Procedure and means for providing a vertical drain in the bottom of a water body

• US 4,428,699 A
• Filed: 12/08/1982
• Issued: 01/31/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terrafigo AB A Swedish Body Corporate
• Original Assignee: Pohjavahvistus OY A Finnish Body Corporate of Finland
• Inventors: Juhola, Mauno O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Application Number:
  US06/447,931
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 405/36, 405/37, 405/50, 405/45-49, 254/29 R, 111/1-4
• US Class Current: 405/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 3/103 by installing wick drains or sand bags

Abstract

Procedure and means for making a vertical drain in the bottom of a water body, e.g. a sea or lake, from a raft on the surface of the water body. A conveying member, carried by the raft movably in vertical direction, is brought to be close to the bottom of the water body. A push tube, carried by the conveying member movably in vertical direction, is pushed into the soil layer on the bottom of the water body to desired depth, whereby the push tube carries along the prefabricated drain, provided with an anchor on its lower end, located therewith in. Thereafter, the push tube is pulled up, the strip drain remaining in its place in the soil layer by the aid of the anchor. The aim of the invention is to reduce the consumption of prefabricated drain material, to reduce the time consumed in the operation and to reduce energy consumption. The invention teaches to pull the push tube up above the lower end of the conveying member. Another anchor is affixed to the prefabricated drain by the aid of an affixing means, located on the lower end of the conveying member.

Claims

1. Improvement in a procedure for making a vertical drain in the bottom of a water body such as a sea or lake from a raft on the surface of the water body, wherein a conveying member, carried on the raft movably in vertical direction, is brought to be close to the bottom of the water body, a push tube supported by the conveying member movably in vertical direction is pushed into the soil layer on the bottom of the water body to desired depth, whereby the push tube carries along a prefabricated drain, provided with an anchor at its lower end, whereafter the push tube is pulled up, while the prefabricated drain remains in its place in the soil layer with the aid of the anchor, wherein the improvement comprises that the push tube is pulled up to be above the lower end of the conveying member, that another anchor is affixed to the prefabricated drain by the aid of a fixing means located on the lower end of the conveying member.

2. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the prefabricated drain is cut, after fixing the anchor, at a point below the anchor.

3. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that after affixing the anchor the prefabricated drain is pulled upwards so that the anchor settles tightly against the lower end of the push tube.

4. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that after affixing the anchor the prefabricated drain is retained, simultaneously pushing the push tube downwards so that the anchor settles tightly against the lower end of the push tube.

5. Means for carrying out a procedure according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a raft with a conveying member supported to be vertically movable and with a push tube, supported by the latter to be movable in vertical direction and inside which is located the prefabricated drain to be conveyed into the soil layer on the bottom of the water body, of which the lower end is provided with an anchor, characterized in that the conveying member on its lower end carries a fixing means for the anchors, and therebelow a cutting means for cutting the prefabricated drain.

6. Means according to claim 5, characterized in that the means for affixing anchors consists of an anchor magazine, wherefrom a feeding member picks one anchor at a time and feeds it to be in front of the feeding pad, which in turn pushes the anchor against the prefabricated drain and further against a locking means to the purpose of affixing the anchor to the prefabricated drain.

7. Means according to claim 6, characterized in that the anchors are plate-like and located in a cassette-type anchor magazine.

8. Means according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking means consists of a stapler, which is triggered by effect of pressure from the feeding pad.