US3777376A - Articulated ladder construction for cutterhead dredge - Google Patents

Articulated ladder construction for cutterhead dredge Download PDF

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Publication number
US3777376A
US3777376A US00223482A US3777376DA US3777376A US 3777376 A US3777376 A US 3777376A US 00223482 A US00223482 A US 00223482A US 3777376D A US3777376D A US 3777376DA US 3777376 A US3777376 A US 3777376A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
ladder
ladder part
carried
link
cutterhead
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00223482A
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English (en)
Inventor
T Turner
F Keefe
C Little
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Ellicott Machine Corp
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Ellicott Machine Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of US3777376A publication Critical patent/US3777376A/en
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F9/00—Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups E02F3/00 - E02F7/00
    • E02F9/06—Floating substructures as supports
    • E02F9/067—Floating substructures as supports with arrangements for heave compensation
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
    • E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
    • E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
    • E02F3/90—Component parts, e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps
    • E02F3/92—Digging elements, e.g. suction heads
    • E02F3/9212—Mechanical digging means, e.g. suction wheels, i.e. wheel with a suction inlet attached behind the wheel
    • E02F3/9225—Mechanical digging means, e.g. suction wheels, i.e. wheel with a suction inlet attached behind the wheel with rotating cutting elements
    • E02F3/9231—Suction wheels with axis of rotation parallel to longitudinal axis of the suction pipe
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/006—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes adapted for working ground under water not otherwise provided for

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT An articulated ladder for a cutterhead dredge especially adapted for use in rough water and wherein the 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Riedemann 37/67 UX ,PATENIEUnEc 1 I ma TBSF 3 NEE ARTICULATED LADDER CONSTRUCTION FOR CUTTERHEAD DREDGE
  • This invention relates to dredges and more particularly to cutterhead dredges especially adapted to working in heavy seas.
  • cutterhead dredges operating in the open sea suspend operations under even relatively mild sea conditions and the object of the present invention is to provide a cutterhead dredge which is so constructed that it is capable of operating over a much wider range of sea conditions that has been possible heretofore with conventional cutterhead dredges.
  • a cutterhead dredge wherein the ladder, rather than being a rigid unitary member as heretofore, is articulated with upper and lower sections being connected together by a link which enables the upper section trunnioned to the hull to move with the hull in a sea without transmitting thrust to the lower section and its cutterhead.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the front end of a dredge showing the present invention with a part of the control system being shown schematically;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a ladder constructed in accordance with the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the ladder of FIG. 2.
  • the numeral designates a dredgehull carrying the usual control cabin or pilot house 11 and whose front end is bifurcated in the usual way at 12 (see FIG. 3) to pivotally receive on trunnions 14 the upper end of a dredge ladder broadly designated by the numeral 16.
  • the ladder 16 rather than being a unitary rigid member is constructed in two upper and lower parts 18, with the inner end of the part 18 being received on the trunnions 14 while the outer end of the other part 20 carries a rotary cutterhead 22 which is connected by a shaft 23 to a hydraulic motor or motors 24 receiving operating fluid from the hull by way of flexible conduits 26.
  • the outer and inner ends of the respective parts 18, 20 of the ladder are freely pivotally connected to the opposite ends of a link 28 which, as can be seen in FIG. 3, is somewhat H- shaped in configuration with the upper arms 30 being bifurcated to receive laterally spaced forwardly extending projections 32 at the outer end of the ladder part 18.
  • a link 28 which, as can be seen in FIG. 3, is somewhat H- shaped in configuration with the upper arms 30 being bifurcated to receive laterally spaced forwardly extending projections 32 at the outer end of the ladder part 18.
  • Extending through registering openings in the parts 30 of the link 28 and the parts 32 of the ladder part 18 are bearing pins 34, 36 whereby the upper end of link 28 is freely pivoted to and swingably depends from the outer end of the ladder part 18.
  • the outer ladder part 20 carries a centrifugal pump 46 driven by a hydraulic motor or motors 48 receiving hydraulic operating fluid from the hull via flexible conduits 50 as shown.
  • the inlet of the pump 46 is connected by a suction pipe 52 to the interior of the cutterhead 22 in the usual manner and the outlet of the pump leads to a passage through the lower pivot pin 38 which is connected by a conventional swivel coupling 54 to a lower end of a pipe section 56 whose upper end is connected by a similar swivel coupling 58 to a passageway through the upper pivot pin' 34 leading to a suction line 59 carried by the upper ladder part and leading to the inlet of a second centrifugal pump 60 (see FIG. 1) whose outlet may be connected to a pipe line 61 leading to the beach.
  • brackets 62 Fixed to the upper side of the lower ladder part 20 are a pair of laterally spaced brackets 62 and fixed to the lower end of the upper ladderpart 18 are a second pair of brackets 63. Connected to each bracket 63 is the upper end of a hydraulic cylinder 64 containing a piston 66 whose plunger 68 is connected to one of the brackets 62 on the lower ladder part. As can be seen, the cylinder 64 has an inlet port 68 below the piston 66 and which, as schematically shown in FIG. 1, is connected by a conduit 70 to the hydraulic side of a combined air pressure-hydraulic cylinder or accumulator 72 in the hull.
  • the accumulator is equipped with the usual piston or diaphragm 74 separating the hydraulic cavity 76 from the pneumatic pressure cavity 78 and the latter is connected to a pressure reservoir 80 by a conduit 82 containing a manually operated pressure regulating valve 84 conveniently located in the pilot house 11 of the hull for ready adjustment by the dredge operator, the reservoir 80 being supplied with pressure from a compressor 86.
  • a manually operated pressure regulating valve 84 conveniently located in the pilot house 11 of the hull for ready adjustment by the dredge operator, the reservoir 80 being supplied with pressure from a compressor 86.
  • Only one accumulator 72 is shown preferably one or more accumulators is connected to each of the hydraulic cylinders 64. The purpose and manner of operation of the hydraulic cylinders and pistons 64, 66 will become apparent hereinafter.
  • the ladder is moved between its working and nonworking positions by a winch 86 carrying a cable 87 trained around sets of sheaves 88, 90 carried on scaffolding structure 92 at the front end of the hull and on the outer end of the ladder part 18, respectively.
  • the scaffolding structure may extend forwardly of the hull and carry the usual restraining devices (not shown) for supporting the ladder when in its raised, transport position.
  • the ladder part 18 also carries the usual sheaves Y 94 around which cables 96 leading from winches 98 are trained for connection to the usual anchors for controlling the lateral movement of the cutter-head, ladder, etc. in the conventional fashion during dredging operations.
  • the hull is towed to its place of operation, the spuds or stern mooring anchors are lowered, and the anchors set out in the customary manner.
  • the inner ladder part 18 is then lowered to its working position having regard to the state of the sea so that the lower end of the link is sufficiently spaced above the bottom 100 that when the bow of the barge pitches downwardly the link at all times remains clear of the bottom. It will be apparent that should the link strike the sea bottom during a downward pitch of the hull, a shock of significant magnitude might be transmitted to the ladder trunnions l4 and the prime purpose of the present invention is to provide such action.
  • the operator never intentionally releases all of the pneumatic pressure from the accumulator but rather sets the valve 84 so that the accumulator pressure is retained at a sufficient level whereby the lower ladder part is partially supported and the cutterhead engages the bottom with a substantially constant predetermined force regardless of the rise and fall of the forward end of the hull in seas.
  • the accumulators are sized such that the pneumatic pressure change is limited to a predetermined value so that the pneumatic pressure acting on the piston 74 and the consequent lifting force of the hydraulic pressure acting on the piston 66 remains relatively constant so that the cutterhead and the lower ladder part, due to their weights, cause the head to exert a net downward force on the bottom of approximately 50,000 pounds.
  • the preset pneumatic pressure in the accumulator forces the accumulator pistons 74 downwardly so that hydraulic pressure operating on the piston 66 continues to exert a lifting force on the lower ladder part 20 of approximately 50,000 pounds.
  • the operator energizes the hydraulic motors 24 and 48 to operate the cutterhead and the laddercarried hydraulic pump 46 and at the same time the the upperm energizes the upper, barge-carried pump 60.
  • any downward thrust of the upper ladder part 18 is now exerted against the upper end of the link 28, which merely pivots or swings relative to the ladder part 18 while the opposite end of the link pivots relative to the end of the lower ladder part 20 so that substantially none or only an insignificant portion of the thrust of the upper ladder part 18 can be transmitted to the cutterhead and back to the trunnions.
  • Apparatus of claim 1 including means carried by said second ladder part and operatively connected to said cutter-head for driving the same.
  • Apparatus of claim 2 wherein the means for driving the cutterhead comprises hydraulic motor means carried by said second ladder part.
  • Apparatus of claim 2 including a centrifugal pump carried by said second ladder part, a suction pipe extending from said cutterhead to the inlet of said pump and flexible conduit means connected to the outlet of said pump and connected to a second pump carried by said barge.
  • said flexible conduit means includes a pipe section carried by said link, a first swivel coupling connecting the outlet of said pump to one end of said pipe section, a pipe carried by said first ladder part and adapted to be connected at one end to said second centrifugal pump on said hull and a second swivel coupling connecting the opposite end of the pipe section carried by said link to an adjacent end of the pipe carried by said first ladder part.
  • Apparatus of claim 1 including support means connected to said second ladder part for exerting a lifting force thereon, and means responsive to changes in load on the support means by the second ladder part as the dredge pitches in seas for varying the lifting force of the support means so that the force exerted by the cutterhead on the bottom is at all times substantially constant.
  • Apparatus of claim 7 including manually operable control means carried on the hull for selecting the degree of lift exerted by said support means.
  • the support means comprises a hydraulic piston and cylinder connected between first and second ladder parts, an hydraulic inlet connected to said cylinder so as to deliver hydraulic pressure fluid to said piston in opposition to the weight of said second ladder part, conduit means connecting said inlet to the hydraulic cavity of an accumulator carried by said barge, and second conduit means including a manually adjustable pressure regulating valve connecting the pneumatic cavity of said accumulator to a source of pneumatic pressure.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Ladders (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
US00223482A 1972-02-04 1972-02-04 Articulated ladder construction for cutterhead dredge Expired - Lifetime US3777376A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US22348272A 1972-02-04 1972-02-04

Publications (1)

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US3777376A true US3777376A (en) 1973-12-11

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ID=22836693

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US00223482A Expired - Lifetime US3777376A (en) 1972-02-04 1972-02-04 Articulated ladder construction for cutterhead dredge

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US3777376A (nl)
JP (1) JPS5648654B2 (nl)
DE (1) DE2304760C2 (nl)
GB (1) GB1410532A (nl)
NL (1) NL163850C (nl)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3956834A (en) * 1971-11-04 1976-05-18 Mcwatters William Andrew Dredge ladder shock mounting arrangements
US4084334A (en) * 1975-04-15 1978-04-18 Ballast-Nedam Groep N.V. Suction dredge with swell compensating ladder mount
US4102064A (en) * 1975-09-05 1978-07-25 N.V. Industrieele Handelscombinatie Holland Swell compensator for suction dredging system
US4394265A (en) * 1979-12-20 1983-07-19 Ihc Holland N.V. Vessel in particular suction dredger provided with means for removing oil from a water surface
US20090241383A1 (en) * 2008-04-01 2009-10-01 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Suction Tube Device Provided with Drive Systems and Method of Repairing Same
NL2010028C2 (en) * 2012-12-20 2014-06-23 Ihc Holland Ie Bv Cutting dredger.
WO2015126247A1 (en) 2014-02-21 2015-08-27 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Bottom leveller system
US20160145829A1 (en) * 2013-04-16 2016-05-26 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Dredging cutting wheel
US10156057B2 (en) * 2016-10-03 2018-12-18 Vac-Tron Equipment, Llc Rotatable hydro excavation suction wand
US10287746B1 (en) 2015-12-14 2019-05-14 Dsc Dredge, Llc Wide-format swinging ladder dredge

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2395361A1 (fr) * 1977-06-23 1979-01-19 Ferodo Sa Drague
NL2011534C2 (en) * 2013-10-01 2015-04-07 Bos & Kalis Baggermaatsch Dredging vessel with a dredging pipe.

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3495409A (en) * 1967-01-10 1970-02-17 Wilhelm Riedemann Apparatus for building a retaining wall along a bank of a body of water
US3579872A (en) * 1968-11-05 1971-05-25 Ocean Science & Eng Dredging apparatus with surge compensating means
US3681862A (en) * 1968-11-20 1972-08-08 Ingbureau Voor Systems En Octr Suction dredger having plural pumps and plural articulated pipe sections

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE880876C (de) * 1937-11-19 1953-06-25 Smit & Zoon S Scheeps & Werktu Saugbagger
FR1319432A (fr) * 1962-01-19 1963-03-01 Turbo-extracteur
FR1362757A (fr) * 1962-10-17 1964-06-05 Ellicott Machine Corp Drague hydraulique
NL129899C (nl) * 1968-03-12

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3495409A (en) * 1967-01-10 1970-02-17 Wilhelm Riedemann Apparatus for building a retaining wall along a bank of a body of water
US3579872A (en) * 1968-11-05 1971-05-25 Ocean Science & Eng Dredging apparatus with surge compensating means
US3681862A (en) * 1968-11-20 1972-08-08 Ingbureau Voor Systems En Octr Suction dredger having plural pumps and plural articulated pipe sections

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3956834A (en) * 1971-11-04 1976-05-18 Mcwatters William Andrew Dredge ladder shock mounting arrangements
US4084334A (en) * 1975-04-15 1978-04-18 Ballast-Nedam Groep N.V. Suction dredge with swell compensating ladder mount
US4102064A (en) * 1975-09-05 1978-07-25 N.V. Industrieele Handelscombinatie Holland Swell compensator for suction dredging system
US4394265A (en) * 1979-12-20 1983-07-19 Ihc Holland N.V. Vessel in particular suction dredger provided with means for removing oil from a water surface
US20090241383A1 (en) * 2008-04-01 2009-10-01 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Suction Tube Device Provided with Drive Systems and Method of Repairing Same
US8127473B2 (en) * 2008-04-01 2012-03-06 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Suction tube device provided with drive systems and method of repairing same
NL2010028C2 (en) * 2012-12-20 2014-06-23 Ihc Holland Ie Bv Cutting dredger.
WO2014098590A1 (en) 2012-12-20 2014-06-26 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Cutting dredger
US20150345107A1 (en) * 2012-12-20 2015-12-03 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Cutting dredger
US9611621B2 (en) * 2012-12-20 2017-04-04 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Cutting dredger
US20160145829A1 (en) * 2013-04-16 2016-05-26 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Dredging cutting wheel
US9803334B2 (en) * 2013-04-16 2017-10-31 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Dredging cutting wheel
WO2015126247A1 (en) 2014-02-21 2015-08-27 Ihc Holland Ie B.V. Bottom leveller system
US10287746B1 (en) 2015-12-14 2019-05-14 Dsc Dredge, Llc Wide-format swinging ladder dredge
US10156057B2 (en) * 2016-10-03 2018-12-18 Vac-Tron Equipment, Llc Rotatable hydro excavation suction wand

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL7301142A (nl) 1973-08-07
JPS4888750A (nl) 1973-11-20
JPS5648654B2 (nl) 1981-11-17
DE2304760A1 (de) 1973-08-09
GB1410532A (en) 1975-10-15
NL163850B (nl) 1980-05-16
NL163850C (nl) 1980-10-15
DE2304760C2 (de) 1983-06-30

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