MXPA99005674A - Method and device for filling zan - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for filling a trench (4) which involves (i) towing with a hydraulic shovel (1) parallel to the trench (14) a frame (3) mounted on wheels or tracks (4) , which supports a loading hopper (12) equipped with a grate (16) in the bottom (ii) filling the hopper (12) with filling material with the help of the hydraulic shovel (l); (iii) transferring the material filling by gravity through the grid (16) on a vibrating screen installed below the hopper (12), and then on a continuous conveyor (17) installed below the opening channel on the frame (3), transversely to its direction of movement, the vibrating screen and, the conveyor are driven by motor systems mounted on the frame, and (iv) pouring the filling material laterally to the trench (14) with the help of the transported

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FILLING DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method for filling trenches and with a device designed to implement such a method. Pipes are used to transport fluids such as gas or oil over long distances, and are generally protected by burying them in ditches. These ditches are usually filled with sifted fill, for this purpose a sifting or filling device is generally used which is mounted laterally to a tractor that moves along the trench. A sifting and filling device of this type usually comprises a hopper designed to receive the materials used to fill, a continuous conveyor installed under the hopper, and a system of vibrating screens fed by the continuous conveyor, which fills the trench with layers successive material with a given particle size. The assembly is integrated by a frame which is suspended, on the ditch to be filled, by the carrier arm of a tractor or similar device. A trench can thus be filled with different layers of the same material or materials with different particle sizes, and REF .: 30644 possibly making a number of routes with the device. A device of this type is described in detail, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4 955 756, although there are numerous variants in the market; the Applicant has designed several improvements to a device of this type, which are described in his European patent application no. 0 709 526. These devices are completely satisfactory, but relatively expensive because they are self-driven. The frame also has the disadvantage that it is suspended from the tractor. Finally, the hopper must be filled with the filling with the help of a device independent of the filling system. To remedy these disadvantages, this invention does not use a self-powered filling system but a sifting and filling system towed by a hydraulic shovel of the conventional type which also fills the screening device with filler material, in which the hydraulic shovel assembly Sifting device can be moved, either along the excavated earth edge to the side of the trench or along an earthed board along the other side of the trench.

The invention therefore relates mainly to a method for filling a trench, specifically with the excavated earth of the trench; the method involves (i) tracing parallel to the trench, with the help of a hydraulic shovel, a frame mounted on wheels or tracks that supports a filling hopper equipped with a grid at the bottom; (ii) filling the hopper with filling material with the help of a hydraulic shovel; (iii) transferring the filling material through the gravity grid onto a vibrating screen installed under the hopper, then onto a continuous conveyor installed under the vibrating screen on the frame, transversely to its direction of movement, the vibrating screen and The conveyor is driven by motor systems mounted on the frame; and (iv) collapsing the fill material laterally to the trench with the help of the conveyor. The invention also relates to a device suitable for towing intended to be used in the method described above, which sieves the filling material and collapses it into the trench, the device is characterized in that it comprises: a frame mounted on wheels or caterpillars and equipped with at least one coupling connection for a hydraulic shovel suitable for towing it - a filling hopper for the filling material, equipped with a grate at the bottom, mounted on the frame a vibrating screen under the grate - a continuous conveyor under the vibrating screen, one end of such a conveyor projects laterally from the frame - and the system equipped with the frame which drives the vibrating screen and the conveyor. The coupling connecting the frame to the hydraulic shovel can be a simple tow bar attached at one end to the frame and at the other end to the hydraulic shovel. The hopper is preferably mounted so that it rotates in relation to the frameAt least one cylinder is mounted to the frame to straighten the hopper by rotating it in relation to the frame, to discharge the larger parts of the filling material that do not pass through the grid. The grid can be constructed with simple parallel bars, which could be installed, for example, parallel to the direction of movement of the device. The conveyor is preferably installed transverse to the direction of movement of the frame under the action of the hydraulic shovel to which it is integrated. The conveyor can be moved, advantageously, under the action of a double action cylinder, so that it can be projected as required either to the left or to the right of the device. Furthermore, it is driven by at least one reversing motor, such as a hydraulic motor, so that it can pour the filling material to the right or left of the device. Finally, the invention relates to a trench filling assembly characterized in that it comprises a hydraulic shovel and a device for sifting and pouring filling material of the type described above, the device is connected to the hydraulic shovel by means of a coupling such as a bar of tow, so that it can be towed by the shovel. The frame of the screening device will preferably be equipped at both ends with systems that allow it to be coupled to the hydraulic shovel, so that it can be towed from either end. Other features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description of one form of the embodiment thereof. The description will refer to the attached schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an assembly consisting of a hydraulic shovel and a sieve and fill device towed by the shovel, the assembly is shown in a position, in which the blade is moving down a slope. • Figure 2 is a similar view of Figure 1, shown in a position in which the blade is moving uphill. • Figure 3 is a sectional view from above of the sifting and filling device towed by the hydraulic shovel. • Figure 4 shows the position of the sieving and filling device on non-uniform soil, in a lateral position in relation to the ditch to be filled. In those drawings, the self-depressed hydraulic shovel is marked as 1, while the sieving and filling device towed by the shovel is marked as 2. The blade 1 can be of any known type. The device 2 comprises a frame 3, shown here mounted on wheels 4, although it could also be mounted on wheels; a tow bar 8 is attached at one end by the levers 5 and 6 to the frame 3, and the other end to the frame of the blade 1. The lever 6 is attached to the rod of a cylinder 7 mounted on the frame 3 of the device sift and fill.

The frame 3 is connected to the structure 9, equipped with tracks 4, by means of a system of levers such as 10, which are activated by a cylinder 11, so that they can keep the frame in the horizontal position whatever the slope of land on which the tracks rest 4. A hopper 12, one end of which, adjacent to the blade 1, is mounted so that it rotates in relation to the frame 3 under the action of cylinders 13, receives the raw materials intended to fill the trench 14 from the blade 1 (see Figure 4), for example to bury a pipe 15 which has been placed in the trench. The filling materials usually consist of the filling of the trench 4, and it is convenient to sift them before using them to fill the trench. For this purpose, the hopper 12 comprises a base constituted by a grid 16, here constituted by longitudinally arranged parallel bars which are designed to trap excessively large earth, which can be later discharged by raising the hopper (see Figure 2). The material passing through the grid falls on a vibrating screen 19 installed below the grid, then on the continuous conveyor 17 which is mounted to the frame 3 below the vibrating screen and installed transversely in the direction of movement of the frame. The conveyor 17 projects laterally from the frame above the trench 14 and pours the filling material therein. The conveyor 17 is driven by two hydraulic reversing motors mounted on the frame 3. As described above, it can also be moved transversely with the help of a double action cylinder to project laterally from either side of the frame, so that the material can be poured either to the left or to the right of the frame. The different cylinders in the sieving and filling device and the motors driving the conveyor 17 and the vibrating screen are fed and activated by the hydraulic unit 18 mounted on the frame 3. All these parts are controlled remotely by means of a remote control in the cabin of the hydraulic shovel, or activated by an operator in the control panel. The invention consequently offers simple, inexpensive means for filling trenches, because the device for filling trenches is not self-driven but is towed by a hydraulic shovel, which also serves to feed the filling device with filling material. Both ends of the frame 3 are more or less identical, so that the screening device 2 can also be coupled to a hydraulic shovel 1 by either end to be towed by it. As will be seen from FIG. 4, the caterpillars of the sieving and filling device can adapt to any non-uniform terrain and advance, for example on the land edges 20 of a trench 14 or a track 21 placed on the other side of the trench. ditch. As will also be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the mechanical shovel / sizing and filling device assembly is capable of moving up and down on relatively steep slopes, with an inclination of up to 25 degrees.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property.

1. A method to fill a trench, specifically with excavated fill material from the same trench, which method is characterized because it involves (i) towing with a hydraulic shovel, parallel to the trench, a frame mounted on wheels or tracks, the which supports a loading hopper equipped with a grate in the bottom (ii) filling the hopper with filling material with the help of the hydraulic shovel; (iii) transferring the filling material by gravity through the grid on a vibrating screen installed below the hopper, and then on a continuous conveyor installed under the vibrating grid on the frame, transversely to its direction of movement, the sieve vibratory and conveyor are driven by motor systems mounted on the frame; and (iv) pour the fill material laterally into the trench with the help of the conveyor.

2. The device adapted to be towed, designed to sift filler material and pour it into a trench, and in this way to be used in the method according to claim 1, the device is characterized in that it comprises: • a mounted frame on wheels or tracks, and equipped with at least one coupling to which it connects to a suitable hydraulic shovel for towing • a loading hopper of filling material on the frame, the hopper is equipped with a grate at the bottom • a vibrating screen below the grid • a continuous conveyor under the vibrating screen, one end of which projects laterally from the frame • and systems designed to drive the vibrating screen and the conveyor, systems which are mounted to the frame.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the conveyor can move under the action of a double-acting cylinder, so that it can be projected from either side of the frame.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the conveyor is driven by a reversing motor.

5. The device according to any of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the coupling connecting the frame to the hydraulic shovel is a tow bar attached to the frame, the position of such a tow bar can be adjusted with the help of systems of control, such as levers and cylinders. The device according to any of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the frame is equipped at both ends with a system which is integrated into a coupling connecting this to the hydraulic shovel. The device according to any of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the hopper is equipped to rotate in relation to the frame under the action of control systems, such as at least one cylinder. 8. The unit designed to fill a trench, characterized in that it comprises a hydraulic shovel and a device for sifting and pouring filler (2) according to any of claims 2 to 7, the device is coupled to the hydraulic shovel by means of a connector, such as a tow bar, so that it can be towed by the paddle.