US2926437A - Dredge discharge pipe - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1960 Q E, ELLICTT, JR 2,926,437

DREDGE DISCHARGE PIPE Filed Dec. 3, 1956 f 3 Sheets-Sheet l March l 1960 c. E. ELLlco-rr, JR 2,926,437

DREDGE DISCHARGE PIPE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 3, 1956 M s s 5:

Mex/6 March l, 1960 Filed D80. 3, 1956 c. E. ELLlcoTT, JR 2,926,437 DREDGE DISCHARGE PIPE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. cA/Afzfs 1 /c'orr Je ,4 7' TPA/EYS DREDGE DISCHRGEPIPE: Charles E; Ellicott, Jr., Baltinnore','Md;,l assigner to Ellicott Machine` Corporation, Baltimore,hfld., a corpo ration ot'Marylanrlw ArrieatiQnDecember 31956,'SerialNbaZ. aclantis. (ci, gaa- .721

This invention re1ates -.to improvements 'in hydraulic dredges, and more p artieularly`,`. to anl adjustable discharge pipeconstructio'n permitting it tobe readilyrnoved laterally and vertically. A

The use .of dredges on canals, rivers,v and other bodies of water for removingsilt anddirt'randeither depositing it along the banksviori intoan accompanying. barge, is

well recognized in the art. Frequently it is necessary that the discharge pipe of suchfdredge be moved either vertically or laterallyfto permit'the dredge topass under a bridge 4or to dischargefrom one bank or the other or to be lifted over roads and other obstructions. I have discovered that a Vself-contained,one-man operation method for selectively discharging the silt directly into the banks o r barges, ,usually withoutthe use offloati ing pontoons or similar equipment, isprovided by -rneans of a discharge-pipe swivel elbow operated by means of asprocket' chain and two hydraulic cylinders for laterally swinging the discharge pipe, while Vraising and loweringy of thepipe is accomplished by wire rope and blocks, the

`aforesaid operations may be accomplished by hydraulic-, cylinders operated by a source of hydraulic powery lo cated on the dredge."

The disposition and arrangement of the discharge pipe as herein described is advantageous'on dredges working.V

inA narrowcanals or streams where there may be no disposal area 'available due to buildings, roads, or the like and the discharge may be into a barge directly asternof the dredge. During the course of this operation,v the dirscharge pipe is brought to the center line and then'swung slightly to one side or-the other, in order` to equalinerthe distribution of the silt in the barge. ln those instances the discharge pipein both loweredv andraised positio 11 s andthe mechanism for operating. it;

Fig. 1;

and means for vertically moving the disharge pipe;

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view o ffa discharge p'ipe v mounted onthe stern o f the d redgeand discharging onto thebank of a stream;l

Figj 5 is system and controls; p

g. 6 is a view illustratingthe detail ofthe swivel away, while 7'625,933, filed December 3, 1956, while spud construction.

when the material is being discharged 'onto `either bank f of the stream, it may be necessary to raise the discharge piper occasionally in order to avoid atree ork obstru.- tion and to swing it forward orbackward in order-'to avoid discharging onto a road or somestructure.

Therefore, objects of this invention areto provide 'self` contained exible means for readily swinging the dis-k charge pipe laterally and vertically, such means being operated by a source of hydraulic power installed on the dredge and quickly and easily operated by an individual` operator.

Another object of this invention is to provide relatively simple and inexpensive means for moving they discharge pipe as above described, v

Another object is to provide discharge pipe control means requiring relatively few parts the same being adapted tobe disposed at the stern where'the parts are readily accessible for repair and adjustment.

Other objects are to provide a sturdy swinging mechanism which is easily'operated and is reliable and efficient in operation.

rlfhese and other objects will appear during the course of the following specifications.

thedrawings forming a part of this specilication:

Eig, 1 is a side elevation view of an illustrative embodiment of rny invention showing the stern of a dredge,

Y the various mechanisms.

provided with hydraulically controlled spuds` adapted to swing or move the dredge inthe water within'limited Eig. 7 is a rear view of Fig. 6. l

The type of dredge referred to lin this specification` comprises a 'suitable hull," usually having a movable l laddery mounted at -bow thereof-and a cutter device disposed at the outer end of the ladder, while a suction pipe having 'an opening near said cutter device extends upwardly along the ladder onto ,the deck, where a suc-'jl tion pump drawsin the silt and forces it. out a discharge pipe usually located at the stern. p Thistype of dredge may be powered by asingle prime mover, such as a diesel motor, driving an hydraulic pump coupled to the various. operating mechanisms on 'the dredge through a control mechanism enabling the operator tofselectively operate Frequently such dredges are areas.

The disclosure herein is limited to the stern 0f the dredge and the mechanism for operating the vdischarge pipe. The details or the dredge construction, including.

the power unit, t`he ladder and associated features are disclosedain my co-pending patent application Serial No.

N0.`6 25,911,1i1ed December 3, V195s.

'ln the drawings, disclosing an illustrative embodiment details are illustrated iri my co-pending application Serial of this invention, the numeral l0 refers generally to a dredge including a hull ll and a sternl.'` A discharge pipe 13, leading from the discharge pipe'lof asuction pump not shown herein and supported at therstern by a frame 14'suitably secured to the deck is provided'with a downwardly curved` section l5, while a cooperating.

swivel elbow le is joined thereto in such manner that it permits rotation of the swivel elbow 16 on a vertical axis, providing for the lateral movement of the dis'- char'ge pipe on such axis.

The swivel elbow 16 is curved so that its outer end Vis horizontally disposed as indicated at ITnFig. A

horizontally disposed pipe section 18 continues outwardly from the swivel elbow 16, while an intermediate rubber tube or pipe section 19 lis press-litted around the Vend 0fl e the, pipe 18 and extends outwardly a few feet where itis similarly mounted on theV outer end section 2d of the discharge pipe. Channel members 21 andv 22 are disposed along the sides of discharge sections ld'and 29 ,respectivelyj'while clamps are provided to secure the ends of intermediate pipe section 19 to pipesV 1S and 20;

`The rubber'pipe section 19 is mounted on a horizontal pivot through the cooperation of pins 24 disposedin brackets 25;.inlc'ooperating channel members 2l and 22 in order that the discharge pipe 2i) may be raised and lowered v*due to the flexibility of the rubber pipe s'ec tionv 19,.:`

As shownin Figs. 1 and 2, swivel elbow 16- is provided with a sprocket 26l aroundV which is. mounted a rollerA chain 2.7; 'The two sections of the swivel elbow 1 6 "areretainedtogether by` an upper bar 28 mounted on pin V29 and lower bar Sll mounted on pin 31 the Paenedflvtauwen fsvchsm'iia View illiistatins the hyteulie construction o f the discharge pipe, withpartsbroken 3 same being held together by two tie rods 32 suitably mounted on the stern in a bracket 33 extending rearwardly therefrom.

Two horizontally disposed swivel elbow cylinders 34,

manner that they operate in opposite directions for causing the swivel elbow 16 to rotate on a vertical axis as hereinafter described.

A tripod 35 substantially vertically disposed at 'theu rear edge of the stern 12 and suitably secured to thedeck'as by means of bolts 36 supports means forraising and lowering the outer end 20 of theV discharge pipe, such means including a sheave 37 mounted on a horizontal axis at the top ofthe tripod 35 in which operates a wireV cable 33 secured to discharge pipe 20snear its outer end' in a dead end tting'39. A slanting arm 40 of 'the tripod 35 supports a discharge pipe hoist. cylinder 41 and the control valve L.V. to the oil supply tank thus lowering the pipe.

The swinging of the discharge pipe to the right or left from the position indicated in Fig. 2 is accomplished by operating the four-way control valve indicated by the letters S.V. Thus, when the valve S.V. is moved to one operating position, oil is forced into the top of the right cylinder 34 through the conduit 34h, and forces the piston inwardly of the 'cylinder causing the chain 27 to rotate the sprocket 26 in one direction and swing the pipe in one direction. At the same time oil is evacuated from the top of the left cylinder 34 and returns through conduit 34a and the valve S.V. into the oil tank. When the control valve S.V. is moved toits opposite operating position, oil is forced into the top of the left'cylinder 34 and is evacuated from the right cylinder 34, thereby swinging the discharge pipe in the opposite direction in an obvious v manner. The two swing cylinders 34 are provided with suitably connected to a source of hydraulic power, which is adapted to raise and lower sheave 42 and cooperates with a tixedly lmounted sheave 43 in such manner that the wire cable 38 lifts the discharge end section 2 0 when the hoist cylinder 41'moves sheave 42 upwardly and lowers such pipe section when said cylinder moves sheave 42 downwardly.

As illustrated in Fig. 5 the hydraulic fluid connections to the swivel elbow cylinders 34 are connected so that when the forward end of one swivel cylinder is connected to pressure, the forward end of the other is connected through the valve to the tank, in order that they may move in unison for selectively rotating the sprocket 26 on a vertical axis in either direction and thus swing the discharge pipe 20 from side to side. Thecontrols for such cylinders are indicated by the letters S.V., while the cylinders are indicated by the letters S.C. The hydraulic connections for the discharge pipe hoist cylinder 41 indicated by the letters L.C. are operated by controls indicated by the letters L.V. while the source of hydraulic fluid under pressure is indicated by the letter P.

Fig. 4 illustrates a manner of operating the dredge 10 to discharge the silt along the banks of the stream. When discharging the material along the banks of the stream, it has been found advantageous to build dirt banks 45 along the bank edge to retain the dredged material 46 and prevent it from returning to the stream.

ln operating the dredge 10, a source of hydraulic pressure may be obtained by providing a prime mover or diesel motor which provides hydraulic power through a pump indicated by the letter P on Fig. 5. The pipes and connections for supplying such hydraulic pressure are well known in the art and are omitted from this specification in the interest of brevity. It should be noted that the apparatus for raising, lowering, and laterally swinging the discharge pipe is mounted on the stern of the dredge and provides means whereby such movement of the discharge pipe may be readily accomplished by the operator at the control stand near the bow.

The controls illustrated in Fig. 5 may be operated by an individual operator in the following manner: To raise the end 20 of the discharge pipe, the three-way control valve indicated by the letters L.V. is moved to one operating position, forcing oil to enter the top of a single acting hoist or lift cylinder 41, also designated by the letters L.C. and having Van air vent V, thereby forcing downwardly the piston and raising the vsheave 42 and drawing in the wire cable 38 to cause the end of the discharge pipe to be raised to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. To lower the end 20 of the discharge pipe, the control valve L.V. is shifted to its opposite operating position, whereupon the weight of the pipe evacuates the oil from the top of the cylinder 41 permitting the oil to return through the conduit 41a air vents indicated by the letter V.

Having completed a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention so that others skilled in this art may be able to understand and practice the same, I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is not limited' by said preferred embodiment but rather is defined in what is claimed.

l claim:

l. A dredge comprising a hull having a deck and a stern, discharge means for the dredge comprising a vertically disposed bracket mounted on the deck near the stern, a horizontally disposed bracket secured to and projecting from the stern, a pair of complementary upper and lower swivel elbows, said upper elbow having a horizontally disposed portion mounted on said deck bracket, said lower elbow having a vertically disposed pivotal mounting on said stern bracket, said lower elbow having a coupling ring to receive a depending portion of the upper elbow, said ring having a chain sprocket mounted exteriorly thereof above the deck, a multi-section discharge pipe comprising a first rigid metal pipe section secured to said lower elbow, a flexible pipe section secured to said first metal pipe section and a second rigid metal pipe section secured to said flexible pipe section in the sequence named, a pair of rigid metal members fixed toY said first metal pipe section and extending horizontally therefrom to embrace a portion of the exiblc pipe section, a pair of rigid metal members fixed to said second metal pipe section, said pairs of metal members being pivoted to each other intermediate the ends of said flexible pipe section, a pair of hydraulic cylinders having piston rods mounted on said deck, chain means having one end thereof secured to one piston rod and arranged around said sprocket on said ring and having the other end thereof secured to the other piston rod, a hydraulic pump,V conduit and valve means connected to said cylinders whereby said lower elbow and said discharge pipe is moved in response to the introduction of hydraulic fluid under pressure to one or the other of said cylinders.

2. A dredge comprising a hull having a deck and a stern, discharge means for the dredge comprising a vertically disposed bracket mounted on the deck near the stern, a horizontally disposed bracket secured to and projecting from the stern, a pair of complementary upper and lower elbows, said upper elbow having a horizontally disposed portion mounted on said deck bracket, said lower elbow having a pivotal mounting on said Stern bracket, said lower elbow having a coupling ring to receive the lower end portion of the upper elbow,l

said ring having a sprocket mounted exteriorly thereof above said deck, a multi-section discharge pipe comprising a first rigid metal pipe section secured to said lower elbow, a flexible pipe section secured to said first metal pipe section and a second rigid metal pipe section secured to said flexible pipe section in the sequence named, a pair of rigid metal members fixed to said first metal pipe section and extending horizontally therefrom to embrace, a portion of the Iflexible pipe section, a pair of rigid metal members fixed to said second metal pipe section and projecting therefrom to embrace a portion of the flexible pipe section, said pairs of metal members being pivoted to each other on a horizontal pivot intermediate the ends of said exible pipe section, a pair of hydraulic cylinders having piston rods mounted on the deck, chain means having one end thereof secured to one piston rod, they-intermediate portion of said chain in engagement with said sprocket on said ring and the other end of said chain means being secured to the other piston rod, a hydraulic pump, conduit and valve means connected to said cylinders whereby said discharge pipe is moved about 'the axis of said coupling ring in response to the introduction of hydraulic iluid under pressure to one or the othei of said cylinders, a tripod mounted on the deck near the stern thereof, two legs of said tripod being secured to the deck at opposite sides of the discharge pipe, a third leg of said'tripod being secured to the deck substantially along the center line of the hull, a hydraulic hoist cylinder having a piston rod mounted on said third leg, iexible means having one end thereof secured to the outer end of the discharge pipe, a pulley at the top of said tripod, said flexible means being arranged over said pulley and having the other end thereof secured to the piston rod of said hoist cylinder, hydraulic valve and conduit means connecting said pump and hoist cylinder to raise the discharge pipe in response to the introduction of hydraulic iluid under pressure to said hoist cylinder.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 326,072 Von Schmidt Sept. 8, 1885 341,539 Angell May 11, 1886 358,686 Milliken Mar. l, 1887 657,567 Robinson Sept. 11, 1900 707,293 Bates Aug. 19, 1902 746,995 Robinson Dec. 15, 1903 1,808,066 Plummer June 2, 1931 2,801,013 Pilch July 30, 1957

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