Submarine pipe trenching apparatus
OwnerCharles Francis Martininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Submarine pipe trenching apparatus for digging a trench below submarine pipelines, wherein jet supports having nozzles for digging into the ground are supported for oscillatory movement on a frame, and wherein a crawler assembly is mounted on the pipe for moving the jets supports along and below the pipe when the liquid is propelled through the nozzles for digging out the soil below the pipe. The nozzles may include orifice plate means defining their outlets and inclined so that liquid emanating therefrom strikes the earth formation at a small acute angle.
Claims19
An underwater trenching apparatus for burying a pipeline or the like beneath the bottom of a body of water comprising:
- a frame for positioning over the pipeline to be buried;
- jet support means supported on said frame for oscillatory movement with respect to said frame about a first axis generally transverse to said pipeline;
- a plurality of nozzles on said jet support means for digging a trench in said bottom for burying said pipeline;
- oscillating means operatively connected to said jet support means for oscillating said jet support means with respect to said frame;
- a plurality of rollers secured to said apparatus and contacting said pipeline to direct said apparatus along said pipeline;
- drive means to drive at least a first of said rollers for movement of said apparatus along said pipeline;
- and
- biasing means operative between at least one of said rollers and said frame to permit movement of said roller toward and away from the axis of said pipeline while following variations in the circumference in said pipeline.
An apparatus for excavating an underwater earth formation, comprising:
- a frame for positioning adjacent said earth formation;
- jet support means carried by said frame;
- and
- a plurality of nozzles on said jet support means each of said nozzles including orifice plate means configured to inhibit divergence of liquid emanating therefrom to project a concentrated stream of such liquid toward said earth formation for excavation thereof.
A trenching apparatus for excavating an underwater earth formation to bury a pipeline beneath the bottom of a body of water, comprising:
- a frame adapted for positioning over the pipeline to be buried adjacent said earth formation;
- jet support means carried by said frame;
- a plurality of nozzles on said jet support means, each of said nozzles including orifice plate means and being adapted for digging a trench in said bottom for burying said pipeline;
- a plurality of rollers secured to said apparatus and contacting said pipeline to direct said apparatus along said pipeline;
- drive means to drive at least a first of said rollers for movement of said apparatus along said pipeline;
- and
- biasing means operative between at least one of said rollers and said frame to permit movement of said roller toward and away from the axis of said pipeline while following variations in the circumference in said pipeline.
Submarine pipeline trenching apparatus, comprising:
- a trench cutter assembly including a plurality of jet nozzles disposed at different elevations from the upper end to the lower end of said cutter assembly, and with at least one jet nozzle at each of said elevations;
- a frame adapted to be positioned above a pipeline to be buried;
- pipe crawler means connected to said frame and engageable with the pipeline for imparting longitudinal movement to said frame and said cutter assembly;
- and
- cutter positioning means operably connected with said cutter assembly for moving said cutter assembly from a raised substantially horizontal position to an upright position at least partially below the pipeline after said crawler means is positioned on the pipeline.
An apparatus for excavating an underwater earth formation, having a generally vertical face, comprising:
- a frame for positioning adjacent said earth formation;
- jet support means carried by said frame;
- and
- a plurality of nozzles on said jet support means, each of said nozzles having an outlet portion inclined upwardly form horizontal at an angle such that liquid emanating from said nozzle will strike said face of said earth formation at a small acute angle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.