DE29816044U1 - Device for producing an insulation device - Google Patents

Description

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PATENT ATTORNEYS EUROPEAN PATENT AND TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS

Application for registration of a utility model

Our sign: H247DE8 H/wa

(31) Priority Application Number: 29718339.7

(32) Priority Date:

20.10.1997

(33) Priority Country:

Germany

(54) Title:

Device for producing a Insulation device

(71) Applicant:

Markus Höh Espenstrasse

78465 Konstanz / Litzelstetten Germany

(74) Representative / Agent:

D'ipl.-Ing. Gerhard F. Hiebsch Dipl.-Ing. Dr. oec. Niels Behrmann M.B.A. (NY) Heinrich-Weber-Platz

78224 Singen

Oral agreements require written confirmation to be valid.

Parking on site (train access: Freiheitstraße)

BODENSEEPATENT®

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zy™ Tfigrstellen an insulation device·

The invention relates to a device for producing an insulating device for dyke protection or similar use, which is formed by a flexible casing for a flowable filler -- such as sand or the like.

Particularly in disaster areas that are at risk from floods, it is often necessary to construct or repair dykes or similar obstacles using sandbags or similar tools. It has always been found to be a shortcoming that filling individual sandbags takes a disproportionate amount of time.

Knowing these facts, the inventor set himself the goal of creating a device for producing such aids in a relatively short time. It should also be possible to carry out a disposal process.

The doctrine of the independent claim leads to the solution of this problem; the subclaims indicate favorable further developments.

According to the invention, at least one support roller for a web made of flexible material is arranged downstream of a connecting device for joining the longitudinal edges of the web together to form a hose-like structure, with a conveying element of a filling container protruding into the connecting region of the device.

Thanks to this requirement, a tube can be manufactured in situ and provided with the filling material in a continuous manner.

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According to a further feature of the invention, the filling container is designed like a funnel, and a continuous conveyor extends from its lowest point, with a mouthpiece extending into the connection area for the flexible web. A continuous conveyor made of a pipeline with an internal conveyor screw has proven to be particularly advantageous for this purpose.

A truck with filler can drive up to the funnel-like filling container and unload the material into it. The latter is then fed through the pipeline with a conveyor screw to the connection area described and there it is inserted into the hose while it is being created, e.g. pushed in or blown in.

According to the invention, at least one support roller defining a roller gap for that mouthpiece is arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of that mouthpiece, so that the hose can be joined together from two parallel webs, for example guided onto a support surface, via the latter. Opposite the support roller is an abutment as another gap limitation, which is advantageously also designed as a support roller. In addition, that support surface can offer a trough-shaped depression.

In order to facilitate the removal of the continuously produced and filled hose, a guide element is arranged downstream of that connection area, for example a sliding trough, which in a special embodiment is moved by a crane-like lifting device. In the context of the invention, the latter is mounted on a loading area, which also accommodates the other described parts of the device and can be moved using a chassis.

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Depending on the equipment, different types of hoses can be manufactured and installed, and the number of continuous conveyors or pipes used for filling must be adapted to the respective requirements; the same applies to the number of support rollers and connecting devices.

It is also conceivable to operate the device in reverse mode, i.e. sand hoses that were laid out as an emergency during a flood, for example, can be disposed of again - in such a way that the materials and substances can be reused. To do this, the sand hose is picked up with the conveyor belt, emptied into a collecting container and separated into its fabric strip(s). The fabric strips can then be cleaned with rotating brushes, for example, and reapplied to the support rollers.

The application possibilities for the device according to the invention are particularly advantageous in dyke construction. On the one hand, existing dams can be permanently secured with the hoses. On the other hand, when water flows over the dam crest, it is advantageous that the dam remains intact because no material is removed. The length of the hoses distributes the force of the water and the softening or undermining of the dam is prevented.

The technique described for producing, filling and laying tubes 34 could also be used to secure shifting dunes. To do this, parallel sand tubes of larger diameter would have to be laid across the prevailing wind direction. The sand collects in the gaps and the tubes 34 are gradually buried. Then new tubes 34 have to be laid. This could, for example, protect roads from sand drifts.

This makes it possible to create floating paths in a short space of time, for example in flood areas.

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created. To do this, similar to an air mattress, parallel tube chambers are created by connecting one or two fabric strips several times. These are either filled with buoyant material such as Styrofoam, or into which a large number of air-filled plastic tubes can be inserted to create the buoyancy. Holding ropes can be attached to the connection points between the tubes. A disposal process in reverse operation would also be conceivable here.

The construction of oil barriers on site is possible according to this principle.

Two hoses laid parallel and filled with concrete could be used as a route for rail vehicles, for example, or as a foundation for a pipeline or something similar.

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Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the drawing, which shows:

Fig. 1 to

Fig. 7: a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention for laying fabric hoses filled with flowable solids such as sand;

Fig. 8: a plan view of a detail of Fig. 6 with associated cross-sectional sketches;

Fig. 9: an enlarged cross-section of a detail of the device;

Fig. 10,12: a side view of a filled hose;

Fig. 11: an oblique view of Fig. 10.

A device 10 for laying fabric hoses filled with flowable solids such as sand, which are used to close gaps in dikes or the like in river or coastal regions for flood protection or the like, has a loading area 14 supported by rollers, crawlers or similar undercarriages 12, at the left end of which in Fig. 1 a funnel-shaped filling container 16 is arranged; this can be filled with the sand or similar filler, for example, from a truck (not shown here for reasons of clarity).

From the lowest part 17 of the filling container 16 in Fig. 1, a pipeline 20 extends, which contains a conveyor screw (not shown) for the filling material and ends in an approximately horizontal mouthpiece 22. This reaches through

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a roller gap 24 which is delimited by two mutually parallel support rollers 26 which cross the longitudinal axis A of the pipeline 20 and each contain a roll of a fabric web 28.

Above a support table 30, in a connecting area B, the longitudinal edges 29 of the two fabric webs 28 are joined together by means of a connecting device 32 to form a fabric tube 34, into which filler is continuously introduced from the storage container 16 during its formation. Depending on the web material, the connecting device 32 is, for example, a sewing, riveting, stapling or welding machine.

The fabric hose 34, which is filled with sand or the like and moves in the conveying direction &khgr;, is transferred behind the support table 30 to a guide chute or sliding channel 36 which is suspended from a pivoting lifting frame 40 by means of a crane harness 38. 36 _a indicates another position of the guide chute 36 after it has been lifted by the crane harness 38.

A device _10a without a lifting frame is shown in Fig. 2; the fabric hose 34 travels over the support surface 30 -- which offers a recess 31 -- and then reaches the conveyor element 36. Here too, it is possible to produce, fill and lay endlessly long hoses 34. To do this, filling material is poured into the funnel-shaped container 16 -- for example from a transport vehicle. The material reaches the hose 34 through the filling pipe 20. Here, too, this is created by connecting the longitudinal edges 29 of the webs 28, which are unwound from the support rollers 26. The filled hose 34 slides to the floor or is laid at a higher level by means of the conveyor belt 36. The speed of movement of the device must be coordinated with the speed of the travel device 12, 14, sewing device 32 and conveyor element 36.

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In Fig. 3, the support rollers 26 are provided on the edge of the filling container 16; the fabric webs 28 are guided between them. These are brought into an approximately horizontal direction by deflection rollers 42. The support surface _30a is designed here as a foldable platform.

If a filled hose 34 is to be disposed of, it is fed against the conveying direction x to the support surface 30, 30 _a , the longitudinal edges 29 are separated, and the filler is removed. After the continuous cleaning of the web(s) 28 -- for example by rotating brushes 44 or by blowers -- the webs 28 can be wound up again.

To secure the slope, the tubes 34 can be filled with concrete, gravel, sand or similar and arranged one above the other - even on desk surfaces. It is also conceivable to make small openings in the tubes 34 and use them for planting, so that the roots can stabilize the slope even better in the long term.

It is also conceivable to fill the racetracks with soft material, such as polystyrene, to make them safer.

For water-saving agricultural cultivation methods in desert regions, a hose 34 is made of waterproof material, filled with the soil/sand of the cultivation area, laid in an excavation pit and then covered again. The hose 34 is pierced from above and a crop is planted in the hole, with the advantage that the water does not seep away or evaporate. The same applies to fertilizer.

Hoses 34 with a sand or clay mixture can be laid to protect buildings from flooding and then removed again later. This is done using a form of reverse operation; the described process is reversed. The device 10, 10 _a moves backwards, picks up the hose 34 using the conveyor belt 36, separates the seams, empties the filling material into the container 16 and unwinds the fabric

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webs 28 -- which are cleaned if necessary by the rotating brushes 44 or by compressed air -- back onto the support rollers 26.

Depending on the design of the device 10, 10 _a , 10 _b , individual tubes 34 or several of them can be produced, which are then connected to one another in parallel. Depending on the width of the tracks and the number of sewing devices 32, different numbers of parallel tubes 36 can be produced, even with different diameters.

In Fig. 4 to 6, a device 10 _b with an integrated - raising and lowering - excavation device 4 6 is indicated, which has a support element 4 9 running endlessly around two deflection rollers 48 for shovel elements 50 protruding therefrom. With this excavation or digging device 46, for example, a trench can be dug and the excavated material can be filled into the hose 34 and embedded with it in the resulting trench. It would be conceivable to use it in agricultural cultivation.

In Fig. 4, a filling pipe 20 _a serves as the transition between the excavation device 4 6 and the hose 34. Particularly in the case of sandy, slippery excavation, the material could slide into the hose 34 by means of a sliding channel 52 if there is sufficient gradient as shown in Fig. 5. Or the excavation falls directly into the roller gap 24 if the discharge point of the construction adjustable in inclination and/or height is located at least above the horizontal center of the lower roller 26.

If the hose 34 is made from only one web, a support table or a guide chute 36 _a would have to support the formation of the hose 34 by its shape; the support table 36 _a tapers following its gradient so that, as shown in Fig. 6, 8, it almost becomes a pipe in the connection area, from whose upper slot-like opening 3 7 the web edges to be connected protrude.

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Roller 26 must always be slightly braked so that the web has some tension. A deflection roller 54 at the beginning of the support table _36a is necessary to prevent strong friction as the roller diameter decreases. At least one roller _54a pressing the web onto the deflection roller 54 prevents the web from slipping during filling.

Fig. 8 shows a view of the support table 36 _a -- and above it -- associated cross-sectional profiles. The support table 36 _a initially offers a track width &eegr;, increasingly narrows and deepens in the conveying direction &khgr; until it reaches a -- not completely
closed tube 36 _r , whose inner circumference is slightly shorter than the track width n.

When manufacturing and filling a hose, other materials can be introduced at the same time, which can ideally also be unrolled, such as irrigation hoses, cables with moisture sensors, air hoses, steel cables, wire, thin structural iron, etc. Rigid materials can also be introduced - piece by piece.

When filling with concrete, for example, it can be advantageous to equip the support table 30, 30 _a in the filling area with a vibration compactor. Furthermore, the support table must have a gradient in any case. A hydraulic adjustment device would be advantageous in order to adapt the table to the respective conditions -- the flow properties of the material. It would also be advantageous to be able to adjust the incline in the end area of the support table 30, 30 _a separately so that the hose 34 does not empty when it is severed; a cutting may be necessary in agriculture in order to adapt the length of the hose 34 to the size of the area to be cultivated. For this purpose, a separating device can be provided in the transition area from the support table 30, 30 _a to the sliding channel 52. This separating device can be provided upstream or downstream.

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A device for tying off/tying up the hose ends or individual hose segments could also be installed downstream.

At the end of a hose laying device according to Fig. 5, 6 there can be a plough-like harness that covers the hose laid in the trench with earth/sand from both sides.

The device for connecting the longitudinal edges 29 of the web, ζ. β a film welding device, can be controlled in such a way that -- when producing a tube from a film web ----- it stops briefly at set intervals in order to obtain planting openings. Here, instead -- especially when using two parallel webs -- a device for piercing the tube 34 can be added, which could also be combined with a setting, plugging or sowing device.

In order to keep the trench in which the hose 34 is to be laid open when the ground is sandy, two steel plates could be attached to the underside of the hose laying device, which extend from the excavation point to the end of the trench where the hose is inserted. To reduce friction, vertical, parallel roller bearings can also be provided, which are covered by a circumferential elastic strand, such as a rubber band. These expansion walls would have to be able to be lowered hydraulically, for example, and adjusted in width relative to one another.

In another design for loose sandy subsoil, a suction/blowing device is used, the sand is sucked in with a suction pipe and blown into the hose 34. At the lower end of the pipe there is a limiting plate on each side to align the suction area to the front. The plates can be connected to a wedge-shaped grid that allows larger stones to be

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side and thus prevents the suction pipe from becoming blocked. Several such suction devices can be installed next to one another. This creates several parallel trenches that are suitable for laying hoses with a smaller diameter. Smaller trenches can also be dug with plow-like devices. In this case, the sand can also be picked up with a wide suction nozzle into which several suction hoses 56 can open. The nozzle should also be provided - see Fig. 7 - with a grid guard 58, which can also be designed like a rake. A wedge-shaped design or an inclined arrangement would also be advantageous here in order to be able to push stones aside.

In principle, all types of systems that collect soil material can also be installed laterally. Individual components of the systems can be combined. Their number is variable.

One possibility for joining the longitudinal edges of the web in the connecting area B in two-lane operation is shown in Fig. 9. When producing a hose from two webs, it is only advisable to fill it after the longitudinal edges have been joined so that no filling material impairs the joining. For this purpose, the mouth of the filling pipe 20 extends beyond the connecting area B. The support table 30 must slope at least from the mouth area. The filling pipe 20 serves as a support surface for the upper web 35 and thus gives the resulting hose 34 its shape. It is mounted on rollers 60 so that the lower web _35t can slide underneath it. The rollers 60 guide the longitudinal edges - with a slight pull outwards - to the connecting device.

In principle, it is possible to attach the web rollers 26 vertically or diagonally. It can also be advantageous to use rollers 26 on which the web is already simply folded. In this case,

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There is an advantage in halving the length of the roller. And the already predefined pocket-like shape of the track simplifies the guidance of the longitudinal edges in one-way operation, and the support table 3 0 could be less complex in its design.

Figs. 10 to 12 show a device in which a tube 34 is to be produced from a folded web.

The web longitudinal edges 29 are brought together in guide channels 62 and fed to the connecting area B.

As in Fig. 9, there are also pairs of
if necessary driven -- guide rollers 60. The support table 3 0 could advantageously be equipped with a transport device.

Fig. 12 shows a variant in which the filling tube 20 is part of the support table 30. The lower mouth of the tube has the same shape as the support table 30 and is approximately the same diameter, so that the track 28 can slide through the gap and the filling area is virtually closed off at the front. An upper funnel of the filling tube 20 can also be combined with a worm drive, similar to the principle of a meat grinder.

Not shown is a hose made of wire mesh or similar. Grid mesh that is filled with rubble or stones; obviously, the mesh size here must be smaller than the grain size of the filling material.

Claims (17)

*&iacgr; H247DE8 - 13 - *&iacgr; " PROTECTION CLAIMS 1. Device for producing an insulation device for dyke protection or similar use, which is formed by a flexible casing for a flowable filler such as sand, characterized, that at least one support roller (26) for a web (28) made of flexible material is followed on the conveying path (x) thereof by a connecting device (32) for joining the longitudinal edges (29) of the web to form a hose-like structure (34), wherein a conveying element (20) of a filling container (16) for the filler protrudes into the connecting region (B) of the device (10, 10 _a , 10 _b ). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the filling container (16) is designed like a funnel at least towards the bottom and a continuous conveyor (20) extends approximately from its lowest point (17), which projects into the connecting region (B) with a mouthpiece (22). 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the continuous conveyor is a pipeline (20) with a conveyor screw or similar transport device. 4. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the continuous conveyor is an excavation or digging device (46) with an endless support element (49) placed around deflection rollers (48) for shovel elements (50) projecting therefrom. H247DE8 - 14 - 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the excavation or digging device (4 6) is mounted so as to be able to be raised and lowered relative to the connecting region (B) of the device (10 _b ). 6. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that at least one support roller (26) delimiting a roller gap (24) for the mouthpiece (22) of the continuous conveyor (20) is arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis (A) of the mouthpiece. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the support roller (26) is opposite an abutment as a boundary of the roller gap (24), wherein the abutment is optionally a further support roller (26). 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a support surface (30) for the fabric web(s) (28) is provided in the connection area (B). 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the support surface (30) offers at least one trough-like depression (31). 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the connecting device (32) is an adhesive or welding machine. 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the connecting device (32) is a sewing, riveting or stapling machine. 12. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that cleaning elements such as brushes (44) or blowing devices for the web(s) (28) are assigned to it. H247DE8 - 15 - · · .· · ... ,..;.. te t «· * · · 4 13. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by a guide element (36) for the filled hose (34) arranged downstream of the connection region (B). 14. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the guide element (36) is a movable guide chute, a sliding channel or a conveyor belt. 15. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by a loading surface (14) on a chassis (12) receiving the device (10, 10 _a , 10 _b ). 16. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that the loading surface (14) is assigned a lifting frame (40) for moving the sliding channel (36). 17. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the lifting frame (40) is designed to be pivotable.