Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
s
CA 02446078 2003-10-22
z
"TRENCH-FILLING tVIACHINE FITTED WITH A CRUSHING DEi/ICE"
This invention relates to a trench-filling machine of the type constituted by
a motor vehicle on which a chassis is mounted; said chassis supports a
conveyor belt which collects stones and excavated material in front of the
machine while the machine advances and directs them towards the back
of the machine, where a sieve separates the finer parts, which fall onto a
second conveyor belt that discharges them into the trench, from the
coarser parts, which are discharged behind the machine.
A characteristic feature of the machine according to the invention is that a
crusher device associated with the collection means is fitted in front of the
vehicle to crush the stones and thus modify the particle size of the material
collected to meet various requirements.
Said crusher is preferably constituted by a 'hammer mi(I fitted to a pair of
side plates which also guide the material towards the mill, where it is
crushed in readiness for collection by the machine.
The filling machine according to the invention can consequently operate
on any kind of terrain, with no need to procure filling materials of a
suitable
particle size.
The invention relates to the sector of machinery used for laying pipes, oil
pipelines and the like, which are usually laid on the bottom of trenches that
are filled in to protect the piping.
Excavation is usually performed by equipment which deposits the
excavated material on the edge of the trench.
When the pipes have been laid on the bottom of the trench, a second
CA 02446078 2003-10-22
z
machine, which moves parallel to the trench, fills it in using the excavated
material previously deposited along the edge of the trench.
However, it is not sufficient to push the material into the trench for this
purpose, because in order to ensure that the pipes are not damaged, they
must first be covered with fine material, following which the trench can be
filled in with stones and coarse material.
For this reason, machines have been designed which sieve the material,
separating the finer parts (which fail directly into the trench) from the
coarser parts (which are again deposited on the edge of the trench ready
to be used for the upper filling layer.
One of these machines, described in European patent application no.
0,965,697 by the same inventor, comprises a vehicle pulled, for example,
by a tractor or other vehicle, on which is fitted a hopper that is filled with
material by a shovel that follows the vehicle.
Below the hopper is a sieve that separates the finer parts of the material,
which fall onto a conveyor belt below; said belt discharges said material
into the trench while the machine advances.
The stones and coarser materials are again discharged at the edge of the
trench.
Self-propelled machines are also known which are fitted with a collector
device at the front, usually in the form of a rotary belt that starts at
ground
level, towards which bait a pair of guide plates direct the collected material
as the machine advances.
Said conveyor belt collects the material and directs it towards the back of
the machine, where a sieve separates the finer frorn the coarser parts.
CA 02446078 2003-10-22
3
The finer parts always fall onto a conveyor belt which moves at right
angles to the direction of advance of the machine to discharge the sieved
material into the trench, whereas stones and coarser rubble are
discharged at the back.
Although these known machines are effective, they suffer from some
limitations because the material excavated from the trench often does not
include a sufficient amount of fine parts to cover the pipes, with the result
that material of the right size needs 'to be procured to perform the first
filling stage, which involves higher costs.
LO This problem is solved by the present invention, which offers a trench-
filling machine characterised by the fact that it is associated with a crusher
device, fitted at the fr~nt of the machine, which crushes and reduces the
size of the larger stones so that a quantity of fine material sufficient to
cover the pipes is discharged, with no need to obtain supplies elsewhere.
l.5 The machine, whose operation is fully independent, thus runs along the
edge of the trench, sorting the material and fiiling the trench as it
proceeds, with a considerable saving of time and cost.
This invention will now be described in detail, by way of example but not of
limitation, by reference to the annexed figures wherein:
20 ~ figure 1 schematically illustrates a side view of a machine according to
the invention;
~ figure 2 schematically illustrates a plan view of a machine according to
the invention;
~ figure 3 shows a detail of the crusher device in cross-section.
25 With reference to figure 1, the machine according to the invention
CA 02446078 2003-10-22
4
comprises a vehicle indicated as 1, mounted on tracks 2 which allow it to
advance on the ground along the edge of the trench, driven by an engine
3.
A structure 5 is hinged to the upper end of a chassis 4, mounted on
vehicle 1, in such a way that said structure can rotate round a substantially
horizontal shaft 6 perpendicular to the direction of advance of the vehicle.
A loading device 7, constituted by a conveyor belt which collar>ts the
material on the ground in front of the machine and discharges it at the
back onto a vibrating sieve 8, is fitted to structure 5.
A conveyor belt 9, fitted below the sieve, moves in a direction substantially
perpendicular to the direction of advance of the machine and projects from
it, so as to discharge the material at the side of the machine, into the
trench.
A characteristic feature of the invention is that it includes a crusher
device,
shown as no. 10 in figure 1, associated with and fitted in front of collection
means 7.
In particular, the crusher is constituted by a mill 11 fitted on a pair of
side .
plates 12, 12' (figure 2j which open forwards to collect and convey the
material on the ground to the mill when the machine moves along the
trench.
The crusher moves together with the plates and collection belt 7, at the
same height, but could also be installed in such a way that its height can
be adjusted independently of the other devices.
The mill, which is more clearly shown in figure 3, comprises a shaft 13
fitted to side plates 12, 12'; a set of supports 14, fitted at equidistant
CA 02446078 2003-10-22
~J
angles along the entire circumference, is connected to the said shaft, and
a set of hammers 15 is hinged to each of the said supports.
Shaft 13 is made to rotate by a pair of hydraulic motors 96 fuelled by a
pressurised fluid conveyed from a pump, not illustrated in the figure, driven
by motor 3 of the machine.
A mill of this type is illustrated in Italian patent no. 1,289,402, to which
reference should be made for further details.
Mill 11 is associated with a grid 17 situated between the mill and collection
belt 7.
The device operates as follows.
in order to fill the trench when the pipes have been laid, the machine is
driven along the edge of the trench where the excavated material has
been collected.
Tracks 2 advance the vehicle with plates 12, 12', which rest on the ground
and collect the material, directing it towards the centre, where it is
engaged by mill 10.
Said mill is caused to rotate at high speed by hydraulic motors 16.
Hammers 15 crush the stones as a result of their motion, striking them
directly.
The crushed material is collected by belt 7, which directs it towards the
back of the machine and discharges it onto sieve S.
The vibrations of the sieve cause the finer parts to fail onto conveyor belt
9, while the remaining coarser parts are discharged onto the ground
behind the machine.
This system ensures that a sufficient quantity of fine material is available
CA 02446078 2003-10-22
to cover the pipes laid, so that they are not damaged by other material
discharged into the trench.
The use of a pair of hydraulic motors fitted directly to the mill shaft
instead
of the conventional belt and pulley systems reduces the size of the
assembly and gives greater design freedom, as no constraints are
imposed by the presence of the mechanical transmissions used in known
machines.
An expert in the field could devise various modifications and variations, all
of which should be deemed to fall within the ambit of this invention.
