GB2606340A

GB2606340A - Apparatus for removal, cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material

Info

Publication number: GB2606340A
Application number: GB2105797.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Dykes Fraser
Original assignee: Filter Drain Tech Ltd
Current assignee: Filter Drain Tech Ltd
Priority date: 2021-04-23
Filing date: 2021-04-23
Publication date: 2022-11-09
Also published as: GB202105797D0

Abstract

Apparatus 12 for removal, cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench T. The apparatus 12 comprises an excavator 18 arranged to remove aggregate filter material from a drainage trench; a screen 20 configured to separate aggregate filter material from sediment material; an extraction conveyor 22 arranged to receive aggregate filter material from the excavator 18 and to convey the aggregate filter material to the screen 20; and a discharge conduit 24 arranged to receive separated aggregate filter material from the screen 20 and to return said aggregate filter material to the roadside drainage trench T. the conveyor 22 may comprise a continuous belt. The screen 20 may be planar and may be configured to oscillate during use. The apparatus may also comprise a spray wash system 26 disposed above the screen 20 arranged to spray the aggregate filter material with cleaning liquid during separation.

Description

APPARATUS FOR REMOVAL CLEANING AND RECYCLING

OF AGGREGATE FILTER MATERIAL

Technical Field

The present invention relates to apparatus for removal, cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench, and particularly, but not exclusively relates to apparatus for the removal, cleaning and recycling of gravel from a roadside French drain.

Background

Roadways, in particular highways, are typically provided with drainage trenches along each side to collect rainwater runoff from the road surface. The trenches are usually filled with an aggregate filter material, such as gravel, which serves to filter sediment, such as silt comprising small particles of mud, clay or rocks and debris, such as organic material, from the rainwater as it soaks away. These types of drainage systems are known as French drains.

Over time, sediment and debris accumulates within the aggregate filter material. This can hinder flow through the aggregate filter material and reduce the effectiveness of the drainage 15 trenches.

It is therefore necessary to replenish or rejuvenate the aggregate filter material periodically either by removing dirty aggregate filter material from drainage trenches and replacing it with new aggregate filter material or by removing dirty aggregate filter material for cleaning and then returning to the drainage trench from which it came.

Typically, the processes of removing and cleaning aggregate filter material has involved removing aggregate filter material from the trenches, transporting the dirty aggregate filter material to a cleaning facility and then returning the clean aggregate filter material to the trenches. This is labour intensive, time consuming and expensive.

Attempts have been made to improve the process of rejuvenating aggregate filter material in roadside drainage trenches.

GB2393638B describes an apparatus for cleaning aggregate in which aggregate is loaded into a hopper from where it is transported through a drum having a mesh in which it is tumbled to break up any aggregate that is conglomerated and allows for debris to fall through the mesh onto a conveyor which conveys the debris to a dispersion arrangement.

The apparatus, however, is complex and requires multiple or separate operations to loosen and or remove aggregate from a drainage channel prior to being loaded into the hopper.

Consequently there exists a need for an improved way of removing, cleaning and recycling aggregate filter material.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for removal, cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench comprising an excavator arranged to remove aggregate filter material from a drainage trench, a screen configured to separate aggregate filter material from sediment material that may have accumulated with the aggregate filter material, an extraction conveyor arranged to receive aggregate filter material from the excavator and to convey the aggregate filter material to the screen, and a discharge conduit arranged to receive separated aggregate filter material from the screen and to return said aggregate filter material to the drainage trench.

Certain aspects of the invention provide a means by which aggregate filter material, such as gravel, can be removed from a drainage trench, cleaned and then returned to the drainage trench (i.e. recycled) efficiently, and particularly in a single continuous operation.

Certain aspects of the invention provide a means by which aggregate filter material can be cleaned without having to transport the aggregate filter material away from the trench from which it is extracted.

The extraction conveyor may have a receiving end arranged to receive aggregate filter material from the excavator. The extraction conveyor may further have a discharge end arranged to deliver the aggregate filter material to the screen.

The receiving end of the extraction conveyor may be disposed below a portion of the excavator such that aggregate filter material falls from the excavator onto the extraction conveyor.

The discharge end of the extraction conveyor may be disposed above the screen such that aggregate filter material falls from the discharge end of the extraction conveyor onto the screen.

The extraction conveyor may comprise a continuous belt which is arranged to extend over at least first and second pulleys and is configured to be driven in order to move aggregate filter material towards the screen.

At least a portion of the screen may extend from the discharge end of the extraction conveyor towards the discharge conduit.

The at least a portion of the screen which extends from the discharge end of the extraction conveyor towards the discharge conduit may be inclined downwardly from the discharge end towards the discharge conduit. The screen may be planar.

The screen may be configured to oscillate during use. For example, the apparatus may comprise an eccentric driven motor that is arranged to cause the screen to oscillate.

The apparatus may further comprise a spray wash system arranged to spray the aggregate filter material with cleaning liquid during separation.

The spray wash system may comprise spray nozzles which are disposed above the screen.

The spray wash system may comprise a tank for storing cleaning fluid.

The apparatus may further comprise a sediment collector arranged to collect sediment material from which the aggregate filter material has been separated.

The sediment collector may be disposed beneath the screen and arranged to collect sediment material that passes through the screen.

The apparatus may further comprise a sediment discharge conveyor that has a receiving end arranged to receive sediment material from the sediment collector. The sediment discharge conveyor may be arranged to convey sediment away from the sediment collector for disposal.

The excavator may be arranged to deposit aggregate filter material removed from a drainage trench on the extraction conveyor.

The excavator may comprise a shovel having a front portion which is arranged to penetrate aggregate filter material disposed within a roadside drainage trench, and a rear portion which is configured to provide an exit for aggregate filter material from the shovel.

The extraction conveyor may be arranged to receive aggregate filter material from the rear portion of the shovel. The excavator may comprise a rotary feeder. The rotary feeder may comprise a plurality of scoops arranged to scoop aggregate filter material from a trench. The rotary feeder may be a driven rotary feeder.

The apparatus may further comprise a chassis arranged to support at least the excavator, screen, extraction conveyor and discharge conduit, the chassis being movable in a direction which is parallel with a roadside drainage trench.

The excavator, the screen, the extraction conveyor and the discharge conduit are aligned in a longitudinal direction such that aggregate filter material removed from a roadside trench travels in a generally linear direction. The term 'linear direction' means a direction which does not include lateral motion, other than on account of individual particle of aggregate filter material, but also includes travel in an upward or downward direction. When referenced in terms of the forward direction of travel of the apparatus during normal use, the aggregate material could be said to travel in a generally longitudinal direction of the apparatus.

The chassis may be configured such that the chassis can be arranged to straddle a roadside drainage trench during use. The chassis may be provided with wheelsthat support the chassis during use.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a trailer comprising an apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, wherein the trailer is configured to be secured to a vehicle. The apparatus may be arranged such that it can be moved laterally with respect to a towing point of the trailer.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided an arrangement comprising a vehicle connected a trailer in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, wherein the vehicle comprises a tank for storing cleaning fluid.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention here is provided a vehicle comprising an apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. For example, there may be provided a self-propelled vehicle that comprises an apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention and which may also be configured to store cleaning fluid and/or collect sediment material from which the aggregate filter material has been separated. The apparatus may be arranged such that it can be moved laterally with respect to wheels of the vehicle.

Various further features and aspects of the invention are defined in the claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the meaning commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which this invention belongs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings where like parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals and in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an elevation view of an apparatus for removal, cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a portion of an apparatus for cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a trailer 10 comprising an apparatus 12 for removal, cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench T. The trailer 10 is shown towed by a vehicle, such as a tractor 14 (only a portion of the tractor 14 is shown).

The apparatus 12 comprises a chassis 16 which includes a support frame. The apparatus 12 further comprises an excavator 18, a screen 20, an extraction conveyor 22, a discharge conduit 24, a spray wash system 26, a sediment collector 28, a sediment discharge conveyor 30 and a lateral adjuster 32.

The excavator 18 comprises a shovel 34 having a front portion 36 which is arranged to penetrate an aggregate filter material disposed within a roadside drainage trench T. In particular, the front portion 36 of the shovel 34 has a lower edge 38 at the front of the shovel 34. The front portion 36 is similar to the arrangement of a conventional excavator shovel. The lower edge may, for instance, comprise three excavator-type teeth which are arranged to break the surface of consolidated aggregate filter material (e.g. drainage gravel) and sediment material (e.g. road surface wash/debris). The shovel 34 has a rear portion 40 that defines an exit 42 through which aggregate scooped up by the front portion 36 can pass. Thus, the shovel 34 is arranged such that as the lower edge 38 is pushed along a drainage channel T with the lower edge 38 below an upper level of the aggregate filter material within it, aggregate filter material is pushed up into the shovel 34 and through the exit 42.

The extraction conveyor 22 comprises a first pulley 44 and a second pulley 46 about which extends a continuous belt 48. The first and/or second pulley 44, 46 is connected to a motor (not shown) for driving the or each first and/or second pulley 44,46 in order to cause the belt to move over the pulleys 44, 46. The extraction conveyor 22 has a receiving end 50 and a discharge end 52. The receiving end 50 is disposed below the exit 42 of the shovel 34 such that aggregate filter material which is pushed through the exit 42 drops onto the extraction conveyor 22. The extraction conveyor 22 is inclined upwardly away from the receiving end SO. The extraction conveyor 22 is arranged such that the discharge end 52 overhangs a portion of the screen 20. The belt 48 has ribs 54 (shown in Figure 2 only) which are arranged to prevent aggregate from sliding or rolling down the belt 48 towards the receiving end 50.

In the embodiment shown, the ribs 54 are V-shaped. It will be appreciated that the extraction conveyor 22 may comprise multiple belts and associated pulleys arranged sequentially in order to convey aggregate from the excavator 18 to the screen 20.

The screen 20 is arranged such that a receiving portion 56 of the screen 20 is disposed below the discharge end 52 of the extraction conveyor 22 and a discharge portion 58 is disposed adjacent the discharge conduit 24. The screen 20 is inclined downwardly from the receiving portion 56 in the direction of the discharge portion 58. The screen 20 comprises a mesh which has an aperture size which is less than 400mm2, for example, a mesh having square apertures in which each aperture has sides which are not greater than 20mm in length or circular apertures having a diameter which is not greater than 20mm. The size of the apertures of the mesh can be selected to correspond to the size of the aggregate filter material being processed.

The screen 20 is planar and is connected to an oscillator (not shown) which is arranged to cause the screen to oscillate, for example to oscillate about a rotational axis which is perpendicular to the plane in which the screen 20 extends.

The spray wash system 26 comprises a tank (not shown) and an array of spray nozzles 62 which are disposed above the screen 20 and arranged to direct a cleaning fluid, such as water, towards the screen 20. The tank may be disposed above the spray nozzles 62, or may be located elsewhere, such as on the vehicle 14 pulling the trailer 10.

The discharge conduit 24 is in the form of a chute and has an entry portion 64 disposed adjacent the discharge portion 58 of the screen 20, and a discharge portion 66. The discharge conduit 24 is arranged to direct aggregate filter material which falls from the screen 20 into the discharge conduit 24 along the discharge conduit 24 and into the roadside drainage trench T from which the aggregate filter material was removed. The apparatus may be configured such that the aggregate filter material is delivered to approximately the same region of the trench T from which it was removed.

The sediment collector 28 is in the form of a hopper which is disposed beneath the screen 20. The sediment collector 2 is configured as a funnel and arranged to direct sediment collected by the sediment collector 28 towards the sediment discharge conveyor 30.

The discharge conveyor 30 is configured in a manner which is similar to the extraction conveyor 22, and so comprises first and second pulleys (not shown) about which extends a continuous belt 68. The discharge conveyor 30 has a receiving end 70 and a discharge end (not shown). The receiving end 70 is disposed adjacent the sediment collector 28 such that sediment which is directed by the sediment collector 28 towards the sediment discharge conveyor 30 is deposited on the sediment discharge conveyor 30 at the receiving end 70. The sediment discharge conveyor 30 is inclined upwardly away from the receiving end 70. The sediment discharge conveyor 30 is arranged such sediment can be conveyed to a truck positioned alongside the trailer 10 for subsequent disposal or deposited on a roadside adjacent the trench T. The belt 68 has ribs 72 (shown in Figure 2) which are arranged to prevent aggregate from sliding or rolling down the belt 68 towards the receiving end 70. In the embodiment shown, the ribs 72 are V-shaped.

The chassis 16 is provided with wheels 74 which are arranged to be placed either side of a roadside drainage trench T such that the trench T is straddled by the trailer 10. The wheels 74 may be adjusted such that the distance between them can be varied in order to accommodate different situations, such as different sized trenches or in order to position the wheels 74 to avoid obstacles, such as roadside barriers during operation.

It will be appreciated that in the embodiment shown, the shovel 34 and the discharge conduit 24 are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the chassis/direction of travel so that aggregate filter material can be removed directly from and deposited directly in the trench T. A method of removing aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench T, cleaning said removed aggregate filter material and returning said cleaned aggregate filter material to the roadside drainage trench T (i.e. recycling the aggregate filter material)will now be described.

The trailer 10 is secured to a towing vehicle such as a tractor 14, as shown in Figure 1, and arranged such that the shovel 34 extends forwardly and downwardly into a roadside drainage trench T with the wheels 74 on either side of the trench T. The lower edge 38 of the shovel 34 is located between 200 mm and 300 mm below the upper level of aggregate filter material within the trench T. The height of the lower edge 38 is set in accordance with the depth of aggregate filter material that is to be removed from the trench T for cleaning. The aggregate filter material for use in roadside drainage trenches typically comprises gravel having a nominal diameter which is greater than 40mm, for example between 40mm and 60mm.

The tractor 14 pulls the trailer 14 in a forward direction parallel to the trench T, as indicated by the arrow A. This causes the shovel 34 to move along the trench T and scrape aggregate filter material, together with sediment and debris which has accumulated within the aggregate filter material, from the trench T into the shovel 34. The aggregate filter material, sediment material and debris builds up within the shovel 34 and is pushed rearward through the exit 42 whereupon it drops onto the belt 48 at the receiving end SO of the extraction conveyor 22.

The first pulley 44 and the second pulley 46 are driven by a motor (not shown) which causes the belt 48 to move clockwise (as view in Figure 1). The aggregate filter material, together with the sediment material and debris, is thus carried by the belt 48 upwardly before being falling form the discharge end 52 of the extraction conveyor 22 onto the receiving potion 56 of the screen 20.

Oscillation of the screen 20 causes the screen to vibrate and so helps break conglomerations of aggregate and sediment. The particles of aggregate filter material, which are larger than the mesh size of the screen 20 are retained on an upper surface of the screen 20, whereas the sediment and smaller debris drops through the screen 20 into the sediment collector 28 below. The sediment collector 28 directs the sediment/debris onto the receiving end 70 of the sediment discharge conveyor 30.

As the screen 20 is oscillated, the particles of aggregate filter material move downwardly along the screen 20 towards the discharge portion 58. Thus, as the particles of aggregate filter material move long the screen 20 they are separated from the sediment (i.e. cleaned).

Cleaning may be assisted by spraying the aggregate filter material with a cleaning fluid, such as water, using the spray wash system 26. The spray wash system 26 may help remove sediment that is not separated from the aggregate filter material by the oscillating action alone. The cleaned particles of aggregate filter material fall from the end of the screen 20 formed by the discharge portion 66 into the discharge conduit 24.

The cleaned aggregate filter material is then directed back into the trench T from which it was removed by the discharge conduit 24. The rejuvenated aggregate filter material has therefore been cleaned and recycled by returning the aggregate filter material to the trench T. The sediment is carried by the sediment discharge conveyor 30 for disposal, such as for distribution along the roadside away from the trench T or in a vehicle for remote disposal.

The lateral adjuster 32 is configured such that the apparatus 12 can be moved laterally with respect to a towing point of the trailer 10. This allows the positions of the excavator 18 and the discharge conduit 24 to be offset behind the towing vehicle and so allows for the towing vehicle to move alongside a roadside drainage trench T rather than having to straddle the trench T. The apparatus 12 allows for removal, cleaning and return of aggregate filter material in a single operation without the need for separate machines or transportation of the aggregate filter material for cleaning at each stage of the operation. This increases efficiency and reduces cost.

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment in which an excavator 118 comprises a rotary feeder 134 having a hub 136, in the form of a rotatable cylinder, and a plurality of scoops 138, in the form of cups, arranged about the periphery of the hub 136. The hub 136 is connected to a drive shaft 140 that that is driven, for example hydraulically driven, by a motor (not shown).

The remaining components of the apparatus are in accordance with the apparatus shown in Figures land 2 and so like reference numbers are used where appropriate. The rotary feeder 134 is supported by a mount 142 connected to the chassis 16.

In order to remove aggregate filter material from a trench T, the excavator 118 is arranged with the lower portion of the rotary feeder 134 protruding into the trench T such that the scoops 138, when positioned at the bottom of the hub 136, extend downwardly to a desired depth that is the depth of aggregate filter material that is to be removed from the trench T. The hub 136 is then rotated (in an anticlockwise direction, as shown in Figure 3) so that the scoops 138 lift aggregate filter material from the trench T as the apparatus moves along the trench land deposit it on the extraction conveyor 122.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" or "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Apparatus for removal, cleaning and recycling of aggregate filter material from a roadside drainage trench comprising: an excavator arranged to remove aggregate filter material from a drainage trench; a screen configured to separate aggregate filter material from sediment material that may have accumulated with the aggregate filter material; an extraction conveyor arranged to receive aggregate filter material from the excavator and to convey the aggregate filter material to the screen; and a discharge conduit arranged to receive separated aggregate filter material from the screen and to return said aggregate filter material to the drainage trench.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the extraction conveyor has a receiving end arranged to receive aggregate filter material from the excavator and a discharge end arranged to deliver the aggregate filter material to the screen.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiving end of the extraction conveyor is disposed below a portion of the excavator such that aggregate filter material falls from the excavator onto the extraction conveyor.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein the discharge end of the extraction conveyor is disposed above the screen such that aggregate filter material falls from the discharge end of the extraction conveyor onto the screen.
5. The apparatus of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the extraction conveyor comprises a continuous belt which is arranged to extend over at least first and second pulleys and is configured to be driven in order to move aggregate filter material towards the screen.
6. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of the screen extends from the discharge end of the extraction conveyor towards the discharge conduit.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least a portion of the screen which extends from the discharge end of the extraction conveyor towards the discharge conduit is inclined downwardly from the discharge end towards the discharge conduit.
8. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is planar.
9. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is configured to oscillate during use.
10. The apparatus of any one of the proceeding claims, further comprising a spray wash system arranged to spray the aggregate filter material with cleaning liquid during separation.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the spray wash system comprises spray nozzles which are disposed above the screen.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 or 11, wherein the spray wash system comprises a tank for storing cleaning fluid.
13. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sediment collector arranged to collect sediment material from which the aggregate filter material has been separated.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, further wherein the sediment collector is disposed beneath the screen and arranged to collect sediment material that passes through the screen.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 or 14, further comprising a sediment discharge conveyor that has a receiving end arranged to receive sediment material from the sediment collector, wherein the sediment discharge conveyor is arranged to convey sediment away from the sediment collector for disposal.
16. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the excavator is arranged to deposit aggregate filter material removed from a drainage trench on the extraction conveyor.
17. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the excavator comprises a shovel having a front portion which is arranged to penetrate aggregate filter material disposed within a roadside drainage trench, and a rear portion which is configured to provide an exit for aggregate filter material from the shovel.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the extraction conveyor is arranged to receive aggregate filter material from the rear portion of the shovel.
19. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the excavator comprises a rotary feeder.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the rotary feeder comprises a plurality of scoops arranged to scoop aggregate filter material from a trench.
21. The apparatus of claim 19 or 20, wherein the rotary feeder is a driven rotary feeder.
22. The apparatus of any one of the proceeding claims, further comprising a chassis arranged to support at least the excavator, screen, extraction conveyor and discharge conduit, the chassis being movable in a direction which is parallel with a roadside drainage trench.
23. The apparatus of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the excavator, the screen, the extraction conveyor and the discharge conduit are aligned in a longitudinal direction such that aggregate filter material removed from a roadside trench travels in a generally linear direction.
24. The apparatus of any one of the receding claims, wherein the chassis is configured such that the chassis can be arranged to straddle a roadside drainage trench during use.
25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the chassis is provided with wheels that support the chassis during use.
26. A trailer comprising an apparatus in accordance with any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the trailer is configured to be secured to a vehicle.
27. The trailer of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is arranged such that it can be moved laterally with respect to a towing point of the trailer.
28. An arrangement comprising a vehicle connected to the trailer of claim 26 or 27, wherein the vehicle comprises a tank for storing cleaning fluid.
29. A vehicle comprising an apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 25.