Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
UNDERWATER WEED DREDGER
FIELD OF_THE INVENTION
The pcesent invention relates to weed dredgers
and more pacticularly ko a dcedger for removing underwater
vegetation.
BACKGROUND
Cucrently used undecwatec weed removal equipment
commonly uses a sickle bar cutter for cutting of the weeds near
the bottom of the body of water. This can have the countec
pcoductive effect of producing inccea~ed weed growth.
Consequently, cectain proposals have been made for equipment
that will uproot the weeds. These ace generally complex
devices that may involve engaging and pulling on the uppec
gcowth of the weed oc scarifying the weed bed. Pulling on the
upper gcowth may tear the weeds without uprooting them, while
scacifying the bed requires a powerful dcive to genecate the
necessacy fo~ce.
The pcesent invention celates to a novel weed
pullec.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accocding to one aspect of the pcesent invention
there is pcovided a weed dredgec compcising:
- weed engaging means for engaging under watec
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weeds adjacent the bottom of a body of water;
- weed pulling means foc drawing the weed
engaging means upwardly for upcooting weeds engaged theceby;
and
- weed transpoc~ing means for tcansporting
upcooted weeds to a position above the body of watec.
Accocding to anothec aspect of the pcesent
invention thece is provided a weed dcedgec comprising:
- a plusality o weed engaging members,
- conveyor means for pcesenting the weed engaging
member sequentially to a weed engaging position adjacent the
bottom of a body of water and foc dcawing the weed engaging
mambecs sequentially upwacds fcom the weed engaging position.
The weeds ace prefecably engaged by an elongate
bar with v-shaped notches along its fcont edge. A ceel may be
used to dcaw the weedq firmly into the notches so that when the
bar is dcawn upwacdly the weed is dcawn with it, root and all.
In pcefecred embodiments, the weeds are
dischacged into a wagon on the dcadgec, so that the weed filled
wagon ~c-n be drawn from the dredger and transported to a
disposal site. Thi= minimizes the amount of weed handling
cequiced.
Othec beneficial charactecistics of the presently
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preferred embodiment of the invention will become apparent as
the following descciption pcoceeds.
~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an
exemplory embodiment of the present invention:
Figure l is a side elevation of a dredgec in its
wocking position;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the dredger in
its transport position;
Figure 3 is a f~ont elevation of the dredger in
the transport position;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the dcedger;
Figuce 5 is a plan view of a conveyor sub-fcame;
Figure 6 is a plan view of a conveyor main-fcame;
Figuce 7 is a cross-sectional along line VII-VII
of Figure 4;
Figure 8 is an isometric view of a ceel;
Figure 9 is an isometric view of a conveyoc ccoss
bac; and
Figure lO is an isometric view of a wagon.
DETAI~ED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
especi.11y to Figures 1 and 2; there i6 i11ustcated a dcedgec
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10 that includes a floating body 12 consisting of two spaced
apart, pacallel floats 14, each of L-shaped cross-section as
illustcated most pacticularly in Figure 3. The floats are
coupled by cross-~eams 16 so as to focm a single unit.
At the cear of the floating body is a paddle
wheel 18, fitted into the space between the two floats 14. The
paddle wheel i9 driven by an hydcaulic motor 20 poweced by a
power unit 21 that is al~o used to supply hydcaulic pcessuce
foc opecating the complete dcedgec. The unit 21 is mounted on
a platform 22 bcidging the two floats 14 immediately in front
of the paddle wheel. Two rudders 24 are fitted to the floating
body behind the cespective floats 14.
Mounted on the platfo~m 22, immediately in fcont
of the powec unit 21 is a tower 26 cacrying an opecator's chaic
28 and a set of contcols 30 foc contcolling the opecations of
the dredgec.
At the fcont of the floating body is a weed
pulling assembly 32. This includes two front standacds 34 on
; ~ opposite sides of the body 12 and supported in position by
cespective angle bcaces 36. Each standacd cacries a slide 38
that will slide along the standacd fcom top to bottom. The
slide caccies a roller 40 on the inside for pucpo es that will
be discussed in the following.
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A cable 42 is connected to the slide 38 and
extends up the standard 34 and passes over a sheave 44 adjacent
the top end of the standard. Ecom the sheave 44, the cable
runs down the centre o~ the standa~d and ovec a sheave 46
adjacent the bottom. The end of the cable is wound on an
hydraulically operated winch 48.
The floating body 12 also carcies a cear support
50 that includes two standacds 52 joined by an upper cross bar
54. The ccoss bar and the standards ace braced by angle bcaces
56. At the lower end of each standacd 52 it is connected to
the top of the floating body 12 by a pivot 58. One of the
standacds 52 caccies a winch 60 and a sheave 62 foc purposes
that will be de~cribed in the following.
The pivoting of the rear support 50 is controlled
with two hydcaulic cylinders 64, one on each ~ide of the
floating body. Each cylinder is connected to a respective one
of~ the standacds by a lug 66 on the standacd and a pin (not
shown). The cylindec is pivotally mounted on the floating body
12 by a cylindec mount 68.
The standards 34 and the rear suppoct 50 carry
ths weed puller and conveyor assembly 32. This includes a
sub-fcame 70 with two elongate cails 72 joined by end members
74 and cross bcacing 76. The rails 72 and the end membecs 74
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ace channels, while the cross bLacing is angle section. As
illustcated most pacticularly in Figure 7, each of the ~ails i~
equipped with a flange 78 projecting upwardly along its top,
inner edge. A second flange 80 extend along the top outer
edge and extends both above and below the upper flange of the
channel section. A lowec flange 82 projects upwa~dly fcom the
edge of the lowec flange of the channel section. The sub-frame
has an uppec end pivotally connected to the standacds 52 of the
reac ~uppoct 50. The cails 72 of the sub-fcame ace supported
on the fcont standacds 34 by the rollecs 40. Consequently, the
sub-frame may be shifted from a position projecting focwardly
from the floating body 12 and sloping downwardly as illustrated
in Figuce 1 to a genecally ho~izontal position above the
floating body by extending the hydraulic cylinders 54 and
winding in the cables 42 on the winches 48 to raise the roller
40.
The weed pulling assembly also includes a main
frame 84 with two side rails 86 joined by transverse end
members 88. Cross-bcacing 90 is used to stiffen the main
frame. The rails and end membecs are channel sections while
the ccoss bcacing i9 angle sections.
Secured to the rails 86 at the uppec ends ace
respective collecs 92 mounted on the rails by supports 94. The
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collecs engage in the rails 72 of the sub-frame 70, AS
illus~cated most pacticulacly in Figure 7. The collers are
cetained in the rails 72 by the flanges 80 and 82. Sevecal
additional rollecs 96 ace ~paced along the undecside of each
cail 86 and ace mounted thereon by supports 98. The rollecs 96
engage on the ~ops of the cails 92, between the flanges 78 and
80.
~ t the uppec end of the main frame is a
cross-shaft 100 snounted on the fcame in bearings 102. The
shaft caccies thcee spcockets 104 spaced along the shaft and a
dcive spcocket 105 at one end. The dcive spcocket 105 is
dciven by a spcocket 106 through a chain 107. The sprocket 106
is dciven by an hydraulic motoc 108 mounted on the main fcame
~4. A lowec ccoss-shaft 110 is mounted on the lowec end of the
main fcame 84 by bearings 114. It carcies three spcockets 114
that align with the sprockets 104 of the upper shaft 100. At
the lowec end of the main fcame 84 ace two wheels 116 that
pcoject somewhat beyond the end of the main frame.
Thcee chains 118 ace engaged acound the
respective pairs of spcockets 104 and 114. These chains cacry
a secies of ccoss bars 120, the constcuction of which is
illustrated most particulacly in Figuce 9. Each cross bac
includes an angle iron 122 with one flange secured to the
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chains and the second flange p~ojecting fcom the plane of the
chains. The second flange carcies a secies of V-shaped teeth
so that the front edge of the cross bac is configured as a
secies of V-shaped notches 126. The teeth are pcefecably
sharpened along the leading edges so that they will g~ip
ve~etation.
At the lower end of the main frame 84 is a ceel
128 which extend~ across the end of the Ecame. The reel
includes a support 130 at eithec end mounted on the frame and a
cross shaft 132 is mounted on the suppocts. Radial acms 134
are mounted on the shaft and are suppocted in a crufiform,
orthogonal accay by a series of struts 136. The arms caccy the
four rakes 138, each of which consists of a shaft 140 carrying
a secie~C of spring tines 142. The reel is dciven from the
lowec shaft 110 of the main fcame using a sprocket 144 on the
lower shaft, a sprocket 146 on the ceel shaft 132 and idler
sprocket 148 positioned above the sprocket 146. A chain 150 is
engaged acound the spcocket 144 and the idlec 148 and engages
the sprocket 146 on the outside, so that the reel and the lowec
shaft rotate in opposite dicections.
The floating body 12 cacries a wagon 152 that
rests between the two floats 14, below the weed pullec 32. The
wagon has a cectangular base 154 wi th a floor 156 having a
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pattern of pecorations therethrough. The base has vertical
sides 160 and vertical ends 162. Above the Rides 160 are
flaiced side panels 164 that extend out ovec the top of the
floats 14. The wagon is equipped with two wheels 166 and a
tongue 168 so that it can be coupled to a towing vehicle.
In use of the dcedger, the initial position of
the equipment is the transport position as il.lu.~tcated in
Figure 2. As shown in that drawing, the rear suppoct 50 is
supported in a veftical position by the hydraulic cylinders 64.
The rollecs 40 ace caised to adjacent the top of the front
standards 34. This positions the sub-frame 70 in a horiæontal
po~ltion. The cable 61 from the winch 60 on the reac support
50 is wound in over the sheave 62. The end of this cable is
coupled to the main frame 84 and draws the main ~came to the
reac as illustrated in Figuce 2. To adopt the working position
the winchs 48 ace opecated to pay out the cables 42 and lower
the rollers 40 to lower the forwacd end of the sub-fcame 70 to
adjacent the deck of the floating body 12. The hydraulic
cylindecs are then opecated to pivot the rear support 50
forwardly so that the leading end of the pulling unit 32 is in
:
the wate as illustrated in Figure 1. The main frame may then
be loweced down to working level by paying out on the winch 60.
When the wheels 116 on the main fcame engage the bottom of the
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body of watec the mainfcame is in its wocking position and is
capable of colling up or down on the sub-frame by virtue of the
collecs 92 and 96. The wheels 116 suppoct the main frame at
the pcoper operating level, so that as the chains 118 ace
d~iven, the cross bafs 120 come into a weed pulling position
extending focwacdly from the bottom of the main fcame. At this
position the reel 128 cakes the weeds into the cross bar so
that it is firmly gripped by the wedging action of the V-shaped
notches. The chains then transport the cross bars up the top
of the main fcame, as a conveyoc, and dcop the weeds off at the
top end into the wagon 152. When the wagon is full of weeds,
the weed pulling mechanism can be moved to its 4cansport
position as illustrated in Figure 2 and the wagon drawn off the
floating body foc tcansport to a weed disposal location. A
replacement wagon may be installed in the intecim.
With the weed dredger desccibed, the weed
engaging bars engage the weeds vecy close to the bottom of the
bed in which they ace gcowing so that pulling on the weed at
this location will have little tendancy to teac the vegetation
cathec than uprooting it. The spcing tines on the reel ensuce
that the vegetation is ficmly engaged in the V-notches of the
cross-bacs.
While one embodiment of the pcesent invention has
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been described in the focegoing, it is to be undec3tood that
other embodiments ace possible within the scope of the
invention. The invention is to be considered limited 301ely by
the scope of the appended claims.
