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EP2791426B1 - Trench cutting apparatus and method - Google Patents

Trench cutting apparatus and method Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2791426B1
EP2791426B1 EP12808453.0A EP12808453A EP2791426B1 EP 2791426 B1 EP2791426 B1 EP 2791426B1 EP 12808453 A EP12808453 A EP 12808453A EP 2791426 B1 EP2791426 B1 EP 2791426B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
trench
cutting device
attitude
soil cutting
soil
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.)
Active
Application number
EP12808453.0A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2791426A1 (en
Inventor
Jonathan Ralph Manchester
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
IHC Engineering Business Ltd
Original Assignee
IHC Engineering Business Ltd
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by IHC Engineering Business Ltd filed Critical IHC Engineering Business Ltd
Publication of EP2791426A1 publication Critical patent/EP2791426A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2791426B1 publication Critical patent/EP2791426B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • 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
    • 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
    • E02F3/08—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging elements on an endless chain
    • E02F3/086—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging elements on an endless chain vertically shiftable relative to the frame
    • 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
    • E02F3/08—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging elements on an endless chain
    • E02F3/088—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging elements on an endless chain pivotable relative to the frame
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/06—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with digging elements mounted on an endless chain
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/10—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables
    • E02F5/104—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables for burying conduits or cables in trenches under water
    • E02F5/105—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables for burying conduits or cables in trenches under water self-propulsed units moving on the underwater bottom
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/14—Component parts for trench excavators, e.g. indicating devices travelling gear chassis, supports, skids
    • E02F5/145—Component parts for trench excavators, e.g. indicating devices travelling gear chassis, supports, skids control and indicating devices

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an apparatus and method for cutting a trench in the ground and more especially (but not exclusively) for cutting a trench in the bed of a body of water such as the bed of a lake or the sea bed.
  • the invention relates in particular to apparatus and a method which avoids or reduces undercutting of the trench when executing a turn of the trench.
  • trenches in the ground is a well known requirement and is typically needed for burying utility supply means such as gas and water pipes and electricity and telecommunications cables.
  • utility supply means such as gas and water pipes and electricity and telecommunications cables.
  • the cutting of a trench is typically required for burial of pipes and cables and requires specially constructed or adapted equipment configured for underwater conditions, such as the nature of the seabed.
  • seabed is used to refer to the bed of the sea or of a lake or even a river, unless the context requires otherwise.
  • Various apparatus for constructing a trench are known in the art. These can include soil cutting devices in the form of ploughs, jetting apparatus (for underwater use) and chain cutters which form the desired trench.
  • the soil cutting device is mounted on a vehicle which moves over the ground (e.g. the seabed) either under its own power of by external means.
  • the trench cutting vehicle might be towed by a tractor vehicle or by a ship at the surface.
  • the trench cutting vehicle is self-powered.
  • the trench cutting vehicle is mounted on endless articulated tracks.
  • US 3 704 534 describes an articulated connection between a tractor and a trench cutting apparatus.
  • the connection permits relative rotation between the tractor and the apparatus about a vertical axis.
  • the present invention seeks to ameliorate or overcome the above problem.
  • the present invention seeks to provide trench cutting apparatus and a method of trench cutting which reduces, minimises or avoids the undercutting of the trench wall as a turn in the trench is executed.
  • the wall of the trench is formed at a desired angle, most preferably substantially vertical.
  • a trench cutting apparatus comprising a main body portion, ground contacting conveying means on which the body portion is mounted and by which the apparatus can traverse the ground and at least one soil cutting device operable to cut a trench wherein the attitude of the soil cutting device is adjustable between a first use configuration configured for cutting a linear trench portion and a second use position configured for cutting a curved trench portion, said second use position being selected to minimise undercutting of a trench wall as said curved trench portion is formed.
  • the soil cutting device is a chain cutter or a jetting cutter.
  • the apparatus further comprises a control device wherein the attitude of the soil cutting device is adjustable under the control of the control device.
  • the attitude of the soil cutting device is automatically adjusted by the control device in dependence on the radius of curvature required for the trench being formed.
  • the soil cutting device is a chain cutter comprising a plurality of soil cutting teeth mounted for movement in an endless loop, the chain cutter having, in an operational position, a lower end at which the soil cutting teeth cut the soil to form the trench and a upper end at which the teeth are spaced apart from the soil, said lower end having an outer edge and an inner edge which respectively define opposed boundaries of the trench being cut, and wherein the adjustment in the attitude of the chain cutter is such that at least a portion of said outer edge is displaced towards the direction of curvature of the trench.
  • the attitude of the chain cutter is adjusted by rotating the chain cutter about a nominally horizontal axis.
  • Said horizontal axis is preferably at least approximately parallel to the direction of motion of the trench cutting axis at any given time.
  • the soil cutting device is a jetting cutter having, in an operational position, a first portion from which cutting fluid is expelled along a line of action to cut the soil to form the trench and a second portion which is in fluid communication with a supply of cutting fluid and wherein the adjustment in the attitude of the jetting cutter is such that said line of action of the cutting fluid is displaced towards the direction of curvature of the trench.
  • the attitude of the jetting cutter is adjusted by rotating the jetting cutter about a nominally horizontal axis.
  • Said horizontal axis is preferably at least approximately parallel to the direction of motion of the trench cutting axis at any given time.
  • the apparatus further comprises actuators coupled to the soil cutting device and configured to adjust the attitude of the soil cutting device by rotating the soil cutting device about said horizontal axis.
  • the change in attitude of the soil cutting device is effected by a change in attitude of the body portion, the attitude of the soil cutting device being maintained in fixed relation to the body portion.
  • the attitude of the body portion is adjustable by adjustment of the spacing of one or both of the ground contacting conveying means with respect to the body portion.
  • a method of cutting a trench comprising providing a trench cutting apparatus having an soil cutting device which is adjustable between first and second attitudes and prior to cutting a curved portion of the trench, adjusting the attitude of the soil cutting device to an attitude in which undercutting of the trench wall of said curved portion is minimised.
  • the adjustment in the attitude of the soil cutting device comprises rotating the soil cutting device about a nominally horizontal axis.
  • Said horizontal axis is preferably at least approximately parallel to the direction of motion of the trench cutting axis at any given time.
  • the trench cutting apparatus comprises a main body portion to which the soil cutting device is attached and the adjustment in the attitude of the soil cutting device comprises adjusting the attitude of the main body portion.
  • the trench cutting apparatus is an apparatus as defined in the first aspect of the invention.
  • the present invention addresses the problem of the formation of undercuts in a trench side wall in curved portions of a trench when the trench is formed using apparatus of the prior art.
  • Undercuts are formed with prior art apparatus in the outer trench wall, that is, the wall in a curved section of trench having a greater radius of curvature than an opposed inner trench wall.
  • Figure 1 shows on example of a prior art trenching apparatus 100, in this particular case configured for forming a trench 102 in the seabed 104 and simultaneously burying a pipeline 106 in the trench 102.
  • the apparatus according to the present invention may usefully be equipped with means both for trench forming and for simultaneous burying of a pipeline, but pipe burying means are not per se an essential feature of the apparatus of the invention.
  • the prior art apparatus 100 includes a main body 108 and ground contacting conveying means 110 in the form of endless articulated tracks on which the main body 108 is mounted and by means of which the apparatus 100 moves over the seabed 104 in the direction of arrow A.
  • the prior art trenching apparatus 100 as illustrated in Figure 1 includes primary and secondary soil cutting devices 112, 114, it being noted for the avoidance of doubt that there is no requirement for the apparatus according to the present invention to include both primary and secondary soil cutting devices, although useful embodiments may do so.
  • the primary soil cutting device 112 is a chain cutter and the secondary soil cutting device 114 is a jetting cutter.
  • the chain cutter 112 comprises an endless belt 116 carrying a plurality of soil cutting teeth 118.
  • the belt 116 is driven by suitable drive means so that the soil cutting teeth move in an endless loop during the course of which the teeth 118 contact, and displace, soil so to form the trench 102.
  • the chain cutter 112 is mounted to pivot about horizontal axis 120 in order to adjust the depth of cut of the trench.
  • Horizontal axis 120 passes transversely with respect to the body 108, that is, perpendicular with respect to the direction of travel A of the apparatus 100.
  • Jetting cutter 114 comprises a plurality of outlets or nozzles from which fluid (typically water) is expelled under high pressure to displace soil.
  • Figures 2a and 3a and Figures 2b and 3b respectively illustrate the formation of an undercut using prior art apparatus and the avoidance of undercut formation using the apparatus of the invention.
  • the trench is illustrated schematically at 202A and 202B respectively.
  • the centre lines of the trenches are shown at 240A and 240B.
  • the trenches 202A and 202B are substantially linear and the problem of undercutting of the trench walls does not arise.
  • the orientation of the trench walls is about vertical, generally in alignment with the side edges of the soil cutting devices 200A and 200B. If in any particular case the soil cutting device is set an angle to the vertical (e.g. when cutting a V-shaped trench) then the trench walls follow the orientation of the soil cutting device.
  • the trenches 202A and 202B begin to curve or turn, in the illustrated case to the left.
  • the illustrated positions of soil cutting devices 200A and 200AA in the left portion of the Figure indicate the degree of undercutting of the trench wall which can occur, it being noted that portions of the soil cutting devices 200A 200AA extend beyond the indicated boundaries of the trench.
  • the soil cutting device 200a, 200AA is maintained in a vertical orientation.
  • Figure 2B which illustrates an adjustment of the attitude of the trench cutting device 200B, 200BB according to the invention, the undercuts are avoided, as can be noted at 232B and 234B, and substantially vertical trench walls are achieved.
  • FIG. 3a the soil cutting device 200A (shown schematically) produces an undercut 232A when executing a turn (because of the essentially vertical orientation of the soil cutting device 200A) whereas in Figure 3b , the soil cutting device 200B according to the invention produces no such undercut, as can be noted at 232B.
  • Figure 4a to 4c show a typical arrangement of a trench cutting apparatus 400 according to the invention, the apparatus 400 including a main body portion 408 (shown schematically) on which is mounted a soil cutting device 412.
  • the main body portion 408 is mounted on ground contacting conveying means (not illustrated) of any suitable type such as endless tracks of the kind illustrated at 110 in Figure 1 .
  • the soil cutting device as illustrated in Figures 4a to 4c is a chain cutter device which includes a plurality of teeth (not specifically illustrated) mounted to process around an endless path in the same manner as discussed in relation to chain cutter 112 in Figure 1 .
  • the chain cutter 412 is mounted to the main body 408 at a pivot 420.
  • the inclination of the chain cutter 412 is controlled by means of an actuator 452, such as a hydraulic actuator, mounted on an arm 450 by means of which the orientation of the chain cutter 412 about the pivot 420 can be adjusted in order to determine the depth of the trench being cut.
  • the attitude of the soil cutting device is adjustable in order to minimise or prevent the formation of undercuts in the walls of the trench being formed in cases where the trench is other than linear.
  • the problem of forming undercuts in the trench walls is particularly acute with prior art apparatus when it is necessary to form curves or turns in the trench of small radius.
  • the attitude of the soil cutting device 412 is changed by adjusting the lower end 412a of the soil cutting device by displacement of at least a part or portion thereof in the direction of curvature of the trench.
  • the lower end portion 412a of the soil cutting device 412 is also adjusted to the left and, likewise if the trench curves to the right (with respect to the direction of trench cutting), then the lower end portion 412a of the soil cutting device 412 is also adjusted to the right.
  • the soil cutting device 412 is rotated about a horizontal axis such as axis 454 illustrated in Figures 4b and 4c , such that a lower part 412a of the soil cutting device 412 is moved away from the outer trench wall.
  • Axis 454 preferably is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the apparatus 400 and will generally pass through the soil cutting device 412. Rotation of the soil cutting device 412 about axis 454 is indicated by arrows 454t (no particular significance being given to the direction of the arrows in the Figures).
  • the soil cutting device 412 In preferred operational orientations of the soil cutting device 412, where a turn is to be made to the right, the soil cutting device 412 is rotated about axis 454 in an anticlockwise (counter-clockwise) sense and, similarly where a turn is to be made to the left, the soil cutting device 412 is rotated about axis 454 in a clockwise sense.
  • the apparatus 400 is provided with suitable actuating means for adjusting the attitude of the soil cutting device 412, these actuating means being shown generally at 456 in Figure 4a .
  • suitable actuating means include hydraulic actuators.
  • the apparatus 400 most preferably further includes a control device, such as an electronic controller, which controls the adjustment of the attitude of the soil cutting device 412 (via actuators 456).
  • a control device such as an electronic controller, which controls the adjustment of the attitude of the soil cutting device 412 (via actuators 456).
  • Such control device may rely on the manual inputs of an operator, but in more preferred arrangements the control device determines the required attitude of the soil cutting devices 412 at least partially automatically.
  • the control device may determine the attitude of the soil cutting device 412 on the basis of positional data relating to the steering system of the apparatus 400 and/or reference data relating to the required curvature of the trench.
  • the attitude of the soil cutting device 412 may be adjusted by adjusting the attitude of the main body 408 of the apparatus on which the soil cutting device 412 is mounted. This may be achieved by providing adjustment of the height of the ground contacting conveying means (e.g. endless articulated tracks) with respect to the body portion. In other words, the distance of the respective conveying means, primarily in the vertical plane, is adjusted so that the conveying means at one side of the main body 408 is at a greater displacement from the main body 408 than the conveying means at the opposite side of the body.
  • the body 408 must thus adopt an inclined attitude with respect to the horizontal and the soil cutting device 412 is correspondingly inclined.
  • the right hand side of the main body is made relatively higher and the left hand side is made relatively lower, and vice versa for cutting a trench which curves to the right.
  • Jetting cutters expel one or more jets of high pressure cutting fluid - normally water) - in order to displace soil and form the trench.
  • the line of action of the jets of cutting fluid i.e. the direction in which the cutting fluid is expelled
  • the line of action of the jets of cutting fluid is determined by the orientation of the one or more nozzles from which the cutting fluid is expelled.
  • the (or each) nozzle is mounted at an end of an arm.
  • the present invention contemplates the adjustment of the attitude of such an arm in order to adjust the line of action of the (or each) jet of cutting fluid, the line of action being adjusted at least generally in the direction in which the trench is to turn or curve.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Road Repair (AREA)
  • Bulkheads Adapted To Foundation Construction (AREA)
  • Soil Working Implements (AREA)
EP12808453.0A 2011-12-14 2012-12-14 Trench cutting apparatus and method Active EP2791426B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1121516.7A GB2497729A (en) 2011-12-14 2011-12-14 Trench Cutting Apparatus and Method
PCT/GB2012/053144 WO2013088167A1 (en) 2011-12-14 2012-12-14 Trench cutting apparatus and method

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2791426A1 EP2791426A1 (en) 2014-10-22
EP2791426B1 true EP2791426B1 (en) 2018-05-23

Family

ID=45560467

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP12808453.0A Active EP2791426B1 (en) 2011-12-14 2012-12-14 Trench cutting apparatus and method

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US20140345171A1 (ko)
EP (1) EP2791426B1 (ko)
JP (1) JP6154823B2 (ko)
KR (1) KR102014286B1 (ko)
CN (1) CN103987900A (ko)
CA (1) CA2854453A1 (ko)
GB (1) GB2497729A (ko)
RU (1) RU2014120923A (ko)
WO (1) WO2013088167A1 (ko)

Families Citing this family (6)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106593455B (zh) * 2017-02-27 2018-02-09 中铁工程装备集团有限公司 一种全断面掘进自行走式u形盾构机
CN110029696B (zh) * 2019-04-08 2024-02-20 国网浙江省电力有限公司舟山供电公司 一种双作业模式海底电缆挖沟机
EP3800297A1 (en) 2019-10-02 2021-04-07 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Method and apparatus for inserting an elongate object into a trench in a sea floor
EP3832026B1 (en) * 2019-12-05 2023-07-26 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Apparatus for locating elongate object in a trench in a floor of a body of water
CN112160367A (zh) * 2020-09-22 2021-01-01 河南省华兴网络科技有限公司 一种管线施工定向牵引开孔机及其施工方法
EP4112821B1 (en) * 2021-06-28 2024-09-04 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Apparatus for inserting an elongate object into a trench

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB201121516D0 (en) 2012-01-25
RU2014120923A (ru) 2016-02-10
EP2791426A1 (en) 2014-10-22
US20140345171A1 (en) 2014-11-27
JP2015500410A (ja) 2015-01-05
CA2854453A1 (en) 2013-06-20
JP6154823B2 (ja) 2017-06-28
KR102014286B1 (ko) 2019-08-26
KR20140101342A (ko) 2014-08-19
CN103987900A (zh) 2014-08-13
GB2497729A (en) 2013-06-26
WO2013088167A1 (en) 2013-06-20

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