CA2128970C - High-speed cutting dredger - Google Patents
High-speed cutting dredgerInfo
- Publication number
- CA2128970C CA2128970C CA002128970A CA2128970A CA2128970C CA 2128970 C CA2128970 C CA 2128970C CA 002128970 A CA002128970 A CA 002128970A CA 2128970 A CA2128970 A CA 2128970A CA 2128970 C CA2128970 C CA 2128970C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- wall
- baffle
- blades
- bucket
- fluid
- 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 - Fee Related
Links
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 54
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 29
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000032258 transport Effects 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000011343 solid material Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000007779 soft material Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000002265 prevention Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010865 sewage Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004927 clay Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000004576 sand Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010802 sludge Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000013077 target material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007723 transport mechanism Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- 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
- E02F3/9256—Active suction heads; Suction heads with cutting elements, i.e. the cutting elements are mounted within the housing of the suction head
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F7/00—Equipment for conveying or separating excavated material
- E02F7/06—Delivery chutes or screening plants or mixing plants mounted on dredgers or excavators
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B27/00—Containers for collecting or depositing substances in boreholes or wells, e.g. bailers, baskets or buckets for collecting mud or sand; Drill bits with means for collecting substances, e.g. valve drill bits
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
- Processing Of Stones Or Stones Resemblance Materials (AREA)
Abstract
A method and apparatus for high-speed rotary cutting and suctioning of dredged material in which a baffle wall interrupts fluid eddies that would otherwise be induced by the rotary motion of the cutters and counteract the suctioning. The baffle wall is provided with pressure-sensitive removal and automatic return means, illustrated as a pin and hinge in combination with a spring, so that if a piece of hard material is momentarily lifted by the cutters and strikes the baffle, the baffle will move away allowing the material to be thrown without damaging baffle or cutters. Thereafter the baffle is returned to position.
The illustrated embodiment shows this system in place in a dredger with replaceable digging edge, adjustable height assembly, and removable bottom and rear plates.
The illustrated embodiment shows this system in place in a dredger with replaceable digging edge, adjustable height assembly, and removable bottom and rear plates.
Description
2128~7û
INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPIION OF THE PRIOR ART
The removal of solid material from a fluid, such as in dredging operations, is the subject of the present disclosure. In particular, the illustrated embodiment shows a dredger whose cutting and suctioning incorporates a novel fluid interrupter that allows higher-speed cutting than possible in known systems.
Although dredgers have been operated for centuries, the field for their use is so vast that new forms continue to be invented and deployed; the area to be dredged, material composition, distance from shore, depth from surface, and other factors all influence what form the dredging will take.
As is discussed competently and at some length in other places, notably the preamble to U.S. patent #4,631,844 (Deal, "Hydraulic Shovel Dredge System," 1986), dredging is commonly known in three forms: bucket, which takes discrete loads;
suctioning, which takes continuous flow; and hybrid bucket/suction, commonly with the suctioning intake inside the bucket. Deal also notes that dredgers using rotating cutterheads are widely used, and their use is limited to certain compositions of bottom materials due to their being easily damaged.
Since a catalyzed high-speed chopping action on the scale introduced by the present invention appears unknown in both commercial use and patent documentation, only a brief listing of previous art will be provided for interest. U.S. patents Deal (cited);
Faldi (3,624, 933; 1971); Quigg et al (4,227,323; 1980); and Gardner, Jr., (3,248, 812;
1966) show various sorts of dredgers with bucket/suction, but no chopping. Mero (U.S. #
3,226,854; 1966) uses a grating to sort the material. CAn~ n patent Fruhling (74,357;
1902) shows suction with low-speed mixing. Finally, CAnA(1i~n patent Vaughan (963,918;
1975) shows a rotary chopper disposed in front of the suction intake; but for reasons that will be explained below, a high-speed cutter would be inadvisable in such a configuration.
2128~7~
The present invention, in brief, addresses and solves two problems: one, that as the speed of rotary cutting is increased, a whorl or eddy flow is created in the fluid;
this movement counteracts the suctioning. This is a frustrating problem where high-speed cutting is preferred or required due to heavy material, or where it is desired to increase the proportion of solid material in the suctioned flow (and hence increase the efficiency of the dredging as a whole). The present invention places an interrupter, preferentially in the form of a baffle wall, immediately adjacent and exterior to the cutting path. This baffle cuts off the fluid whorls and eddies, and allows the suctioning or other transport mechanisms to continuously take the target material across the cutting path, where it is chopped, mixed with fluid, and subsequently sucked into the intake.
The second problem is contingent on the first: the cutting means may on occasion pick up a hard object such as a rock, and fling it outwards; it may happen that the baffle will be in the path of movement of this object, either as the object is momentarily between the blades or as flung. Thus damage could result either to the baffle or the blade; this is addressed by having a removal and return mechanism incorporated into the baffle. In the preferred embodiment, this is a hinge and spring, so that the baffle can swing away when struck, and will immediately swing back to interrupt the fluid flow once more.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for high-speed cutting and suctioning of solid material within a fluid, using the elements of: material transport means; suctioning intake means within the fluid; high-speed rotary cutting means situated so that the material must traverse the rotary cutting path of the cutting means in order to be suctioned into the intake; fluid flow interrupter means adjacent and exterior to the rotary cutting path; pressure-sensitive interrupter removal means; and automaticinterrupter return means. The method comprises the following steps: a) the cutting means is impelled along the rotary cutting path at high speed; b) the suctioning means sucks 212~7~
fluid across the cutting path and into the intake; c) the interrupter prevents fluid eddies from forming, which would, without such prevention, counteract the suctioning; d) the transport means brings material across the cutting path, so that it is cut, mixed with fluid, and suctioned up the intake; and e) if ever the cutting means transports an uncut solid, such as a hard rock, that protrudes outside the cutting path so as to strike the interrupter, the interrupter removal means removes the interrupter so no damage occurs to the cutting means and no damage occurs to the interrupter, and thereafter the interrupter return means returns the interrupter to its original position.
It is also an object to provide for such a method in which the material may moveacross the cutting path by virtue of transport of the elements other than the material; that is, the recited elements other than the material may be moved past the material with the material essentially stationary until it is cut and suctioned. These other elements may be aff1xed to a dredging bucket and the dredging bucket may have an opening in its direction of motion for admitting material. The intake may be a substantially vertically oriented tube with the rotary cutting means rotating below the tube about the longitudinal axis of the tube; and the fluid interrupter may be a substantially vertical wall adjacent to the cutting path.
It is also an object to provide for such a method in which the rotary cutting means comprises 3 or more blades arranged around the circumference of the rotary cutting path, and in which the gap between blades, and between the blades and the bottom of the bucket, is smaller than the largest dimension desired in the material to be sucked into the intake. The pressure-sensitive interrupter removal means may be a hinge and pin, and the automatic interrupter return means may be a spring.
It is also an object of the present invention to disclose, in an under~,vater dredging bucket with an open front to admit material, an apparatus for high-speed cutting and suctioning of such material; with the apparatus comprising: a suctioning intake tube opening into the bucket; rotary impeller means con~i~ting in a substantially vertical rotating tube that communicates with the intake tube; blade retainer means affixed to the impeller means; blades releasably affixed to the blade retainer means, with the blades arranged to follow a rotary cutting path about the substantially vertical longitudinal axis of the impeller tube; a substantially vertical baffle wall, exterior to and immediately adjacent to the circumference of the cutting path, with this baffle wall standing so that its large flat faces radiate from the circumference; substantially vertical pin and hinge means at the edge of the wall distant from the circumference, so that the edge of the wall near the circumference may pivot horizontally away from the circumference; and springmeans affixed to the pin and hinge means, with this spring means fashioned so that the wall returns after pivoting. Using this apparatus, high-speed cutting and suctioning of dredged material occurs by virtue of the baffle wall improvement, since without the wall the high-speed blades induce water eddies that inhibit the suctioning of dredged material past the blades; and using this apparatus, also, hard materials wedged between the blades so as to strike the baffle wall do no damage by virtue of the pin and hinge means that pivots the wall allowing the hard material to be thrown, after which the spring means returns the wall to its previous position. The bottom of the bucket may have a replaceable digging edge along its front. And the bucket may further comprise: an adjustable height assembly capable of raising and lowering the front of the bucket; a removable bottom plate to admit material; and a removable rear plate to allow soft material to flow through the bucket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
For this description, refer to the following diagrams, wherein like numerals refer to like parts:
- 212897~
Figure 1, an embodiment of the invented baffle system, partial cutaway, perspective view;
Figure 2A, prior art system without baffle; partial schematic top view;
Figure 2B, the system of Figure 2A, but with invented baffle; partial schematic top view;
Figure 2C, the invented system of Figure 2B, with rock and baffle movement; partial schematic top view;
Figure 2D, the invented system of Figure 2C, one moment later with rock thrown and baffle returned; partial schematic top view; and Figure 3, an alternative view of the embodiment of Figure 1, partial cutaway, side view.
An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1, where cutaway of dredger generally indicated as 10 shows ghosted internal pump 12, ghosted intake tube 14, impeller 16, blade retainer 18, blades 20, baffle 22, hinge 24, and spring 26. Note that intake tube 14 effectively extends through impeller 16 and blade retainer 18, both of which have hollow cylindrical centers such as bounded by cylindrical surface 16a inside impeller 16, so that the effective lower opening of intake tube 14 is at the level of the bottom lip 18a of blade retainer 18.
Operation of the invented system is as follows:
As dredger 10 is moved in direction of arrow D, dredged material 30 follows path of arrow M1 towards the blades 20 where it is cut and so mixed with water and the resultant is sucked up past lip 18a and into intake tube 14. (The pump to provide power may be pump 12 shown ghosted or a distant pump outside the dredger 10). Since the blades 20 are moving at high speed along cutting path indicated by arrow B, water adjacent to and exterior to the cutting path B will be induced to rotate also, along a path such as indicated by arrow W.
2128~
If allowed to move unobstructed, the water indicated by arrow W would have the effect shown in Figure 2A (prior art) where the movement of water along path W
interferes with the movement of dredged material 30, which now merely rotates along path Mo and does not even reach blades 20, much less be sucked up through impeller 16 into intake tube 14 (which is not visible in Figure 2A). Accordingly, in the invention, baffle 22 (which is in all Figures except 2A) is placed to obstruct path W. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2B especially, this results in dispersed motion of water along paths such as I. As this occurs the amount of water following path W is reduced so that dredged material 30 can follow path M 1 and be cut by blades 20 and sucked up through impeller 16.
An attendant problem is that on occasion a hard piece of material such as a rock will be momentarily picked up when it is just the right diameter to fit between two blades. Figure 2C shows this, where rock 34 is striking baffle 22; it has just been picked up between blades 20a and 20b. But due to hinge 24, baffle 22 swings out of the way with harm to neither blades 20 nor baffle 22. Then as shown in Figure 2D, by virtue of spring 26 baffle 22 returns immediately to re-obstruct water which is gaining momentum along path W. Rock 34 is thrown aside. Spacing between the blades 20a and 20b, and in general all blades 20 in this and other unillustrated embodiments, is chosen to prevent objects from passing between blades 20 that would be too large to pass up through impeller 16 and up intake tube 14 (shown on Figure 1).
Other configurations are possible and the illustrations herein are only for example. For instance, there could be more blades or the blades could be of different sizes or shapes. The spring mechanism is known art and could be otherwise than indicated, or could be rendered by some electric, electronic, or other form of movement mechanism without a spring. Other minor variations within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
2128g70 Figure 3 shows elements of dredger 10 which have been omitted from earlier Figures for clarity of explanation of the invented system. An adjustable ski assembly indicated generally as 40 shows pin 42 in leg 44, allowing adjustable height of digging edge 45 by lifing front portion of bucket 46 (Digging edge 45 is shown also in Figure 2B). Thus bucket 46 and digging edge 45 can be lowered for digging hard material, such as gravel and sand, and raised to prevent the bucket 46 from digging the bottom of ponds, such as sewage ponds for town sewage disposal. This permits the removal the sludge and mud from such ponds without removing the clay bottom, which has often been installed to prevent the ponds from leaking. (These raised and lowered positions and ponds are not diagrammed).
Also shown in Figure 3 are bolts 50 passing through blade retainer 18, as an example of ways that blades 20 can be affixed; these bolts 50 also pass through the blades 20 and the impeller 16, although this is not visible on the diagrams. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 3, blades 20 sit in pockets in blade retainer 18, such as ghosted pocket 52 shown on Figure 1. Thus blades 20 can be easily removed with a single bolt 50 for replacement. Two bolts 50 can optionally be used per blade 20 in situations where larger blades are used (this two-bolt option is not illustrated).
Also shown (ghosted) on Figure 3 is removable back door 60 which can be installed to prevent soft material (not illustrated) from passing through the bucket 46.
Removable bottom plate 62, shown ghosted on Figure 3 and in solid in Figure 2B, can be removed if it is desired to have soft material from the bottom (not shown) having direct access to blades 20. With both door 60 and plate 62 in place as shown in the Figure 3, back door 60 can function as a dragline bucket. And digging edge 45 (shown ghosted in Figure 3) is replaceable, which is important since in situations with hard bottom material (not shown) it will receive rough treatment.
The foregoing is by example only, and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the appended claims.
INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPIION OF THE PRIOR ART
The removal of solid material from a fluid, such as in dredging operations, is the subject of the present disclosure. In particular, the illustrated embodiment shows a dredger whose cutting and suctioning incorporates a novel fluid interrupter that allows higher-speed cutting than possible in known systems.
Although dredgers have been operated for centuries, the field for their use is so vast that new forms continue to be invented and deployed; the area to be dredged, material composition, distance from shore, depth from surface, and other factors all influence what form the dredging will take.
As is discussed competently and at some length in other places, notably the preamble to U.S. patent #4,631,844 (Deal, "Hydraulic Shovel Dredge System," 1986), dredging is commonly known in three forms: bucket, which takes discrete loads;
suctioning, which takes continuous flow; and hybrid bucket/suction, commonly with the suctioning intake inside the bucket. Deal also notes that dredgers using rotating cutterheads are widely used, and their use is limited to certain compositions of bottom materials due to their being easily damaged.
Since a catalyzed high-speed chopping action on the scale introduced by the present invention appears unknown in both commercial use and patent documentation, only a brief listing of previous art will be provided for interest. U.S. patents Deal (cited);
Faldi (3,624, 933; 1971); Quigg et al (4,227,323; 1980); and Gardner, Jr., (3,248, 812;
1966) show various sorts of dredgers with bucket/suction, but no chopping. Mero (U.S. #
3,226,854; 1966) uses a grating to sort the material. CAn~ n patent Fruhling (74,357;
1902) shows suction with low-speed mixing. Finally, CAnA(1i~n patent Vaughan (963,918;
1975) shows a rotary chopper disposed in front of the suction intake; but for reasons that will be explained below, a high-speed cutter would be inadvisable in such a configuration.
2128~7~
The present invention, in brief, addresses and solves two problems: one, that as the speed of rotary cutting is increased, a whorl or eddy flow is created in the fluid;
this movement counteracts the suctioning. This is a frustrating problem where high-speed cutting is preferred or required due to heavy material, or where it is desired to increase the proportion of solid material in the suctioned flow (and hence increase the efficiency of the dredging as a whole). The present invention places an interrupter, preferentially in the form of a baffle wall, immediately adjacent and exterior to the cutting path. This baffle cuts off the fluid whorls and eddies, and allows the suctioning or other transport mechanisms to continuously take the target material across the cutting path, where it is chopped, mixed with fluid, and subsequently sucked into the intake.
The second problem is contingent on the first: the cutting means may on occasion pick up a hard object such as a rock, and fling it outwards; it may happen that the baffle will be in the path of movement of this object, either as the object is momentarily between the blades or as flung. Thus damage could result either to the baffle or the blade; this is addressed by having a removal and return mechanism incorporated into the baffle. In the preferred embodiment, this is a hinge and spring, so that the baffle can swing away when struck, and will immediately swing back to interrupt the fluid flow once more.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for high-speed cutting and suctioning of solid material within a fluid, using the elements of: material transport means; suctioning intake means within the fluid; high-speed rotary cutting means situated so that the material must traverse the rotary cutting path of the cutting means in order to be suctioned into the intake; fluid flow interrupter means adjacent and exterior to the rotary cutting path; pressure-sensitive interrupter removal means; and automaticinterrupter return means. The method comprises the following steps: a) the cutting means is impelled along the rotary cutting path at high speed; b) the suctioning means sucks 212~7~
fluid across the cutting path and into the intake; c) the interrupter prevents fluid eddies from forming, which would, without such prevention, counteract the suctioning; d) the transport means brings material across the cutting path, so that it is cut, mixed with fluid, and suctioned up the intake; and e) if ever the cutting means transports an uncut solid, such as a hard rock, that protrudes outside the cutting path so as to strike the interrupter, the interrupter removal means removes the interrupter so no damage occurs to the cutting means and no damage occurs to the interrupter, and thereafter the interrupter return means returns the interrupter to its original position.
It is also an object to provide for such a method in which the material may moveacross the cutting path by virtue of transport of the elements other than the material; that is, the recited elements other than the material may be moved past the material with the material essentially stationary until it is cut and suctioned. These other elements may be aff1xed to a dredging bucket and the dredging bucket may have an opening in its direction of motion for admitting material. The intake may be a substantially vertically oriented tube with the rotary cutting means rotating below the tube about the longitudinal axis of the tube; and the fluid interrupter may be a substantially vertical wall adjacent to the cutting path.
It is also an object to provide for such a method in which the rotary cutting means comprises 3 or more blades arranged around the circumference of the rotary cutting path, and in which the gap between blades, and between the blades and the bottom of the bucket, is smaller than the largest dimension desired in the material to be sucked into the intake. The pressure-sensitive interrupter removal means may be a hinge and pin, and the automatic interrupter return means may be a spring.
It is also an object of the present invention to disclose, in an under~,vater dredging bucket with an open front to admit material, an apparatus for high-speed cutting and suctioning of such material; with the apparatus comprising: a suctioning intake tube opening into the bucket; rotary impeller means con~i~ting in a substantially vertical rotating tube that communicates with the intake tube; blade retainer means affixed to the impeller means; blades releasably affixed to the blade retainer means, with the blades arranged to follow a rotary cutting path about the substantially vertical longitudinal axis of the impeller tube; a substantially vertical baffle wall, exterior to and immediately adjacent to the circumference of the cutting path, with this baffle wall standing so that its large flat faces radiate from the circumference; substantially vertical pin and hinge means at the edge of the wall distant from the circumference, so that the edge of the wall near the circumference may pivot horizontally away from the circumference; and springmeans affixed to the pin and hinge means, with this spring means fashioned so that the wall returns after pivoting. Using this apparatus, high-speed cutting and suctioning of dredged material occurs by virtue of the baffle wall improvement, since without the wall the high-speed blades induce water eddies that inhibit the suctioning of dredged material past the blades; and using this apparatus, also, hard materials wedged between the blades so as to strike the baffle wall do no damage by virtue of the pin and hinge means that pivots the wall allowing the hard material to be thrown, after which the spring means returns the wall to its previous position. The bottom of the bucket may have a replaceable digging edge along its front. And the bucket may further comprise: an adjustable height assembly capable of raising and lowering the front of the bucket; a removable bottom plate to admit material; and a removable rear plate to allow soft material to flow through the bucket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
For this description, refer to the following diagrams, wherein like numerals refer to like parts:
- 212897~
Figure 1, an embodiment of the invented baffle system, partial cutaway, perspective view;
Figure 2A, prior art system without baffle; partial schematic top view;
Figure 2B, the system of Figure 2A, but with invented baffle; partial schematic top view;
Figure 2C, the invented system of Figure 2B, with rock and baffle movement; partial schematic top view;
Figure 2D, the invented system of Figure 2C, one moment later with rock thrown and baffle returned; partial schematic top view; and Figure 3, an alternative view of the embodiment of Figure 1, partial cutaway, side view.
An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1, where cutaway of dredger generally indicated as 10 shows ghosted internal pump 12, ghosted intake tube 14, impeller 16, blade retainer 18, blades 20, baffle 22, hinge 24, and spring 26. Note that intake tube 14 effectively extends through impeller 16 and blade retainer 18, both of which have hollow cylindrical centers such as bounded by cylindrical surface 16a inside impeller 16, so that the effective lower opening of intake tube 14 is at the level of the bottom lip 18a of blade retainer 18.
Operation of the invented system is as follows:
As dredger 10 is moved in direction of arrow D, dredged material 30 follows path of arrow M1 towards the blades 20 where it is cut and so mixed with water and the resultant is sucked up past lip 18a and into intake tube 14. (The pump to provide power may be pump 12 shown ghosted or a distant pump outside the dredger 10). Since the blades 20 are moving at high speed along cutting path indicated by arrow B, water adjacent to and exterior to the cutting path B will be induced to rotate also, along a path such as indicated by arrow W.
2128~
If allowed to move unobstructed, the water indicated by arrow W would have the effect shown in Figure 2A (prior art) where the movement of water along path W
interferes with the movement of dredged material 30, which now merely rotates along path Mo and does not even reach blades 20, much less be sucked up through impeller 16 into intake tube 14 (which is not visible in Figure 2A). Accordingly, in the invention, baffle 22 (which is in all Figures except 2A) is placed to obstruct path W. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2B especially, this results in dispersed motion of water along paths such as I. As this occurs the amount of water following path W is reduced so that dredged material 30 can follow path M 1 and be cut by blades 20 and sucked up through impeller 16.
An attendant problem is that on occasion a hard piece of material such as a rock will be momentarily picked up when it is just the right diameter to fit between two blades. Figure 2C shows this, where rock 34 is striking baffle 22; it has just been picked up between blades 20a and 20b. But due to hinge 24, baffle 22 swings out of the way with harm to neither blades 20 nor baffle 22. Then as shown in Figure 2D, by virtue of spring 26 baffle 22 returns immediately to re-obstruct water which is gaining momentum along path W. Rock 34 is thrown aside. Spacing between the blades 20a and 20b, and in general all blades 20 in this and other unillustrated embodiments, is chosen to prevent objects from passing between blades 20 that would be too large to pass up through impeller 16 and up intake tube 14 (shown on Figure 1).
Other configurations are possible and the illustrations herein are only for example. For instance, there could be more blades or the blades could be of different sizes or shapes. The spring mechanism is known art and could be otherwise than indicated, or could be rendered by some electric, electronic, or other form of movement mechanism without a spring. Other minor variations within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
2128g70 Figure 3 shows elements of dredger 10 which have been omitted from earlier Figures for clarity of explanation of the invented system. An adjustable ski assembly indicated generally as 40 shows pin 42 in leg 44, allowing adjustable height of digging edge 45 by lifing front portion of bucket 46 (Digging edge 45 is shown also in Figure 2B). Thus bucket 46 and digging edge 45 can be lowered for digging hard material, such as gravel and sand, and raised to prevent the bucket 46 from digging the bottom of ponds, such as sewage ponds for town sewage disposal. This permits the removal the sludge and mud from such ponds without removing the clay bottom, which has often been installed to prevent the ponds from leaking. (These raised and lowered positions and ponds are not diagrammed).
Also shown in Figure 3 are bolts 50 passing through blade retainer 18, as an example of ways that blades 20 can be affixed; these bolts 50 also pass through the blades 20 and the impeller 16, although this is not visible on the diagrams. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 3, blades 20 sit in pockets in blade retainer 18, such as ghosted pocket 52 shown on Figure 1. Thus blades 20 can be easily removed with a single bolt 50 for replacement. Two bolts 50 can optionally be used per blade 20 in situations where larger blades are used (this two-bolt option is not illustrated).
Also shown (ghosted) on Figure 3 is removable back door 60 which can be installed to prevent soft material (not illustrated) from passing through the bucket 46.
Removable bottom plate 62, shown ghosted on Figure 3 and in solid in Figure 2B, can be removed if it is desired to have soft material from the bottom (not shown) having direct access to blades 20. With both door 60 and plate 62 in place as shown in the Figure 3, back door 60 can function as a dragline bucket. And digging edge 45 (shown ghosted in Figure 3) is replaceable, which is important since in situations with hard bottom material (not shown) it will receive rough treatment.
The foregoing is by example only, and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the appended claims.
Claims (7)
1. A method for high-speed cutting and suctioning of solid material within a fluid, using the elements of:
material transport means;
suctioning intake means within the fluid;
high-speed rotary cutting means situated so that the material must traverse the rotary cutting path of the cutting means in order to be suctioned into the intake;
fluid flow interrupter means adjacent and exterior to the rotary cutting path;
pressure-sensitive interrupter removal means; and automatic interrupter return means;
said method comprising the following steps:
the cutting means is impelled along the rotary cutting path at high speed;
the suctioning means sucks fluid across the cutting path and into the intake;
the interrupter prevents fluid eddies from forming which would, without such prevention, counteract the suctioning;
the transport means brings material across the cutting path, so that it is cut, mixed with fluid, and suctioned up the intake; and if ever the cutting means transports an uncut solid, such as a hard rock, that protrudes outside the cutting path so as to strike the interrupter, the interrupter removal means removes the interrupter so no damage occurs to the cutting means and no damage occurs to the interrupter, and thereafter the interrupter return means returns the interrupter to its original position.
material transport means;
suctioning intake means within the fluid;
high-speed rotary cutting means situated so that the material must traverse the rotary cutting path of the cutting means in order to be suctioned into the intake;
fluid flow interrupter means adjacent and exterior to the rotary cutting path;
pressure-sensitive interrupter removal means; and automatic interrupter return means;
said method comprising the following steps:
the cutting means is impelled along the rotary cutting path at high speed;
the suctioning means sucks fluid across the cutting path and into the intake;
the interrupter prevents fluid eddies from forming which would, without such prevention, counteract the suctioning;
the transport means brings material across the cutting path, so that it is cut, mixed with fluid, and suctioned up the intake; and if ever the cutting means transports an uncut solid, such as a hard rock, that protrudes outside the cutting path so as to strike the interrupter, the interrupter removal means removes the interrupter so no damage occurs to the cutting means and no damage occurs to the interrupter, and thereafter the interrupter return means returns the interrupter to its original position.
2. A method as in Claim 1, in which the material moves across the cutting path by virtue of the transport of the elements other than the material; that is, the recited elements other than the material are moved past the material and the material isessentially stationary until it is cut and suctioned.
3. A method as in Claim 2, in which said other elements are affixed to a dredging bucket; and in which the dredging bucket has an opening in its direction of motion for admitting material.
4. A method as in Claim 3, in which the intake is a substantially vertically oriented tube and the rotary cutting means rotates below the tube about the longitudinal axis of the tube; and the fluid interrupter is a substantially vertical wall adjacent to the cutting path.
5. A method as in Claim 3, in which the fluid is water.
6. A method as in Claim 4, in which the fluid is water.
7. A method as in Claim 4, in which the rotary cutting means comprises 3 or more blades arranged around the circumference of the rotary cutting path, and in which the gap between blades, and between the blades and the bottom of the bucket, is smaller than the largest dimension desired in the material to be sucked into the intake.8. A method as in Claim 4, in which the pressure-sensitive interrupter removal means is a hinge and pin, and the automatic interrupter return means is a spring.
9. An apparatus for high-speed cutting and suctioning of solid material within a fluid; said apparatus consisting in:
a bucket with an open front;
means of pulling the bucket through the fluid to gather material;
a suctioning intake tube opening into the bucket;
rotary impeller means consisting in an impeller tube rotating around the longitudinal axis of said impeller tube; said axis being substantially vertical; said tube communicating with the intake tube;
high-speed cutting means rotated by the impeller tube along a rotary cutting path around the central longitudinal axis of the impeller tube;
a substantially vertical baffle wall, exterior to and immediately adjacent to the circumference of the cutting path; said baffle wall standing so that its large flat faces radiate from said circumference;
pressure-sensitive baffle removal means; and automatic baffle return means;
whereby high-speed cutting and suctioning of said material occurs by virtue of the baffle wall improvement, since without the wall the high-speed cutting means induces fluid eddies that inhibit the suctioning of said material past the cutting means;
and whereby hard materials picked up by the cutting means and thereafter striking the baffle wall do no damage to the cutting means and no damage to the wall, by virtue of the pressure-sensitive baffle removal means that remove the wall allowing the hard material to be thrown;
and whereafter the baffle return means returns the wall to its previous position.
10. An apparatus as in Claim 9, in which the pressure-sensitive baffle removal means is a substantially vertical pin and hinge means along the edge of the wall distant from the circumference, so that the edge of the wall near the circumference may pivot horizontally away from the circumference.
11. An apparatus as in Claim 10, in which the automatic baffle return means is a spring means affixed to the pin and hinge means; said return means fashioned so that the wall returns after pivoting.
12. An apparatus as in Claim 9, in which the high-speed cutting means comprises 3 or more blades arranged around the circumference of the rotary cutting path.
13. An apparatus as in Claim 12, in which the gap between blades, and between the blades and the inside bottom surface of the bucket, is smaller than the largest dimension of the material to be sucked into the intake tube.
14. An apparatus as in Claim 9, in which the fluid is water.
15. An apparatus as in Claim 11, in which the fluid is water.
16. An apparatus as in Claim 13, in which the fluid is water.
17. In an underwater dredging bucket with an open front to admit material, an apparatus for high-speed cutting and suctioning of said material; said apparatus comprising:
a suctioning intake tube opening into the bucket;
rotary impeller means consisting in a substantially vertical rotating tube that communicates with the intake tube;
blade retainer means affixed to the impeller means;
blades releasably affixed to the blade retainer means; said blades arranged to follow a rotary cutting path about the substantially vertical longitudinal axis of the impeller tube;
a substantially vertical baffle wall, exterior to and immediately adjacent to the circumference of the cutting path; said baffle wall standing so that its large flat faces radiate from said circumference;
substantially vertical pin and hinge means at the edge of the wall distant from the circumference, so that the edge of the wall near the circumference may pivot horizontally away from the circumference;
and spring means affixed to the pin and hinge means; said spring means fashioned so that the wall returns after pivoting;
whereby high-speed cutting and suctioning of dredged material occurs by virtue of the baffle wall improvement, since without the wall the high-speed blades induce water eddies that inhibit the suctioning of dredged material past the blades;
and whereby hard materials wedged between the blades so as to strike the baffle wall do no damage by virtue of the pin and hinge means that pivots the wall allowing the hard material to be thrown; thereafter the spring means returning the wall to its previous position.
18. An apparatus as in Claim 17, in which there are 3 or more blades arranged around the circumference of the rotary cutting path, and in which the gap between blades, and between the blades and inside surface of the bottom of the bucket, is smaller than the largest dimension of the material to be sucked into the intake tube.
19. An apparatus as in Claim 17, in which the bottom of the bucket bears a replaceable digging edge along its front.
20. An apparatus as in Claim 19, in which the bucket further comprises:
an adjustable height assembly capable of raising and lowering the front of the bucket;
a removable bottom plate to admit material; and a removable rear plate to allow soft material to flow through the bucket.
9. An apparatus for high-speed cutting and suctioning of solid material within a fluid; said apparatus consisting in:
a bucket with an open front;
means of pulling the bucket through the fluid to gather material;
a suctioning intake tube opening into the bucket;
rotary impeller means consisting in an impeller tube rotating around the longitudinal axis of said impeller tube; said axis being substantially vertical; said tube communicating with the intake tube;
high-speed cutting means rotated by the impeller tube along a rotary cutting path around the central longitudinal axis of the impeller tube;
a substantially vertical baffle wall, exterior to and immediately adjacent to the circumference of the cutting path; said baffle wall standing so that its large flat faces radiate from said circumference;
pressure-sensitive baffle removal means; and automatic baffle return means;
whereby high-speed cutting and suctioning of said material occurs by virtue of the baffle wall improvement, since without the wall the high-speed cutting means induces fluid eddies that inhibit the suctioning of said material past the cutting means;
and whereby hard materials picked up by the cutting means and thereafter striking the baffle wall do no damage to the cutting means and no damage to the wall, by virtue of the pressure-sensitive baffle removal means that remove the wall allowing the hard material to be thrown;
and whereafter the baffle return means returns the wall to its previous position.
10. An apparatus as in Claim 9, in which the pressure-sensitive baffle removal means is a substantially vertical pin and hinge means along the edge of the wall distant from the circumference, so that the edge of the wall near the circumference may pivot horizontally away from the circumference.
11. An apparatus as in Claim 10, in which the automatic baffle return means is a spring means affixed to the pin and hinge means; said return means fashioned so that the wall returns after pivoting.
12. An apparatus as in Claim 9, in which the high-speed cutting means comprises 3 or more blades arranged around the circumference of the rotary cutting path.
13. An apparatus as in Claim 12, in which the gap between blades, and between the blades and the inside bottom surface of the bucket, is smaller than the largest dimension of the material to be sucked into the intake tube.
14. An apparatus as in Claim 9, in which the fluid is water.
15. An apparatus as in Claim 11, in which the fluid is water.
16. An apparatus as in Claim 13, in which the fluid is water.
17. In an underwater dredging bucket with an open front to admit material, an apparatus for high-speed cutting and suctioning of said material; said apparatus comprising:
a suctioning intake tube opening into the bucket;
rotary impeller means consisting in a substantially vertical rotating tube that communicates with the intake tube;
blade retainer means affixed to the impeller means;
blades releasably affixed to the blade retainer means; said blades arranged to follow a rotary cutting path about the substantially vertical longitudinal axis of the impeller tube;
a substantially vertical baffle wall, exterior to and immediately adjacent to the circumference of the cutting path; said baffle wall standing so that its large flat faces radiate from said circumference;
substantially vertical pin and hinge means at the edge of the wall distant from the circumference, so that the edge of the wall near the circumference may pivot horizontally away from the circumference;
and spring means affixed to the pin and hinge means; said spring means fashioned so that the wall returns after pivoting;
whereby high-speed cutting and suctioning of dredged material occurs by virtue of the baffle wall improvement, since without the wall the high-speed blades induce water eddies that inhibit the suctioning of dredged material past the blades;
and whereby hard materials wedged between the blades so as to strike the baffle wall do no damage by virtue of the pin and hinge means that pivots the wall allowing the hard material to be thrown; thereafter the spring means returning the wall to its previous position.
18. An apparatus as in Claim 17, in which there are 3 or more blades arranged around the circumference of the rotary cutting path, and in which the gap between blades, and between the blades and inside surface of the bottom of the bucket, is smaller than the largest dimension of the material to be sucked into the intake tube.
19. An apparatus as in Claim 17, in which the bottom of the bucket bears a replaceable digging edge along its front.
20. An apparatus as in Claim 19, in which the bucket further comprises:
an adjustable height assembly capable of raising and lowering the front of the bucket;
a removable bottom plate to admit material; and a removable rear plate to allow soft material to flow through the bucket.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002128970A CA2128970C (en) | 1994-07-27 | 1994-07-27 | High-speed cutting dredger |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002128970A CA2128970C (en) | 1994-07-27 | 1994-07-27 | High-speed cutting dredger |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2128970A1 CA2128970A1 (en) | 1996-01-28 |
| CA2128970C true CA2128970C (en) | 1998-12-22 |
Family
ID=4154073
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002128970A Expired - Fee Related CA2128970C (en) | 1994-07-27 | 1994-07-27 | High-speed cutting dredger |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2128970C (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN110552645B (en) * | 2019-09-30 | 2024-06-18 | 北京三一智造科技有限公司 | Drilling tool |
-
1994
- 1994-07-27 CA CA002128970A patent/CA2128970C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2128970A1 (en) | 1996-01-28 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |