US1821177A

US1821177A - Agitating cutter for dredges

Info

Publication number: US1821177A
Application number: US477047A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ellis William Roger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-08-22
Filing date: 1930-08-22
Publication date: 1931-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1948-09-01

Description

Sept. l, 1931. w. R. ELLIS AGITATING CUTTER FOR DREDGES Filed Aug. 22 1950 glvvuentoz W/u/AM /c 51L /5.

W1 w w Patented Sept. 1, 1931 HILL-1AM ROGER ELLIS, OF VJASHINGTCN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ACTITATING CUTTER FOR DREDGES Application filed August 2-2, 1930. Serial No. 477,047.

This invention relates to cutting or excavating devices for dredges, and specifically to guard means for preventing clogging of the suction pipe.

One object of this invention is to provide simple and effective guard means for preventing clogging of the suction pipe in a cutter head of a dredge or the like. Another object is to provide a device of this type which is economical to manufacture and which may be readily installed on any type of cutter head. A further object is to provide a novel securing means arranged to assist in agitating and breaking up the material entering the suction pipe. Other objects relating to details of construct-ion and economies of manufacture will appear hereinafter.

in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the improved cutter and suction pipe assembled on a dredge ladder.

Fig. a perspective view of the cutter and guard.

Fig. 3 a sectional View through a cutter head illustrating one method of securing the guard to the blades.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a slightly modified construction.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the guard member shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the ladder 10, which is mounted in any suitable manner on a dredge, provided with a suction head 11 having a bearing 12 for the cutter shaft 13. A cutter 14 is mounted on the shaft 13 for rotation therewith to form the cutter assembly. The cutter 14 consists essentially of a plurality of blades 15 extending from a hub 16 and secured to a ring 17. The ring 17 preferably bears through a renewable wear strip 18 on the outer periphery of the suction head.

A suction pipe 19 is carried by the ladder 10 and has its end secured to the suction head 11. A short pipe section 20 fixed to the head forms a continuation of the suction pipe and is provided with an opening 21 within the confines of the blades 15 which is preferably beveled, as shown.

A guard ring 22 is secured to the blades 15 for rotation therewith and is arranged to extend across the opening 21. The ring is supported by spokes 23 which are preferably formed integral with the blades 15. The ring may be provided with apertures 24 to receive studs 25 for securing the same to the spokes, and preferably has integral countersunk projections 26 on the inner surface to receive the heads of the studs. Any other type of securing means, such as bolts passing through flanges on the ends of the spokes 23, may be used if desired.

In accordance with the usual practice the ladder 10 is mounted on a dredge and is arranged to be lowered into engagement with the material to be removed. The cutter shaft 13 is rotated to break up the material, and suction is applied in any suitable manner to the pipe 19 to draw water and the material loosened by the cutter 14 therethrough. The ring 22 passing across the opening 21 baffles the opening as shown in the drawings and thereby prevents entry into the suction pipe of stones, sticks, and the like sufficiently large to cause clogging. The rotation of the ring 22 with the cutter 14 carries any such material which may lodge thereagainst away from the inlet opening 21 and prevents any accumulation of material which might tend to clog the opening. When the projections 26 are employed to receive the heads of the studs 25 these projections assist in I carrying excessively large pieces away from the inlet opening. The ring 22 and projections 25 also operatetobreak 0E sticks and the like entering the suction pipe, and to crush or grind lumps or stones which might become lodged betwen the suction pipe and the ring.

A slightly modified type of device is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. 4 In this form, the suction head 11' is formed with a relatively short bearing 12 for the cutter shaft 13, and the suction inlet pipe 20, is correspondingly shorter. A guard ring .22 is supported across the opening 20 ofthe suction pipe by means of spokes 23 secured to a hub 27, the ring 22 and spokes 23- forming a wheel. The latter is keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the cutter shaft 13 for rotationtherewith. It will be evident that the operation of this form of the device is substantially the same as that previously described, except that the bulk of material entering the suction pipe passes outside the ring 22. The modified construction is more particularly adapted for use on the smaller cutters embodying a shorter bearing for the cutter shaft.

Although the

rings

22 and 22 have been shown ascontinuous, they may, if desired, be interrupted at one or more points, the size and number of the interruptions depending upon the size of the installation, since it is only necessary that the opening be baffled sufiiciently to accomplish the desired results.

' It will be evident that the improved guard may be readily employed with any type of cutter including blades for loosening ma terial to be taken up by the suction pipe, and that its use will prevent clogging of the pipe either by large pieces of material or by an accumulation of material.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character in. order that the invention may be fully disclosed, it is to be understood that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of structural detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. In a dredging apparatus, in combination, a suction pipe having an open end, a cutter rotatable about an axis spaced from the axis of said pipe and passing around the open end of said pipe, and means positioned across the open end of said pipe and spaced from the edge thereof in such a manner as to continuously restrict the effective opening thereof sufficiently to prevent the passage into the pipe of pieces of material sufficiently large to clog the same, said means being continuously movable with said cutter.

2. In combination, a suction pipe having an open end, a cutter assembly rotatable about the open end of said pipe, and a ring carried by and rotatable with said cutter'assembly and positioned inwardly thereof in such a manner as to continuously pass across the open end of said pipe.

3. In combination, a suction pipe having an open end, a cutter having its axis substantially parallel with the axis of said pipe and including a plurality of blades rotatable about the axis of the cutter and passing around the open end of said pipe, and a ring carried by said blades and positioned inwardly thereof to pass across the open end of said pipe.

4. In combination, a suction pipe having an open end, a cutter including a plurality of blades rotatable about an axis spaced from said pipe and passing around said pipe, spokes carried by and projecting inwardly from said blades, and a ring carried by said spokes and passing the open end of said pipe.

5. In combination, a suction pipe having an open end, a shaft extending substantially parallel with said pipe, a cutter carried by said shaft and passing around the end of said pipe, and a ring carried by said shaft and passing across the open end of said pipe.

6. in combination, a cutter including a plurality of blades arranged about an axis of rotation, spokes projecting inwardly from said blades, a ring having a plurality of apertured projections on the inner periphery thereof and means passing through said projections for securing said ring to said spokes.

7. A dredging apparatus comprising a suction pipe having an open end, a shaft spaced from said pipe, a cutter secured to said shaft and including blades rotatable about said pipe, and a wheel secured to said shaft and including a ring passing across the open end of said pipe.

8. A dredging apparatus comprising a suction pipe having an open end, a cutter assembly comprising a shaft spaced from said pipe, having a plurality of blades secured to said shaft and rotatable about said pipe, and a ring carried by said cutter assembly for rotation therewith, said ring being spaced from said shaft and from said blades and being arranged to pass across the open end of said pipe.

9. Dredging apparatus comprising a suction pipe having an open end, a cutter assembly comprising a shaft spaced from the axis of said pipe and having a plurality of blades secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, said blades having cutting edges and extend ing outwardly from said shaft beyond the line defining the outermost portion of said pipe, and a ring carried by said cutter assembly for rotation therewith, said ring being spaced from said shaft and from said blades and being arranged to pass across the open end of said pipe.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 19th day of August, 1930.

' IVILLIAM ROGER ELLIS.