Excavating – Beneath a body of water – Suction
Patent
1996-12-03
1999-06-22
Melius, Terry Lee
Excavating
Beneath a body of water
Suction
37307, E02B 302
Patent
active
059136049
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an installation for sucking up material located on the bed of a body of water, comprising a housing that is provided with a suction pipe which extends towards the bed of the body of water, which suction pipe has a suction opening and is connected to a pump located in the housing, as well as means for removal of the material sucked up.
An installation of this type is disclosed in NL-A8104791. Said known installation can be sunk in the body of water, so that the suction pipe can be positioned accurately with respect to the bed away from the effect of the waves and the correct suction action can always be ensured.
The suction pipe is hingeably fixed at its upper end to the housing in such a way that the draught of the installation can be adjusted to the depth of the water.
When the installation is in operation, a sand/water mixture is sucked up via the suction opening in the suction pipe. During this operation a hollow or breach is gradually formed in the bed, into which sand flows from the surroundings. After some time this hollow-producing or breaching process can come to a halt because the walls of the hollow become too flat and no further inflow takes place. As a consequence thereof, either the suction pipe or the entire installation must be moved in such a way that the breaching process can be repeated from the start in a different location.
The disadvantage of this procedure is the loss of time which it entails. Specifically, suction has to be interrupted during the movement of the suction pipe or of the entire installation, as a result of which the production is at a standstill. Furthermore, in order to move the suction pipe alone, said pipe must be rotated about its hinge point. This disturbs the equilibrium of the entire installation; the equilibrium must then be restored by means of trimming means.
As an alternative it would be possible to adjust the height of the entire installation with respect to the bed. However, an adjustment of this type is not simple to carry out with the desired accuracy. The consequence can be that the installation floats up, as a result of which the suction process is interrupted.
The aim of the invention is, therefore, to provide an installation of the type described above with which the suction process can be better controlled. Said aim is achieved in that the suction pipe protrudes at a fixed angle with respect to the housing and in that the suction opening has a variable position with respect to the housing and/or the suction pipe.
The installation according to the invention can be supported very well on the suction pipe which runs at a fixed angle with respect to the housing. In fact, said suction pipe also acts as a supporting leg, by means of which the installation can be firmly fixed in the bed.
A further advantage of the installation according to the invention is that the fixed suction pipe is able to form a hollow very much more rapidly than the suction pipe of variable angular position in accordance with the prior art. This is because the suction pipe of variable angular position is initially at a slope, in which position it produces a less efficient spraying process because the direction of spraying is then likewise directed at an angle over the bed to be treated. The fixed suction pipe can penetrate relatively rapidly into the bed, as a consequence of which the installation according to the invention is anchored well straight away. As a result, the installation according to the invention suffers few problems due to swell.
Furthermore, the end of the suction pipe remote from the housing can be provided with a supporting face and a suction opening can be located in at least two positions, said positions being different distances away from the supporting face. By virtue of the variable level of the suction opening, the entire installation does not have to be raised or lowered if the dredging conditions indicate that this is required, for example if insufficient sand flows in. The breaching process can now be controlled in a simple manner,
REFERENCES:
patent: 925079 (1909-06-01), Carlesimo
patent: 3909960 (1975-10-01), Casciano
patent: 3969834 (1976-07-01), Geier et al.
patent: 4030216 (1977-06-01), Willums
patent: 4373276 (1983-02-01), Schnell
patent: 4914841 (1990-04-01), Weimris
patent: 4995175 (1991-02-01), Winter
patent: 5083386 (1992-01-01), Sloan
patent: 5129167 (1992-07-01), Nakahara
Brouwer Jan
Van Berk Hendrikus
Aannemingsbedrijf J.G. Nelis B.V.
B & B Beheer B.V.
De Groot Nijkerk Maschinefabriek B.V.
Melius Terry Lee
Pezzuto Robert
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