1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a slipform paver, as well as to a method for adjusting the width of a mold device of a slipform paver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such slipform pavers serve the purpose of producing road pavements made of concrete. Known slipform pavers comprise a tractor, which may also be termed basic machine or carrier machine and consists of a machine frame and four ground-engaging units, where the tractor carries different working devices for the production of a concrete roadway, where a concrete mold extending transverse to the roadway is used to form the concrete.
As the desirable width of a concrete roadway may vary in the event of acceleration lanes or in the event of a general change in the number of traffic lanes, conversion of the slipform pavers is frequently required which may take up several hours of conversion time depending on the necessary extent of the conversion work.
Such interruptions in operation are undesirable so that slipform pavers have already been developed the machine frame of which can be adjusted telescopically (WO 2002/101150, WO 99/50503).
According to WO 2002/101150, not only the machine frame is adjustable telescopically but also all of the working devices. A disadvantage created by this prior art is the reduced stiffness in particular with a telescopically extendable concrete mold.
It is already known from WO 2010/120722 to adjust a concrete mold to the adjusted working width by way of an end portion of the mold body being moved away from a central mold element hydraulically by means of a piston-cylinder unit integrated into the mold body, and multi-part intermediate elements being then mounted in the resulting gap each of which is assembled from several segments to form one intermediate element. It is necessary in this arrangement to support the end portion and the intermediate elements to be inserted on a joint plank resting on the ground, with the concrete mold being rested on said plank. Once the desired number of intermediate elements has been inserted and mounted, the end portion of the mold body is moved inward again hydraulically in order to firmly press together all the mold segments. It is of disadvantage in this design that one each additional hydraulic device is required on both sides of the machine and that the mounting effort still takes up a great deal of time as a result of the individual intermediate elements being assembled from several segments.
Furthermore, dividing an intermediate element into several segments has a negative impact on the stiffness of the mold element and thus also on the modulus of resistance of the entire mold device in the working direction as well as in the direction of gravity.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds