FI90899C - Underwater machine for mounting pipelines underwater - Google Patents

Description

1 90899

UNDERWATER MACHINE PIPELINE INSTALLATION SEK51 UNDERWATER

The present invention relates to an underwater machine for installing pipelines underwater by laying a platform which moves along a seabed pipeline by means of a transfer device and supports an excavation system for open ground cutting, which comprises two chain-type excavating devices. suitable for moving excavators from their approximately horizontal rest position to their position of use, in which they are set in the "V" shape, as well as for motors ve-15 from the surface of the casing required power for its operation through the power-supply and machine control hose.

Underwater machines are currently known for the installation of underwater pipelines, which are suitable for forming an open section under an underwater pipeline in which this pipeline is installed under its own weight by bending.

Such a machine mainly uses a loose device 25 to support a movable platform supporting an open-cutting system, in which case the required power is fed to said machine from the surface level by means of a bag, a power switch and a hose for the control of the machine.

30 At present, this problem of digging an open section under an underwater pipeline is solved in different ways in connection with the previously known machines mentioned above.

According to such a method, high-pressure water jets are used, which can be easily applied to the seabed area to be treated. In contrast, such a method is very cumbersome and expensive, since it requires the transfer of high powers to an underwater moving machine 2 by means of said power ignition and the control of the machine by means of a hose, which must therefore be dimensioned appropriately. When using this method, a myds accessory is needed that is capable of removing soil from the -5 digging area. Such a device usually comprises ejector pumps which are operated with the same high-pressure water as water jets, or by applying other solutions which require additional power and which significantly increase the weight, overall dimensions and cost of the machine.

10

According to another previously known solution, opposite cutters mounted on movable arms are used to dig an open ground cut.

In connection with this previously known method, although a lower power is required for the mechanical cutting performed by the cutting device, although this cutting is performed with higher efficiency than the hydraulic cutting of high pressure water jets, an efficient and expensive device is required to remove the equipment. usually centrifugal pumps, or other special systems, which lead to increasing problems due to weight, overall dimensions and cost.

25 In another previously known system, in which the above-mentioned disadvantages are avoided, two chain-type excavating devices are used, which in their working position are placed in the "V'-shape in the working position 30".

This method has proven to be very effective in that it combines the advantages of soil cutting with 35 excavator tools mounted on a chain with the advantages of highly mechanical, highly efficient transport of the excavated material from the same open cut using the same chain. Unfortunately, however, there is a serious disadvantage associated with it, especially when it is necessary to dig a very deep open section of soil / that it does not immediately ensure a generally triangular soil of shape 5 under the pipeline to be installed in the rock bottom. effective removal. The two chains alone will not be able to efficiently move all the land under the seabed pipeline in the kfiytfinnd, with a large part of this land falling outside the operating range of said k behind these k e t j behind them.

In order to eliminate this disadvantage, an erphine-type combination solution has previously been proposed by targeting high-pressure water jets towards the part of the soil in which the chains do not reach. Unfortunately, such a solution again contains the above-mentioned disadvantages in connection with water jets and requires the use of cumbersome and expensive equipment to remove soil excavated and liquefied by water jets.

20

Erfis' second previously known solution involves the use of three chain-type excavating devices, these devices being set in the "VH" form and staggered relative to each other, so that the last excavating device is able to process and retrieve the soil (which is preceded by it). Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,409,744.

Unfortunately, this solution involves disadvantages caused by the use of said third excavator, since a third motor and all the mechanical components required for the operation of the chain of said third device are required for 30 tfilldin. The extension of the excavator / which becomes unavoidable when using a third excavator significantly increases the weight of the excavator and causes problems in controlling underwater submerged excavators, as a result of which the dimensions of the transfer device of the excavator and its base must be strengthened. In addition, the weight and complexity of the machine thus increases the cost of inyBs in the absence of such a solution that the ground cut remains open without clogging the ground clippings which have not been removed by the chains and that the depth of the cut is in accordance with the requirements.

5

In addition to chain-type excavating devices, screw conveyors are also proposed for making the ground cut along the pipeline, which are mainly arranged in a vertical position. Na in is patented according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,972. It has two rows of conveyors with self-propelled trucks, which are mounted in a downward-pointing V-shape. Conveyors can be raised and lowered in the direction of their axes. The whole device rests on the pipeline to be installed and advances along it. The weight of the equipment and the stresses caused by the excavation work put a heavy load on the pipeline and can damage it, while at the same time the depth of the trench cannot be reduced. In addition, individual screw conveyors cannot be separated from each other, but all rise or fall would require all.

20

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide an underwater machine for installing pipelines on the seabed, this machine enabling its own dimensions and weight without interfering with this operation and myds in the context of very deep cuts.

Il 3 90899

This object is achieved mainly by using equipment for excavation and removal of soil, comprising two chain-type excavators placed opposite each other in a "V" -shaped position and approximately symmetrically with the chain and the pipeline to be installed, each with two excavators having different lengths so that the respective chains of the two devices can wedge into each other without touching each other.

I named T & T because the use of adjacent chains operating simultaneously in that excavation area ensures efficient tillage 15 and removal of excavated. On the other hand, the structural tightness of the tSma machine is obvious.

20

According to the present invention, each excavator comprising chains with excavating hitches is started by means of a single motor-driven shaft to which the sprockets of the excavator's individual chains are connected, whereby the mechanical component parts are clearly simplified and contaminated.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each excavator chain is provided with its own lifting 3U device capable of moving the chain from its approximately horizontal rest position to its position of use, all axes of the aforementioned joints mating each other and said single motor.

The chains of the TSlld can be rotated in an independent manner, which has the advantage that the depth of the open section can only be changed to the most suitable chains of the excavating equipment and leaving the other chains to their own rest position. Such an operation, which can also be performed while the machine is running, allows the open cross-sectional area to be reduced when a greater installation depth is allowed, thus reducing the power consumption of the digging process, or allocating the entire digging power to a smaller digging area. -10 si especially in hard and firm soils / which of course lowers the operating costs of the machine advantageously.

Finally, an additional feature of the invention is the fact that the chain pins using the individual chains of the excavating devices are interchangeable with each other and with chain pulleys enclosing different Maaria sprockets.

In this way, individual chains can be made to operate at different speeds, which are usually required in connection with a special type of soil, in order to increase the excavation activity of the excavating tools.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting, so that technical and structural changes may be made at any time without departing from the scope of the present invention.

30

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an underwater machine for underwater installation of pipelines according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows on an enlarged scale a partially sectioned perspective view of an underwater machine for the underwater installation of the pipelines of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 40; 7 90899

Figure 4 is a longitudinal center sectional view of an underwater machine for the underwater installation of the pipelines of Figure 1;

Fig. 5 shows a considerably enlarged cross-sectional view of the detail of Fig. 1 in accordance with a variation of one aspect of the invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing a particular mode of operation of the present invention.

Referring to Figs. Said chain-type excavating devices 4 and 5 are placed opposite and approximately symmetrically with respect to the center line 20 of the machine and the pipeline 2 to be installed (especially with reference to Fig. 3) when the pipeline and 2 are installed below it in an open ground section excavated by said excavating devices 4 and 5 (7 ), with these excavators 4 and 5 in their position of use moved to the "V" shape. · Each excavator 4 or 5 comprises three chains of different lengths placed 25 next to each other, denoted by reference numerals 8, 9 and 10, respectively (8 ', 9', 10 ') and provided with excavating tools 11, said chains wedging within each other without contacting each other (reference is made in particular to Figures 3 and 7 in this connection), thus covering practically completely the cross-sectional area of the excavated open ground section 7. Each chain runs between a chain pulley 12 and a drive wheel 13 thereof, said pyrrh being supported by protruding hubs 35 (15) supported by adjacent holders 16 attached to the base 1 of the machine. Fig. 5) articulated fork frame 14. In this way, each chain with its own pivot joint can be moved from its approximately horizontal rest position 8a (reference is made in particular to Figures 4 and 7) to its operating position. 18 transmission. This possibility is used, as can be seen in Figure 7, when digging an open section of shallow depth, which requires only two of the three chains with an excavator. The drive pulley 12 of the chains of each individual excavator 4 or 5 is driven by a single motor-driven shaft which mates the connected groove shaft of the motor unit 20, the motor unit 20 being attached to one holder 16 and controlled from the water level by the power take-off. Said groove shaft 19 is concentric with the pivot joints of said chain-supporting fork frames 14 enclosing said protruding hubs 15, which in turn rotatably support within the forks 22 of the frames 14 the poles 23 of said chain chains 12 (see Figures 5 and 6), which are shown in Figures 5 and 6. 12 said groove shaft 19 passing through them is used.

Said chain pulleys 12 further comprise a third part (which 20 may be only two or more than three), denoted by reference numerals 24, 25 and 26, respectively, and which are fastened to said terminals 23 by means of bolts 27. In this way myds with other sprockets with 25 different sprockets.

Finally, it should be noted that reference numerals 28 and 29 in the drawings denote control systems which control the passage of the machine along the underwater pipeline 2.

Claims (5)

An underwater machine (1) for mounting submarine pipelines, comprising a submarine, which moves along the pipeline (2) mounted in the seabed with the aid of a propulsion device (3) and provides an excavation of a deep groove (7). ) intended digging system, comprising two chain-type diggers (4,5) provided with sea fabric (18), which fit to bring the gray gauge from its unavoidably horizontal resting position to its working layer, in which they form a "\ l" con and with motors (20) for turning each sprocket (12) arranged to circulate the working chains provided with the excavator (8,9,10,8 ', 9', 10 '), the motor ( 20) is supplied from above the water surface with the power required for its operation by forming a power supply and machine control hose, characterized in that the chain-type digging means (4,5) are arranged opposite each other in a "V" configuration and approximately symmetrical in relation to machine s (1) and mounted rudder line (2) center line (6), and each digging member comprises two or more adjacent chains (8.9, 10.8 ', 9', 10 ') of different lengths. 2. Underwater machine for mounting pipelines underwater according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the corresponding gray member (4,5) chains (8,9,10,8 * 9 ', 10') can wedge into each other without, however, interfering with each other. . An underwater machine for mounting underwater lines as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the -wheel sprockets (12), which drive each of the gray chain's individual chains (8,9,10,8 ', 9', 10 ') are connected to a single motor shaft (19), 4. Underwater machine for mounting pipelines underwater according to claim 1, characterized in that the individual chain wheels (12) of the gray body can be interchanged with each other and with sprockets with different number of wreaths. 5. An underwater machine for mounting rudder lines under water according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each gray member (8,9,10,8 *, 9 ', 10') is provided with a separate weaving fabric, which is suitable for moving the chain from its roughly horizontal resting position to its working position, whereby the axles of all the fabric fabrics are transversely aligned with each other and with the motor driven shaft (19).