Pipeline padding apparatus

• US 5,195,260 A
• Filed: 06/15/1990
• Issued: 03/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ozzie's Pipeline Padder, Inc (Royal Energy Resources, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ozzie's Pipeline Padder, Inc (Royal Energy Resources, Inc.)
• Inventors: Osadchuk, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSEN, ARLEN
• Application Number:
  US07/538,924
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 37/4, 37/5, 37/6, 37/7, 37/8, 37/9, 37/101, 37/102, 37/110, 37/142.5, 405/179, 209/235, 209/421, 209/420, 209/460, 209/241, 209/257
• US Class Current: 37/142.5
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/005 Transportable screening plants
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/16 Feed or discharge arrangements
• 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 5/226 with means for processing the soil, e.g. screening belts, separators; Padding machines
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/06 Delivery chutes or screening plants or mixing plants mounted on dredgers or excavators for back-filling E02F5/226 takes precedence; separating equipment in general B03; delivery chutes in general B65G

Abstract

An improved pipeline padding apparatus includes a separator for separating fine material out of spoil which is piled along side an excavation, an elevator for transporting spoil to the separator, and a pair of guide projections for guiding spoil into the elevator. A conveyor is provided to transport the separated fine portion of the spoil back into the excavation, thereby padding the pipeline. The separator, the elevator, the guide projections and the vehicle are all mounted on a tracked support vehicle. In one embodiment, the motor of the tracked support vehicle is mounted above and forward of the elevator, which helps reduce the amount of dust that the motor is exposed to during operation. According to another aspect of the invention, the guide projections may be configured to allow excess spoil to flow underneath in such a manner as to smooth out a path for the tracks of the support vehicle.

Claims

1. A combination for padding an excavated pipeline trough by moving along the pipeline while separating fine material from spoil such as excavated material or ground material and depositing the fine material into the trough as padding material, comprising:

(a) a support vehicle having at least two spaced-apart wheel means, said support vehicle supported at least in part by said wheel means whereby said support vehicle can be moved in a forward path along the excavated trough; and

(b) an apparatus supported from said vehicle to move therewith, said apparatus having elevator means including a plurality of spoil engaging elements that move in an endless path that extends at least around a front end of said elevator means for elevating the spoil over the front end of said elevator means and for transporting the spoil from said front end;

a fine material separator positioned to receive spoil elevated by said spoil elevator;

a conveyor means for transporting fine material from said separator to the excavated pipeline trough; and

at least two spaced-apart spoil guide members, each guide member positioned on opposite sides of said spoil elevator in the forward path of at least one of said wheel means, the front end of said elevator means being positioned between said guide members to define an open area at the bottom, each of said guide members having at least one inner guide surface and a bottom edge, each inner guide surface extending forwardly and outwardly of said spoil elevator with respect to the direction of the forward path of said support vehicle whereby said inner guide surface engages and directs spoil toward said spoil elevator when said support vehicle is moved forward, said two bottom edges being positioned to extend substantially in a plane thereby grading two surfaces as said support vehicle moves forward, and each of said bottom edges extending at least as wide as the forward path of at least one of said wheel means following said bottom edge.

3. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said support vehicle comprises a self-propelled vehicle.

4. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said wheel means comprise track type wheels.

5. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said elevator means comprises an elevator floor and a closed, endless path of a plurality of spaced, flat conveyor members that are adapted to be drawn across said elevator floor in order to move spoil upwardly.

6. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, additionally comprising means for selectively raising and lowering said elevator means into and out of contact with said spoil whereby the amount of spoil encountered by said elevator means can be varied to control the amount of elevator means by said spoil elevator.

7. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said elevator means is positioned relative to said spoil guide members so that the lowermost portion of said elevator means extends lower than said bottom edge of said spoil guide members.

8. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fine material separator comprises means for separating the spoil into fine material and rough material.

9. A combination or an apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said separator means comprises a screen separator.

10. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said separator comprises a plurality of spaced elements defining openings of a size to allow fine material to pass therethrough while preventing rough material from passing therebetween.

11. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said conveyor means is an endless belt type conveyor.

12. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said inner guide surfaces are angled inwardly to said elevator means whereby at least a portion of the spoil encountered thereby is directed toward said elevator means.

13. A combination or an apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of said inner guide surfaces further comprises a second guide surface portion on the forward end of said guide members, said second guide surface being substantially parallel to the forward path of said support vehicle.

14. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said bottom edges is substantially continuous from a first end that is adjacent said elevator means to a second opposite end that is forward of said elevator means, whereby spoil escaping beneath each of said bottom edges is smoothed out during operation to provide a stable surface upon which said support vehicle can ride.

15. A combination or an apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of said bottom edges is the leading edge of a substantially horizontal, flat surface.

16. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a cutter element mounted to the forward end of said elevator means, said cutter element having a leading edge which is positioned to extend lower than said elevator means so as to deflect rocks or the like materials upwardly toward said spoil elevator.

17. A combination or an apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said cutter element is positioned rearward with respect to the forwardmost end of said guide members.

18. A combination or an apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said cutter element is positioned to extend lower than said bottom edges of said guide members, whereby said bottom edges are positioned so that excess spoil may pass beneath said bottom edges during operation of said apparatus.

19. A combination according to claim 1 or an apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for powering said apparatus.

2. An apparatus for padding an excavated trough for a pipeline by separating fine material from spoil such as excavated material or ground material and depositing the fine material into the trough as padding material, comprising:

(a) a support vehicle having at least two spaced-apart wheel means, said support vehicle supported at least in part by said wheel means whereby said support vehicle can be moved in a forward path along the excavated trough;

(b) elevator means including a plurality of spoil engaging elements that move in an endless path that extends at least around a front end of said elevator means for elevating the spoil over the front end of said elevator means and for transporting the spoil from said front end connected to move with said support vehicle;

(c) a fine material separator connected to move with said support vehicle to receive spoil elevated by said spoil elevator;

(d) a conveyor means connected to move with said support vehicle for transporting the fine material from said separator to the excavated trough; and

(e) a pair of spaced-apart spoil guide members connected to move with said support vehicle, each guide member positioned on opposite sides of said spoil elevator in the forward path of at least one of said wheel means, the front end of said elevator means being positioned between said guide members to define an open area at the bottom, each of said guide members having at least one inner guide surface and a bottom edge, each inner guide surface extending forwardly and outwardly of said spoil elevator with respect to the direction of the forward path of said support vehicle whereby said inner guide surface engages and directs spoil toward said spoil elevator when said support vehicle is moved forward, said two bottom edges being positioned to extend substantially in a plane thereby grading two surfaces as said support vehicle moves forward, and each of said bottom edges extending at least as wide as the forward path of at least one of said wheel means following said bottom edge.