US1691686A

US1691686A - Hydraulic dredging mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1691686A
Application number: US187361A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vorhies Leroy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-04-28
Filing date: 1927-04-28
Publication date: 1928-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1945-11-13

Description

Nov. '13; 1928. 1,691,686

L. VORHIES HYDRAULIC DREDGING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Leroy I/oriues Nov. 13, 1928.

L. VORHIES HYDRAULIC DREDGING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 192

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Lero Varhzes' @461 041 ATTORNFV Nov. 13; 1928. 6 1,691,686

L. VORHIES HYDRAULI C DREDGI NG MECHANI SM Filed April 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR I l 7A Leroy Var/lies an 9 Z 12; L9 ad 60;

/9 ATTORNEY I Nov. 13, 1928.

L. VORHIES HYDRAULIC DREDGING MECHANISM Filed April 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ler'ay Var/we: WdQWW ATTORN EY ing said frame; to mountpumpsin said frame I Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

"UNITED STATES 1,661,686 PATEN OFFICE.

LEROY VORHIES, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

HYDRAULIC DREDGING MECHANISM.

Application filed. April 28, 1927. Serial No. 187,861,

ing frame carrying a ground engaging mem-- ber; to provide means for lowering and liftso that said pumps will work under water andthereby require no priming; to dispose said pumps so that the center of gravity of the dredging mechanism will below; to provide means to dislodge sand from crevices while adjacent to the ground engaging memher and to provide means to wash sand from betweenthe impellerof the sand pump and the bottom of the pump. Other objects will appear as the description progresses.

In Patent Number 1,597,580 and in a co- -pending application filed September 11, 1926, Serial Number 134,869, hydraulic dredges are described provided with swinging beams carrying ground engaging members working in conjunction with centrifugal pumps mounted on the boats. In the present invention I use a swinging frame carrying a ground engaging member provided with two water channels in addition to a sand channel, and mount the pump directly on the ground engaging member so as to keep the pump under water and'also add weight to the ground engaging member to keep it in working engagement with the ground. A. water pump is provided to cooperate with the water channels in the ground engaging member to dislodge sand from crevices and to wash sand fromv between the impeller andthe bottom of the sand pump so as to reduce the abrasive effect the sand would otherwise have on the pump. This disposition'of the pumps locates the center of gravity considerably lower than in the inventions above mentioned.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a boat with my dredging mechanism mounted thereon; Fig. 2, a fragmentary side elevation of the lower portion of the dredging mechanism, drawn to an enlarged scale; Fig. 3, a plan view of Fig. 2; Fig. l an end elevation of 2; Fig. 5, a sectional plan view of Fig. 4, on the line AA; Fig. 6, a plan View of the ground engaging member; Fig. 7 a vertical cross section of Fig. 6, on the line BB; Fig, 8, an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross section elevation through the center of the pumps; Fig. 9, a sectional plan view of the sand pumps, on the line C O in'Fig. 8; Fig.

10, a sectional plan viewof the water pump on the line DD in Fig. 8; Fig. 11, a fragmentary side elevation showing the lifting means; 1

Fig. 12, asectional planview of Fig. 11, on the line E -E; Fig. 13, a side elevation ofFig. 11, beam 1 being partly broken away to show the drum 70 and frictional wheel Fig. 14 a fragmentary elevation showing difierent positions of the friction disc 59; Fig. [15, a view of the under side of the impeller of the sandpu mp to show the grooves 81, and Fig.

(1}6, a sectional view of Fig. 15, on the line G. j

Although I show the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 do not thereby limit myself to the precise form shown, but wish it understood that within the scope of what hereinafter is claimed, various changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A boat 1 is provided with a frame worklike that shown in my copending application and comprises vertical standards 16 mounted on longitudinally disposed beams 16 and braced by beams 18, said standards supporting a transversely disposed beam 17 .carrying journals 20. r 1

An open sleeve 2 is rotatably mounted on a journal 20.. A frame, comprising beams 3 l connected by cross beams 5,. 6 and 7, is slidably mounted in sleeve 2 by disposing beam 3 within said sleeve.

A hollow ground engaging member A is secured to the-lower end of said frame by bolts 86. This member A is provided with a sand channel 8 and water channels 910..

Water channel Sis provided with an intake port 11 and a tapering discharge 12 and water channel 10 has an intake port 13and a discharge 14:. Both water channels are open above. 7 v

A centrifugal sand pump B is mounted on the ground engaging member A and secured to the beams 3- 16 by bolts 84. The sand pump B is provided with a sandintake 19 in communication with sand channel 8 of theground engaging member, two sand outlets 2021, two water ntake ports 2223 in commun cation with

water channels

9 and 10,

respectively, in member' A, and two remov able linings 2 l25. A sand conduit 26 is connected to outlet 20and a sand conduit 27, connected to outle't21/ These two .sand conduits areconnected to a main sand conduit 28 which communicates with a riflle box 31 via a flexible conduit 29 and conduit 30;

A centrifugal water pump'C, having an intake 32 and two outlets 33-34, is disposed a common shaft. The motor may be geared to the shaft if desired but it is advanta eous to operate the pumps with a single shaft. A horizontally disposed frame 43 is secured to beams 34 and supports bearings 4445; A shaft 46 is journalled in bearings 4445 and inworm gear-housing 47 which is mounted on angle bar 48 supported by block 49 on cross beam 7. A worm gear 50 is rigidly mounted on shaft 46 and meshed With a worm 51 mounted on shaft 52 which is journalled in housing 47 and bearing 52?. A yoke 53 is mounted on shaft 52 and carries a shaft 54 journall ed inbearings 55-56. A bevel gear 57 is rigidly mounted on shaft 52 and meshed with a bevel gear 58 rigidly mounted on shaft54. A friction disc 59 is rigidly mounted on'shaft 54. A spring 61 is hooked to a lug- 62 on yoke 53 and connected to worm gear housing 47 A cable 63 is attached to lug 62 andpasses over-a'sheave 64 to the boat. A cable 65 is attached to lug 66 and passes under 'a sheave 67 to the boat.

A sheave 39 is mounted on an extension 40 on the upper end of sleeve 2 and a sheave 41, on an'extension 42 on the lower end of sleeve 2. A cable 69 is attached to extension 69* and passes over sheave 39 to drum 7 O on shaft Y 46. A cable 75 is attached to extension 71' and passes under sheave 41 to drum 70.

1 The lifting mechanism is thrown into gear by pulling cable 65 which swings yoke 53 downward thereby bringing disc 59 into engagement with friction wheel 60 as indicated bythedotted position 59 in Fig. 14. The action of friction wheel upon disc 59 revolves it clock-wise and actuates shaft carrying bevel gear 58. Bevel gear 58 actuates bevel gear 57 on shaft 52 and Worm 51 act'uates worm gear 50 on shaft 46 which carries drum 70. The drum'70 therefore revolves clockwise and winds up cable 75 and unwinds cable 69. This action of the drum and cables lowers the slidable frame until the proper depth is reached when cable 63 is pulled. and the disc 59 released from contact with friction wheel 60. The spring 61 now holds yoke 53 in the neutral position shown r in Figs. 11, 12 and 13. The slidably mounted frame and sleeve are now swung fore and aft of the boat by operating the-cables 76 and 79.

These cables are operated by any suitable means such as motor actuated winding drums which are not shown for the reason that the actuating mechanism and drums are not claimed in this application. This swinging motion causes the ground engaging member A to plow back and forth in the river bed and the sand pump sucks the loosened sand through the grid 83 in the ground engaging member and into the sand channel8, thence through the intake 19 into the pump from thence it is forced out through outlets 20 and 21 into

conduits

26 and 27. From the

conduits

26 and 27 the sand travels-through main conduit 28, flexible conduit 29 and conduit 30 into the riflie box 31'. The sand runs over the riifle in the riflie box and the minerals are deposited in said riflie box. After recover-V ing the goldor other mineral by this process,

the sand may be conveyed to reservoirs for further treatment or may be returned to the river. The. water pump takes water in at the intake 32 and discharges through

outlets

33 and 34 into

conduits

35 and 36 respectively.

Conduits

35 and 36 convey the water through inlets 11 and 13 to

Water channels

9 and 10 in the ground engaging member A from whence it is discharged through'taper-ed discharges 12 and 14, respectively. The

rater discharges with considerable force and dislodges sand and gravel from crevices which would otherwise not be disturbed by the action of the ground engaging member 7 I A. Since the upper ends of

Water channels

9 and 10 are open, water escapes through ports 22- and 23 into the sand pump B and washes out the space between the im eller and the bottom of the pump so that san will not accumulate and abraid the surfaces. The

grooves 81 in the impeller conform in coni tour to the impeller blades 82 and the centrifugal force, due tothe whirling of the impeller, carries the water through grooves 81 to the periphery of the impeller.

" To raise the slidably mounted frame, the

cable 63 is pulled which swings'yoke 53 upward, bringing disc 59 into engagement with friction wheel 60 as indicated by the dotted position 59".in Fig. 14. This reverses the action described for lowering the frame.

The drum 7O revolves anti-clockwise and winds up cable 69 attached'to extension 69 and unwinds cable 75, thereby elevating the frame.

I claim: I

1. In a. hydraulic dredge, the combination with a. boat provided with a frame carrying a horizontally disposed journal, of av vertically disposed open sleeve rotatably mounted on said journal; aframe slidably mounted in said sleeve; a ground engaging member mounted on a lower end of said slidably mounted frame and a transversely disposed shaft, carrying a winding drum and a"worm gear, journalled in said slidably mounted frame; a yoke mounted on'said horizontally disposed shaft; a bevel gear mounted on said horizontally disposed shaft; a shaft, carrying a friction disc on one end and a bevel gear on the opposite end meshed with the bevel gear on said horizontally disposed shaft, journalled in said yoke; a friction wheel mounted on said actuating shaft and adapted to operate said friction disc, operatcables for said yoke; an extension, carrying a sheave, on the upper end of said sleeve; a cable attached to the lower end of said slidable frame and passing over said sheave to said winding drum; an extension, carrying a sheave, on the lower end of said sleeve, and a cable attached to the upper end of said slid-ably mounted frame and running uncer said last named sheave to said drum.

2. In a hydraulic dredge, the combination with a boat provided with a frame carrying a horizontally disposed journal, of a vertically disposed open sleeve rotatably mounted on said journal; a frame slidably mounted in said sleeve; a ground engaging member mounted on the lower end of said slidably mounted frame, said ground cngagingmeinher being provided with a sand channel and two water channels, the water channels being open at the tops, each water channel being provided with an intake at the side and a tapered discharge at the bottom and a horizontally disposed centrifugal sand pump mounted on said ground engaging member and provided with two outlets.

3. In a hydraulic dredge, the combination with a boat provided with a frame carrying a horizontally disposed journal, of a vertically disposed opensleeve rota ably mounted on said journal; aframe slidably mounted in said sleeve; ground engaging member mounted on the lower end of said slidably mounted frame, said ground engaging meniher being provided with a sand channel and two water channels, the water channels being open at thetops, each water channel being provided with an intake at the side and a tapered discharge at the bottom; a sand pump, having two sand outlets and two Water intake ports, mounted on said groundengaging member so that said water intake ports are in communication with said water channels in said ground engaging member and the sand intake of said pump is in communication with the sand channel of said ground engaging member; a vertically disposed main conduit mounted in said slidably mounted frame; a communicating conduit between said main conduitand each of the sand outlets of said sand pump; a flexible conduit in communication with said main conduit; adischarge conduit in communication with said flexible conduit and a riffle box; a horizontally disposed water pump, mounted in said slidable frame above said sand pump and provided with two water outlets each in communication with one of the water channelsin said ground engaging member and a common actuating shaft for said pumps; a motor mounted in said slidably mounted frame and connected to said actuating shaft.

4. In a. hydraulic dredge',the combination with a boat provided with a frame carrying a horizontally disposed ournal, of a vertically disposed open sleeve rotatably. mounted on said journal; a frame slidably mounted in said sleeve; a ground engaging member mounted on the lower, end of said slidably mounted frame, said ground engaging member being provided with a sand channel and two water channels, the water channels being open at the tops, each water channel being provided with an intake at the side and a ta'aered discharge at the bottom; a sand pump, having two sand outlets and two water intake ports, mounted on said ground engaging member so that said water intake ports are in communication with said water channels in said ground engaging member and the sand intake ofsaid pump is in communication with the sand channel of said ground engaging member and apair of removable linings, 24r-25, mounted in said sand pump.

5. In a hydraulic dredge, the combination with a boat provided with a frame carrying a horizontally disposed journal, of a vertically disposed open sleeve rotatably mounted on said journal; a frame slidably mounted in said sleeve; aground engaging member mounted on the lower end of said slidably mounted frame, said ground engaging mem her being provided with a sand channel and,

two water channels, the water channels being open at the tops, each Water chann-elbeing provided with an intake at the side and a tapered discharge at the bottom; asand pump, having two sand outlets and two water intake ports, mounted on said ground engaging member so that said water intake ports are in communication with said water channels in said ground engaging member and the sand intake of said pump is in communication with the sand channel of said ground engaging member; a pair of removable linings, 2425, mounted insaid sand pump; a horizontally disposed water pump, mounted in said slidable frame above said sand pump and provided with two water outlets each in coimnunication' with one of the Water channels in said ground engaging member and a common actuating shaft for said pumps; a motor mounted in said slidably mounted frame and connected to said actuating shaft.

LEROY voanrns,