Guide rail assembly as well as guide rail holder

Abstract

A guide rail assembly for a submersible machine as well as a guide rail holder for such a guide rail assembly is described herein. The guide rail holder includes a radially extending support body and an axially extending post, which is rigidly connected to the support body and which is adapted to be inserted into an end of the guide rail. An engagement head is connected to the post at a distance from the support body and has a greater radial extension than the post. The engagement head includes a radially expandable member that is adapted to be reversibly manipulated between an active state, in which the expandable member is in engagement with the guide rail, and an inactive state, in which the expandable member is disengaged from the guide rail.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A guide rail assembly for a submersible machine, comprising at least two guide rail holders and one guide rail, wherein each guide rail holder comprises:
 a radially extending support body,   an axially extending post, which is rigidly connected to said radially extending support body and which is adapted to be inserted into an end of said guide rail, and   an engagement head that is connected to said axially extending post at a distance from said radially extending support body and has a greater radial extension than said axially extending post,   the engagement head comprising a radially expandable member that is adapted to be reversibly manipulated between an active state, in which the expandable member is in engagement with the guide rail, and an inactive state, in which the expandable member is disengaged from the guide rail.   
     
     
         2 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide rail assembly further comprises a wall bracket per each guide rail holder, the guide rail holder being pivotally connected to the wall bracket about an axially extending pivot axis. 
     
     
         3 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the guide rail assembly further comprises an indexing means, which is connected to a guide rail holder and which is adapted to turn the guide rail holder about the pivot axis and is adapted to place the guide rail holder in predetermined positions in relation to the wall bracket. 
     
     
         4 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the inactive state, the axially extending post and the radially expandable member are positioned within the guide rail. 
     
     
         5 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the inactive state, the radially expandable member is positioned within the guide rail. 
     
     
         6 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the engagement head comprises a first plate and a second plate, said radially expandable member being arranged between said first plate and said second plate, the guide rail holder comprising means for adjusting a distance between the first plate and the second plate. 
     
     
         7 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the means for adjusting the distance between the first plate and the second plate is constituted by at least one screw joint. 
     
     
         8 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the first plate of the engagement head is located nearest to the radially extending support body, the axially extending post being rigidly connected to said first plate. 
     
     
         9 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the guide rail holders comprises two axially extending posts, which are rigidly connected to the radially extending support body and which are diametrically projecting from the radially extending support body, and said at least one guide rail holder comprises two engagement heads. 
     
     
         10 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the engagement head and the radially extending support body is greater than 100 percent of a smallest crosswise distance of the engagement head. 
     
     
         11 . The guide rail assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the engagement head and the radially extending support body is greater than 50 percent of a smallest crosswise distance of the engagement head.