RU2289657C2 - Excavator for removing soil from underpipe area (versions) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mining and construction engineering.

SUBSTANCE: according to first design version, excavator for removing soil from under pipe area of pipe laid under ground near surface contains body towed by cable carrying frame of cutters connected for turning to front part of body and provided with pair of cutters on lower end. Carrying frame can be set in spread position, in which cutters are moved off from each other, and in brought together position, in which cutters are brought to each other. Excavator contains also support frame of sleds connected for turning to rear part of body and carrying pair of sleds on its lower end. Support frame can be set in spread position in which sleds are moved off from each other, and in brought together position, in which sleds are brought to each other. According to second design version, excavator contains front frame and rear frame installed on buried pipe, drive means to provide movement of rear frame relative to front frame, guides to direct rear frame in motion, and frame clamping the pipe connected for turning to rear frame and carrying pair of grip sections on its lower end connected to rear frame. Said carrying frame can be set in spread position in which sections of grips are moved off from each other, and in brought together position, in which sections of grips are in contact with surface of buried pipe.

EFFECT: effective removal of soil from under laid pipe when preparing pipeline for repair without damage of pipe outer layer.

10 cl, 38 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an excavator for excavating from under a buried pipe laid underground, near the surface.

State of the art

To transport natural gas, oil and similar products, pipelines are traditionally laid underground, near the surface (for example, at a depth of about 1 m). The pipeline is buried in the ground, and its outer surface is wrapped with synthetic tape to protect the pipe surface from damage, corrosion, and the transported liquid from freezing in cold climates.

If such a pipe is used for many years, it is likely that the tape wrapped around its outer surface will be damaged, which will lead to damage and corrosion of the outer layer of the pipe. Damage to the outer layer of the pipe not only interferes with the transportation of the liquid itself, but also creates the risk of an accident due to liquid leakage. Thus, pipelines that have been used for a certain time after their installation require repair, in which the soil around the old pipe is removed to expose the pipe from under the surface of the earth, and the tape wrapped around the pipe is replaced with a new one or, alternatively, replace the old pipe with a new one.

The design of a standard working machine for excavating around a buried pipe in order to repair a pipeline is such that a continuous excavator having a series of buckets located around a rotating rotor is mounted on a mobile system that can move along a buried pipe.

Examples of sources characterizing the state of the art for the present invention are Japanese Patent Bulletins Kokoku Publication Gazette No. 60-20534 (1985) and Kokai Publication Gazette No. 11-303120 (1999), in which working machines are disclosed. The trench development machine described in the first source (No. 60-20534) is an excavator for digging trenches in batholith, directly under the pipeline laid on the seabed. In the known machine, two rotors with buckets are arranged to move vertically, with the plane of their rotation facing one another and intersect under a buried pipe. An embodiment of the construction machine disclosed in the second publication (No. 11-303120) is a machine for excavating soil and sand beneath underground structures such as buried pipes. In this machine, the front end of the first handle of the hydraulic excavator is connected to the second handle that is rotated in the transverse direction. The first and second handles are connected to each other by a tilt cylinder, so that the second handle is deployed relative to the first, thus excavating from under a buried pipe.

However, the above-mentioned standard machine for excavating around a buried pipe has the disadvantage of the following. As the machine continuously excavates with rotating rotors with buckets, there is a danger that the rotating rotors may touch the buried pipe and damage it. In addition, there is a difficulty in excavating a pound by such a machine from under a buried pipe (hereinafter, this operation is called "excavation of the soil from the annular region"). Soil located above a buried pipe (i.e., a surface layer of soil, or top soil) is usually treated for agricultural purposes and differs in properties from soil located under a buried pipe. When excavating the earth, these two types of soil must be poured separately into the dump and returned to their original place (with backfilling) after repair of the buried pipe. Separation of the upper soil from the rest during continuous excavation work carried out by bucket rotors described earlier is associated with enormous difficulties.

Idea of publication No. 60-20534, mentioned above as a description of an analogue of the present invention, improves the process of excavating from under a buried pipe, but suffers from the same drawback as the standard machine described above, since publication No. 60-20534 also essentially relates to a method using bucket rotors.

The method described in publication No. 11-303120, discloses only the means of excavating from under a buried pipe using a hydraulic excavator, but does not report on methods of excavating and backfilling the soil for repairing long pipelines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned difficulties. Therefore, the main objective of the invention is the creation of an excavator for excavating from the annular region, providing effective excavation under the laid pipe in preparation for pipeline repair without damaging the outer layer of the pipe.

To solve this problem, the present invention, in accordance with its first aspect, provides an excavator for excavating a pound from an annular region, designed to excavate under a buried pipe laid underground near the surface. An excavator according to the invention contains:

(a) a towed hull;

(b) a milling support frame mounted rotatably on the front of the housing and having a pair of rotating milling cutters at its lower end, said support frame being able to be in a diluted position in which the milling cutters are retracted from one another and in a reduced position in which milling cutters brought one to another; and

(c) a skid support frame that is pivotally mounted to the rear of the housing and carries a pair of skids at its lower end. In this case, the support frame is able to be in a divorced position in which the slide is retracted from each other, and in the reduced position in which the slide is brought to each other.

An excavator for excavating from a sub-pipe area of the present invention is used to remove soil from under a laid pipe after removing soil above and adjacent to the pipe. In accordance with the invention, the body of the excavator is lowered onto the laid pipe; while the carrier frame of the cutters and the support frame of the slide are in a diluted position. Then it is possible for the cutters to approach each other with the simultaneous mutual rapprochement of the slide. This creates the conditions for excavation by bringing the milling cutters into rotation. The milling cutters rotate while the body of the excavator is being towed by means of a tow rope. As a result, there is a continuous extraction of the lower pound from the front (in the direction of movement of the excavator) zone. The slide located in the rear (relative to the direction of movement) part of the excavator moves along the surface from which the upper soil was removed. This prevents the body from tilting to the right or left. Thus, the extraction of the lower pound can be done without causing damage to the outer surface of the laid pipe.

According to the invention, the transfer of the carrier frame of the cutters and the support frame of the slide in the divorced and reduced position is carried out under the influence of the hydraulic cylinder breeding / information. In a preferred embodiment, the towing of the hull is carried out by a hydraulic excavator, and the cutters and the hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder are mounted so that they can be driven from the drive source of the hydraulic excavator. As a result, there is no need to use a separate energy source for the excavator according to the invention, i.e. it becomes possible to use the source of the hydraulic excavator drive also when removing the pound from other zones. As a result, there is no need for a separate energy source, such as a car with a power plant. In addition, since the excavator for excavating from the annular region is towed by a hydraulic excavator, there is no need to use any self-propelled mechanism for this. As a result, you can get a compact system configuration and reduce costs.

Next, a hydraulic excavator for towing the hull is installed with the possibility of movement along a buried pipe. In this case, the operation of excavation of the lower soil can be carried out in the process of towing an excavator to excavate the soil from the annular region by means of a hydraulic excavator with tracks of normal width.

Alternatively, a hydraulic excavator for towing the hull may move along the buried pipe with the pipe between the components of its chassis. This allows you to install an excavator for excavating from the annular area under the center of the hydraulic excavator, so that towing can be more stable.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an excavator for excavating a pound from an annular region of a pipe laid underground near its surface, comprising:

(a) a front frame and a rear frame mounted on a buried pipe;

(b) drive means for moving the rear frame relative to the front frame;

(c) guiding means serving as guides in the movement of the rear frame;

(d) a milling carrier frame that is pivotally mounted to the front frame and having a pair of milling cutters at its lower end, said carrier frame being capable of being in a diluted position in which the milling cutters are retracted from one another and in a reduced position in which the milling cutters are brought one to the other; and

(e) a frame clamping the pipe, rotatably attached to the rear frame and carrying a pair of gripping sections at its lower end, said carrier frame being capable of being in a diluted position in which the gripping sections are retracted from one another and in a collapsed position, in wherein the gripping sections are in contact with the surface of the buried pipe.

According to the invention, the front and rear frames are mounted on the laid pipe; while the supporting frame of the cutters and the frame clamping the pipe are in a diluted position. Then it is possible for the cutters to approach each other with the simultaneous mutual rapprochement of the gripping sections. This creates the conditions for excavation by bringing the milling cutters into rotation. The excavation is carried out while the front frame under the action of the drive means moves forward relative to the rear frame, while the laid pipe is held by the gripping sections of the frame clamping the pipe. After completing one step (act) of moving the gripping section, the laid pipe is released, and the rear frame is pulled to the front frame.

After that, the laid pipe is again captured by the gripping sections in order to feed the front frame forward, and the excavation cycle is repeated. In this mode, excavation from the annular region is carried out without any damage to the surface layer of the laid pipe. In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, an excavator for excavating from an annular region independently carries out a moving function while simultaneously excavating. Therefore, there is no need for any other machine to tow the specified excavator.

In a preferred embodiment of this embodiment, the drive means is a hydraulic drive cylinder that mates the front frame with the rear frame. In this case, the carrier frame of the cutters and the frame clamping the pipe are made with the possibility of translation into a diluted and reduced position under the action of a hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder. In this case, the hydraulic drive cylinder, the dilution / mixing hydraulic cylinder, and the milling cutters are mounted so that they can be driven from the drive source for the hydraulic excavator. Such a scheme eliminates the need to supply an excavator for excavating soil from the annular region with a separate energy source, i.e. it becomes possible to use the source of the hydraulic excavator drive also when removing the pound from other zones. As a result, there is no need for a separate energy source, such as a car with a power plant.

The guide means are preferably a guide tube that is attached to the front frame to perform the functions of the rear frame guide in the free sliding mode. Alternatively, the guiding means may be a folding link, the leading end of which is rotatably attached to the front frame, and its trailing end is rotatably attached to the rear frame. In this embodiment, the guiding means can carry out their guiding function for the front frame with high reliability, so that the front frame moves forward without turning around the laid pipe.

List of drawings

Figure 1 is a top view illustrating the general idea of a method for repairing a buried pipe in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 (a), 2 (b) and 2 (c) are a rear view, a top view and, respectively, a side view illustrating the first step (the step of removing the surface layer).

Figure 3 (a), 3 (b) and 3 (c) are a rear view, a top view and, respectively, a side view illustrating the second stage (the development stage of the right side trench).

4 (a), 4 (b) and 4 (c) are a rear view, a top view and, respectively, a side view illustrating the third step (development step of the left side trench).

5 (a), 5 (b) and 5 (c) are a rear view, a top view and, respectively, a side view illustrating the fourth stage (the stage of excavation from the undercutting area).

6 (a) and 6 (b) are a top view and, accordingly, a side view of an excavator for excavating from an annular region.

7 is a front view of an excavator for excavating from an annular region.

Fig is a rear view of an excavator for excavating from the annular region.

Figures 9 (a), 9 (b) and 9 (c) are a rear view, a top view, and a side view, respectively, showing a suspended state of a buried pipe that is supported by a crawler crane.

10 (a), 10 (b), and 10 (c) are a rear view, a top view, and a side view, respectively, showing a seventh step (a backfill step of lower soil).

11 (a), 11 (b) and 11 (c) are a rear view, a top view and, respectively, a side view showing the eighth stage (the stage of compaction of the soil in the annular region).

12 (a) and 12 (b) are a rear view and, respectively, a top view of an excavator for excavating from an annular region according to another embodiment of the invention.

13 (a) and 13 (b) are a top view and, respectively, a side view of an excavator for excavating from an annular region in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 14 (a) and 14 (b) are a view along arrow F, Fig. 13 (a) and, accordingly, a section by plane G-G, Fig. 13 (b).

Fig. 15 is a modification of the embodiment shown in Figs. 13 and 14, wherein Fig. 15 (a) is a top view, Fig. 15 (b) is a side view illustrating a state with the cylinder rods retracted, and Fig. 15 (c) is a section by the plane H — H, FIG. 15 (b).

Fig. 16 is a modification of the embodiment shown in Figs. 13 and 14, wherein Fig. 16 (a) is a side view illustrating the state with the cylinder rods extended, and Fig. 16 (b) is a section by plane II; 15 (b).

Information confirming the possibility of carrying out the invention

Preferred embodiments of the excavator of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a top view illustrating the General idea of the method of repair of a buried pipe in accordance with one of the options for its implementation.

In relation to this embodiment, the laid (buried) pipe 1 is buried so that it extends in the transverse direction (in FIG. 1) in a position at a depth of about 1 m from the surface 2 of the earth (see FIG. 2), while its outer surface wrapped in tape. The repair work for the buried pipe 1 mainly consists of the following nine steps, and these steps are sequentially performed from right to left in FIG.

(1) First step: removal of the surface soil.

(2) Second stage: development of the right lateral trench.

(3) Third stage: development of the left side trench.

(4) The fourth stage: excavation from the annular region.

(5) Fifth step: removing the tape and flushing the pipe surface.

(6) Sixth step: wrapping the pipe with new tape.

(7) Seventh step: backfilling of the lower soil layer.

(8) Eighth stage: compaction of the soil under the pipe.

(9) Ninth stage: backfilling of the surface soil layer.

To perform these stages of pipe repair, hydraulic excavators are used as the main machines. Heavy machinery, including hydraulic excavators, moves in the direction indicated by arrow A. Basically, the right side of the buried pipe 1, when viewed in the direction of movement (lower zone in the drawing), is a place 3 for the movement of heavy machinery, transportation vehicles materials and other equipment. At the same time, the left side of the buried pipe 1 (in the drawing - the upper zone) is a place 4 for dumping the excavated soil. For separate filling of the upper pound (surface layer), which was removed from the area above the buried pipe 1, and the lower soil, the place for filling 4 is divided into section 4a for filling the surface layer of soil and section 4b for filling the lower soil. If you look in the direction of movement, section 4a for dumping the surface soil layer is located on the left, while section 4b for dumping the lower soil is located on the right.

Next, in order of priority, the corresponding pipe repair steps will be described.

(1) First step: removal of the surface soil.

The step of removing the surface soil layer is shown in figure 2, where figure 2 (b) shows a top view (partially enlarged view corresponding to figure 1), figure 2 (a) is a section by plane bb, figure 2 (b), and FIG. 2 (c) is a section by the CC plane of FIG. 2 (b) (FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11 are made similar to FIG. 2).

The removal of the surface layer of the soil is as follows. A conventional hydraulic excavator 5 is mounted directly above the buried pipe 1, so that the tracks of its undercarriage tracks are substantially parallel to the buried pipe 1, and a large bucket is mounted on the excavator. As the hydraulic excavator 5 moves in reverse in the direction of travel (shown by arrow A), the surface soil is removed in the area of a certain width located above the buried pipe 1. The removed soil (upper soil) is poured into section 4a for upper soil (surface layer) by maximally diverting the boom and handle of the hydraulic excavator 5. It should be noted that the surface layer filling section 4a is separated from the shallow trench 6, which is formed during excavation. Due to the fact that the surface soil layer is rich and prepared for use in agriculture, it is sprinkled separately from the lower soil in the manner described below.

(2) Second stage: development of the right lateral trench (Fig. 3).

When developing the right trench, the lateral trench 7 is developed on the right side of the buried pipe 1, behind, in the place where the first soil (surface layer) was removed already at the first stage. The development of the trench on this side is performed by a hydraulic excavator 8 with a displaced boom so that it stands on the lower surface of the shallow trench 6 formed in the first stage, and a buried pipe 1 passes between the tracks of its undercarriage tracks. The displaced boom hydraulic excavator 8 is structured such that the displaced boom 8b is connected to the front end of the boom 8a so that it can rotate freely in the transverse direction. In this case, the handle 8c is connected with the front end of the displaced boom 8b so that it can be turned forward and backward, and thus it is possible to move the handle 8c with the bucket 8d to the right or left (parallel movement). The soil (lower soil), extracted during the development of the lateral trench, is poured into the lower soil dumping section 4b, which is located next to the shallow trench 6, but separately from the surface layer filling section 4a.

(3) Third stage: development of the left side trench (Fig. 4).

When developing the left trench, the lateral trench 9 is developed on the left side of the buried pipe 1, behind, in the place where the right trench was developed in the second stage. The development of the trench on this side is carried out by a displaced boom hydraulic excavator 8A, which is similar to the hydraulic excavator 8 used in the development of the right trench, so that the excavator stands on the lower surface of the shallow trench 6 formed in the first stage. The soil (lower soil), extracted during the development of this side trench, is poured into the lower soil dumping area 4b, similar to the second stage.

(4) Fourth step: excavation of the pound from the annular region (FIG. 5).

The purpose of excavation from the annular region is to connect the lower parts of the left and right side trenches 7, 9 under the buried pipe 1 in the place where the left trench was already developed in the third stage. The excavation of the sub-pipe region is carried out using a hydraulic excavator 5A of the same conventional type as in the first stage. The hydraulic excavator is located in place 3, designed to promote heavy equipment and the like, and located on the right side of the buried pipe 1, so that the tracks of the tracks of the excavator running gear are essentially parallel to the buried pipe 1. Then the hydraulic excavator 5A moves, while its upper rotary superstructure is turned to the left by approximately 90 degrees with respect to the direction of movement, and with the help of a cable 10 attached to the front end of the boom 5a, the excavator 11 tows I excavation of podtrubnoy region (excavator with a milling type working organ). In this case, excavation from the annular region is performed continuously.

Figure 6-8 shows in detail the design of the excavator 11 for excavating from the annular region. As shown in these drawings, this excavator 11 comprises: a housing 12 towed by a cable 10; the right and left bearing frames 15, 16 cutters, which are attached to the front of the body of the excavator 12 with the help of axes 13, 14, directed along the movement, with the possibility of rotation on these axes. The excavator 11 also contains the right and left support frames 19, 20 of the slide, which are attached to the rear of the body 12 of the excavator with the help of axes 17, 18, directed along the movement, with the possibility of rotation on these axes.

The upper ends of the carrier frames 15, 16 of the mills are mutually connected by means of a hydraulic cylinder 21 dilution / information. The release and cleaning of the stem of the hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder 21 enables the supporting frames 15, 16 of the milling cutters to rotate around the axes 13, 14, as shown by the solid line (representing the state after setting the excavator) and, accordingly, the dash-dot line (representing the state before setting the excavator) in Fig.7.

At the lower ends of the supporting frames 15, 16 a pair of cutters 22, 23, rotated by a hydraulic actuator, are fixed so that they are facing each other. These milling cutters 22, 23 are disk milling cutters, sections of which are configured so that the profile of their outer surfaces coincides with the profile of the outer surface of the buried pipe 1. A number of cutting elements made of hard alloy. Each disk is tilted; its lower part is facing outward relative to the vertical plane. Therefore, the excavated soil is thrown outward and diagonally downward, as indicated by arrows D, E in FIG. 7. On the side of the excavator casing 12, the guide rollers 24, 25, 26 are located on the support frame 15, 16 of the milling cutters. During the movement of the excavator casing 12, the guide rollers 24, 25, 26 rotate freely, being in contact with the outer outer surface buried pipe 1, so that the body of the excavator has the ability to move smoothly.

The upper ends of the slide carrier frames 19, 20 are also mutually connected by means of a hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder 27. The release and cleaning of the stem of the hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder 27 enables the support frames 19, 20 of the slide to rotate around the axes 17, 18, as shown by a solid line (representing the state after setting the excavator) and, accordingly, a dash-dot line (representing the state before setting the excavator) on Fig.

To the lower ends of the supporting frames 19, 20 of the slide, respectively, are attached the slide 28, 29. The runners of each slide in the section form an obtuse angle. After excavation, these runners glide over the surface of the earth, preventing the entire structure of the excavator 11 for excavating the soil from the annular region to tilt in the transverse direction. On the side of the body of the excavator 12 facing the pipe, and on the carrier frames 19, 20 of the slide, guide rollers 30, 31, 32 are located. Each row of guide rollers 30 (31, 32) is set in the direction of movement of the excavator body. During the advancement of the excavator body 12, the guide rollers 30, 31, 32 rotate freely, being in contact with the outer outer surface of the buried pipe 1, so that the excavator body can move smoothly along the pipe 1. In FIG. 6 (b), the hydraulic a hose for supplying hydraulic power to the cutters 22, 23 and hydraulic cylinders 21, 27 dilution / information from the side of the hydraulic excavator 5A.

In the production of excavation from the annular region using an excavator 11 for excavating the annular region in the described configuration, a hook 34 is first connected to the front end of the handle 5a of the hydraulic excavator 5A, as shown in Fig. 8. The excavator 11 for excavating from the annular region is suspended on a hook 34 using a cable 35 and lowered from above onto a buried pipe 1. The rods of the hydraulic dilution / information cylinders 21, 27 are in this retracted position, and therefore the cutters 22, 23 and the slide 28, 29 are in a divorced (apart) position. It should be noted that the soil and sand in the area under the laid pipe 1, where the excavator 11 should be installed, were removed in advance. When the excavator 11 for excavating from the annular region reaches a position where the guide rollers 24, 30 come into contact with the upper surface of the pipe 1, the hook 34 is uncoupled and the handle 5a of the hydraulic excavator 5A is connected by a cable 10 to the body 12 of the excavator.

Next, releasing the rods of the hydraulic cylinders 21, 27 dilution / information, set the cutters 22, 23 and the slide 28, 29 in the desired relative position, making it possible to close together the cutters 22, 23 and to move closer to the slide 28, 29. When rotating in this (reduced ) the position of the cutters 22, 23 is the excavation of the soil (lower soil) from under the pipe 1; at the same time, the hydraulic excavator 5A is allowed to move and tow the body 12 of the excavator 11. With this method, excavation of the soil from the annular region can be done without providing the excavator 11 with a source of energy and without damaging the outer surface of the buried pipe 1. Soil (lower pound) that has been removed from the annular region, it is poured onto the lower soil section 4b, similar to the way it is done in the second and third stages.

(5) Fifth step: removing the tape and flushing the pipe surface.

(6) Sixth step: wrapping the pipe with new tape.

Removing the tape, washing the surface of the pipe and wrapping the pipe with a new tape is carried out in the place where at the fourth stage a pound has been excavated from under the pipe. The named steps are performed using a special washing machine 37 and a tape winding machine 38; wherein the buried pipe 1 is suspended and held by a crawler 36 using a crane 36 (see Fig. 9) at the front and rear points of the working area. An explanation of the operations and a detailed description of the device of the washing machine 37 and the machine 38 for winding the tape are omitted herein.

(7) Seventh step: backfilling with the lower pound (FIG. 10).

The purpose of backfilling is to place the dusted bottom pound from section 4b back in the recess surrounding pipe 1 in the place where, at the sixth stage, after the pipe was repaired, put it back into the notch surrounding pipe 1. This backfill is carried out as follows using a hydraulic excavator 5B is of the same conventional type as used in the first step. The hydraulic excavator 5B is placed in the place 3 intended for the advancement of heavy equipment to the right of the buried pipe 1, so that the tracks of the tracks of the excavator running gear are essentially parallel to the buried pipe 1. Then the hydraulic excavator 5B is moved (with its upper swing superstructure turned approximately approximately to the left 90 degrees with respect to the direction of travel), and he rakes the dumping material to his front side.

(8) The eighth step: sealing the pound under the pipe (FIG. 11).

The purpose of compacting the soil under the pipe is to tamp the returned lower soil with the tamper (soil compaction machine) 39 attached to the front end of the handle 5a of the hydraulic excavator 5C at the place where the backfilling of the lower soil has already been completed during the seventh stage . For this, the hydraulic excavator 5C is placed in the place 3 intended for the advancement of heavy equipment to the right of the buried pipe 1, so that the caterpillar tracks of the excavator running gear are essentially parallel to the buried pipe 1. Then the hydraulic excavator 5C is moved (with its upper rotary superstructure turned approximately 90 degrees to the left with respect to the direction of travel).

(9) Ninth stage: backfilling of the surface soil layer.

The purpose of backfilling the surface layer is to place, at the eighth stage, soil compaction under the pipe already done, place the dumped upper soil from section 4a back onto the compacted lower soil using a bulldozer 47. Thus, the upper soil and the lower soil having different properties can be guaranteed to be returned to the original state that they had before the excavation. Although in accordance with the present invention, a bulldozer 47 is used to backfill the excavation with upper soil, it is natural that a hydraulic excavator may also be used for the backfill operation.

According to a method for repairing a buried pipe using the present invention, excavation of the soil surrounding the buried pipe 1 and backfilling after the repair of the pipe 1 are carried out mainly by hydraulic excavators. As a result, in case of failure of one of the hydraulic excavators, instead of the excavator that has failed, other hydraulic excavators can be used to continue the work, and other operators can take on this work. In addition, spare parts and auxiliary materials are the same for all hydraulic excavators. Accordingly, this embodiment of the invention gives such a good effect that the reliability and availability of the pipe repair system as a whole can be improved.

When using this embodiment of the invention, the embankments do not interfere with the operations of heavy equipment, since a space 3 for moving heavy equipment, such as hydraulic excavators, material transport trucks, etc., is provided on the right side of the buried pipe 1. In addition, since the recess , filling and returning of the upper soil (fertile soil) and the lower soil are carried out separately, after the repair of the buried pipe 1 is completed, the surface of the earth can be restored to its original condition standing. Further, the soil under the pipe 1, the excavation of which is difficult, can be forcibly removed and returned to its original place without causing damage to the pipe 1.

This embodiment of the present invention provides for the use of an excavator 11 for excavating from an annular region that is towed by a hydraulic excavator installed in zone 3 for the movement of equipment, on the right side of the buried pipe 1. However, towing an excavator 11 can be carried out using a 5D wide gauge excavator having a wide span between the right and left tapes of the tracks of its running gear, as shown in Fig. 12. In the case of the 5D hydraulic excavator, the excavator 11 for excavating the sub-pipe region can be installed under the center of the 5D hydraulic excavator, so that the towing of the excavator 11 can be more stable.

Despite the fact that in this embodiment of the present invention, the power for driving the excavator 11 is supplied from the hydraulic excavator 5A, the excavator 11 for excavating the soil from the annular region may have its own energy source for driving the excavation mechanism, and the hydraulic excavator 5A can only be responsible for towing an excavator 11. It is also possible to use a self-propelled excavator to excavate the soil from the annular area.

13 (a), 13 (b) and FIG. 14 (a), 14 (b) show another embodiment of the present invention in which an excavator for excavating the soil from the annular region is driven by hydraulic cylinders.

An excavator 11A for excavating from an annular region, corresponding to this embodiment of the invention, comprises: a front frame 60 and a rear frame 61 that are mounted on a buried pipe 1; two guide tubes 62, 63 horizontally attached to the front frame 60 to guide the movement of the rear frame 61 so that it can slide on them; and two hydraulic drive cylinders 64, 65 for coupling the front frame 60 with the rear frame 61. The bearing frames 68, 69 of the milling cutters are attached to the right and left sides of the front frame 60, respectively, using axles 66, 67 and can be rotated on these axes. The upper ends of these bearing frames 68, 69 of the cutters are connected to each other by means of a hydraulic cylinder 70. Due to the release and cleaning of the rod of the hydraulic cylinder 70, the frames can rotate around axes 66, 67, respectively. Mills 71, 72 are attached to the lower ends of the bearing frames 68, 69 hydraulically driven, which are located opposite each other. Guide rollers 73, 74 (roller 73 not shown) are respectively located on the sides of the bearing frames 68, 69 of the milling cutters, which are facing the pipe. Frames 77, 78, clamping the pipe, are attached to the right and left sides of the rear frame 61, respectively, with the help of axes 75, 76 and can be rotated on them. The gripping sections 79, 80 are axially attached, rotatably, to the lower ends of the frames 77, 78 that clamp the pipe. The respective upper ends of the pipe clamping frames 77, 78 are connected to each other by means of a hydraulic cylinder 81, while the release and cleaning of the rod of the hydraulic cylinder 81 allows the gripping sections 79, 80 to grab the pipe 1 and move away from it.

Excavator 11A for excavating from the annular region is connected to the front end of the working body of the hydraulic excavator 5G via a cable 82 and connected to a hydraulic hose 83 for supplying hydraulic power from the side of the hydraulic excavator 5G.

To excavate from the annular region by means of an excavator 11A having the above structure, the hook 34 is attached to the front end of the handle 5a of the hydraulic excavator 5G, and the excavator 11A is suspended on the hook 34 by means of a cable 82. Then, the excavator 11A for excavating from the annular region is lowered from above onto buried pipe 1. The rods of the hydraulic cylinders 70, 81 are retracted, in other words, the milling cutters 71, 72 and gripping sections 79, 80 are in a diluted position. It should be noted that the soil in the area under the buried pipe 1, at the place where the excavator 11A should be installed, has already been removed in advance. After the excavator 11A for removing the pound from the annular region is installed on the upper surface of the pipe 1, the rods of the hydraulic cylinders 70, 81 are released and allow the milling cutters 71, 72 to come closer to each other. As a result, the gripping sections 79, 80 are able to come close to each other to a friend, whereby the cutters 71, 72 and sections 79, 80 are set to the desired relative position. In this state, the cutters 71, 72 are given a rotational movement, digging a pound (lower soil) from under the pipe 1, at the same time releasing the rods of the drive hydraulic cylinders 64, 65 and, thus, excavating. At the same time, the front frame 60 is driven longitudinally along the right and left guide pipes, without rotation relative to the pipe 1.

When the rods of the drive hydraulic cylinders 64, 65 are completely released and, thus, one step (act) of movement is completed, the rod of the hydraulic cylinder 81 is removed to bring the gripping sections 79, 80 holding the pipe 1 to a free state. In this state, the rods of the drive hydraulic cylinders 64, 65 are removed, thus pulling the rear frame 61 to the front frame 60. Since the part of the excavator on the side of the front frame 60 is at this time fixed by hydraulic pressure and is heavier than the part on the side of the rear frame 61 , the front frame 60 remains stationary. Then, while the rear frame 61 is pulled closer, the rod of the hydraulic cylinder 81 is again released, thereby fixing the rear frame 61 on the pipe 1. Then, the cutters 71, 72 are again rotated and the rods of the hydraulic cylinders 64, 65 are released so that excavate. During excavation, the cable 82 is loosened so that it does not interfere with work. The 5G hydraulic excavator moves in accordance with the progress of excavation work.

On Fig, 16 shows a modification of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig.13, 14. In this modification, instead of the guide pipes 62, 63 in the embodiment shown in Fig.13, 14, links 84, 85 are used; 86, 87. This modification with respect to its structure does not have other differences from the previous embodiment. Therefore, the details common to this modification and to the previous version have the same numerical designations, and a detailed description is omitted.

In this modification, the front ends of the front links 84, 85 are axially connected to the front frame 60, while the rear ends of the rear links 86, 87 are axially connected to the rear frame 61. Further, the links 84, 86 are connected to each other via the axis 88, while the links 85, 87 are connected to each other via the axis 89. With this structure, the connected links 84, 86 and the connected links 85, 87 are bent so that the rear frame 61 is pulled to the front frame 60, and the rotation of the front frame 60 and the rear frame 61 relative to the pipe 1 is excluded, so that the movement of 60, 61 is permitted only in the direction of the actuator.

Claims (10)

1. An excavator for excavating from an annular region of a pipe laid underground near its surface, comprising a housing towed by a cable, a carrying frame of cutters, rotatably attached to the front of the housing and having a pair of cutters at its lower end, said carrier the frame is able to be in a diluted position in which the cutters are retracted from one another, and in a reduced position in which the cutters are brought one to the other, and a support slide frame, which is rotatably attached to the rear of the housing and carrying a pair of slides at its lower end, said support frame being able to be in a divorced position in which the slides are retracted from each other and in a reduced position in which the slides are brought together. 2. The excavator according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier frame of the cutters and the support frame of the slide are made with the possibility of translation into a divorced and reduced position under the action of a hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder. 3. The excavator according to claim 2, characterized in that its body is towable by means of a hydraulic excavator, and the milling cutter and a hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder are installed with the possibility of driving from a drive source for a hydraulic excavator. 4. The excavator according to claim 3, characterized in that the hydraulic excavator for towing the hull is installed with the possibility of movement along the buried pipe. 5. The excavator according to claim 3, characterized in that the hydraulic excavator for towing the hull is installed with the possibility of movement along the buried pipe with the location of the pipe between the components of its chassis. 6. An excavator for excavating from an annular region of a pipe laid underground near its surface, comprising a front frame and a rear frame mounted on a recessed pipe, drive means for moving the rear frame relative to the front frame, guiding means serving as guides during movement the rear frame, the supporting frame of the cutters, mounted rotatably to the front frame and having at its lower end a pair of cutters, and the specified supporting frame is able to be in a diluted position in which the milling cutters are retracted from one another, and in the reduced position, in which the milling cutters are brought to each other, and the frame, a clamping pipe, mounted rotatably to the rear frame and carrying a pair of gripping sections at its lower end, and the specified carrier frame is capable of be in a diluted position in which the gripping sections are retracted from one another, and in a reduced position in which the gripping sections are in contact with the surface of the buried pipe. 7. The excavator according to claim 6, characterized in that the said drive means is a hydraulic drive cylinder that mates the front frame with the rear frame, and the carrier frame of the cutters and the frame clamping the pipe are made with the possibility of translation into a diluted and reduced position under the action of a hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder. 8. The excavator according to claim 7, characterized in that the hydraulic drive cylinder, the hydraulic dilution / mixing cylinder and milling cutters are mounted with the possibility of driving from a drive source for a hydraulic excavator. 9. An excavator according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the guide means are a guide tube that is attached to the front frame to perform the functions of the rear frame guide in free sliding mode. 10. An excavator according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the guiding means are a folding link, the leading end of which is rotatably attached to the front frame, and its driven end is rotatably attached to the rear frame.

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