Technical field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to a guide bar assembly for a submersible machine, such as a mixer unit. The present invention relates to a guide bar assembly comprising at least two guide bar holders and a guide bar connected to said at least two guide bar holders.

Background of the Invention and prior art

A guide bar is used for guiding a submersible machine, e.g. a mixer unit or a pump unit, during lowering from above the liquid surface to the operative position at the bottom of the tank and during hoisting from the operative position in the tank to above the liquid surface, as well as used for supporting the submersible machine during operation. The liquid in the tank is for instance wastewater or the like liquid comprising solid matter, i.e. domestic or industrial wastewater, or chemicals.

Traditionally the guide bar of the guide bar assembly is rigidly connected to the wall of a tank using guide bar holders, i.e. the guide bar holders are permanently attached to the wall of the tank and possible also to the bottom of the tank, and then the guide bar is connected to the guide bar holders. The guide bar assembly is installed when the tank is empty, i.e. during construction of the tank or whilst the tank is empty and out of order.

When the guide bar assembly and its accessories are aging, becomes damaged and/or upgrading is required, the entire tank needs to be emptied in order to be able to exchange, retrofit or repair the guide bar assembly. When the need for mixing alters during the years and a bigger or an extra mixer is needed, the entire tank needs to be emptied in order to be able to install the new or extra guide bar assembly. The procedure to empty a tank and the financial impact is substantial and cumbersome and also a severe disruption to the biological process, since the tank will be out of order for a long time period. Thus, process owners are reluctant to maintenance and/or to upgrading to a new/better submersible machine that needs a new guide bar assembly or to add an extra submersible machine that needs a corresponding new guide bar assembly.

Objects of the Invention

The present invention aims at obviating the aforementioned disadvantages and failings of previously known guide bar assemblies and at providing an improved guide bar assembly. A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved guide bar assembly of the initially defined type, which guide bar assembly can be installed/added to the tank without emptying the tank.

Brief description of the Invention

According to the invention at least the primary object is attained by means of the initially defined guide bar assembly having the features defined in the independent claim. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are further defined in the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, there is provided a guide bar assembly of the initially defined type, wherein the guide bar assembly is characterized in that the guide bar assembly further comprises a support column, wherein said at least two guide bar holders are connected to the support column, the support column being configured to be lowered into a tank and comprising a bracket configured for attachment of the support column to a fixed element arranged at an upper area of said tank.

Thus, the present invention is based on the insight to use a pre-mounted and fully functioning guide bar assembly that is lowered into the tank and only attached to the upper area of the tank. Thereby a new or extra guide bar assembly, i.e. together with a corresponding submersible machine, can be easily added to the tank without having negative impact on the running biological process and without having to take the tank out of order during the installation.

Further advantages with and features of the invention will be apparent from the other dependent claims as well as from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.

Brief description of the drawings

A more complete understanding of the abovementioned and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of an installation of an inventive guide bar assembly according to a first embodiment during lowering of the corresponding submersible machine,

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of an installation of an inventive guide bar assembly according to a second embodiment during lowering of the corresponding submersible machine,

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view from above of a bottom guide bar holder, the guide bar is presented as transparent, and Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view from above of the guide bar assembly and a top guide bar holder, disclosing the guide bar in different predetermined positions.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The present invention relates in general to a guide bar assembly for a submersible machine, such as a mixer unit or a pump unit. The deadweight of such submersible machines are typically more than 25 kilograms. Reference is initially made to figure 1, which is a schematic side view of an inventive guide bar assembly installed in a tank and during lowering of a mixer unit.

The guide bar assembly, generally designated 1, comprising at least two guide bar holders 2 and a guide bar 3 connected to said at least two guide bar holders 2. In the disclosed embodiment the guide bar assembly 1 comprises three guide bar holders 2, i.e. a top guide bar holder 2a, a bottom guide bar holder 2b and an intermediate guide bar holder 2c. In the disclosed embodiment the guide bar 3 comprises two guide bar segments, i.e. a top guide bar 3a and a bottom guide bar 3b. The guide bar 3 can be up to about 6-8 meters and it is easier to transport, handle and install shorter segments of the guide bar 3. The intermediate guide bar holder 2c can be arranged between and connecting the top guide bar 3a and the bottom guide bar 3b, or the intermediate guide bar holder 2c can be attached to the middle of the guide bar 3. The top guide bar 3a and the bottom guide bar 3b may be detachably connected or fixedly connected to each other.

According to an alternative embodiment, the guide bar 3 may be constituted by two or more parallel segments acting as one guide bar for the submersible machine.

The guide bar assembly 1 further comprises a support column 4, wherein said at least two guide bar holders 2 are connected to the support column 4. The support column 4 is configured to be lowered/suspended into a tank 5 and comprises a bracket 6 configured for attachment of the support column 4 to a fixed/rigid element at an upper area of said tank 5. The tank 5 comprises a bottom 7 and a wall 8. The guide bar 3 extends preferably in parallel with the support column 4 and preferably in parallel with the wall 8 of the tank 5. The support column 4 comprises a lower end, preferably configured to stand on the bottom 7 of the tank 5 without being fixedly connected to the tank 5. According to the disclosed embodiment, the bracket 6 of the support column 4 is configured to be connected to the wall 8 of the tank 5, and preferably configured to extend over an upper rim of the wall 8 of the tank 5. Thereto, it shall be pointed out that the lower end of the support column 4 of the guide bar assembly 1 may be located at a distance from the bottom 7 of the tank 5, i.e. the support column 4 is suspended from a fixed element and having a free lower end. In the disclosed embodiment, the support column 4 comprises rubber pads 9 configured to abut the inner surface of the wall 8 and/or the bottom 7 of the tank 5. The support column 4 may comprise a first column member 4a and a second column member 4b, wherein said first column member 4a and said second column member 4b are in telescopic engagement with each other, in order to adapt the inventive guide bar assembly 1 to tanks 5 having different depths. The first column member 4a and the second column member 4b may be detachably connected or fixedly connected to each other.

The bottom guide bar holder 2b of said at least two guide bar holders 2 is connected to the support column 4 at a lower end of the support column 4. Preferably the bottom guide bar holder 2b is connected to a support column bottom segment 10 that may be configured to stand on the bottom 7 of the tank 5. The top guide bar holder 2a of said at least two guide bar holders 2 is connected to the support column 4 at an upper end of the support column 4. Preferably the top guide bar holder is located above the intended liquid surface and accessible for the support people.

A submersible mixer unit 11 is arranged in such a way that it can be displaced along the guide bar 3 in a conventional way. The axial displacement of the mixer unit 11 is controlled by a hoisting device, not disclosed. The hoisting device may be a conventional winch comprising a wire 12, and the winch can be operated either manually or by means of a motor, for instance an electric motor. The hosting device can be part of the guide bar assembly 1 and connected to the upper end of the support column 4, or be a separate and/or movable hosting device of a crane or vehicle.

Reference is now also made to figure 2 disclosing some alternatives to features of the inventive guide bar assembly. The bracket 6 is configured to be attached to a fixed/rigid element arranged at the upper area of the tank 5, i.e. the guide bar assembly 1 may be lowered into the middle of the tank and not only at the wall of the tank. The fixed/rigid element may be constituted by a cross beam or gangway extending across the tank 5. The support column 4 is constituted by a single element. The guide bar 3 is constituted by a single element. It shall be pointed out that features/solutions from the embodiments of figure 1 and 2 may be combined.

Reference is now also made to figures 3 and 4.

Each guide bar holder 2 comprises a bracket 13 rigidly connected to the support column 4 and a holder 14 rigidly connected to the guide bar 3, wherein said holder 14 of the guide bar holder 2 is preferably pivotally connected to said bracket 13 of the guide bar holder 2 about an axially extending pivot axis 15. Thus, according to the disclosed embodiment, the extension of the pivot axis 15 is parallel with extension of the guide bar 3. The guide bar assembly 1 achieved it this way is thus of turnable type. This entail that the guide bar 3, including the attached mixer unit 11, bay be turned about said axis 15. In an alternative, not disclosed, embodiment the guide bar assembly 1 is of stationary type and the holder 14 may not pivot in relation to the bracket 13, i.e. the guide bar 3 is rigidly attached to the support column 4.

Preferably the top guide bar holder 2a comprises an indexing means 16 for arranging the guide bar 3 in predetermined positions/orientations in relation to the support column 4. In the disclosed embodiment the indexing means 16 is cooperating holes in the bracket 13 and the holder 14, respectively. Thereby the holder 14 can be positioned in predetermined positions in relation to the bracket 13, and by turning the holder 14 a turning motion of the guide bar 3 is achieved, including the attached mixer unit 11. The indexing means 16 may comprise a handle 18.

The holder 14 of the top guide bar holder 2a and the bottom guide bar holder 2b comprises an axially extending post 17 inserted into an end of said guide bar 3. The holder 14 of the intermediate guide bar holder 2c of said at least two guide bar holders 2 comprises two axially extending posts inserted into opposite ends of said top guide bar 3a and said bottom guide bar 3b, respectively.

The guide bar assembly 1 may also comprise a support 19 for the submersible machine 11, wherein the support 19 is preferably arranged at the lower end of the guide bar 3.

Feasible modifications of the Invention

The invention is not limited only to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, which primarily have an illustrative and exemplifying purpose. This patent application is intended to cover all adjustments and variants of the preferred embodiments described herein, thus the present invention is defined by the wording of the appended claims and thus the equipment may be modified in all kinds of ways within the scope of the appended claims.

It shall also be pointed out that all information about/concerning terms such as above, under, upper, lower, etc., shall be interpreted/read having the equipment oriented according to the figures, having the drawings oriented such that the references can be properly read. Thus, such terms only indicates mutual relations in the shown embodiments, which relations may be changed if the inventive equipment is provided with another structure/design.

It shall also be pointed out that even thus it is not explicitly stated that features from a specific embodiment may be combined with features from another embodiment, the combination shall be considered obvious, if the combination is possible.