AU714515B2 - Runnelling machine - Google Patents

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: REDLAND SHIRE COUNCIL Peter JACOBSON George SANTAGUILIANA CULLEN

CO.,

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

RUNNELLING MACHINE S. Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Nos. P02062 filed 3 September 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us j BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a machine for excavating runnels, spoon drains and like shallow drainage ditches. The machine has been primarily developed for excavating runnels in marsh lands and similar environments and will therefore be described in that context, however the broader range of excavation utilities should be borne in mind.

Runnels are gently graded curved ditches which have widths at least three times their depths. They are typically excavated in salt marsh environments so as to drain away the pools of water which mosquitoes inhabit, while providing minimum impact on the other native flora and fauna population.

Some of the preferred requirements for runnelling machines are that they should cause as little disturbance as possible to the natural vegetation, they should broadcast the excavated spoil in a fine scattering, the runnels excavated should have smooth curved sidewalls without ridges, the gradients excavated should be very gentle (ideally less than 1%) and the depth of excavation should not normally exceed about One form of runnelling machine is described in S 25 Australian Petty Patent specification No. 660909. This machine comprises a four wheeled self-propelled vehicle with a spoil cutting and excavating arrangement supported beneath the chassis between the front and rear wheels.

The problem with this machine, however, is that it does not satisfactorily meet a number of the aforementioned requirements. Because of the lack of traction, the wheels tend to leave deep channels in marsh and like environments; broadcasting of the spoil is impeded due to the location of the cutting and excavating arrangement beneath the chassis; the shape and size of the runnels excavated is difficult to control due to the limited degree of vertical adjustment of the cutting and excavating arrangement beneath the chassis, and due to the depth of cut being partially determined by the relative height of the wheels which are not necessarily on the same level as the cutting and excavating arrangement.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved form of runnelling machine which obviates most or all of the disadvantages of the aforementioned machine and which satisfies the majority of preferred criteria for runnel construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a runnelling machine comprising a selfpropelled, tracked vehicle having a spoil cutting and broadcasting arrangement fitted thereto so as to project either forwardly or rearwardly of the vehicle, said spoil cutting and broadcasting arrangement comprising a rotatably supported disc having a plurality of radially arranged blades, the said disc lying in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle and being adjustable in its vertical height over a sufficient amount to accommodate obstacles in the path of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 25 Preferably, the disc is supported within a height adjustable framework and means are associated with ***the framework to automatically regulate the height so o that an accurate gradient can be achieved. Such means may suitably be a laser system wherein a laser receiver is mounted on the framework which inputs to a message relay for controlling an associated hydraulic ram which in turn, raises or lowers the framework as the machine moves over the land.

The tracks on which the vehicle moveS are preferably rubber and are designed so as to give a footprint exerting less than 2.5 psi. This is well within the generally accepted limit for marsh land use, while enabling maximum manoeuvrability. Such tracks have minimal disturbance on the marsh land compared with wheeled vehicles.

The spoil cutting and broadcasting arrangement is spaced forwardly or rearwardly of the vehicle itself so as to enable the arrangement to be moved upwardly or downwardly by a significant amount so that maximum freedom for adjustment is attained. This ensures that very rough terrain or large impediments can be taken account of without adversely affecting the gradient of the runnel being cut. Preferably, the cutting and broadcasting arrangement is supported on the end of a pivotal arm or link which extends out from the vehicle at the front or forward facing end thereof. The arrangement can consist of a framework with unrestricted open bottom and sides, which is adapted to support an hydraulically driven axle on which a solid disc is journalled for rotation.

The disc suitably comprises a heavy metal plate arranged to project at right angles to the direction of 20 travel of the vehicle. Blades are fitted to the face of the disc plate which extend perpendicular thereto in a radial display. Blades can also be fitted to the rear surface of the plate so that cutting and broadcasting may take place in either a forward or rearward direction.

S 25 The blades are suitably rectangular plates which are welded or bolted edgewise to the disc and extend out past the periphery of the disc. This ensures that it is the blades which do the cutting and that the forward movement of the cutting disc is not impeded by the spoil to be 30 excavated. Ideally, each alternate blade is slightly shorter relative to an adjacent blade in one direction around the disc. This reduces the cutting stresses and strains exerted on the individual blades.

The design of the blades ensures that the spoil is evenly broadcast away from the runnel as the machine traverses the ground.

The runnelling machine is suitably hydraulically controlled and can be accurately regulated to excavate a smooth upwardly concave, in section, runnel with predetermined dimensions between approximately and 100cm in width, and 10cm and 30cm in depth. The spoil excavated is broadcast laterally in a fine scattering over the land adjacent to the runnel for up to metres therefrom, thereby avoiding any mounding or ridging in the adjacent topography which could adversely affect the balance of the ecosystem.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a runnelling machine according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a front end view of the runnelling machine of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of the cutting and broadcasting arrangement of the runnelling machine of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a sectional view of a typical *runnel produced by the runnelling machine of Figure i.

S. 20 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in all of which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, the 25 runnelling machine comprises a vehicle 10 to which a spoil cutting and broadcasting arrangement 11 is fitted **on the forward end thereof.

The vehicle 10 is self-propelled and includes an operator cab 12 having appropriate controls for moving the vehicle and operating the cutting and broadcasting arrangement 11. Automatic override of the operation of the cutting and broadcasting arrangement 11 is also provided as discussed below. The operator cab 12 is carried by two sets of tracks 13, 14 formed from heavy duty rubber or like resiliently deformable material which provides minimal disturbance to the ground being traversed. Typically, the runnelling machine will weigh in the order of 1400-1600 Kg and the tracks required to 6 support such a weight will suitably measure approximately 300 x 1800mm. For a machine weighing 1560Kg, it is found that such tracks exert a ground pressure of approximately 1.99 psi. This is well within acceptable limits for minimal ground disturbance.

The spoil cutting and broadcasting arrangement 11 is supported on the vehicle by a pivoting arm 15 and an hydraulic ram 16. The hydraulic ram 16 enables the cutting and broadcasting arrangement 11 to be raised to the position illustrated in the drawings and lowered to a cutting position at which a cutting disc 17 assumes either a substantially perpendicular disposition or an angled forward disposition relative to the ground. In the latter of these dispositions, cutting is effected at a deeper location then when in the perpendicular disposition.

The spoil cutting and broadcasting arrangement 11 includes an open sided and open bottom support framework 18 which houses the cutting disc 17.

The cutting disc is journalled to an axle 19 extending across the support framework 18 in the longitudinal direction of travel of the vehicle 10. The axle 19 is driven by an hydraulic drive 20, at speeds of around 700 rpm.

25 The cutting disc 17 is shown in elevation in 0. Figure 3 and reference should be made to this drawing as well as to Figures 1 and 2. The disc preferably consists of a cast-iron plate 21 of some 50mm thickness and some 500mm diameter. The weight of such a massive plate 30 provides momentum to assist in the smooth progressive excavation of the spoil when the plate is spinning.

Blades 22, 23, 24, 25, 25A and 25B project radially from the disc 17 at spaced locations. Although six blades are illustrated, a greater or lesser number can be utilised. It will be noted that the blades extend beyond the periphery of the disc and the reason for this is to ensure that the disc does not perform the actual excavation as that would add increased strain and drag to the associated hydraulics. The blades 22, 23, 24, 25B are suitably formed from high strength steel or the like and have rectangular configurations.

Preferably, the blades extend by differing distances from the periphery of the disc; ideally in increasing increments around the perimeter. Such increments will usually be in the order of only a few millimetres. The purpose of such increments is to reduce the strain on the blades as they rotate through the spoil.

The combination of blade location, blade design, disc shape and disc speed, ensures that the spoil which is excavated, is broadcast well away from the runnel in a fine scattering to leave a smoothly graded runnel as depicted in Figure 4, without any mounds or ridges adjacent to it.

As mentioned previously, control of the cutting height of the blades can be effected automatically.

Automatic control is preferably achieved by means of a laser system. A remote laser emitter is set up to 20 establish a datum and to set the gradient of the runnel required. A laser receiver 27 is fitted to a mast 28 mounted atop of the spoil cutting and broadcasting framework 18. The laser receiver is designed to relay a signal to a control panel 29, which includes a visual 9r~ 1 25 display, which regulates the height adjustment of the go cutting blades by way of the hydraulic ram 16.

In operation, the height of the cutting blades is set by the laser and the runnelling machine proceeds in a forward direction, excavating and broadcasting spoil o 30 as it progresses. Continual adjustment of the height of the cutting blades is effected automatically by feedback of the height of the laser receiver as the cutting and broadcasting arrangement height changes.

The runnelling machine of the present invention overcomes all of the disadvantages inherent in the previously described apparatus and provides the public with a useful and valuable alternative.

Whilst the above has been given by way of 8 illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variation may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

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Claims (13)

1. 2. A runnelling machine as claimed in claim i, wherein the disc is angled so that it engages the ground at an obtuse angle with respect to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle.
2. 3. A runnelling machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the disc is adjustable vertically through an arcuate angle.
3. 4. A runnelling machine as claimed in claim i, wherein the disc is supported within a height adjustable framework. A runnelling machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the framework is supported on the end of a 25 pivotal linkage which extends outwardly from the forward facing end of the vehicle.
4. 6. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the disc is a heavy metal plate.
5. 7. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blades are fitted to the forward facing surface of the disc.
6. 8. A runnelling machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the blades project beyond the periphery of the disc.
7. 9. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims,wherein the blades are rectangular- shaped metal plates which project edgewise from the face of disc. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in the direction of rotation of the disc, blades increase incrementally in the distance they project from the periphery of the disc starting at one point of the periphery.
8. 11. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle is hydraulically operated.
9. 12. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle is fitted with rubber tracks.
10. 13. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spoil cutting and broadcasting arrangement is fitted to project forwardly of the vehicle.
11. 14. A runnelling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the height of the disc is regulated by a laser receiver mounted to the machine.
12. 15. A runnelling machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rubber tracks give a footprint exerting less than 2.5 pounds per square inch.
13. 16. A runnelling machine substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1-3 of the 25 accompanying drawings. DATED this 25th day of August 1997 REDLAND SHIRE COUNCIL By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.