions. It smoothens the assembly process because the two tools are no longer necessary to tighten the threaded joints. The proposal retains the stability and carrying capacity of the construction while no additional stabilizing components are necessary; in general, it simplifies the construction manufacturing and welding process, metal sheets cutting and bending for production of horizontal as well as vertical carrying components of the construction.
The construction assembly does not require any specialized installation team; after being trained, the construction installation can be performed by installation workers responsible for the assembly of the lifting technology, so it is not necessary to coordinate several teams on the construction site.
For joints the unified screws are used to prevent any confusion or faults during the installation. The threads are mounted directly into components, so it is not necessary to use two tools when holding and tightening individual joints.
It is based on the example 1 wherein the set of identical mirror-inverted angular joints 16 and the set of identical mirror-inverted L-joints 17 are not bent but welded.
The component composed steel structure for lifting equipment according to the invention can be manufactured repeatedly and used for installations of any exterior or interior shaft technologies with respect to the requirements of maximum quality, durability and stability.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PV2021-229 | May 2021 | CZ | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CZ2022/050049 | 5/5/2022 | WO |
