Laying Machine

• US 20120328370A1
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Inventors: Johansson, Rolf, Meister, Donald, Gustafsson, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 10,358,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/157
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 45/10 with a plurality of circular saw blades B23D45/143, B23D45/165 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 59/025 the lubricating or cooling medium being applied through the mounting means of the tool, e.g. the tool spindle or hub
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 61/026 Composite body, e.g. laminated
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/045 Sawing grooves in walls; sawing stones from rocks; sawing machines movable on the stones to be cut
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/18 by milling, e.g. channelling by means of milling tools
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 7/02 for removing or laying dust, e.g. by spraying liquids; for cooling work
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/0933 rotary, e.g. circular-saw joint cutters
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/188 with the axis being horizontal and transverse to the direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/08 with digging wheels turning round an axis E02F5/109 takes precedence; with digging wheels per se E02F3/18
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/10 with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables laying pipes per se F16L1/00, making pipes in situ F16L1/038; laying electric cables per se H02G1/06; drainage device- laying apparatus E02B11/02
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/101 forming during digging, e.g. underground canalisations or conduits, by bending or twisting a strip of pliable material; by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/12 with equipment for back-filling trenches or ditches
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/145 control and indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/02 Conveying equipment mounted on a dredger conveyors in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/00 Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups E02F3/00 - E02F7/00 laying-out or take-up devices for trailing electric cables B66C
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/028 in the ground F16L1/026 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/032 the pipes being continuous F16L1/038 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/06 for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laying machine for laying at least one flexible casing or tube, cable or wire including: a blade arrangement (2) for making a trench (5) in the ground, a consolidation and laying means (3) being arranged behind the blade arrangement (2), for clearing and safeguarding the trench (5) from collapsing while laying at least one flexible casing or tube, cable or wire into the trench. A blade assembly comprising compartments for cooling fluid.

Claims

1-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A laying machine for laying at least one flexible casing or tube, cable or wire comprising:

a blade arrangement for making a trench in the ground,

a consolidation and laying means being arranged behind the blade arrangement, for clearing and safeguarding the trench from collapsing while laying at least one flexible casing or tube, cable or wire into the trench.

36. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein during a trench making, consolidation and laying operation the lowest portion of the consolidation and laying means is arranged above the lowest portion of the blade arrangement, preferably between 10-100 mm above, more preferably 10-60 mm, most preferably 20-50 mm.

37. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the laying machine comprises

a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the blade arrangement,

coolant and/or consolidation liquid supply means for supplying liquid to the blade arrangement, and

means for regulating the amount of supplied liquid to the blade arrangement based on inputs from the temperature sensor.

38. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein a disc guard covers the portion of the blade arrangement that is above ground, the disc guard having a width slightly larger than the width of the blade, and a dust duct having a dust outlet for exiting dust or debris from the volume confined by the dust duct.

39. A laying machine according to claim 38, wherein the dust duct has a dust inlet arranged close to the ground and the blade arrangement, preferably at the front of the blade arrangement.

40. A laying machine according to claim 39, wherein an upper wall of the dust duct is at least partly defined by a flexible sealing member sealing towards the blade arrangement.

41. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the front end of the consolidation and laying means is concave and facing the periphery of the blade arrangement, and wherein the minimum distance between the disc and the front end is in the range of 0-40 mm.

42. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the front end of the consolidation and laying means is following the periphery of the blade arrangement so that during a trench making, consolidation and laying operation, the clearance between the front end and the blade arrangement is less than 50 mm in the trench.

43. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the consolidation and laying means have at least one feeding duct that has an inlet at an upper portion of the consolidation and laying means for receiving a flexible casing or tube, cable, or wire and a outlet at a rear end of the consolidation and laying means for feeding the flexible casing or tube, cable, or wire to the trench.

44. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the consolidation and laying means have the same thickness or less than 1 mm thinner than the blade arrangement.

45. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the consolidation and laying means is thinner than the blade arrangement.

46. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the cutting portion of the blade arrangement is 5-50 mm thick.

47. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the at least one feeding duct is at least two.

48. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein during a trench making, consolidation and laying operation the blade arrangement is arranged to rotate so that lower portion of the blade arrangement moves in the driving direction of the machine.

49. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the machine includes at least four wheels, one wheel pair at a first side of the machine and the other wheel pair at a second and opposite side of the machine, and means for adjusting the ground clearance on at least one side of the machine, so that the machine can be driven with one wheel pair on a first ground level and the opposite at a higher or lower second ground level, while still keeping the machine leveled.

50. A laying machine according to claim 49, wherein the means for adjusting the ground clearance on at least one side of the machine is a scissor mechanism.

51. A laying machine according to claim 49, wherein the machine includes means for individually adjusting the ground clearance for each wheel.

52. A laying machine according to claim 38, wherein a dust collector in the form of a wheeled unit is connected to the dust outlet for receiving dust and debris.

53. A laying machine according to claim 38, wherein the dust collector is arranged in front of the blade arrangement and being arranged to be pushed by the machine.

54. A laying machine according to claim 52, wherein the dust collector includes an inner compartment having a opening for the dust outlet and a lid.

55. A laying machine according to claim 35, wherein the blade arrangement is the blade assembly comprising at least two blades, a first blade, and a second blade, that are axially aligned, each blade having a working portion at the periphery of the blade and a central portion around the axial center of the blade for being operated on by a device for driving the blade assembly, a blade support structure extending between the working portion and the central portion characterized in that the blades are spaced apart by a spacer structure, said spacer structure forming at least one compartment, between the blades, that is in contact with the central portion and extending towards the working portion, and at least at one radius of the spacer structure covering a significant part of the periphery at that radius of the spacer structure, said compartment having an inlet at the central portion.

56. A laying machine according to claim 55, wherein fluid is also added to at least one outer side of the blade assembly.

57. A blade assembly for working on a work surface, the blade assembly including at least two blades, a first blade, a second blade, and possible a third blade, that are axially aligned, each blade having a working portion at the periphery of the blade and a central portion around the axial center of the blade for being operated on by a device for driving the blade assembly, a blade support structure extending between the working portion and the central portion characterized in that the blades are spaced apart by a spacer structure, said spacer structure forming at least one compartment, between the blades, that is in contact with the central portion and extending towards the working portion, and at least at one radius of the spacer structure covering a significant part of the periphery at that radius of the spacer structure, said compartment having an inlet at the central portion.

58. A blade assembly according to claim 57, wherein the blade assembly includes three blades which are spaced apart by two spacer structures, said spacer structures each forming at least one compartment between the blades in contact with the central portion and extending towards the working portion and at least at one radius of the spacer structures covering a significant part of the periphery at that radius of the spacer structures, said compartment having an inlet at the central portion.

59. A blade assembly according to claim 57, wherein the side walls of the compartment are defined by the spacer structure.

60. A blade assembly according to claim 57, wherein at least one axial wall of the compartment is a neighboring blade.

61. A blade assembly according to claim 57, wherein said significant part is at least 30%.

62. A blade assembly according to claim 57, wherein the compartment each has two side walls that both extends radially from a predetermined distance from the centre of the blades.

63. A blade assembly according to claim 62, wherein the compartment has a third side wall extending between the two side walls defining the outer edge of the compartment said third side wall being at a distance closer to the periphery of the blades than to the center of the blades.

64. A blade assembly according to claim 63, wherein the third side wall has at least one aperture.