U.S. patent application number 12/061456 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-22 for pump for hydromill.
This patent application is currently assigned to SOILMEC S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Gianluca Braghittoni.
Application Number | 20090022584 12/061456 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39494467 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090022584 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Braghittoni; Gianluca |
January 22, 2009 |
PUMP FOR HYDROMILL
Abstract
A pump for digging equipment is for the construction of
diaphragms The equipment envisages in its end part drums (10 and
11), provided with bits (12) mounted so that they rotate on their
own axes (A) The drums are carried by a top frame (13), mounted
within which, in the proximity of the drums, is a centrifugal pump
(14). The pump (14) is positioned in such a way that its axis (15)
comes to lie in a substantially horizontal plane, parallel to the
plane passing through the axes (A) of the bits (12) and is oriented
at an angle of between 30.degree. and 60.degree. with respect to
the sides of the rectangular section of the excavation, whilst the
maximum diameter of the pump and its motor fall within the
thickness of the frame (13).
Inventors: |
Braghittoni; Gianluca;
(Cesena (FO), IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Assignee: |
SOILMEC S.p.A.
Cesena
IT
|
Family ID: |
39494467 |
Appl. No.: |
12/061456 |
Filed: |
April 2, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
415/206 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02D 19/18 20130101;
E02F 3/205 20130101; E02D 17/13 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
415/206 |
International
Class: |
F04D 17/08 20060101
F04D017/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 5, 2007 |
IT |
TO2007A000241 |
Claims
1. A pump for digging equipment for the construction of diaphragms,
wherein the equipment includes drums in an end part, provided with
bits mounted so that the bits rotate on their own axes; and wherein
the drums are carried by a top frame the pump comprising a
centrifugal pump mounted within the top frame proximate the drums,
wherein the pump is positioned so that its axis comes to lie in a
substantially horizontal plane, parallel to the plane passing
through axes of the bits and is oriented at an angle of between
30.degree. and 60.degree. with respect to sides of a rectangular
section of an excavation, wherein the maximum diameter of the pump
and its motor fall within the thickness of the frame.
2. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the pump is
oriented at an angle of approximately 45.degree. with respect to
the sides of the rectangular section of the excavation.
3. The pump according to claim 2, wherein the axis of the pump lies
in a plane inclined by 10.degree. with respect to the
horizontal.
4. The pump according to claim 1, wherein a motor of the pump is
set out of line with respect to an impeller by gears with parallel
axes contained in a purposely provided casing.
5. The pump according to claim 1, wherein a delivery pipe of the
pump is directed upwards, and wherein a suction pipe has a cross
section larger than that of the delivery pipe.
6. The pump according to claim 5, wherein the suction pipe
comprises a plurality of pipe elements.
7. The pump according to claim 5, wherein the suction pipe has a
non-circular cross section.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a pump for a hydromill.
[0002] Known to the art is digging equipment for constructing
diaphragms, commonly referred to as hydromills, which is mainly
constituted by a frame suspended from ropes, and milling drums with
parallel horizontal axes set underneath the frame.
[0003] The drums turn, removing the soil and producing an
excavation having a rectangular section in which the frame is let
down vertically by means of ropes.
[0004] The walls of the excavation are withheld by the hydrostatic
pressure of an appropriate drilling mud.
[0005] The debris is sucked in together with said mud by a pump,
which is usually of a centrifugal type, and conveyed out of the
excavation by a flexible pipe.
[0006] The dimensions of the frame are limited by the dimensions of
the excavation and condition the possibilities of installation of
the pump.
[0007] The pump basically has the shape of a disk with a diameter
greater than the thickness of the frame and a more modest
height.
[0008] Set on one of the faces of the disk is the motor for turning
the impeller. Usually, the motor is of the hydraulic type with
"inclined body".
[0009] A possibility of placing is described in the patent No. EP-0
249 555. In this solution, however, the projection in plan view of
the overall encumbrance of the pump constitutes a non-negligible
obstacle to the flow of the mud into the excavation and to the
passage of the hydraulic pipes for supply of the motors of the
drums, of control members, and of other mechanical items.
[0010] Another problem linked to the position of the pump is the
abrasive effect that the debris has on the bends of the delivery
pipe. If said vertical pipe has a rectilinear development, its
service life increases.
[0011] Another problem consists in the poor accessibility of the
pump for maintenance purposes or for complete replacement.
[0012] The present invention aims at providing an improved solution
to the above problems by proposing a pump for digging equipment for
the construction of diaphragms, in which the equipment envisages,
in its end part, drums provided with bits, mounted so that they
rotate on their own axes. The drums are carried by a top frame,
inside which, in the proximity of the drums, a centrifugal pump is
mounted, said pump being characterized in that it is positioned in
such a way that its axis comes to lie in a substantially horizontal
plane, parallel to the plane passing through the axes of the bits
and is oriented with an angle of between 30.degree. and 60.degree.
with respect to the sides of the rectangular section of the
excavation, whilst the maximum diameter of the pump and its motor
fall within the thickness of the frame.
[0013] The pump according to the invention will now be described
with reference to the annexed plates of drawings, in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a front view of the bottom part of digging
equipment for the construction of diaphragms provided with the pump
according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the equipment of FIG. 1 in an
area corresponding to the pump; and
[0016] FIG. 3 is the view according to the section A-A of FIG. 2 of
the pump.
[0017] As may be noted in FIG. 1, the end part of the equipment
envisages two drums 10 and 11 provided with bits 12, mounted so
that they rotate on their own axes A to perform the steps of
excavation in the earth that are well known to a person skilled in
the branch.
[0018] The drums 10 and 11 are carried by a top frame 13, which is
also of a known type.
[0019] Mounted within the frame, in the proximity of the drum, is a
centrifugal pump 14, once again of a known type, which, according
to the invention, is positioned in such a way that its axis 15
comes to lie in a horizontal plane, parallel to the plane passing
through the axes A of the bits 12. In this way, the projection in
plan view is the absolutely minimum one and leaves the maximum
section of surrounding passage free.
[0020] In addition, the axis of the pump 10 is oriented with a
marked angle, of between 30.degree. and 60.degree. and, preferably,
about 45.degree., with respect to the sides of the rectangular
section of excavation, whereas the maximum diameter of the pump and
the corresponding motor drive fall within the thickness of the
frame 13.
[0021] Normally, the motor of the pump is aligned with the impeller
of the pump, whilst, in the embodiment represented in FIGS. 2 and
3, the motor 21 of the pump is set out of line with respect to the
impeller by means, by way of non-limiting example, of some gears
with parallel axes contained in a purposely provided casing 22.
[0022] In a further variant, the axis of the pump lies in a plane
slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal, preferably by
10.degree.. In this way, the suction pipe can present a more
rectilinear development within the allowed encumbrance.
[0023] The delivery pipe 16 of the pump is directed upwards, whilst
the suction pipe 17 can have a section larger than that of the
delivery pipe 16. In addition, the suction pipe is made up of
various pipe elements 18, 19, 20, possibly with a non-circular
cross section, to enable ease of maintenance.
[0024] Since the delivery mouth of the pump faces upwards and since
the delivery pipe 16 rises in a substantially vertical way, as may
be noted in the figures, the first significant curve falls outside
of the excavation, and a possible perforation due to wear is
immediately visible. In other solutions, the perforation occurs in
the submerged equipment so that it is difficult to identify it
immediately.
[0025] With the solution proposed by the present invention, the
bends in the suction stretch, which present a larger number as
compared to known solutions, are less critical because said stretch
is short and can hence be conveniently made with a larger cross
section, consequently reducing the rate of the fluid and debris
contained therein.
[0026] The vertical pipe, instead, may be even some hundred metres
long and is made of rubber reinforced with wire cloth, hence very
sturdy and costly; in fact, an increase in diameter would entail
considerable increase in cost.
[0027] Finally, with a placement of the pump of the type described
above, accessibility for carrying out maintenance operations is
very good, both as regards the pump itself and as regards the
suction pipe, which can be made up of various flanged elements.
* * * * *