GB2164412A - Pipe laying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine (1) for laying sections of pipe or trough comprising a chassis arrangement (3), an outrigger boom (4) carried by the chassis arrangement (3), in spaced and parallel relationship therewith, a plough share (20) attached to a bottom surface of the boom (4) and adapted in use to plough a furrow capable of receiving said sections, a chute (33), adapted in use to receive a plurality of said sections in end-to-end engagement, having one end open to receive said sections and the other end extending to a point behind the plough share (20), whereby sections can be released into a furrow formed by said plough share (20) and drive means located at or near the end of said chute (33) which receives said sections, which drive means is adapted in use to drive the sections towards the said other end of the chute (33), and thereby maintain them in end-to-end engagement. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A machine for laying sections of pipe or of trough The present invention relates to a machine for laying sections of pipe or trough below the surface of the ground.

In the Applicant's prior U.K. Patent No.

1229633 there is disclosed a machine for laying cables concealed below the surface of the ground. The machine is carried on a trolley wagon and comprises an outrigger boom to which is attached a plough share. A passage is formed in the share leading from the upper part of the share to the heel of the share so that as the share is hauled forward through the ground the cable issues from the passage at the heel of the share into the bottom of the furrow formed by the share. The cable is unwound from a cable drum carried on the machine itself or the wagon, and can be fed continuously from the drum to the plough share without any appreciable difficulty.

However, whilst cables can be laid quite satisfactorily using the cable laying machine the machine is quite unsuited to laying sections of pipe or trough. In contrast to cable, which is flexible and essentially continuous, pipes and troughs are provided in rigid sections, of relatively, short length, which have to be laid into the ground one after the other, and end to end. Clearly these requirements cannot be met using the cable laying plough share of the aforementioned cable laying machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for laying sections of pipe or trough.

According to the present invention there is provided a machine for laying sections of pipe or trough comprising a chassis arrangement, an outrigger boom carried by the chassis arrangement in spaced and parallel relationship therewith, a plough share attached to a bottom surface of the boom and adapted in use to plough a furrow capable of receiving said sections, a chute adapted in use to receive a plurality of said sections in end-to-end engagement, having one end open to receive said sections and the other end extending to a point behind the plough share whereby sections can be released into a furrow formed by said plough share and drive means located at or near the end of said chute which receives said sections, which drive means is adapted in use to drive the sections towards the said other end of the chute and thereby maintain them in end-to-end engagement.

Preferably, at least one vertically disposed plate is provided on either side of the said chute, which plate extends vertically from a point above the plough share to the bottom surface if the plough share, and extends horizontally from the rear of the plough share to a point beyond the end of the said chute which in use opens into the furrow ploughed by the plough share, to prevent, in use of the machine, the soil turned out in the wake of the machine from falling back into the furrow.

Preferably, the plates are capable of movement in a vertical plane to accommodate, in use of the machine, irregularities in the bottom of the furrow ploughed.

Preferably, a spoil deflector is provided immediately behind the plough share on either side thereof, which, in use of the machine directs soil turned out on either side of the ploughed furrow back towards the furrow and thus prevents it from being too widely spread.

Preferably, a compaction roller is provided immediately behind the said end of the chute which opens into the furrow on either side thereof, which in use of the machine, compacts the soil down on either side of the sections laid.

Preferably, a pressure roller is provided immediately behind the said end of the chute which opens into the furrow, which in use of the machine to lay sections of trough having a lid, acts down on the lid to close the same.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying dawings in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic side elevation of a machine embodying the present invention; and Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic plan view of a machine embodying the present invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings there is shown a machine 1 embodying the present invention carried on the body of a trolley wagon 2. The machine 1 comprises a chassis 3 and an outrigger boom 4 which lies spaced from and parallel to the chassis 3. The boom 4 is supported in this position by a transversely projecting support 4a carried by the chassis 3, to which end 5 of the boom is pivotally connected, and by the hoisting cable 6 of a crane device 7, which is also carried by the chassis 2 and which supports the boom at its opposite end 8. A stabiliser device 9 mounted on the chassis 2 with its axis disposed transversely of the chassis 2 is also connected to the boom 4 near the end 8 supported by the hoisting cable 6.

The boom 4 comprises two boom members 10 and 11 which overlap one another and are pivotally connected to one another at 12 by means of two flange plates 13. An adjusting device 14 in the form of a hydraulic cylinder and ram is connected between the two boom members 10 and 11. By extending or retracting the ram of the adjusting device 14 the angular relationship of the boom sections 10 and 11 can be altered in a vertical plane. A balancing cable 15 is linked to the boom section 11 and connects with a winch (not shown).

The boom section 11 carries a number of trough forming implements. The first of these in the direction they are moved relative to the ground is a cutter blade 16 which comprises a sharp edged disc 17 mounted on an arm 18.

A spring 19 biases the disc 17 into engagement with the ground. Behind the cutter blade 16 and in-line therewith is disposed a plough share 20 which presents a downwardly inclined surface 21 in the forward direction. To the rear of the plough share 20 and just outside the outside edges thereof are disposed a pair of spoil deflectors 21. The spoil deflectors 21 prevent the soil turned out in the wake of the plough 20 from being spread too widely.

Extending in-line with each outside edge of the plough share 20 is a pair of vertically disposed plates 22 and 23. Each of the plates 22 is pivotally connected to a bracket 24 supporting the plough share 20 by means of a horizontally disposed pin 25. Thus each is capable of moving about the pin 24 in a vertical plane. However, the degree of movement of the plates 22 about the pin 24 is restricted by a pin 26 located in a slot on a bracket 27.

The plates 23 are rigidly connected to a rear portion 28 of the boom section 11 and as such cannot move freely in a vertical plane as the plates 22. However, the rear portion 28 of the boom member 11 is pivotally connected at 29 to a front portion 30 of the boom member 11. It is to this rear portion 28 of the boom member 11 that the hoisting cable 6 and the stabiliser device 9 are connected. Each plate 23 supports a compaction roller 31 which is connected to the outside surface of the plates 23 through an arm 32.

Extending in an upwardly inclined direction from the bottom edge of the plates 23, is provided a chute 33 for the passage of sections of trough or pipe 34 which are rectangular in cross-section. The chute 33 is comprised of two chute elements 35 and 36. Element 35 is supported by a chain 37 connected to the end 5 of the boom 4 and by a flange 38 carried by the boom member 11.

The flange 38 has a slot in it and in this slot a pin 39 carried by the element 35 locates, thus allowing the element 35 a degree of vertical movement in the slot. Along the floor of element 35 a plurality of rollers 40 are provided. Directly above the uppermost of these rollers 40 is provided a hydraulic powered drive 41 which drives a roller 41a, which in use engages the upper edges of the sections of trough or pipe 34 to be laid. The element 36 extends from the end of the element 35 downwards over the top of the plough share 20 and between the plates 22 and 23 to the bottom edge of the plates 23 where it is open.

In the vicinity of the compaction rollers 31 a pressure roller 42 is provided. The pressure roller 42 is biased downwardly by a spring 43. Where the machine is used to lay sections of trough having a lid which requires to be closed once the section is laid in position, the pressure roller 42 acts downwards on the lid as each section of trough passes thereunder to close the same.

In use, as the machine 1 is moved forward on the trolley wagon 2 the inclined surface 21 of the plough share 20 causes the plough share 20 to penetrate the surface of the ground and cut a furrow. The furrow is deep enough and wide enough to easily accommodate the sections of pipe or trough to be laid.

The plates 22 and 23 follow the plough share 20 into the bottom of the furrow and thus ensure that the opening of the chute section 36 between the plates 23 lies at the bottom of the furrow. The pivoting of the plates 22 about pin 24 and of the boom member 11 at 29 allows a degree of flexibility as the furrow is cut by the plough share 20. Forward movement of the machine is assisted in difficult soil, e.g. where there is vegetation on the surface by the cutting blade 16 which parts the surface of the soil in advance of the plough share 20.

While the chassis 3 is moving the winch acting on the balancing cable 15 exerts a pull on the boom 4 which largely counteracts the off-set thrust on the plough share 20 which, with the tractive pull on the chassis 3, generates a couple tending to cause the chassis 3 to veer towards the boom 4.

The adjusting device 14 is operated to alter the tilt of the boom member 11 supporting the share 20 so that the inclination of the inclined surface 21 on the plough share 20 is altered until the forces tending to move the plough share 20 downwards into the soil and those resisting such downward movement are balanced at the depth of penetration of the share at which the sections of pipe or trough are to be laid. The actual depth of penetration is determined by the amount of hoisting cable 6 paid out from the crane device 7.

The operation of the stabiliser device 9 and of the boom supporting crane device 7 and transverse support 4a carried by the chassis 3 are conventional, being fully described in the applicant's prior U.K. Patent No. 1229633.

At the same time as the trolley wagon 2 is moved forward to cause the plough share 20 to cut a furrow, sections of pipe or trough are fed into the chute element 35 where they are driven down into the chute element 36 by the drive 41 acting through the roller 41a. Here the sections of trough or pipe are free to emerge from the opening of the chute element 36 between the plates 23 into the furrow formed behind the plough share 20 as it is driven forward by the trolley wagon 2.The drive 41 acting through the roller 41a tends to keep the sections of pipe or trough in close engagement as they pass down the chute 33 into the furrow and thus a substantially contin uous length of trough or pipe is formed in which each section is spaced from its immediate neighbour by only a small gap sufficient to permit passage of water, but insufficient to allow earth particles into the interior of the trough.

At ground level, as the machine moves forward the spoil deflectors 21 pass over the ridge of soil formed on each side of the plough share 20 and channel the soil back towards the furrow. The soil cannot actually fill the furrow as the plates 22 occupy it in the wake of the plough share. Next come the compaction rollers 31 which flatten the ridges of soil down around the sections of trough or pipe which have been laid in the furrow by the time the compaction rollers have advanced to any given point along the furrow.

It will be appreciated that whilst the present invention has been described in relation to the laying of pipe or trough of rectangular-crosssection this is in no-way intended to be limitative. For example, sections of pipe or trough having a circular cross-section can be laid using the machine embodying the present invention.

Claims (7)

1. A machine for laying sections of pipe or trough comprising a chassis arrangement, an outrigger boom carried by the chassis arrangement in spaced and parallel relationship therewith, a plough share attached to a bottom surface of the boom and adapted in use to plough a furrow capable of receiving said sections, a chute adapted in use to receive a plurality of said sections in end-to-end engagement, having one end open to receive said sections and the other end extending to a point behind the plough share whereby sections can be released into a furrow formed by said plough share and drive means located at or near the end of said chute which receives said sections, which drive means is adapted in use to drive the sections towards the said other end of the chute and thereby maintain them in end-to-end engagement.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one vertically disposed plate is provided on either side of the said chute, which plate extends vertically from a point above the plough share to the bottom surface of the plough share, and extends horizontally from the rear of the plough share to a point beyond the end of the said chute which in use opens into the furrow ploughed by the plough share, to prevent, in use of the machine, the soil turned out in the wake of the machine from falling back into the furrow.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the plates are capable of movement in a vertical plane to accommodate, in use of the machine, irregularities in the bottom of the furrow ploughed.

4. A machine according to any preceeding claims, wherein a spoil deflector is provided immediately behind the plough share on either side thereof, which, in use of the machine directs soil turned out on either side of the ploughed furrow back towards the furrow and thus prevents it from being too widely spread.

5. A machine according to any preceeding claims, wherein a compaction roller is provided immediately behind the said end of the chute which opens into the furrow on each side thereof, which in use of the machine, compacts the soil down on each side of the sections laid.

6. A machine according to any preceding claims, wherein a pressure roller is provided immediately behind the said end of the chute which opens into the furrow, which in use of the machine to lay sections of trough having a lid, acts down on the lid to close the same.

7. A machine for laying sections of pipe or trough substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.