EP0034857B1

EP0034857B1 - Movable dredging device

Info

Publication number: EP0034857B1
Application number: EP19810200168
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jacobus Maria Josef Hofland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-02-26
Filing date: 1981-02-11
Publication date: 1984-05-09
Also published as: IE810387L; ES8200737A1; NL8001152A; EP0034857A1; DE3163442D1; IE50778B1; ES499787A0

Description

The invention relates to a movable dredging device having no floating ability comprising an endless-track driven chassis, an engine located in a water-tight engine room mounted on the chassis, an upwardly extending engine input duct having a ventilator, an upwardly extending exhaust duct, a suction pipe connected to a dredge pump mounted on the chassis, the suction pipe being movable about at least a horizontal transverse axis by means of a moving mechanism, a delivery pipe extending rearwardly from the dredge pump and an operator controi unit.
A dredging type of this type is known from U.S. patent specification 4,026,376. This known dredging device has the entrance of the dredge pump at the rearside of a bulldozer blade type digging device and the mixture forced by the dredge pump into the delivery pipe is delivered through a long pipe somewhere on shore. The control of this underwater device is a remote control by an operator on board of a vessel or on shore. This device can be used for working the floor of a body of water such as a channel. It can only perform operations below water level because the inlet of the dredge pump has to receive water. Operations which require movability in many directions under control of an operator who knows what is happening are difficult because with said known device the operator only can see as a rule the inlet and exhaust pipes which extend above the water level. Operations to be done on a beach which require starting on the dry beach first cannot be done with this known device.
Purpose of the invention is to obtain a movable dredging device with a larger flexibility concerning operating conditions, in particular a device which can operate on the dry side and the wet side of a shore and which is able to create on a beach a water area, e.g. for moving back towards the sea a stranded ship.
According to the invention this is obtained in that the control unit is adjustable in height within an upwardly extending tube mounted on top of the engine room, that the moving mechanism comprises a front hoisting device carrying the suction tube, that the delivery pipe has a rearwardly extending extension swingably connected to the delivery pipe and carried by a rear hoisting device, said dredging device further having a water delivery pipe, having its outlet near the inlet of the suction tube and having its sucking and forcing pump mounted on the chassis, while the dredge pump contains an on and off switchable vacuum pump.
The adjustable control unit for the operator allows the operator standing on the dredging device to enter the water with the dredging device to a considerable extent. The hoisting devices in front and at the rear for controlling the suction pipe and the delivery pipe enable the operator to see where he is dredging and where he discharges. The water delivery pipe opens the possibility to pump water towards the area of the suction pipe inlet and to create near said inlet a water-sand mixture which can be pumped away so that with sufficient surplus of water a basin or the like can be created. This can be used with great advantage for returning into the sea a stranded ship since with the device according to the invention it is possible to create a basin around the stranded ship, to remove the sand below the ship and to create a channel towards the sea. To be certain that under dry conditions the dredge pump will operate said pump contains a vacuum pump.
It is observed that from German published patent application 23 061 20 a device is known movable on endless tracks and having a bucket by means of which an amount of sand can be dug and dropped elsewhere. This known device has a height adjustable driver's control so that it can enter water. It does have, however, no dredging facilities.
To supply water towards the inlet of suction tube of a dredging device is known e.g. from U.S. specification 1,759,490. This, however, serves to assist vacuum at the inlet opening of the suction tube of a floating cutter dredge which cannot perform the operations possible with the device according to the invention.
It is finally observed that from published Dutch patent application 7205310 a dredging device is known having remote control and energy supply but provided with an access tube or tower which extends above water level.
The invention will hereafter be explained referring to the drawing in which a dredging device according to the application is schematically illustrated.
The drawing shows the chassis 1, having two endless traction belts 2, which are used for transporting and controlling the device.
The front side of the chassis carries a dozer blade 3 which is by means of the piston and cylinder combination 4 adjustable in height. Onto the chassis 1 a voluminous closed engine room 5 is installed containing the drive motor and the diesel electric power units. Said closed room 5 has two pipes 6 and 7 for the exhaust gases. The roof of the engine room has two flange carrying openings 16 and 17, onto which flanges the cylinders 18, 19 could be mounted. Into the opening 17 a cooling fan is positioned.
Underneath the opening 16 control levers are positioned which are extendable to a higher level. The control panel has long connecting cables and connecting tubes. When operating in the water in which case the engine room could be submersed, the cylinders 18, 19 are mounted onto the flanges and the control means are extended and the control panel is brought to a higher level so that the operator, standing in the cylinder 18, is able to do his job.
The pipes 6 and 7 could also be extendable. Therefore the device is able to drive under water with submersed engine room until a certain depth.
A dredge pump 8 with suction pipe 9 and delivery pipe 10 is installed on the front part of the chassis 1. Said pump is hingedly connected at 11, but it is also possible to mount the pump immovably and to fix a swayable part to the suction pipe 9. Such a swayable part could be connected by means of a device similar to the known tube section 12, surrounded by the universal joint connecting the delivery pipe extension 13 to the delivery pipe 10.
A hoisting means 14 is attached to the front part of the chassis 1 and is carrying the suction pipe 9.
A further hoisting means, denoted with 20, is attached to the rear side of the chassis 1 and is carrying the delivery pipe.
A sucking and forcing pump 23 is through a flexible tube 24 connected to a pipe 25 running along side the suction pipe 9 to the inlet opening thereof. The suction pipe of this pump 23 may have any suitable form and could be embodied for instance as a long tube leading to a water mass from which water is sucked and pumped to the area near the inlet opening of the suction pipe 9.
The device according to the invention may work in the boarder zone between land and water and is not disturbed by the presence of swell or surf waves or waterlevel changes and in case of bad weather it is possible to transport the device to a safer higher area. Furthermore the device may start working on completely dry land.
It is of course possible to connect the delivery pipe to a longer pipe line provided that sufficient flexible connections are used. However, the most flexible use is made of the device according to the invention when the delivery pipe is relatively short, for instance 25 meters, so that the dredging device is expelling the sucked mixture directly behind on a suitable terrain. If necessary the terrain onto which the mixture is delivered may be limited by dams, which could be thrown up using the bulldozer blade 3. If necessary a similar blade could be installed at the rear side.

Claims

A movable dredging device having no floating ability comprising an endless-track (2) driven chassis (1), an engine located in a water-tight engine room (5) mounted on the chassis (1), an upwardly extending engine input duct (19) having a ventilator (17), an upwardly extending exhaust duct (6, 7), a suction pipe (9) connected to a dredge pump (8) mounted on the chassis, the suction pipe (9) being movable about at least a horizontal transverse axis (11) by means of a moving mechanism (14), a delivery pipe (10, 13) extending rearwardly from the dredge pump (8) and an operator control unit, characterized in that the control unit is adjustable in height within an upwardly extending tube (18) mounted on top of the engine room (5), that the moving mechanism comprises a front hoisting device (14) carrying the suction tube (9), that the delivery pipe (10) has a rearwardly extending extension (13) swingably connected to the delivery pipe (10) and carried by a rear hoisting device (20), that said dredging device further has a water delivery pipe (25) having its outlet near the inlet of the suction tube (9) and having its sucking and forcing pump (23) mounted on the chassis (1), and that the dredge pump (8) contains an on and off switchable vacuum pump.