Hydraulic and earth engineering – Subterranean or submarine pipe or cable laying – retrieving,... – Submerging – raising – or manipulating line of pipe or cable...
Patent
1982-04-19
1985-05-14
Corbin, David H.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Subterranean or submarine pipe or cable laying, retrieving,...
Submerging, raising, or manipulating line of pipe or cable...
405162, 405163, F16L 104, E02F 502
Patent
active
045168806
ABSTRACT:
A trenching machine for digging a trench beneath a pipeline lying on the floor of a body of water, with a pair of laterally spaced vertical cutting members, shown to be a series of water jets, positioned at each end of the machine. The cutting members are laterally adjustable to move apart and tilt with respect to the vertical centerline of the machine. The cutting members are also arranged to oscillate about a vertical axis. Fore and aft side rollers are longitudinally spaced under the framework of the machine and are arranged to contact the pipeline to drive the machine along the pipeline and to stabilize the machine in its upright operating position over the pipeline. The rollers have selectively adjustable hydraulic biasing cylinders associated with each set of rollers to maintain a constant gripping force between the rollers and pipeline. The rollers are selectively reversibly driven to provide back and forth operation of the trenching machine. The driving torque applied to each set of rollers is also variable from a remote location. A weight control system maintains the machine at a constant loading weight on the pipeline, using a combination of a floatation vessel adapted to have longitudinal tilt control, and fore and aft upper rollers, each having regulation devices for maintaining a selectively adjustable force between the floatation vessel and its attached frame and the pipeline. Lateral thrusters mounted on the floatation vessel provide lateral balance to the machine as it moves along the pipeline.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 4037422 (1977-07-01), de Boer et al.
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patent: 4190382 (1980-02-01), Schmitz et al.
patent: 4274760 (1981-06-01), Norman
patent: 4280289 (1981-07-01), Bassompierre-Sewrin
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