Patent Application
20240035253
The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-122446, filed Aug. 1, 2022. The contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present application relates to a mainframe rotation mechanism and a rotation method for an excavation apparatus including a mainframe that is rotatable.
The description in this section merely provides information of background related to the present disclosure, and may not necessarily constitute the prior art.
In foundation pile construction work at a construction site by use of an excavation apparatus disclosed by JP H10-205261 A and JP H10-205263 A, an all-casing construction method by an excavation machine, which includes a tubing unit for embedding a casing tube into the ground to form a hole wall, and a hammer grab to be lifted down into the hole wall to excavate the ground and to hold and discharge the excavated soil, is used.
In such an all-casing construction method, excavation and transportation are conducted while the hammer grab is suspended by the mainframe from a high position, so a large work space is needed in an overhead space. Hence, there is a drawback that such a construction method cannot be used in a place with a roof or a place with a height limitation such as a tunnel. As a means for improving this, JP H8-48492 A discloses a suspending transportation apparatus in which a mainframe is made to slide horizontally to be capable of transferring a casing tube, H steel, or the like. Such a suspending transportation apparatus, having the mainframe mounted on a self-propelled carriage, is capable of moving to the vicinity of a narrow workplace with a limitation in the overhead space. Then, the operation of sliding and moving rails suspending a drill pipe or the like on a tip end portion in the left-right direction and the operation of embedding the drill pipe or the like into a predetermined excavation place are repeatedly performed.
In addition, JP 5621026 B2 discloses an excavation apparatus that can be carried into and installed in a narrow excavation place with width and height limitations and that can easily conduct excavation work in a low overhead clearance. Also, by rotating and moving soil and the like that have been excavated toward an empty space around the excavation place, the excavation apparatus is capable of changing the direction of soil discharge and facilitating the soil discharge.
In the above-described conventional excavation apparatuses, since a heavy machine such as a crane transports and installs the tubing unit in the excavation place, it is difficult to conduct work in a narrow work space. Further, since a large-sized crane cannot be used in a place with a height limitation, there is a drawback that it is impossible to conduct the excavation up to a sufficient depth.
In the above-described suspending transportation apparatus, the first and second rails corresponding to the conventional rack are arranged horizontally. Thus, in a narrow place with a limitation in the overhead space, by sliding and moving a transported object such as a drill pipe or H steel on the rails, it is possible to transport the object to a predetermined workplace. However, the transportation apparatus of this type is intended to transport the object such as the drill pipe or H steel while suspending the object horizontally. For this reason, the transportation apparatus has a structure of suspending the transported object on a tip end portion of the rail, but due to its structure, the transported object cannot be made to protrude greatly from the main body of the apparatus, and the working range is limited, in some cases. Furthermore, the hammer grab, the casing tube, and the like are heavy in weight, and thus the transportation is not easy by use of only the rails. Moreover, in discharging the soil that has been excavated by the hammer grab from the excavation place, the crane has to be moved by rotation, for example, and the soil discharge operation is also complicated.
With regard to the above-described excavation machine that is rotated to move the excavated soil toward the empty space around the excavation place so as to facilitate the discharge of the excavated soil, the rotation structure of the mainframe that suspends and moves the hammer grab is complicated and the number of component parts is increased. In addition, the rotation mechanism part of the mainframe is constructed on a rotary part of the tubing unit, thereby leading to a possibility that its support becomes unstable.
Therefore, an object of the present application is to provide a mainframe rotation mechanism and a mainframe rotation method for an excavation apparatus capable of rotating a mainframe to a predetermined position above a base unit easily and stably, by use of a tubing unit provided in the base unit, a casing tube, and a rotation assist jig.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mainframe rotation mechanism is of an excavation apparatus. The excavation apparatus includes a tubing unit, a base frame, and a mainframe. The base frame is disposed with the tubing unit as a center. The mainframe includes a horizontal frame and a plurality of columns. The horizontal frame includes a slide base for horizontally moving a hammer grab above the tubing unit. The plurality of columns support the horizontal frame above the base frame. The plurality of columns are arranged detachably from the base frame. A casing tube to be arranged in the tubing unit and the horizontal frame are coupled with each other through a rotation assist jig. The casing tube is rotated with the plurality of columns being detached from the base frame. The mainframe is rotated together with the rotation assist jig to a predetermined position.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mainframe rotation method is for an excavation apparatus. The excavation apparatus includes a tubing unit, a base frame, and a mainframe. The base frame is disposed with the tubing unit as a center. The mainframe includes a horizontal frame and a plurality of columns. The horizontal frame includes a slide base for horizontally moving a hammer grab above the tubing unit. The plurality of columns support the horizontal frame above the base frame. The mainframe rotation method includes arranging a rotation assist jig between a casing tube to be arranged in the tubing unit and the horizontal frame, coupling the rotation assist jig to the casing tube and the horizontal frame, detaching the plurality of columns from the base frame, driving the tubing unit to rotate so as to rotate the casing tube, and rotating the mainframe together with the rotation assist jig to a predetermined position.
In the mainframe rotation mechanism of the excavation apparatus according to the present disclosure, although the excavation apparatus has a simple configuration of the minimal number of component parts including the tubing unit and the casing tube to be arranged in the tubing unit, which are fundamental component elements of the excavation apparatus, and the rotation assist jig that is a dedicated part, the mechanism enables the mainframe including the horizontal frame and the plurality of columns to rotate to a predetermined position above the base frame. This configuration enables the excavation and the discharge of excavated soil efficiently in accordance with environments such as a height and a space of a work site.
In the mainframe rotation method according to the present disclosure for the excavation apparatus, the use of the rotation assist jig to be coupled between the casing tube to be arranged in the tubing unit and the horizontal frame of the mainframe enables the entire mainframe to rotate to a predetermined position easily and stably.
A more complete appreciation of the present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Embodiments of the subject matter will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding component elements are identified using the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In addition, some structures or parts of the drawings may be exaggerated in size in comparison with other structures or parts for the purpose of description, and therefore the drawings are not necessarily illustrated in reduced scales. Furthermore, some drawings are schematically illustrated to facilitate understanding of the structure illustrated therein.
An excavation apparatus 10 according to the present disclosure has a structure that facilitates excavation work in a low overhead clearance with a limitation in the overhead space, and includes a base unit 14; and a mainframe 11, which is disposed above the base unit 14 so as to be rotatable toward a predetermined position, as illustrated in
The tubing unit 12 has: a clamp function for clamping the casing tube 19; a push-in function for pushing the casing tube 19, which has been clamped, into the ground; a pull-out function for pulling out the casing tube 19, which has been pushed, from the ground; and a rotary function for rotating the casing tube 19 clockwise/counterclockwise with a push-in direction/a pull-out direction as the center of rotation.
The mainframe 11 is integrally formed of a horizontal frame 13 to be described later and a plurality of (four) columns 17a to 17d for supporting the horizontal frame 13 above the base frame 14a. The four columns 17a to 17d are detachably secured onto the respective four pedestals 18a to 18d, which are provided on the base frame 14a.
Above the tubing unit 12, the horizontal frame 13 has a slide base 29 for horizontally moving a casing tube 19, a hammer grab 22, or the like. The horizontal frame 13 is made up of a main part 13a, which is supported by upper end portions of the four columns 17a to 17d, and an overhang part 13b, which extends in the horizontal direction from the two columns 17a and 17b, and which overhangs outward from above the base frame 14a. The overhang part 13b is provided so that the slide base 29 is retreated from above the tubing unit 12 so as to attach the casing tube 19, the hammer grab 22, or the like, or so that the soil that has been excavated by the hammer grab 22 is discharged at a predetermined location. The slide base 29 horizontally reciprocates between the main part 13a and the overhang part 13b of the horizontal frame 13 while suspending the casing tube 19 or the hammer grab 22. It is to be noted that a driving mechanism by a well-known motor, hydraulic pressure, or the like is used for a moving mechanism of the slide base 29, a suspending lift mechanism for the hammer grab 22, the casing tube 19, or the like, and a traveling mechanism by the pair of crawlers 15, and thus its detailed description will be omitted.
A controller (not illustrated) for driving the pair of crawlers 15 is provided in the base unit 14. The actions of the pair of crawlers 15, such as a forward movement, a backward movement, and a rotation in a left-right direction, and a speed adjustment are enabled by a remote operation from the controller at a remote location. In the remote operation, it is possible to use wired or wireless communication.
Four support legs 12c, which stably support the entire excavation apparatus 10 with respect to the ground, are provided at four corners of a bottom 12b of the tubing unit 12 so as to be capable of extending and contracting (
As illustrated in
The tubing unit 12 is provided with a rotary part 12a, which has a cylindrical shape with a hollow 23, through which the hammer grab 22 is inserted. In addition, a clamp member 20, which clamps the outer circumferential surface of the casing tube 19, is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the rotary part 12a.
The horizontal frame 13 of the mainframe 11 has: a pair of guide rails 27, which extend in parallel with each other; and the slide base 29, which horizontally moves between the pair of guide rails 27. Guide grooves (not illustrated), along which the slide base 29 is placed to be horizontally movable, are respectively formed on the inner side surfaces, facing each other, of the pair of guide rails 27.
The slide base 29 is provided with a pulley 32, which suspends the casing tube 19 and the rotation assist jig 24 illustrated in
The hammer grab 22 is used for deep hole excavation or root cutting in building foundation, and has: a case 22a; and a pair of shells 22b, which are provided to be openable or closable at the tip of the case 22a, as illustrated in
The rotation mechanism of the mainframe 11 illustrated in
The first coupling part 25 can be formed by processing another casing tube having the same shape as the casing tube 19 to a predetermined length. After the first coupling part and the casing tube 19 are engaged with each other such that the outer circumferential surface 25a of the first coupling part 25 covers the connection surface 19a of the casing tube 19, the plurality of connection openings 19b provided on the connection surface 19a of the casing tube 19 and the plurality of connection openings 25b provided on the first coupling part 25 are respectively secured with each other via bolts. It is to be noted that it is sufficient if at least two positions facing each other are secured by the bolts so that the first coupling part 25 does not easily come off from the casing tube 19.
The second coupling part 26 is made up of a pair of arms 26a, which extend in parallel with each other interposing the insertion opening 25c, which is positioned at the central portion of the top plate 25d of the first coupling part 25. Both end portions of the pair of arms 26a protrude outward from the first coupling part 25, and engagement grooves 26b to be coupled with the horizontal frame 13 are provided at four positions on both end portions of the pair of arms 26a. It is to be noted that the first coupling part 25 and the second coupling part 26, which constitute the rotation assist jig 24, are merely examples, and are not limited to the above-described shapes. The shapes may be any ones as long as the casing tube 19 and the horizontal frame 13 can be coupled reliably and stably.
As illustrated in
The mainframe 11, which has been rotated by the above rotation mechanism from the front position illustrated in
Next, a method for rotating the mainframe 11 will be described, based on
(1) The crawlers 15 are driven to move the excavation apparatus 10 in the mode illustrated in
(2) After moving the slide base 29 to the overhang part 13b of the horizontal frame 13, the rotation assist jig 24 is suspended on the slide base 29 via a wire 33, and the rotation assist jig 24 is moved toward above the casing tube 19 arranged in the tubing unit 12 (
(3) As illustrated in
(4) After decoupling the pedestals 18a to 18d of the base frame 14a and the columns 17a to 17d of the mainframe 11, the mainframe 11 is lifted up by use of the pull-out function of the tubing unit 12, the rotary part 12a is also driven, and the entire mainframe 11, which is integrated with the casing tube 19 and the rotation assist jig 24 above the base frame 14a, is driven for rotation (
(5) As illustrated in
After the rotating operation of the mainframe 11 is completed by the above processes (1) to (5), the rotation assist jig 24 is decoupled from the horizontal frame 13 and the casing tube 19. Then, the slide base 29, from which the rotation assist jig 24 is suspended, is moved toward the overhang part 13b of the horizontal frame 13, and the rotation assist jig 24 is detached. Furthermore, the casing tube 19 arranged in the tubing unit 12 is suspended on the slide base 29 via the wire, and is moved to the overhang part 13b of the horizontal frame 13 and detached in the same manner as described above.
Next, an excavation process and a discharge process by the hammer grab 22 will be described with reference to
Then, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As described heretofore, according to the mainframe rotation mechanism and the mainframe rotation method for the excavation apparatus disclosed in the present application, the mainframe rotates horizontally with respect to the ground. This eliminates the need for increasing the height of the excavation apparatus, thereby enabling adaptability to the work environment with a limitation in the overhead space, and enabling easily changing the mainframe that transports and supports the hammer grab to a predetermined position by use of the respective functions of the tubing unit provided in the excavation apparatus. Thus, the excavation work and the discharge work can be conducted easily and efficiently even in a location where an entrance passage is narrow for the excavation apparatus and a direction change is difficult. The excavation apparatus in the present embodiment is suited for a low overhead clearance, and its configuration including the rotation mechanism of the mainframe is simple and compact in order to be adapted to the excavation site where the work space is limited in a height direction and a plane direction. Therefore, the excavation apparatus is useful not only for the work in a narrow and low overhead clearance but also in any work environment.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-122446 | Aug 2022 | JP | national |
