GB1349515A - Mole ploughs - Google Patents

Abstract

1349515 Laying pipes HUDSWELL YATES DEVELOPMENTS Ltd 7 June 1971 [5 June 1970] 27249/70 Heading F2P [Also in Division A1] A mole plough and its towing arrangement has the mole 27 mounted at or constituted by the foot of a coulter 25 whose upper end is secured to an elongated towing beam 14 coupled to a land vehicle 10. The beam is telescopically adjustable in length, for example by fluid pressure ram means 15. The leading end of the beam is pivoted about a horizontal axis 19 and may also be pivoted about an upright axis 18 so that the beam can "float" when in use or be raised, lowered and held by rams 43 acting between vehicle 10 and plate 39 pivoted at 40, and slew from side to side and held by an adjustably positioned ram 46 acting on saddle 42 slidably mounted on cross-beam 41 mounted on plate 39. The mole 2 itself may be pivoted on coulter 25 at 28 and controlled by ram 30 or fixed to the coulter and have a hinged bottom plate or foot so controlled in order to vary the depth of work. Coulter 25 may be pivotally mounted about axis 31 to beam 14 and controlled by ram 32. The plough shown also lays pipes 35 from reel 34 but alternatively a cable may be laid and when the plough has finished its traverse the pipe may be drawn through the tunnel formed by a winch (not shown) on the vehicle drawing in the cable. The vehicle 10 may be towed at 11 by a tractor, self-propelled or winched along by winch 12.