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.
- 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.
- 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.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. 255,720, filed Oct. 11, 1988 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (86)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
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800197 |
Sep 1950 |
DEX |
943530 |
Sep 1956 |
DEX |
312214 |
Dec 1989 |
JPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
255720 |
Oct 1988 |
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