GB2371844A

GB2371844A - Cable and pipe laying plough

Info

Publication number: GB2371844A
Application number: GB0102406A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antony Paul Draper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-01-31
Filing date: 2001-01-31
Publication date: 2002-08-07
Also published as: GB0102406D0

Abstract

A device for laying and burying a cable or flexible pipe 108 comprising a planar blade 100 adapted to be releasably attached vertically to a digging machine (not shown), the blade incorporating a longitudinal feed duct 106 for a cable or pipe, the feed duct sloping downwardly from the front 101 to the back 102 of the blade. The feed duct 106 preferably extends beyond the front 101 of the blade 100. The device may also include depth indicating means.

Description

CABLE AND PIPE LAYING PLOUGH

The present invention relates to a plough adapted to facilitate the laying of cables and pipes across land; and more specifically to such a plough adapted to be used in conjunction with the type of machine known as a back.

Conventionally, back hoe loaders are vehicles with a central operator's cabin on one side of which are two parallel hydraulically operated arms to which a loading bucket, grab or earth-moving blade can be attached, and on the other side of which there is an hydraulically operated single articulated arm to the end of which a variety of implements can be attached.

Devices, known as mole ploughs, for laying cables and pipes in undisturbed soil already exist, but existing mole ploughs have disadvantages. For example, they are single-function machines which, in practice means that an expensive piece of equipment often spends a lot of time being idle and usually they operate by pulling a cable or pipe into place. This means that the cable or pipe is buried in a state of tension, which can lead to the failure of joints in the cable or pipe, or even in extreme cases to a failure of the cable or pipe itself.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for laying and burying a cable or flexible pipe comprising a planar adapted to be releasably attached vertically to a digging machine, the blade incorporating a longitudinal feed duct for a cable or pipe the feed duct sloping downwardly from the front to the back of the blade.

Preferably the feed duct projects beyond the leading edge of the blade so as to prevent soil from entering the feed duct and to facilitate the burial of the cable or pipe at a constant depth. This can be achieved by an operator of a

machine including the device operating the machine so as to keep the point of emergence of the feed duct from the blade of the device at soil level or a pre-determined distance above soil level. Other forms of reference marker can be used if so desired.

Preferably the said blade is adapted to be attached to the articulated arm of a back hoe loader.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is an elevational view of an embodiment o the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a device for facilitating the laying of buried cables or flexible pipes consists of a blade 100 which has a concave leading edge 101 and a generally vertical trailing edge 102. The leading edge 101 of the blade 100 is sharpened and preferably made of a work-hardening alloy such as that known as Hadfield steel. Towards the upper end of the leading edge 101 of the blade 100 there is a notch 103. A plate 104 is welded transversely to the trailing edge 102 of the blade 100 opposite the notch 103 in the leading edge 101 of the blade 100. Attached to the top of the blade 100 is a lug 105 which is adapted to fit the corresponding attachment point of the arm of a back hoe loader or other digging machine not shown in the drawing) with which the device if to be used. Attached to one side of the blade 100 is a cable or pipe feed tube 106 which slopes downwardly from the front of the blade 100. The feed tube 106 projects beyond the leading edge 101 of the blade 100, to which it is attached by a web 107.

Alternatively, that part of the feed tube 106 which is encompassed by the blade 100 may be bored directly through the blade 100. In another

construction, the blade 100 and the support web 107 may be fabricated by appropriately shaped pieces of sheet metal welded to the feed tube 106.

In use, the device is attached to the articulated arm of a back hoe loader or similar digging machine which is to act as a pipe laying machine, a length of cable or pipe 108 to be buried is laid on the surface of the piece of land in which it is to be buried, the blade 100 of the device is dug into the ground to a required depth as indicated by a marker on the front edge 101 of the blade 100 (the marker may be the position at which the feed tube 106 projects from the front edge of the blade 100) and the cable or pipe 108 is, in the case of a back hoe loader, passed over the front bucket of the back hoe loader and fed into the feed tube 106. The back hoe loader is then driven forward a short distance and a length of the cable or pipe 108 is pulled through the feed tube 106. Sufficient cable or pipe 108 to satisfy whatever are the above ground requirements for the cable or pipe 108 is pulled through the feed tube 106. The back hoe loader is then driven across the piece of ground in which the cable or pipe 108 is to be laid, the articulated arm of the back hoe loader being continuously operated so as to maintain the blade 100, and hence the cable or pipe 108 at the required depth. The forward movement of the blade 100 causes the cable or pipe 108 to be pushed through the feed tube 106, so that there is no tension in the cable or pipe 108 either during laying, or when laid.

If it is desired to lay the cable or pipe 108 right up to a boundary, then as the boundary is approached, the blade 100 can be detached from the articulated arm of the back hoe loader and gripped by the front of the back hoe loader, using the indentation 103 in the front edge 101 and the blade 100, and pushed as close to the boundary as is practicable. The blade 100 is then lifted from the ground bringing the end of the cable or pipe 108 with it.

The narrow slit formed in the ground by the blade 100 is virtually selfclosing, but can be consolidated by driving one of the wheels of the back hoe loader back along the path of the buried cable or pipe 108.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A device for laying and burying a cable or flexible pipe comprising a planar blade adapted to be releasably attached vertically to a digging machine, the blade incorporating a longitudinal feed duct for a cable or pipe, the feed duct sloping downwardly from the front to the back of the blade.
2. A cable or pipe laying device according to Claim 1 wherein the feed tube projects beyond the leading edge of the blade.
3. A cable or pipe laying device according to Claim I or Claim 2 including means for indicating the depth of which a cable or pipe is laid.
4. A cable or pipe laying device according to Claim 3 when dependent on Claim 2 wherein the means for indicating the depth at which a cable or pipe is being laid comprises the intersection between the projecting portion of the feed tube and the leading edge of the said blade.
5 A cable or pipe laying device according to any preceding claim wherein the said blade is adapted to be attached to the articulated arm of a back hoe loader as hereinbefore described.
6. A method of laying a cable or pipe comprising the operations of attaching a cable or pipe laying device according to any of Claims I to 5 to a self propelled digging machine, laying a length of cable or pipe to be buried on the surface of the ground in which the cable or pipe is to be buried, initially inserting the cable or pipe laying device into the ground to a depth such that the exit from the feed tube is at a required depth inserting the cable or pipe into the higher end of the feed tube, moving the digging machine forwards in the direction of the cable or pipe, pulling an initial length of the cable or pipe through the said feed tube and moving the digging machine forward in the direction of the cable or pipe so that the forward motion of the digging machine continuously feeds the cable or pipe into the feed tube.
7. A cable or pipe laying device substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing.
8. A method of laying a buried pipe or cable substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing.